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