usually i don't like comedy-romance dramas that much , but i REALLY REALLY loved Reply 1994 , maybe because it's so realistic and HILARIOUS , but DRAMATIC at the same time , like it joins all the elements together to create such a beautiful drama.
The story overall may look simple , but i was surprised that i didn't feel bored in any moment while watching the episodes though the episodes are longer than the usual.
The Cast probably is one of the reasons of making me love this drama, although it's the first time for me to know them they impressed me.
and as i said before, what makes the drama special is that it's so realistic and what made it realistic is the outstanding acting of the talented cast.
And importantly .. the ending was satisfying :DDD to me.
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The plot was superb. I think this drama truly taught us the power of a writer. The writers were GENIUS here. And I'm not saying that just because they succeeded in trolling us so much. The power of the writers truly lies in the building of characters. And that was the strength of this beautiful story. The Characters. All these characters that made us laugh and cry.
Whether it was Sam Cheon Po's weirdness or Trash's dorky-ness or even Chil Bong Yi's sweetness, every character was special. They weren't perfect, but special. It's not easy building such lovable characters and such a funny script. There are times when a famous actor makes a drama, but in dramas like Reply 1994, the writers are the real heroes.
But that doesn't mean the actors weren't any good. THEY WERE AMAZING! Trash, Na Jung, Chil Bong Yi, Haitai, Binggrae, Yoo Jin, appa, omma, even all the cameo actors (especially the Reply 1997 cast!) they were all such good actors and I think they'll all go a long way. The ending was great for me too. I know a lot of people were left disappointed by the ending, but if you really look closely at the facts, it's not tough to guess who the husband is. Nevertheless, a fangirl ships who her heart ships, I'm no judge. All I can say is that I was satisfied with everyone's ending and I felt sad when the drama ended because I feel like I was living at that Boarding House for all that time too and I felt emotional leaving. It's sort of crazy, I know.
I loved the music of this show. The original soundtrack as well as the old 90s songs they used in the background music! :) I found a lot of 90s kpop gems thanks to this show! :D I'm going to rewatch drama for sure. It's a total keeper. lol. And I'm really hoping that they make one more season. And I hope they'll keep the same parents again. The ajjusshi was so funny, always predicting the opposite XD and omg the mom was so sweet, cooking and looking after everyone. Very pretty actress. I want to see Man From The Stars, just because she plays someone's mom in that show :)
This is a great drama overall but people should definitely watch Reply 1997 first, that way they'll understand the cameos better. What can I say? I'm obsessed with the cameo the first season cast did! lol.
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Most Kdramas have the two leads in which you already know from the beginning that they will end up together. With this one I didn't know who the male lead was going in, and maybe as per the drama there wasn't supposed to be one, as it's more about the ensemble. I've watched enough Kdramas though, to know that from the very beginning they skew it toward one relationship and thats how it would end up. The hype and the whole thing of keeping the husband a mystery really does piss me off when it turns out as predictable as every other Kdrama. I guess it was the hype that made me hope it would do something different, as I didn't have a problem with who it ended up being, but it was just super annoying in the way it played out. Reply 1997 wasn't much different, but maybe I didn't have a problem with that one because I already knew that Seo In Guk was the male lead, and it didn't prance around the idea of trying to fool us as much.
This drama was way over long too. It's a cable show, aren't they supposed to stick to the 45 minute or less format? I guess not. Many scenes went over far too long, with no added substance, including a final episode that felt nothing but that.
The acting was great though. Go Ara kind of bugged me at first, but she really settled into the role and owned it as did everyone else. The set of characters and their friendship is really the strongest thing the show had going for it, as well as the humor provided with those secondary characters.
What's up with forgetting about the son? The parents have a baby some episodes in. And some of the episodes and scenes were as if they forgot he even existed. Like all the times they eat at the table and he isn't even there. WTF? Seriously strange.
My recommendation going into this show is to spoil it for yourself. You might enjoy it more that way actually. Because like most Kdramas, its not as if you don't know who is going to end up together in the end anyways, right?
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The first episode didn't really make me curios about the next episode but after i watched the second episode it was a good drama to watch because the interesting plot that makes the watchers curious about who is gonna be Na Jung's husband.
I adore every aspect of this drama, from the wardrobe, the interior design, the music, the plot, it all become a great package. I also love every character of this drama and they all played really well. If you need something fresh and fun, then this is the drama you should probably watch to enjoy your day and being dragged to old times again.
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Having watched Reply 1997, I couldn't help myself from comparing 1994 to the first one. Some aspects of it are similar, like the love triangle, the parents and the pseudo-familial bonds. But this ensemble has a story of its own to tell and its own lessons to pass on, which is where the rewatch value lies.
