Înapoi în 1988 (2015)

Ahhh the feels! I did not want this to end. One of my complaints with 1994 was actually that the episodes were too long and that it just didn't have enough content to fill that time. Like there were episodes where they were at the dinner table for so long and it just dragged. That was understandable to happen since it focused on just one household. 1988 fixes that brilliantly, as it focuses on multiple households. Sure, characters fall in love, but this show was more about family and friendship. It's written so brilliantly and authentic that it never once falls into any drama cliches. It's just an absolute joy to watch. Every character is likable in their own way, and if I wasn't laughing out loud, then there was probably a tear coming down my face. This show filled me with emotions and just never let go.

In comparison I did really like 1997, but was not a fan of 1994. In either regard this one passed them both in spades for me. Even though I had it spoiled for me who the husband was before I started watching, it didn't take away from it at all. I compliment the writer for being much more progressive in that manner. 1997 it was obvious who the husband was. 1994 was less obvious, but they still heavily skewed it toward who it was. This one didn't feel obvious at all until the later episodes, and they even skewed it away.
The writer said that they wanted the audience to focus more on the family/friends aspect rather than the whole guess the husband thing, and that makes sense given the last episode doesn't give much focus to it. Which I am fine with, even though it's a slight disappointment that we at least didn't get a scene of them telling their families about their relationship, and would like to have seen the overall reaction from everyone. Oh well, doesn't take away enough for me to lower my score on this, as I just completely fell in love with this show. This show practically portrays every theme you can think of when it comes to family and friendship, and does so in such moving ways.
As for the acting, everyone was great. Hyeri did a fantastic job, along with everyone else. I don't have a single complaint about any of them.

This is my 92nd completed K-drama, and only my second perfect 10 score. It will definitely be hard for me to stop thinking about this one for a while.

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This drama really is a gem, different from any other dramas you could ever watch. It's not a typical KDrama so if you think KDramas are not your cup of tea, maybe you should try to watch this one.

All the characters in this drama are written beautifully. I love every single of them, everyone has their own story to be told.
This drama has been a wonderful emotional roller coaster for me. As a family-romance-comedy drama, it did make me feel all emotions. I laughed a lot. And at some times, I was made burst in tears. This drama successfully made me cry in more than 5 episodes. The whole story is so touching and heartwarming, and also very realistic which anyone who watches it will find it relatable to our lives.
All the songs featured in the drama scream perfection.
I will definitely rewatch this drama. Reply 1988 is that kind of drama that you will not forget forever. I find difficulty watching another drama because I end up comparing them to this, lol.
This drama surely is flawed, but my love for it is 100% that I would give it 10 for all categories.

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Nooooo i cant believe its over. Im so sad i was so invested in this show from beginning. The whole cast and crew was perfect they blended well with each other. Duk seon was the main girl and everything revolved around her. You were either team taek or team jung hwan. Both loves start from way in the beginning so we have no clue until the end the twist. Its an overall comedic show but the last 2 episodes are so sad we balling. Duk seons dad is just hilarious and jung hwans dad was weirdly funny. It was indeed a fun ride and I'll miss dong ryong and his wittiness. Taek and his romanticness , school life, and the freaking goat sound. Must see

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Actually I'm getting confuse how to review this drama. Some part is not going as I expected, but it's excellent overall. I'll just explain my rating's score for each category.
This drama is about friendship (theme that I personally adore), family and neighborhood. The whole production (story, cast, music, editing, cinematogpraphy, etc.) grab the viewers to live in it.
The story been told well. The plot was keep its path to be reasonable without forgetting its value as a tv drama.

The actors/actresses are casted perfectly. They brought the roles alive and make us feel like already know them personally. It's an awesome idea and also a great job to create various characters unite in one production. I could feel Dukseon's feeling as a middle child of girl-girl-boy siblings, and my parent also work at a bank. I can relate her feelings and situation personally. I believe that the other roles also present our own self, our friends or our family. Their acting feels real that could make us live with them. I gave a bold perfect score for them. Thumbs up!

