Set in the 1990’s, the drama centers around a female high school student Shi Won, who idolizes boyband H.O.T and her 5 high school friends in Busan. As the timeline moves back and forth between their past as 18-year-old high schoolers in 1997 and their present as 33-year-olds at their high school reunion dinner in 2012, where one couple will announce that they’re getting married.
mydramalist
- Starring: Jung Eun Ji | Seo In Guk | Hoya | Shin So Yool | Eun Ji Won | Lee Si Eon | Song Jong Ho
- Episodes: 16 (1 hr.)
- Aired: July 24 – September 18, 2012
- Network: tvN
Oh the Reply Series, where it all began. What began? My love for Seo In Guk, of course. So, a show about a fangirl living her best fangirl adolesence and falling in love? Sign me up. And throw in the brooding yet hot and sometimes funny Seo In Guk, I was hooked.
Things I loved about this installment: Sung Shi Won was my spirit animal. I could see parts of myself in her, it made watching her journey from teenage fangirl to mom, much more enjoyable because I connected on some level that I usually don’t connect with other characters. She was unapologetic yet naive, and sometimes I feel like that adds to the complexity of a character. Not to say the characters in this were very complex. Except…
My next highlight: The relationship and dynamic between Kang Jun Hee and Yoon Jae. In my opinion, this storyline ran parrallel to the main one. Best friends who have underlining feelings for friends. Just so happens, that one friend is also a guy. What Reply 1997 did was show us the feelings without yelling it in our faces. You could see Kang Jun Hee’s love and how it grew. And you also saw what happens when it isn’t returned in the same way. The ending for him was a sad one in my opinion, but I was still happy that this kind of story was told.
What I realized with this series quickly was that the parents, Lee Il Hwa and Sung Dong Il, were really a staple when it came to the glue and the comic relief. There were times when I wished for them to be in scenes. The chemistry between them and Shi Won was hilarious. The one scene where Sung Dong Il ends up cutting his daughter’s hair due to her shenanigans, I was rolling on the floor. The chemistry not only between them but the whole cast was amazing. The friends to lovers trope was alive and well in this.
With all the things I loved about this show, the one thing I couldn’t stand was the inclusion of the love square that was really a triangle that really had no chance of being one. For them to make Yoon Jae’s brother his rival for Shi Won’s affection felt cruel. However, I guess they succeeded in what they were going for because even though deep down I knew who Shi Won ends up with, there were moments of doubt. At the end of the day though, the show gets you with that OTP and makes you root for them to the end.
Acting : 8.5/10
Story : 8.5/10
Music : 8/10
Overall : 8.5/10
Recommended For : Those who like idol dramas and flashbacks
Fave Song : All For You – Eunji & Seo In Guk
Unbothered Unnies 