First, the story. I am too young to understand many of the pop culture references and trends referenced in the show. However, the show continues what it did so well in "1997" - appealing to universal themes of youth, moving away from home and your parents, sibling relationships, first loves, family and, growing up. Some important news events that occurred during that time period were nicely woven into the characters' storylines. Another thing this writer does well, which I find unique from other dramas, is the way each episode has a theme, a lesson, and often focuses on certain relationships and characters. This gives the supporting characters equal opportunities to tell their stories and shine.
However, after the halfway mark, the episodes got too long for their own good. I found myself groaning towards the finish line.
I found this love triangle a lot tighter than the one in "1997", which was a dead giveaway to me halfway through the show. It was hard to ally myself with an OTP. I did have my suspicions who the husband would be, and while I'm glad my guess was right, both male leads won my heart over and I still ache for the one that was denied.
Next, the cast. The show has done it again - making superstars out of its cast. I'm pleasantly surprised by the makeover that Go Ara went through for her character. I would never be as endeared to Oppa Trash if Jung Woo was not portraying him, and Yoo Yeon Seok plays Chilbong with such earnestness and sincerity. Without going into all the supporting characters, the strength of this show does lie in the ensemble and I'm glad they were all very appropriately cast.
Finally, the music. I love the use of different songs as themes for the various relationships. The revival of hit songs from the early 90s was a big bonus.
I will miss this camaraderie in this alternate universe created in the show!
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Good drama at start, however ruined due to long 21 episodes.
After watching reply 1997, I immediately, on the same day dived into this drama, its successor. At start I was intrigued and interested. However as the drama progressed, I became disillusioned. I realized, a strong desire to make the writer of this drama to stand under noon sun, with his arms raised to punish for destroying the plot that held so much potential, had risen in me. Also, I don't know, whether to blame the writer, director or the actor Yoo Yoon Seok for making the baseball player so creepy, pathetic and slimy bastard. I had realized prior that Yoo Yoon Seok is not able to carry 'down-to-earth modest' type guy from his Hospital Playlist 1 & 2 performance. He comes across as pretentious and fake.The main thing, which I think ruined this drama were:
1. Long 21 episodes which are of more than an hour duration. The writer it seems didn't had enough material to make it work. It could have been possible, if they had focused more on the individual lives of the boarding house residents, instead of dwelling just on the love angle. I mean come on guys, you had college as a canvas to draw out so many stories and emotions. No college life was shown. Most of the time the college kids never seem to study or do anything remotely related to college.
2. Half baked love triangle and creepy and stalker type behavior of second ML.
3. Protracted 'who's the husband' tool which lost its significance somewhere in between.
I think, korean drama writers have a problem. They start out very promising premise, and then get entangled in ticking of the must have scene plots that they lose focus of what's required and what's not.
The things I liked about this drama are:
1. FL -ML's delicate and loyal bond which could have been done better. They could have avoided the whole one lead going for 1-2 year out of country plot. It was really not required and to be frank was kind of off-putting.
2. As always, the best part of reply series is the bond of Sung Dong Il and Lee Il Hwa as husband and wife.
3. Nostalgic feel.
All in all, its ok drama. Give it a try.
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It's hard to review 1994 and 1988 without comparing it to 1997, which I think was still the best among the three. 1997 was able to balance everything -- youth and the nostalgia of the late 90s, friendship, family, and the romance. Plus, Jung Eun Ji was really great as Sung Shi Won -- I still think she was the best female lead in Reply series. 1988's strength on the other hand was family and friendships. I cannot count the times that I've cried because of the touching scenes between mother and sons, father and daughters, and among friends. The romance took a back seat and though I loved both Taek and Jung Hwan, I really didn't expect that turnout. I was blindsided and I thought the show didn't give much room for Duk Seon to show why she made that choice.
Back to 1994. I love the cast (especially the mainstays -- mom Lee Il Hwa and dad Sung Dong Il) and I love that they're in college instead of high school -- I think that gave romance a bit more maturity. I think each cast shined but my favorites were Haitai, Yoonjin and Samcheonpo. I can understand why people were so torn between Chilbong and Trash and why some were so disappointed with the end result but hey, it was obvious from the beginning who Na Jung was going to end up with. Personally, I'm happy with her choice (and unlike Duk Seon, we clearly saw where Na Jung's heart was) but I was super frustrated with how the show dragged the love triangle. Did it really have to be 21 episodes? It was too long, some parts were unnecessary and boring. If they kept it at the usual 16-episode format and didn't drag the romance part too much, I would have probably given this show 10 stars.
The best thing about this show? The OST. It was so so so good! My favorites are Sung Si Kyung's version of Seo Taiji's To You, and Blue's Only Feeling You as sung by Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon Seok and Son Hojun. I can't over how good the songs were.
Overall, Reply 1994 is a good, must-watch drama. :)
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