Drama Digest
The story is about a young man who is extremely frail of nature. He originates from the South Korean country and as is required of the males in the country to enlist in the military he too has to comply to the rule. However, he faces intense amount of bullying in the organization. The story primarily involves the facet of military that not many people witness. It shows how power is located in a hierarchical manner and the weakest are at the mercy of their superiors. The military enlistment is not voluntary, therefore there is no way out of this. D.P (Deserter pursuit) is about how there is no good vs evil in that environment. Bullying is the main plot device in this gritty mini-series.
The Feel-Good Part
D.P penetrates deep into the systemically harassment that occurs with the military of South Korea. It does not go and beat around the bush, wait for the discomfort to settle, it shows and tells exactly how it is and for that this mini series deserves all the applause you can manage to give it. the key characters are extremely nuanced, written with precision. The plot never once falters from its aim and although does provide some levity here and there it manages to stick to its guns. Its not pretty, it has violent depiction/implies sexual harassment, bullying, and suicide. For South Korean men serving in the military is a matter of pride. Deserters are those that forego this duty and run away from camps. Based on real-life incidents this drama is really a good gut-wrenching view into what we look at as South Korean Military strength.
The Disappointing Factor
None. Absolutely nothing in this drama is indigestible. If anything, it can be argued that the three main character’s backstory was not delved into deeper, however, the plot was mainly aimed to bring to light the disturbing facet of serving in the military and abuse at the hands of the higher-ups. The only thing is your preference for gore even then, it is important to look at the lives of the people in the military and see what they go through with our own eyes. The drama had excellent actors, and writers, and the pacing too were solid from the beginning to the end. Sometimes the brutality may leave you unable to look at the screen. But that was the reality for some people and as viewers, we at least have to respect that.
In-Depth Analysis
Jung Hae In’s portrayal of Jun Ho was exceptionally good. All the characters acted really well. The insight into the appalling culture of the military and how callous the response is when the issues are brought forth is shocking to witness as an audience member. We see how Jun Ho feels contradicted by his morals when he is out on patrol for Deserters. He understands all too well why they would want to run away, but he too has a responsibility to fulfill and in there we see how conflicted he feels towards his participation in the military. The drama was adapted from the webtoon DP-dog days by writer Kim Bo Tang, he also wrote the script of the show.
Star Power
Jung Hae in plays the role of Jun Ho in the series who also previously lent his acting skills in dramas like Goblin, prison playbook and the debut of Blackpink Jisoo Snowdrop. Koo kyo Hwan has mainly worked in films and is a very well-established actor in the Korean film industry. Son Seok Koo is also playing a main role in this series. Alongside all these cast we also have Kim Sung Kyun who has previously worked in the drama Reply 1998.
Overall Opinion
Give this show a watch as it covers as an aspect of military enlistment the public was never faced with before. Not only does it depict every gory detail perfectly, it also manages to handle these issues portrayed with such sensitivity and care. It is discernible that the gory scenes were added in order to show how intense this systemic oppression can be and not to shock the audience in any way. The AWOL soldiers and their backstories are filled with grief and gut wrenching to have them visualized, Kim Bo Tang really did a good job in bringing his work to life and for this the actors too have to be credited for pulling off their roles so perfectly.
