I really have no intention of watching this drama because I was quite disappointed with Reply 1997. Since then, I lost the excitement to watch any REPLY drama series. But, then one day my dearest friend who is a Korean told me to watch REPLY 1988, because it is really good, and the only Korean drama he'd watch with his entire life. He keeps talking and convincing me to watch it, while I was skeptical the whole time, and suddenly utter the words 진짜 for real??? (Chincha-means Really). And he goes saying, Yes. I'll bet you'll gonna love it. So I decided to give it a try, watch it, since this person really mean a lot to me.
Reply 1988 It is a family drama set in the year 1988, about five families living in the same neighborhood of Ssangmun-dong, Dobong District, Northern Seoul. Inspired from the Three Families Under One Roof (1986) drama and third installment of the Reply series. Starring Lee Hyeri, Park Bo-gum, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, and Lee Dong-hwi.
THE FAMILY
Sung Family
- Sung Dong-il (played by Sung Dong-il) - Deok-sun's father.
- Lee Il-hwa (played by Lee Il-hwa) - Deok-sun's mother.
- Sung Deok-sun (played by Lee Hyeri) - the only girl in their group of five neighborhood friends.She has a bubbly personality and always makes people around her happy. Unfortunately she is kind and ranked 999th in school.
- Sung Bo-ra (played by Ryu Hye-young) - Deok-sun's older sister, a student at Seoul National University ill-tempered and always fight with Deok-sun.
- Sung No-eul (played by Choi Sung-won) - Deok-sun's younger brother, but he looks much older than his age.
Kim Family
- Kim Sung-kyun (played by Kim Sung-kyun) - Jung-hwan's father, he act so wierd and a little childish. He loves to fix things and end-up screwing everything.
- Ra Mi-ran (played by Ra Mi-ran) - Jung-hwan's mother a little freak, thank to her husband behavior.
- Kim Jung-hwan (played by Ryu Jun-yeol) -known as Jungpal among the group, his a little rude especially to Deok-sun, it is his way of hiding his true feelings towards the latter. He loves soccer and a top students in there school and always stay cool most of the time but actually he's very warm inside.
- Kim Jung-bong (played by Ahn Jae-hong) - Jung-hwan's older brother. He failed 7 times in college exam. Acts weird but really smart.
Sun-woo Family
- Kim Sun-young (played by Kim Sun-young) - Sun-woo's mother. She's a widow and Taek's father bestfriend.
- Sung Sun-woo (played by Go Kyung-pyo) - A good kid and a caring brother, his a dependable son to his family. He always stick to the principle and studies all the time. Like Jung-hwan his also a top student in school. His father died two years ago so he's the only guy of the family. Very obedient to his mother, and never complains anything to her.
- Sung Jin-joo (played by Kim Seol) - Sun-woo's cute little sister.
Choi Family
- Choi Moo-sung (played by Choi Moo-sung) - is Taek's father. His also a widower. And always acts to cool in front of everybody. Later he and Sung-woon's mother will fall in love and get married.
- Choi Taek (played by Park Bo-gum) - is a genius baduk player; he quits school and focus his self only about baduk. Taek is very happy whenever his gang gathers in his house after he comes back from the international competition. Among the group he thinks Deok-sun is pretty and openly admit he has feeling for Deok-sun.
Ryu family
- Ryu Jae-myung (played by Yoo Jae-myung) - is Dong-ryong's father. He is also the boys homeroom teacher and principal in school.
- Ryu Dong-ryong (played by Lee Dong-hwi) is the geek and mood-maker of the group; he never study even though his father is the school's principal but he has more knowledgeable about girls and life in general. He also like to dance all the time.
One of the biggest difference about this drama from the rest of reply series is that, it emphasis on family and friendship mix with romance and comedy. While Reply 1997 focused more about the past of the youth. I have zero expectation when I started watching this series and you know why. Reply 1988 blow me away, my friend is right this drama is really good. The story involves not only to the main leads and the friends but also everyone in the neighborhood. They group themselves from father, mother and youngster group. It's character has its own story. There wasn't any episodes wherein I did not shed any tears, laugh like fool and giggle to the max. I'm a self proclaim SUCKER in any drama with touching story-line, especially if it involves about family and friendship. My friend is right when he told that watching Reply 1988 would make you realize how people changed over the past. Mid-way through this drama I can't help but look back, from how I was before technology dominates the present day time. Life of today is really by far different from what it is used to be before. People talk and had a real communication and can survive without any technology. And live a simple, genuinely happy and contented life. While today is the other way around.
Spoiler Alert! Read at your own risk!!!
- LOVE TRIANGLE - Deoksun-Taek-Jungpal.
Jungpal is a total bummer!!! Why?, because he likes Deoksun but doesn't have the courage to confess his feeling and always blame the wrong timing. Totally absurd!!! Deoksun even some sort of feelings that Jungpal might have feelings for her and even showed a little excitement about it and he just blow it away. Although, I would like to thanked his action by doing so, because I'm a die-hard Team Taek fan. So it wasn't that frustrating at all when he decided to step back and not pursue Deoksun anymore.
Taek and Deoksun shared a good bond of friendship, they are bit close to each other compared to the rest of the boys. Deoksun always look after Taek and always worries about him. Taek on the other hand is alway's submissive to Deoksun. Although I never hinted this two would end up together because it was Deoksun-Sungwoo, then Sungwoo-Bora, then Deoksun-Jungpal. So I was really thrilled when Taek told the boy's that he has feelings towards Deoksun. From that moment on, I stop guessing who would be Deoksun's love interest in the drama, because right then and then I could feel that it was Taek. And I'm so happy my intuitions did not disappoint me. Because my heart really goes for Park Bo-gum (Taek) hahaha. How can it be not? He makes me giggle, his so sweet and adorable cute. His role in this drama win my heart. I wasn't even aware that this wasn't my first time seeing this guy act. As I become a Bo-gum fan, I started borrowing him in the net. And I found that he was part of "Cantabile Tomorrow". I was too blind to see him being close with my bae "Moon Joo Won" or it was maybe because his role there as a Juilliard-educated cellist isn't exciting as the famous baduk player in Reply1988? Anyhow this guy won another soul all the way from Philippines. Big thanks to REPLY 1988 and to my friend for pestering me watch this drama ;)
Oooops! Don't get your expectation too high, because it's not Taek-Deoksun's wedding. It's Sunwoo and Bora.
If I have to choose which Reply series is the best, obviously this series would be my choice. Though I heard the original is still the best but Reply 1988 captivated my heart and mind. Not to mention how awesome the ending.
Although I was a little disappointed with how Jungpal (Ryu Jun-yeol) and Dongryong (Lee Dong-hwi) character ended because lets face it, this two were both utterly fantastic in their roles but they get nothing in the end. Anyhow, everyone is great. They played with distinctive colors and intensity throughout the end. It's no surprise that this drama had the highest rating ever for a cable drama viewership, achieving 18.8 % for the finale.
MY RATINGS : 10/10
Have you been watching REPLY 1988? What do you think about it? Share your thoughts and leave your comments below! Happy Drama Watching Everyone!!!
(PS. All picture grabbed from google credits to its owner)
