Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun and actress Jo Bo-ah currently star in the tvN drama “Military Prosecutor Doberman,” which currently available every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. on Smart GigaPlay app in the Philippines.

The drama has been No. 1 in the ratings nationwide in South Korea since it premiered on Feb. 28. The two stars play military prosecutors in the drama.

Ahn Bo-hyun and Jo Bo-ah talked about their characters, preparations especially for the action scenes and their careers.

What attracted them to star in “Military Prosecutor Doberman”? Ahn Bo-hyun said, “It was my first time trying a military law drama which attracted me for combining action and romance in it as well. I watched all the works done by the scriptwriter and the director, hence I really wanted to work with them. I wish I could progress to another level with this production.”

For Jo Bo-ah, she said she “found the theme of military law very unique when I received the script and was attracted to it. Cha Woo-in’s righteous and confident character was also very charming. The angle of mixing action and legal genres was refreshing. Hence, I decided to take up this drama with the excitement that I would be able to show a different charm from my previous characters.”

Since it is a drama about the military, the two stars prepared for their roles.

“Since it was a new genre for me, there were many difficulties that I couldn’t have overcome alone. It was a character built with everyone coming together and figuring out the way. I managed to overcome the difficulties with the help from many people around me,” said Ahn Bo-hyun.

Jo Bo-ah said, “‘Military Prosecutor Doberman’ required a lot of studying just to get myself familiarized with the script. I have looked up on many related news and videos, sought advice from people who served in the military, and had continuous discussions with the director, writer and other actors.”

‘Military Prosecutor Doberman” has a lot of action scenes and Ahn Bo-hyun said his background in boxing did help.

“My boxing experience did help me to some extent. Maybe it had built a good foundation in my physical strength. When filming action scenes, I had the agility and sensation in my body. I had also worked with the martial arts director previously who knew my strengths and weaknesses well and tailored the actions accordingly for me. I followed the directors’ instructions and devoted my best to the action scenes which came out quite well,” he said.

The drama deals with the theme of justice and Ahn Bo-hyun said, “Justice is alive. Let us live with a kind heart. I think justice is always around us even though it can’t be seen. So even if you are going through some difficulties, the day when justice shines will come. Don’t be too discouraged and live on with a positive mind.”

“I hope to bring the message that ‘justice will win’ to the audience with the theme of “justice” in our drama,” said Jo Bo-ah.

Regarding similarities between their characters and their real selves, Ahn Bo-hyun said, “It is a little hard to describe but Do Bae-man is a character who doesn’t rely on others or give up easily. When I encounter problems, I also try to resolve them on my own. This is how my character overlaps with Do Bae-man and we have quite a lot of similarities.”

“I am quite similar to Woo-in in the way that I also have strong wills towards my goals,” said Jo Bo-ah.

In the drama, the two stars wear military uniforms and Ahn Bo-hyun remembered about serving in the military in real life.

“I had worn the military uniform for two years when I was serving my actual military service. When I was discharged, I felt quite relieved that ‘I’m taking off this uniform now.’ But I had worn the uniform for three times until now including the drama ‘Descendants of the Sun.’ I think I have an inseparable destiny with it,” he said.

On the other hand, it is Jo Bo-ah’s first time to cut her hair short, saying, “I had portrayed many bright images in the past, so I thought it might be difficult to imagine myself in a military uniform and Woo-in’s character with heavy emotions most of the time. I decided to cut my hair short in order to suit myself with the image as much as I could. When I first tried on the military uniform, we were filming during the cold winter, it felt thinner than I thought. But I am used to the uniform and my short hair now and filming comfortably.”

In the last three years, Ahn Bo-hyun has had drama projects and said that “I am always thankful that I have the chance to pursue acting consistently. There were times when I injured myself or felt stressed, but I really love my job of being an actor. I think I am able to achieve where I am now because of the good people who are always around me.”

He has become popular and said that there is always pressure in every project that he does.

“I act with some pressure in every production that I take up. But I think the pressure is part of the process that makes an actor bring out the best side of him and progress to the next level. With that in mind, I always try my best to overcome the pressure and I feel that I have made some progress every time I complete a production,” he said.

When asked what other roles they would like to play, Ahn Bo-hyun said, “There are still many genres and characters that I have not done before. I want to challenge myself with as many kinds of roles as possible. I would like to try a variety of productions like melo drama, romantic comedy, historical drama and many more.”

“Instead of a particular genre or character, I would prefer something that I can do well in, while both people who are producing it or watching it can enjoy together. I hope I could encounter more of such characters and present them to the audience in future,” said Jo Bo-ah.