Backstreet Rookie


Backstreet Rookie is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Ji Chang-wook and Kim Yoo-jung. It is based on the 2016–2017 webtoon Convenience Store Saet-byul written by Hwalhwasan and illustrated by Geumsagong. It is an iQIYI original series and is also the first Korean drama invested by the global channel Lifetime and produced by Taewon Entertainment. The series airs on SBS TV at 22:00 time slot on Fridays and Saturdays, starting from June 19, 2020. It is available on iQIYI with multi-languages subtitles globally.

Synopsis

Choi Dae-hyun runs into a group of female high school students, including Jung Saet-byul, who look like troublemakers. Saet-byul asks Dae-hyun to buy them cigarettes from a convenience store, but he buys them candy instead and gives Saet-byul his number. She never calls him.
Three years later, Dae-hyun runs a small convenience store after resigning. While looking for a part-time worker to work the night shift at his convenience store, Saet-byul applies for the job and starts working there.

Cast

Main

The first script-reading was held in February 2020. The series is directed by Myoungwoo Lee of the 2019 hit series The Fiery Priest.
The main cast appeared on the 507th episode of the variety show Running Man to promote the series.

Original soundtrack

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Criticism

The show has been heavily criticised for its vulgar depiction of a webtoon artist portraying crude sexual behaviour and moaning as he's drawing. The webtoon artist is portrayed as a black-face rastafarian suggesting that those with dreadlocks and/or black skins are dirty as special effects shows flies flying off the dreadlocks and odours vaporising from the character. As a result, viewers took to the SBS Discussion boards due to the revealing nature of the series, with more than 6,000 signatures calling for the show to be cancelled.

Ratings