Reply 1988

Journey of Life

I have been keeping this show to watch somewhere later but after completing it i realized this show is really a "GEM".
This is really a good Presentation of "Journey of Life", how everything changes quickly with time and the only thing remains unforgotten is the "Memories" you create during this journey.
There are so many instances with which i totally relate to and it has happened with me too like,
1. Parents trying hard to give their kids a good life and secure future, being a parents comes with responsibilities where they even forget what their personal wish is and all they do is live for their kids.
2. Plate rotation in neighborhood and having feast even in small occasions.
3. A time when finances aren't enough and in order to buy one thing u have to think 2wice but with future and opportunities situation does changes.
4. That incredible atmosphere in neighborhood and all are supporting each other in their bad times or laughing together in good times.
5. The bonding between friends.
I really liked everything about the show but one thing which really disappointed me is that after showing CT and SDS feelings for each other, not much time was given to them.
I really have no issues that they showed CT and SDS confessing in 2nd last ep but they could have made the last ep all about CT and SDS instead of just focusing on marriage of SSW and SBR bcoz the last ep was almost rd 2hrs or they could have made a "SPIN OFF MOVIE" dedicated specially to CT and SDS.

Initially it didn't appeared that CT have any romantic feelings for SDS that too throughout half of the entire show and suddenly they showed him having a soft corner for SDS which was just like a surprise where else, KJH who was already in love with her from the the start but at first he didn't confessed bcoz of SSW even after that KJH didn't confessed his feeling while he had so many chances and here i was really hoping for him to confess that too when SDS was giving KJH so many signals.
"LOVE is all about PATIENCE" but when it comes to confession better not to be too late otherwise u will end up regretting it forever. when KJH got to know about CT feelings for SDS even then he didn't confessed bcoz of his friendship just like what CT did, who cancelled his confession plan after knowing about KJH feeling for SDS. May be that's the reason i do feel bad for KJH but not completely bcoz he was the one who gave up on confessing while he had so many chances.
But still i cried when KJH gave her that fiance ring while confessing and then pretended that it was just a joke...:( :( which made it so difficult to choose between CT and KJH.

Well i do understand why CT loves SDS but i don't get why SDS suddenly fell for CT? or did something changed after that kiss when CT thought of it as a dream?

I m really in love with that scene where SDS accidentally spill the beans about kissing and then when CT ask her while his eye are full of tears, this scene really pinched me.

I have a soft spot for love stories which is about childhood couple bcoz its really amazing to see a friendship developing into love and then the promise to be with each other and most importantly that u only had eyes for each other.

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Could be the best K Drama ever.

This is simply a marvelous slice-of-life drama. The first 4 episodes are a bit slow, but it gets amazing from the 5th episode onwards. The performances were extremely realistic and awesome. The friendship dynamics between each character is explored extremely well, and the pacing is really good. The comedy felt natural and not forced. The highlight of the drama in my opinion is the brotherhood between Taek and Sun Woo. It's one of those rare series that make the viewer enjoy the setting rather than hate it, which was really well done, considering that its set in the late 1980s; a time most of the viewers aren't familiar with. The ending isn't a 10 out of 10 ending, but still, it fits the series and is really well done.

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THE BEST DRAMA YOU WILL NEVER FORGET.

my all-time favourite drama. Even to this day, just thinking about it makes me cry bro. This is the drama that is the closest to reality and reflects the sad truth of the passage of time and getting older. If you take just a short time to reflect after finishing, you will be able to see the future or current state of your own life.
Another thing I dont see being talked enough here is that Reply 1988 also perfectly shows you the true value of life, which isnt money or materialism. Its human connection. Because take Deok-Suns family as example. They didnt have much, but they were happy. Even though they were struggling daily, they were able to enjoy their lives to the fullest. And I think thats beautiful and just adds to the overall theme of this story.
That being said, enjoy each moment right now.
GODDAMN WHY DID I WATCH THIS IM NEVER GETTING OVER IT NOR WILL I WATCH A BETTER KDRAMA.

