Responde 1988 (2015)

A slow-burn slice of life to savour

Reply 1988, where everlasting friendships and blossoming romances never fail to bring wistful nostalgia and recurring memories of our adolescence. What will it be like to live in that era? And what awaits the five friends filled with ambition who are getting ready to face adulthood?

It is a particular kind of drama that almost did not have an immersing plotline but sheer raw interactions and gradual development of traits, making it a slow-burn slice of life to savour. It also can be an inherent limitation of the drama.

The episode duration may seem overwhelming as it undoubtedly has its draggy parts and unnecessary situations; one should readily invest in the emotions to understand and enjoy the drama better. Once set with the characters, I think it will be a fast one.

Some aspects that I love-

Realistic Characters. Having a diverse cast is rather daunting because the characters may become monotonous hence making the show dense. But that is not the case here. The characters are riveting and refreshing, each definite and distinct, bringing the drama to life and tugging at your heartstrings.

Relationships. Not just romance and friendship but also kinship is in the spotlight. Look out for the heart-wrenching love triangle, the community friendship, parents' love, sibling bonds, the ahjumma fiestas, and loving married couples. It all makes the show more refined and wholesome.

The 80s Elements. To give the nostalgic feel, the crew had to put the required diligence into details that make you travel and experience the 80s. Elements like fashion, music, food, setting and various historical events gave insight to the international audience while impressing the korean audience with the subtle and original lifestyle of regular folk.

Message. Reply 1988 carries a simplistic message which has a more profound meaning. It is an exemplary coming-of-age drama that aptly portrays various themes on friendship, family, humanity, economic adversities, academic anxieties, self-actualization and accomplishment of dreams.

OST. The leading ost brings back all the nostalgia even after years of watching.

In conclusion, an all-time favourite that I will never stop recommending it.

“It is family—that covers over the wounds from the world outside the front door, the scars we each sustain from life, even the sorrow that family itself gives us. The people on my side till the very end—it is family.”

Leia Mais

It's been more than two days, and I can't stop thinking about this drama. It's been a long time that I've been affected like this...this show will make you yearn for the time that you've lost, and cherish the present, because soon everything will be gone in the past.

It made me cry over how I used to have such a close knit group of friends in college, who knew everything about each other, and how life has now made us separate now - even if we stay in touch, those carefree days will never come back, when the biggest problem was the test tomorrow. It made me cry over the fact that my parents will never be healthy or young again, that I will never fall in love for the first time again, and it made me want to stop time right now - I don't want to be an adult anymore! :(

The best cast, the funniest gags, the most heartbreaking romance, the best kisses, the most heartwarming story...Reply 1988 has left a huge hole in my heart that can never be filled. The entire cast feels like friends that I've known and loved forever, and I finally fell prey to the Park Bogum fever. Bogummy ❤️❤️

I'm just waiting until I can rewatch it and feel good about life again :)

Leia Mais

AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!!!!

IDK why it took me a while to start this drama ... but I am glad that i did it!!! literally this drama was so heartwarming and comforting that can't even be explained through words.it will be like a comfort food to your soul . and also a complete pack of everything (comedy, friendship, love, family , youth). a drama that can struck anybody's heart. i enjoyed every moment watching it..
its about love but not just love. it rediscovers love in its layers and layers of depth. the drama is kinda slow one but take your time and immerse yourself . sit back and relax. you are about to watch one of the finest kdrama of all time.
A highly recommended korean drama that will definitely make you feel nostalgic ... and you will love it for sure

