An overall fun series with a great cast that stands out for their strong chemistry

When this series was announced as a coming-of-age story, I was very excited about it because it’s been years since the last time I watched one of those and I thought it would be very refreshing. Despite some flaws, the series is overall very fun, true to its genre, and delivers what was promised, a youth story about hot-blooded police students. It also exceeded my expectations as a rom-com.

THE GOOD

# A cast with great chemistry and characters with diverse personalities:
‘Rookie Cops’ isn’t completely focused on Seunghyun (Kang Daniel) and Eunkang (Chae Soobin). Although there are specific moments where Eunkang is the bigger protagonist, both characters are constantly surrounded by their friends, who also have their own stories and moments, but when together they have a lot of funny and cute interactions. This makes the series mostly light and bubbly. The chemistry between the 8 young actors is the biggest factor that made me enjoy this series overall. In particular, actor Park Sung Joon as Daeil, shines through and is the glue of the squad.

# The kisses are swoonworthy:
Some of the best kisses I have seen on a series/drama in general. Kang Daniel was a very pleasant surprise for a first time idol-actor. If there is something nobody can question is that he is clearly a good kisser, and Chae Soobin also delivered although nobody was doubting her. Second couple also blessed us with some hot kisses.

# Fast-paced:
For some people the fast-paced plot might feel like there are parts of the story missing, but I think in general most people would prefer a story that doesn’t drag. In this case, ‘Rookie Cops’ has a main conflict that slowly builds from the beginning of the series through flashbacks, but side conflicts/cases are generally solved within two episodes.

# Cinematography and props:
I have to mention the beautiful cinematography and post-production coloring this series has. It’s truly a stand-out, with great locations and the right angles that enhance especially the outdoor scenes, such as when Seunghyun and Eunkang are sitting by the river after a bike ride. There was also so much attention to detail when it comes to the props, in particular episode 11 features a comic version of ‘Rookie Cops’ which was specially made as a prop for the series since this is an original story.

THE BAD

# Script with several flaws:
While I think Lee Ha Na (screenwriter) did an excellent job portraying the growing bond between the main cast and the heart-fluttering romance. And the first half of the drama is mostly fun and light, her attempts to include more dark themes to make the story more meaningful and give it more depth, mostly fall short and shallow. With two-episode conflicts involving victims of bullies or gangs, in all of them I was left with the feeling that something was handled wrong or something was missing. The coincidences in this series are also so many that you would think Korea is the size of a peanut. They are beyond the typical “destiny” moments to the point of absurdity.

I did say the story is not completely focused on the main leads. However, there are times when a big chunk of certain episodes focus heavily on Eunkang, and time is wasted on showing us her parents just bickering. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if equal time was spent on developing the male lead’s story as well, or if Eunkang was a more likable female lead. However, from the beginning Eunkang shows she is the impulsive and reckless type who decides her future career following her teenage crush. She starts to (slightly) grow once she gets closer to Seunghyun as he shares some of his wisdom and calmness with her, and not only supports her but also saves her every time. Sadly, our man Seunghyun ends up being pushed to the sidelines a lot just to elevate Eunkang. Although the main conflict involves his father and him in a way, we don’t get to see enough interactions between them to better understand Seunghyun's admiration for is father, or anything about his childhood or teenage years unlike with other characters.

All that said, I think Chae Soobin herself and her chemistry with Kang Daniel are strong enough that one can ignore a lot of questionable moments her character has and enjoy the series overall and even rewatch it, at least for all the fluffy and light moments.

My biggest problem with the script however, is related to a major event that happens towards the end, which left me with a strong bittersweet feeling. I thought it was completely unnecessary, random and brought nothing to the actual progress of the story nor the final development. This is the main reason why I can’t give this series a higher score.

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Lastly, I wanted to give my own opinion about Kang Daniel’s acting which was commented on a lot. If you go into this series expecting a dramatic performance for the Oscars, you are going to be disappointed. This is not that type of show to begin with. Kang Daniel is quite green in the first three episodes, especially during scenes that require more emotional intensity. But as the series progresses he shows much potential and delivers great chemistry with partner Chae Soobin. His character Wi Seunghyun is not one to show excessive emotions as he is the composed, responsible and righteous type. Kang Daniel is faithful to that portrayal until the end. His cute, playful or more rebellious moments happen when he is around Eunkang or Tak (Lee Shin Young). And his most vulnerable side is only shown at the very end when faced with his father. I thought Kang Daniel did well showing the sadness and disappointment Seunghyun feels but that he tries to repress. I also have to praise how he challenged himself with many physically demanding action scenes, despite this being his first acting project.

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