Reply 1988 - Ep. 19-20 [FINALE] Discussion Post

[yohan94.livejournal.com]

Set in the year 1988 at a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea. Five families live on the same alley road.

Cast: Sung Dong Il, Lee Il Hwa, Hyeri, Park Bo Gum, Kim Sung Kyun

Where to watch: Dramacool, Dramafever



Dramabeans:

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10
Episode 11
Episode 12
Episode 13
Episode 14
Episode 15
Episode 16
Episode 17
Episode 18
Episode 19
Episode 20




Reply PD says 'Reply 1974' is planned

Shin Won Ho PD's old interview:

"After 1988, I think 1974 is another important year in contemporary history. There were many big and revolutionary events such as shooting of Yook Young Soo, opening Seoul subway, first Choco Pies, Water Gate incident, carnation, and etc. I want to make a drama that feels like looking at dusty and old photos. Simple but beautiful old days, I want to portray the youth of 386 generation. We're considering it as the next project."

Article says 'Reply 1974' will start to shoot in this year's summer at the earliest.


source: AsianWiki, Dramabeans, pann via kpopkfans

Comments

HA HA HA HA

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

F*ck this show!
I'm not even pressed for being Taek endgame because I liked him the best the first couple of episodes but then it all pointed out to Junghwan and I tried to stop caring.
Tempestdance already said everything I wanted at the FFA (http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/17349928.html?thread=1336401704#t1336401704) post.

I need to kdrama's writers to start to learn how to write couples together and being happy for more than one episode before the end.
And why we have Bora and Sunwoo wedding but not the main couple one? ¬_¬

I'm just glad of the existence of Taek's father because it's the only thing that doesn't make me hate everything so much. Well and the couple was cute the little scenes they gave them together.

Re: HA HA HA HA

[bubblyshades.livejournal.com]

I flip flop between acceptance and "why why why tell me whyyyyy" about the ending.

I wanted Deoksun to choose Junghwan but the more I think about it, the more I understand why she didn't. He did indeed hesitate too much, and his confession (his sweet, heartfelt confession) just came too late. It utterly broke my heart but here we are.

The execution of everything in the last two episodes was just really poorly done though. Felt rushed and disjointed, idk. The fact that Junghwan and Dongryong became minor characters, and all of a sudden having Taek and Deoksun shoved in our faces instead of a slow and OBVIOUS TO THE AUDIENCE build up.

Whatever whatever.

[miwa201.livejournal.com]

bye @ this mess

[bubblyshades.livejournal.com]

girl please board the rage train with me. I need to vent out everything before I can really move on lol

edit: actually I feel like I'm past the anger stage now... lol. the ending is still hard for me to swallow in some parts, but I love the show still.

[yohan94.livejournal.com]

honestly be as mad as you want about the husband search (i say this as a junghwan x deoksun shipper) but you have to admit 1988 gave us so many sweet, funny, heart warming family/friend storylines. i don't think who deoksun would end up with ruined or took over the show and it wasn't overbearing and baity like in '94.

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

ia 88>97>94 for me. But right now I'm just too mad lol
I think even the family storylines lost part of their magic at the end. I would have liked to see more of Taek's father and Sunwwo's mother getting together.
The show ended and I still don't understand the dynamic of Dong Ryong's family, the little bit they explained they left it for the last two episodes. But it could be my fault too because I have serious problems of concentrarion when I watch tv shows and movies.
And they did dirty to Junghwan character and A LOT. He practically didn't exist at the end. I would have loved to watch more of his friendship with Deoksun, without the doubts about who likes who around.

[unbroken-glass.livejournal.com]

i loved it, but it did feel rushed compared to the sloooow pacing of the other episodes. lmao @ shippers getting mad, altho i don't think the hate was as bad as the war in R1994. i would have liked to see more taek/deok sun moments and also junghwan's acceptance of their relationship. but i guess the ring left at the table really signalled that he was moving on. i thought the way the story panned out was much more refreshing than a typical kdrama. the ending back to the start when they were OT5 made me sob, the relationships between them is the main loveline for me <3

i'm so glad hyeri met expectations, because poor girl got so much hate and i was rooting for her from the beginning (lol i'm a GsD fan)

now what am i going to do on fridays and saturdays...... /sobs.

