This review may contain spoilers
After watching Reply 1988, the series was a complete shot through the heart. It is a type of family drama that are full of Korean family culture and values, also how does a common Korean family lives. The theme was nostalgic indeed since it was portrait way back in 80's and 90's. A story of chances, especially on how you should tell your true feelings to the one who you really love. Wasted chances should not be happened if you say and confess it soon enough. It is not how fate tells your love story but on how you react and do it.The story was a little bit dull and boring at first but when you watch the rest of the episodes it becomes more interesting and enjoy to watch. There are a lot of times that this drama made me cry, laugh and excite especially on its romantic scenes. The ending part was a little bit short for me since the female protagonist didn't show how she ended up in a wedding with one of her best friends, but overall the ending was too good which really made me cry.
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WOW... It's worth the hype
As an avid k-drama fan, I was always aware of the presence of Reply 1988. I mean, it's at the top of most lists as one of the best k-drama's of all time.I don't know why I put it off for so long, to be honest. Maybe I saw the fact that it was so family focused and assumed there wouldn't be any romance or comedy—two things I NEED in a drama. Maybe it was the first two episodes that didn't immediately make me fall in love. Maybe it was how young the characters started off, or the frequent flash forward moments into time. All I can say is that I usually would not gravitate towards this type of drama, but I have no regrets.
All I know is, it was the best decision to binge the rest of it in a week when I came home for vacay during college. This coming-of-age tale is so amazing, heartfelt, and tender that I have difficulty putting it into words. The comedy was so underrated. I'm not the type of person to laugh audibly while watching a show or movie, but Reply 1988 had me CACKLING.
And don't even get me started on the PLOT TWISTS! Y'all, I was not ready for some of them. And I'm still trying to process a few now. My mind did a 180 a couple times and I was on the edge of my seat during specific scenes.
Not gonna lie, I probably wouldn't rewatch... the whole thing. Maybe I'd rewatch the second half. It's just a lot to process all over again. Regardless, it was a beautiful production with love, family, and COMEDY!
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Writing because I'm angry !! Read if you finished the drama
I'm omg !!! Like how could she leave Jung Hwan the manly man and go for taek with all his dullness ?!!There wasn't anything from him expresing his love comparing to Jung who expressed his feelings by actions alot but omg didn't get courage to confess first despite he said to her don't go on sugatting ! She got the hint but the turning was sadly when she was left with taek at the field and he hold her and run , tbh I hated every turning that led her being with taek
The most I loved in the drama when my Jung Hwan cried that really WRECKED MEㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ so frusted with all the way he's driving I was going crazy like come on !! Faster !! But in the end the drop and how touched I was by that the hurt feelings the regret the pain the love at that part ohhhh omg Im sure I'll repeat that again an d again ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I really loved that part from all the drama and cried alloooooot here omg that hurted me alot ㅠㅠㅠㅠ and was the most part I loved I the drama ¡-¡
For me I'm so romantic person and the feelings are most important to me the feeling of one-sided love , the rejection,the disappointment,the betrayal, the love, the hurt, I love that to expressed in way you live them with the characters and that what I felt in the last eps , I hated the end so much , maybe many won't agree with me and maybe many others will do , anyway I'm expresing my feelings of disappointment that I felt here rn cause I just finished watching it , writing so I can return here later remember how I felt .....
Many things was shown so beautifuly in the drama heheh my disappointment won't cover that the drama was good
The part when the brother came for their mother funeral was so touchting .....
I wanna say alot but yeah anyway .....
And another part I loved about this drama and so unfair to not be mentioned is the time it brought , the old memories the simple life we had when we were young , it really showed the old times very beautifully ...
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The ending is sad and meaningful. "Goodbye, my youth. Goodbye, Ssangmun-dong” -Deok Sun
Teaches you how important and significant your youth is. Beautiful story. So many feels from this.
The plot and setting is on point. Love it!
Some parts of their acting was awkward.
It has a mixture of family, friendship, school, romance and real world problems that happened at that time.
I love how they interviewed the adult Deok Sun and Taek, and than the whole thing was just them recalling their childhood memories together, super creative.
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I wish they’d make Reply 1988 2nd season to show their married life and on and the elder parents. The story line was wonderful and the acting itself was over the top. I cried, I laughed throughout the episodes. And I know the actors of adult characters of the Bora and Taek are passed away in real life. But there’s always a way to make it.
This drama is absolutely the best one I’ve ever watched.
Please make the 2nd season.
