Backstreet Rookie

It tells an unpredictable 24-hour love story of the four-dimensional innocent girl Jung Saet Byeol who was once a troublemaker and the adorkable caring male store manager, Choi Dae Hyun, in the context of a convenience store. They have met each other accidentally 4 years ago, back then Saet Byeol asked Dae Hyun to buy cigarettes for them. Until now, Saet Byeol comes to the convenience store Dae Hyun runs for a part-time job, their hilarious romantic story starts.

Backstreet Rookie (2020) is a South Korean slice of life romantic comedy series created by Lee Myung-woo and Son Geun-joo for SBS, adapted from a popular webcomic. Ji Chang-wook plays Choi Dae-Hyun, an adorkable and caring store manager who runs a neighborhood convenience store, and Kim You-jung plays Jung Saet-Byul, a freewheeling former troublemaker whose unpredictable habits keep turning his quiet shifts upside down. Their story begins with a chance encounter years earlier and resumes when she takes a part-time job at his store, and the engine of the show is the push and pull of their awkward, escalating banter over a series of hectic, funny days behind the counter. Supporting characters including Do Sang-woo, Han Seon-hwa, and Ahn Sol-bin add friendship and romantic subplots that fill out the store's everyday world. The sixteen episodes move at a brisk, playful clip, with each hour built around small mishaps, customers, and misunderstandings. The tone is breezy, warm, and sweetly romantic, with a lighthearted comic touch and a hopeful undercurrent. Set in a present-day Seoul neighborhood, the series is a compact, self-contained romance that fans of Crash Landing on You and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo will find resonance with, along with anyone who enjoys a cozy, quirky love story.

Audience reception of this single season is positive, with viewers enjoying its lighthearted convenience-store romance and lead chemistry.

• Crash Landing on Youlight romantic comedy tone, slice of life workplace setting, adorkable romantic lead
• Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-jooromcom with quirky youthful heroine and gentle romantic banter, adapted from a webtoon-style source
• What's Wrong with Secretary Kimromantic comedy built around a sunny, awkward leading pair in a contained everyday setting

Created by

Lee Myung-woo, Son Geun-joo

Release Date

2020-06-19

Episode runtime

62 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (166)

What is Backstreet Rookie about?

A former troublemaker and a kind-hearted convenience store manager trade awkward banter and slowly warm to each other across a single, unpredictable day.

What is Backstreet Rookie like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Backstreet Rookie as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Backstreet Rookie violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Backstreet Rookie.

What did critics think of Backstreet Rookie?

Audience reception of this single season is positive, with viewers enjoying its lighthearted convenience-store romance and lead chemistry.

Which shows are like Backstreet Rookie?

Shows with a similar feel include Crash Landing on You, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim.

How long is Backstreet Rookie?

Backstreet Rookie: 1 season, 16 episodes.

Is Backstreet Rookie still running?

No, Backstreet Rookie has ended.

Where can I watch Backstreet Rookie?

In United States, Backstreet Rookie streams on Rakuten Viki, iQIYI.