Director Min Jin-ki of 'New Recruit' shared his thoughts on creating a new season without the original creator Jang Pijju.

On the morning of the 30th, a round interview took place at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, featuring Min Jin-ki, the director of the Genie TV original drama 'New Recruit,' and writer Yoon Ki-young.

'New Recruit,' based on an animation created by writer Jang Pijju, depicts the story that unfolds when a 'military rookie' enlists in a place where every type of character, from good guys to bad guys, gathers.

When asked about his feelings after completing Season 3, Director Min Jin-ki noted, 'It seems that as the seasons progress, the viewers' expectations are rising and their engagement is becoming stronger, making it increasingly challenging each season. Since interest is growing, I thought this season had to be better than the previous ones. I kept observing viewers' feedback while watching the broadcast. Fortunately, it seems they followed the emotional flow we had planned, which I personally find reassuring.'

He stated, 'This season is the first without writer Jang Pijju and primarily driven by original story and writer Yoon Ki-young, so I felt it was a crossroads for whether we could develop it into a long-term series. Thanks to the love from viewers, I felt optimistic that we could move in that direction.' He further explained, 'Inserting diverse characters was a bit of a challenge to enrich future seasons' storylines. The positioning of new characters blended in very well, and it seems viewers became emotionally invested in the story of the captain and all soldiers, shedding many tears at the end. Personally, I think the actors played a significant role; had Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Dong-jun not taken on those roles, I believe it wouldn’t have resonated as strongly.'

Writer Yoon Ki-young, who participated in the script again following Season 2, expressed, 'There are certainly expectations from people about a series, and since the original creator is absent, there was some pressure. However, when I received the proposal and saw the characters, I thought it was worth trying, and I believe that choice turned out to be a good one.'

When asked about the original creator Jang Pijju's reaction to this season, Director Min Jin-ki said, 'The writer is very busy with the successful 'South Korean Park,' so circumstances didn’t allow for any dialogue. Since he collaborated with writer Yoon Ki-young during Season 2, he wished that we would create something good together. I didn’t ask him directly, but recently the producer making the movie with him contacted me and shared that he finds it very entertaining and is pleased with how well it’s been received.'

He explained, 'The 'New Recruit' content itself has high views on YouTube, and there are times when it leads back to the original animation. Even now, we maintain a good partnership and communicated with Jang Pijju's (company) representative about what we’re planning for the upcoming season.'

When asked about the possibility of continuing the original story differently from Jang Pijju's in future 'New Recruit' series, Director Min Jin-ki responded, 'I believe I will work with writer Yoon Ki-young through Season 4 as well. The structure has been created in such a way that it becomes increasingly original starting from Season 3. Many characters not present in the original have been inserted, and the main focus of Season 4 will naturally pivot around their stories. Seong Yoon-mo (played by Kim Hyun-kyu) became an administrative soldier in episode 16, and Choi Il-gu (played by Nam Tae-woo) has become a sergeant. In the military, character traits are ultimately highlighted by rank. Given these changes, it seems we will continue on a more original trajectory.' (To be continued in Interview Part 2.)

[Photo] TV Studio Genie

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