super light kdrama with cute couple
I just watched the last episode of backstreet rookie, and I really liked the kdrama. Honestly, it's a thousand times better than I thought it would be, despite all the negative comments. It's one of those light and funny kdramas with a cute couple. I really enjoyed it.At first, I didn't like the male lead character, but as the kdrama progressed, I started to like him. And let's not forget about the female lead character, she's so adorable, I really liked her a lot.
I really loved the mother of the male lead character, even though she's toxic with her husband( and here, she's awful), she's amazing with the female lead character. And the supporting couple is good too, they're that cringe-worthy couple that's actually enjoyable."
Was this review helpful to you?
Definitely more innocent than the source material
I had heard such mixed reviews on this show that I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it, but I finally decided to give it a go. It was much better than the bad reviews said - not perfect by any means, but it was fairly enjoyable. I looked up the source material, and I will say that it was definitely more innocent. I'm not sure what all the deviations were because I only looked at the first episode of the manga (which is very NSFW! Just a warning!) I know some people found the age gap "problematic" (I'm really starting to hate the over-use of that word. LOL!) but the show was pretty PG so that didn't really bother me. Backstreet Rookie is a simple love story set in a convenience store for the majority of the drama. There were some manga-like moments also that reminded me a bit of some things from Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. Saet Byul falls for Dae Hyun at first sight while she's still in high school when he's just been dumped by his girlfriend. They don't see each other again for 3 years, when she's 22 - no longer a minor. DH is in a very one-sided relationship with a rich girl that takes advantage of his naivety and good heart. SB has her own issues, having to leave school to finish raising her sister after their dad dies. She answers DH's ad for a part-time worker and they gradually become closer as they work together. There's not a really heavy plot, and it's just some cute bit of fluff. Watch it if you want something not too taxing on the brain! :)Kim Yoo Jung as Saet Byul was super freaking adorable! Such a sunshine-y character that she made me smile every time she was on screen - she really was the one to give this show life. Ji Chang Wook was kind of under-whelming as Dae Hyun, but I suspect that it was because his character was such a mild mannered, nice guy that made it seem that way. *shrug* I also have to say that I really don't care for Han Sun Hwa (playing Yeon Joo). This is the third (at least) show I've watched her in and she always ends up playing the most annoying characters that I've developed a distaste for her. Kim Sun Young as Dae Hyun's mother, Boon Hee, has her stereotypical loudness that I've come to expect from her. I liked her character over-all, but I really wish she would tone down the yelling a bit in her dramas. She's a great actress and doesn't need to resort to such cheap tactics. I still thought her character was warm, loving, and genuine underneath all the bluster.
I enjoyed the music, but nothing stood out as really special either. It was good though.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Decent drama not a binge watch Rom-Com
This drama is not a bad one as comments on the page state. It's like okay! I felt like it dragged too much like some episodes really felt like filler and the story not moving around and stuck at the same point. I expected a lot of humor, comedy, and a decent amount of romance . But, None of them are present in the drama. The acting was good. It's like the screenplay is underdeveloped, with not much plot . They just dragged because they want to reach the 16 episode mark. So final remarks are Just a time-passing drama and didn't have any memorable moments or funny ones and don't have the rewatch value. Don't expect too much from this just watch without any expectation it will be a good time-passing drama. That's it!Was this review helpful to you?
I only beared to watch it for Ji Changwook and Kim Yoojung
Last year I said I won't watch this kdrama, because I saw all the controversies and I was indeed dissapointed. I LOOOOVE Ji Changwook, he's the reason I started watching kdramas and I have watched almost all his works, but I said I won't watch this one. However I changed my mind after reading some reviews here and not on twitter and I said I will watch the first episodes and if it's too much to handle I will drop it. But then I finished it...I will start by saying it is indeed problematic, actually that one character doing blackface/ blackfishing and perpetuating negative and wrong stereotypes about black people is unacceptable and has ruined the whole drama.
About the controversy with the kiss of a minor to an adult and asking for cigarettes, I don't see it as big as the blackface because such kisses exist in other kdramas too, in western dramas etc. So if they have put a 19+ rating (because it has sexual refferences in some episodes) and not 15+ it would have been better.
Overall I enjoyed the story of the main leads and the family and nothing else, most side characters annoyed me a lot, the problematic guy would have been annoying even without the doing blackface, the sister of the male lead was extra annoying as well and didn't actually give much to the story. So my rating of 7.5 is only for the main leads and for the nice message that you can find happiness without doing a fancy job and marrying someone rich.
Was this review helpful to you?
it's a kdrama,not real life
this drama was cute, funny in areas and the whole reason we watch them, if it's romance you want this is not it bit it's fun and with the occasional giggle.. I dont think it needs a complex review, everyone is going to have a different opinion.. so it's up to you if you want to watch it, give a chance and see the humor and story of trying to be and make a better you. I liked it and maybe you will or wont... it says I need 500 words but idk if I can do that sooo here are dots to fill my space cause I have said my peace about the series........................................................Was this review helpful to you?
My opinion strictly based on my lack of enjoyment
When I first heard about this show I was so excited. Honestly, Ji Chang Wook could read the phone book (do they still make those?) and I'm all in. However, his character in this show was just pitiful! He was such a sad sack of a character, it was really hard for me to watch. Everyone just ran all over him. A spine was needed for his character.I didn't care for the "bad girl" image of the female lead. Her toughness I found to be very off-putting. I didn't like the way she treated others. Unlike a lot of others, I couldn't really feel the chemistry between these two, maybe because I just didn't like either of their characters.
