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.
Was this review helpful to you?
A corporate drama done right
i've never watched a drama that's centered around the corporate world and business with almost no romance before, so this was a really refreshing watch. it's honestly the perfect drama for corporate slaves because i'm pretty sure they'll relate to all the office politics and workplace drama.it was so entertaining and full of plot twists that kept me hooked the whole time. the writing was amazing and the plot was really well done. personally, i enjoyed jeon hyejin's acting the most. i remember being so impressed by her performance.
overall, i think everything was great, but the ending felt like it was missing something. it wasn't bad but i just wish it had wrapped things up a little better.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Perfect revenge wrap up.
To start off, I wasn't really hooked at the beginning. Everything felt a little bit too much.However, after getting in context, I really liked it.
The acting was top notch, evoking all sorts of emotions.
Finally, I like how everything was wrapped up, a sweet revenge that was carried out in ample time without leaving everything for the last few minutes of the episode.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the key highlights of this show is the main actor Lee Jun Young's acting, as someone known to play the bully in a lot of shows, it's refreshing to see him play someone who isn't a highschooler, as its getting tiring to keep on seeing 30 year olds play highschoolers. Additionally, I must applaud his talent as this show basically required him to play two different roles which isn't an easy task.
Overall, a decent show to watch to waste your time, great show to watch if you are a fan of the actors or so happen to enjoy family kdramas.
Was this review helpful to you?
Full of Aura Farming
It starts as a slow and casual office drama, but the story keeps getting bigger and bigger with every episode. The writing is surprisingly strong, and every character feels well-developed. Just when you think you've figured everything out, another satisfying plot twist changes the game.The main character is the highlight of the drama. Watching them outsmart everyone and slowly build their aura with every challenge is incredibly satisfying. Some of the supporting characters also have excellent development, to the point that I couldn't believe how much they had changed by the end.
Overall, this is an amazing K-drama. A slow start, but once it finds its rhythm, it never looks back.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fast paced story of business and family, full of plot twist, makjang and comedy intertwined
Finished watching ep 12/12I just watched the drama ending and it’s perfect! It’s wholesome and funny lmao
- I think this drama is the best at fleshing out each of its character, no character in this was unimportant, they all have important roles to the plot!
- Another thing that’s good is its execution of business plot and outsmarting me-outsmarting you kind of thing. It was really done well and plot twist kept coming on each ep that I could never get bored
- No acting holes from any cast, lee junyoung, son hyunjoo, lee jumyoung, jeon hyejin, jin goo, lee seoan! I hope you all got award
- I really like how once junhyeon and chairman kang switched back, it’s really easy to tell which one is real junhyeon and fake junhyeon. Junyoung is such good actor to be able to portray this!
- best foreign speaking scene in my history of kdrama watch, they speak japanese, spanish and english and damn it was all so smooth
- and yeah you bastard got your wish, there are really romance in the end between banggeul and junhyeon, and it was so damn cute
- the ending of ep12 in particular is the best lol, I have never saw more perfect ending to a drama
IGNORE THE BOTTOM
I 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!
Was this review helpful to you?
A Classic Korean Drama
As we've all seen throughout 2026, numerous dramas this year tend to just...fall off right towards the end. But surprisingly, Reborn Rookie avoided that terrible fate altogether.A fast-paced story paired with absolutely impeccable acting, Reborn Rookie is the type of drama to watch if you're genuinely missing the quote-on-quote "golden years" of Korean dramas, which I believe spans from 2012 to 2018, as per my own observation. This drama has the right amount of freshness mixed with nostalgia, and for a typically overused trope of soul-swapping, it was handled amazingly.
Some little moments here and there might seem a bit corny or cartoony, but I think that just adds a special charm to this drama. Overall, all of the characters were fleshed out, and you can really see just how well the actors and the script complement each other. A good script, a good director, and a good cast of actors bring out the best in ANY drama, and this drama had exactly that.
Lee Jun-young ESPECIALLY was marvelous in his double role, so he needs a paragraph of my adoration all to himself. His imitations of Son Hyun-joo were completely spot on. The universal praise he has received from Korean netizens, critics, and international audiences alike is truly well-deserved. It's about time he became a leading man in Korean dramas, and this one will surely be a career-defining work of his that everyone will remember for years to come. He carried this story with a refined elegance that I haven't personally seen in other young actors, and he should be awarded for that.
All in all, a 10/10 drama from start to finish, from the serious music to the harmonious acting. No moment was boring at all, and I actually enjoyed that cute, humorous ending! Cheers to the cast and crew for this wonderful work!
Was this review helpful to you?
Unique Reincarnation Drama — Brilliant Hindi Dubbed Watch
Reborn Rookie is a genuinely unique and refreshingKorean drama that stands out from the crowd with its
creative reincarnation concept and brilliant execution.
The storyline keeps you completely engaged from the
very first episode with unexpected twists and turns
that you never see coming.
