[비즈한국] Back when I was in college, the last thing female students wanted to hear about was military service. Sure, we’d play along once or twice, but most stories were like a looped recording; and just when it seemed like they were finished, someone else would chime in as if adding harmony to their own military tale. The absolute worst were the stories about playing soccer in the army. Whenever the military topic came up at a drinking gathering, we (the women) would plug our ears and focus solely on the drinks and snacks. And yet… here I am, laughing while watching a military drama. Last year it was ‘D.P.’, and this year, ‘New Recruit’ has arrived with full intent to win us over.
‘New Recruit’ is a live-action adaptation of the animated series of the same name, which enjoyed tremendous popularity on the YouTube channel ‘Jangbbijju’ with over 250 million cumulative views. The Olleh tv and seezn original drama ‘New Recruit’ begins with Park Min-seok (Kim Min-ho), the son of a Division Commander, arriving as a new recruit, and shows how he survives in the military—a place where all sorts of people, from the good to the bad to the downright weird, are gathered. Unlike the original work, which consisted of short episodes, the drama weaves them into a cohesive story. It maximizes the sync rate with characters from the original while introducing new figures, adding both laughter and tight, nail-biting tension.
The fun of ‘New Recruit’ comes from the humor created by the existence of Park Min-seok, a ‘military silver spoon’ with a Division Commander father (two stars!) and a Regiment Commander uncle, within the strictly rank-oriented and closed-off military. Park Min-seok transfers to the 1st Living Hall of the 5341st Unit, but everyone in the unit already knows he is the Division Commander’s son and expects him to move to a more comfortable place like the Army Headquarters soon. In corporate terms, you could think of Park Min-seok as the son of the president of the group’s most powerful subsidiary. For his superiors, he is a new employee who is difficult to "mess with." If you’re power-hungry, you might try to suck up to him, or at the very least, maintain a "neither too close nor too far" relationship to ensure a smooth organizational life.
The problem is that the military is different from regular society. In a company, you can endure even if things are cheap or dirty as long as you make it through office hours, but in the military, you have no choice but to be together 24/7. Just as colleagues in a company that works overtime like it’s eating meals become closer than family, the military—where you must be together whether you like it or not—forces those involved to become "comrades." It’s hard to watch the clumsy and clueless Park Min-seok, who was once someone you’d call a "useless" or a "troublemaker," reject his father’s transfer order and adapt into a respectable soldier in the 5341st Unit’s 1st Living Hall; there’s a sense of touching emotion mixed with the laughter.
However, as is the case everywhere, the problem is that there are people who stand out, people you can’t get along with, and people you simply can’t forgive. The humor and tension in ‘New Recruit’ arise when these people, who have absolutely nothing in common, collide. The 1st Living Hall is full of colorful characters: Corporal Choi Il-gu (Nam Tae-woo), the real power of the hall who is a professional complainer and a classic "bully to the weak, submissive to the strong"; Private First Class Kim Sang-hoon (Lee Choong-goo), who keeps the atmosphere in the hall light with his timely social skills; and Private Im Da-hye (Jeon Seung-hoon), who never complains and doesn’t open his mouth unless absolutely necessary.
Add to this characters with a strong presence: Corporal Kang Chan-seok (Lee Jung-hyun) of the 3rd Living Hall, who relentlessly torments his subordinates to a point where you wonder how a human can be so vile; Private Ji Jeong-min (Noh Sung-eun), who doesn't hesitate to ignore his direct superiors while clinging to the strong; and Seong Yoon-mo (Kim Hyun-kyu), an all-time level "recruit to avoid" whose very existence will make your head spin after just one interaction. Thanks to the dynamics between these characters, you can’t let your guard down even while laughing your head off.
The original animation was dubbed by YouTuber Jangbbijju playing all the roles, and the actors in the drama ‘New Recruit’ provide a shocking surprise to fans of the original with their high-sync appearance, as if they’ve ripped themselves right off the screen. With expanded storylines, characters like "Devil Corporal" Kang Chan-seok give viewers chills. Lee Jung-hyun, who showed such a strong presence in ‘Mr. Sunshine’ as Sergeant Tsuda that people wondered if he was a real Japanese actor, draws attention for his performance as Kang Chan-seok. Another character to watch is Platoon Leader Oh Seok-jin (Lee Sang-jin), a "FM villain" with zero flexibility who follows rules strictly. The drainage construction episode in episode 3, where he—a "water lieutenant" who isn't even properly respected by the corporals—orders the Sergeant Major (Oh Yong) to "get into the push-up position!", is truly one of the best scenes in ‘New Recruit’.
‘New Recruit’ shows just how enjoyable a project can be when the know-how of production staff famous for the military sitcom ‘Blue Tower’ series meets the detailed original work by Jangbbijju. ‘New Recruit’ consists of 10 episodes in total; Part 2 (episodes 6-10) was released on August 5th on Olleh tv and seezn, and is currently airing on the ENA channel every Saturday at 11 PM. I guarantee that by unfolding various realistic stories—from violence and bullying in the military to rank issues where societal status is reflected in the military—it will be an exciting watch for not only those who have experienced military life but also those who have no idea what it’s like.
Who is the writer, Jung Soo-jin?
She has worked for various magazines, reporting and writing about films, travel, and pop culture. While she doesn't want to fall behind on trends, she has become an "old-school person" who, while watching the latest dramas, only predicts obvious clichés for the next scene. She is currently drifting through the vast OTT world, trying to regain her lost edge, and her current wish is for a unified OTT subscription plan.