This review may contain spoilers
A Slow Start, But the Episode 1 Twist Hooked Me
A K-drama starring Lee Jun Young is something I will always check out, so I started watching Reborn Rookie as soon as it was released. After the first two episodes, I'm already invested in the story.The first 30 minutes didn't impress me that much. It felt quite slow, and there wasn't much indication of where the plot was heading. However, everything changed by the end of episode 1 when Kang Yong Ho gets into a serious accident and wakes up in the body of a young soccer player. That twist immediately grabbed my attention and made me excited for the rest of the drama.
What I enjoy most so far is how unpredictable the characters are. You never really know what they're thinking or what they'll do next, which makes every scene more interesting. The drama doesn't feel as predictable as many recent K-dramas.
Another thing I love is that the writers included characters that are genuinely easy to hate. I haven't had that feeling with a K-drama in a while. Some characters are so frustrating and selfish that they make you angry, but that's exactly what makes the story more engaging. It creates tension and makes me care more about what happens next.
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Complete 180 from the first two episodes
I went into this drama genuinely excited because I love the body‑swap trope, but the first two episodes were honestly rough. It was marketed as a comedy, yet the tone felt completely off. The characters, especially the twins were so cartoonishly evil that it stopped being funny and just became irritating. Even the chairman, who we’re clearly supposed to root for later, is introduced as deeply unlikeable with no redeeming qualities in sight.The result is that the opening two hours feel like watching bad people get away with everything, with no emotional balance or relief. I understand that the setup is necessary for the story that follows, but it was still a slow, frustrating, and painful watch.
But then episodes three and four completely turned things around. Once the plan starts moving, the tone settles, and the show finally becomes what it promised to be. The leads have fantastic chemistry, they play off each other beautifully, and the story suddenly becomes engaging and fun.
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Instantly hooked - you will be too!
For those who are conflicted about watching this (so far) excellently executed Comedy /Drama…., don’t be. THERE IS NO ROMANCE. **Eight episodes in and all I can say is WOW! Lee Jun Young is perfect as 72 year-old Chairman Kang in Hwang Jun Hyeon’s 20-something body. There is no question that we are watching old Chairman Kang in action. LJU is just that convincing embodying Kang’s entire personae right down to his furrowed brow, incredulous stares, outbursts of anger, aand raspy, older man’s voice. The supporting cast is equally great, especially the main villain who is supported by other equally great villains. The way the story is going, I’m expecting a fully satisfying, suspenseful remaining four episodes.
This drama is hilarious and at the same time intense and suspenseful - all while showcasing the consequences of the decisions one makes in their three score and ten (+/-) years on this earth. Among other questions Reborn Rookie asks: What is the true definition of success and What is the true measure of a person?
** The chairman’s youngest daughter, Kang Bang Geul, is understandably confused about her feelings over this young, handsome, smart, fearless intern, but the infolding events and her overall goals keep her from focusing in that direction for too long at a time. And along the way, Chairman Kang, who underestimated the daughter he loves, gives her plenty to dislike about Intern Hwang.
I can’t give it a 10 rating yet as there are 4 more episode to go. But if it ends as well as it has been going so far, I’ll up my rating.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great plot, very realistic, minus the soul swap lmao Great acting
The plot here is fantastic and something that every business owner dreams of - auditing his own company.The actors are all great actors and have amazing great scripts, but they are so creative in their roles and really make it fantastically fun to watch. The villains are great. The daughter and the Chairman in young body are great.
The young actor who does the Chairman in young body is SO HILARIOUS, he really nailed down his role, acting like an old geezer.
The actress doing his youngest daughter is also an amazing actress and it is totally refreshing to see a more balanced and complete female role, complex and smart capable female, and an actress who is given a red light to ACT and to be complex and creative in her acting. That is one of the great accomplishments of this drama.
The nasty boy twin actor is an amazing actor, he really nailed down the role of a rather dumb greedy entitled brat - that actor is a master actor
And the villain girl twin actress is convincing too....
The only criticism of this drama is that by ep 6, there is not much character growth of the Chairman in the young body, he is pretty much the same old callous geezer. The drama is about business deals and Chairman and his daughter working together to outdo the evil twins and grab the company.
The Chairman is a brilliant business wheeler and dealer, but he is cold and cruel to people, and by ep 6 does not get much more compassionate while in the young body. At least he paid medical bills of the young guy's grandma.
Hopefully in later episodes, the Chairman becomes a better human being.
FYI for all those sillies who are making up romance accusations:
*** There is NO romance. in this drama. NOWHERE in sight. ****
The young lady sees in front of her a young handsome guy winking at her and taking care of her, so she is smitten, but the young handsome guy is her father and he has NO romantic interests whatsoever, he is 10000% behaving like a good father to his daughter, taking care of his daughter.
And the Chairman and his secretary are just two men who closely work together and are great friends too.
THERE IS NO ROMANCE ANYWHERE
So let's see how it gets resolved at the end. Maybe the young guy will wake up and the Chairman's daughter can then go after him, or maybe the Chairman in young body will have to tell her who he is.
In any case, this drama is fun.
Music is good too.
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이준영 is absolutely amazing!!