For every new song (ost.) that came out from this drama, I search it right away. The sound-track and singers were selected perfectly. Even though those were remake songs, they'd been delivered well. All of the sounds (music, ost., sound-effect, etc.) placed at the right moment. They're impactful and increase the story value.

It's good to re-watch this after finish it once. Why? Just to remind you what's really going on, and also to help you understand the whole story in case you got confuse. For me, personally, I'll re-watch this again whenever I miss those roles.

ps. Guys, just in case you feel disappointed or frustrate in the middle of watching this drama, I suggest you to keep on watching until the end.

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My favorite of the series !

Reply 1988 was in my list for a long time and I just watched it recently. I was actually quite hesitant regarding the period (88) which is completly unkwnown to me and didn't seem appealing. Reply 1997 was one of my favorite drama and I really liked the 1994 version even though they were some lenghts in it, so I gave it a try despite the 1.30 hours episodes ! And I don't regret it AT ALL.

Story : I cannot say much about the scenario as it is really a "slice of life" type of drama. Each episode has its story with a guided thread, focus and a moralty. It talks about family, friendships, love, work, and so much more. You will definitly find one story in which you recognize yourself or a piece of your life. The stories were really touching especially the one with the parents. I got invested in EVERY story, and the bound uniting all those people living together was the driving force of the drama. I sobbed so much at the end of the drama with all the flashbacks. The only down side of the scenario for me is clearly the ending couple. As a rom-com lover, it could have ruined all the drama but the rest was done so well that I accept that. I am still convinced that they changed the husband last minute because of the popularity of the actor because it didn't make any sense. They did my boy dirty and I am dispapointed he didn't have a proper ending (the love declaration really broke my heart , ALL his scenes broke my heart for real). An other reason why I thnik the story was changed last minute is they never showed any interaction between Deok Sun and Jung Hwan's father despite them being really closed at the begining. Everything was made for here to end up with JH at the begining and I am sad they didnit really discussed their feeling (even in the future) because they clearly liked each other.

Characters/Acting : Clearly the best part of this drama. I am not gonna talk in details about all of them because it will be way too long. I was happy to find the main couple of parents, who comes bacl in each season. They are so funny and touching at the same time and the drama would not be the same without Dong Il IMO.
Every one played their part at perfection and I got really attached to everyone (except maybe for Bora who was quite annoying for third of the drama. A special shout out to Deok Sun/Hyeri. I was impressed by her acting and I loooooved her character. I was less impressed by Teak/Park Bo gum : I found him nice but didn't really like his "puppy" side and didn't find any chemistry with deok sun. Lastly I loved the chemistry between deok sun and Jung Hwan and her friendship with Dong Ryung who was clearly her soulmate as she said, they were so similar !

Music was cute and well used but I won't be listening to the ost. Special mention for the goat sound.
The episodes were really long so most of the time, I was watching it in 2 times because we do have a life sometimes :). I will not rewatch it because of the lenght of the episodes but I would still watch some scenes of my ship (that actually happened in RL so it's ok) or some funny moments.

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Moving and heartwarming drama

Can I just say that Park Bo Gum is an excellent actor? I started watching Love in the Moonlight (but got sidetracked) so this was really my first time watching him. Can I just say how effective he was in that scene where Sun Woo came in the room excitedly to tell Taek that he reconciled with Noona Bo Ra and Dong Ryong and Deok Sun were inside the room as well? That scene where Sun Woo was hiding behind Taek and Taek denied that he knew about it? He was laughing and denying it at the same time. Superb acting there because I can really see myself with that kind of expression. Some acting in dramas are exaggerated but Park Bo Gum's acting in that scene was SPOT ON. Out of all the Bogummy scenes in the drama, this is my favorite and the scene with Deok Sun's dad in Ep. 2 comes as my second favorite. Way to go Park Bo Gum! He is to me the best Korean actor ( and I am huge fan of other Korean actors) with his most expressive eyes. I AM NOW A FAN!

