Just finished the last episode and " I don’t want to exist in the world of this story any longer than I have to, but I do appreciate what it’s doing and the story it’s telling" summarizes this story very well.
Thanks for the review @missvictrix

I loved this and strangely enough was not depressed by it. In a way, it was a breath of fresh air to hear this very real story told. The dynamic between the two, Jun-ho and Ho-yeol was delightful. The moments in which they exercised their autonomy and got around the unthinking discipline demanded of them was also like a breathing space. I loved how they used their brains to track down the deserters, and I also appreciated their acknowledgement of the experiences that led to the desertions. The theme of mothers gets carried right through, but the takeaway for me was about being complicit in the bullying by turning away and not objecting. The drama shows us the power of a culture of bullying to pull everyone in and make them all participants. It all ends tragically and none are unaffected one way or another, but because the drama touches on a very real and ongoing issue in such an engaging way, I loved it to the point I couldn't stop watching, and I'd enthusiastically line up for another season.

"in the end, when men die, they all cry for their mothers"

Ha! Right on!

Just finished the whole series in one go...Koo Kyo Hwan is such a revelation...
Must say that Jun-ho and Ho Yul make such a fantastic team as they complement each other so well and we see it in their very own dynamic...
It was hard and very sad to see the cruel reality of the power of a culture of bullying in linked arms with the seniority culture and the hardships this young men go through while called to serve the country...
Must say that it is one of the best performances of Jung Hae In to date.
Really hope we will get a second season and will get to see more in deep in the lives of our amazing duo...

Thanks for the review @missvictrix! I watched the lot in one setting and, as you say, was relieved to exit at the end. It felt like my mind needed scrubbing out from the bleakness and the brutality and the despair that I'd just witnessed. But, for me, that was the challenge: the final episode, with it's absolutely haunting accusation (Why did you never intervene and challenge the abuse? Why did you turn a blind eye?) left me pondering. As a viewer, I want to get out; I want to forget that this is a reality in the military. But by choosing to wipe from my mind what I've just witnessed, are I, too, a complicit onlooker who is also going to turn a blind eye to abuse? Brilliant piece of film-making to challenge on that kind of level!

Jung Hae-in was superb - his howl outside the tunnel in ep6 is still echoing through my memory - and Gu Kyo-hwan firmly placed himself on my radar. Casting throughout was spot on.

D.P. indeed did not disappoint. I finished all 6 eps in one sitting and it was hard to watch but so compelling, I could not stop pressing next episode. Jung Hae In indeed can do angry and tragic well that is so believable despite his handsome face. My first time to also watch Gu Kyo Hwan, and he has certainly made an impression. Lastly, "Sanchez" of HDL os hardly recognizable here.

Spoilers for those who didn't watch the whole serie

The PD said he wished to show that we were all victim and villain in the same time. Jun-Ho is strong and can survive but not strong enough to help the others in his room. It's the same for Yo-Heol. But in their way, they help the deserters even if with the first one, the army will burry the truth ; the second doesn't need help and deserve everything will happen to him ; they trust the 3rd one and gave him time and for the 4th, it was too late to reach him.

I don't think Jun-Ho will desert, I mean, he saw how it was useless... But clearly, they need to do something but not like the soldier (Luffy) in the epilogue.

The casting was really great. Jung Hae-In was perfect in this role of the unflexible soldier, fighting against his own demons. Gu Kyo-Hwan brought humor and lightness in this serie that were really needed. Their bromance was a a ray of sunshine in the darkness of the story.

The actors who played the deserters were great too. They really sold their tragic story.

The drama happened in 2014, so I guess the PD wanted to show it with the color palette. I think since the rules in army changed.

The OST was really great and suited the atmosphere of the drama. I really liked Higher and Chaser.

Thanks for the review @missvictrix. I started watching this as soon as it came out, and ending up watching all episodes back to back.

First off, let me just say how proud I am of my boy Jung Hae-in. It's nice to see him in this sort of role, which is different from types he tends to portray. He's so good here, and even though he had a lot of stoicism, he never came across as unfeeling but detached, like you said

Ho-yeol was an absolute delight to watch. From his introductory scene, I knew I'd adore him. He's so offbeat and a just a tad extra, not to mention adorable, that I found myself rewinding to watch his facial expressions and pretty much everything else that he did.

Jun-ho and Ho-yeol's dynamic was one of the few non-depressing things about this otherwise bleak drama. What with the bullying and the hopelessness and just about everything else. It got even worse in the second half of the drama. So much so that I was crying by the end.

It's such a great drama though, as sad as it was. I wish there could be a second season. Wouldn't mind seeing how the characters are faring after the events of the final episode.

I really liked this drama. I too watched it in all in one setting. It was brutal, vicious, and showed the casual evil humans are capable of. Elie Wiesel said the "opposite of love, isn't hate, it is indifference." This show examined every level of that indifference. The structural, societal, national, and institutional indifference. It was beautifully crafted, well acted, and really an excellent drama.

As I watched this I wondered if things had changed in the military. The bullying is heartbreaking but I kept saying, "Don't they realize they will leave at some point and fair game?". The abuse is hard to watch and harder to digest when you know it's based on real-life events.

I think I'm firmly in the "no second season" camp. I don't think I could watch more of that.

I almost stopped watching when the first deserter killed himself with the briquettes. It reminded me of Jonghyun and that sadness was too real.

Just wondering, what does writer-nim mean by D.P. being set in present-day? It is set in 2014, right? Is that inclusive of present-day definition? I'm just clueless here.
I found out that the series director is the same guy who directed the film, Coin Locker Girl; no wonder it has similar artistic nuances and somber-like pace.
I love Ho-Yeol's character the most as he is cheeky and sarcastic even to his direct superior, Beom-gu.
When Jun-ho pointedly asked his mother as to why she never thought of running away, it cleverly serves as a juxtaposition of Jun-ho's own role as D.P. police who catches runaway deserters.
I love this series, and as depressing as it may sound, I hope there's a second season since Jun-ho has 500 more days to serve and it will probably be in line with the Webtoon as well.

By the way, just finished the last episode and it has a mid-credits scene.

I watched the series in one sitting. I thought it was beautiful in its rawness and pain. Jung Hae In had this ability to emote with such quiet intensity. I wonder about the ending. I actually don’t think it is what people thought. I don’t want to give spoilers, so I won’t go into detail here. I actually asked my dad about the SK conscription. He said that no matter what era or what country, military service is this way. Granted, it has improved to a large extent since my father went in, but he said it’s still largely the same. The incidents of desertion is higher of course since SK has mandatory conscription.

This is a well done series and I look forward to the discussions for the future episodes.

D.P. is good. I really think the drama was effective in presenting the topic of bullying in the military. I wouldn't say that I "enjoyed" this drama only because you couldn't really enjoy witnessing the sort of situation that happens in the drama. The drama intentionally makes me feel uncomfortable. Even though the violence in the drama wasn't excessive (think GOT), there were still scenes that I had to skip because it was hard to watch. Like everyone else, I felt relieved when I finished the drama. In a way, the director succeeded in making me realized that I am too just one of the "onlookers."

Just wanted to share this piece of info here:
"D.P. is based on the webtoon D.P. Dog Days, which has accumulated over 10 million views. Writer Kim Bo-tong, the original author, has experience of working as a real D.P. soldier, and added these introductory words when publishing the webtoon: 'this is the story of me looking for someone's son, brother, or lover'."