Reply 1988 Review
I just finished watching Reply 1988 last week. I did not expect that this kdrama will be so great that I cannot move on from it.
Reply 1988 is about the everyday lives of the five families living in Ssangmundong, Seoul. You will feel nostalgic while watching it due to its 80's setting, bringing you back to your younger years where playing outside your home and growing up with your childhood friends have become a huge part of your life.
I got engaged to this kdrama because it feels like I am also part of their story. I can see myself in every character's shoes. The series covered every memorable moments and how they strive the different hardships they have experienced. Each episode is an hour and 30 minutes long but still leaves me hanging every time.
This series is definitely a must watch! It will give you so much life learning lessons. You will see how each character evolved and matured as they grow up. The friendship formed in the neighborhood is unbreakable. It also shows the importance of family and how parents make lots of sacrifices for their children. And when it comes to problems, you do not need to carry it all by yourself. You will be needing someone to help you too. You will also learn how time and courage are important when it comes to love.
There are also snippets from the future were the husband of Duk-Seon was revealed.
The Main Cast
1. Lee Hye-ri as Sung Duk-Seon / Sung Soo-Yeon
Duk-Seon is the middle child in her family. She brings a lot of energy in this drama because of her dancing skills and cute personality.
2. Park Bo-gum as Choi Taek
Choi Taek is a genius Go player (a board game) who lives with his dad. He is the quiet one in the group. You will definitely fall in love with his smiles.
3. Ryu Jun-yeol as Kim Jung-hwan
I got my eyes on Jung-Hwan because of his stoic personality. I like how he puts other people first before himself.
4. Go Kyung-pyo as Sung Sun-woo
Sun-Woo is the ideal big brother in the neighborhood. He is very caring to his sister and a reliable son.
5. Lee Dong-hwi as Ryu Dong-ryong
Dong-Ryong is the funniest one. He loves to sing and dance where he got from his dad.
Supporting Characters
The Sung Family
The Sung family is not very well-off. They live in the basement of Jung-Hwan's house. Dong-Il which is the head of the family works as a banker to feed their children and pay off their debts. Il-Hwa is a regular housewife who shows her love and support to her family by cooking for them and doing the chores. Bo-ra is the eldest child. She is an intelligent young student who got a scholarship to go college. She also has temper issues but as you watch her, you will love her character. No-eul is the youngest and the kindest among the siblings. He has the passion for singing and won in a contest in their neighborhood. He was described as matured looking in the outside but a young at heart.
Sung Dong-il as Sung Dong-il (Duk-seon's father)
Lee Il-hwa as Lee Il-hwa (Duk-seon's mother)
Ryu Hye-young as Sung Bo-ra (Duk-seon's older sister)
Choi Sung-won as Sung No-eul (Duk-seon's younger brother)
The Kim Family
Jung-Bong is the eldest son of their family. They became rich because he was fond of collecting lotto tickets. From living to one bedroom apartment, now they have a 3 bedroom house with spacious sala where most of the celebrations in the neighborhood were held. Sung-Kyun and Mi-ran are their parents. The father works in an electronic shop while the mother is a housewife. You will like the relationship between this couple.
Kim Sung-kyun as Kim Sung-kyun (Jung-hwan's father)
Ra Mi-ran as Ra Mi-ran (Jung-hwan's mother)
Ahn Jae-hong as Kim Jung-bong (Jung-hwan's older brother)
The Sun-Woo Family
Sun-Young is a single mother who is living with her two children. After her husband died, she experienced a lot of struggles raising them. She has a happy personality but she will make you cry in her dramatic scenes.
Kim Sun-young as Kim Sun-young (Sun-woo's mother)
Kim Seol as Sung Jin-joo (Sun-woo's little sister)
The Choi Family
Mr. Choi moved to Ssangmundong when his wife passed way. He owns a jewelry shop in the neighborhood. He raised his only son Taek and supported him all the way to his Baduk matches (Go board game).
Choi Moo-sung as Choi Moo-sung (Taek's father)
Yoo Jae-myung as Ryu Jae-myung (Dong-ryong's father)
If you have not seen this series yet, I think now is the great time. You must have seen a lot kdramas during this quarantine but this one is definitely worth it!
Look how the characters still bond together even if the series has ended already. Can you guess who ended up with each other?
All photos credit to the owner.
