Lessons from Prison Playbook

Kim Je Hyeok (Park Hae Soo) was a talented and popular left-handed Korean baseball player. He had all the attention and support from all the nation's people. All stayed the same until one day he caught a criminal who was on the act of raping his only little sister. He caught the criminal and beat him severely. The accident was caught in CCTV area. Kim Je Hyeok was summoned to a trial for his act though his motive was clear enough as to defend. He was put in prison until the next trial, this was a big shock to everyone. Luckily enough, his old bestfriend who he hadn't seen for years, Lee Jon Ho worked as a guard prison in the ward Je Hyeok put into. Joon Ho (Jung Kyung Ho) helped Je Hyeok through the ups and downs in prison. Not only his bestfriend, Kim Ji-Ho (Krystal), Je Hyeok's past lover was also there to visit and comfort him through his shocking state for being charged as a murderer, which is the final judge of the court. Apparently, Je Hyeok's cellmates were also very supportive for his comeback as a baseball player. This is all the story in Prison Playbook (2017) that will take you into a very deep, hopeful and cherry feeling in a package of dark comedy drama. It is a life-in-prison story containing priceless life lessons where you can find in each episode of the drama. 

So, here goes my own summary of life lessons found in Prison Playbook :

[May contain spoilers]

• No Right No Wrong

There is no bad people, there is just bad circumstances.

It is easy to point your finger to someone's flaw and mistake. From this Korean drama, you'll figure out why you shouldn't do that. You may find the answer that all the result may be constructed by our past actions or encounters and so intertwined with current state and your future. Sometimes a good person must do something 'wrong' to make everything right and sometimes even a bad person do something 'good' under such circumstances. Life is completely unpredictable.

Kim Je Hyeok once said even I have the second chance to repeat the moment once again, I would do the same all over again. He is a good guy with great reputation. But he'll do everything to protect his sister and his family, moreover it is about someone who attempting to rape his sister. What he had done is wrong, by beating someone until the person died. But if you put under his shoes, would you be able to stay calm? That's just life, all matters is how we respond to it.

• Privilege is real, but...

The Chief warden treated Kim Je Hyeok as a precious dongsaeng (little brother). The baseball player got a very special treatment, not to mention his own baseball field provided for the scheduled everyday training. From the story, we learn and become more aware that privilege is truly exist. Good thing was Kim Je Hyeok didn't abuse his privilege neither could he deny it. Instead he used his privilege for his own good that was training, as many people expect him to comeback and gain back his ability again, and helped other inmates. At some points, other inmates needed extra care or treatment to meet their queries. That wouldn't do if you are just a common inmate but Je Hyeok helped them as he had the capability to and he knew everybody deserves their right. It was a witty personality of Je Hyeok that made everybody liked him.

• You don't know what people have been through

Never judge a book by its cover.

It's a very ancient quotes yet relatable until the next million decades. From this drama you'll be surprised by how various the backgrounds of Je Hyeok's cellmates were. Once you're put in prison, you'll be stamped as a criminal or judged as though you have done a very serious wrongdoing. But again, are all the inmates criminal? Or maybe... the law itself which has done something wrong. Many various factors can lead someone into prison life. As happened to Yoo Jeong Woo (Jung Hae In), he was accused of murder and plotted as a criminal by higher upper ranks in military. That led him into a frustrating life and utter disbelieve to everything. He became arrogant and was disliked with many people which caused him no good in prison.

• Always nourish your loved ones

The character of Kim Ji-ho is the real presentation of a grit person. You cannot expect someone to meet your expectations. However, the most important lesson that we learn from Kim Ji-Ho and Jaehyeok's relationship is they nourish each other. Given the fact that Jaehyeok is a total clueless and awkward person, to make matter worst : busy, but his love towards Ji-Ho is true and wholesome. For once he made a mistake that triggered Ji-ho's limited patience and he knew then his world was collapsing and he felt devastated. Meanwhile, Ji-ho is always trying to understand and to support her love one. Despite the fact she was ever disappointed and let him go, her true special traits makes Jaehyeok still survived once he was imprisoned although at that time they weren't together anymore. She keeps searching for the light for his darken world, she sticks to him though he couldn't see his worth anymore and she never stops nourishing him with her love. Meanwhile, Jae Hyeok loves Ji-Ho wholeheartedly and always challenge himself to be a better person who deserves her.

• Failure is just another fun chapter

He lost his ability to throw his pitch! Kim Je Hyeok couldn't throw balls straight correctly to his aim. Again, he lost his confidence and believe after barely building it up. When you are losing faith, people whom you meet and trust are the one who can help you out of the grief but most importantly it's yourself who can pull yourself out of the grave. Ji-Ho suggested that he should throw using his right hand, as simple as that. And as simple as that, he worked so hard once again. Letting his failure formed into a material that he used to build his future. The failure feeling is never fun but there will be another fun chapter next, so will you take it?

So, those are all simplified lessons that I can learn from Prison Playbook drama series. It is one of the best K-drama that I ever watched. The proportion of humor, lessons, reality and complexities inside a prison is well mixed in the 16 episodes. In case you haven't watched it, I strongly recommend you to watch it!