And I know it's a given if there is high school involved at all, but I'm honestly so tired of bullying.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Comforting and Cute but Very Lacking Too
So let me first get into the obvious, the whole black-face-cultural-appropriation thing - if it makes you feel uncomfortable or makes you question whether it's okay, it's probably not. The writers could have gone with so many different typically dorky/weird character tropes and chose to represent their 'comedic relief' as someone looking like a man of colour. I'm not sure whether his skin colour was darkened as I can recognise that Asian countries have darker skin tones and CAN get as dark as he was but the dreadlocks and the reggae clothes were obviously cultural appropriation and just put in there for 'comedic' purposes. Plus the fact that they made him this smelly/gross character just shows what the writers think of black men. This was by far the most disappointing aspect of the show.Second, the main couple - It was a sweet story and I'm okay with slow burns but I really get so peeved when they finish a show without any actual romantic/passionate interactions between the main couple. Like I'm still okay with the PG kisses that are in dramas usually but you can't sell me a love story only to then show it to the extent of a friendship... Besides that, I enjoyed their interactions and their chemistry.
Third, the rest of the cast - I absolutely love the Busan accent and find it really comforting for some reason (maybe because it's more tonal like my native language) so I absolutely loved the mum and dad. Saet-Byul's friends were great too and even though her sister sometimes annoyed me, she was sweet in the end and I'm glad she had a happy ending as well. I can't say the same for Dae-Hyun's sister though. DEAR GOD I HATED HER. She wasn't funny, she wasn't quirky or cheeky, she was just a LEECH. She regularly stole from her family, only went home to eat, and did NOTHING the entire 16 episodes that made me feel like she at least gave as much as she took. She just continued to take, take , take and act as if she deserved it. People like her really irk me to me bones and it really spoiled the show for me.
All in all, I have a lot of complaints but it was still enjoyable to watch for the most part and I like the concept. I just wished they tried a little harder to actually put out a quality show.
Was this review helpful to you?
I watched just to see Kim Yoo Jung's smile
For me the mom, played by Kim Sun Young of Choi Dae Hyun, was the most hilarious character. Her speaking volume was quite loud compared to everyone else, but she provided laughs in every episode. The constant Yeon Joo-shi thing got old after a while, do Koreans really use the honorific "shi" after a person's name when they are close as the Dae Hyun and Yeon Joo were portrayed? But really IMO Kim Yoo Jung stole the show. That smile of hers could move mountains and melt glaciers, LOL!I only started watching K-dramas quite recently, fed up with Murican TV and movies, which tend to have bad messages, mind programming, and comes from the evil place known as Hollyweird AKA Pedowood.
Was this review helpful to you?
A light-hearted rom com that you should start watching
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ After I've read all the bad reviews about this drama, I decided to see how bad it actually is...and I was surprised : it's a good drama, with no "over sexual" scenes, as some may say. Ji Chang Wook and Kim Yoo Jung have such a good chemistry, despite the age gap between them. The story is really fun, and so are the characters. I can't wait to see the next episodes. So in conclusion don't mind the people over the internet who are trying to make the drama look bad, and give the series a chance. ʕ•ᴥ•ʔWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Well many people are saying the age gap is too much or something like that but i don’t think the age gap really matters.. there’s no sexual harassment just because ML is older than her by was it 3 years? that’s actually a cute age gap. but if there is sexual harassment than the FL would be feeling discomfort and not approach ML at all. i wouldn’t say it’s the other way around as in the FL is actually the one sexually harassing the ML. she’s just pursuing love, well the way she’s doing it is a bit cree- weird.. but i don’t think so far she doesn’t mean him any harm is seems more like a pure love relationship in the drama we only always had the ML’s point of view and not the FL like in the drama the ML figured he was kinda wrong about the FL and a bit judgy. i’m not exactly supporting what the FL is doing cause it just SEEMS weird how she’s trying to- what is she trying to do? she’s just pursuing an innocent love she has with him she’s not hurting anyone around him in particular (PFFT except ML’s friend, but she didn’t hurt him her friend did ( ◠‿◠ ).) more than the FL being the creepy one i think the second lead is actually the creepy one.. since daehyun’s (the main guy) girlfriend clearly doesn’t want to be in a love kinda relationship with second lead (assuming that the second lead is trying to flirt/make a move on daehyun’s girlfriend)
why it’s entertaining? it depends on what type of genre you like but for me it was entertaining bc there wasn’t exactly any type of boring parts i can point out and it kept my mind busy off reality (i’m a depressed lonely girl) sometime i gave out some laughters bc idk why lol.
i’m glad JCW decides to be in this drama, i think some of his character played this type of role but they were oftentimes always smart and not jumping to conclusions.
check out the drama to see if its your type of drama （╹◡╹）♡
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Solid but trite entertainment
There's definitely nothing new here, but it was still a very reliable watch. The romance was good, there is some decent comedy, the story progresses like you'd expect a story to progress. The main draw here is probably the overly attractive male and female leads. It's fun to watch them engage with the story and each other...mostly because they are pretty and make pretty facial expressions. The story itself is superficial and seems to almost entirely exist as a platform to watch the pretty actors be pretty.This is the sort of show you watch because it's safe and reliable, like an SUV....not as exciting as a sports car but not ugly enough to be a station wagon. It's the sort of thing you watch when you're feeling blue and want to just zone out and not think too much. There's no deeper meaning, no life mystery, no really even mysteries to solve. You just sit there and watch the pretty people be pretty and win at life....and then you smile and be like, "Ah, if only life were actually this easy/simple."
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
