Backstreet Rookie (2020)

This one is killer

I started this after many viewers flagged this with sexual harrasment and racism ??. But there is NOTHING WRONG with this. Female lead is too much badass maybe that's why many are complaining ?. I don't find anything wrong. Actually it's in my top 5 list of all time. Too much engaging. Dont go for others views. Sometimes MDL sucks. She is way too cute to handle.

Edit
Almost toward the end. I'm suprised how this picked up after second part. From 8th episode it picks up so much. I mean it. It gets better like hell. Sudden glow in drama in half. Lots of emotional scene mixed with mesmerizing love b/w main couple and their parent too.

Edit - Finally it ended and I think it ended very well. Though they teased us with kissing scene. I can forgive them as last episode was did a lot well. Kuddos to the parent of DH what a great role both of them played. Most of their were so emotional and loving. Some might think they are the lead couple.
BUT still i think there was too much focus on the that "EX" thing. One cannt focus much of main couple due to annoying EX (YJ) .
Totally loved the chemistry the glow in their eyes was phenomenal. Like they really felt for each other. There was age gap but it never felt like that. Both did so childish thing. Cutiee cutiee. No wonder JCW is such a great actor.
Loved how both of them loved each other opinion. They didnt forced the other to behave as they want. Wether it was ML or FL. Sacrifices for each other without being proudy at same time. Unlike most of the drama where either lead force the other one. There was nothing like that. Waited for each other till both of them were comfortable. How cute.

I really really want their another project like anything. There weren't too much pure romatic moment b/w the lead. I really want either season 2 or another project.

Definitely worth your time. Dont think a second whether to watch or not. JUST GO FOR IT. Perfect drama to lighten the heart and life the mood.

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It Gets Better and Better as the Episodes Go On

I loved this show! The beginning was a little rocky and I wasn’t sure if I would finish it after episode 1. It wasn’t because of the controversies other have said. It was because his friend was disturbing at first and the ML had a girlfriend ( I did not want to see the FL going after someone with a girlfriend.). To be honest I did not see the racism that others claim. I think the friend was just a weird guy who liked reggae and had dread locks. That doesn’t make the show racist. Anyways, I am so glad that I continued watching it. The show got better and better. After episode 8, I was stalking the internet to see if the next episode had come out. The final episode was very satisfying. A large part of my high rating is because I really liked the end.

The acting was great by all of the cast. I had never seen Kim Yoo Jung before and now I am looking forward to seeing her in more roles. The OST was good also. This was a great romantic comedy, not too much drama.

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Beautiful story about family and relationships

Likes:
1. Despite the initial backlash, i still watched this show before making any judgments and surprised to find a beautiful story about families and relationships.
2. Daehyun's family was not perfect. They may not be rich but they make up for it by being hardworking and having a nurturing and supporting relationship with one another. (Well, except for the sister!) On the other hand, no amount of money can justify being rude and insulting to other people.
4. The relationship between Eunbyul and Saetbyul. In the end they were sisters and they have no one else to lean on but each other. And Daehyun's parents for treating them like family.
3. For relationships to work, both parties should make an effort to sustain the relationship. Yeonju didnt trust Daehyun and kept lying, concealing and even cheating. She only found out what a good man Daehyun was unless it was too late. And she still tried to force her way back to Daehyun through dirty tactics. On the other hand, Saetbyul may be younger but she fully supported and believed in Daehyun. Age doesnt matter sometimes if the couple are on the same wavelength. Daehyun always showed Saetbyul how precious she was and how she was "good enough" while Saetbyul liked Daehyun the way he was. They even have the hand gestures that only the two of them can understand.
4. Dont judge a book by its cover. Dalsik and Geumbi on the outside may look weird and hated each other at first, but once they looked past the outside and focused on the inside, they realized how well suited they are. "Find someone that matches your crazy." And turns out Dalsik's family is even richer than Geumbi! But instead of mooching off his family's wealth, he set off on his own and followed his dreams.

Dislikes:
1. The ages of Saetbyul and Geumbi could have been adjusted to 1 or 2 years older. Or have a time jump in the end where they are older.
2. The ending was too rushed, with Yeonju and her family's issue with Daehyun's family resolved with just one meeting.

