Why “Reply 1998” Made a Comeback

“Reply 1988” is a 2015 Korean drama that follows the lives of 5 families living on the same street in a neighborhood called Ssangmundong in Seoul. It was a nostalgic way of looking back to the past since the whole drama’s timeline was set mainly in 1988 to a few years in the 1990s.

 

Recently, as people have been spending their quarantine period watching a lot of dramas, it has again made a comeback filling SNS timelines with recommendations of watching it. The #WhyReply1988 has even trended on Twitter.

 

So, what made Reply 1988 so special that the feels went straight to people’s hearts?

 

It’s a nostalgic representation of a small neighborhood life

Did you ever have a time in your life when you lived in a small neighborhood where everyone knew each other? Then, you would watch tv at your friend’s house and play until your mom calls you home. Just before dinner, your mom would ask you to deliver food to your neighbors and when you come back with some of their food. It makes you nostalgic because now, oftentimes, you don’t even know who your neighbors are.

 

Reminds you to enjoy your youth with friends

In 1988, Duk-Sun (Hyeri), Jung-Hwan (Ryoo Joon-Yeol), Sun-Woo (Ko Gyung-Pyo), and Dong-Ryong (Lee Dong-Hwi) are high school students and Taek (Park Bo-Gum) is a go player. These five people have been friends since they were little kids. They are all so different: top of their class, the bottom of their class, the teacher’s son, and international go player but they all realized their dream and grew up with each other.

It makes you feel that you’ve been growing up with them too.

 

Shows pop culture in the ‘90s and ‘80s

Who knew the teenage years of mothers and fathers were so cool? In 1998, Korea hosted the Olympics and Duk-Sun even carried a banner. Their past time was spent watching tv and listening to the radio where they would call the station so that they would be mentioned. They attended music festivals and everyone auditioned for a tv network’s talent show. Their technology wasn’t as advanced but they were happy. They even had happier times always seeing each other than using SNS.

 

At some point, you grow up and move on

The parts where you would tear up was when the children started to get married, they moved away because of their jobs, they see each other less and less because they had careers and that their families started to transfer houses. But one thing is for sure, they would always reunite when it was someone’s birthday or on a special occasion. It’s always sad when you realize that you’re no longer a kid and your parents are starting to grow old so you need to cherish every moment.

 

Reply 1988 was a one of a kind drama because it wasn’t just your usual romance drama, it depicted real-life with families and friends and the constant thing which is CHANGE.