Going back in the past, to some it might hurt but the past before our present made us the great person we are right now.
The Answer Me franchise is known to be one that is refreshing, nostalgic, and warm, and this drama really felt like it. However, I do have to comment on the lengthy episodes though; what could have been 16 episodes turned into 21 episodes.
I think Reply 1994 is a good drama on its own, whether or not I compare it to its mega popular predecessor and sequel. Being the second season, not comparing the two was impossible for me no matter how much I tried. There are both pros and cons in this drama. I prefer the love triangle in R94 much, much more than the one in R97. Overall, the characters in this drama were almost equally as good as in R97 (or in some cases- even better).
I watched R94 last after R88 and R97 based on the rating and I would strongly recommend to watch in the order they are released to avoid the Husband Spoiler ; especially watch R94 after R97 as there is a bigger cameo in R94 than in R88 from the prequel cast . Also don't drop R88 and R94 feel very lengthy ; I dropped R88 and picked it up later and loved it; while R97 is short and easy to binge in 12 hours.
PLOT
As usual for Reply Series, we have the "Love Triangle". That's what the story is all about. Finding out the "who" in the end. But, the story-line is somehow special, connecting the past to the present. The wonderful memories of the freshness of the youth.
I now understand why this drama had countless shipper wars. My biggest complaint with the love triangle was why drag it out so much when one guy didn't even stand a proper chance from the beginning? Na Jeong clearly loved one and one only from the start. I did like both guys but the outcome was too predictable. Of course, the writer tried to 'confuse' the viewers but I could easily sense the direction it was going in ; eventhough it did give some scare at the end
The consequence of having some drawn out episodes are that some viewers start to become desperate to find the ending and can be quite "passionate" in defending their certain views and opinions. I think that to fully enjoy this drama, one must not get caught up in the whole "who's the husband mystery" because this drama has so much more to it. I got caught up even when i could who it is and skipped lot of scenes in the end .
CAST
For starters, Na Jeong was quite funny and likable. According to me, it's hard to beat Sung Shi Won played by Eun Ji in 97 but nonetheless, Go Ah Ra did a great job of playing the main character. The ~Oppa ~Oppa made me drop 'Black' as it was out of context but this character suited her the best. Go Ara's character is a strong yet sweet girl, and she really portrayed it well. She had a loyal heart who only sought one man in her heart ;although it unfair for the second man involved in the Love Triangle; I liked that loyalty.
The rest of them were great in their roles too
Yoo Yeon Seok however did a splendid job with the way he played Chilbong. I didn't feel like the writer fully utilized his character and I skipped most of his scenes as it was pretty evident they were just using him to keep the husband mystery ; but the flags did give me lot of scare as he almost got the girl.
Then there's Jung Woo who played Trash oppa his funny expressions and emotions and hyung-like support to the boarding members were the highlight of the show for me. He is much better than the Oppa in R97.
The thing that makes this drama stand out is the band of realistic characters, their unbreakable bonds, unforgettable friendships and love for each other. Mixed in with the nostalgia of the 90's this was surely a recipe for success. I must say it delivered exceedingly well on this front.Its other great strength lies in its deeply likable cast where there wasn't a single annoying person!
OST
I also think that while you are watching the drama, you should pay close attention to the songs being played in certain scenes because the directors specifically and intentionally put these songs in to suit certain scenes. The music was really good again, like in R1997 except this time they got their whole cast to sing for the OST.
VERDICT
Although there were some holes, they do not affect the story as a whole and these little holes don't change the meaning of the story. My advice to those who are looking to watch this drama is also to not overthink and over-analyze the drama because it might ruin it for you like how i have seen it get ruined for others. It's a GREAT show that will really get you emotionally entangled with it and shouldn't be overshadowed by the husband mystery. I'm sorry i had to reiterate the part about not focusing too much on "who's the husband" because it's such a waste that a great drama is being clouded by this. It's a realistic portrayal of how life can be like for those in their 20's and is once again a heartwarming story which will, without a doubt, have you laughing **and **crying with each character of the series.
Recommend this to those who liked R1997 while R1988 is a separate beast the took the best of R97 and R94.
