Reply 1988 (2015)

the bittersweet taste of memories...

I'm starting writing this review with my cheeks still wet by tears.
When I was looking for new series to watch with good ratings, I was a bit hesitant when I found Reply 1988 because of the subject, and of the length both of the series itself and of the episodes (some last almost two hours each). So I parked it in my wanna-watch list, waiting for a good moment to watch it.
I did a good choice not discarding it. This series is one of the best shows I watched so far, because of the story and the screenplay, because of the direction, because of the cast and the performances of each, because of the OST too.
That's not a banal family drama, but a story, a nice one, about families, about friendship, about love, and about memories, a story about transitions and transformation, finely performed by a cast of actors in a state of grace. The shiny gem among all has been Hyeri, who performed Deok-sun amazingly. She is from one of those younger generation of talented actors who well impressed me in terms of acting and scenic presence (like a Kim Tae-ri or Kim Da-mi). Deok-sun is a shiny person, full of contradictions, but really intelligent, and kind-hearted person. And around her the story travels among the memories of a youth which will never come back, stud with the stories of her friends, her family and the families of her friends, within a timeframe relatively short, but associated to that crucial moment of the lives of all of them, when they quickly transitioned from their being teens to their adult lives, and from the warmth and cozy place which were their families to the demanding challenges of their lives as adults. That moment full of passion and of enthusiasm, which will never come back again: the shiniest moment of the life, short but intense, that is the youth. In the end, the story of each one of us, which can be felt more deeply moving by whom, like me, is a peer of the older Deok-sun and her husband, while they tell those stories.
The whole during a period of the South Korean history, characterized by a crucial transition itself, from the dictatorship to the democracy, from a society still anchored to the traditions to the frenetic one of the current South Korea.
I felt captivated and involved all time long by the plot, which was compelled, and never boring nor flaw. I might say also because in part they were also looking like my story when I was just a youth and passing through that same moment of transition. I felt like part of that micro-world tied around the small alley of Ssangmundong. The involvement was so strong that several time I felt sad or happy as they were my friends or my family. That place was not just an ally surrounded by houses, but the place were an entire community, made of families, lived as a big family itself, in that fascinating Korean way to do it, sharing things, feelings, food, passions, friendship, help, money, tears, and laughs, where each house is home, a place to find a hot meal, a hand ready to help you and an ear ready to listen to you. Honestly, I also saw again my past life of the 80s and the 90s, even if, under another point of view, I felt a bit dazed mainly because of the music, since from that period I remember George Michael, INXS, Guns 'n Roses, Whitney Houston, and Belinda Carlisle (randomly), and they look replaced by the singers and the hits of the Korean music of that period.
Among a spectacular cast, I wish mentioning (in addition to Hyeri) Taek, performed brilliantly by Park Bo-gum, and some support roles that I found irresistible, that are Sung Dong-il, Kim Sung-kyun, and Bo-ra (Ryu Hye-young), not forgetting the small Jin-joo who I adored, so cute she was. But in general, the whole cast was well sorted.
The OST was very nice. Of course the more moving among the songs is Youth by Kim Chang-wan, and that because of the lyrics, in addition to the music itself.
Strongly suggested watching it: definitely worth.

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Um hino!

Eu não acreditei quando li sobre a série. Vi o 1o episódio muito desacreditada, mas quebrei a cara.
Essa série é um hino, um ícone. Uma história despretenciosa que te prende nos seus 100 minutos de episódio (cada) e acreditem, você não vê o tempo passar!
A simples história de uma amizade entre famílias de uma rua ao longo do tempo nos remete a nossa própria vida, afinal quem viveu essa época conhece bem o telefone fixo, a tv de botão entre outras. A série trata sobre tudo de gente! Gente normal, que grita, ri, chora, sofre, tem problemas de saúde, problemas financeiros, gente que tem problemas e que segue em frente, se ajuda, não desiste, que a gente aprende a amar.
No final da série tudo que eu queria era ter vivido naquela rua com aquelas pessoas extraordinárias.

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Shows the Beauty of Youth

"Reply 1988" is an emotional masterpiece with standout acting and rich character depth. The series, set in Ssangmun-dong, brilliantly portrays the lives of five families. The actors' chemistry brings warmth and authenticity, making every moment heartfelt. Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, and Ryu Jun-yeol deliver powerful performances that capture the nuances of youth and friendship. The parents' roles add layers of love and sacrifice, making the show deeply relatable. "Reply 1988" beautifully blends humor and poignancy, leaving a lasting emotional impact and celebrating life's simple joys.

