Flower Boys Next Door (2013)

 

After my review of Backstreet Rookie, I thought I would take a break from writing about K-dramas (I was initially thinking about doing a review of Psycho II). I changed my mind after watching Flower Boys Next Door. On the surface, it is your standard romantic comedy – it follows the formula to perfection: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Yet, like most K-dramas, there are a lot of interesting things going on beneath the surface.  Flowers Boys Next Door is populated with interesting characters, all of whom are incredibly different, at least on the surface, but also very similar, especially when it comes to insecurities and ambitions.

Go Dok-mi (Park Shin-hye)

Dok-mi edits manuscripts for a living - one of the benefits of her job is that she can work from home. She rarely leaves her apartment, except when it is necessary (in one of the earlier episodes she runs out of toothpaste and toilet paper).  She also tries to avoid interacting with people – she has lived in her apartment for three years but has never said a word to any of her neighbors.  However, despite her distant nature, she does harbor a massive crush on Tae-joon, a doctor who lives in the apartment across the street, opposite of hers. She watches him from her window every morning, often using binoculars to get a close look at him. I have always said there is a thin line between horror movies and romantic comedies – in a different series this act of voyeurism could have more sinister implications and lead to truly bad things. However, in Dok-mi’ s case, due to her introverted nature, she is content with watching him from afar.  When Tae-joon’s cousin, Enrique – a popular video developer – catches her spying on them, Dok-mi’s life changes drastically. Park Shin-hye is effectively cast in the role of Dok-mi, with her expressive eyes she is often able to convey a lot by doing very little. It’s also interesting to note that, like three previous Korean actresses I have written about (Park Bo-young, Kim So-hyun, and Kim Yoo-jung), was once given the title of the “Nation’s Little Sister.”  

Enrique Geum (Yoon Shi-yoon)

Enrique is a famous video game developer, who moved to Spain, with his mother, at the age of ten. He is visiting his cousin Tae-joon with his friend, Seo-young, in tow.  His plan is to play cupid with Seo-young and Tae-joon. Seo-young was Enrique’s first love but she threw him over in favor of Tae-joon. However, rather than remain bitter about her rejection, Enrique decided he would help her out.  Though, it turns out to be more difficult than he imagined, because it turns out his cousin is kind of a dick.

Enrique is defined by his upbeat, hyperactive demeanor. He is the opposite of Dok-mi – she internalizes all her emotions while Enrique wears his emotions on his sleeve. His enthusiastic nature can be annoying at times – he is constantly laughing and bouncing around – but this is largely a mask to hide his insecurities.  He is also an empathic soul – when we are first introduced to Enrique he is on a plane and cheering up a crying child by performing a makeshift puppet show.  While Dok-mi avoids people, Enrique genuinely likes them and wants to cheer them up. 

He initially believes that Dok-mi is a pervert, but when he witnesses her current situation, he is determined to help her come out of her shell and embrace the outside world.

Oh Ji Rok (Kim Ji-hoon)

Ji Rok is a webtoon artist who lives next door to Dok-mi. He has a massive crush on Dok-mi but has never worked up the nerve to talk to her, because he was afraid that he would scare her away.  He begins to write a webtoon called “Flower Boys Next Door” based on Dok-mi and the men in her life.

 
Even before they meet, he is already connected to Enrique – he was accused of plagiarizing Enrique with his webtoon, “Zombie Soccer.”  He also has legally changed his name from Jae-weon to Ji Rok, because of the scandal associated with his former name. It is also revealed that he comes from a wealthy family, who disavowed him when he became a webtoon artist – his older brother keeps pressuring him to relinquish his inheritance.

When Enrique enters Dok-mi’ s life, this makes Ji Rok jealous – it annoys him how “easy” it was for Enrique to break the ice with her. He desperately wants to White Knight for Dok-mi, by ridding her of this nuisance, but much to his annoyance, he finds himself liking Enrique. When he confronts Enrique on apartment roof, he concludes that Enrique is a “decent guy.” He wants to hate him, but it proves to be difficult.  In fact, Enrique initially has no romantic interest in Dok-mi and even tries to play cupid for Ji Rok and Dok-mi – he gives the former tips on how to talk to her and he speaks highly of Ji Rok when he is around Dok-mi. Yet, Ji Rok still hesitates to make a move and, predictably, Dok-mi and Enrique fall for each other. 

Cha Do-hwi

Do-hwi owns a clothing store and has her sights set on Ji Rok – she knows about his true identity and desperately wants to hook up with him.  She was also Dok-mi’ s best friend growing up, but the two of them had a falling out in high school. They both had a crush on their literature teacher and when he showed interest in Dok-mi (in a pure academic sense), Do-hwi got jealous and started a salacious rumor about Dok-mi and him. The teacher threw Dok-mi under the bus and transferred to another school, while Dok-mi was shunned and bullied for the rest of her high school experience. When she learns that Dok-mi lives next door to her crush, Do-hwi tries to rekindle their friendship, but Dok-mi is suspicious about her motives. 

Oh Dong-hoon (Go Kyung-pyo)

Dong-hoon is Ji Rok’s roommate and assistant on the webtoon. He also works a part time job at night, as a designated driver, to help pay the bills.  He is often the voice of sanity – he often questions Ji-Rok’s motives and is baffled by his friend’s constant rejection of Do-hwi.  He also has a love/hate relationship with the editor of their webtoon, Seul-gi, who is simultaneously annoyed and infatuated with him.

Kim Seul-gi (webtoon editor) (Kim Seul-gi)

Seul-gi is the stressed-out editor of Ji-Rok’s and Dong-hoon’s webtoon, Flower Boys Next Door. She gets very little sleeps and always has rings under her eyes. She becomes infatuated with Dong-hoon and even co-signs a $5800 loan for him after he damages his car. 

