Doctor Prisoner (2019)

Just let the story fold out and you will simply love this.

I have to give props to everyone here. The story in Doctor Prisoner is constructed to an absolute masterpiece that it makes me believe this is someone's literal life work. The acting brought to the table was in a different class. The OST was addictive that it made me think non-stop about Doctor Prisoner. This show is so close to perfection, it's magical.

While the story may seem either a little confusing or slow at the start, the amount of thickness and plot really strengthens up to be really complex, but you still understand everything (and if there is a little something you may find confusing within the realms of the story, you'll most likely know sooner rather than later in a handy little flashback!).

All in all, Doctor Prisoner is great, and I'm glad there is a second season (I'm saying this based on the fact that there is a page named 'Doctor Prisoner 2' on MDL. If not, sad face. :(

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Addicting and Well-crafted Underrated Battle of Wits

I just finished watching Dr. Romantic and was looking through a bunch of medical dramas, and chose this one at random, and boy am I glad that I came across it. I was instantly addicted to the storyline and the characters were amazing and constantly walking on the grey line. There's one line that mentioned that whatever someone thinks is right is justice for them- but it's different depending in your perspective- and it really permeated throughout this entire drama!

STORY
I had no idea what to expect coming in, and was shrugging to myself thinking it's your typical revenge drama- well it was a revenge drama but also so much more. Firstly, Na Yi Je is insanely smart. Like someone mentioned "Na Einstein" and you're not wrong. This man is smart, takes challenges as they come and outsmarts everyone while going with the flow. At the beginning, he was clearly a talented doctor with a compassionate heart, but a single incident spiralled and broke him- turning him into something else entirely three years later. I like how he is always on the grey line, and even exhibits the tendencies of a supervillain really. I also really like how no one was really "right" or "wrong" all the time- it was just their ideas of "justice" and what lines they'd cross for survival. It was truly centered around Na Yi Je, and it's very clear on that aspect. People mention things like characters seem to kind of lose their senses of who they are and it seems like there is no high stakes that keep you guessing because of how smart NYJ is that he can always get past what's in front of him, as well as comedic moments that seemed out of place. For me, I think that the plot wants to highlight how the flow of events can really change a person. In terms of the stakes- the stakes are always high and it still keeps me guessing. Even though I knew he'd solve it all, I was still scared on how it would turn out. For me, yes he's smart, but it kept me on my toes because I always wondered when and if he'd cross his bottom line and if he'd sacrifice more values for his goal. I binge watched this in two days because of that. I do agree with the fact that the female characters had a lot of wasted potential though. There's a lot of character development that could have happened, and the writers could have utilized the females to have more of an active part- for example, LJI was insanely smart, but she could have had a more active role, along with HSG- she did do some work and flipped a few minor people over, but not much. Then again, we can always argue that the plot was focused on NYJ, so it makes sense that it was very focused on his fight with SMS and LJJ. I also really appreciated the character development of LJH- I hated him sm at first but I acc almost cried when we found out he was safe at the end- he wormed his way into my heart.

CAST
For me, it was mostly Namgoong Min, Kim Byung Chul and Choi Won Young that really stood out to me in this aspect. All the actors were fairly consistent and well-acted, but I just loved how Namgoong Min completely embodied NYJ and I thought it was a very strong performance. Kim Byung Chul was just as good as SMS, and I really liked his chemistry with NYJ. Their banter at the second half and the fact that they cared for each other just a little to joke around and be concerned was quite cute. However, no matter how much I loved Namgoong Min's acting, I really gotta give it to Choi Won Young here. This was the second drama of his I've seen and I've gotta give it to him. He really plays psychopathic roles very well. He had psychopathic tendencies here and in Hello Monster he was the psychopathic murderer- and I noticed that he played crazy killers yet managed to make them distinguished within their own personalities. None of the performances lose out and he was perfect for LJJ.

MUSIC
I didn't pay much attention to the music but generally it was pretty good. No huge lasting impressions except maybe the OST "Fearless" but the music was utilized pretty well in the plot. This isn't music but the monitor that would come up during conflicts really elevated the mood and raised the stakes and I loved the addition!