Leia Mais

I've finished this drama for a while now, but I just can't seem to move on and let it go. It meant so much to me that I'm sure I will keep it in my heart for ever. Everything just clicked....soundtrack, writting, acting. It truly felt like magic to me, during every minute of the show I felt like I was one of them, living in their neighbourhood, dining with them, being part of their lives. So many beautiful relashionships and dynamics that really show the beauty in our everyday lives and the little things. It's not your typical kdrama, there was no need for grand gesters and plots, the fact that it felt so real, so close to home, is the thing that makes reply 1988 one of the best not only kdramas but also series I've ever seen. When I finished it I felt heartbroken. Even now talking about it, I have so many mixed feelings because although I wanna scream outloud how wonderful this drama is and recomment it to everyone I know, it's also really painful because of all the overwhelming emotions this drama left on me. It made me miss a place I've never been too, a time i wasn't even born in, people I've never met, a life i've never lived but I wish I had. It's a beautiful tale about love, friendship, heartbreak, sacrifice, growing, that I think everyone is going to relate a lot to. It's really hard to describe it, because it's just something you have to experience and give your self the opportunity to be embraced by it.
It will break you and cure you, just like life itself.

Leia Mais

Watched this series just right in time...i love it to bits! so this is how life is like when people have "conversations" instead of "gossips",  when life isn't perfect -just beautiful.. and of course Taek-ee's appearances are gold! i love how he is not all over the place in this drama that made each of his scenes priceless! how amazing it is to be back in time in an even better setting and a handsome bogummy on the side. I just love this so much! This is one of the reasons why I love watching  korean dramas more than anything, the writers/directors do know how to feed my heart, the actors/actresses play the roles so well. It's amazing how we are all the same after all, regardless of race, we'd be surprised how the life in Korea looks exactly the same as the life in my country in terms of hopes, friendships, family, love, challenges, dreams and so on. We may speak different languages but at some point we listen to the same songs. We may have different dishes but we share the same love for food. We may have different stories but we laugh at the same things. We may have different characters but at times we cry for the same reasons. We may have different dreams but there is always one thing we all want - LOVE.

Leia Mais

I HATE LONG CAPTIONS but for this drama, I would really pour my heart out through this post! It took me months before I decided to watch this drama. I thought it was boring and lifeless but my goodness! It proved me wrong! No wonder this drama has high ratings and good reviews! This is definitely one of the BEST Kdramas I've ever watched! after watching this for 30hrs! (yes! because every episode is 1hr and 30mins), I just can't contain my emotions! Each episode made me laugh, cry and fall in love. Deok Sun portrayed her role very well. She's such a cutie! Her enthusiasm and liveliness gave joy to the whole story. Dong Ryon made me laugh, Sun Woo inspired me to become a better person and Jung Hwan made me realize that you lose not because of fate, not because of timing but because of your hesitations. Of course, MY CHOI TAEK (Park Bo Gum) who is the main reason why I fell in love with the movie. His innocence and charm are extremely seducing that I could stare at his picture the whole day. I love Taek's character so much that I just can't move on! literally! He is sooo handsome and his appeal is different. Definitely my dream boy! I would really recommend this drama to everyone. You will never regret watching this! Kudos to those people who are behind this amazing series! My heart if full of joy and love. I'll always and forever be a fan of REPLY 1988! such a great story! Saranghae and Gamsahamnida ????

Leia Mais

Don't drop this drama! At first I thought it was too slow, and the eps are too long but I still continued watching it. I have no regrets watching it. This drama made me feel all the love. It was so heartwarming. They made simple gestures so special (checking on each other, bringing food, watching TV together). Their friendship was "solid". I don't know what term to use lol. Their parents are also funny too. They experienced hardships but they were always there for each other. Their simple neighborhood made so much stories, I felt like I was there too while watching it. I miss them so much.

Leia Mais

I watched the first episode and wasn't super into it and put it on hold. After hearing out some of my MDL friends, I decided to give it another go and was really glad I did. Since there is a large cast and a lot of different relationship dynamics, it takes a few episodes to get everything sorted. If you're not initially wowed by the first episode, give it a couple episodes to really get going. That being said, I'm starting to really enjoy Slice of Life way more than I expected. Usually I'm really into dramas for the RomCom moments to lighten my day, but the family relationships and friendships that these dramas showcase make me feel all warm and tingly.