Yoon Seo-young (Kim Yoon-hye)/ Han Tae-joon (Kim Jung San)

Seo-young is Enrique’s best friend (and first-time love) who has romantic designs on Enrique’s cousin, Tae-joon – she specifically came to South Korea with Enrique so she could be with Tae-joon.
However, it proves to be a rather toxic relationship – Seo-young pours her heart out to Tae-joon but he just shrugs her off. He also decides to leave the country to fulfill his dream of being an island doctor and, unfortunately, there is no place for Seo-young in Tae-joon’ s dream, and he leaves her flat. Seo-young’s main reason for coming to South Korea has left and she wants to go back to Spain and insists that Enrique come back with her. These are the two least interesting characters in Flower Boys Next Door and, mercifully, very little time is devoted to their drama.  Indeed, they both exit the series midway through.

Mitzuke Kouki (Watanabe Ryu)

Mitzuke is the super friendly Japanese tenant whose main reason for coming to South Korea is the cuisine. He offers cooking classes in his apartment and befriends the tenants on his floor – he forms a close bond with Enrique.  He may be the only character who doesn’t have a major hang up. 

Hong Song-chul (Lee Dae-yeon)/ Jung Im (Kim So-yi)
Song-chul is the friendly apartment security guard who is in love with Jung Im – a classy middle-aged woman, who many suspect is the landlord.  Song-chul constantly tries to court Jung Im and always falls on his ass – he has the best intentions, but he is also incredibly awkward.  Jung Im is an agreeable person, who is interested in her neighbors (especially the younger males) and even makes a few friends. 

While Flower Boys Next Door is a romantic comedy, it is often a painful show to watch. This is in large part due to the characters’ troubled histories and their inability to move on from them. Dok-mi was betrayed and bullied by her best friend in high school and, understandably, has trust issues.  The main characters, despite their different backgrounds and personalities, have a few things in common:

Loneliness
They are all lonely individuals. Dok-mi has become content with isolating herself from the rest of humanity by hiding in her apartment. When Enrique takes an interest in her, at first, she is baffled by his presence – she doesn’t know what to make of him. When she begins to like him, this causes her to panic, and she pushes him away – she doesn’t want to risk having her heart broken. Enrique begins to mistake her quiet nature for indifference and even gets mad when, after he tells her he is leaving for Spain, she can only muster up a simple “Goodbye.”

Enrique has a legion of devoted fans and is often recognized on the street but has never had any meaningful relationships – he loves Seo-young, who in turn loves his cousin.  Enrique’s spastic behavior can be off putting at times, but he genuinely means well.  He is a fish out of water – he has grown up in Spain, so South Korea is like a foreign country to him. That’s probably why his behavior – like incessantly ringing on Dok-mi’s doorbell and knocking on her door – baffles everyone else. He is not really concerned with social customs, especially when he believes a person needs help. It genuinely annoys Ji Rok that Enrique’s “annoying” behavior ends up working on Dok-mi, while his more sensitive and methodical approach has failed to make any progress. 

Ji Rok, like Dok-mi, mostly confines himself to his apartment. Though, he at least has a handful of friends and often interacts with his neighbors. He has admired Dok-mi from afar but, other than a few exchanges in the elevator, has never made any effort to talk to her.  He does leave drawings on the milk cartons that are left outside of her door, but never reveals to her that he is the artist (even though she likes the drawings).  His extremely cautious approach annoys Dong-hoon, who wishes he would just work up the courage to talk to her. It’s only when Enrique enters Dok-mi’s life that Ji Rok FINALLY breaks the ice with her.  

Do-hwi surrounds herself with hangers-on and enablers but she doesn’t have a genuine friend. She betrayed the one real friend she had in high school and all her attempts on winning back Dok-mi are massive fails. She tries to appeal to nostalgia by giving Dok-mi a box filled with pictures and other mementos from their teenaged years. She throws a party in Dok-mi’s honor but only ends up pushing Dok-mi away further when she invites their literature teacher (the man who threw Dok-mi under the bus).  I initially wondered if Do-hwi was deliberately trying to traumatize Dok-mi, but it turns out that she is a stupid woman who can’t read the room. It was also revealed the reason the teacher showed up to the party was to apologize to Dok-mi. 

Unrequited Love/Idolization
The themes of idolization and unrequited love constantly pop up in Flower Boys Next Door; every character is inflicted with one or another (or sometimes both).  Dok-mi idolizes Tae-joon – she admires him from afar because on the surface he is the ideal male: young, handsome, and successful. The idea of Tae-joon is attractive and, I suspect, the main reason she never contacted him was the reality of Tae-joon could never live up to her illusion. She put him so high on a pedestal that any interaction with him would only knock him down a few pegs. 

The same applies to Ji Rok – he is in love with the idea of Dok-mi – the quiet, helpless girl who needs his sensitive guiding hand.  The few times they do interact, he treats her with kid gloves, out of fear that any sudden move or suggestion might traumatize her for life.  He mistakes her silence for weakness. His overly cautious approach towards her ends up opening the door of opportunity for Enrique. In fact, Enrique tells Ji Rok to confess his feelings to Dok-mi, because if he waits too long someone else will come along. Enrique never believed that “someone else” would be him. 

It is also sad that Enrique can learn more about Dok-mi in a couple of days than Ji Rok has in three years.  This is largely because Enrique doesn’t idolize Dok-mi; his intentions are not initially romantic in nature – he sees a lonely woman who he wants to help.

While Enriques doesn’t idolize anyone, he is idolized by his devoted fans. This is represented in the form of Bae Bok, a passionate fan who Enrique befriends at the restaurant MItzuke works at.  However, Bae Bok’s fandom turns completely toxic when she learns about his relationship with Dok-mi.  Enrique was initially supposed to be in South Korea for a month, then he was supposed to return to Spain to begin work on an animated film based off one of his video games. He prolongs this trip after Dok-mi and him begin to date. This enrages Bae Bok, who first sprays paints “DIE” on Dok-mi’s apartment door and then post pictures of Dok-mi on the fan forums to rile up the fanbase.  They are so angered over an animated movie that they are willing to ruin the life of woman who has done nothing wrong. It’s only a matter of time that the salacious rumors that haunted Dok-mi throughout high school make their way to the internet. They can’t believe their idol would date a woman “like that.”  Enrique calls a meeting of the local fans (including Bae Bok) and sets them straight on a few things. Basically, he tells them to “grow up” and assures them that he will return to Spain to being work on his animation project, but they need to stop attacking Dok-mi.  He also brings Dok-mi with him to put a human face to the woman they irrationally despise – it is easy to attack someone online but it is very difficult when they are in the same room as you. This subplot also gives Do-hwi her character arc, when the vicious rumors make their way to the internet, Doh-wi goes online to defend Dok-mi.

