It's hard to review 1994 and 1988 without comparing it to 1997, which I think was still the best among the three. 1997 was able to balance everything -- youth and the nostalgia of the late 90s, friendship, family, and the romance. Plus, Jung Eun Ji was really great as Sung Shi Won -- I still think she was the best female lead in Reply series. 1988's strength on the other hand was family and friendships. I cannot count the times that I've cried because of the touching scenes between mother and sons, father and daughters, and among friends. The romance took a back seat and though I loved both Taek and Jung Hwan, I really didn't expect that turnout. I was blindsided and I thought the show didn't give much room for Duk Seon to show why she made that choice.
Back to 1994. I love the cast (especially the mainstays -- mom Lee Il Hwa and dad Sung Dong Il) and I love that they're in college instead of high school -- I think that gave romance a bit more maturity. I think each cast shined but my favorites were Haitai, Yoonjin and Samcheonpo. I can understand why people were so torn between Chilbong and Trash and why some were so disappointed with the end result but hey, it was obvious from the beginning who Na Jung was going to end up with. Personally, I'm happy with her choice (and unlike Duk Seon, we clearly saw where Na Jung's heart was) but I was super frustrated with how the show dragged the love triangle. Did it really have to be 21 episodes? It was too long, some parts were unnecessary and boring. If they kept it at the usual 16-episode format and didn't drag the romance part too much, I would have probably given this show 10 stars.
The best thing about this show? The OST. It was so so so good! My favorites are Sung Si Kyung's version of Seo Taiji's To You, and Blue's Only Feeling You as sung by Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon Seok and Son Hojun. I can't over how good the songs were.
Overall, Reply 1994 is a good, must-watch drama. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Funniest Reply Series!!
I watched both reply 1997 and 1988 and wasn't sure if I was going to like this series. Let's be honest here the cast of the other two seasons was maybe better looking, but this plot was so much more funny. As soon as I saw the biscuit scene in episode 2, I was hooked. Samcheonpo truly carried this drama on his back!!! Aejung and him were such an odd but cute couple! The characters for this drama are all really likable and their problems were relatable, which I appreciated.I really liked how they didn't focus on the main love triangle all the time. It was pretty obvious that Najung was going to end up with Sseureki, since Chilbong was barely seen in the middle of the series. Poor boy, all he did was play baseball and get rejected by Najung too many times. I did think that the brother and sister kind of relationship was kind of weird, but dramas always pull that plotline.
I just wished the episodes weren't so long, especially the last one. There were many parts of the drama where the plot seemed like it was getting dragged out. It definitely did not need all 21 episodes. Overall, this drama's plot isn't overly complicated and I'd recommend it to anyone who has watched the other reply series or is looking for a good laugh!!
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This review may contain spoilers
What I can say to those watching it for the first time 1. I'll finally say that Najung truly made *her dream* a reality - that's what this drama was all about.
2. Don't fall for the massive candy trolling throughout the drama.
3. If you've watched French- Vietnamese film "The Scent of Green Papaya"- you'll definitely know who the husband is.
4. Don't think about who is the most romantic or perfect - Think about NAJUNG!
If you follow most of these points, you will like the drama without being trolled for all eternity- Enjoy :)
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I'll give this drama a 6/10. I got bored on the last few episodes. They just drag(?) the story. But still this drama is somehow funny, cute and lovely. Y'all don't need to compare this drama to the other reply series.
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The cream of the cream
Hands down the best korean drama ever . I watched it 7 years ago when it first came out and I can't seem to get over it .The story , acting , OST , production ... was done so tastefully and is the best !
I can't express enough how much I love this drama and I would recommend this gem to anyone of all ages , ethnicities and religions . Just WOW !
This drama made me a fan of Go Ara and the other cast members , I still listen to the OST till now .
Honestly , to anyone reading this : Go Watch it , what are you waiting for? XD
Love love love , the best of the best . Thank you to everyone involved in this masterpiece <3
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I'm writing this review after some time has passed and really can't remember much from the show, nothing really stands out. That's not to say this is a kdrama clone, but, sadly, feels like nothing remarkable happened and no real stand out characters.
