Military Prosecutor Doberman is a fun ride that navigates through both corporate and military corruption. This isn’t something new, as we’ve seen plenty of stories with this combination, but this series certainly brings a new sense of style, combining drama, comedy, and thriller genres.

Captain Doh Bae Man (can’t believe it took me a whole episode to get his name connection!) is a military prosecutor who was orphaned at a young age when his parents (both military prosecutors) were killed in a car accident (of course, it wasn’t an accident). So many people in K-dramas are killed involving a vehicle, that it’s tantamount to the number of Americans in American series killed by gunshots!

Doh Bae Man is initially a self-serving prosecutor who uses the power of his position to put money into his pockets. As far as he’s concerned, nothing else matters. Suffering from memory loss, he doesn’t recall the details of the accident that took his parents’ lives. On the side, he works for Yong Moon Goo, then head of a prestigious law firm who promises a high position in any law firm that Doh Bae Man wishes as soon as he’s discharged. In exchange for handling (or in Doh Bae Man’s case) mishandling cases, he’s given boxes full of cash from Yong Moon Goo.

Little does Doh Bae Man realize that there is something sinister going on around him at the military base he’s assigned with General Noh Hwa Young being in the center of it all. He also doesn’t realize that there is a connection between the general and the death’s of his parents. It isn’t until Captain Cha Woo In is assigned to his office that she nudges him to start connecting the dots.

Cha Woo In also has a dark past with General Noh Hwa Young, as the general also ordered the death of her father in order to take over his company, IM Defense Industries, which was a major player in signing contractual deals with the military. However, General Noh Hwa Young isn’t just about gaining money, but power. As part of a secret society of high-ranking military officials who all wish to nudge Korea into a future that they want, Noh Hwa Young wants to be the top-dog. She has a spoiled cowardly son in Noh Tae Nam whom she wants to complete his military service.

We see corruption at its lowest as General Noh Hwa Young skillfully manipulates and removes anyone or any obstacle that gets in her way. She’s frightening enough to make any military official quake in their boots, and Oh Yeon Soo, does a fantastic job with the role, ensuring that Noh Hwa Young is a very cool, calculating person who should never be underestimated. Too often, we’ve seen men assume these types of roles, so it’s incredibly refreshing to see a woman take on the role of chief villainess.

As Cha Woo In helps Doh Bae Man peel back the layers of corruption as well as his own lost memories, Doh Bae Man begins to change. He realizes that he’s also been used by Yong Moon Go, and that it is finally time for him to utilize his office for which it was intended: to carry out justice.

Doh Bae Man is an extremely intelligent prosecutor who is a master of manipulation and seeing things that nobody else is able to see. He’s a bit reckless sometimes, but too often, we see how he’s the mastermind behind so many amazing plans. Ahn Bo Hyun is fantastic as the confident, often arrogant Doh Bae Man who flashes his boyish charm to manipulate witnesses or convicts into doing what he needs them to do.

Cha Woo In is more level-headed and less emotional than her counterpart. Aside from being an absolute master of hand-to-hand combat, she’s smart enough to allow Doh Bae Man to regain his memories on his own rather than simply tell him. She knows that it’s far more effective for him to do it this way. However, Cha Woo In doesn’t have Doh Bae Man’s gift for seeing the “bigger picture” and doing what is necessary to carry out their plan. At first, this makes her a bit of a “weak link” in the courtroom, until she begins to understand what’s going on. She tends to be a bit too naïve and trusting where being cautious and calculating is far more prudent. In short, these two make a fantastic one-two punch team as they begin to learn from each other and how to use each other’s tactics.

Kim Young Min is probably my favorite actor of this series as the very cool and highly intelligent Yong Moon Goo. I tend to prefer villains who show their prowess with intelligence rather than with brawn or ridiculous, over-the-top outbursts. While he isn’t immune to revealing his frustrations, we see just how formidable he is, and as a viewer, we wonder who will win out: Yong Moon Goo or Noh Hwa Young? The high-powered lawyer or the high-ranking general?

The series only has a few minor problems. First, is Cha Woo In going around a red wig as a vigilante. This was almost as laughable as Clark Kent hiding his Superman disguise with a pair of glasses. So many people who know Cha Woo In, fail to recognize her simply due to a red wig. Had she kept her sunglasses on, it would have worked. This ended up going way too far.

Next, we have too many actors—who are supposed to be military generals—not acting like military generals at all. They have no esteem or presence as a military general would. Only Noh Hwa Young is the exception. The worst is easily General Heo Gang In, who acts more like a bumbling, inept fool. He’s so bad that he’s not even believable as a military person at all. Jung In Ki’s interpretation was an especially poor one and completely unbelievable.

Finally, the level of bullying that seems to emanate at all levels of the Korean military makes anyone wonder how in the world the Korean military can function at all. We hardly ever even see soldiers on duty. They’re all playing sports, loafing around in their barracks, and having free reign to come and go as they please. Given that corruption was from the very bottom all the way to the very top was just too much. I understand that the writers probably wanted to do their best to expose this type of corruption, but for this story, it was a bit too much. It was overkill.

Still, don’t let these minor issues fool you. This is a solid series with something for everyone. The plot twists themselves will likely have you guessing what’s really going on. I was also tremendously relieved that the series didn’t get sidetracked with a silly romantic storyline that would have pulled everything off course. They saved the one kiss for the end. We knew there was something between Doh Bae Man and Cha Woo In. There was no need to go any further than that, especially when their focus (their goal) was on the case. Just like a Doberman, this series is likely to bite you and not let go until the very end!