Enrique’s affection for Seo-young falls under unrequited love because he has poured his heart and soul out to her, but she only sees him as a friend and has feelings for his cousin.  Seo-young and Tae-joon are also a more clear-cut case of unrequited love – she is constantly by his side, pleading her case, and he just gives her the cold shoulder. Every time the two of them are seen together, Tae-joon looks annoyed and just views Seo-young as an inconvenience.

Do-hwi constantly throws herself at Ji Rok, but he spurns her advances. Once he learns that Do-hwi is responsible for Dok-mi’s introverted lifestyle, he tries to avoid her like the plague.  Do-hwi also mistakenly believes that Ji Rok is wealthy, unaware that his family has disavowed him. 

To a lesser degree, we see this theme of unrequited love play out between Sung-chul and Jung Im; he is constantly looking for reason to talk to her, but she remains oblivious towards his feelings. 

However, as painful as Flower Boys Next Door can be, it is also extremely uplifting at times. It’s hard not to cheer for Dok-mi as she slowly begins to embrace the outside world and make new friends. She is a character who has been through so much that when something finally goes her way, you can’t help to smile. There is also a nuance to Park Shin-hye’s performance – there is a scene, early on, where Enrique convinces her to go on a road trip and he takes her to the beach, and you can briefly see a smile flash across her face. Yet, despite this heart-warming moment, Dok-mi’s cynicism takes over and she asks Enrique if they can pretend that they never met. What I like about this series is that Dok-mi transition from being a cynical hermit to open minded individual is a gradual process; there is no scene where she gets invited to a party, gets shit faced, and, in her drunken state, becomes the life of the party.  She does get drunk in one scene, but she is more of a quiet drunk, and never becomes the focal point. 

The American equivalent to Flower Boys Next Door would be She’s All That, where the extremely dorky Laney Boggs is given a radical makeover by popular jock, Zack, and overnight becomes the most talked about woman on campus. Despite her introverted nature, she is magically able to make friends with a few of the popular girls and is nominated for Prom Queen. There is no scene in Flower Boys Next Door where Dok-mi is given a radical makeover. There is a scene later in the series where Enrique and she go clothing shopping, but that is about it. She is already a pretty woman and doesn’t need a makeover to emphasize that point. Her shopping for clothes is more about diversifying her wardrobe rather than compromising her personality.  She doesn’t magically morph into a social butterfly by the series end; she is still a bit awkward but is happy with Enrique and her handful of friends.  This leads me to two other themes that are prominent throughout the series:

Real Love
To quote Haddaway, “What is love?”  This is a question that constantly gets tossed around throughout the series.  The characters often express their love for individuals, because often they mistake attraction for love.  Dok-mi is attracted to Tae-joon and likes the idea of him, but chances are if she got to know the guy, she would gradually despise him.  It is easy to claim you love someone when times are good, or when you know very little about them, but the true test is when the shit hits the fan. 

Real love is often forged in fire – Dok-mi and Enrique get into multiple fights and witness each other’s worst qualities, but at the end of the day are still there for each other. In one of the show’s more realistic moments, after they have agreed to start dating, both are initially at a loss over what to do. This is a new experience for them.  Enrique doesn’t just magically transform into a passionate lover; he plays his romance with Dok-mi by ear.  The most interesting thing about their relationship is that they can communicate without words: Enrique often knows what Dok-mi is thinking just by the look in her eyes and body language; later, Dok-mi also learns this same skill with Enrique. 

There is an interesting role reversal in the second half of the series – in the first half, it is Enrique who pesters Dok-mi and gradually melts her icy heart.  In second half, after Enrique gets attacked by an outraged mother, he begins to have a crisis of faith and believes that he has a negative influence on the youth; when he shows this darker side to Dok-mi, she pleads for the old Enrique to come back and then is determined to cheer him up.  

Their relationship is, to a lesser extent, mirrored with Dong-hoon and Seul-gi – they initially start off as being combative towards one another. Seul-gi constantly screams up a storm over how unsatisfied she is with Ji Rok’s and Dong-hoon’s webtoon. However, as the show progresses, the two of them become fond of one another (Seul-gi co-signs a long for Dong-hoon and he gives her polite tips on how to improve her image) and it eventually turns into love. It’s a relationship that was formed in the trenches and can survive because both have already witnessed each other’s worst traits. More importantly, Dong-hoon falls in love with Seul-gi when she still looks like shit – he even comments that the permanent rings under her eyes are “kind of cute.”

Community
This theme is prominent in most K-dramas – the protagonist begins the series as a loner and by the end has built a small community around him/her.  In some instances, like the entertaining Birdie Buddy, they already belong to a strong community, and this is what props them up in their toughest moments.  Flower Boys Next Door begins with Dok-mi alone in her apartment and ends with her outdoors, walking on the sidewalk with Enrique and a handful of friends (including Ji Rok).  This a literal representation of the phrase “strength in numbers.”  Dok-mi begins the series believing that she can do everything on her own, but once she gets to know Enrique, and the joy he usually brings to the proceedings, she realizes this is a fallacy – especially after Enrique pronounces his love for to his less than receptive fanbase. He is willing to alienate his fans and potentially derail his career, because his love for Dok-mi is more important.  When she sees what he is willing to sacrifice, she can’t help but be moved. Early in the show, she states that her high school experience would have been bearable if only ONE person had stood by her side. Just one person she could lean on and pour out all her troubles to. It turns out that Enrique is that one person and she is perfectly okay with it. However, it certainly helps to have some back up and her fellow tenants at the apartment perfectly fill those roles. 

