Backstreet Rookie

Presentation

For more…

Analysis

Synopsis

​Jung Saet Byul is in love with Choi Dae Hyun, who runs a convenience store. In order to seduce him, she is hired as a part-timer in his store. Saet Byul met Dae Hyun (he was already and adult) 3 years ago as a high school student and kissed him at that time. Now an adult, she is determined to win him over. Unfortunately for her, Dae Hyun is currently in a relationship. 

​My Opinion (No Spoilers)

In general, I really appreciated the drama, it was refreshing, light-hearted, funny and heart-warming! I liked the vibe and the atmosphere that it conveyed. Yet, there are some details that could’ve been worked on a bit. For instance, Jung Saet Byul wants to be a florist, she loves flowers but there is absolutely no development whatsoever on that matter. Also, I found it quite weird so many characters would disappear in the drama, and sometimes never reappear. That is the case for Eun Byul, Kang Ji Wook (even though that one is understandable), Jo Seung Joo, Yeon Joo’s best friend and even Dae Hyun’s sister. These characters were introduced at the beginning and were present sometimes in the drama, but then vanished for no reason. We actually have no idea what happened to them afterwards. 

Finally, even though I globally loved the drama, some moments were a bit redundant and I had the impression that the intrigue was running in circles in the middle of the drama. The plot was not moving on, just staying the same. So be careful on that if you decide to watch it!

​Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

​Main characters: Jung Saet Byul (Kim Yoo Jung) is a young woman in her 20s. She is attractive and cute, but also has a tougher side, unknown to most people. Unlike her appearance, she is quite the fighter. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Plus, she is strong-willed and determined, not afraid of challenges. Saet Byul also has a younger sister Eun Byul (Ahn Sol Bin), who is carefree and I thought at some point very ungrateful towards her sibling. Indeed, both became orphansvery early and Saet Byul being the oldest decided to take on her sister’s education. Saet Byul was known for using her fists too much and somehow was thrown out of school, without even finishing it. Still, she had to make sure to provide for Eun Byul, so she worked hard to raise her. I was actually really moved to see how protective, loving and affectionate she was towards her sister. She really tried her best to fill the job of a mother, father and older sister. Moreover, she always got her out of troubles and helped her lead the life that she herself had to sacrifice. I have to say Saet Byul is probably the best sister ever on that matter! Especially when you consider the fact that she doesn’t have an ounce of resentment of hate towards Eun Byul. She really wants what’s best for her. 

That’s why I really didn’t like Eun Byul’s character at first. She was constantly putting herself in troubles, despite her sister’s warning. She is also quite ungrateful and criticizes her sister for the life they have, even though she is not responsible for it. However, Eun Byul really matured in the drama and realized that she had also to take her life into her own hands in order to thank her sister for everything she has done. Even though the way she disappears without telling Saet Byul is probably not the best, she really wished to fulfill her own dreams and stop being a burden for her sister, while making sure she can actually be the one Saet Byul can lean on in case of problem. I regretted though that Eun Byul’s character literally disappeared by the end of the drama. After solving her issues because of a false dating scandal and past bullies, she was totally out of the picture. Until the end, I was even wondering if Eun Byul existed in the drama. Fortunately, the drama gave viewers some insight regarding her future career as an idol and she rocks it!

Regarding Saet Byul’s character, she learned life the tough way. I mentioned that she had to deal with her sister alone and relied on no one, because there was no one she could trust. Yet, she remained passionate, hard-working and loyal to her friends and to her lover as well. 

Choi Dae Hyun (Ji Chang Wook) is the convenience store manager, where Saet Byul works. From the get-go, we know that Saet Byul didn’t land there by accident. On the contrary, being the determined and fighting woman that she is, she has orchestrated quite the meeting with that man. To give you some insight on her past, Saet Byul’s father used to teach Taekwondo before his death. He also trained Saet Byul (hence her excellent fighting skills) and Dae Hyun visited that dojo as well. He saved Saet Byul when she was young, since then she has had a crush on him. Thereafter, I think we can talk about destiny, she met him again years later in the street. Her long-time crush passed by, so she decided to take the matter into her own hands, kissing a total stranger. Then life happened and Saet Byul went through terrible moments because of her father’s accident. Still, she passed by that man, working in the convenience store. So for the third time, as if destiny was pushing her towards him, she met him. That’s when she decided to go work at the convenience store. 