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Must help full

Excellent... Very interesting... Daebak.. Female lead acting is natural.. Worth for watching it... Story line is very interesting .. If you finished one episode then you can't wait for next episode to watch it..... Nice Family , friends , neighbors ...... Very hilarious... Calm male lead... Finally perfect story line... Awesome speaking way.. Enjoyable Dialogue content ... In reply series overall I watched.. I thought this is the best one... Emotions between friends and family.. Way to Take caring of parents .. Very kindly... After watching this we will give more attention to our parents and friends to grow your relationship become thick fond.... Must help full

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A MASTERPIECE

Went in this drama with predejuice i didn't like it despite barely knowing nothing about it but i can confidentially say it exceeded all my expectations it was a fun incredible heart warming watch i would say its one of my all time favorites. I really like that all the characters have such different personalities i love the dynamics of family relationships shows as a middle child i found myself finding conformt in her character i admire how it focuses on everyone without it seemingly being focused on 1 character in all honestly might be one of the best family k dramas

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Yes, yes, a hundred times yes

Goodness does this show make me emotional. Every single episode made me cry, maybe that’s because I’m a crybaby, but still!! Even though I have no experience with Korea in the late 80’s and early 90’s (I wasn’t even born yet) this drama manages to feel so nostalgic and it’s truly amazing. It’s funny, it’s engaging and relatable.

I remember when I first saw this show, I was so young and it was christmas break. It actually altered my brain chemistry lmfaooo.

Just an all time favorite to me for sure, give it a chance if you haven’t already, you might just love it.

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One of the best shows !!

This series has been on my list for so long and finally I finished watching it yesterday.
This is one of the best family dramas I have ever seen.
I loved the way the story was narrated. I had started making columns with point system for Taek and Jung Hwan haha.. I was not convinced Taek would be the one till last 3 episodes as most pointers were towards Jung Hwan.. I know second lead syndrome is a thing but till now in any show, I have somehow leaned more towards the lead.. This is the first time ever that I cried buckets and buckets of tears and I even thought it's okay if they stay in polygamy relationship of 3 of them..
The friendship and close knit bond of neighborhood, neighboring being there for each other when own blood relatives won't. how they are all supportive of each other and instead of comparing and being toxic, they are such positive influence on each other families.
The series displays different type of family bonds, like sibling bond of each family is different and bond between spouses is different in each family which is very relatable to most of us.
I was reminded of my neighbors back home where I would spend time in their houses waiting for my parents to get back from work or how we exchange different food between each other during special occasions, how you can reach out to them and they are their for your family in time of need.
The series even talks about menopause and I was surprised as it is not a topic in any series I have watched. They even portray how Dong-Ryong mom was working women and after she retried she couldn't stay home, felt depressed and wanted to work. But there is no "looking down" upon each other and just supportive conversation.
I don't even want to start about the beautiful friendship 5 of them share and also Duk-Seon friendship with her 2 classmates. Taek asking permission before making move on Duk-Seon and knowing the choices he made, Jung Hwan not having any bitter feelings and saying go get her (was bawling my eyes out).
I am going to stop writing more as I can literally write pages and pages about how good this show is!

I had only one issue with this series that at the end they don't tell what Jung Hwan is up to in his life like where he is and whether he got married or do they all still meet, and about Dong-Ryong (did he end up being with Duk-Seon's other friend?) and what is Jin-Ju up to.

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the bittersweet taste of memories...

I'm starting writing this review with my cheeks still wet by tears.
When I was looking for new series to watch with good ratings, I was a bit hesitant when I found Reply 1988 because of the subject, and of the length both of the series itself and of the episodes (some last almost two hours each). So I parked it in my wanna-watch list, waiting for a good moment to watch it.
I did a good choice not discarding it. This series is one of the best shows I watched so far, because of the story and the screenplay, because of the direction, because of the cast and the performances of each, because of the OST too.
That's not a banal family drama, but a story, a nice one, about families, about friendship, about love, and about memories, a story about transitions and transformation, finely performed by a cast of actors in a state of grace. The shiny gem among all has been Hyeri, who performed Deok-sun amazingly. She is from one of those younger generation of talented actors who well impressed me in terms of acting and scenic presence (like a Kim Tae-ri or Kim Da-mi). Deok-sun is a shiny person, full of contradictions, but really intelligent, and kind-hearted person. And around her the story travels among the memories of a youth which will never come back, stud with the stories of her friends, her family and the families of her friends, within a timeframe relatively short, but associated to that crucial moment of the lives of all of them, when they quickly transitioned from their being teens to their adult lives, and from the warmth and cozy place which were their families to the demanding challenges of their lives as adults. That moment full of passion and of enthusiasm, which will never come back again: the shiniest moment of the life, short but intense, that is the youth. In the end, the story of each one of us, which can be felt more deeply moving by whom, like me, is a peer of the older Deok-sun and her husband, while they tell those stories.
The whole during a period of the South Korean history, characterized by a crucial transition itself, from the dictatorship to the democracy, from a society still anchored to the traditions to the frenetic one of the current South Korea.
I felt captivated and involved all time long by the plot, which was compelled, and never boring nor flaw. I might say also because in part they were also looking like my story when I was just a youth and passing through that same moment of transition. I felt like part of that micro-world tied around the small alley of Ssangmundong. The involvement was so strong that several time I felt sad or happy as they were my friends or my family. That place was not just an ally surrounded by houses, but the place were an entire community, made of families, lived as a big family itself, in that fascinating Korean way to do it, sharing things, feelings, food, passions, friendship, help, money, tears, and laughs, where each house is home, a place to find a hot meal, a hand ready to help you and an ear ready to listen to you. Honestly, I also saw again my past life of the 80s and the 90s, even if, under another point of view, I felt a bit dazed mainly because of the music, since from that period I remember George Michael, INXS, Guns 'n Roses, Whitney Houston, and Belinda Carlisle (randomly), and they look replaced by the singers and the hits of the Korean music of that period.
Among a spectacular cast, I wish mentioning (in addition to Hyeri) Taek, performed brilliantly by Park Bo-gum, and some support roles that I found irresistible, that are Sung Dong-il, Kim Sung-kyun, and Bo-ra (Ryu Hye-young), not forgetting the small Jin-joo who I adored, so cute she was. But in general, the whole cast was well sorted.
The OST was very nice. Of course the more moving among the songs is Youth by Kim Chang-wan, and that because of the lyrics, in addition to the music itself.
Strongly suggested watching it: definitely worth.