This theme of community extends to Mitzuke – he is a foreigner in another country, but rather than alienate himself from everyone, the first thing he does is make friends. He introduces himself to his neighbors and invites him to his apartment for cooking lesson. In fact, it is these weekly gatherings at his apartment that help cement the bonds the characters form. In one scene, Jung Im is bummed that Enrique is not there, because he is the one who makes the gatherings fun. This is not to say communities are inherently good – after all, the fanbase are a community and they behave in a toxic manner towards Dok-mi – but it certainly helps surrounding yourself with a handful people who understand and support you.

Flower Boys Next Door is not a perfect show. It often suffers from two tropes that annoy me: an overreliance on flashbacks to drive home a point – it often flashbacks to a scene that happened seconds ago. It also is heavily reliant on creating drama by people either missing a phone call or ignoring it. However, despite these flaws, it is still a pleasant diversion, and it does fly at a fast pace. Like most K-dramas, it is addictive – it is difficult to watch just one episode. 

Cast: Park Shin-hye (Go Dok-mi), Yoon Shi-yoon (Enrique Geum), Kim Ji-hoon (Oh Jin Rok), Park Soo-jin (Cha Do-hwi), Go Kyung-pyo(Oh Dong-hoon), Koki Mizuta (Watanabe Ryu), Kim Seul-gi (webtoon editor), Lee Dae-yeon (Hong Soon-chul), Kim So-yi (Jung Im), Kim Yoon-hye (Yoon Seo-young), Kim Jung San (Han Tae-joon), Kim Da-ye (Bae Bok).

Director: Jung Jung-hwa
Writer: Kim Eun-jung
16 episodes ~ 60 minutes

Backstreet Rookie (2020)

Hollywood, before it became obsessed with pushing ideology and rebooting every IP on the planet, used to make movies that catered to the middle class – in the 1980s there was a whole genre of “slobs vs. snobs” comedies that resonated with middle America. Now that activists have taken over the industry, they have abandoned making these types of movies and have figured their best path to success is to alienate this audience and try to win over a non-existent modern audience.  They are no longer in the business of entertainment but lecturing their audience in a desperate attempt to win them over to their cause. 

Therefore, it is interesting to see the “slobs vs. snobs” get adopted by South Korean television.
In the past two weeks, I watched two Korean TV shows, My Roommate is a Gumiho and Backstreet Rookie, and while these two shows are thematically very different, they do feature a female protagonist who is part of the working class. In My Roommate is a Gumiho the protagonist is a college student, Lee Dam, who (like most college students) on the weekends goes out to the bars with her two best friends– her two biggest vices are fried chicken and beer.  She also takes a part time job at Subway to supplement her income – this is something that many college students can relate to.  In fact, it is interesting that, despite the language barrier and cultural differences I find Lee Dam more relatable than most of the characters that populate American television/cinema.  My Roommate is a Gumiho is a highly entertaining show, but for the sake of brevity, this review is going to focus on Backstreet Rookie because it is an interesting (and often funny show) that is filled with all twists and turns. It is impossible to write about Backstreet Rookie without breaking down the main characters.  They are a fascinating bunch and are each worthy of analysis:

Jung Saet-byul (Kim Yoo-jung)

Our first introduction to Jung Saet-byul is her beating the crap of bullies. One could easily mistake her for the boring Girl Bosses that have dominated American culture for the last few years. Yet, as the series progresses, we realize that Saet-byul is more complicated than we initially believe.  She didn’t just magically learn how to fight – she was taught Tai Chi by her father, who owned a dojo. After her father was killed in a car accident this left Saet-byul and her younger sister, Eun-byul, parentless (their mother passed away when they were kids).  Saet-byul is a member of the Have Nots – she has spent most of her adult life having to work menial jobs (delivery girl, handing out fliers, part time convenience store employee) just so she can support Eun-byul and herself. 
While Saet-byul is presented as a badass, she never starts fights – she only uses her fighting skills on bullies. She also harbored a crush on Cho Dae-hyun ever since she was twelve years-old – after he pulled her out of the way to save her from being crushed by a falling punching bag. She later runs into him seven years later while she is smoking with her friends outdoors.  Dae-hyun is distraught after his girlfriend has broken up with him, and throws a teddy bear he bought her into a dumpster. The three girls witness this and then ask Dae-hyun if he can buy them cigarettes.  However, instead he buys them candy and scolds them about how cigarettes are bad for them.  Dae-hyun appreciates his concern and gives him a kiss on the lips.  Three years later – Dae-hyun is the owner of a convenience store and is looking to hire a part timer.  Saet-byul sees the “Help Wanted” sign and applies.

Choi Dae-hyun (Ji Chang-wook)

When we first meet Choi Dae-hyun, he is  a bit off putting (he constantly in the habit of scolding people) but as the show progresses, we realize that he is a good-natured guy. In fact, he may be a bit too good-natured as people constantly take advantage of his kindness.  He is initially suspicious of Saet-byul; he mistakenly characterizes her as a juvenile delinquent and even suspects her of taking money from the register.  However, once he gets to know her better, he realizes that she is a victim of circumstance and is genuinely kind person.  Dae-hyun is the kind of man who is willing to admit he was wrong and tries to atone for his mistake – once he realizes Dae-hyun’s plight, he genuinely wants to help her – not for an ulterior motive but because he legitimately cares about her.  He is also dating the older, and extremely wealthy, Yoo Yeon-joo, and their relationship is less than ideal – she constantly suspects that he is fooling around behind her back.   Dae-hyun does have a habit of being caught in compromising positions – at one-point Yeon-joo catches him getting drunk with Saet-byul and her friends outside the convenience store.  He initially was going to scold Saet-byul for getting drunk on the job, but Geum Bi and Eun Joo, sensing that he is a pushover, play the sympathy card and next thing you know is drinking with them. There is also another scene, after Saet-byul has been awarded “employee of the month,” she persuades Dae-hyun into giving her a piggyback ride, and who should walk in at that very moment but Yeon-joo.  He is also constantly apologizing, even when he hasn’t done anything wrong. 