So who is Choi Dae Hyun? Well first, I want to highlight the fact that he is way older than Saet Byul (in his 30s). This kind of romance with great age gap is becoming more and more common in Dramaland (and we like it!) but it also has some interest in the drama. Indeed, Dae Hyun has a career being him, working at the HQ of GS25 (convenience store brand). Yet, he had to quit and opened his own convenience store. He is very hardworking (just like Saet Byul), extremely kind and generous, sometimes even too loyal towards his girlfriend and naïve. He is convinced that solving problems with fists is not a solution and proves Saet Byul that kindness is also a mean to get what you want. His greatest quality is also that he is a very filial sonand adores his parents. 

Yoo Yeon Joo (Han Sun Hwa) is Dae Hyun’s girlfriend when the drama starts. She is rich as hell, seems very kind and is successful at work. She and Dae Hyun used to work together at the HQ, but him quitting didn’t prevent them from dating. At first, everything seems to go smoothly in their relationship. They care a lot about each other and have been together for 2 years. However, Yeon Joo’s defect is that she is somehow ashamed of her boyfriend. In fact, she is afraid of presenting him to her parents fearing for their reaction. The more the drama advances, the faultier Yeon Joo becomes. She loses her trust in Dae Hyun, blaming Saet Byul’s presence, when in reality she is uncertain of herself and of what she wants. Her best friend also sways her and she ends up cheating on her boyfriend. Unfortunately for her, she realizes too late how valuable Dae Hyun is and wants to get him back. Still, Dae Hyun is already in love with Saet Byul. 

I could really see how Saet Byul and Dae Hyun are actually the perfect match. They are really loyal to each other and adore each other. Moreover, having nothing to offer, they only rely on their personality and their feelings. On the contrary, Yeon Joo was clearly not ready to fight for Dae Hyun, because she didn’t trust him nor herself. Her thinking that she had to offer much more than her boyfriend created a distance between them. Also, she was certainly not ready to defend him in front of her family. I think her background is one of the reasons. She has always been sheltered and gotten what she wants. She is used to having the best and Dae Hyun’s lower social status tainted that reputation, at least in her mother’s eyes. Only by the end of the drama does she realize that the most important is what the other is willing to sacrifice for you and not what he/she has to offer. 

Second lead as main lover: Interestingly, I think Backstreet Rookie managed to bring some novelty in the usual love triangle that we have in dramas. Indeed, Yeon Joo was Dae Hyun’s girlfriend during a very long time and it didn’t seem to evolve in Saet Byul’s favor. Even more, she seemed to get further away from Dae Hyun as episodes passed by. In that matter, Saet Byul supposed to be the main character was in fact the supporting role in the love triangle. She became this second lead clinging onto the main character and trying to break the perfect main couple apart. An original development and fun way to change characters’ dynamics. 

The romance: Of course romance transpires throughout the entire drama. Not only the main trio but also supporting roles were involved in love relationships. The funniest couple being made up of Dae Hyun’s friend Han Dal Sik (Eun Moon Suk) and HwangGeum Bi (Seo Ye Hwa), Saet Byul’s best friend. For starters I won’t even mention Dal Sik’s weird association to reggae and Jamaica (I really didn’t understand what happened there!), it was even border when you think about it, but above that their romance started off pretty bad. In fact, they hate each other for a very long time until they finally realize they have a lot in common, that is an erotic webtoon. 

Anyway, they clearly embodied that cheesy and clichéd romance that we are used to seeing in old dramas (and recent ones also!), that goes from hatred to pure love. Yet, they brought humor to the drama and compensated at times, the lack of relationship between Dae Hyun and Saet Byul. I mean the dance machine, the erotic webtoon, the drama queen vibe, both are clearly made for each other. 

