The Korean Drama, Reply 1988, is a fond remembrance of youth. It is the story of five childhood friends: the lively girl, Deok-sun, the grumpy boy, Jung-Hwan, the funny boy, Dong-Seong, the naive boy, Sun-woo, and the introverted boy, Choi Taek. Their lives intersect to form their miniature universe.
The most prominent reason why the series is popular is that it includes small moments and scenes that most of the audience must experience themselves. For instance, the small fights between family and friends, experiencing the feelings of first crushes and gushes of the teenage years, sharing food with the neighbors, and the small meetings of the neighbors. Whenever any one of the families is in trouble, the neighbors would always stand by their side to help and support them.
Reply 1988 will help you cherish and reflect on your youth
Reply 1988 would leave the audience with wonderful recollections of their youth. It will also make you realize how much you liked your youth, especially if you can relate to the styles and lifestyles shown in the series.
Also, even if you’re in the teenage phase of your life you’ll be able to relate to the characters. Sometimes, you may feel unsure about what to do in the future like Deok Sun; Dong Ryong who just wanted to enjoy his youth; Sun Woo who fell for Bora; like Taek who makes a lot of money playing Baduk instead of studying or you can relate to Jung Hwan at times in our lives when we are hesitant to pursue something because of what is at stake.
It highlights the importance of friendship and family
In comparison to the other Reply series, the drama has a greater emphasis on friendship and family. It also features an excellent mix of romance and humor. The story begins in 1988 and centers on five friends and their families who live in the same neighborhood in Ssangmun-dong in Seoul.
In this series, you’ll see how real our primary characters are and how much they care for one another. The drama provides you with a perfect depiction of how having good friends will provide you with lifelong memories. For instance, Jung Hwan once acts grumpily to Sun Woo but was the first to fight for him when some seniors bully Jung Hwan, Dong Ryong, and Sun Woo. Also, when Choi Taek lost in one of his tournaments, I liked how his four friends came to him and urged him to express his disappointment and frustration rather than keeping it to himself. Many people can relate to it.
The characters perfectly depict the parents’ unconditional love and care for their children. It’s probably the story of every middle-class household. That’s what makes it more relatable than ever. Even the ending hits an emotional note in the remembrance of Ssangmun-dong, where the characters have experienced their youth, which now lies all abandoned. Undoubtedly, drama can make you cry while you’re laughing and laugh while you’re crying. Every character successfully makes a special place in our hearts.
Korean culture and habits
The series teaches their viewer about Korean culture through various scenes. Throughout this series, I learned that marrying someone with the same surname was a taboo behavior back then. Luckily, the legislation has changed to allow Koreans to marry someone with the same surname.
Another aspect of Korean culture depicted in this play is the importance of education. The students in this drama did everything they could to succeed in school. It’s a surprise revelation about how schools used to run night sessions until 11 p.m. for students to study and prepare for the next day’s lesson.
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