This review may contain spoilers
STORY:This is such a nostalgic, true-to-life trip from start to finish. Reply 1988 exceeded my expectations, after Reply 1997 it was hard not to. What made it stand out from the previous Reply series was the focus on family and friendship instead of the romance. This meant we got to know EACH and every character and feel what they were feeling. The story isn't fast paced with big ups and downs. It depicts the true day-to-day life, which made it feel even more real. It wasn't the big things that made me laugh or cry; it was the small acts, unsaid things that touched my heart. I truly felt like a part of the Ssangmungdong community.
I was thoroughly disappointed with the ending (romance and the lack of present day gang). One of the highlights of the Reply series, is watching the present day (future/older) part to see how each character is getting on in their lives (and looks in this case). Not being able to see that was frustrating as I felt not all of the characters got a proper deserving finish (Jung Hwan, Jin Joo etc).
ACTING/CAST:
I cannot fault the acting of any of the actors. They were brilliant and true to their characters and by the end of the show, each and every character was dear to me (some more than others but I loved them all).
MUSIC:
The music was wonderful, subtle and matched the show and scenes very well. The goat sounds are a treat!
REWATCH:
Even though I didn't enjoy the ending, I still gave it high Rewatch and Overall value scores. This was due to the fact that the focus of this series was FAMILY and FRIENDS and not romance. I could ignore the last two episodes and say this was my favourite drama ever.
My full review including spoilers:
http://sweetgirl-haz.tumblr.com/post/137642116448/this-is-my-review-for-reply-1988-i-dont-usually
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I have to caveat this with the fact that I was just slightly spoiled: I knew who Doek Sun would end up being married to in the end before I started watching. Okay, so that's more than being slightly spoiled, so I don't know what my watching experience would have been like if I hadn't known, because I wasn't frustrated by the whole love triangle thing, but was able to sit back and enjoy all the different relationships in all the iterations.
And that really is the heart of this show. These characters, each and every one of them, and how they live and love and grow together. This show had me grinning from ear to ear the one minute, and crying the next. I was emotionally invested in each of their stories and rooting so heard for them. Not just the kids, but the parents too. This is what family is about -- the silly, heartwarming stuff, and the real, heartbreaking stuff, and all the things in between.
What also got to me was the show's nostalgia. Maybe it helped that I grew up in the 80s and 90s as well, and there were so many, many things in this show that I could relate to and made my heart warm with remembering, despite the fact that I grew up in a different culture, speaking a different language and a whole continent away in Southern Africa. Some things are just universal I guess.
And finally, I fell in love with the show and all the characters, but one in particular stopped my heart. Park Bo Gum's portrayal of the Baduk star Choi Taek was nothing short of breathtaking. Having seen him in Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, and he certainly impressed me there, his portrayal of Taek was even more impressive when you see how different the characters are and how he makes it hard to believe they are played by the same person. On top of that, with as straight a character as Taek is, how amazing is Park Bo Gum in being able to show so much emotion with just the slightest expressions. Ok, I'll stop gushing now.
If you haven't watched this show, don't wait, but do get yourself a box of tissues (for all the happy tears) and do clear out your schedule because you're not going to want to press pause.
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This review may contain spoilers
1988 a trip to nostalgia
I remember having watched some of this a few years ago I think, so I already knew who ends up with who etc, but surprisingly I didn't like it as much as the first time around i think (I didn't complete it ).
Lets start with positives, cause that's key with positive reinforcement lol.
This is an overall solid drama. The acting is good, the characters are relatively realistic, and what's personally my favorite point is the styling and editing. The look is almost sepia ish reminiscent of those old movies, and there's no skin smoothing and "perfect" make up. They all look like everyday ppl in the set time, and I think that's what partly adds to the nostalgia. I also liked the neighborhood setting, since it really allowed the crossover in family relationship and the overall familiar feeling.
I think my main critic starts with ep 17, where the time skips happen. Why would they skip college? Since it started in highschool college would have been an essential part of the development of the ssangmun gang. Why did Deok sun become a stewardess?, How come the guys didn't make a move on her all these years, why didn't she do anything more proactive? Who did she really like? So many unanswered questions and a clear gap in character writing when it comes to our fml.
Also Dongryong totally got forgotten somehow in the end? What is his ending?
Also the flash future couple is not played by the main actors like for example in reply 1997, wich makes it feel unconnected and the characters itselfs don't add up.
Soooo would I rewatch it?
Probably not, but I thoroughly enjoyed the first half and I really liked the organic chemistry of the characters. I think that also was a main strong point of this drama
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This review may contain spoilers
If you are looking for a drama that focuses on the importance of family and friendship, this is it.If you are looking to watch this for the romance storylines, you will be satisified with one, with Bora's and Sun Woo's but the primary romance plot, for me was such a failure.
I really was rooting for Jung Hwan (Ryu Jung Hyeol). Not sure what the writers were thinking. It felt like they were trying to build Taek's (Park Bo Gum) character) character so much to make him look like a big shot and of course the big shot is deserving of the girl and not Jung Hwan. Or so that the interview would make sense, bec otherwise why would anyone interview them if she did not end up with Taek. I really can't see how Deok Sun (Hyeri) could fall for a guy who didn't even know how to tie his shoelaces properly. Taek's helplessnes was not as adorable as they tried to make it out to be in this drama and it really felt like he was looking for more of a mother figure and not a girlfriend.
