I pretty much dislike every show I come across - but Reply 1988 was a top-tier, incredible drama. The stories were filled with laughter, food, togetherness, emotion, pranks, heartbreak, youth, resolution, soju, scolding, family, conflict, burning love, comedy, growth and more.

Every episode was like a valuable lesson. I watched this with my mother who grew up in a community very, very similar to the one on-screen and it was wonderfully nostalgic and relatable for her.

Because the plot revolved around multiple families, there was never a *truly* dull moment and many of those milked scenes I remember toughing through in Reply 1994, I didn't have to deal with here. Things were always happening and the characters were always thinking, speaking, reflecting, riding the waves.

The drama is not perfect and that's okay. There are certainly faults here and there - things you notice that don't make sense, like the different older actors or how certain people's stories felt incomplete by the time the show's last episode ends... but this is as close to a golden 10 as I think anything will get.

Reply 1997 was a great start. Reply 1994 did well for what it's worth. But Reply 1988 easily takes the cake for me.