D.P. Season 2 Korean Drama Review

Drama: D.P Season 2

Director: Han Jun-hee

Writer: Kim Bo-tong

Cast:- Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun, Son Suk-ku, Kim Ji-hyun, Jin Ji-hee, Jung Suk-young, Yoo Soo-bin, Park Se-joon, Moon Sang-hoon, Choi Hyun-wook, Bae Na-ra, Lee Kyu-hoe, Go Kyung-pyo, Lee Seol, Kim Bum-soo, Jo Hyun-chul and others.

Trigger Warning: This show contains scenes, situations, descriptions and graphic visuals of abuse, injuries and physical assault that could be traumatic and disturbing to many. Please read this review and watch it only if your heart and mind can take it.

About the show:-

Private Ahn Jun-ho is back at the military base but Corporal Han Ho-yeol is not by his side. Corporal Han Ho-yeol is receiving medical treatment after the unpredictable aftermath of the events with deserter Cho Seok-bong leaves him in trauma. Sergeant First Class Park Beom-gu is facing interrogation as the head of the D.P. department because of the traumatic event and is facing pressure from his seniors to cover the truth. Captain Lim Ji-seob is caught up in the middle of the chaos. He has to choose between standing up for the truth alongside his juniors or letting the pressure get to him and give in to the commands of his seniors.

As the story unfolds, mysterious secrets about the military are revealed. While the juniors are carrying out the day-to-day activities, the Senior Officers are busy utilising this time to cover up truth within the military related to corruption, LGBTQ+ discrimination and the tough relationships between junior and senior officers (Hierarchy).

Is the military answerable and responsible as an Organisation for the soldiers who act out violently due to abuse by their fellow soldiers?

Season 2 lays out truth that is harder to believe and presents actions that are difficult to assess and support.

What remains unchanged are the truth, the fight for justice and the togetherness of the brothers in arms who are filled with kindness and a zeal for change, growth and learning.

(*This review may contain spoilers. If you have already watched the show, please continue reading. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can still continue reading or you can come back to the review later.)

What I loved about the show:-

The Show (season 1 and 2) shows a great deal of bullying, violence, abuse and hunger for power but it did not fail to show us the true meaning of brotherhood. The show displayed what it means to stand together, by each other’s side and be willing to give it your all for somebody else.

Brotherhood:

When one side of the world is filled with cruelty, violence and destruction, there is this other side that has men, brothers who are ready to fight for each other. Colour, creed or even ethnicity will never be a reason to break this togetherness.

These brothers make a promise to each other to stand by each other’s side, to uplift each other and to make sacrifices for each other.

The beautiful bonds of brotherhood that D.P. gave us:

1) Jun-ho x Ho-yeol

2) Ji-seob x Beom-gu

3) Beom-gu x Jun-ho x Ho-yeol

4) Ji-seob x Beom-gu x Ho-yeol x Jun-ho x Heo Gi-young

The Actors, The Director and the Writer:

Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun and Son Suk-ku have once again proven how strong their acting skills are. Four characters with four different personalities performed magnificently by four incredibly talented actors. Their ability to keep the audience glued to the screen is indescribable.

We as the viewers couldn’t take our eyes off the four main leads. But the new cast, Bae Na-ra, Choi Hyun-wook, Moon Sang-hoon, Kim Ji-hyun, Ji Jin-hee and Jung Suk-yong (and the supporting cast) are the MVP’s of this season in my opinion.

Episode 6 gave us amazing cameos from Shin Seung-ho and Jo Hyun-chul as Hwang Jung-soo and Cho Seok-bong respectively.

Bae Na-ra as Jung Sung-min/Nina is mesmerising. Sung Min’s story is touching yet incredibly painful and Bae Na-ra’s portrayal is beautiful. His skills as an actor are top notch as he seamlessly acts out the gentleness and elegance of his character while also showing how shattered he is from the inside because of the abuse, bullying and the pressure he has faced in the society and the military. Bae Na-ra is a gem of an actor and I wish to see him in grand roles where he can proudly show off his brilliant skills as an actor/performer.

Choi Hyun-wook as Shin Ah-wi is out of this world. Shin Ah-wi is broken from inside because of all that has happened to him in the military and all that he has seen. The change in his personality and his behaviour and his rebellious attitude are a result of his broken self. What I loved about Choi Hyun-wook (the main leads have mentioned this in the interviews as well) is that he is inexperienced as a military officer in real life (still hasn’t finished his military enlistment) but he was able to capture the emotions, the body language and the dialect/accent perfectly. He is a talent beyond his years. He is quickly becoming one of my favourite actors and I cannot wait to dig into more of his works.

Moon Sang-hoon as Kim Ru-ri is wonderful. Kim Ru-ri is a perpetrator but he is also a victim. Kim Ru-ri made a mistake. There is no excuse for the way he acted. But he was also pushed to the edge. Are we allowed to forgive his crime? The only ones who are allowed to judge him and his actions are God, the victims, the loved ones of the victims and the law. Throughout the second season, I fell in love with Moon Sang-hoon’s acting. He delivered and he delivered exceptionally well. I could feel his agony, his fear and his anger from across the screen. Every scene with him was pure magic. He gave it his all and I was on the verge of tears every time he was on the screen.

I would like to thank Director Han Jun-hee and Writer Kim Bo-tong for this excellent creation. This piece of drama was cleverly presented. The second season exceeded the expectations of the viewers. The audience and I would never say no to Season 3.

“We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools”- Martin Luther King.