As the Genie TV original drama "New Recruit" concludes, the production team has sparked anticipation for the next season by hinting at an expanded universe.
On the morning of the 30th, a round interview was held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, with director Min Jin-ki and writer Yoon Ki-young of the Genie TV original drama "New Recruit." Based on the animation by Jang Pi-joo, "New Recruit" is a hyper-realism comedy drama that depicts the story of the "military spoon" new recruit who enters a place where all kinds of characters gather, from good guys to bad guys and bizarre characters.
"New Recruit," an ENA drama broadcast as a Monday-Tuesday drama, wrapped up with its final episode on the 29th. Director Min Jin-ki noted, "As the seasons progress, it seems the viewers' expectations rise, and their immersion becomes stronger, so each season feels more challenging. I had the thought that we needed to improve upon the previous seasons, and fortunately, it seems like the emotional flow we had set up resonated well with the audience, which I personally find relieving."
He added, "This season was the first season where Jang Pi-joo was absent, and the original story and writer Yoon Ki-young took the lead, so I thought whether we could go towards a long-running season drama was a crucial moment. Thankfully, the viewers showed a lot of love, giving me hope that we could move in that direction. Introducing diverse characters was also a kind of challenge to enrich the story in future seasons. The positioning of the new characters seemed to blend well, and I heard that the viewers cried a lot during the emotional stories of Company Commander Jo Baek-ho (played by Oh Dae-hwan) and Private Jeon Se-gye (played by Kim Dong-jun). Personally, I think the strength of the actors contributed significantly. I think that if Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Dong-jun hadn't played those roles, we wouldn't have achieved that level of impact."
This season saw the emergence of original characters that did not appear in the original, such as Jo Baek-ho and Jeon Se-gye, as well as Moon Bit-na-ri (played by Kim Yo-han). When asked about the thought process behind character development, director Min Jin-ki responded, "The planning for season 3 began in the second half of last year. During the preparation phase, there were many things that could depress the public. In a time when dark events occur more often than moments of laughter, I wanted to offer joy through comedy. Another consideration is that we live in a conscription-based country that has been maintained for around 70 years. Even now, soldiers are protecting the country, and many young individuals are enlisted. Nevertheless, I felt that there was a time last year when government morale was low. I aimed to show how, even if soldiers may not seem closely related to our lives, they are someone's sons, brothers, or boyfriends, and by their presence, we can live in relative peace."
He continued, "Company Commander Jo Baek-ho was conceived as a righteous officer, and Moon Bit-na-ri appears to be academically capable but, once anyone enlists, especially during the rookie period, may struggle. I wanted to touch upon that shared experience. I hoped to provide comfort through a coming-of-age narrative that involves overcoming various obstacles and interacting with fellow soldiers. Private Jeon Se-gye, as a celebrity recruit, comes with many preconceptions from the public: that he will get special treatment or have an easy time. In reality, they face their own difficulties. The shower scene is an example, and actor Kim Dong-jun often shared his personal experiences. While integrating these realistic stories of celebrity recruits, I wanted to depict that they live the same way and also have their own struggles and concerns in various dimensions."
Director Min Jin-ki remarked, "If seasons 1 and 2 maintained the tone of Jang Pi-joo's original work based on hyper-realism, I wanted to expand season 3 into a sitcom. While it is not hyper-realism, we added an element of fantasy that could blend with comedy," explaining the distinctiveness of season 3.
However, regarding the return of Seong Yun-mo (played by Kim Hyun-kyu), thorough checks were made to ensure there were no historical inaccuracies. Director Min Jin-ki stated, "That character was taken to the military police in season 1, but when I consulted a lawyer with military legal experience, he said that if the evidence is insufficient and there's no charge, returning to the original post is the principle. Viewers remember all of Seong Yun-mo's wrongdoings, and I thought there wouldn't be enough emotional latitude for them to accept him when he returned to the unit; we discussed how to resolve that with the writer. The latter part of Seong Yun-mo's story is left open, and I had many discussions with the actor playing Seong Yun-mo. As time progressed, the character showed growth and repentance, which made him a more likable character—not just because of me or the writer, but because actor Kim Hyun-kyu's portrayal resonated with sincerity while apologizing to the members during filming."
