Reborn Rookie

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.

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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.

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Lee Jun Young Completely Won Me Over

I loved Reborn Rookie from beginning to end. The story mixes chaebol politics, family drama, fantasy, sports and mystery, so at times there is almost too much going on, but somehow it worked for me and kept me wanting to watch the next episode. The biggest highlight was definitely Lee Jun Young. He completely convinced me that I was watching an older man living in a young man's body. It was in the little things -the pride, his worry for his daughter, his feelings for his wife, and the confidence of someone who had already lived an entire life. The whole cast was good, and seeing Jin Goo as a villain was strange after Descendants of the Sun! I know the ending didn't work for everyone, but I absolutely loved it. I thought it was hilarious and honestly the perfect way to finish a drama I enjoyed so much.

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Another body-swap drama. This show is quite interesting; old-aged chairman of a company, Kang Yong Ho, "ressurected" into a body of a young footballer. The show focused more on the company side and almost nothing on football. The most interesting thing in this show was how Yong Ho "secretly" dragging everyone down using the body of Hwang Jun Hyeon. However let me be honest with you, the company intrigues was somewhat mediocre. This show centered so much on the over-obsessed child of Kang Yong Ho. The one that made me stay was how Yong Ho pulled out every scheme. The earlier episodes are slow.

Lee Jun Young was crazy in this show; really-really crazy. He pulled act of two different person with two opposite personalities impressively. Everybody did a really good job also; this show is full of evil characters and they put it right. Although they all acted excellently, I felt the chemistry between Jun Young and Lee Joo Myung was a bit off.

The story itself is full of plotholes. I really didn't understand, was this Kang family all born stupid? They let Jun Hyeon, a total stranger, took part easily in their schemes. Bang Geul on the other hands was very frustrating; she basically came back to the Korea with no plans whatsoever other than the plans made by Yong Ho/Jun Hyeon. Yong Ho got everything Jun Hyeon had in his body, except the foot injury. Min Seok Do kept using his car even after his wife said she bugged it. To wrap it, the crash at the final episode was really ridiculous.

Will I recommend this show? The story is quite alright and you'll get a surprise performance from Jun Hyeon; so it's totally worth it!

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Too Many Tropes

An interesting start to the narrative ruined by predictable tropes. It’s devolved into a toxic parenting drama filled with cliché portrayals of antagonists and particularly the angry outbursts of the Chairman Na character. It's a failure of the director to opt for trite portrayals of emotions lacking nuance. I liked the performance of the two Lee's; particularly their acting was effective in humorous scenes. I'm curious to see how the plot unfolds so that in itself is positive but I think they are overplaying the despicable twins; though the actors were convincing. I am skipping over parts and I find that I am completely baffled by the 9.6 rating and that it's listed as a comedy. I now understand the comedy angle after watching the final scenes in the last episode.

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The chairman of Choiseong intends to retire and hand over his position to one of his twins—a brother and sister. While taking their father's car out for a joyride, the twins strike a young man who had just signed a contract to play for a team sponsored by the father's company.
After completing his rehabilitation—and having lost his contract in the process—the footballer confronts the CEO to demand an apology and compensation. Faced with evidence of the accident, the CEO writes a blank check and prepares to announce the resignation of the twins responsible. In a desperate attempt to stop him, the twins push him down the stairs. As he falls, he lands on the footballer; they tumble to the bottom together and wake up in the hospital having swapped bodies. Meanwhile, the chairman's third child—who had been sent abroad for her studies—returns home. The young man gets hired by the company, and together they work to expose the twins' wrongdoing.
So, without realizing it, the daughter ends up working with her father.
It’s entertaining to watch this newcomer’s knack for navigating various skills and strategies; Kudos to Lee Jun Young for his portrayal of the elderly character.
The music is sometimes ill-suited (it feels out of place).
Episode 9 is both sad and infuriating. The old man is killed by his daughter, causing the poor young man's soul to depart. This leaves the illegitimate daughter in charge of the empire, while the wife and younger daughter are devastated by the man's death (accused, cast out...); meanwhile, the young man plays a double game—trying to act mysterious and resolve the situation on his own—but is misunderstood by everyone, especially the younger daughter.
It’s touching to see how much he cares for his second wife.
I felt sorry for the young footballer: first he was run over, then someone tried to suffocate him, and finally, he died at the hands of the elderly CEO's daughter.
The ending: I can't believe it... A 70-year-old wakes up from a coma, rushes to get a car, and where does he go? He didn't even know where the chalet was, yet he’s the one who finds the young man. But the icing on the cake is the ending, where he bumps into a girl and swaps bodies with her again. That is just too much.