Rating: 8.5

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Pure Entertainment!

Putting aside the controversies revolving around this drama in particular. This is one of the entertaining drama of all time. Of course, there are flaws to it as well like the depiction of "Reggae Boy" and ML being too kind or obsessive; he can't seem to be able to leave his Gf (SFL)and is always saying sorry even if it's not his fault. But it's sense of humor and character interactions are top-notch. It would have been better with more kissing than the slight peck at the very beginning but then again, I heard they deleted those scenes due to the controversies of the age difference between ML and FL. Personally, I don’t see why that should matter at all since they are both adults and they don't seem to have a problem with it. It was also really nice to see ML's mom redeemed herself as she realized her son being happy was more important than being with someone just because they are rich. I love the moment in the end when ML tells his parents, he wants to live with them even though they are not in the perfect circumstances. All things considered, this drama really had a lot of funny and touching scenes with some life lessons.

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Lighthearted, enjoyable, FaMiLy FrIenDly

Despite all the negative comments regarding this drama and jcw's recent choice of scripts, I decided to give this drama a go and I am so glad I did. It's lighthearted and funny and was a welcomed distraction from the heavy emotions loaded psycho, but okay (soo good, but so melancholic x).

Well addressing the elephant in the room, yes its obvious stereotypical and racist portrayal of that artist/friend - character was inappropriate, unnecessary, not at all well thought out and simply frustrating as it puts a huge damper on the otherwise enjoyable drama. Honestly I felt sorry for that actor, because he's a fabulous actor as can be seen in the fiery priest and even his performance here was good, but yeez that character was really ridiculous, didn't even blink when the supposedly comedy involving that character set in .

Now for the good parts:

The story is simple, yet it didn't get boring at any point, except for the last two episodes, guess they ran out of ideas. The comedy moments were apt (except for some scenes in the beginning involving the ml's friend character), one could definitely see the fiery priest touch and any references to that drama or any other movies such as parasite or pulp fiction added to that humorous tone. Some anime-inspired fighting scenes seemed over the top, but one quickly adapted to that style, as it goes well with the flow of the drama. The music was also surprisingly good, that crazy crazy bit reminded me of honey honey from the fiery priest. And for the actors, I keep forgetting that jcw is not only the greatest looking guy in the K drama world but also a brilliant actor. He portrayed the store keeper with ease, showing us his playful, lovable side just like in Empress ki and also the female lead did a great job in portraying saet byul, whom I first found to be obnoxious and annoying but who turned out to be an actually likeably, bubbly character who would outshine obstacles in life with her bright smile, a positive attitude and a strong mindset. Even the side characters like jcw's family were very likeable and not only resources to bring progress in the leads' romance (well, maybe a bit). Especially the mother and the girlfriend were well thought through and 'real' with their worries, faults and behaviours. Other characters like the obvious bullies, like the ones terrorising high schoolers, the typical conceited shareholder's wife or the malicious egocentric boss-figure eyeing a woman in a relationship were solely for the purpose of adding villainy and incarnation of problems to the story, but no harm in that, if it helps the plot. Saet byuls sister and the second male lead got some more screen time and were likeable, too.

The greatest part for me is the relationship between saet byul and the manager. Not necessarily the chemistry, but the overall healthy relationship they share. The way they would communicate through hand articulation, what for outsiders seemed odd and incomprehensible, but made perfect sense for them or support each other with genuine happiness and sympathy and would crack witty jokes at each other all the time, it was pleasant and cute to watch, made oneself long for that kind of a pure realtionship. I'd like to add that I also enjoyed the realtionship b/w jcw and his girlfriend, their little quarrels and makings up and I even found myself rooting for the gf when she would storm of to see jcw and reestablish their relationship.