Regarding the reappearance of Choi Il-gu, who returned as a sergeant in the last episode of season 3, he explained, "The rank of sergeant is technically a non-commissioned officer but among the non-commissioned officers, he is a rookie. It can somewhat be seen as a reversal of character relations. The humor that will come from Choi Il-gu, who was once a powerful figure in a seasoned squad, becoming the most junior non-commissioned officer will be interesting. Since Choi Il-gu has had a long military life with them, I think there will also be comedy stemming from his memories. However, since this is the ending of our work, we jumped four months ahead after his discharge. I have been discussing with the writer how to portray this process plausibly. In the discharge scene, when he mentioned, 'If you're struggling, come to me,' he said, 'That won't happen,' so the priority is to understand how he returned."
The "New Recruit" series, focusing on stories from the military, inevitably faces the departure of main characters. Director Min Jin-ki acknowledged, "It is unavoidable. Time flows, so there will naturally be meetings and farewells." He added, "To transition into a seasonal format, we must continually introduce fresh blood. It's something we must carefully resolve. Characters like Kang Chan-seok (played by Lee Jung-hyun) and Kim Dong-woo (played by Jang Seong-beom) will also need to be discharged next season, and I believe it is our role to create narratives that ensure their exits are smoothly resolved and beautiful by the time they are discharged."
Notably, director Min Jin-ki revealed plans for a spin-off film of "New Recruit," catching attention. He stated, "To expand the viewership in the future, I have no plans to alter the story. I will not forget the original charm and why people love "New Recruit." While holding onto that, I think we will try experiences that the viewers will enjoy. Throughout that process, 'New Recruit' will be produced as a spin-off film."
The film is scheduled to proceed before the production of season 4, and, like this season, director Min Jin-ki and writer Yoon Ki-young will be involved in the production. Director Min Jin-ki elaborated, "I am diligently crafting the story. Naturally, the characters from the original cast will reappear, but in theaters, we do have to charge ticket prices. I am working to provide reasons that justify that. The point of view within the work is looking at various dimensions, but you can think that almost all the main actors will be included. I've crafted items that could offer cinematic enjoyment based on the content that could not be shown in the drama, and we are developing that."
Thus far, the 'New Recruit' series has focused on visualizing the storylines based on the original work, with Jang Pi-joo, the original author, directly involved in the script. While season 2 addressed an original story, it was still a continuation of the original concept envisioned by Jang Pi-joo. However, starting from season 3, with Jang Pi-joo currently engaged with 'Hanchang' production, this marks a branching point away from the original work.
Director Min Jin-ki mentioned, "'Hanchang' is doing so well that I couldn't commit due to the circumstances. They are very busy. As they focused on that project, various circumstances prevented collaboration, but because I had previously worked well with writer Yoon Ki-young during season 2, they expressed that they hoped I would make something good with the director. A producer who is co-producing the film contacted me recently and mentioned that they personally enjoyed it very much and were pleased with its success. The content of 'New Recruit' has been generating substantial views on YouTube, and through the drama, viewers are being directed back to the original animation, maintaining a good relationship as partners. We’ve communicated about stories that we aim to explore in upcoming seasons."
Furthermore, he stated, "I believe that I will continue to work together with writer Yoon Ki-young through season 4 and that the way we work will likely maintain a form where our writer group and production team keep creating. The structure established from season 3 inevitably strengthens the originality. Many characters not present in the original have been introduced, and season 4 will necessarily revolve around their stories. Seong Yun-mo has become an administrative soldier, and Choi Il-gu has also become a sergeant. Since the military hierarchy emphasizes character attributes, with their ranks changed, I believe that the originality will grow stronger."
