Lazy Unnie’s Couch: Reply 1988

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This felt like FOREVER! I started this back in April 2019 after I finished Reply 1994. I thought that I was going to love it instantly because my love for Ryu Joon Yeol and Go Kyung Pyo is never ending, however, love didn’t conquer all in this case. Let me explain what went wrong in a few key points.

Point One: The triangle. I knew from the beginning that there was going to be on because come on, the other two had one. Deok Sun/Jung Hwan/ Choi Taek’s triangle was one that stabbed me in the heart. From gifs I saw on tumblr, I knew that Deok Sun and Jung Hwan had CRAZY chemistry, so of course this was my ship. I was waving the sails and going full steam ahead. That is until I hit an iceberg called a spoiler and realized I wasn’t going to be a happy flag waving captain of the Deok Sun Jung Hwan SS.

Point Two: I hated Park Bo Gum on principle alone. The fact that my OTP wasn’t going to be endgame, I couldn’t get past anything. I legit put this on the shelf because I knew I wasn’t going to be happy and Park Bo Gum’s perfect face made me rage.

Point Three: The side romances weren’t really as engaging as the main one. I found myself bored with Bora and Sunwoo. They were perfect people who were just dull. They were so predictable that I was more invested in Sunwoo’s mom and her romantic endeavors.

Now, with all that said, I can say how this show in the end won me over and made me not hate Park Bo Gum’s face.

The realism of the characters really started to grow on me. Deok Sun was really someone you could relate to. She was funny, goofy, not perfect but pure. It was no wonder why she was loved by so many. Dong Ryong was one of my favorite characters. He was great for comic relief but the seriousness of his sadness of being a child of two working parents was portrayed so well. When he just wanted to eat the soup his mom made, I felt that.

As with all the Reply series shows, the parents had a significant part in the story. I feel like this installment more than the others. Their trials and tribulations felt real and I felt that I was being raised by them. The sense of community was strong in this one and I loved it. It was nice to see the adults go through their own shit alongside the kids. From menopause, health scares and dead end jobs, all of it was there but it wasn’t done in a way that took away from the flow of the show.

And finally, my love for Deok Sun and Jung Hwan ended up shifting to my love for Choi Taek and Deok Sun. I didn’t jump ship because I feel like Jung Hwan deserved WAY much better than he did. I mean, does he even get to be happy because he spent his life loving one chick but who knows what happens. I HATED that ending for him. Oh well, in the end, I could see the pureness of Choi Taek’s love for Deok Sun and it was infectious. Damn you Park Bo Gum!