Reply 1988 (2015)

Wonderful start, however it started to drag towards the end.

This series is truly special. It’s unlike the other kdramas I’ve watched and felt immersive in the time period. There were so many touches to the set design, soundtrack, and 1980s events written in that made it feel truly set in 1988-1989 (and beyond). The acting was wonderful, DS/SY is a wonderful female lead, and the chemistry between the cast was so great.

It’s extremely hard to get me invested in a romance in general, especially one between teenagers. So, I went into this knowing that was going to be the weakest aspect for me. I enjoyed the family and friend relationships most of all, and I do feel like that makes up enough of the show to interest even those like me that find a lot of those too trope-y and predictable.

I started to really feel the 1 hour+ runtimes around episode 16 or so. Once we start to get into the kids prepping for college fully and Bo-ra making choices about her future, it felt just a tiny bit aimless. If you’re looking for a slice of life-ish type story and you were actually alive during this time period, you may still enjoy sitting with the story as it builds to its ending. For me, I plan to finish it someday but eventually ended up looking up the ending and dropping it on episode 18.

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To my surprise, I like this drama! I was born in 1983, I can relate so well to all the scenes in this drama hahaha! It brings the warm feeling of nostalgia. I still remember that time when i played outside with my neighbors, that time, even though the technology was not advanced yet, but life was so enjoyable and fun. We often meet people and interact with them instead of only talk to them via WA/internet.

UPDATE:
I just finished watching this drama and i can say that this is the first drama that is very real for me, it does not have overly dramatize kind of plot, it's not draggy too, it's just so enjoyable to watch slowly.
It gives u warm feeling, u know like a bittersweet memory of your past.. I really like their relationship, it's so touchy.. I mean U can see how they grow up, also how their parents that once young become old and finally retire, I hope that our world now is like how it used to be.. when people still meet each other and help each other.. When people are not that selfish and they share everything, it is so wonderful to experience that...

I need to give a big applaud to the writer cause he/she can write such a wonderful story about families yet it's not boring at all, at first i was not interested coz it doesn't seem to have a catchy/unique theme, i thought it's just a slow and boring drama, but i am not bored at all while watching this, even though 1 eps is 2 hours hahaha..

Ohh It's such a nostalgic drama, i wonder if i would have the same feeling like them when i am in my fifties... now after i watched this drama, i will appreciate my parents more.. and i will enjoy my current moment because i cannot come back to the time i am now when i am old.. and i am reminiscing my past when i was a lot younger in elementary, primary school, high school, busy with studies, listening to walkman with my schoolmates, going to shcool trip, singing and dancing with my friends, ahh those were such a wonderful moments that could have been buried and forgotten by my busy working life now.. if not for this drama. Maybe because i can relate so well that i really enjoy watching this.

Daebak to all the production crews!!




=====================SPOILERS=================================================

I can see clearly that Taek is the male lead who will get the girl since eps 1, i saw that scene when Dok Sun helped Taek and carry him when he was hurt, she always like Taek and she has been taking care of Taek since they were young. That scene was beautiful when they were young. She just does not know that she likes him yet. She did not love Sun Woo and Jung Hwan because she was just curious when she knew that they liked her, u know, like when we were young and we have not known love yet and we were just curious with people who liked us & gave us attention, it's natural. I don't buy any Jung Hwan's Supporter excuses here about the writer change the husband last minutes. It's clearly that the husband is Taek since the beginning.

He also deserved her more because he is very honest with his feelings, he did not hide it, he show it and not afraid of what people think. He knows that he likes her and he pursue her, he knows that she always be there for him and back him up when he was sad, when he was not eating well, etc. Their r/s is beautiful from the start.

In episode 2, When some of the girls in the class count their love's forecast with their name's number, I TOTALLY REMEMBER THAT! I did the same thing with my friends back then hahaha, I thought it only happened in my country but it also happened in korea! I think Asian's culture tend to me similar. Many of the items, even that thing they rode (a big vehicle with wooden horse) when they were still kids, i also played that before hahaha.

