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Reply 1988: Spoiler-Free Mini Review

  • Jul 11
  • 3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago


Title:

Reply 1988 (2015)

Platform:

Netflix, Viki, Apple TV, Tubi, Prime Video

MDL Rating:

9

IMBD Rating:

9

Genre:

Historical (late 80's) Family Comedy, Youth Drama, Slice of Life

Episode Count:

20

Parental Guidance Rating:

TV-14: Swearing (quite a bit), smoking, and innuendos (more towards the start of the drama)


For more info:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5182866/parentalguide/


Starring:

Lee Hye Ri (My Roommate Is a Gumiho)

Go Kyung Pyo (Chicago Typewriter)

Ryu Jun Yeol (Lost)

Park Bo Gum (When Life Gives You Tangerines)

RBTS Rating:

4.6/5 Stars


Synopsis:

Five childhood friends, who all live in the same Ssangmundong neighborhood of Seoul, lean on each other to survive their challenging teen years and set a path for their futures. Sung Deok Sun struggles for attention as the middle child in her poor family while also carrying the burden of her 999th ranking in school. Kim Jung Hwan only has a one-track mind for soccer, even after his family becomes rich overnight. Sung Sun Woo is the perfect student, student council president and a caring and dependable son in his family. Ryu Dong Ryong is a geek who knows more about girls and life than the rest of his friends, but his poor academic score prevents him from being able to go to college. Choi Taek is a genius baduk player who dropped out of school to go professional. As the group of friends gets into and out of mischief around the neighborhood, what experiences from these memorable times together will they carry with them into their future lives? @MDL


Stay Tuned: Full Review Still to Come!



Spoiler-Free Mini Review:

Reply 1988 is the final entry in the Reply anthology series that takes a snapshot of family life and nostalgia, zoning in on iconic periods of time. The first two in the series are set in 1997 and 1994 respectively, and Reply 1988 is considered the best of the bunch. Each "season" of the show follows a fresh set of characters, although not always with a fresh set of faces, as a few of the actors from each season cross over by playing new characters. The series has a reoccurring format with the majority of the drama taking place during the lead characters younger years with flash forwards of the leads looking back at their lives as adults, dropping clues to the audience of where they end up and who they married to.


Like the others, Reply 1988 follows this slice of life format, so if you like a fast paced page turner, this might not be your cup of tea. The drama has no real defined plot or singular through line; you are just following five teenagers as they grow up during a transitional time in Seoul.



The most engaging part of the show was trying to figure out who the FL's husband is, as the flash-forwards would give little easter eggs of his identity.


I thought Reply 1988 did an amazing job portraying nostalgia, and I felt like I learned alot about the time period. By the end of the show, I felt close to the characters and their families, and loved their little street. The drama does have some swearing and innuendos at the beginning, but overall I found the storyline super heartwarming and informative.



I don't usually love the acting of Lee Hye Ri (the Female Lead), although I love her real life personality, but she was made for this role. Both she and Park Bo Gum really stood out to me. Fun fact: Lee Hyeri (Deok Seon) and Actor Ryu Jun-Yeol (Jeong Hwan) dated for seven years after the show and then he (allegedly) cheated on her. Never trust a man lol.



Once you finish the show, I highly recommend checking out this reddit post explaining the symbolism in the narrative and the choice Deok Seon (Female Lead) makes. The writers were so clever with how the mystery and resolution unfolded. They were playing in our face with those clues lol. Seriously, check out the main post and the first comment!



I was today year's old when I realized Kim Jeong Bong is played by the same actor who plays Kim Ju Man in Fight For My Way.
I was today year's old when I realized Kim Jeong Bong is played by the same actor who plays Kim Ju Man in Fight For My Way.

Trailer:



*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images used on this blog. All images belong to their respective copyright holders and are used for commentary and review purposes. All reviews, opinions, and statements expressed on this blog are my own and are intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. They reflect my personal thoughts and interpretations and should not be considered as factual.

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