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Delightful, heartwarming, beautiful, and never dull.

This drama took me back in time - mix tapes. rubiks cubes, going crazy for stars, reading trashy teenage smut... I could go on and on. The same teenage experience, just on the other side of the world from me. Even the fashion was recognizable. The storytelling device of having their older selves being interviewed gave the feeling that everything in the past was simply reminiscing about their journey into adulthood, which gave it a pleasant feeling,. Just for the nostalgia alone this is easily worth 10 stars, but it is so much more than just that.

The thing that struck me the most about this drama was the sense of community. This is not the first time I have found this in a Korean drama, but every time it moves me a lot, and every time it is presented in a different way. Here in this alley there were clearly people better off than others, but at no time was this division made into a wedge to drive people apart - everyone shared. Food, house chores, watching children, gossip, laughter, tears, troubles - this is a list that could go on and on. The adults shared a bond, and so did the kids. The flashback scenes of them all as very small children growing up together made it easy to see why they were all so close. In this drama the community was essentially one big family - emphasized by the fact that they called for all the neighbors to jump into the family photo.

The acting was superb. The young people were all so well-performed that it was a particularly immersive show - they truly seemed like kids just living their daily lives. They were not all perfect students or perfectly behaved, but they were all good to one another and to the people around them. The adults were played nicely also, all with humanizing quirks and well-developed personalities.

The music was nice; presumably comprised of Korean songs well-suited to the late eighties to mid-nineties. In general it did not pull me in as much as other aspects of the show did since it wasn't the popular music of my youth, but it was all quite enjoyable anyway.

Definitely a show worth watching - despite the long episodes I kept not wanting to stop because the story is so compelling.

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An excellent portrayal of love, family, and friendship from a small fragment of the past

Masterfully depicted journey back in time, this drama successfully evoked feelings of nostalgia and deep emotions of joy mixed with sorrow within me, especially when one becomes aware of the passage of time and the realization that everything that once was can no longer be reclaimed. Yet, in the end, only love remains.

Story: 10.0
Through the portrayal of the lives of several families, encompassing their struggles, challenges, moments of bliss, failures, successes, first loves, and heartaches, the narrative seamlessly transports us to the year 1988, during the Olympic Games in Korea. It grants us a glimpse and a sense of the prevailing atmosphere of that era. A captivating narrative unfolds, beautiful story of love, family, friendship, and the transformative journey to adulthood.

Actors: 10.0
The cast delivered an outstanding performance, effectively transmuting emotions from the television screen to captivate the audience in a truly remarkable manner.

Music: 9.0
Even though it's fitting into the general atmosphere that prevails throughout the series, I give it 9.0

Re-watch: 10.0
The profound impact this series can leave on the viewer suggests that it has great potential for repeated viewings, making it a timeless show to revisit in the future.

I wholeheartedly recommend this show.

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An ode to youth and friends

Reply 1988 is like a cup of warm tea on a cold morning, the kind of drink that warms your soul. Nothing can compare to all the emotions that you feel while watching this drama. Let's talk about the drama now (It'll be a little long :D)

CHARACTERS:
The main reason why this drama feels like home is because of the whole cast who does exceptioanlly well in portraying their respective characters. And that includes all the members of Ssangmun dong neighborhood. My favorite character in this series has to be Jung hwan cause he is the type of person who may not be vocal about their love but will show it through their actions and I can relate to that. Tbh, I fell in love with him. The confession scene and all the scene he had with Deok sun made me cry so much cause there was so much love and hurt in his eyes that my heart ache for him. And that is the reason I initially dropped this series in 1st episode. Talking about Deok sun, Hyeri is perfect for the cast. The funny, carefree and loving nature she had in this drama was so heartwarming. Taek is just so pure and innocent. He was well loved and taken care by everyone and he was very steady about his feelings fro Deok sun too. Sun woo is the ideal son who cares so much about his mom and sister. Although he had some hard time accepting Moo-sung, he never hated him or Taek. And lastly, one of my favorite character of this drama which is Dong ryong literally did so good cause he is funny yet emotionally mature given he doesn't receive much attention from his parents. Whenever he popped up in any scene, I just laughed cause his acting and role is so fit for each other. Though most of you might have hated Bora during first episodes, she is not evil or aloof. She is just that way cause she has to be a strong independent woman to make her family live a good life in future. Also she softened alot in later episodes. My next favorite character in this series is Jung Bong. He's hilarious and his dumb yet fascinating hobbies made the series really funny. And kudos to Miran, Il-hwa, Sun-young, Moo-sung, Dong-il, Seong-gyun and Jae myung for being the perfect cast ever.