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The dull middle child of Reply
This is the specimen of the famous Reply trilogy that I highly DO NOT recommend dedicating your time to. There is neither the charm of the first Reply 1997 nor the emotional complexity of the hit Reply 1988. Nor there was created an ambient nostalgic vibe to keep it afloat.🔸Even though this boring middle child of the trilogy was twice as big as its seonbae 1997 and hit 10% viewership rating, it essentially has nothing to say but offer a demographic group some historical recap to ponder upon. The years 1994-1995 were memorable for South Korea as the era of 삐삐 pagers and rapid progress, but I didn't see much life in the screenplay that would shadow that global change on the characters. There are also no good period needle drops - not a single song I wanted to hear more than once!
The characters have their moments, but during the 90% of the unjustifiably long runtime they are very predictable, vague and boring. Never did I feel any human connection with them but in one episode with the medical student Bing Geu Re who couldn't bear the dread of pursuing his parents dream and wanted to follow his own calling. The writers ruined that storyline later, and it felt like they killed all the hope for this drama. Many viewers will also find the actress Go Ara playing Na Jeong inauthentic and ungenuine, or simply annoying. Not to mention the romantic storyline and a kiss played by an 18 y.o. girl and a 30+ grownup actor.
Although, one good thing about the casting is that all the actors in the hasuk were born in the provinces and spoke authentic saturi. I enjoyed hearing it so much!
🔸I am particularly dissatisfied with the drama because my own parents belong to the generation that "saw both the analog and digital world", albeit not in Korea. To be young in the early 90s was a very challenging and exciting experience. I was hoping to see that enthusiasm, ardour and rebellion, and also the life circumstances that made the young adults mature so fast. I was hoping I could understand my parents better. Unfortunately, the drama brushed all over the underlying events and emotions confining barely to the trite question "who will Na Jeong be married to".
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This drama is an ART .
You won't realize it when you're watching this .
Reply 1994 is so surreal that watching it might not make you like it instantly .
It's so slow at the beginning that you might find it boring .
But as gradually it progresses there's a kind of addiction you'll feel to it .
There's hardly any drama that focuses on all the characters. I mean this is so hard to even write.
I think they have pulled a masterpiece here.
Moreover the character development .
Gosh , it never stops .
You'll feel your own growth with the way things progress from when it starts to when it ends .
One of the best series I've watched .
I would say each and every episode had a lesson .
Something to learn , it's not only entertainment .
But they have shown the phase of life .
How it changes when time change , people change .
The relationships , the friendship in the most powerful way .
The realism of this drama makes it cringy at times .
I mean you find certain traits annoying but that's it speciality .
I wouldn't say I loved all of the things but as you know such drama comes in package .
It was so surreal as in terms of acting that you do tend to dislike somethings .
You should watch this drama if you're looking for something nostalgic specially the 90's .
I can proudly say I learnt alot
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All the right nostalgic notes!
Wah, my heart is so gooey and FULL. I felt nostalgic for a time I didn't even really experience. I can only imagine how hard this show hit for people who grew up in this precise timeframe; those who graduated university around the IMF crisis and went from a fully analog to digital world. The voiceovers hit all the right notes, and the sweet family and friendship moments are the ones where this series shines best.Other highlights: Samcheonpo and Yoon Jin on the boat at sunrise, those who remembered the December 31, 1999 promise, the Reply 1997 cameos, Binggeure's moment of filling in the blanks, and Chillbong's interview shout-outs. This show highlighted how strong bonds can be after living together, and I can only imagine how special that would be in a boarding house with parental figures to boot.
My main complaint was that this show dragged a big TOO LONG, particularly the husband mystery. I think it would've completely benefitted from a tighter 16-episode story. We also didn't get enough relationship progress with the main couple, although this result seemed inevitable. Still, this show gave us major, major second-lead syndrome (it possibly even invented this term?). I still find it hard to understand why Najung made the choice she did, but it was justified well enough. There would've been something realistic about timing playing a factor in everything... but ultimately, I think the story ended the way it should've. Plus, the moment of realization that the second lead had to "let her go" hit all the right notes. You can't make someone love you, after all. My only other gripe was the basketball fangirling — it didn't feel necessary to the story at all (although Seo Taiji and the Boys DEFINITELY did).
This story was sweet overall. It didn't have the highest highs nor the lowest lows (unlike Reply 1997), but was consistently solid. I think I liked all the people better overall, or perhaps I just related to them better as someone in my 20s feeling optimistic and earnest. I am glad I watched the show and got a better sense of Korean culture during such an interesting period. One can only hope that writers will one day cater to my generation with a Reply 2008 or even a Reply 2020 (because this year is a WILD one).
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