If Deok Sun had ended up with Jung Hwan, it would have made more sense because they had better chemistry together. Deok Sun and Taek's scenes were so boring for me that I skipped through most of them. While with Deok Sun and Jung Hwan, there was real friction.
But I really like the parent and child storylines here, they were beyond good. I cried when Bora's dad read her letter and there were lots of remarkable lines as well.
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A slow-burn slice of life to savour
Reply 1988, where everlasting friendships and blossoming romances never fail to bring wistful nostalgia and recurring memories of our adolescence. What will it be like to live in that era? And what awaits the five friends filled with ambition who are getting ready to face adulthood?It is a particular kind of drama that almost did not have an immersing plotline but sheer raw interactions and gradual development of traits, making it a slow-burn slice of life to savour. It also can be an inherent limitation of the drama.
The episode duration may seem overwhelming as it undoubtedly has its draggy parts and unnecessary situations; one should readily invest in the emotions to understand and enjoy the drama better. Once set with the characters, I think it will be a fast one.
Some aspects that I love-
Realistic Characters. Having a diverse cast is rather daunting because the characters may become monotonous hence making the show dense. But that is not the case here. The characters are riveting and refreshing, each definite and distinct, bringing the drama to life and tugging at your heartstrings.
Relationships. Not just romance and friendship but also kinship is in the spotlight. Look out for the heart-wrenching love triangle, the community friendship, parents' love, sibling bonds, the ahjumma fiestas, and loving married couples. It all makes the show more refined and wholesome.
The 80s Elements. To give the nostalgic feel, the crew had to put the required diligence into details that make you travel and experience the 80s. Elements like fashion, music, food, setting and various historical events gave insight to the international audience while impressing the korean audience with the subtle and original lifestyle of regular folk.
Message. Reply 1988 carries a simplistic message which has a more profound meaning. It is an exemplary coming-of-age drama that aptly portrays various themes on friendship, family, humanity, economic adversities, academic anxieties, self-actualization and accomplishment of dreams.
OST. The leading ost brings back all the nostalgia even after years of watching.
In conclusion, an all-time favourite that I will never stop recommending it.
“It is family—that covers over the wounds from the world outside the front door, the scars we each sustain from life, even the sorrow that family itself gives us. The people on my side till the very end—it is family.”
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It made me cry over how I used to have such a close knit group of friends in college, who knew everything about each other, and how life has now made us separate now - even if we stay in touch, those carefree days will never come back, when the biggest problem was the test tomorrow. It made me cry over the fact that my parents will never be healthy or young again, that I will never fall in love for the first time again, and it made me want to stop time right now - I don't want to be an adult anymore! :(
The best cast, the funniest gags, the most heartbreaking romance, the best kisses, the most heartwarming story...Reply 1988 has left a huge hole in my heart that can never be filled. The entire cast feels like friends that I've known and loved forever, and I finally fell prey to the Park Bogum fever. Bogummy ❤️❤️
I'm just waiting until I can rewatch it and feel good about life again :)
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AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!!!!
IDK why it took me a while to start this drama ... but I am glad that i did it!!! literally this drama was so heartwarming and comforting that can't even be explained through words.it will be like a comfort food to your soul . and also a complete pack of everything (comedy, friendship, love, family , youth). a drama that can struck anybody's heart. i enjoyed every moment watching it..its about love but not just love. it rediscovers love in its layers and layers of depth. the drama is kinda slow one but take your time and immerse yourself . sit back and relax. you are about to watch one of the finest kdrama of all time.
A highly recommended korean drama that will definitely make you feel nostalgic ... and you will love it for sure
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It will break you and cure you, just like life itself.
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched the first episode and wasn't super into it and put it on hold. After hearing out some of my MDL friends, I decided to give it another go and was really glad I did. Since there is a large cast and a lot of different relationship dynamics, it takes a few episodes to get everything sorted. If you're not initially wowed by the first episode, give it a couple episodes to really get going. That being said, I'm starting to really enjoy Slice of Life way more than I expected. Usually I'm really into dramas for the RomCom moments to lighten my day, but the family relationships and friendships that these dramas showcase make me feel all warm and tingly. Story: I really enjoyed the plot of this drama. Even though I'm too young for it to be nostalgic, I still got that sense of nostalgia for an older, pre-technology time if that makes any sense. The one thing I didn't love was the love triangle. I guess I've been watching fewer and fewer (serious) love triangles lately, so this hit a little different. Also, I guess I saw a bit of myself in Jung-Hwan, so maybe that's a good message for the future. Even though I love the ML and FL together, I also really liked the second male lead. Regardless, we can find a little bit of happiness that he also got a happy ending, seeing that the actors are actually dating irl. I wish we could have seen more of the ML and FL at the end. Like what about telling their family? How did that go?
Acting/Cast: 10/10 across the board. I've never really watched Park Bo Gum all the way through. Man, I've been missing out! His acting is fantastic. The way he can make his eyes tear up I mean damn boi. Also, Lee Hye Ri's expressions are EVERYTHING. That sort of comedic acting is hard to do well and I truly think she succeeded. Regardless, the rest of the cast did fantastic as well. All the old ajummas and ajusshis; like all of the real moms and dads of dramaland.
Music: How could you not bop/sing along?????
Rewatch value: High! Since a lot of the drama is episodic, it's not hard to jump back in.
TLDR; a great show, like so many I watched this year. I'm excited to watch more of Bo Gum's work and I got a little bit of second male lead angst this time around.
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