I will always watch everything with 이준영 no matter what it’s about. He is such an amazing person and talented actor. He excells at everything he does. I may not get all the business jargon, but who cares. He keeps it entertaining and I love seeing him in a new role and absolutely crushing it, as always. I cannot wait to see his next drama.I loved the race track scene when he was being bada$$, then the next moment he turns around and is freaking out like, omg omg! ㅋㅋㅋ. 🤣😂 His laugh is the cutest and is so contageous. I‘m glad we get to see more of his silly side, as much as I love his villain roles, I am just happy to see him on the screen again and truly hope his military time goes by fast and he stays healthy & happy. I know everyone will adore him like we do. We will be waiting for his return, always. 💖🙏✌️ 화이팅!! 💪
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Fast paced story of business and family
Currently watching ep 3/10I wasn’t going to write review, I mean it’s not finished yet, but some people hating this for bo reason makes me mad.
✅ no romance
This drama has really fast paced narrative. And the directing never really drag things out. So from writing and directing, I’m satisfied.
In ep 1, they quickly established the relationship between all major characters and what happens in the synopsis all shown. I like this since I don’t wanna watch things I already know what will happen.
In ep 2, things heightened with some unexpected plot points which I think is great. I’m still feeling the surprise from what he wrote on that cheque.
For a drama about business this keeps surprising me with the character action. And this drama has strong actor lineup which I really appreciate.
In ep3, we finally see chairman prowess in hwang body! I love how he could control everyone and maneuver office politics with ease. So excited to see what happens tonight!
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A Strong Start That Got Me Hooked
I didn’t expect much when I started Reborn Rookie, but the first two episodes really pulled me in.The story is fast, fun, and easy to enjoy. The body-swap idea may sound familiar, but the execution feels fresh because the drama knows how to balance comedy, business tension, and revenge.
Lee Jun Young is doing a great job so far. His confidence, expressions, and screen presence make the character really entertaining to watch.
Overall, this is a very strong start. I’m fully here for the hype, and I just hope the writers keep the same energy until the end.
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What surprised me most is that the body swap is not really about getting a second chance at power. It's about being stripped of power. Forced to live as an ordinary employee, the protagonist gradually discovers the consequences of decisions he made from the top. People who were once names on an organizational chart become real people with wounds, loyalties, and stories he never fully understood.
The drama is also surprisingly thoughtful about succession. It asks a question that many corporate and family dramas avoid: what actually makes someone worthy to lead? Is it ambition, political skill, and the ability to win power struggles? Or is it judgment, empathy, integrity, and the ability to earn trust? The answer is not delivered through speeches but through character contrasts that become more compelling with every episode.
Despite these themes, the show never becomes heavy-handed. One moment it's a sharp corporate thriller, the next it's a comedy about team dinners, office politics, and a former chairman discovering that middle management may be more terrifying than hostile takeovers.
What keeps me watching is not the mystery or even the business intrigue. It's watching a man slowly realize that the greatest mistakes of his life may not have been the deals he made, but the people he overlooked and the compromises he justified.
Come with no expectations. Stay for the unexpectedly thoughtful character work hiding underneath.
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Episode 1 feels heavily inspired by *Reborn Rich*, but what grabbed my attention wasn't the business drama or the regression setup.
It's the family relationships.
The episode appears to establish that Kang Bang Geul is the male lead's biological daughter from his second wife. Because of that, I seriously hope the writers never even think about pushing a romantic angle between these characters later in the story.
There are some plot directions that audiences debate, and then there are plot directions that would instantly sink a drama.
A father-daughter romance would be one of them.
I'm not saying the show is doing that. Episode 1 doesn't suggest it. But whenever a regression story starts mixing family relationships, inheritance drama, and future knowledge, I immediately become cautious about where the writers are heading.
For now, I'm treating this as a warning sign to keep an eye on rather than a criticism of something the drama has actually done.
The first episode is decent enough. My hope is that the writers focus on the family politics and second-chance storyline instead of creating shock value where none is needed.
The Episode 2 preview has completely killed my enthusiasm for this drama.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it looks like the writers are heading straight toward a father-daughter romance angle, and if that's really the plan, then this show has already lost me.
And no, I don't care what excuse they pull out later.
"She's not biologically related."
"He is in a younger body."
"He isn't technically her father in this timeline."
"He only raised her."
None of those explanations magically make the situation less creepy.
If a man spent years treating someone as his daughter, raising her as his daughter, seeing her as his daughter, and then the story suddenly expects the audience to cheer for a romance because of some last-minute loophole, that's not clever writing. That's just the writers trying to dodge the obvious problem without actually addressing it.
A legal loophole is not the same thing as making a relationship feel normal or acceptable to viewers.
What frustrates me most is that the drama doesn't need any of this. It already has time travel, family politics, business conflicts, and a second-chance-at-life premise. Why drag a potentially disturbing relationship dynamic into the story?
Right now this is based on the preview and the direction it appears to be taking. If the show proves me wrong, great.
But if it goes where I think it's going, then no amount of emotional music, tragic backstory, or plot twists is going to convince me that it's romantic. I'll just see it as a cheap shock-value storyline that overwhelms everything else the drama had going for it.
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