I LOVE all the props in this drama, it's so interesting. How they use mini compo and play it inside the bus, They watch using VHS, they use McGyver soundtrack and Night Rider reference, so funny! I recall everything in this drama with my long buried memories, it's nice to remember all those memories again. Their conversation is also interesting, don't forget to mention the story and lessons from this drama.

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Watching This K-Drama Felt Like Coming Home...

Reply 1988 was one of the K-drama that has received the most praise on the K-Drama subreddit thread along with the fantastic My Mister, so I had to watch it. The fact that this drama was from the people behind my favourite K-drama thus far, the excellent Hospital Playlist, only further piqued my interest in this series. After watching its first two episodes, I must say that I was disappointed. Although the series is technically good, it just didn't grip him like Hospital Playlist did. There is a possibility that the series will grip me at a later episode, but it is only 20 episodes and I am unsure if it will ever hook me if I continue to watch. I found the story so far to be a bit pedantic and melodramatic. Unlike the profound realism and bright optimism of Hospital Playlist, Reply 1988 opts for forced life moments with cheesy life lesson narration and slight comic relief through irritating family squabbles (where the wife is always yelling at and nagging the pathetic husband), shrill sister fights and weird husband antics. Though I do admit that the friendship between the 5 teenagers was quite touching.

On a side note, what is up with that annoying goat-bleating sound? I get that it's for comedic effect like a laugh track for sitcoms, but it really gets on your nerves.

I've finished Episode 5 and I'm still not interested enough to keep watching. I'm still not hooked. I find it to be a bit too slow and aimless for my taste. I guess that unfortunately, this highly-accalimed K-drama just doesn't mesh with me. This will be the first K-drama that I drop (unfortunately)...

However, I gave the drama another chance and I became quickly hooked. Watching this drama felt like coming home. Watching it was relaxing and the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day of school. Though the drama can be a bit slow and cheesy at times (like when Sun-woo talked to his dead father), it is always engaging and touching. Just like Hospital Playlist, this K-drama displayed the beauty of everyday life, in a specific neighborhood during a specific time period. I loved how the drama explored the issues and laws that were prevalent in that time period which piques my curiosity and made me do some research, such as why the same-name marriage law and the two-in-laws-from-the-same-family taboo existed.

I do have to say that I was surprised that Deok-sun ended up with Taek and not Jung-hwan. I was rooting for Jung-hwan the entire time. The writers wanted us to root for Jung-hwan because he held a flame for Deok-sun for much longer than Taek and was more earnest and persistent in his actions. Taek was just luckier. Deok-sun's husband also looked and acted like Jung-hwan too! What a bait-and-switch if I ever say one! Kudos to the writers though for not giving in to convention and giving the audience what we expect. However, I did quickly fall for Deok-sun and Taek's relationship, I must admit.

I also got quite emotional at times when the drama made me reflect on my own life; about whether or not I would actually practice as a dentist after I finish dental school or pursue something that I actually enjoy or whether I will ever get married (which I fear will not ever happen). I do love whenever a story makes me think about my own life, reminding me to live a life that I would be proud of - those are the best kinds of stories...

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I am a bit frustrated by seeing a person with everything got the girl

I am a bit frustrated after seeing this series, from beginning till 10th episode, I was rooting for this series plus cast and overall atmosphere it provided. But when the love story gradually moved towards park Bo gum, I literally hated this series, from beginning we saw jung hwan cared for the girl, he helped her, loved her, took umbrella for her, goes to Mcdonald, but what happens at end, he didn't get girl.
In my opinion, he was male lead but as show progressed writers did a fucked up job by not giving him girl.
I didn't belive how drama unfolded in later stages.
In beginning when 2015s deok husband was shown he was sincerely jung hwan but what they did was played with emotion of someone like me who just wanted him to end with girl.

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I'm still in the post Reply 1988 aka Taek, so I might as well write a review about this drama that I've been trying to sell to my other friends to watch.

I really really enjoyed the entire story, and really loved that each episodes was based on a theme. Through this set up, the characters and story was able to unravel beautifully. There is also a lot of heart to the story, and what I really enjoyed was that it was more than just a romance/love triangle. The drama explored important issues about family, growing up and life in general. Not every episode was 10/10 because there were a few that felt draggy. Those episode really did make the 1 1/2 hour felt longer than it already was!