STORY:
The story of this series is about youth and friendship of 5 people who grew up together in the same neighborhood and the changes they face as they grow up. It was really heartwarming to see how 5 of them were so close to each other. The bond they had was so wholesome. Also, I loved how Miran and Seong gyun never thought of others as inferior although they were well off. They always helped the others and made sure everyone was fed. That is what I loved about this drama. The three ladies of Ssangmun-dong: Miran, Il-hwa and Sun-young sharing so much love and food with each other and never having any evil thoughs towards each other.
Also the love triangle in this story is heartbreaking but you will never ever hate any of them. I dropped this drama in first episode cause JH and DS was not the end game. But as I picked up the drama and continued to watch it, I realized that it was never about them really. Yes, there was plot of romance, but this drama is much more than the love triangle. This drama navigates through friendship, relation between parents and children, moving out of the house, financial issues and romance. Everything that we experience in our youth is what is shown in this drama. And I bet you will cry so much in most of the episodes. I have never cried so much in a drama before. And especially the last scene of last episode is such a tearjerker. And I just relaised that the last scene of last episode and first scene of first episode is same. The way I cried so hard during both is unimaginable. Also when whole neighborhood moves out, I felt so empty inside as if I was the one moving away from them. But this is life, we cannot be around the same people forever. Eventually, some will leave and some will stay.

This drama is a must watch cause this drama has perfect balance of happiness, comedy, sadness, anger, hesitation and love. Nothing will stay same in our life. We will pass our youth age and when we look back, we realize that it's the people that made our youth the way it is. Cheers to our youth where we made new friends, fell in love for the first time, had rebelling thoughts against our family and experienced a heartbreak. Now as we pass our youth, we have left some people in the past but carried their memories with us. But we all remember our youth, the memories we created and the love we had. This drama reminisces about our youth and maybe that is why we feel empty once this drama finishes.

Lastly, thank you to Reply 1988 for giving us such a heartwarming drama where we rememebr our youth, which will never come back but we'll revisit it time and again. Thank you to all the casts who gave justice to this drama and the crew involed in this drama.

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The best of Reply series

LIKE

The strong bond among all neighbours from start till the end

What Dong Il said each year when the Sung's family were watching singing competition - so funny

The disappointed Deok Sun on how her parents treated her as compared to Bo Ra

The sudden pain Deok Sun felt when she visited Bo Ra at her hostel

When Mi Ran left home leaving the Kim family alone for a few days - super hilarious what happened at home

When everyone judged a girl by her cover and the immediate guilt after they found out the reason why

How could one forget the "Mehhhh Mehhhh" - LOL

DISLIKE

Probably the the annoying Jung Hwan who couldn't made up his mind

MUSIC - personal fav

Youth - Feel Kim (ft. Kim Chang wan)
Hyehwadong - Park Boram
Don't Worry - Lee Juck

REWATCH VALUE

Yes of course, totally loved this drama.

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Checklist on why “Reply 1988” deserves 10 Stars:

1. CAST - Every actor, whether main or supporting, junior or senior, adult or child, wholeheartedly portrayed their individual roles with depth and realism.
2. SCRIPT - Five families living and thriving on the same street. You will laugh and cry with them throughout their many milestones and ordeals, and feel that you’ve become a part of their family by the time you wipe away your tears on the final episode.
3. MUSIC - OST is comprised of upbeat tunes and melancholic melodies that stick to your head like a catchy LSS. They’re played subtly in the background, making the scenes more heartfelt and pronounced.
4. SET DESIGN - South Korea in 1988 gradually transitioning to 2015. From the hairstyles and fashion, furniture and gadgets, to the lingo and trends - the production crew astonishingly enabled the audience to go back in time.
5. LESSONS IN LIFE - Watch and learn!

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This is one of my most fav drama! It is a very slow drama and tbh I don't like slow drama's .But after watching this I really really thank the writer for writing such a beautiful and heartwarming story...I just cannot express HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS DRAMA .....All the scenes in these dramas has meanings behind it and i cried so much because the scene's were SO heartwarming. The Characters in these drama was the most amazing part because if there were other characters in these drama it would not fit them well as much as this characters did ,every single one of them did their role so beautifully even the characters who just appeared for 1min or for a short amount of time was just perfect .....I realized that this moment is going to fly away and I won't be able to come back to that beautiful moment that passed away which i learned from this drama - REPLY 1988.....I CAN just watch this drama AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN WITHOUT HAVING ANY REGRET.....

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