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이준영 is absolutely amazing!!

I will always watch everything with 이준영 no matter what it’s about. He is such an amazing person and talented actor. He excells at everything he does. I may not get all the business jargon, but who cares. He keeps it entertaining and I love seeing him in a new role and absolutely crushing it, as always. I cannot wait to see his next drama.

I loved the race track scene when he was being bada$$, then the next moment he turns around and is freaking out like, omg omg! ㅋㅋㅋ. 🤣😂 His laugh is the cutest and is so contageous. I‘m glad we get to see more of his silly side, as much as I love his villain roles, I am just happy to see him on the screen again and truly hope his military time goes by fast and he stays healthy & happy. I know everyone will adore him like we do. We will be waiting for his return, always. 💖🙏✌️ 화이팅!! 💪

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The newly reborn president Kang

If you don't have time to read the whole thing, skip to the end where the conclusions are :)

Reborn Rookie introduces us to Hwang Jun-hyeon, a soccer player for Choiseong FC, and Kang Yong-ho, president of the Choiseong Group, cross paths when the president's son, Kang Jae-sung, brutally runs over Jun-hyeon with the president's car while trying to hide the embezzlement that he and his twin sister, Kang Jae-gyeong, had committed. Angered by the abrupt end of his football career and the 400 million won fine he must pay, Jun-hyeon confronts Chairman Kang, but they both end up accidentally hitting their heads when falling down the stairs. Waking up in the hospital, Chairman Kang is faced with a shocking revelation: his soul now inhabits Jun-hyeon's body, while Jun-hyeon's soul remains in his original body, fast asleep in a coma. To assimilate this unexpected situation, President Kang decides to cause a stir in the company and punish the bad actions of his children by posing as the brilliant new employee Hwang Jun-hyeon, with the help of Kang Bang-geul, his youngest daughter, whom he kept hidden for years.

The story presents us with a not very common plot but with some dramas of this type such as Reborn Rich but with its own style, a corporate drama with twists and situations that keep you hooked and a setting that makes you feel as if you were in an office, the drama for me evolved with the chapters, I must say that the first one did not convince me but then I was totally hooked, I like how it mixes corporate twists with comedy and high-tension situations in general. I give the story an 8.5/10


This drama does not present us with many characters, so I will go directly to the analysis of the protagonists

Hwang Jun-hyeon (Lee Jun-young): A footballer whose dream was to play in the Premier League before his grandmother, who suffers from dementia, forgot that promise. Playing for Choi Seong FC was his first step, when an accident ended his sports career; The club terminates his contract. The investigation of the accident goes through great difficulties, such as the disappearance of evidence, but it is learned that the car that hit him was the favorite vehicle of Kang Yong-ho, president of the Choi Seong group.

Kang Yong-ho (Lee Jun-young/Son Hyun-joo): President of the Choi Seong group. He inherited the company at just 32 years old, and suddenly found himself as a rookie surrounded by enemies like his stepmother and stepbrothers who were harassing his position. That fight hardened him, and turned him into a man who despises those who are not worth what they cost. Now he has everyone in suspense while he decides which of his children will be the successor: the first-born Jae-kyung or the second Jae-seong. Both incompetent, and also interested in lining their pockets instead of looking out for the interest of the company. But they are his children, and although furious with them, he cannot bequeath the group to someone else. On the day of the succession announcement, he suffers an accident as a result of which he ends up exchanging his body with that of a young friend. This could be a heaven-sent opportunity, a gift from God to properly punish the children you spoiled and to protect your company.

I must say that Lee Jun-young's performance was quite good, since he has that leadership demeanor, and the truth is he knew how to handle this character, with his nuances and everything that was seen in the two characters

Kang Bang-geul (Lee Joo-myoung): Yong-ho's third daughter, stepsister of the twins. Sent to the United States fifteen years ago, she lived as the daughter of a chaebol family shrouded in secrecy. Now she has returned and works as an intern at the Choi Seong group. When she was twelve years old she realized that nothing in her house belonged to her and she was forced to study away from it. There she began to prepare her revenge and lead a double life: apparently, a mediocre fashion student who spends her time having fun; in reality, training with courses in politics, economics and business administration. Thus he acquired all kinds of skills and entered the family business to prove that he was a swan and not the ugly duckling.