The cast absolutely fitted the character they played! I felt so connected to the characters that the actors/actress portrayed. Talking about characters, seriously guys if you don't fall in love with Taek well I don't know what's wrong with you or maybe it's just me. When he smiles.... I'm a goner. He is just beautiful! Okay, on a more serious note I loved that we saw each character grow in front of our eyes. I think that's the beauty of the Reply series, the fact that we are able to see people grow up and face issues that people their age still face today. It's a different era but I always find it interesting to see that the issues the previous generations faced remains prevalent today. For example there was an episode about dreams which made me really reflect on my life and my own dreams and ambition. It takes a special drama to make you think like that.

The music was completely nostalgic and I wasn't even brought up in Korea during that period. I can only wonder how those that did grow up during that time would feel watching this drama. It would definitely bring out many forgotten memories of their youth!

I won't watch the entire thing again, but there are a few episodes that really touched me so I will watch those again!

I recommend this drama for people who want to watch a drama that want to revisit their youth, even if their still in it, just past it or are way past it. It's a very sentimental drama with a story that makes your feels go all over the place, and endearing characters that make you fall in love with them.

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"The reason I miss that time and that street isn’t only because I miss my younger self. It is because my parents’ youth, my friends’ youth – the youth of everything I loved was in that place. I regret not bidding a final farewell to the surrounding of my youth that can never be brought back together again. To the things that’ve already gone, to the time I can’t return to… I bid my belated farewell. Goodbye, my youth. Goodbye, Ssangmun-dong”

It's the kind of drama that when I finish it I have lost a dear friend, attitudes, characters and story are all close to my heart, Drama that made me cry at the same time made me laugh.
Even though I was not present in 1988, but I wished I was there, intimacy, friendship and relationship with neighbors and the parents of all the feelings I loved her.
This drama classify within the dramas that do not forget and that will remain dear to my heart, because they represent me and imagine my feelings.
deserve watching .

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Perfect, simplicity, friendship, neighborhood.

Reply 1988 has became my top 1 drama without a doubt. It's amazing how it can show you the sentiments of each character from the main to the least important one, you get dragged to their history and understands everything that happens. Not being a spoiler, but if you watch this drama, since the first episode you might dislike someone... But, even the ones you dislike you learn about their actions and even if you don't love (because I did), you at least start to understand some of their actions or learn how to forgive them. It's wonderful how you can't see a main couple, you are surrounded with romance, from absolutely EVERYWHERE!!!! But you may be disappointed with the pairs, but don't be!! Try to understand everyone of them especially when they give you, viewer, their own explanation... Because there isn't a single thing in this drama that there isn't shown to us, the feelings, the reasons for everything, the closeness, every detail is perfect. The friendship of this gang is unique and makes you wanna have the same thing, or make you remember about yours. You get so immerse into the history that, if you did live in the simplicity, makes you remember about your childhood; or if you didn't, makes you value the simplicity about things who doesn't need luxury, and that friendship and love is the only thing that can bring peace to the human being. It is a flawless drama, with many episodes who aren't small, but it is going to be definitely worth watching. I love how everything fits, the clothes, the hairstyles, the OST's and each character. I can't judge you for not liking it, because I understand it is not the most attractive drama with the most beautiful scenery. But you can't definitely say it has many touching scenes and phrases about reality. I think I'm going to watch it one more time...

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Screw you, second main lead syndrome!!!!!

The only reason I dropped this drama was



Yup that's right

SECOND MAIN LEAD SYNDROME

I figured that the person I rooted for wasn't the lead. It ruined the entire drama for me. But anyone who likes slow paced dramas about family, friends and a quiet type of drama will enjoy this. It makes people cry and its a beautiful portrayal. It captures the aesthetic of the 80s very well. My parents who are from that era absolutely loved it. It's nice to know that the 80s worked the same way even in our country. It was very nostalgic and well-executed. I can't really complain though. This series is based on a true story. So I can't really change the ending because that's what actually happened. I'm the kind of person that doesn't enjoy excessive second lead syndrome. It makes the drama sad and sentimental for most people but it ends up annoying me a lot on most occasions which just makes me drop the drama in the end.

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