Yoo Yeon-joo (Han Sunhwa)

When the series begins, Yeon-joo is Dae-hyun’s girlfriend – they have been dating for two years. She works at the corporate headquarters as the Public Relations team leader. She also comes from a wealthy family (her father owns the second most stocks in the company) and is two years older than Dae-hyun (ironically, in real life Han Sunhwa is three years younger than Ji Chang-wook). However, she begins to have second thoughts about her relationship with Dae-hyun; him hiring Saet-byul as a part timer certainly doesn’t help matters. The biggest problem is that they inhabit two different worlds– Yeon-joo belongs in the world of corporate board meetings, fancy restaurants, and other high society functions, but she is at a loss when it comes to the common folk and their hang outs.  It is interesting to note that Dae-hyun inhabited both worlds – he used to work at the corporate headquarters but resigned and opted to open a convenience store.  Yeon-joo is so embarrassed by the last part that she has never introduced Dae-hyun to her parents – because she knows they would disapprove of her dating a convenience store owner. 
It is to the credit of the writers (and actress) that Yeon-joo is not a one-dimensional bitch – in most American sitcoms, such a character would be utterly irredeemable. She makes questionable decisions, but a lot of that can be chalked up to her upbringing. She is the type of girls who has never heard the word “no.”  When she pressures Dae-hyun to fire Saet-byul, he is initially receptive to the idea but has a change of heart when he learns about Saet-byul’s situation. This upsets Yeon-joo and she concludes that the two of them are fooling around behind her back. In fact, Dae-hyun has rejected Saet-byul’s advances because he is committed to his relationship with Yeon-joo. He desperately wants to make it work, but Yeon-joo is too consumed with self-doubt to notice.  The irony is that while Dae-hyun has resisted Saet-byul’s many comes on, it is Yeon-joo who fools around behind Dae-hyun’s back – she has a brief fling with the company boss, and her childhood friend, Seung-joon.  He catches her in an extremely vulnerable moment and makes his move on her. Not to mention, her domineering mother keeps pressuring her to dump Dae-hyun and hook up with Seung-joon.  To her credit, she regrets the affair and wants to make amends to Dae-hyun, but she just can’t trust him being alone with Saet-byul.  She eventually breaks up with Dae-hyun, because she can’t overcome her suspicions.  After seeing his blossoming romance with Saet-byul, she realizes made a huge mistake and is determined to win him back. However, her idea of winning back Dae-hyun’s love is by bribing him with a cushy executive job and pushing Saet-byul out of the picture. 

Han Dal Sik (Eun Moon-suk)/ Hwang Geum Bi (Seo Ye-hwa)

These two characters are each other’s counterparts – Dal Sik is Dae-hyun’s best friend while Geum Bi is Saet-byul’s best friend. Dal Sik is the author of an erotic webtoon – though, he only views it as a job, he would rather write romance stories.  He is Bob Marley fan and has co-opted the whole Rastafarian look – he has dreadlocks, wears Hawaiian t-shirt, and has a bad tan. He uses a pseudonym “Reggae Boy” while writing his webtoon.  It turns out that Geum Bi is the biggest fan of his webtoon and often leaves an encouraging comment. In the real world, they are oblivious to each other’s online personalities and can’t stand one another – every time they run into each other, usually at the convenience store, it often turns violent – Geum Bi gets offended by a comment he makes and slaps him.  Geum Bi is kind of the inverse of Yeon-joo – she also comes from wealth, but she is far more comfortable hanging out with Saet-byul and frequenting all sorts of dive bars.  When Dal Sik and Geum Bi finally figure out each other’s identities, they are, at first, appalled but, as they spend more time together, they begin to realize they have a lot in common and eventually fall in love.

Gong Boo-hee (Kim Sun-young)

Boo-hee is Dae-hyun’s mother, who sells insurance for a living. She is also a character of contradictions – a woman who is often angry (and abusive towards her husband), yet who is also capable of showing great warmth and compassion to people who need it.  When she finds out that Saet-byul has been evicted from her apartment and forced to live in a sauna, Boo-hee takes Saet-byul under her wing and allows her to live with the family.  Boo-hee becomes a surrogate mother to the parentless Saet-byul.
Boo-hee’s violent streaks stem from resentment at the way her life turned out – she had great aspirations in her youth but was forced to settle selling insurance while struggling to raise her family. It doesn’t help that her husband, Yong-pil, has been unemployed for a long time, making her the only breadwinner in the family. She views herself as a total failure.  She simultaneously resents the upper class while desperately wanting to become a member of it.  When Yeon-joo tries to get back together with Dae-hyun, she tries to get to Dae-hyun through his mother – the two of the meets up, enjoy a few drinks together, and then Yeon-joo drops the bomb she wants to back together with Dae-hyun. Boo-hee is elated and then proceeds to pressure Dae-hyun into taking back Yeon-joo, while Saet-byul is standing in the same room. She views this as a shot at upward mobility, if Dae-hyun marries into wealth it would solve all their problems. 

Choi Yong-pil (Lee Byung-joon)

Yong-pil is Dae-hyun’s father who has spent most of his adult life as a stay-at-home. He does help Dae-hyun run the convenience store – often working shifts when his son is unavailable. He is also reckless when it comes to money – he buys a message chair behind his wife’s back. He is also a man who is stuck in past – he, along with his three best friends (and former bandmates), plans on taking a trip to China to visit their one-time lead singer/Yong-pil’s first love, Jang-mi (who was also Doo-hee’s best friend before they had a falling out).  His heart is often in the right place, but he is extremely clumsy. 
His luck seems to take a turn for the better when he gets a chauffeur job. He is hired to drive around Yeon-joo and her mother. However, it is revealed that the only reason Yeon-joo’s mother hired Yong-pil was to spite Dae-hyun. It’s her way of dangling carrot in front of Yong-pil – give him a taste of the finer things in life before taking them away – she plans on firing him for the most trivial thing. However, Yong-pil doesn’t give her that satisfaction; when he learns he is a pawn in her game, he quits the job. He may be absent minded, but he still has his pride.

