With the popular web animation by Jangppijju, New Recruit, returning as the drama season 4, actor Jo Jin-se met viewers once again as an original member.
ENA's Monday-Tuesday drama New Recruit 4: Sabotage (hereafter New Recruit 4), which premiered on the 24th, depicts corporal Park Min-seok (played by KIM MIN) — whose worries deepen as his rank rises — the return of Choi Il-gu (played by Nam Tae-woo) as a sergeant, a mysterious new recruit and the appearance of a new battalion commander, once again plunging the barracks life into battle readiness in its latter half.
Comedian Jo Jin-se, an original member who has been with the show since season 1, joined New Recruit 4, adding to the delight. In episodes 1 and 2 released on the 24th, Jo Jin-se played No Hee-jung, the power figure in the administration unit, and emitted a delightful presence with his trademark sly charm.
From his first appearance he reprimanded Seong Yun-mo (played by Kim Hyun-kyu) for being clumsy with broadcast duties while skillfully showing him the tasks, revealing the air of a veteran administrative soldier. Jo Jin-se's performance, which faithfully captured the realistic atmosphere of the administration unit in the military, heightened the drama's immersion.
In particular, when Seong Yun-mo noticed that unit members had drawn a red line on the administration unit's thermometer to manipulate the reference temperature for the midsummer night's rest, No Hee-jung made a shushing signal and a gesture as if to pretend not to know, prompting laughter. Even without many lines, she conveyed the situation through facial expressions and actions, maximizing the character's uniquely sly charm.
Jo Jin-se completed No Hee-jung's cheerful side with natural acting that utilized a comedian's sensibility and solid character handling. The strong chemistry with existing members who have been with the show since season 1 also shone, naturally blending into the familiar barracks atmosphere and adding vitality to the drama.
New Recruit is based on the web animation of the same name that Jangppijju released through Studio Jangppijju in 2019. The story of the division commander's son entering the peaceful military base as a new recruit and the ensuing events was presented through realistic military life episodes and the creator's distinctive humor, gaining popularity. Since the drama's first season in 2022, it has continued through season 4 and has received steady affection.
Starting from the original web animation and continuing to a fourth season, New Recruit is drawing attention over what barracks stories it will unfold with a mix of new characters and existing members. Expectations are especially high for the renewed performance that original member Jo Jin-se will deliver as No Hee-jung.
[Photo] broadcast screen capture
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