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| Reply 1997: Source |
An unhealthy obsession over Reply 1997 led me to move on to the third instalment from its series - a bad decision, if any. If you're unfamiliar with Reply 1997, it's basically a 16-episode drama series starring Seo In-Guk and Jung Eun Ji (A Pink). I'm not sure what compelled me to watch this drama in the first place, seeing as i'm 4 years too late to the hype. Even so, it's a drama that takes you back to the group of friends and their lives back in 1997. I particularly enjoyed Reply 1997 because of its two main leads. The protagonist doesn't fit the mould of your sweet girl-next-door. She's uncouth, loud, spoilt and feisty. Yet there's a charm to her that you can't help falling for, and this I give heavy credit to Eun-ji for playing the character so well. As for the male lead... let's just say that In-guk played one of the most realistic male characters I've seen in korean dramas. I usually avoid romantic korean dramas because the male leads are just too good to be true. They're good looking, say wonderful cheesy things and treat the women in ways you've only dreamed of since you were a little girl. If Disney has been blamed for their unrealistic portrayals of 'happy ever after', then korean dramas (of the romance genre) needs to be blamed for breaking the hearts of women (and men) everywhere (cries).
Anyway I digress. Reply 1997 is still by far ranks #1 in the romance department for me. Apart from the brilliant chemistry from the ensemble, the script and directing really impressed me. It wasn't long-winded, had great punchlines and didn't miss out on details. It was predictable yet still lovely to watch :) I don't think there was a moment where I cringed from a corny script.
And so after watching the series six times, I decided it was unhealthy and that it was time to move on to something else. And this led me to the third instalment of the Reply series, Reply 1988.
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| Reply 1988 Poster: Source |
If I hoped that Reply 1988 would ease my transition from Reply 1997 then I was terribly wrong. Where the latter focused on the friendship of the group of friends from Busan, the former focused on both the importance of family and friendship in Ssangmun-dong, Seoul.
Reply 1988 left me crying towards the end of its run. There was a strong connection that I felt with the show. It reminded me of the kampong days when I was a child, and in many ways the setting of this series brought flashbacks of the Singapore I knew and grew up in. Above all, the importance of your neighbours, your family and friends are reflected so well in this drama. It was portrayed simply, and reminded me the importance of family and sacrifice. I think everyone will be able to relate to this series.
However unlike most drama series, what I love about this series (and the reason why the Reply series has gained so much recognition) is the script and directing. There are a total of 20-episodes, with each episode spanning an hour and 30minutes or more. Even so, you hardly notice that it's that long. The cinematography is conducted so wonderfully and each scene isn't longer than it should be. Most importantly, each character had enough screen time. So much so that I forgot who the main leads were. At the end of the day, Reply 1988 takes you back to those times you spent with your family and friends as a teenager. Back to the days when love was new, when you were unable to express yourself to the people you love, and when you were too childish to understand a parents sacrifice. I truly thank the team who came up and produced this show, it deserved the high ratings and credit it received. I'm now on my third run with the show ><
There are three instalments so far from the Reply series: Reply 1997, Reply 1994, Reply 1988. They are mutually exclusive and apart from the cameos some of the characters from the previous instalments have made, there are no links whatsoever between the three 'worlds'. I have yet to watch Reply 1994, but I would highly urge everyone to give these shows a go. I'd recommend starting with Reply 1997 because after all, that's where it all started :) I hope the writer comes up with another Reply series in the future. I'm sure it'll be another award-winning show for sure.
Have you seen these shows? What are your thoughts? I'd love to know :)
xx
p.s. I tried very hard to maintain my composure as a fan in this post. Could you tell?