Reply 1988 Drama Review

Drama: Reply 1988 (응답하라 1988)

Director: Shin Won-ho

Writer: Lee Woo-jung

Cast: Lee Hye-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, Park Bo-gum, Lee Dong-hwi, Sung Dong-il, Lee Il-hwa, Ryu Hye-young, Choi Sung-won, Kim Sung-kyun, Ra Mi-ran, Ahn Jae-hong, Kim Sun-young, Kim Seol, Choi Moo-sung, Yoo Jae-myung and others.

About the Show:-

The show is set in the 80’s in a small neighbourhood of Seoul called SSangmundong. The story revolves around five childhood friends and their families who live in Ssangmundong. These five friends try to learn, grow and survive their teen and adults live by leaning on each other, providing comfort to each other and being each other’s safe space.

The five-

Deok-sun, the middle child of the Sung family, is trying to seek attention and validation of her parents

Jung-hwan, the maknae of the Kim family who has gotten rich overnight, is trying to keep his interest of soccer alive

Sun-woo, the oldest son of another Sung family, is trying his best to be an ideal son, ideal student, ideal brother and caretaker of his family

Dong-ryong, son of two extremely busy working parents, is trying to share his wisdom with his friends, keep the spirits of their everyone around alive, be the life of parties and glue that keeps the five friends together

Taek, the only son of one Choi Moo-sung, is a genius baduk player and is trying to be the best at what he loves. Though the five friends are of the same age, Taek will always be the baby of the group.

How will life turn out to be for these five friends (and their families), as they grow from teens to adults, from dependent to independent and from mischievous to responsible?

(*This review may contain spoilers. If you have already watched the show, please continue reading. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can still continue reading or you can come back to the review later.)

What I loved about the Show:-

This show is always at the top of the list for me in Korean dramas and for the best reasons.

One of the highest rated Korean dramas of all time; this show is not just about five characters but about five families. The Five families of Deok-sun, Taek, Jung-hwan, Sun-woo, Dong-ryong. The five families

The drama begins in the year 1988 and it shows the lives of the five characters and their families, who have been neighbours in the SSangmundong neighbourhood of Seoul since the 70’s.

The five characters have been friends since their childhood and hence their families have been friends too. This show reminds me so much of our childhood and those early days when it was common for us children to be found in our neighbour’s houses since we were all so close. The elders too were never found in their respective homes.

The neighbours would share food, expenses, gossips and much more. When the power would go out, everyone would be out on the streets or out of their respective houses. The neighbours would always be aware of every detail of the others and at all times remained loyal and friendly and helpful in times of need. The kids befriend each other as children and grow up to be best friends as adults.

This show is nostalgia on a different level. The show makes you laugh till your stomach can't take it and cry till there's no more tears to fall. Every episode, every scene is an emotional journey. The purity of the show, the innocence of the characters, the emotions and the essence of those times have been beautifully displayed in the show.

This show talks about family, friends, love, self-discovery, support, unity, togetherness, fights, the affection, the inseparability, the happiness, the sentiments, the fondness and the warmth, the devotion between the families and friends. A small review such as this cannot do justice to what a masterpiece it is. I could ramble and ramble and still would not be able to say enough about its perfection. Words would fall short to express what I feel about Reply 1988. I would never be able to rate this show because it's beyond the numbers.

Favourite scenes:

1. The Kim family in the hospital: the scene with the Kim brothers is truly emotional
2. The neighbours gathering at a (식당- shikdang) restaurant, for the Sung Dong-il’s retirement celebration- another emotional scene
3. Jung-hwan and Taek at the restaurant talking about Deok-sun

The Characters and the Actors:-

Deok-sun: The middle child who is always struggling to keep it together. She has to adjust, be accommodating, has to compromise and be understanding. She has so many pent up emotions and feelings but no one to hear them and no one to share them with. Her family is too poor and her friends have their own share of issues and problems. Although she herself in in the need of a lot of love and comfort, she never fails to be there for her friends and for her family.

My favourite thing about Lee Hye-ri’s performance is how she has gotten deep into the character. Deok-sun is fun, lively, cheerful, weird and loud and also full of love and life. Lee Hye-ri has been successful in emoting everything mentioned above.