THEMES
I love the theme of the large grey between good and evil, and how justice is seen as objective but actually becomes subjective in each person's eyes. No one was truly evil, but rather a product of circumstances and how they learned how to deal with their situations- things could have gone so differently if someone just made a different choice. I also love how NYJ, SMS and LJJ were constantly put in situations where they were foils of each other, and it showed how different people deal with similar situations in different ways. Everyone was constantly being paralleled in their own circumstances and it really added to the beauty of the drama.

REWATCH VALUE
I loved it! But it's an 8 for me because I really need to breathe and be in the right state of mind to watch this again haha. I'd totally binge it, but of course I would put time between the times I've watched it. As much as I loved it, I know that the stakes aren't as high as the first watch because I know how it will end.

CONCLUSION
The premise of being a doctor in prison was a very unique premise, and opened my eyes to at least some of how it's like and the politics that seem to permeate even prison. I was worried at first because of all the deaths, and I'm glad it didn't become a killing spree of characters needlessly. I completely loved this drama and for once I was really glad there was no romance- usually I like just a lil sprinkled in but for sure romance would have ruined it for me. Honestly, the great plot made me forget all about romance which is pretty cool. This series was very plot focused and really focused on the power struggle of the three main males, and it really left me in complete awe at their intelligence. While I do wish they portrayed more medical prowess, it wasn't the main focus and had enough sprinkled here and there- though I do have one complaint- I get potassium is a common way to kill but legit it was used every few episodes and I wanted to know more interesting ways that they'd try and kill each other haha. I wish this was more known! I wouldn't have heard of it if I didn't go looking for it honestly, and it deserves so much more attention.

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Not interesting enough for the frustration it caused. So what to do when it picks up only in the last 6 episodes?

Truth to be told, I had it in my dropped list for a good year before I decided to give it another shot. Why did I drop it in the first place? I did not care about any of the characters. Sadly, till the end, none of the main heroes/antiheroes convinced me to root for them. The true stars and scene stealers for me were: Sun Min Shik, Lee Jae Joon, Jung Ui Shik and Oh Jung Hee, while both Na Yi Ji and Han So Geum felt like undercooked ramyeon with no spice. They were boring, while the other characters were simply fun to watch them redeem themselves or at least bring some dynamics on the screen. I wish the final team formed earlier, because the interactions between them were the highlight of each episode.

How about the plot? Good-ish. The setting of the revenge was quite new. It's still revolving heavily on the good old "fighting for the company" trope, but since they introduced the prison as a framework for the plot to unfold in, it was more refreshing to follow. Too bad the plot was not consistent in these small details. For example, when needed, the recordings from CCTV were important, other times no one cared for them to be seen. These little things build credibility and give the plot a more realistic feel.

What's more, I have one minor complaint about directing and editing that stood out for me in a quite negative way. So Geum flipped people through her back and it annoyed me. First time it was fun, and the rotation of the camera was a clever trick. Sadly, they repeated it a few times and it lost its charm. If you want to present her as a strong woman who can defend herself, give her some other moves. It's as if she practiced this one move for years in self-defense classes. Lady, this is not enough... show me some punches, twisting arms, breaking legs...

What was the OST again? I cannot remember one song from it... I guess it means they were not that memorable. That said, I loved the peeping sound at the end of the episodes. It got me a bit excited for what was coming in the next one.

Overall, it's a fun revenge story, with two main "good guys" being its weakest part.

