Reply 1988

Reply 1988 is a Korean television series that was set in 1988. This television series reenacts people’s lives in 1998 by portraying the daily lives of five families, who are living in the same neighborhood of Ssangmoon-dong for about 20 years. Each of those families has a child who is at the same age, who is in high school, and the development of friendships and love among those families are shown throughout entire series. Sung Deok Sun is a middle child who was born in a poor family. Kim Jung Hwan is crazy about soccer, and his family became rich overnight from lottery. Sung Sun Woo is a perfect model as a student, a son, and a brother. His mother has raised his younger sister and him after his father had passed away. Lee Dong Ryong likes hanging out with his four friends and dancing. His father is a dean at his high school. Lastly, Choi Taek has dropped out of school, and he is one of the best go players in Asia. Through the entire series, the friendships and love among five teenagers develops into stronger relationships.

            There are two main themes in Reply 1988. The first theme of this drama is family. Family was one of the main conflicts that were dealt in Reply 1988. Each family had different family issues. Sung Deok Sun, one of the main character, struggles as a middle child in a poor family. Because her and her older sister’s birthday was a day apart, she did not have her own birthday cake, and she always had to concede when there is not enough food. In addition, Kim Jung Hwan’s parents could not pay much attention to him because his older brother had heart diseases since he was little. So he was not used to expressing emotion and wanted to become a pilot because it was his brother’s dream job. However, throughout the drama, all five families overcame conflicts and became stronger family. The second theme of Reply 1988 is time. Unlike many other television series, it was set in 1988. It reenacted old memories like 1988 Seoul Olympics and college student movements. Also, the whole series of this show portrays the process of five teenagers becoming adults and finding their passions. From this story, people who lived in that time period can sympathize and relate themselves.

            I find Reply 1988 beautiful because the story deals with my parents’ generation. My parents were also watching this drama, and they were able to relate themselves to the stories shown in this television series. Also, while I was watching this drama, I was able to imagine how my parents were like when they were in my age. After watching this show, my parents have shared similar memories they had, which made me to understand more about my parents and become closer with them. Moreover, at the end of Reply 1988, all of the five friends gather and talk about how much fun they had when they were in high school and when they were living in the same neighborhood. After I finished watching the whole series, I have felt that I need to cherish the memories I have made with my family and friends. In addition, not only my parents were able to relate themselves, but I was also able to relate myself to this television show. Reply 1988 shows little family conflicts that are commonly happening in real world, such as fights between siblings and between parents and children. While I was watching this drama, I was able to realize my careless mistakes and understand my parents and my younger sister’s perspective.