When asked about the story to be covered in season 4, he noted, "Initially, the base will be empathy, and since comedy is at the core of this content, it will be included. Additionally, various stories of humanity will likely take on a more complex and multi-dimensional quality. While the focus has been primarily on soldiers' lives so far, I believe the narrative in season 4 will be broadened," adding, "There are many materials, but that material needs to have weight leaning more towards reality rather than fantasy. It’s a tricky drama that must balance between the two; some viewers mentioned, 'That went too far' regarding this season. It’s unavoidable since those who have served in the military usually think their experiences represent the truth. We are contemplating a lot on that point."
He further stated, "We haven't resolved the 'tennis disease' storyline and still need to flesh out the part about Sergeant Choi Il-gu and Park Min-joo's (played by Lee Su-ji) love story. There may also be situations where Park Min-seok (played by Kim Min-ho) is promoted to corporal, and we haven't elaborated on why Im Da-hye (played by Jeon Seung-hun) became like that. The company commander created conflicts with his superiors this season, and it's unclear if he can continue to wear the military uniform, nor have we revealed the issues concerning the battalion commander (played by Jo Seung-yeon). There's still much story left to tell," he hinted.
Director Min Jin-ki drew attention to the love story of Park Min-joo, saying, "She must get married." He added, "I've spoken with actress Lee Su-ji, and she said she will definitely appear in season 4. I think season 4 will depict various struggles leading to the marriage. The counterpart may not be Im Seong-min (played by Nam Min-woo). As we haven't yet depicted a full-fledged romance between them, we cannot know for sure, but I do hope to discuss the stories of the officers in a more realistic manner in season 4. If there’s one achievement of this season, it is that now the focus has shifted more toward the officers, which resonates with the audience. Given this, I believe we should also delve into the families and love lives of career soldiers in season 4. Of course, 'New Recruit' will ultimately center on the stories of soldiers, but we will address such themes more in depth," he stated.
As with previous seasons, the conclusion of season 3 hinted at the introduction of a new recruit, "Kim Hyun-wook," heightening intrigue. Moreover, due to Park Min-seok's reaction upon seeing Kim Hyun-wook, rumors have arisen about their possible connection as "Park Min-seok's former classmate." In this regard, director Min Jin-ki remarked, "The specifics of that character have yet to be determined. We will take time to contemplate and set the character. What’s certain is that it’s closely related to Min-seok and will touch on his trauma. I believe this new recruit could disrupt the Mythos unit in the same way as actors Kim Yo-han and Kim Dong-jun. Additionally, if you look at episode 16, the incident report comes out. We have already set up clues for the 'Jeong Gyu-seon corporal incident' that we will also resolve later on."
He expressed, "I feel regret that we couldn't develop Min-seok's character this season according to some viewer comments. Given the number of characters, viewers feel that Park Min-seok is the protagonist, and many have expressed that they would like more focus on Min-seok's story in the next season. Personally, I would love to see a global star included in season 4. In the last episode, Kim Hyun-wook will appear, though it remains uncertain who the actor will be. We might cast someone popular overseas. If so, 'New Recruit' could expand into an international phenomenon led by that star."
Moreover, the actor Han Ga-in, known for resembling Kim Dong-jun, made a surprise appearance in season 3 as Jeon Se-gye's biological sister, providing a lighthearted moment. When asked about the possibility of Han Ga-in's special appearance in season 4, director Min Jin-ki responded, "There is a chance. The photo that appeared this time was used with permission. We will definitely propose a scene where Jeon Se-gye's sister comes to visit in the next season. I heard that actress Han Ga-in is close with actor Kim Dong-jun, so I have hopeful expectations that it could work out."
When asked how far he anticipates the seasons of 'New Recruit' to go, director Min Jin-ki humorously replied, "As long as the viewers want, until the conscription system in South Korea ceases to exist." He added, "If viewers say it's not entertaining and should stop, we will stop. Ultimately, it's the viewers who decide, not us. Thankfully, since the cast members are newcomers, they are young and have energy, so I think we still have time ahead of us."
[Photo] KT Studio Genie
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