Jung Eun-byul (Ahn Sol-bin)

Eun-byul is Saet-byul’s younger sister. She is seventeen years old and attends high school. She also hangs out with bullies, who take compromising pictures of her on their phones, so they can control her.  Eun-byul’s true ambition is to be a K-pop idol. She passes the audition process and becomes a trainee. She must resort to dubious methods to achieve her dream – she steals all her sister’s money and hires an actress to pose as her mother.  Unfortunately, her a past comes back to bite her in the ass, when the bullies, feeling that she has shunned them, leak the compromising photos of Eun-byul online. Overnight, Eun-byul is labelled a bully (one of the photos is staged photo of Eun-byul stepping on her friend’s knee).  As we have learned from the T-ara scandal, South Koreans take their bullying allegations seriously.

However, it isn’t just Eun-byul’s reputation that is sullied, but Saet-byul’s and Kang Ji-uk’s (a childhood friend), as well.  A video surfaces of Saet-byul beating up bullies – but it is taken out of context, and everyone assumes Saet-byul is the bully.  A tabloid journalist takes a picture of Kang Ji-uk comforting Eun-byul, and everyone assumes the two of them are in a romantic relationship. Kang Ji-uk is a famous actor, with a huge fan following, but when his fanbase sees him supposedly romancing an alleged bully, they quickly turn on him.  Eventually, all three of them are vindicated, thanks to Saet-byul contacting the tabloid journalist and presenting her with evidence that contradicts all these claims, and Eun-byul can resume her K-pop career.

Kang Ji-uk (Kim Min-kyu)

As mentioned above, Kang Ji-uk is a famous actor, who is also a childhood friend of Saet-byul and Eun-byul – he was a student at their father’s dojo. He also has a massive crush on Saet-byul and is, naturally, jealous that she reserves all her affection for Dae-hyun. This irritates him in the early going, when Dae-hyun seems oblivious to Saet-byul’s feelings.  He does call out Dae-hyun on his cavalier attitude and Dae-hyun, to his credit, listens to Ji-uk’s criticisms.  He doesn’t mind Saet-byul choosing another man, if that man treats her right.
I initially believed he would end up with Eun-byul, the show seems to be setting up this fact, especially after he promises Saet-byul that he will look after her younger sister.  Instead, he ends landing an acting gig in the United States and promptly exits the series.

Kim Hye-ja -Yoo Yeon-joo’s Mother (Gyeon Mi-ri)

Kim Hye-ja is the main antagonist of the series – she is also Yoo Yeon-joo’s domineering mother. She is an extremely cold-hearted woman who views people as commodities. When Yeon-joo breaks up with Dae-hyun that isn’t enough for Hye-ja, she decides to rub salt in the wound by dragging Dae-hyun’s into the mix.  This appalls even Yeon-joo, who scolds her mother for going too far. Yet, for all Hye-ja’s wealth, she is a lonely woman; her distant personality only succeeds at driving Yeon-joo.

Jo Seung-joon (Do Sang-woo)

Seung-joon is the secondary antagonist of the series – he is the convenience store’s head office director, a role given to him by his father – who is the owner of the company. He has known Yeon-joo his entire life and has romantic designs on her – he tries to lure her away from Dae-hyun multiple times.  He was also responsible for Dae-hyun resigning from the head office – he persuaded Dae-hyun to take the fall for Yeon-joo. Interestingly, there isn’t any real animosity between Dae-hyun and him; there is no scene where they engage in a shouting match nor fisticuffs.  He doesn’t dislike Dae-hyun, he just doesn’t think Yeon-joo and Dae-hyun are a good match (to his credit, he is correct).

Now that I got the characters summaries out of the way, I would like to explore the themes that an inherent throughout Backstreet Rookie. Despite its sitcom structure, there is a lot of emotional depth in Backstreet Rookie. There are four principal themes that I would like to explore:

Jumping to the Wrong Conclusions
A common theme that occurs throughout Backstreet Rookie is characters often jumping to the wrong conclusion often due to a misunderstanding.  When Saet-byul starts working at the convenience store, Dae-hyun is initially suspicious of her; he still thinks of her as that delinquent girl who asked him to buy her a pack of cigarettes. When money goes missing from the cash register, Dae-hyun assumes Saet-byul is the culprit – he saw her leaving the convenience store with bills sticking out of her back pocket. However, it turns out that Bong-hee took the bills; she borrowed the money to pay for the bills and then paid it back. He becomes more suspicious of Saet-byul when Dal Sik records a video of her beating up shoplifters in a back alley. Dae-hyun is not giving the proper context of this event, he just assumes she picked a fight with random strangers.

When three bullies accost Yeon-joo in the woman’s restroom, Saet-byul arrives on the scene and teaches them a lesson. However, Yeon-joo is so frightened by the incident, and spent the entirety of the fight hidden in the stall, that when Saet-byul opens the door to assure her everything is okay, Yeon-joo assumes she is one of the bullies.  Saet-byul also desperately needs to use the toilet and because Yeon-joo is too busy freaking out, Saet-byul tries to pull her out of the stall. It is at this exact moment that Dae-hyun arrives on the scene; he is wondering what is taking Yeon-joo so long and goes to investigate. Right when he is outside of the restroom door, one of the bullies’ crashes through the door. This arouses his curiosity and walks into to find Saet-byul, apparently, assaulting his hysterical girlfriend.

Based off these two incidents, and at the urging of Yeon-joo, Dae-hyun decides he is going to fire Saet-byul. It looks like he is going to go through with the plan when Saet-byul’s two friends, Geum Bi and Yoon So, approach Dae-hyun and set the record straight. Once Dae-hyun learns about Saet-byul and her current situation, he is determined to help her.  Dae-hyun may be a square but he is a good-hearted square. 