All in all, it's a good drama, which I genuinely enjoyed and actually would re-watch for the lighthearted story and the likeability of some characters. Plus, after all the complaints regarding the 'inappropriate romance' etc in the earlier episodes you could really see the production team's effort in making the drama more family friendly, ended up being one of the purest K-dramas I've ever seen xD

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sooo how about we use racist comedy and ruin our drama?! "Yes, lets do it"

It's actually fun if you only watch the cute love story and skip the rest. But I can't say I liked it because of all the racism and cultural appropriation in this show. I mean, instead of just finding it funny how he acts, they constantly ridicule everything related to Jamaican culture. They even depict him as dirty because of his dreadlocks and his darker complexion.
By the way, honestly was the blackface really necessary? It didn't add anything to his character, I mean -combined with his hair- the only goal was to perceive him as disgusting, smelly and dirty (they even added bugs around him as if he was rotten or something). I just think that's not right, if he was shown as an actual admirer of Jamaican culture and the comedic relief was only focused on his personality/obsession it would've been a lot more respectful. I basically dropped it when I saw that character, because I skipped all of it to get to the end sooner.
Seriously wtf were they thinking using racism as a "comedic story line"?
It's absurd dude, the audacity these guys have is just unbelievable.

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Cute drama with a bad timing

I just finished this cute little drama and I definitely think 7.7 rating doesn't do it justice. While it's by no means a master piece and the story is quite simple, it is a good piece to watch if you need a break from all the overly dramatic stuff. I especially enjoyed the acting and I didn't have a need to skip over any scenes, which is always a good sign for any drama. I even cried a couple of times and that doesn't happen to me often unless animals are involved :-D SO yeah I do recommend this one if you are looking for something that is fun and not overly complicated.

Now I'm going for a rant here and if you did find the drama truly problematic, perhaps don't read this. I'm not writing this to argue with anyone and there is no reason for ou to ruin your day. This is just my opinion :-)

I'm truly glad I've seen someone advice to skip on all the controversy around the drama because I got to enjoy it for what it was. I only read the news afterwards out of sheer curiosity because I wasn't sure what it did so wrong to get such backlash. I mean obviously I was guessing Dal Shik's was one part of it but that couldn't have been all, right? Well turns out it wasn't but the rest didn't feel justified to me. I honestly feel sorry for this drama. I think this is the worst possible time to come out because people are so easily offended by these days. Don't get me wrong if any Jamaican people were indeed offended by Dal Shik's character then I suppose it's a valid point but I bet most of the outrage came from the white people as usual. I for once didn't think of his character racist, I saw him as a person that truly appreciated the culture and was having a blast. It saddens me that you can't do that anymore these days because it will be immediately labelled as culture appropriation. The flies were a bit too much but it never translated to me as portraying people of colour as dirty. I mostly thought it was more of a implication about nerds and artists that are often portrayed as asocial and lacking when it comes to personal hygiene BUT I can see why people with dreadlocks found it offensive and it did feel rather unnecessary.

The rest of the arguing points was a bit ridiculous to me to be honest (and I'll probably receive a lot of backlash for it). The oversexualization seems like a stretch or at least not something that can't be found in most of the dramas or k-pop groups. There were two very frowned upon scenes, one of it was drawing of legs from a painter that was drawing erotica and one of it was literal imagination sequence using a stereotypical movie gangster lair. I get that it is a family drama but don't try to tell me children never seen such thing on TV before. Sexy scenes are everywhere and this was at least done in a comedic way. Same with the underage kiss. Been there done that. If the male lead initiated it then yes, not good. However that was not the case, he didn't expect it and she was a young rebellious girl with a crush. How many romance TV series about high school student and her teacher romance are there? Never seen people boycotting those as they did this drama because of this one scene. And don't even get me started on anime. -_-

If you ask me, not knowing the controversy while watching I genuinely thought people had a problem with how Boon Hee was beating her husband. Sure, he deserved to be yelled at a lot of the times and maybe a kick in the shin would do him good but even with the comedic way it was done it sometimes felt too much. I could see how this could be a problem since domestic violence is a thing and men don't come forward and ask for help more often than women since they are taught to be strong and being beaten by a woman is not something they want to talk about, which is truly sad. Yet unlike the other points no one seemed to be bothered by this because it was comedy. Thankfully, the drama somewhat saved their relationship in the last episodes and I was able to tell myself that it is done for fun and I shouldn't overanalyze it. I feel truly sad now, remembering the how the actors and the crew celebrated their work in the final episode, clearly having fun with it and hoping people would enjoy it. Well I did, so good job guys! :-)