Story: I really enjoyed the plot of this drama. Even though I'm too young for it to be nostalgic, I still got that sense of nostalgia for an older, pre-technology time if that makes any sense. The one thing I didn't love was the love triangle. I guess I've been watching fewer and fewer (serious) love triangles lately, so this hit a little different. Also, I guess I saw a bit of myself in Jung-Hwan, so maybe that's a good message for the future. Even though I love the ML and FL together, I also really liked the second male lead. Regardless, we can find a little bit of happiness that he also got a happy ending, seeing that the actors are actually dating irl. I wish we could have seen more of the ML and FL at the end. Like what about telling their family? How did that go?

Acting/Cast: 10/10 across the board. I've never really watched Park Bo Gum all the way through. Man, I've been missing out! His acting is fantastic. The way he can make his eyes tear up I mean damn boi. Also, Lee Hye Ri's expressions are EVERYTHING. That sort of comedic acting is hard to do well and I truly think she succeeded. Regardless, the rest of the cast did fantastic as well. All the old ajummas and ajusshis; like all of the real moms and dads of dramaland.

Music: How could you not bop/sing along?????

Rewatch value: High! Since a lot of the drama is episodic, it's not hard to jump back in.

TLDR; a great show, like so many I watched this year. I'm excited to watch more of Bo Gum's work and I got a little bit of second male lead angst this time around.

Leia Mais

I cried, I laughed (Repeat for the entire show).
All the casts were damn good and close to the hearts, everyone felt like families to me.
The show brought me back to my memories when i was young and reckless and having crush on every single boys back then like Duk Soon.

Wonderful stories revolving the lives of the teenagers and i felt like i literally grew up with them.
The parents were awesome and every single household held their own great story.
The love they had for each other and the slow brew of love blossoms was just nice and not draggy. I wish this drama was longer so i can enjoy more.
A great drama thats worth rewatching over and over again and still cry over the touching storyline here and then. Thumb up!

Leia Mais

*CRYING*
Why did this thing end ? i miss them already.
Everything in this drama is perfect for me !
A great combination of romance , comedy ,family , friendship acted by an outstanding cast.
I am emotionally attached to each and every character in this drama.
OST(s) were all awesome!
No villains , No headache , Very heartwarming.
Best slice of life drama from the ones that i've watched.
SALUTE to all the people who worked on it.
I really wanted to write a good long review on this drama but can't think of words to describe this masterpiece seriously.
Worth the 20 episodes.
In my opinion this was the best out of the reply series.

Leia Mais

One thing's for sure - you'll get attached!!!!!!!

You will love the cast, the 5 best friends and their respective families. You'll love the neighborhood so much that you'd feel you were a part of it. With a string of romance that will get you on your toes, what more can you ask for from a feel good drama.

Being set in the 80s, you'll feel nostalgic even when you weren't even alive back then - that's how amazing they stitched music, costume, setting and everything!

This is a series that did something to me that any other dramas haven't - make me shocked at the plot twists that i really had to leave the room and regain my composure.

I just finished watching it and I want to watch it again, but I don't want to get too sad. They really felt like a part of my family.

Watch this, you won't regret it!!!!!

Leia Mais

I think that this drama connects us to the nostalgic memory lane of simpleness of life for average people and emphasizes the camaraderie between families, friends, neighbors & every one. It is correlated with the cultural aspects of the past and shows us the boundaries where one might stopped existing. But this drama helps us relive the past and appreciate the generosity and oneness of humanity. This is a genuine drama that gives moral lessons. It motivates us to be courageous, take care other people, to give love and don't expect anything in return.

This drama did not meet my expectations because it went beyond that. It did beautifully exceed what I anticipated.

Remember how this drama will touch your heart. Will it touch your heart barely? Will it touch your heart quite often? Or will it touch you every single episodes. Because it caught my heart every minute. And probably that's how I would relate my rate for this awesome drama. Maybe it would be the same as you. I realized that I should not judge the drama by its ending instead I should judge it on how it conveyed me from the very beginning.

This drama will forever in my heart. My first favorite drama of 2016.

Leia Mais