Choi Taek: The genius baduk player and the success story of the small neighbourhood. Taek is shy and sweet. His love for all his friends and respect for all the elders is unconditional. He is an epitome of purity and innocence. He is childlike and always full of smiles. But he has his share of burdens; the burdens and the responsibility of being a genius and of being successful. He never complains, is always silent and keeps his thoughts to himself. He is bubbling inside with the emotions of love (for his friends and for his special lady), of respect and admiration for his father and of sadness for the loss of his mother. He is always kind, caring and understanding. He is a devoted son and a loyal friend.

Park Bo-gum is the perfect choice for the role of Choi Taek. Upon watching the show, you realize that everything that is Choi Taek is Park Bo-gum. The character feels like it has been written with Park Bo-gum in mind. He is one of the most beautiful actors in the Korean Entertainment Industry – both in terms of acting and personality. The performance is realistic and out of this world.

Kim Jung-hwan: Jung-hwan is the absolute example of a cold exterior with a soft heart. He always acts aloof with frown on his face. But in reality he’s just a boy who has a lot of love for everyone around him. His family and friends are the most important for him. He is willing to go to any lengths to keep them happy. He has a lot of affection for his mother, respects his father and loves his brother. He might not show his true feelings most of the time but he is always caring, kind and warm towards the people he loves and he has his own ways of displaying it. He is an introvert who is scared to talk about his feelings and approach people about his thoughts. This is the biggest reason why he misses the perfect timing for going after what he truly desires and the opportunities are out of his reach. He is what I a perfectly imperfect human being.

Ryu Jun-yeol is probably my favourite cast member of this show. I absolutely adore him. He is spectacular as Kim Jung-hwan. You know that feeling when a pair of jeans fits you perfectly and you can’t help but sigh in relief. That’s how I feel every time I think of Ryu Jun-yeol’s casting for Kim Jung-hwan. He fits the role like a perfect pair of jeans. Kim Jung-hwan is a beautifully flawed character and I love him for that very reason.

Sung Sun-woo: Sun-woo is the definition of an ideal son, an ideal brother, an ideal friend and an ideal student. He works hard to always do his best for his family, for his friends and for others around him. He works tirelessly for his family and is always selfless. He hardly has time to think about himself. He wants the best for his family, especially his mother who works hard to take care of Sun-woo and his little sister and provides for them despite being poor. The only thing that he truly wishes for is for Sung Bo-ra to be by his side forever and that thought alone is genuine and beautiful. He cherishes everything and everyone around him and he is admirable for it.

What I love about Go Kyung-pyo as Sun-woo is the innocence he brought into the character. His acting is wonderful and he is charming and captivating as Sun-woo. It was delight to watch Go Kyung-pyo transform into the ideal boy Sung Sun-woo.

Ryu Dong-ryong: Dong-ryong is the greatest friend anyone could ask for. Academically he is not strong but he is known for his wisdom, his intuition, his awareness and his perspective. He is ready to help his friends in times of need. Both his parents are working and always busy, so he has gotten used to being around his friends and their families most of the time. He loves to spend his time with his friends, loves to dance, sing and joke around with them. It’s fascinating but he always seems to know which one of his friends is in need at any point of time and what suggestion to give them. He is the one who brings his friends out of misery but is also the one to land them in troubles because of mischievous and nosy personality.

Lee Dong-hwi is another favourite cast member of mine. He is exceptional as Dong-ryong. Dong-ryong is someone who rambling all the time and is always on the verge of landing in troubles. Lee Dong-hwi has done a terrific job is bringing out the playful and high-spirited nature of Dong-ryong.

The supporting cast: Ryu Hye-young as Sung Bo-ra and the rest of the cast including the Sung family, the Kim family, Sun-woo’s family, Taek’s family, the neighbours and the guest stars are sensational in their respective roles. The show is a huge success because of the immeasurable contribution from the rest of the cast. I have loved every actor and every character in this show and they all have a place in my heart for making this show a beauty that it is.

The Director and the Writer:-

One of my favourite Writer-Director Duo, Lee Woo Jung and Shin Won Ho are exceptional at their work. My most favourite shows are their creations. They take reality and present it on the screen just as it is. No downsizing or euphemisms and also no exaggerations. What we experience in real life is what we see in their shows.

Family- a little bit of crazy, a little bit of loud and a whole lot of love.

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