The lead performance is exceptional and carries the
whole drama with tremendous skill and charisma. The
way the character navigates their new life while
remembering their past creates genuinely moving and
funny moments throughout.
The writing is sharp and intelligent and never takes
the easy route with its storytelling. Every episode
adds new layers to the story that make you think and
feel at the same time.
For Indian and Pakistani drama fans this is available
in Hindi dubbed format which is excellent quality and
makes the drama fully accessible. The dubbing captures
all the emotional and comedic moments perfectly.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys creative
Korean dramas with strong storylines and outstanding
performances. A must watch of 2026.
Was this review helpful to you?
TRUST the process
I'm trying to write this with 0 spoilers. If you don't understand business or fear that this will be boring because of it you're missing out. The first 20 minutes were slightly boring for me but you have to TRUST the process. It's a cliche "body swap" genre between an old CEO who swaps bodies with a young football player. The CEO uses his knowledge to save the company, leaving the others shocked at how clever a young guy without a school for business can be. As for the conflicts they're beyond crazy in here. It has all of it. Drama, Action, Comedy, Psychological Thriller even. From acting to scenery to details and music, it was all perfection. The only thing you might hate at first is the "Romance". In my opinion it's not even romance. A girl will have a crush on someone whose identity she doesn't know. (I sadly can't say more without spoiling). But it's all stopped before it gets weird. Hands down one of the best dramas i've seen in a long time.Was this review helpful to you?
Don't Sleep on Reborn Rookie
Another Reborn Drama from the same webtoon writer of Reborn Rich and I think this is a good addition.Between the two, though, I actually think Reborn Rookie is the more competent drama. Where Reborn Rich was more experimental and ambitious with scale , Reborn Rookie is much purer in its approach. It fully commits to being a business drama first and foremost, with the body swap element acting more as a vehicle than the destination.
The business storylines are entertaining, the villains are interesting, and the cast is excellent. Everyone plays their part well, and each episode has enough going on to keep you engaged . I genuinely enjoyed spending time with these characters.
For me, regression ,reincarnation and body swap stories work best when the protagonist isn't simply correcting events ,they're also healing relationships, imparting wisdom, or leaving the people around them better than they found them. That's where Reborn Rookie fully excels and I give it top marks for the emotional depth it achieved across characters, Chairman Kang valiantly put things right for all.
It also deftly explores themes of loyalty, faith, trust, understanding, perseverance, and love with remarkable sincerity. What I appreciated most was that it resisted creating cartoonishly evil villains. Everyone's motivations felt understandable, and the redemption arcs were beautifully handled. That's becoming increasingly rare in K-dramas, where antagonists often remain consumed by anger until the very end. Here, the drama allowed its characters remorse, reflection, and humanity, giving even its most flawed figures genuine pathos.
By the time those emotional arcs began wrapping up, I genuinely found myself tearing up and that's not something dramas often manage to do.
My only real criticism is the ending. It felt slightly rushed, and one particular development in the final few minutes left me with a strange taste in my mouth. It felt unnecessary and undercut what had otherwise been such a heartfelt conclusion. Whether it's laying the groundwork for another season or not, I think the drama would've been stronger without it. I also would have appreciated a more meaty explanation to the swapping but I was okay without that until they did that ending.
So I find myself in an awkward position. I think it's comfortably better than average, and there were moments when I wanted to give it an 8.5/10. But because of how uneven I found the ending, I can't quite get there. It's really more of a 7.7–7.9 in my mind, but since kisskh only allows half-point increments, I'm settling on a weak 8/10.
If you enjoy business dramas, body-swap stories, and character-driven redemption arcs, I definitely recommend giving this one a watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
i love the mix of comedy and business here!
I originally watched it only because lee junyoung was here.. but it surpassed my expectations like wow! From the start, it was chaotic but i didn’t mind that at all since it was quite refreshing! The storyline did get really intense so i appreciated the fun scenes from time to time! And i LOVED the ending, poor junhyeon was finally justified and that was such a funny way to end😭And i must say, i love how we can see jaegyeong wasn’t actually the heartless person we thought she was. The acting of the whole cast was honestly top tier!! Overall it’s amazing!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Overall loved it.
This drama was a fun ride.The only grip that I have with the show is this. If you are looking for a romance, go find another drama. The revenge plot is the main focus. The semblance of a romance made me a bit uncomfortable, like WTF. Kang Yong-ho, who is in Hwang Jun-hyeon's body, teams up with his youngest daughter, Kang Bang Geul. Bang Geul crushes on Hwang Jun-hyeon. But the problem is that she is crushing on her dad. I don't care if she never found out about the swap. Most of the development, the chemistry was between father and daughter. This kind of incest was not on my bingo card. Luckily there was a two year time skip where the actual Jun-hyeon started dating Bang Geul, but still. Yikes.
Was this review helpful to you?