When Yeon-joo learns that Dae-hyun resigned from the head office to take the fall for her, she is determined to make amends by getting him an executive job (to represent all the convenience store owners).  However, she has an ulterior motive for this - she is hoping this gesture will win him back. She also persuades Dae-hyun and his family to sign over the ownership of the convenience store to the head office; this allows Yeon-joo to pick her own store manager (corporate lackey, Bae) and she specifically instructs him to treat Saet-byul badly, so that she will quit. Yet, despite all her efforts, Dae-hyun has no interest getting back together with Yeon-joo. He doesn’t hold a grudge against her, he has just moved on with his life and has found Saet-byul, who is a better match for him. No amount of money or power can get Dae-hyun to change his mind and Yeon-joo, grudgingly, accepts this fact. 

When the bullies leak the compromising photos of Eun-byul, the entire public jumps to the wrong conclusion and believes she is a bully. Overnight, her entire world comes crashing down. When the video leaks of Saet-byul beating up bullies, the convenience store takes a huge hit; customers can’t believe Dae-hyun would hire such a terrible person.  Yet, Dae-hyun refuses to budge and stands by Dae-hyun. Eventually the truth comes out and the two sisters can resume their normal lives. 

Finally, Saet-byul mistakenly believes that she has been a burden to Dae-hyun and his family and packs up her belongings to work at a farm.  This comes after Bong-hee urges Dae-hyun to back together with Yeon-joo and after Yeon-joo has laid a massive guilt trip on Saet-byul (“Think of what’s best for Dae-hyun.”)  Of course, we, the audience, know better and, more importantly, so does Dae-hyun – she has not been a hindrance on his life, she has massively improved it.  He finds Dae-hyun – it is revealed that Dal Sik’s father owns the farm she works on – and he pours his soul out to her.  He even quits his comfy job at the head office and regains ownership of the store, just so he can be with Saet-byul.  Yeon-joo, realizing she has lost, gets a job in the United States. 

Class

This is one of the more obvious themes that pops up through the series, but it is interesting how the series is approaches it. All three classes are depicted in this series: the upper class (Yeon-joo and her mother), the middle class (Dae-hyun and family), and the lower class (Saet-byul and her sister). The upper class looks down on both the middle class and lower class; in their mind there is no real distinction. When Yeon-joo is dating Dae-hyun, they are often the subject of gossip; her co-workers at the head office can’t believe she would date a convenience store owner.  Even though Yeon-joo has dated Dae-hyun for two years, she has hidden him from her parents, because she knows they would disapprove.  Her mother desperately wants her to get together with Seung-joon, because he belongs to the same class as her.  When they are shooting a promo video at Dae-hyun’s convenience store (starring Ji-uk), Yeon-joo comments that she can’t wait until it’s over, because she “hates places like this.”  Dong-hee overhears this and gives her a scolding. This is an interesting exchange because Yeon-joo wasn’t trying to be disparaging, she just isn’t comfortable in that type of setting, but Dong-hee interprets it as her denigrating the working class.  Later, after the shoot is finished, Yeon-joo is talking on her cell phone and walks past Dong-hee, who thinks that Yeon-joo is ignoring her. She then calls out Yeon-joo and makes a scene out of it, much to the confusion of Yeon-joo. 

As I mentioned in Bong-hee’s description, she simultaneously resents the upper class but also wants to be a member. She completely changes her tune when Yeon-joo tries to get back together with Dae-hyun.  In Bong-hee’s mind, even though her family has been disrespected by Yeon-joo’s mother, she would rather be that dreadful woman’s in-law than wallow in middle class mediocrity.
This brings up the other half of this theme: the middle class often looks up to the rich while resenting the poor. Dae-hyun initially assumes the worst about Saet-byul, solely due to her poor upbringing – she has no parents, dropped out of high school, and has gotten into many street fights, so his is naturally suspicious of her.  It is a bias he initially struggles to get past, because, from his point of view, she seems to have a knack for getting into trouble.  Ironically, it turns out that his older sister is the one who has been stealing from the store and register. 

However, there are characters who really don’t belong in any class – they just go where they please. Both Geum Bi and Dal Sik come from wealth yet choose to hang out in dive bars with the Saet-byul and Yoon So.  It is implied that Dae-hyun could easily join the elite crowd, but he gives up that opportunity so he can be with Saet-byul. Hell, even Yeon-joo, for all her faults, would rather be with Dae-hyun than Seung-joon, but she is just not good at expressing her true feelings – rather than scheming to get Saet-byul out of the picture and buttering up his mother, she should have just directly told him how she feels. At the end, despite her efforts, Yeon-joo can’t overcome the class barrier. 

Destiny

Destiny is a theme that often pops up in K-dramas; in shows like My Roommate is a Gumiho and May I Help You, it is explicit. In the former show, there is a Mountain Spirit who oversees people’s destinies.  In Backstreet Rookie, it is implied that destiny is at work.  The first time Saet-byul meets Dae-hyun she is a preteen practicing at her father’s dojo, and Dae-hyun happens to walk in at just the right time to save her from a falling punching bag.  Years later, the two of them meet again – after Dae-hyun has been dumped by his then girlfriend. He is distraught and aimlessly wanders the streets when he stumbles upon Saet-byul and her friends. This is an amazing coincidence, or is it?  Saet-byul has harbored a crush on Dae-hyun ever since that eventful day at her father’s dojo and immediately recognizes him.  Three years later, when Dae-hyun is looking for part time help at his convenience store, Saet-byul sees the “HELP WANTED” sign and takes advantage of this opportunity.  She certainly doesn’t see it as coincidence but rather as destiny working in her favor.

The same applies to Dal Sik and Geum Bi; they are destined to be a couple. The two of them are a huge presence in each other’s lives without realizing it – they both play the same dance game at the arcade and often beat each other’s scores.  They are always annoyed that someone has bested their score and immediately work to regain the top score.  Later, they work together as a team and are in perfect sync with each other.  More importantly, Geum Bi just happens to be a huge fan of Dal Sik’s webtoon. After she finds out his true identity, she even helps him come up with a resolution for his webtoon.  They are the perfect team, yet had they not been at the right place at the right time, they would still be lonely. 

