Some shows just entice you; they stick to you and keep you stuck to them. For me, Reply 1994 acted in a similar fashion. Its main premise, 1994 and country kids v. city life, brought me in; its characterization, its humor, and its overarching sense of the word "family" kept me fixated and glued to every moment.
One way in which Reply 1994 adhered to my heart was its story. No, I don't mean the love story, although I enjoyed that too, but the idea of what "family" is and what "family" means. Throughout intense scenes of sweetness and laughter, I found that meaning. Were there some draggy scenes? Sure, but with even those, Reply 1994 brought everything back to the concept of family--of how relationships develop, mature, endure, and survive life. Each and every moment, in my opinion, brought me toward that realization, and it was that which stuck with me the most.
The bonding (the adhesive, if you will) of this drama came from commanding, inspiring, insightful, and heartfelt performances by every one of the main cast. Other than Sung Dong Il and Lee Il Hwa, who played the best parents in dramaland yet again, my favorite actors were Yoo Yoon Seok as Chilbongie, Jung Woo as Trash, and (my personal favorite) Kim Sung Kyun as Samcheonpo. The intensity of these three characters/actors propelled me to see even the little moments (the subtle smiles of Samcheonpo,the serious face of Chilbong, the raw emotion of Trash behind a poker face)and feel every kind of emotion as a result.
Furthermore, I commend Go Ara for her image reversal and complex handling of Sung Na Jeong. She was great! My biggest surprise, however, was how standout the performances of Min Do Hee (Yoon Jin) and Baro (Binggrae) were. Each took side characters and delivered them with heart and dedication. Because of all of these people, that sense of "family" came alive.
Those of us who remember mixtapes will agree that those mixtapes were usually songs that stuck with you. Reply 1994's mixtape does not fail in such a comparison. Every moment was felt in the music as well: happiness, sadness, love, and of course, the sense of "family." The Reply 1994 family bonded often around music, and I think that I bonded along with them.
If Reply 1994 taught me one important lesson, it was this: family is having someone to share everything with, no matter the relationship. It achieved this by developing relationships of all levels and doing it well. Not only that, Reply 1994 included us in that relationship through its story, characters, music, and overall, its message, which begs for a reply.
This is my Reply.
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