[비즈한국] When I was in college, the stories female students hated the most were military stories. You might play along once or twice, but most stories were repetitive like a loop, and just when you thought it was over, someone else would jump in to add their own military story like they were adding harmony to a song. The worst of them all were the stories about playing soccer in the army. If the topic of military stories came up at a drinking gathering, we (the women) would plug our ears from then on and focus only on the drinks and snacks. And yet... now, I’m watching a military drama and laughing. Last year, it was 'D.P.', and this year, 'New Recruit' (Shinbyeong) has arrived with full intent.
'New Recruit' is a live-action adaptation of the animation of the same name, which enjoyed immense popularity on the YouTube channel 'Jangbbijju' with a cumulative view count of 250 million. 'New Recruit', an original drama for Olleh tv and seezn, shows how they survive in the military—a place where all sorts of characters, from the good, the bad, to the weird, gather—starting with the arrival of Park Min-seok (Kim Min-ho), the son of a division commander, as a new recruit. Unlike the original, which was in a short episode format, the drama flows as a single coherent story, adding laughter and tight tension by blending the characters—who maximize the synchronization with the original—with new characters not found in the original.
The fun of 'New Recruit' comes from the laughter created by the existence of Park Min-seok, a 'military spoon' who has a division commander father (two stars!) and a regiment commander uncle, within the strictly rank-oriented, closed-off military. Although Park Min-seok transferred to the 1st Living Hall of the 5341st Unit, everyone in the unit already knows he is the division commander's son and that he will soon be transferred to a more comfortable place like the Army Headquarters. In corporate terms, you could consider Park Min-seok to be something like the son of a powerful subsidiary president within the group. To his superiors, he is a figure who is difficult to "touch" even if he is a new employee. For those with a desire for power, he is the type of person you would either blindly be nice to, or—even if you aren't—you would maintain a safe, distant relationship with, just being nice enough to ensure a smooth organizational life.
The problem is that the military is different from general society. At a company, even if things are petty and dirty, you only have to endure the working hours, but in the military, you have to be together 24 hours a day. Just as colleagues become closer than family in companies that work overtime like eating meals, the military—where you have to be together whether you like it or not—also makes those who are together turn into 'comrades.' Seeing the clumsy and clueless Park Min-seok, who might be called a 'useless' or 'troublemaker'—words that shouldn't be used—refuse his father's transfer order and adapt into a decent soldier in his own way at the 5341st Unit's 1st Living Hall brings laughter as well as a certain sense of emotion.
However, as is the case everywhere, the problem is that there are people who stand out, people who cannot assimilate, and people who are unforgivable. The laughter and tension of 'New Recruit' arise when people with absolutely nothing in common gather and clash. The members of the 1st Living Hall are diverse, including Corporal Choi Il-gu (Nam Tae-woo), the power player of the living hall who is a professional complainer and embodies 'bullying the weak and sucking up to the strong'; Private First Class Kim Sang-hoon (Lee Chung-gu), who keeps the living hall atmosphere alive with timely social skills; and Private Im Da-hye (Jeon Seung-hoon), who never complains and doesn't open his mouth except to say what is necessary.
On top of this, it is full of characters with strong presence, such as Corporal Kang Chan-seok (Lee Jung-hyun) of the 3rd Living Hall, who relentlessly bullies lower-ranking soldiers in a way that makes you wonder how a human can be like that; Private Ji Jeong-min (Noh Sung-eun), who sticks to the strong and does not hesitate to ignore his immediate seniors; and Seong Yun-mo (Kim Hyun-gyu), a legendary avoidant recruit who will leave you dizzy after just one conversation. Thanks to the relationships between these characters, you can't let your guard down even while laughing.
The original work was dubbed by YouTuber Jangbbijju himself, who played multiple roles, and the characters in the drama 'New Recruit' bring shocking surprise to those who know the original with a high level of synchronization, as if they had ripped right out of the original work. Here, as expanded stories are added, characters like Corporal Kang Chan-seok, known as the 'Devil Corporal', give viewers goosebumps. Lee Jung-hyun, who showed off his presence in 'Mr. Sunshine' playing Sergeant Tsuda to the point where people asked if he was a real Japanese person, catches the eye by playing Kang Chan-seok. The platoon leader Oh Seok-jin (Lee Sang-jin), an 'FM villain' with zero flexibility who follows principles, is also a character to watch. The drainage construction episode in episode 3, where he, a 'water second lieutenant' who isn't even properly acknowledged by the corporals, orders the administrative officer (Oh Yong) to "get into the push-up position!", is truly one of the best scenes in 'New Recruit'.
'New Recruit' shows how enjoyable it can be when the know-how of the production team, who already made a name for themselves with the military sitcom 'Blue Tower' series, meets the detailed original work of Jangbbijju. 'New Recruit', which has 10 episodes in total, released PART 2 (episodes 6-10) on Olleh tv and seezn on August 5th, and is currently airing on the ENA channel every Saturday night at 11 PM. By unfolding various realistic stories such as violence and bullying in the military, and the issue of hierarchy where social status is reflected in the army, I guarantee that not only those who have experienced military life but also those who do not know the military will find it exciting to watch.
Who is writer Jeong Su-jin?
I have worked for various magazines, covering and writing about movies, travel, and popular culture. I don't want to fall behind on trends, but I have become an 'old-school' person who predicts the obvious clichés in the next scene while watching the latest dramas. I am trying to regain my lost touch by drifting through the vast OTT world, and my current wish is for an integrated OTT subscription plan to be released.