Review by chillikunBlockedParent2020-09-20T20:46:20Z
The Answer Me franchise is known to be one that is refreshing, nostalgic, and warm, and this drama really felt like it. However, I do have to comment on the lengthy episodes though; what could have been 16 episodes turned into 21 episodes.
I think Reply 1994 is a good drama on its own, whether or not I compare it to its mega popular predecessor and sequel. Being the second season, not comparing the two was impossible for me no matter how much I tried. There are both pros and cons in this drama. I prefer the love triangle in R94 much, much more than the one in R97. Overall, the characters in this drama were almost equally as good as in R97 (or in some cases- even better).
I watched R94 last after R88 and R97 based on the rating and I would strongly recommend to watch in the order they are released to avoid the Husband Spoiler ; especially watch R94 after R97 as there is a bigger cameo in R94 than in R88 from the prequel cast . Also don't drop R88 and R94 feel very lengthy ; I dropped R88 and picked it up later and loved it; while R97 is short and easy to binge in 12 hours.
PLOT
As usual for Reply Series, we have the "Love Triangle". That's what the story is all about. Finding out the "who" in the end. But, the story-line is somehow special, connecting the past to the present. The wonderful memories of the freshness of the youth.
I now understand why this drama had countless shipper wars. My biggest complaint with the love triangle was why drag it out so much when one guy didn't even stand a proper chance from the beginning? Na Jeong clearly loved one and one only from the start. I did like both guys but the outcome was too predictable. Of course, the writer tried to 'confuse' the viewers but I could easily sense the direction it was going in ; eventhough it did give some scare at the end
The consequence of having some drawn out episodes are that some viewers start to become desperate to find the ending and can be quite "passionate" in defending their certain views and opinions. I think that to fully enjoy this drama, one must not get caught up in the whole "who's the husband mystery" because this drama has so much more to it. I got caught up even when i could who it is and skipped lot of scenes in the end .
CAST
For starters, Na Jeong was quite funny and likable. According to me, it's hard to beat Sung Shi Won played by Eun Ji in 97 but nonetheless, Go Ah Ra did a great job of playing the main character. The ~Oppa ~Oppa made me drop 'Black' as it was out of context but this character suited her the best. Go Ara's character is a strong yet sweet girl, and she really portrayed it well. She had a loyal heart who only sought one man in her heart ;although it unfair for the second man involved in the Love Triangle; I liked that loyalty.
The rest of them were great in their roles too
Yoo Yeon Seok however did a splendid job with the way he played Chilbong. I didn't feel like the writer fully utilized his character and I skipped most of his scenes as it was pretty evident they were just using him to keep the husband mystery ; but the flags did give me lot of scare as he almost got the girl.
Then there's Jung Woo who played Trash oppa his funny expressions and emotions and hyung-like support to the boarding members were the highlight of the show for me. He is much better than the Oppa in R97.
The thing that makes this drama stand out is the band of realistic characters, their unbreakable bonds, unforgettable friendships and love for each other. Mixed in with the nostalgia of the 90's this was surely a recipe for success. I must say it delivered exceedingly well on this front.Its other great strength lies in its deeply likable cast where there wasn't a single annoying person!
OST
I also think that while you are watching the drama, you should pay close attention to the songs being played in certain scenes because the directors specifically and intentionally put these songs in to suit certain scenes. The music was really good again, like in R1997 except this time they got their whole cast to sing for the OST.
VERDICT
Although there were some holes, they do not affect the story as a whole and these little holes don't change the meaning of the story. My advice to those who are looking to watch this drama is also to not overthink and over-analyze the drama because it might ruin it for you like how i have seen it get ruined for others. It's a GREAT show that will really get you emotionally entangled with it and shouldn't be overshadowed by the husband mystery. I'm sorry i had to reiterate the part about not focusing too much on "who's the husband" because it's such a waste that a great drama is being clouded by this. It's a realistic portrayal of how life can be like for those in their 20's and is once again a heartwarming story which will, without a doubt, have you laughing **and **crying with each character of the series.
Recommend this to those who liked R1997 while R1988 is a separate beast the took the best of R97 and R94.