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This review may contain spoilers
Ok I might be stupid, but let me tell you! In all my years of watching K-dramas this is the first ever drama for me not to predict the ending couple!? Like I watched this drama about a month ago and I still am shook at the shock this drama made me feel. Like I'm very happy with the ending, it could have gone either way, I just feel like it was so unexpected but at the same time subtly not? I applaud the script writers for being the first ones to ever shock me on an ending couple but also still like who she ended up with! This drama was amazing and the acting was really well done too! Congrats on making it a more realistic drama than most!(I'm secretly still rooting for the fighter pilot dude. Call me cliche but there was so much tension there that I just wanted resolved!)
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A Complete - packed drama that will just stole your heart
Disclaimer: This is not that kind-of-review because this is my first review I ever write. This is just mere thought of mine regarding of certain drama that stoles bunch of people’s heart.I hope that I’m not quite too late to post something about this drama. The drama aired with 20 episodes and I re-watched it last month. I think the main theme of this drama is about Family and Neighborhood; and husband hunting is one of those great several storylines. Yet I didn’t feel disappointed with the 5 main characters. They are truly great casts and they have great chemistry and performance as actor and because of that I have so much laughter and cries because of their stories, their friendship, and their bromance. >.<
Since episode2, I didn’t know why I feel like Dukseon is not the one coupled with Sunwoo although he is Dukseon's first love. I am more aware now about “reply-plot-twist” than back then with Reply 1997 and 1994 and it makes me very confused and wonder at first about who the second male lead in triangle love since Park Bo Gum, Hyeri, and Go Kyung Po are introduced first as main characters. But I am happy about whom Sung Dukseonie ended up with, even though I was sad for Junghwan tough. He is one of all people who hurt most.
The strange thing is, this drama made me root for the character that even not being promoted as a main. I like Sung Bora and Kim Junghwan the most. Bora is unique and Junghwan is a cool-tsundere guy. But I didn’t expect that I will like Bora character to this extent. I found that my self-character resemblances her most than any other character in k-drama I’ve ever seen. I yelled a lot and stingy to my sisters, nerd, kind of cold, and have difficulties in communication with father. Yet sometimes I have inner turmoil and feeling insecure and vulnerable but I can overshadow it with my tempered action toward people. And that is what I saw Bora like. Am i trying to say implicitly that I am indeed have a warm heart and caring? >o< No, it is up to the people around me to decide. :p
Back to Bora, despite she has a warm heart, she cannot express herself properly. Yes she has maturity and charisma but she can’t tell people what the important things to her life. For her, it is family she loved most. Although in early episode, she seems too violent and too abusive toward Dukseon, and I think it’s just because the director want to emphasize Dukseon’s struggling as middle child in the family. (not to mention that maybe Dukseon has inferior feeling toward Bora, because Bora’s power and cleverness, and she annoys her eonni in purpose, lol). But don’t forget that Bora also has jealousy that she can’t be as cheerful and playful as Dukseon. She too has inferiority complex toward her sister. Idk but I think that is what sibling like. That’s normal.
Dukseon and Bora have exact opposite character imo. The similarities they have are the love and concern toward family. But as we can see, Bora has a gentle side she showed us during the grandma funeral. She cared so much about her siblings. Not as selfish as I thought before. And I love that kind of character.
Aside from triangle love and husband hunting for the main couple, as I have watched so many Korean romance drama, but in my thought Sunwoo and Bora is the most satisfying. It is perfect, it touches all the romance aspect that I can’t imagine before. (Is it because Bora is my favorite character? No. I mean, not at all. The both actors are gorgeous and stunning and they are close friends in real life, so their chemistry is unquestionable.) They are starting in very young ages (with Sunwoo’s confession), they are separating (by Bora’s decision), they are evolving in their ways (with they both still remembering each other), and they finish their up-down romance story perfectly with their beautiful heartwarming wedding. Just because they CAN talked each other. They solved their obstacles with maturity they achieved during those 6 years separation. Bora’s stubbornness can be overwhelmed by Sunwoo’s unwavering and tenacious love. Plus they have beautiful scene together (rain and snow themed scenes and they even have a rainbow, omo). Is this what the people called second couple syndrome? lol.
