Reborn Rookie 2026 Full Review

Lee Jun Young as Kang Yong Ho/Hwa Jun Hyeon

Hwa Jun Hyeon is an up and coming soccer star who just signed a contract with a local team. But when he is hit by a car driven by Kang Jae Seong, he suffers a career ending injury. Determined to get proper compensation, he storms Choiseong Group. But he ends up getting into a car accident with the Chairman and somehow they switch bodies. The Chairman's body, with Jun Hyeon trapped inside, ends up hospitalized and in a coma. But Chairman Kang suddenly finds himself in Jun Hyeon's body. 

Once the shock wears off, Yong Ho decides to take advantage of the opportunity. Not only does he have a young healthy body full of strength and energy, but he also has a disguise. He gets a job as an intern at Choiseong Group, where he can keep an eye on the business he built. And he can also spy on his children to decide who is actually worthy to inherit his position. While his twins Jae Gyeong and Jae Seong have spent their lives fighting for their father's approval, it's Yong Ho's illegitimate youngest daughter, Bang Geul, who proves to be most helpful and sincere. But he and Bang Geul will have their hands full if they are going to expose the evil twins and take on the Chairman's many powerful enemies.

Kang Yong Ho is a ruthless businessman who has made a lot of enemies and taught his children that in the world of business, anything goes. But when he sees his life and legacy through the eyes of Jun Hyeon, he begins to understand that life should be more about family and human interaction than numbers and figures. I am a huge fan of Lee Jun Young, although he doesn't always have the best luck with his roles. I loved him in this role and I thought he did a great job imitating Son Hyun Joo as Yong Ho.

Son Hyun Joo as Kang Yong Ho

Son Hyun Joo is the original Kang Yong Ho. He is the Chairman of Choiseong Group. He has always put the company ahead of his family and personal life. As he has aged, he has become increasingly concerned with figuring out who to leave his company to. 

Jeon Hye Jin as Kang Jae Gyeong

Kang Jae Gyeong is Yong Ho's older daughter. She is twins with Jae Seong. She is the CEO of Choiseong Chemical. Years of competing with her brother has made her a powerful leader. But the fact that she is a woman has put her at a disadvantage in the battle of succession. 

Jin Goo as Kang Jae Seong

Kang Jae Seong is Yong Ho's only son. He is also the oldest of Yong Ho's children, which also gives him an advantage. He is the president of Choiseong Corporation. But he is not as successful in business as his sister, which is a source of frustration for him.

Grandmother

I have to agree with people who say the Grandmother's dementia story didn't really fit in well with the rest of this drama. But even so, I did feel like she was one of the key factors that helped Yong Ho see the error of his ways. Also, I just loved how cute Yong Ho was with her. Their scenes together were some of my favorites.

Jae Gyeong

Jeon Hye Jin makes a great villain and she was perfect in this role. She is both tough and pitiful. It's no surprise that Jae Gyeong was the only one who could never admit that she had been wrong. I also like that she got her own ending, even if it was a bit sad for her. It somehow seems appropriate that, even in the end, she is the one who bears the brunt of all the family's crimes. 

Lee Jun Young

One more shout out to Lee Jun Young for his performance in this drama. His imitations of Son Hyun Joo were spot on and that only made it funnier. You could easily distinguish  the difference between Yong Ho and Jun Hyeon. And I love how much we got to see him stretch his acting skills in this drama.

Romance

So, I actually loved the cute chemistry between Jun Hyeon and Bang Geul. And that's the problem. Because every time I remembered he was actually her father I got creeped out. It seems like if they were going to push a romance with them, they should have at least brought Jun Hyeon back for a few episodes. Instead they pushed the creep factor through to the end and then invented some random story about him falling for her while in a coma. Also, is it really fair to not tell Bang Geul about the time he was actually her father?

Jun Hyeon

Not only did Jun Hyeon get the short end of the stick in his life but also in this drama. Did he really have to spend the whole series in a coma? I really wanted to see more about his character and story. Instead, this drama was really all about Yong Ho. 

Chairman Change of Heart

I found it a bit strange that Yong Ho was so upset with his kids in the beginning when they really just seemed to be acting exactly as he had taught them. He trained them to believe everything was a competition where all that mattered was who won. Of course, his redemption is the point of the drama, but I think his change of heart should have been more gradual. I feel like the original Yong Ho would have been proud of their ruthless methods.

'Reborn Rookie' gives us a happy ending with some satisfying accountability. Yong Ho and Jun Hyeon both return to their own bodies and they agree to work together to expose Chairman Na and Jae Gyeong. After Eun Se betrays her father to try to save her own skin, they both end up in prison for their roles in trying to bring down Yong Ho and Choiseong Group. Jae Seong is the only one beside Yong Ho who sees the error of his ways and faces his punishment head on. Jae Gyeong refuses to accept her punishment and tries to escape when the police are arresting her. As she run in front of an oncoming car, Yong Ho jumps in to save her. Yong Ho survives but ends up losing his leg, which brings us full circle to Jun Hyeon's original accident and leg injury, although Yong Ho's is more serious. A leg for a leg, so to speak.

Two years later, we see Jae Seong has served his time in prison and moved to the US with his son and Jae Gyeong's son. He seems happy to be living his own life outside of the shadow of his father and sister. Bang Geul's mom, Seon Hui, has moved back into the house with Yong Ho and has become an internet sensation. Jun Hyeon's grandmother is getting better medical treatment, thanks to Yong Ho, and she seems to have more good days where she remembers Jun Hyeon, even when he isn't in a soccer uniform. Jae Gyeong ends up consumed by her guilt. She loses all of her memories except for the ones regarding her husband, Min Seok Do. She is institutionalized and Seok Do visits her regularly. And Yong Ho's faithful right hand, Sang Jae, has taken over as CEO of Choiseong Group and the company is now company owned. 

As for our leads, Bang Geul has come into her own at Choiseong Group. She is working as a team leader while also acting as CEO of Taeha Group in place of Chairman Na. Jun Hyeon has moved on from playing soccer himself to coaching a children's team sponsored by Yong Ho. He is dating Bang Geul, although they have been doing it in secret until the final scene of the show, when Yong Ho sees them kissing. As Jun Hyeon runs away from an angry Yong Ho, he collides with real-life ITZY star Ryujin and the two swap bodies. Here we go again!