Another success for Lee Joo-myuong, her roles amuse me so much, in Twenty-Five Twenty-One the beautiful Ji Seung-wan and now Kasey Kang, I must say that her performance is one of my favorites, I hope to see her in other roles soon.

Kang Jae-kyung (Jeong Hye-jin) Daughter of Yong-ho and twin sister of Jae-seong, president of Choi Seong Chemical. With a strong personality, proud and possessive, she imposes birthright on her brother for only fifty seconds. She has not gotten over the fact that her father betrayed her mother and that just a year after her death he took another wife. Her resentment against him leads her to wish that he would disappear, and she sees an opportunity when he suffers a accident: she will finally be able to take control of the Choi Seong group, daughter of Yong-ho and twin sister of Jae-seong, president of Choi Seong.

Her character earned all my hatred. How can someone be so selfish and try to kill their father for money? She's a psychopath. The actress did a good job.

Kang Jae-seong (Jin-goo): Second son of President Kang, twin of Jae-kyung, and president of Choi Seong Chemical. Choi Seong, the younger of the twins, is an expert at making mistakes, brimming with greed but narrow-minded, and plagued by an inferiority complex. Overwhelmed by his father and overshadowed by his older sister, he becomes petty, determined to defeat her and seize control of the Choi Seong Group.

I must say that at first I hated him, but I liked how he joined the alliance.

I liked how the drama explored alliances at work and friendships within them, as well as the themes of family and the father-son relationship. Overall, I give the acting a 9.0/10.


As for the music, I really liked it, especially "No Breaks" and "I'm Running." Overall, I give it a 9.0.


Would I watch it again? Probably not. Although I liked it, it's not my type of drama, so I'd give it a 7/10.

NOTE: I'm disappointed with the ending. It couldn't have ended any other way. It's fine that there's another season, but honestly, it felt unnecessary, which is why I'm lowering my rating to 8.5. Also, the last two episodes didn't maintain the drama's pace. Even so, I enjoyed it, and I'll probably watch another season if there is one.


In short, Reborn Rookie is... A corporate drama with touches of fantasy, such as body swapping, tense moments, workplace friendships, and themes of family and business—perfect for fans of the genre. Overall, I give it a 8.5/10; they did a very good job.


THANKS FOR READING

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Picked me up from the grave

One of the few dramas in a long time that I binged in just 18 hours. I loved every second of it and was hooked from one episode to the next.

I've been in a Kdrama slump for the past few months, and this genuinely felt like it picked me up from the grave 😭

Lee Jun Young absolutely carried this role. I enjoyed every single one of his scenes, and this drama just reminded me again what a great actor he is.

It had everything - comedy, thrill, emotion, and just the right amount of cuteness. The villains will have you by the neck because you'll be desperately waiting for their downfall 😭 I kept thinking, how much lower can these twins go just to sit on the throne? The way they kept scheming against each other, despite being family, honestly gave me Game of Thrones vibes. Absolutely ruthless.

Also... I hated Chairman Na and his daughter with a passion 💀

On the brighter side, I absolutely adored Hwang Jun Hyeon, Kang Bang Geul, Manager Park Bong Gi <333 literally the BEST team ever. And of course MD Lee Sang Jae (the pookiest bestie 🥹), Kang Yong Ho, and Jun Hyeon's grandma. They had my whole heart.

Definitely worth your time and 100/100 will pick you up from the drama slump (if you're in one). 9.5 because the ending didn't really make sense to me and felt a bit unnecessary, but yeh... it was all for the fun.

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Brilliant in every way

The first episode really lays the foundation for what appears to be a great drama series. During the first couple hours I found a few sub plots that become quite annoying to the main story, but by the time you get to the end of episode 3, everything rights itself and the real entertainment begins to unfold!
Jun Young is absolutely fantastic playing a person in his twenties, but also giving that appearance and attitude of someone in their seventies. He walks a fine line giving us both personalities ... and what a great job he does at it.
The rest of the cast truly jell together to make perfect chemistry, producing some good protagonists and some extremely evil antagonists ... you really come to despise some of these characters and you count the episodes down as you know that retribution is on the horizon for some of them.
As I watched each of the final episodes leading up to the finale, I kept waiting for something to happen to ruin the entire drama, but it never does. The writing is flawless, matching the performances of the actors, giving you everything you want to happen. The last episode wraps everything up in a nice bow, with drama, suspense and even a bit of humor, especially the last few minutes.
A truly great and enjoyable series from start to finish!!!

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