​As for Saet Byul and Dae Hyun’s relationship, it was funny to see how the beginning and the ending are the drama are exactly the same. Yet, motivations and feelings are very different. Saet Byul arrives at the convenience store, while Dae Hyun is sleeping on the counter. He thinks he is dreaming of her, but that’s not the case. I really like that cyclical evolution that really gave me the impression that the drama had a clear closure. 

Ambiance: Backstreet Rookie showed us an atypical romance, punctuated with some clear webtoon references! Indeed, the fighting scenes (and there are plenty that were probably some of the best I’ve seen) presented characters using animal postures and drew them on screen with bright colors; hearts were shot out from characters’ eyes at the end and can we please talk about that erotic webtoon: Her Reggae Boy!

That was clearly webtoonish! The ending also shows us a very well made mise en abyme, in which Dal Sik (who wrote Her Raggae Boy) and Geum Bi (Her Reggae Boy’s first fan) are acting, as if they were the authors of Backstreet Rookie. They are the ones creating the story, deciding the title and explaining characters’ romance. By the way, the title is rather witty. In Korean Saet Byul is in the title (also the name of the main character) and the word Convenience Store as well, clearly referring to the whole situation. The final mise en abyme is the best with Ji Chang Wook and Kim Yoo Jung showing us the behind the scenes, as they shoot the final scene. Thus, you can see the cameras, the rest of the staff, in short everything. 

Sensual, provocative and romantic vibe: Backstreet Rookie was often criticized for being sexually provocative. It’s true that some scenes (the writing of Her Reggae Boy) are sometimes sensual and make viewers think that there is sexual intent behind. Jung Saet Byul’s character also as that sensual vibe but it is well balanced with the romantic and cheesy atmosphere. Indeed, Saet Byul has to fight to make Dae Hyun her boyfriend, leading to some cheesy and romantic moments. However, Choi Dae Hyun is actually the most romantic in the drama, constantly offering gifts and above all flowers to Saet Byul. Flowers and their meaning have a huge place in the drama, they are a sort of red thread that unites our main leads’ story from beginning until end. Dae Hyun is very affectionate and attentive, that’s why he makes sure that Saet Byul has everything she needs. Flowers are part of that attention, because Saet Byul dreams of becoming a florist, but they are also a reference to the actual webtoon. 

Humor: To these two types of ambiance, I obviously had to add humor. I really laughed a lot during the drama especially in the scenes involving Dae Hyun’s family. Sometimes they were sweet, sometimes really harsh, if not violent. The cameos also added a funny touch, of course let’s talk about Sky Castle cameo in the convenience store or even A Pink’s Jung Eun Ji as Dae Hyun’s first girlfriend at the beginning. 

In a nutshell, Backstreet Rookie is an excellent mix of genres, light-hearted and tender, with awesome punchlines and punches only. 

What are the themes questioned?

Even though Backstreet Rookie seems to be light-hearted at first, it also manages to tackle some serious themes. 

Importance and meaning of family: Family is probably the most important theme, apart from the main romance. Indeed, Saet Byul has lost her family really early and didn’t connect at all with her aunt. She has pretty much been lonely for a long time, to the point that she has completely forgotten the feeling of being part of a family. In Dae Hyun’s family, particularly in Dae Hyun’s mother, she is able to find a motherly figure. She feels loved, protected and taken care of. It even breaks her heart to see the family arguing because of her (that’s why she leaves), because she doesn’t want to impose. But like in all families, she eventually goes back to them and reconnects. I really loved to see how Gong Boon Hee (Kim Sun Young) accepts literally everyone. By the way, Kim Sun Young is surely one of the best supporting characters ever and her performance in Backstreet Rookie is incredible. In my opinion, she stole the spotlight and was able to embody such a strong, empathetic and loving character. She clearly is two-sided, with a soft and a tough side, but they match perfectly well and she is able adjust them just fine. 

