D.P

 D.P

7/10

D.P

Genre:                                     Episodes: 6                          Year: 2021

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Ahn Joon Ho has become a solider as part of his mandatory military service. After his observational skills are noted by a Sergeant he is transferred into the D.P Team to catch soldiers who have deserted.

Cast:

Jung Hae In (Ahn Joon Ho)

Gu Gyo Hwan (Han Ho Yeol)

Kim Sung Kyun (Park Beom Gu)

Son Suk Gu (Lim Ji Seob)

Cho Hyun Chul (Cho Suk Bong)

Shin Seung Ho (Hwang Jang Soo)

Hyun Bong Shik (Cheon Yong Deok)

Won Ji Ahn (Moon Yeong Ok)

General Thoughts:

Oh man, it sure has been a while- over a year actually I think! It’s not like I’ve stopped watching K-Dramas, I just haven’t had the time (or the discipline) to review them. I have a whole stack to do of dramas I’ve watched over the last year and a bit, but I honestly don’t remember them that well now. Anyway, I’m here now (thanks to time in isolation) and hopefully I can get some reviews out! Onto the topic at hand- ‘D.P’. Hmm yes, ‘D.P’. What an experience that was. It’s not a bad drama per se, it’s actually a very well crafted show, it’s just so horrifically dark and really paints one of the worst pictures of humans as a species. I’m not exaggerating. This show is heavy.

Hello darkness, my old friend

While I knew going in that this wasn’t likely to be all sunshine and daisies, I think the show did catch me off guard with just how completely dark it got. I kept waiting for literally anyone in the military our D.P unit interacted with to just not be the scum of the earth and it…just didn’t happen. Lots of scummy characters in this show. That being said, the cinematography was stunning. It really captured the gritty underbelly of the military and was wonderful at setting the mood. The confinement and hopelessness of a lot of the soldiers was showcased well through the dim lighting and close shots of the characters.

This is not a buddy cop movie

While I didn’t particularly enjoy the story that the drama was telling, it did tell it in a way that was cohesive and easy to understand. As someone who has never been around anything to do with the army, let alone the Korean army, it was easy to grasp how the system worked and what each characters’ individual role in that system was. Similarly, though I come from a culture that doesn’t do hierarchy much, because the show took the time to set up Joon Ho’s unit and the different characters involved, I quickly made sense of why Joon Ho and Suk Bong (and certainly Suk Bong more so) felt that they couldn’t retaliate against their seniors. While I can’t say I enjoyed the overall story of ‘D.P’, I think I did kind of resonate with the message it was trying to send. A big piece of commentary I picked up from the show was the continuing motif that no one cares until someone is dead. This message starts as early as the first episode. Joon Ho does nothing to his senior D.P partner who uses their time catching a deserter to meet his friends, drink and party, even though he so obviously disagrees with what is happening. He would be criticised and punished by his senior, and likely his senior’s seniors, for disrespecting someone of a higher rank- even if Joon Ho was right. However after the deserter commits suicide, Joon Ho badly assaults his partner, and even though his partner is of a senior status, Joon Ho isn’t punished too harshly. Because someone died. No one cared that Joon Ho was right and his partner was wrong until the soldier died.

It was well written but just so hopeless

There were similar moments throughout the show, and it was all tied back with the last arc as well. Many people knew about the terrible situation Suk Bong was in. But no one went to act on it until Suk Bong went to kill his tormenter. Everyone in the military was content to let Suk Bong get bullied because his life wasn’t in any immediate danger. ‘Sucks for him’ they all thought as they continue on with their lives. It was only when Jang Soo’s life was in danger that people around Suk Bong started to act. Suddenly all these people were acknowledging the terrible things Suk Bong went through were wrong.

I mean, look at that cinematography tho

 Suddenly reporting Jang Soo becomes an option. Because people only care once somebody dies. Throughout the show there were plenty of opportunities for others to step in and try and make a difference. There were plenty of moments where each of the deserters could have been diverted to a happier, less violent path. But no one wanted to break the status quo. Each and every character at some point just chose to grit their teeth and try and get through it. Even our main three characters of the D.P unit. While they undoubtably did more than anyone else even though they were under tremendous pressure from the higher ups, a part of them was always happy to retire away to the D.P quarters where they could hide from the harassment and assault for a time. Each and every character in this show failed Suk Bong, and the drama as a whole was a gradual display on how every single opportunity to correct the situation was missed because no one really cared enough to try. The acting was phenomenal from each and every person in this show. I can’t imagine it was an easy cast to be a part of- I don’t see days on set being particularly fun. But every actor brought huge emotional range and really sold the story being told. 

What Was Great:

Emotions:

The emotions of every single actor and character were portrayed to perfection in this show. Did it make it nice to watch? Not really, but I have to give credit where it is due- the actors were able to bring emotion out of the audience. A lot rode on Jung Hae In’s performance and he really delivered.

Gu Gyo Hwan brought the only thing that even felt close to light-heartedness

It was draining to watch the show- I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been for the actors to bring that emotion time and time again while they were filming. Joon Ho and Suk Bong felt like relatable characters (and that’s probably why the drama was so hard to watch), and Jung Hae In and Cho Hyun Chul really allowed the viewers insight into all their conflicting emotions and thoughts, and whatever they felt, the audience felt.

What Wasn’t:

So Bleak:

I did not enjoy watching this show. I was conflicted giving it a 7 because it’s not bad- acting, writing, directing, cinematography, music choices, flow- everything was done astoundingly well. But I didn’t like watching the episodes. 

It made you feel a bit icky watching this show

If this is truly how things are in the Korean army I can see why it’s a story that needs to be told, but good grief it’s depressing. I finished because I am a completionist and I don’t like leaving dramas unfinished, but honestly if this had been much more than 6 episodes I don’t think I would have made it. It’s just six hours of showcasing the absolute worst in people. And it’s not like they were evil men either. The villains of this story were just regular men who were sons, brothers, friends and fathers. They weren’t pressured or coerced into being incredibly cruel- they just were when the opportunity presented itself. There are scenes that are confronting and hard to watch and there are very few happier or more lighthearted scenes to balance it out. I get what the show was going for, but I don’t think it needed to be as horrifically depressing as it was. 

Recommend?

Look, I wouldn’t really recommend this drama. Not unless you like being depressed.

Can't say I'll be tuning in for Season 2...