After finishing this drama I’m just thinking about it. This drama really left a big hole in my heart. I feel like I have lost something beautiful, something precious you can’t find anywhere. It is kinda bittersweet for me. The music and soundtrack is memorable and touching and ear-pleasing. Well, maybe I am just exaggerating a bit. But it is really something. I can relate to most of the theme. That includes romances, family bonding, togetherness, youth, even the current issues like politics, financial, schooling matters, parenthood etc. etc. I enjoyed scene by scene of the drama with beautiful cinematography. No wonder that the drama received critical acclaim from both audience and critics. Thanks you so much writers, producer and most of it to all the actors who work to create such a beautiful and meaningful drama. I will treasure this drama somewhere deep inside my heart. Yeah, I know it will remain there for long time. Everything was just perfect 10/10 for me except minus 0.5 for Junghwan sad ending. ^^
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Everything will pass by.
“Time will always flow. Everything will pass by. That might be why youth is beautiful. It shines, blindingly bright, for just an instant. But you can never go back to it.”This drama holds a special place in my heart. It never fails to warm up your heart from the inside. I have never been the one to accept that things change and life goes on. That once a chapter of your life has passed, you will never get to revisit the same place with the same people and the same emotions you have felt at that exact moment ever again. Each episode will leave you with a bittersweet feeling, of happiness and regret. It will make you remember your own youth, the days that have passed you by. You will remember moments you think you have already forgotten by now.
“The year was 1988, a time when it was chilly, but our hearts were fiery, a time when we didn’t have much but people’s hearts were warm.”
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This review may contain spoilers
This was a lovely and nostalgic look back at coming of age in the 80's in a close knit neighborhood among friends and families who truly cared for and looked out for each other. Did such neighborhoods really exist? I don't know anybody who grew up like that but it's nice to imagine that some people did. I think that one key to enjoying this drama is not to get hung up over the romance involving Deok Sun. The drama is much more than that. Many of the best scenes were the ones with the three moms but the dads were great as well. Great acting by the ensemble cast. Was this review helpful to you?
A Walk Down Nostalgia Lane.
I'd recommed this series to anyone who wants to watch an almost realistic portrayal of family relations and troubles. It somehow managed to compile all the emotions and instances that we love and fear all in one.Narrated by Duk Seon, we switch the perspectives through several characters that grew up together. My personal favorites were Sun Woo and Jung Hwan - they did not stand out but there was a certain charm about how they handled stuff.
The parental relations were the highlight - they have the ability to make you tear up.
By the time I reached high school, the internet and smartphones had taken ove. Me and my friends, who still didn't have them, could slowly see communication decline in favor of banal frivolities such as selfies and cliques. I wish that I had grown up somewhere during Duk Seon's times as the meaning of "friendship" was taken with much seriousness than today's times. Parental ties are something that no amount of technology can conquer and I'm glad that Reply 1988 attempted to depict the two sides of life in a relatable manner.
Overall, its a worthy watch with a lot of life lessons. Youth is a terrifying period of life, but all storms are meant to pass. And they will, eventually.
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I saw this word on the internet a while ago and instantly thought of reply1988. I was born in 2000 and never lived in korea but watching this always makes me feel nostalgic. Simpler times, simpler problems, the sweet innocence of youth, joyful shared experiences, warm families and honest friendships. I've watched way too many kdramas in my life time to be considered healthy and I consider this one as my all time favorite for its insane re-watchability. the story telling is incredible and the actors do amazing job playing their characters. there is no filler character as they all add something to the story and it has great pacing
watched the other 2 of reply trilogies after this one and that was kind of a mistake. if you want to watch all of them I suggest to watch 1988 one the last as its the best one out of the three. reply1988 is the only one which take the "who could be the husband' mystery seriously and the actors are way better. I'm not gonna lie I was suffering with a huge 2nd lead syndrome first time around but made peace with it real quick.
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Youth at its best and most wholesome
What can I say? I laughed I cried, I awed and I booed. This story really made me believe in Kdramas as wholesomeness. Man this was so good. I was thinking about it when I wasn’t watching it. I was shipping characters together. Acting was incredible out of everyone and I just really loved learning about Korean culture through the eyes of this neighborhood. I loved traveling back in time like this to a time when things weren’t so freaking disconnected. My favorite kdrama to date.I will say however that I will never ever ship Choi Taek and Doek Sun together at all. I’m team Doek Hwang idc. I love Go tbh so I’m a Taek fan but come on he does not have any chemistry with Doek Sun.
I think in general this drama portrayed the ups and downs of a youth well lived. A youth that was spent on all the things we should spend it on. One where every personal moment seems like the end of the world but rlly that moment is just that a moment. How dramatic we are as youths that everything matters so much and yet they matter so little.
This drama encapsulates that within it.
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