Backstreet Rookie is a new South Korean series based on the 2016-2017 webtoon Convenience Store Saet-byul. Ji Chang-wook and Kim Yoo-jung are the stars of the show.
In the series, Choi (Ji Chang) meets with a group of troublemaker high school students. One of the students, Jung (Kim Yoo), asks Choi to buy cigarettes for the girls. He instead buys them candy and offers Jung his phone number, but Jung doesn’t call.
Three years later, Jung applies for a job at Choi’s convenience store. Against his better judgment, Choi hires her.
Will Backstreet Rookie come to Netflix?
There is a high likelihood that Backstreet Rookie will come to Netflix. The series is an iQIYI original series. iQIYI signed a content-sharing deal with Netflix in 2017, and thus it is likely that the show will appear on Netflix.
However, it will take some time before Backstreet Rookie comes to Netflix. The series is set to air on SBS up to 8th August, and A+E Lifetime holds second window rights to the series.
Backstreet Rookie might also appear on Hulu or Disney+. A+E Lifetime is owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company subsequently owns Hulu and Disney+.
Backstreet Rookie has come under heavy criticism
Backstreet Rookie has been relatively well received in South Korea, but it has come under heavy criticism on morality grounds.
The first episodes of the series were criticized for portraying crude sexual behavior. Some critics added that the show objectified women. They criticized the fact that the show was wrongly advertised as family-oriented, and yet some of the scenes were not suited for family viewing. A petition to cancel the show earned thousands of signatures.
However, Backstreet Rookie appears to have survived that storm. The show is still airing on SBS, and we don’t expect the criticism to affect the show’s availability on streaming platforms.