emi

i recommend watching it in order of air date so 1997, 1994, then 1988 - just because there are some aspects that tie with each other and i guess it makes more sense when you watch it that way. of course, you can watch it however you like and i dont think itll take away much of the experience regardless!

I agree NJ should have just spared Chilbong, as the amount of she had love for Trash was pretty much the same from beginning to end - even with the breakup; I would have sympathized a little more if she was wary about her feelings for Trash, but she was pretty much set on the idea of Trash being her endgame.
I hear a lot that CB didn't have a personality other than being the nice guy, but I feel he has one moreso than NJ. CB has his own thing with baseball, he's hardworking, abit stubborn, he remembers all the little things about his friends, he's always been the one to care more when it comes to friends, his parents, etc. He's a lonely person, but when he loves, he loves hard.
NJ's character was basically "I would do anything for my loved ones, mostly Trash" so her development really depended on others, never having any of her own qualities or traits.
I honestly did not mind NJ ending up with Trash, but the guessing game was too exhausting to follow. All that time spent on the husband-bait could have been used to develop Najung's character a little more.
Also I can relate, it took me a couple days to finish the last episode. I went through the rest of the drama pretty fast but I could not sit through that last one.

my one (Big) criticism: whyyyy did they not give junghwan and dongryong an ending?? alexa play we-need-a-resolution-by-aaliyah.mp3

The best one in the Reply series by far - it focuses more on familial bonds and friendships with a healthy dose of romance on the side (at least compared to the previous installments, where the ratio between romantic and non-romantic relationships were kinda wonky and invested more in a storyline that for some may end disappointing). Felt like each character served a purpose in this drama and (in rare kdrama fashion) I actually adore the FL here!
Love this series so much. You walk out of it as a changed person, with more love and gratitude for the people around you. That's the standard for good storytelling.

Am I the only one who feels like Na Jung's character was never realized/lacked growth throughout the series? This was my biggest criticism (apart from the dragging out of the husband mystery, which started to feel very gimmicky). I'm finding it hard to figure out what makes her stand out from typical female leads. It feels like most of her character centers around her devotion for Trash Oppa (and to a smaller extent, Sang-min).Trash Oppa has so much character depth, so it's aggravating how this drama feels more of a showcase for who's a better potential lover than getting to the heart of what makes the Reply series so special to me: how bonds and friendships contribute to one's own growth. I loved almost every character in this drama (especially Samcheonpo, I have such a soft spot for Binggurae as well) and it was strange to see that the person who lacked the most depth and growth was the main character. It was also sad that the most needed shift in her character was made when she split with Trash Oppa (this was a part of why I was kinda Team Chilbong or literally anyone else, I just wanted her to grow and find herself...Team FL always).