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For me, this drama is so far the best drama 2019. It has great and original story (which is not easy to create these days), awesome cast and the music creates the right atmosphere.
Cast:
Main good guy - Nam Goong Min is wonderful, handsome and his acting is convinving as always. I love him and I don't know any movie or drama, which wouldn't be in a high quality.
Main bad guy - Choi Won Yong was incredible. I loved him in Kill me heal me and I love him here. No spoilers, just saying that his acting was truly magnificent and in this drama, he can really compete with Nam Goong Min.
Overall: I really recomend this drama to people, who want to have a little romantic comedy pause and watch something more serious and sometimes hilarious with definitely satisfying end.
Just watch and enjoy guys.:)

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The start was awesome and promising.
But, after some episodes, it was all the same. The game of cat and mouse is good until some point.
Don't understand the revenge, the way that all ends...
Like the couple between Ms Oh and the prosecutor.
Why should most of the guilty, the criminals, the people that done wrong things end up harmless?
Lots of loose ends. Only one punished and locked?
ACTING is good, ML was great and so the brothers...

OST one of the song reminds me of one theme from Dune of David Lynch...
Will never REWATCH because I already know the outcome.

Well, the ending was a disappointment to me... The drama is building up until the climax that never happens.

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How to get Away with Revenge while Bluffing your Way through Shit.

The above headline should've been the name for this show or "Congratulations, You Played Yourself!" This drama was just simply brilliant. It was a revenge drama through and through and it didn't let you come up for air. The story kept progressing from start to finish, it never got draggy. If it weren't for all the comedic breaks, this drama would've been way too heavy. (I feel like I've said drama to many times. :p)

The acting was great. Everyone played their role well. NAMGOONG MIN!!!! Oh man, he's just the best. Just throw all the Korean acting awards at this man. He can go from happy, to sad, to clueless, to psychotic in just a matter of minutes in scenes. I just love his acting style. I was also really impressed with Choi Won Young. Been following him since Hello Monster, so I knew he would've had this character in the bag.

Anyways, long story short, if you're a k-thriller fan who wants to be in for a wild ride, I'll definitely recommend this. It also has one of the most satisfying endings. You pretty much give a sigh of relief with the characters, when it's all over. Rewatch value, I would say meh, because then the rush of watching this wouldn't be the same as being a first time watcher. Check this one out!!!!

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I try to avoid describing shows as self-important or pretentious, but in this case, I can't help but apply those labels. While there were elements I liked, such as the antagonists and the conflict setup, the show ultimately fell short. The subject matter, a corrupt hegemony and a revenge plot, is not unique in the world of Kdramas, but that's not the issue. The problem is that the plot becomes overly complicated and hard to follow, and the protagonist is hard to empathize with because he lacks genuine relationships and treats everyone as a means to an end. As a result, it's difficult to believe that he cares about the strangers caught in the accident at the beginning of the show. The show also feels unnecessarily long, as the plot isn't complex enough to warrant 16 one-hour episodes. The writing needlessly complicates things to fill the time, and I ended up losing interest because of this.

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If Wild West was set in a Korean prison

NOTE: turn off all of your medical knowledge before watching this Kdrama coming from someone in the healthcare field.

For a person not familiar with the medical, psychiatric, and most especially rehabilitative protocols portrayed here, you will best remember this Kdrama as full of revenge scheming lawlessness coiled with plot twists all over sprinkled with intensified suspense for the duration of its 32-episode run. Personally, I nearly dropped it after the first episode due to its massive protocol breaches and medical logic was just basically thrown off. I wanted to brush it off, but it was too immense not to ignore. Also, I wanted to list all instances were protocols were broken, but it will just take all the space of this review. Again, be thoroughly warned.

Despite said drawbacks, the fast pacing of the story is really to be acclaimed. The plot twists maybe convoluted at times and almost all characters may be morally gray, but it was just not boring. I was hooked by Na Yi-je's (Namgoong Min) revenge plot and the delivery of both the revenge and his acting were just top notch. I liked that the plan was too intricate despite several obstacles. There were many players in this game, and I not know who will definitely win due to the enormous amount of power play in between episodes. But despite of its complexity, the story did not lost its touch even up to the finale. I was already satisfied with the end, no need for the second season unless the story would be as significant as here.

