Before anything else, I'd like to welcome myself back in sharing my thoughts about the K-dramas I watched. It's been crazy these past few months and I am glad I finally had the time to sit down and enjoy a Korean drama. I'm also glad that I ended up watching something I'd like to write about.
Probably, you already know my style in watching K-dramas. I don't search for any teasers or read any reviews beforehand. I just randomly watch it because I feel like it.
I was browsing through Netflix when I stumbled upon D.P. The fact that Jung Hae-In is the main lead didn't make me think twice about pressing the play button.
D.P. are soldiers who chase deserted soldiers while doing their military service. They are responsible to bring back the runaway soldiers in one piece. In case you didn't know, it's mandatory for Korean men to serve two years in the military.
I thought the story will revolve around An Jun Ho (Jung Hae-In), but it basically tackled the undesirable nature of the military and that includes horrifying bullying you won't even imagine. Well, I am glad that through the episodes, Jun Ho resolved his own issues by experiencing the hardship of the runaway soldiers they chase.
I remember how I paused to wait for my husband to check out what I'm watching. Due to my curiosity, I wanted to watch with him because I am eager to know if what will be shown happens in real military life. My husband said that watching it feels like experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder all over again. He had his own fair share of experience inside the military, but that's for another time.
Going back to the story, I like how it seems light. But towards the end, it will shoot you right to your heart. I cannot remember a moment I didn't cry towards the end. By the way, it only has six 30-minute episodes.
I must say that An Jun Ho and Han Ho Yeol (Koo Gyo Hwan) have great chemistry. There's no love line in the drama, but watching them feels like there is. Jun Ho's character is a quiet type and I think if Ho Yeol's character isn't around, it will be dull and dark only. It's refreshing to see a K-drama that is dark and deep but humorous at the same time. Koo Gyo Hwan has a different attack to the role that made it feel natural.
I also admire how the writer and director chose Kim Sung Kyun to play Park Beom Gu. I cannot think of anyone who'd play the role like how he did it. And, who would forget Sanchez (Cho Hyun Chul) from Hotel Del Luna? I'm telling you guys, he's on another level in this drama. Cho Suk Bong made my heartbreak into million pieces.
I am not Korean and haven't gone into the military in my life, but this mini-series is genuine in a way that made me, as an audience, feel the real and raw hardships inside the camp even if I don't have the first-hand experience. The emotions are raw and they will sink deep down into the bones.
Each episode has different stories and attacks which got me hooked. I don't want to elaborate on what happened in each episode since it's a mini-series. I don't want to spoil everything here. Let me just give a piece of my mind about D.P.'s ending.
This Korean drama is like an eye-opener, not only in Korea but I think in the world. Behind the closed doors of their barracks, no one really knows what's happening inside. It's also a good watch for all the citizens in the world. The message of this drama is not only for the military but in life as well.
When you see something that is not right, do something. Even if you think that what you'll do is just a tiny gesture, do it still, because you won't know what kind of impact it might have on the victim.
Major spoilers, if you haven't watched it, skip this part.
Towards the end, I am quite confused, but after pondering about it, I came to this conclusion: After Suk Bong deserted the military, he chased his abuser (Hwang Jang Soo) as he got discharged. Suk Bong kidnapped him and physically assaulted him to get his revenge. Eventually, this got bigger. The police had to be involved. The military general even decided to deploy their terrorist unit to capture Suk Bong. It was pretty intense and Suk Bong's last words were: "I should at least do something" before he killed himself. Jun Ho came to the rescue and fortunately, Suk Bong lived.
In the next scene, Jun Ho met the sister of the deserted soldier who committed suicide. I think her words sting Jun Ho's heart.
"If you know my brother is kind, why you didn't help him? Why you didn't do anything? I hope you do something next time."
Back in the military base, the new replacement of leaders is saying something like "it was crazy, but it'll be okay so don't worry and just focused on finishing your service" in front of the newly deployed soldiers.
From there, I knew that Jun Ho felt nothing changed even after what happened with Suk Bong. It was truly an unfortunate event and it's gone to waste. When the new general ordered him to go to his right hand, but he instead went left, showed that from there, he decided to go against the system and do something. Well, that's my conclusion.
The after-credits also showed an interesting scene. You will see Luffy holding a rifle while in uniform while watching the news about Suk Bong. They're friends by the way. The news reported twisted information about Suk Bong which I think was the trigger why he shot all his comrades.
His last words were: "I should at least do something."
According to my husband, it could happen in real life. A bullied soldier may just suddenly shoot all his sleeping comrades inside the military. It was awful to know that these things, indeed, happened in real life. But good to know as well that there are already changes in the military system. According to my reliable source, aka my husband, these things don't happen anymore and no one wants this to happen again.
After watching D.P., I only had one wish. I hope that all the bullying victims recover and maintain their sanity while fighting the urge for revenge.
It was a great watch and I think people of all ages should see this drama.
Have you watched it? What are your thoughts about it? Share it in the comment section below.
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