[Discussion] Reply 1994

CheerfulSoul wrote: Let's see; up until episode 10, I was confident that this drama is better than Reply 1997. There are many things that drew me in such as the characters' developments, the likeable female lead, the awesome friendship and so on. Starting episode 11 or so; things began to go downhill whether because of the stupid "Who's the husband game" that became so tiresome after episode 13 or because the lack of developments and the focus on certain characters while ignoring others.
What also bugged me off is the drama and the episodes' length; they're the perfect conditions for dragging and I insist that this drama dragged a lot in the latter episodes. Those factors keep deducting points from Reply 1994 and I blame the poor execution because with this concept, the drama makers could've done an outstanding piece of work.

Completely agree but I still like this drama and I am surely enjoying it.

dapinaymrs wrote: Haiya! Cheerie has put it so well. I feel the same and was actually thinking if I dramathoned this near its end if it would change my perception of things. I keep on looking at NJ for some improvement because she's female lead and other than spunk I'd really like her to do something useful for her future and not--oh gawd here I go again (mianhae)--keep on clinging on to her bf. Trash has residency in Busan, Chilbong has baseball in Japan, Binggrae makes a self-realization and finally goes back to school, Haitai will be finally off of mil service (after two episodes, thank you) while it's SCP turn to serve there. Some people say her character is going to develop in the next episode where her family faces bankruptcy after Appa invested in city phones. All I can say is, 'Well great! That took them long enough~!' And while they're at it, can they make NJ clean up nicely with Chilbong too? I haven't seen nor heard her response to his confession from Dec. 31, 1994/Jan. 1, 1995. So CB can also move on, you know, to me--I wish LOL! Pretty please? XD XD

Well said, but we have to share the Chilbong, lol. I really think that Na Jung's character has suffered from a deficiency in development. We know she's smart, but if she's so smart, what is she doing with those smarts? The most we've seen is her working as Hak Chan's tutor and a couple of scenes with her computer engineering club. I wish we could see more of what she went to school for, or at least, what that might lead her to in terms of a career. I'm not one to compare the two Replys much because of my intense love for 1997, but at least in 1997, we were given that development with Shi Won (who is nowhere near as smart as NJ, but who found her calling). I feel like the only times I see her nowadays is in relation to Trash, which is sad because it limits that spunkiness that she had earlier in the series.

yankumicho wrote: Well said, but we have to share the Chilbong, lol. I really think that Na Jung's character has suffered from a deficiency in development. We know she's smart, but if she's so smart, what is she doing with those smarts? The most we've seen is her working as Hak Chan's tutor and a couple of scenes with her computer engineering club. I wish we could see more of what she went to school for, or at least, what that might lead her to in terms of a career. I'm not one to compare the two Replys much because of my intense love for 1997, but at least in 1997, we were given that development with Shi Won (who is nowhere near as smart as NJ, but who found her calling). I feel like the only times I see her nowadays is in relation to Trash, which is sad because it limits that spunkiness that she had earlier in the series.

Okay, I'm willing to share! I'm not selfish~! LOL XD XD

This. Shi Won actually left her 90s behind in that bus ride and welcomed her future without being tied to either YunJae or Taewoong oppa. Because, if I remembered clearly, she didn't make a commitment to TW before she went to Seoul. And YunJae already told her what he thinks at that noraebang. (Gawd, funny how I remember it!) Like her, the other cast simultaneously moved on with their lives, allowing us to see a more grown-up/developed set of characters while the story progressed from the middle.