END OF THE RANT...SORRY EVERYONE :-D

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well plotted rom-com drama

Some reviews are complying that Chang Wook has a lousy role in this drama but for me it is not! Definitely not! I'm glad that Chang Wook took this drama because it is a fresh plotted for me and well executed! One of the reasons why I love this drama is because of the commitment and perseverance of both leads because Saet-Byul which portrayed by Kimm Yoo Jung; she is a soft-hearted sister and a person even though she is very strong physically and her little sister is passionate towards life. Dae Hyun's role is well played by Chang Wook because of being a decent and pure hearted man whom is very family oriented and her mother is very clever towards her family and also towards his husband but he is a caring mother. Their bond as a family excluding his sister (haha) is very warming because even though they are belong in the "not so low economic status" they are dedicated to take step ahead. Also, the hated relationship of Mr. Fire Volcano and Ms. Aphrodite that turns into platonic love is very satisfying and entertaining to watch. Anyways, Yeon Joo and Ji Wook portrayed well because even if Ji Wook wants Saet Byul, he truly care event though they remain as friends and Yeon Joo is very smart but not a good woman for Dae Hyun and Dae Hyun really made his choice more satisfying than ever. The way this drama brings me so much joy and motivations towards life and love.

This drama depicts slice of life, love in family and friends, comedy and romance (all blended well). Great Drama!

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"Life is like a flower with so many meaning!"

BackstreetRookie is not the typical romcom that we see in kdrama. It is a romcom with a touch of slice of life you normally see in every refular family presented in a convenient store setting. However, BR provides a refreshing touch for cliches of the everyday drama in the life of an ordinary family, the hardships of an orphaned siblings, the dream of a struggling writer, the loyalty between friends, among others. BR provides tons of life lessons and realization. It's simple and yet absorbing and endearing.

I love romcom, and this drama just give justice to its claim of being a unique romcom. I gave it a 10/10. The PD is well known for his effective directing of a comedy drama (The Fiery Priest) and he delivers again in BR. I just love the exaggerated action scenes, the witty injections of a sequence from another drama, the parodies are excellently executed like the dance number of the Pulp Fiction, the crying scene while eating of Fabricated City. Many little references everyone can enjoy are presented in this drama that made it new, refreshing and entertaining.

This is the only romcom that has zero skinship between the leads but because of the beautiful interaction and visuals of JichangWook and KimYooJung, skinship is not needed. Their gazes and lovey-doveying and sweet nothings will make those romcoms a run for their money. The lead's chemistry are extremely topnotch that you wont realize they have a huge age gap.

I like the use of flowers and its meaning has ushered a more relevant meaning in this drama. The flower symbolism is heart warming that made it more romantic. This drama made me goggle for the meaning of many flowers and how they symbolize a thing.

The OSTs are all amazing, a combination of upbeat and mellow and well played in the various emroions in different scene. They are contemporaries and rendered by young and talented idols and singers in South Korea that it made it more appealing. 10/10

This is definitely a rewatchable drama. I for one has rewatched some of the previous episodes and still get the same feels and warmth the first time I see it. 10/10

BR is realistic and relatable that is why I think it has been well accepted and praised by many fans. You will definitely enjoy its uniqueness and rawness. You will laugh a lot, cry a lot and laugh a lot again! And Jichangwook was correct on what are his thoughts on BR in a recent interview "During this pandemic, everyone will be stressed and having difficulties, I hope it will being joy to everyone and relieve their stress". And sure it did, BR becomes every fans happy pill and healing at least 2 hrs each week for the last two months.

Credit: SETNews for the Interview

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That you have to be patient for their love.

I loved this series i cried and laugh and also was in love with it like i was always excited when a episode came out even tho their romance took long idc I love them together end the ending was amazing with everybody here Wow that series is a 10/10 for me!! What did i like alot in the last episode is that when she came it was like ep 1 she came for the part time job. I loved that series like the way DH keep rejecting YJ for JSB that was like so cute and the way he look at JSB feel like hes looking at me even tho that series isnt really the type of series ji chang wook do IDC that was really good and his character suit him and I hope his next series will be with some action like K2 but still that was amazing! Watch it you may really regret its really funny!!! Luv you!

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