In Disney+’s original series "The Manipulated," he plays Ahn Yohan, the cool-headed mastermind meticulously engineering a crisis for Tae-jung (Ji Chang-wook).
With a calm, clipped delivery that tightens the screws, D.O. radiates an icy menace―then lets a flash of madness flicker in his eyes to complete the perfect antagonist. The distinctive hair-and-suit combo heightens the character’s off-kilter vibe, unveiling a side of the actor we haven’t seen before.
He often appears to savor the chaos with an unreadable face―until the bottled-up fury detonates, charging every scene with raw energy. That emotional whiplash supercharges the show’s suspense and pulls viewers in. Following its debut, "The Manipulated" hit No. 1 in Korea and landed high on worldwide charts, signaling strong global buzz.
The transformation is a sharp pivot from his previous work. On tvN’s "100 Days My Prince," he cemented his star power with a dual-role romance, and earlier this year’s film "Secret" showcased his tender, nuanced side. Now those once-soulful eyes burn with rage and madness―making his first villain turn feel anything but tentative.
Episodes 7 and 8, released on the 19th, reveal cracks in Yohan’s precision plan when Tae-jung stages a prison break. After unleashing a lethal glare, Yohan snaps back to icy calm―saying, “There’s nothing to worry about”―and tees up whatever scheme comes next.
"The Manipulated" runs 12 episodes, with two new installments dropping every Wednesday on Disney+.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)