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This is perfection, no wonder it was the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television

This drama teaches so many things about life, family and friendship and little life changing gestures that I just cannot express in a mere review how perfect it was, from the beginning till the end.
I won't say who the female leads ends with but once you re-watch the drama or think back at many things, everything starts to make sense. I wonder if there are still people who don't know who Duk Seon's husband is, but if you don't, and even if you do, please just watch the drama anyway. It is really not about the ship, this is just a particular aspect of the Reply series, just one aspect among many other more important ones

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Let me introduce Ssangmun-dong

There is so much to unpack in this series. This is definitely one of those series wherein after you watched it, you'll never be the same person before you watched it. You just kinda grow and mature with the characters.

The story. I love how it has a little bit of everything: friendship, family, love, career, decisions almost everything that life offers. The depiction is too relatable that even after watching it I felt like it has become a part of me.

The characters. I just love the dynamic of how everyone interacts with each other. The chemistry of the entire village is unmatched. The friendship among the 5 Ssangmun children. The variety of each and every family. The uniqueness of everyone which made the story even more colorful.

There's so much I wanted to say about this series but I felt like my words can't justify the whole beauty of it.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to watch a light-hearted, funny and lesson-filled drama. 31 hours of my time is so worth it for this series.

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After a lot of time and a lot of tears, I finally end this beauty. Seriously, if you don't watch the Reply Series, you need to begin now. I'll not give any spoilers here about the main couple, but all I have to say about this is that I didn't cheer wrongly this time, and I was always hoping that the couple was exactly that. Not even for a second I cheered for the rejected one.

I'll start talking about my favorite character, Seong Deok Seon (Lee Hye Ri). Lee Hye Ri it's an incredible actress, and I'm very happy that she had the opportunity to shine again recently with "My Roommate Is A Gumiho", but Deok Seon is my favorite female lead these days. The charming of this character to me is to see how Deok Seon represents the most part of the teenage girls that lived in the 80/90's. Her strength and kindness were touching so many times that made me think about many things that I do in my life and the way how I see my youth. This girl will be unforgettable.

All the boys were also amazing, but I have to emphasize my Master Choi (Park Bo Gum), that started as a moron but turns out into the most incredible guy, with great strength and maturity that made me cry and smile all the time. Seon Woo (Go Kyung Pyo) was the bomb that I was expecting would explode, but nothing happened. His personality seems quite repressed for me, even more than Taek sometimes, and I wish could see a little explosion there. The same for Dong Ryong (Lee Dong Hwi), which clearly acted as a support role between the friends, which we can see even in the appearance of his parents. He was so fun and necessary sometimes, that I felt his character was a little wronged. And, of course, my major frustration here, the moron Kim Jung Hwan (Ryu Joon Yeol) - yes, I'm still enraged -. Guys, seriously... I wanted to root for this guy, but every time he disappointed me with his double actions, and uncertainness... His speech in the penultimate episode was the synopsis of his attitude, and that drove me crazy. I understand the motive, but at the same time it isn't justifiable for me. The ring scene... oh my gosh...

This show is far away beyond romance, and I remember a lot of "Go Ahead". See the interactions between the families and friends and how the things going on was incredible and each character marked me in a certain way. I wouldn't take off anything from this, it was everything perfect. To say something bad, I just made the episodes a little shorter because some had almost 2 hours, and it was a little hard to keep up the rhythm, but if you like big dramas, you gonna love it.

This one is another chosen one for me (★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★★). This drama will give all kinds of emotions to you and any second will be worth it. I have to say that, even being better produced and more elaborated, the 1997 is still my favorite one :D

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Nostalgia at its core

"Reply 1988" is a remarkable series that left a profound impact on me. From start to finish, the show enveloped me in a comforting warmth that felt like a hug from an old friend. Its charm lies not in grandiose plot twists or flashy production, but in its beautifully crafted portrayal of everyday life and the intricacies of human relationships.

What truly captivated me was the show's ability to evoke genuine joy and nostalgia. Each episode was a heartwarming exploration of family, friendship, and love, capturing the essence of the late 80s with remarkable authenticity. The characters' growth and the development of their storylines were nothing short of enchanting. I loved watching them evolve, their journeys woven together in a way that felt both intricate and deeply personal.