Episode 19 Preview with text translation from Electric Ground



Text translation (they're all in white :p) :
Haitai: Ae-jeong? You’re done already? No, no, stay at work. I’ll be there shortly.
Binggrae: Oh. You’re done with work? I’ll be there shortly. Wait just a little.
Yoon-jin: Those are the good days.
Mom: But, aren’t Seon-kyun and Yoon-jin getting married?
Samcheonpo: We don’t have plans to get married yet. Marriage is an important life matter. We must decide on it carefully.
Yoon-jin: What marriage? You want someone’s life to get ruined?
Friend: Kim Seon-kyun! When’s your girlfriend coming?
Mom: There is a person you’re destined to marry.
Trash: I’m sorry, Father.
Dad: It’s not your fault, or anyone’s fault.
Na-jeong: Oh, Miss Ae-jeong!
Chilbong: I heard you guys met again the day before the new millennium. We did too.
Reporter: I’m Yoon Hyun-shik of (Something) Sports. You must be here to watch a movie?
Chilbong: Mr. Reporter. You’re going to write the news, aren’t you?
Reporter: She is your girlfriend, correct?

I really liked that episode. So much Haitai <3 I was really happy *he got back together with his girlfriend, I think it just suited his character, and the other dates he went on were so funny. Although it seemed a bit weird that in all that time since he got discharged he didn't appear to have a single proper relationship?*

And CB is back :D long time coming! *I just knew that it would only be him and NJ in 1999 from the moment they arranged it. So perfect. And it was so cute when he did the countdown thing again! I couldn't stop squeeing the whole time*

I was also really happy that NJ finally grew up. Now that she has had time away from Trash I don't think I would feel so bad if does marry him, although I am still 100% team Chilbong.

This episode just cheered me up so much today. I thought the last two episodes were so boring, but this one really picked up the pace :)

The following is a quote from javabeans in dramabeans' episode recap/review of Episode 17. I've put some of her views in bold font as they express how I feel about the drama at this point (words in italics are hers):

You know, I’ve totally accepted that Garbage is the husband and Chilbongie is no longer in the running, and my emotional investment in the husband question is pretty low (at this point it’s everything other than the mystery that keeps me interested), but I’m still super annoyed at how they’ve just dropped him off the map. Haitai too, whose trip to army I thought would be fodder for some poignant character moments. But I feel like Haitai and Chilbongie have been eliminated from the husband question and have been unceremoniously dropped from the drama as a result—whether or not that was the intention—and that just highlights how little story there was in the first place.

I don’t like any drama that treats characters as mere plot devices, and despite the fact that Chilbongie was played with warmth and sweetness, it’s only too clear now that he wasn’t really given much depth as a character on his own. That makes me seriously sad, because I absolutely loved him. I still do, in fact, but I feel like he’s become an afterthought. That’s why as much as I awwed over the progression of Na-jung and Oppa’s romance in this episode (the proposal was a lovely bit of acting on her part especially), I can’t shake my dissatisfaction over the mishandling of the whole love triangle aspect.

I don’t think the crux of the dissatisfaction on Team Chilbongie was because supporters felt Chilbongie was a better person than Garbage, or “deserved” love more, or was better hero material. Honestly, I think it’s a simple matter of the drama literally setting Chilbongie up to be the love interest, and making him the primary contender for ten episodes. So when you suddenly take that away from him (and from us), of course we’re going to feel cheated. I will argue that this was done strictly to preserve the mystery, which makes it a fault of the production for serving its gimmick more than its characters. It has nothing to do with which character is the better man, and everything to do with the fact that the writing bait-and-switched us, and I think we have the right to feel unhappy about it.

I finally finished watching Episode 18 raw from the torrent I d-loaded. (I don't know why the one on viki was cut abruptly...does anybody know if they fixed that yet? I kept on waiting that I fell asleep! XD)

I have to say, any attempt to pair Chilbong up with NJ at this point of the drama is all too late, LAME and just emphasizes how his character is being used for this long drawn out one-sided love. To mark that point, the New Year's Eve that he's waited for so long *turned out to be an awkward moment between them with NJ covering her lips as soon as he finishes his countdown.*

Goodness, to finally see Haitai take action after how many episodes of flings to ultimately end up *with his ex-gf and love of his life Ae Jung * is also a story that could have been told much earlier. Like CB, I can't help but think both Haitai's name and story were kept to "preserve the mystery" gimmick. :\

The subs are taking forever. I'm about to finish downloading the episode 19 raw and still no subs for 18 yet. Aigooooo.. Meanwhile.... hehehhehehe..