Destiny in Backstreet Rookie is more of a guiding force - it can only take you so far, but it’s up to you what to do with it. Saet-byul recognizes destiny is at work and immediately seizes upon it to make her dreams come true.  Destiny seemed to be working in Yeon-joo’s favor, but she shrugs it off and breaks up with Dae-hyun (a man who was truly devoted to her).  When she recognizes her mistake, it is too little too late.   

Family

The most important, and obvious, theme of Backstreet Rookie is family.  Dae-hyun’s family may be a dysfunctional bunch, but they are always there for each other – they question Dae-hyun running a convenience store, but they are willing to help him. The same applies to Dal Sik – he is often working shifts to cover for Dae-hyun.  Dae-hyun’s mother comes across as strict and confrontational, but she is willing to take Saet-byul, and later Eun-byul, when they desperately need a place to stay.  While Dae-hyun is often annoyed by his family, Saet-byul is charmed by them and reminds him how lucky he truly is. 

Saet-byul has a turbulent relationship with Eun-byul, they are constantly butting heads.  Eun-byul tries to keep her K-pop trainee status a secret from her older sister, and when Saet-byul finds out she initially disapproves. However, she changes her mind when she sees a viral video of Eun-byul at her first showcase; while performing a song and dance number with her girl group, Eun-byul slips and falls, bloodying her nose in the process. However, she gets right back up and finishes the number, bloody nose and all. This turns her into a huge internet sensation but, more importantly, earns the respect of her older sister.  How can Saet-byul ruin the dreams of someone who is that dedicated?  When the bullies nearly derail Eun-byul’s K-pop career, Saet-byul is by her side to offer her moral support.

The Saet-byul/ Dae-hyun relationship is an interesting one. Saet-byul has proven she can fight her own battles, so she doesn’t need Dae-hyun to stand up for her.  What attracts Saet-byul to Dae-hyun is that he is often pushing her to better herself.  When he finds out that she dropped out of high school, he encourages her to continue her education by taking a G.E.D.  He also encourages her to go to a university and offers to pay for her education himself.  He often scolds Saet-byul, not because he hates her, but because he has high expectations for her. He knows she can do better.  He is probably the first person since her late father, who openly expresses his belief in her.

It is not a one-sided relationship:  Dae-hyun helps Saet-byul with her education and she helps boost the business at his convenience store. It is her agreeable personality that helps create a loyal customer base – she always has a smile on her face and is willing to help when asked.  The two of them take turns looking after one another – when Saet-byul is hospitalized for appendicitis, Dae-hyun pays her hospital and even doubles her work pay, so she will be able to cover her bills.  Later, when Dae-hyun is hospitalized for exhaustion, Saet-byul is sitting by his side making sure he recovers. 

The most tragic character in Backstreet Rookie is Yeon-joo; she may come from a wealthy background and have a good paying job, but she has no real family.  Her father is rarely around, and her mother is a cold woman, who views her daughter more as a commodity rather than a person. Yeon-joo’s “friends” are also the type of people who would have no qualms throwing her under the bus if it benefitted them to do so. She is truly a lonely soul….and yet, she could have found happiness had she been more trusting of Dae-hyun.  She briefly experiences “family life” when Bong-hee invites her over to the house for dinner, but by then Dae-hyun has moved onto Saet-byul. 

Backstreet Rookie wasn't without its controversies; many keyboard warriors were offended by the character of Dal Sik and his appropriation of Jamaican culture. They kind of miss the point of the character - Dal Sik loves the IDEA of Jamaican culture rather than the actual culture itself, to the point where he adopts the more superficial aspects of it (dreadlocks) without ever bothering to learn their true meaning. It's fitting that once he reveals his true self to Geum Bi, he is finally able to find love. 

The other controversy was the age gap between the lead actors - in real life Ji Chang-wook is twelve years older than his co-star, Kim Yoo-jung. This an instance where the public confuses the characters for the actors that portray them- in the context of the TV show, there is a seven-year gap between Dae-hyun and Saet-byul; he is 29 years old while she is 22. It also interesting to note than in The K2, another drama starring Ji Chang-wook, the leading actress in that series, Song Yoon-ah, was his senior by fourteen years, and yet the two of them were praised for their remarkable chemistry. Granted, she was the villain of the piece, but there is still a lot of sexual tension between their two characters. 

There was also controversy over the fact that Saet-byul kisses Dae-hyun in the very first episode. The formula for most K-dramas is that two romantic leads usually don't share a kiss until midway through the series- it's a moment that the show builds to and the characters have to earn it.  Yet, Saet-byul just casually kisses Dae-hyun like it is nothing. I bring this up to emphasize the cultural differences between the United States and South Korea; in the United States very few people would think twice about this scene. They would watch it and then move onto the next scene. In South Korea, this moment was a bit too much for the viewers. How can she be kissing a man she hardly knows? This is not meant to be ridiculing Korean culture; indeed, I think one of the many flaws of American culture is that we have thrown all the standards out the window.  

Cast: Ji Chang-wook (Choi Dae-hyun), Kim Yoo-jung (Jung Saet-byul), Han Sunhwa (Yoo Yeon-joo), Kim Sun-young (Gong Bon-hee), Lee Byung-joon (Choi Yong-pil), Seo Ye-hwa (Hwang Geum Bi), Eum Moon-suk (Han Dal Sik), Ahn Sol-bin (Jung Eun-byul), Kim Min-kyu (Jang Ji-wook), Do Sang-woo (Jo Seung-joon), Yoon So (Cha Eun-joo), Kim Ji-hyun (Choi Dae-soon), Gyeon Mi-ri (Kim Hye-ja – Yeon-joo’s mother), Heo Jae-ho (Department Head Bae), Park Jin-joo (Bully group leader).

Director: Lee Myoungwoo
Writer: Son Geun-joo. Based off the webtoon by Active Volcano
16 episodes ~ 60 minutes.