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A Treasure of KDrama

"To the things that are already gone, to the time that has already passed, I want to say a belated farewell. Goodbye, my youth, goodbye, Ssangmun-dong."

I'm very very sad when I finished this show. It's like I'm parting ways with my best friends.

It takes 5 years to make something close to this level (Hospital Playlist) and another 5 years to make something with same level scriptwriting (WLGYT). This show is a treasure of Korea. They need nothing to hook me up, no goals on the storyline, just people living their own days. It's the same as listening to your friend's story about his family. And since your friend is the one telling the story, it never gets boring. They able to mix up all the feelings: joy, sadness, desperate, anger.

What a lovely neighborhood they live in, they really care of each other. The scriptwriting is on another level. They bring us through a journey of laugh and tears, often quickly. There are several parts where I laughing so hard while sobbing. Comedy part is also written excellently. On the scene where there neighborhood are gathering to discuss a christmas present for Jin Ju, Jae Myung is asking for anyone to give suggestions. I laughed so hard the moment Jae Myung raises his hand, even though nothing happened yet. This is because of a very strong build up that happens prior that event. They also highlighted everyone excellently: their fears, vulnerabilities, despair, desires, everything. Jung Bong for example, even though he's a bit lack on intelligence, he's the sweetest person in the neighborhood. The casts play a great part in this show, especially the parents. Extraordinary performance for Hyeri too, as a "very loud" Deok Sun.

The earlier episode is quite slow, and painful to see the torture Bo Ra gives to the family everyday. People with zero patience may drop it easily. I also think Dong Ryong is a bit sidelined compared to others. But my main complaint is about the massive censorship of this show in OTTs. The censorship is already on "impacting the main story" level. They removed some TV ads, book covers, posters and soundtracks while they regularly is the part of the story. I heard they also removed some scenes because of the sake of "copyright".

This show hits hard everyone in 25s and above, a lot of messages (and memories) inside. For example the moment Deok Sun says she has no dream, it hits me hard because that's what happened to me around that age. This show is also best to watch with your family. It's my first time to put a perfect score here. Should you rewatch it? Definitely yes.

"If you can hear me, answer me, my 1988, the days of my youth."

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the best thing that happened to me

watching this series reshaped my life and made it better in many ways possible. while watching i've learnt comfort friendship love hurt pain happiness simplicity everything! i would'nt be who i am tdy if i never chose to watch this. im envious of the people who will get to watch this series for the first time ever! i never rewatched the reply 1988 because the one time i watched it i felt like i was complete! every single episode felt like i was living that day and experiencing everything that happened. i never had to rewatch it cuz i lived those moments..i dont need to rewatch it i have it all in my memory like it was the youth i never got.

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Shows the Beauty of Youth

"Reply 1988" is an emotional masterpiece with standout acting and rich character depth. The series, set in Ssangmun-dong, brilliantly portrays the lives of five families. The actors' chemistry brings warmth and authenticity, making every moment heartfelt. Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, and Ryu Jun-yeol deliver powerful performances that capture the nuances of youth and friendship. The parents' roles add layers of love and sacrifice, making the show deeply relatable. "Reply 1988" beautifully blends humor and poignancy, leaving a lasting emotional impact and celebrating life's simple joys.

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