Next, the acting game here was just too outstanding, particularly Lee Jae-joon (Choi Won-young). It's the first time that I saw him play a role different from others, but he was just too memorable a villain. He just shined out all throughout most notably the last episode. On the other hand, because of the great acting here, I found Han So-geum (Kwon Na-ra) to be the "weak link", but that doesn't mean that she was bad here. It may be due to the script and her character or may be it was just the other actors showed greater range of their acting skills in this Kdrama.

The production here was also where I had problems. The prison was too dimly-lighted and I had to move my eyes closer the screen to see the characters. The lighting, since it focused more on the darker color shades, was now more like disco club which did not set well to the story mood. It was too prominent and distracted their dialogues. Also, the music was not in sync with the mood at times. There were instances that the BGM played was light yet they were threatening to bring someone down, which was not appropriate in this context. Basically, not a fan of the production value showed here.

Overall, a very intense fast-paced story that was not dull, however it could've been improved at some, if not many aspects. Yet still, this Kdrama should not be skipped just because of some of my complaints. After all, Doctor Prisoner is a great example of what a Kdrama is if Wild West was set in a Korean prison.

P.S. for the story, I excluded the medical aspect from the score for the overall plot of this show itself.

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Intense, fast paced ride!

Likes:
1. The show was an intense 16 hour ride. The stakes kept getting higher and the twists just kept coming. The were so many betrayals and alliance switches you need to really focus to make sure you dont miss anything. I love that the show isnt afraid to kill off characters both good and bad.
2. Namgoong Min is perfect as the anti-hero Dr. Na Ji Ye. He has psycho eyes that you would really believe that he will do anything to get his revenge. And so smart and handsome too
3. Dr. Seon started as really evil and i loved his fights with Dr. NA, but i also loved when they finally put their two heads together to fight the real villain. (But he also has to pay for his bad deeds too!)
4. I thought i wouldnt find a worse villain that the psycho killer in Defendant but i think Lee Jae Jun is worst! He has done so many wrong things and yet i can somehow understand his motive. It doesnt excuse his behavior. Til the end he was unrepentant and even scheming his escape plan.
5. Justice really changes per person. No matter which side wins, justice will always prevail.

Dislikes:
1. For all the fights between Lee Jae Jun and Lee Jae Hwan, im surprised that they are not even acknowledging how smart and competent Lee Jae In is. I thought she should have been the successor (after her mother).
2. Dr. Na is right. This all started with the Taekang family feud. Cant believe rich and powerful people really can get away with anything.
3. How come i didnt hear any OST but i can search the songs in youtube? All i remember are the suspenseful instrumentals esp that alarm sound.

Btw does anyone know the tune that LJJ whistles? Is it from Kill Bill?

Rating: 8.5/10 (but i prolly cant watch this again. Not good for the heart)

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A political thriller with amazing acting, always keeps you on your toes!

This drama stayed unpredictable and super fun to watch for all of the 16 episodes, consistently. There are no dull moments, it's a whole package with amazing acting and a solid storyline.

The setting of the drama, made me see a new perspective altogether. I have never thought about the medical aspects of a prison and this just opened the door to that. The topic of stay of execution was new to me and its actually very creative how they used this topic and made a whole drama out of it.
The characters especially the 3 men, showcased some top tier acting! It was so fun to see such gray characters being selfish and playing mind games, you could never guess what the character will do next or whose side they'll be on. The show had a lot of strong woman too, very cool, composed and strong. The woman didn't have a very important role though, still whatever role they had they killed it.
The way its shot is also very unique, the whole show has hue undertones making it look dark and grungy, setting the mood for the show.
The soundtracks and the occasional beeping added to the thrill and was a very good addition to the show.
Now onto what I disliked about the drama, the show tried to include comedy for no apparent reason, the show without the unnecessary comedy would have increased my ratings. These scenes just made me cringe more than laugh. I laughed and smirked more in other scenes that weren't considered "light and funny scenes". These scenes ruined the whole mood and could have been easily cut out.
There are some characters that were just there for the heck of it and weren't given the spotlight, these made me wonder why they were doing what they were doing. It would have been better if they were given a story too.
Other than these points I enjoyed the drama and always looked forward to watching the next episode.

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