The military is not an easy place to be in. The pressure and the stress that come with it are not everyone’s cup of tea. It is a place where emotions, one’s personal feelings and anything which goes against the favour of the country takes a back seat. One has to be very practical, tactical and methodical when dealing with matters of the country’s security and affairs. In situations like these where there is nail-biting pressure at every moment, one is bound to crack under the pressure. Emotions like anger, frustration and even violence take precedence when reacting to something. We all have heard about the ill-treatment of soldiers within the military. Men who don’t fit into the stereotypical and hypocritical brackets of masculinity are made fun of and bullied. This ill-treatment leads to a rise in causing even mental health problems.
For a system which is deemed to be the pinnacle of chivalry, loyalty and discipline, it does have quite a few drawbacks. These drawbacks are more or less showcased in the Netflix drama D.P. starring Jung Hae In as Ahn Jun Ho and Koo Kyo Hwan as Han Ho Yeol. The two play the role of soldiers who are assigned with bringing the military deserters back to the base. While doing so, the two are met with soldiers who bore the brunt of ill-treatment, bullying and subjugation by their seniors just because they were different from the idea of masculinity propagated within the military.
Article three of the military act in South Korea commands all men within the ages of 18 to 35 to be drafted into the military for minimum one and a half to two years. The time these men spent in the military is riddled with challenges on a daily basis. From waking up before the crack of dawn to finishing a meal in under three minutes, these men go through rigorous trainings everyday. It is even more strict and stringent if one is drafted into the infantry or cavalry, for it would require them to go on the country’s borders and fight the enemies at a moment’s notice.
D.P. presents an emotional tale of men who deserted the army after they could not take it anymore. Being subjected to constant bullying, thrashing, name-calling and even sexual harassment are the main reasons why the men left the army without a moment’s consideration. Which human would want to be subjected to such treatment? One joins the army with the hopes of serving their country, but the ones within the army make it difficult to survive every day.
As Jun Ho and Ho Yeol venture out to bring back the deserters, they come across stories which expose the hypocrisy and chinks the armor of the military. Men who were subjugated to harassment within the ranks reacted in the extremities, so much so as killing themselves or their fellow comrades. Jun Ho and Ho Yeol find that the rules of the system which on one hand propagate the idea of equality and harmony, are the same rules which, when delved deeper into, show the underlying hypocrisy. The soldiers who defy these rules are doubly marginalized and twice as much harassed both mentally and physically.
There is not much difference between the two seasons of the show, but the emotional effect of the second season is somehow much deeper. We see Jun Ho, Ho Yeol, Beom Gu and Ji Seop transform into better individuals with each case. They band together to fight against the corrupt system. While they tried their best to expose the malpractices within the system, it was not without any collateral damage. D.P. manages to highlight the problems in the military and also aims to provide a solution for those. Battles against those in power are never easy, and never without any personal damage. It goes to show how dangerous power can be, both to the individual wielding it and to the person it is wielded upon.
The gore, the violence, the highly-graphic scenes shown as close to reality as possible add in to the traumatic storytelling of each individual in focus. Homosexuality is considered a taboo and often frowned upon in the society. Men who dress up in effeminate styles are called names and harassed. This harassment goes up several notches in the military which prides itself in being the place about peak masculinity and everything “male”.
The toxic flow of ideas of hierarchy, superiority and seniority mash together a concoction of debauchery, deceit and crimes against humanity. For a system which prides itself in its service for the country, it definitely has a few things to look back on and improve in order to keep up its promise. If you are looking to sink your teeth into something thrilling which also uncovers the harsh realities, then D.P. would make a good choice. The way season two has concluded, one can assume that there might be a next season spanning over the remaining 364 days of Jun Ho’s time in the military. Fighting the system from the outside or the inside is never easy, but Jun Ho and Ho Yeol’s determination to make things right is commendable to see.
Jung Hae In and Koo Kyo Hwan deliver stellar performances in the show. The two are complete foils of each other and yet their chemistry is commendable. Where Ho Yeol is a jokester, Jun Ho is the practical one. Where Jun Ho goes by the book, Ho Yeol thinks out of the box. They mete out the emotions to the T, nothing more, nothing less. The human side to the stories presented in the show fester a deep connect with the viewers owing to the harsh realities mirrored in the show. One thing that was largely highlighted in both the seasons was the mental health of an individual. War and violence can later a person drastically, and in such sensitive times, it is imperative that the mental health of a person be given a precedence. Though the season 2 is as thoughtful as season 1, it plays safe and is less impactful as season 1. However, the emotions attached to characters makes the second season a wonderful watch.
Jung Hae In has been synonymous with roles of stoic leads for a while now. Perhaps a role in a fluffy romantic comedy would be a welcome change in his roster. We want to see him smile and giggle on screen again! Don’t you agree, my fellow reader?
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