"Reply 1988" excels in its simplicity and sincerity. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling that resonates on a human level, celebrating the small moments that often go unnoticed but make life truly special.

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So emotional, heart-warming drama

To be honest when I watched the first episode I literally wanted to drop this drama. I liked it but not that much. Every episode is longer than 1h 30 min. So I thought I can't watch this drama which contains 20 episodes. But gladly I didn't dropped it. And when I was at 3rd episode I fell in love with this drama. There is some comedy throughout the whole drama. And it becomes very emotional for the last few episodes. This drama also has a romantic side. It felt like I was living in the drama's neighborhood for these few days. This drama is so damn hard to get over with. You will feel so empty after finishing it. Everytime i listen to the Hyehwadong (A song of this drama) I feel so emotional and I feel like crying.
Just give this drama a try. You will reget not watching it. I mean it.

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Best drama that ever graced my screen

I'm not sure what prompted me to just go for this drama that was idly sitting on my Netflix recommendations for ages. That too at a time when I was watching sub-par Western and Asian shows that were doing nothing for me in terms of emotions or meaningfulness. Well damn, did this show change my whole life.

First of all, the plot was composed of a series of subplots in every episode that came together to tell an interlinked story of the people within the neighbourhood, complete with a narrated message at the end that ties them together/teaches the audience some sort of lesson. I must admit that this was one of my favourite parts of the show, waiting to hear one of the characters talk about the messages within each episode, and watch it connect to the individual characters' stories at the time. Such a refreshing and heartwarming part of the series.

Now, the characters...no words I say will ever do justice to how multi-dimensional and authentic every single character felt. The adults down to the kids all had their own struggles and personal growths, and no one felt like a secondary character or a mere afterthought of the writer. In fact, it blows my mind that every character managed to have their own dreams, personalities and struggles be so beautifully illustrated and in association with each other...it felt so natural and real! I found almost every character to be relatable to me or someone I know, and exposed me to the fact that the human experience in general is an universal one no matter which year you were born in or where in the world you live. The emotions, heartaches, hard work, relationship bonds and successes feel very much the same. Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about the characters and their development, right from watching them grow from episode 1 to episode to episode 20.

The OST, ahhh the OST. This deserves its own paragraph because of just how beautiful and nostalgic it feels...its been a long time since I watched the drama yet every single time I hear ANY song from the drama, I find myself tearing up or outright bawling. This has never happened to me before haha, the magic of this drama's OST is incomparable and simply magical. Bonus points to the lyrics doing complete justice to those times and moments. Also, the scenes between the ML and FL near the end featured music that was so fitting and beautiful I have no words, like "In Dreams" for the moment where they didn't know if what was happening was a dream, to "Right Here Waiting For You" when he rushed to her at the concert, to tense music being followed up by "My Dear, Come Back to Me" when they finally reveal a major secret and realize their feelings for each other. So masterfully chosen and gave proper justice to those moments...I hope whoever came up with the song choices got a raise!

Finally, the realism of it all. Every scene right down to the ending, I loved how raw and warm it felt. Nothing over the top or forced, just pure chemistry between the characters and realistic depictions of life and love. Just like Don't Worry, I really have o regrets with this drama (okay maybe a few more scenes with the leads as a couple because I loved their adorable and healthy relationship so much), right down to not every character showing up to the interview...because thats just how life is. Not everybody (like the parents) may be be alive, or still close or in the same country, etc. And thats okay. What matters are the moments they lived together and the memories thy made. I loved how they kept elements of the ending up to the viewers to decide. Very elegantly concluded. Let's not even get started on the final shots of the ruins of Sssangmundong followed by the flashbacks into the opening scene...simply breathtaking. Left me with the biggest hangover I ever felt.

So, I literally rewatched this drama right after away with family. And somehow, it was even better than the first watch. The rewatch value on this show is insane not just because of how any emotions it has the potential to make you feel again, but the hidden hints you notice only on the second time around. So much fun!

All in all, this show is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. Heartfelt thank to the cast, director and writer for gifting us such a beautiful drama that I will take with me forever.

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