As a mother, she wants what is best for their children, as a woman with maternal instincts she wishes to protect Saet Byul and as a wife, she gets jealous and does her best to let her husband do what he wants without going over-the-top. The parents’ relationship was by the way so crazy and funny, I loved it! Really entertaining and well portrayed. 

Apart from that you also have a depiction of Saet Byul’s family dynamics (like mentioned above) with her sister and how easy she is accepted and fits in another family. Dae Hyun’s sister is also quite interesting, even though she disappears as well by the end of the drama. 

Not so far from family is friendship, greatly depicted in the drama: Saet Byul’s solid friendships with her best friends and Kang Ji Wook (Kim Min Gyu); Dae Hyun and Dal Sik; Boon Hee and Jang Mi (her long lost friends) and Dae Hyun’s father and his forever buddies. 

Typical rich versus poor situation: Backstreet Rookie is also your typical representation of rich people versus poor people and how both worlds actually collide. The best example stands with the difference of status between on the one side Yeon Joo’s family, represented by her mother, and Boon Hee, embodying Dae Hyun’s family. Money can’t buy everything and shouldn’t be a criterion when choosing a lover. The fact that Yeon Joo’s mother and Yeon Joo herself give so much importance to wealth and status, crushing other people’s pride on the way, is harshly criticized. Their inability to see people for who they are instead of how much they are worth is the reason why the relationship comes to an end between Yeon Joo and Dae Hyun. 

It is true that Boon Hee would have loved having his son marrying a rich woman, in order to bring him a better life, but like Dae Hyun said “what is wrong with the way his parents live”. They are a happy, united and solid family. What more is there to look for? 

Opposite to Yeon Joo and her money-blinded education you have Geum Bi. Indeed, she chose Dal Sik for what he does and the person he is and not for a certain social status. Geum Bi is clearly loaded and Dal Sik looks like a beggar. Even though he appears to be one, he is in fact a rich heir to a land owner, who went to Seoul to fulfill his dreams. Money had no room in their romance, making them perfect for each other. 

The drama depicts a difficult live lead by poor people as well, especially for Jung Saet Byul. She is showed working several part-time jobs to bring food on the table, being scammed and having to go through ups and downs and struggles. Anyway, she manages to hold on and fight for her survival, which is admirable compared to the way Yeon Joo perceives the world. I am not criticizing the fact that Yeon Joo is rich, I am just saying that their background gave them different perceptions of the world and divergent life experiences. That’s why, Yeon Joo needs time to realize what Dae Hyun is worth. Even if it is too late. She needs time to question herself and her way of thinking. 

Believing in your dreams, fulfilling your ambitions: Backstreet Rookie emphasizes the importance of believing in your dreams and fulfilling your ambitions. Either it’d be professionally or romantically, all characters somehow manage to do what truly brings them constant joy. Dae Hyun keeps his convenience store, Saet Byul dreams of becoming a florist (what she will do I think), while being with Dae Hyun and running the store. Geum Bi fulfilled her loving ambitions and Dal Sik is a webtoon artist, despite his background. Eun Byul becomes an idol, even though she had nothing to begin with. Dae Hyun’s father got the opportunity to see Jang Mi one last time and Boon Hee reconnected with her long-lost friend. Even Yeon Joo in the end decides to go back to the US, in order to pursue her career and start over. 

Convenience stores: I really loved the fact that, for once, a drama highlighted the events that could occur in such a commonplace in South Korea. Convenience stores are everywhere in the country and are truly like a lighthouse in the night, helping people and providing them with basic items necessary to their everyday lives. We also get a glimpse of what it is to run a store, the advantages and drawbacks, as well as the relation existing with the HQ. Very nice location for a drama indeed!

OSTs: There is such a huge number of OSTs that deserve some notoriety. The fun fact is that some are sung in the drama like “Something” by Kang Daniel and APRIL’s “Crazy”. I highly recommend you go check all of their songs, they are really awesome!