Genre: Romantic comedy, found family saga
Starring: Go Ara, Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon Seok, Son Ho Joon, Baro
Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
This is the second in the Reply series. Though these dramas aren't really connected, so it's not quite correct to call them a series. The characters are completely separate, though it was a blast when the characters from Reply 1997 (the one I previously watched) and this one crossed paths! I thought I would dying laughing!
This one centers around a boarding house for students in the middle of Seoul. It starts out in 1994, but goes through 2002, so we get to see several Korean historical things happen, as well as much technological development. (Beepers/pagers are a huge thing in this drama but by the time it ends, everyone has cell phones!)
The boarding house is run by the mom and dad... along with their daughter and sort of adopted son. There is three other boys who live there, and one other girl. And then the cousin of one of the boys who hangs out and sleeps over often.
The drama is basically about their lives as they grow up from freshman college kids, to adults, getting married and having careers. It's all about the character development of these characters and we as viewers become totally immersed in their lives and invested in having them succeed. I feel like I've just acquired a while pile of friends that feel totally real to me. It's awesome how that works.
Some things that you'll learn about while watching this drama:
- the rise and fall of Seo Taeji and Boys (the group that started the kpop craze)
- the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997
- the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store in 1995
- progress of cell phones
- Korean baseball and basketball history
- Korea in the World Cup game in 2002
Anyway. I found that fun.
But mostly I just enjoyed the characters and their interactions and their love for each other, and all their craziness and idiosyncrasies. So good.
There were bits that made me crazy though. But... oh, well.
And I must say that I was heart broken over the second male lead syndrome in this one. Similar to Reply 1997, the characters are together in the present day (2013) celebrating a housewarming for one of the couples. They are watching the wedding video of that couple (which takes place in 2002) but we don't know who the girl ended up marrying until the final episode. I pretty much know who it would be, but I was rooting for the other guy like crazy. I think it's probably because his personality fits my own better...like I think the guy that gets the girl would drive me so crazy... so putting myself into the drama (as we always do) I really fell for the other guy. Sigh.
And I hear the last Reply drama (1988) is even worse! I'm going to have to take a Reply break and watch a few other things first I think.
I can't find an English subbed trailer, but here's the main song sung by most of the main guys! I had no idea they sang this song! The one guy who I knew was an idol (Baro) isn't even in this! LOL! His group sings a different song for the drama I guess. Anyway, I loved that I found this video:
I looked up the B1A4 song and have to share it too. Baro, who was in the drama, is the rapper in the baseball cap. Gah, he was so adorable in this drama!
And here's Seo Taeji and Boys with the song from this drama. The guys we have to thank for kpop becoming a thing!
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