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

I really wish they had done the time jump to 1994 sooner instead of waiting till episode 18. I think if we'd spent more time with them post college years we would have been more aware of their development and how the romantic feelings had changed or progressed.

[rottenraisins.livejournal.com]

I had been obsessively following this drama and I think I am far too invested in this to say that this drama truly broke me (but just not crazy enough to be involved with silly fan wars).

I loved it for what it was but the shift in focus from junghwan to taek was too forced and deliberate as if to tell everyone "yeah you think you're so smart eh?"

All I'm gonna say is I can never listen to A Little Girl the same way anymore. It crushes my heart. T^T

[ocean-pig.livejournal.com]

As someone who cheered for taek, I'm super confused watching ep 19. I haven't even bothered with ep 20. I don't mind who dukseon picks but I'm so confused why junghwan dropped off. He was on screen but it's never about him and he was clearly pushed to a supporting role. I wish they showed JH interacting with DS as a friend and maturing beyond it. I wish they showed all
The friends together. DR apparently lives at the restaurant now...? He's not doing anything else.

Also, i really didn't care for bora and sunwoo and they were more prominently featured. Ugh... Not even the main couple. Should've given more storyline to Junghwan.

The entire ep 19 was so strangely filmed and the acting... It's like they ran out of time and could only do one take for each scene. Really awkward and disappointing.

ALSO!! The crying fest during the galbi dinner. W.T.F. It was so forced and awkward. My bf and I just stared at each other like "what's going on.????"

[kary1591.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched the last 2 but I'm spoiled so.. Ugh, is the moral of the story to not put your friends first because you will end up miserable? Like sure, it's realistic but it's still upsetting. Had Jungwhan been selfish and thought of himself instead of Taek maybe things could have been different. Or maybe they wouldn't have but I hate that he didn't even have a chance because he didn't want to hurt his friends. First when he thought Sun Woo liked her and then for Taek.

I rarely ship the wrong couple so this is extra hard for me lol.

[bubblyshades.livejournal.com]

I feel everything in this comment. I was so sure Junghwan and Deoksun would end up together because of parallelisms from the prior two installments.

I've accepted the ending better now, but it still hurts lol

[lechuza-yoya.livejournal.com]

they have two hours,and they didnt tell us what JH and DY are doing!!!
and what about the neighborhood? Who they sell to, who let abandon the place? its a bad neighborhood? its a real one? and some family mode near busan its nice the place ?

[shocko-o.livejournal.com]

I hope thats just a rumor. Ive entertained that idea too, but if they write the story with the aim of being unpredictable, wouldnt that be predictable in itself? It's more enjoyable watching this as a standalone drama rather than thinking, oh this is what the writer did before so theyll write it this way, or maybe they want to do it differently this time.

[misswaldorf.livejournal.com]

Jungpal ah...*sniff*

[mayuyu.livejournal.com]

Im so disappointed with the ending. They spent the whole last episode on Bora and Sunwoo's wedding instead of devoting time to explaining or showing what Junghwan and Dongryong did in the future. I mean seriously future Deoksun even mentions what Jungbong ended up doing but not Junghwan?
And why did they make Jungbong a celebrity chef? All he could make was ramen and kimchi fried rice. It would have been funnier if they had him become rich off of all the things he collected in 88 like the stamps and lottery tickets.

The ending would have stung a lot less if Junghwan had some closure, i mean they didnt even show how he got over Deoksun or that he was awkward being in the same room as her. He was just suddenly cool with it. They didnt even show why Deoksun gave up on Junghwan or even her response to his "fake" confession when it was obvious that she knew it wasn't fake.

Im still going to be one of those delusional people who thinks they changed the ending at the last minute because of spoilers. Why else would they have made Deoksun and flight attendent and Junghwan a pilot?
It broke my heart to hear that Hyeri cried so much after the confession scene with Junyeol that they had to hault filming. I'll always love their scenes they had together, like them on the bus, Junghwan waiting for Deoksun outside before school, when they went to the concert together and when he smiled at the tv when Deoksun was on.

tl;dr I could have written a better ending tbh

[kary1591.livejournal.com]

Because of spoilers? As in they didn't like that people could predict the ending? I997 one was really obvious too though so idg why it'd bother them this time around. I've read that dramas tend to follow public opinion in their writing. Wouldn't surprise me if Bogummy's popularity affected the writing, but alas..

This was one crazy ride

[kjc48.livejournal.com]

I can't wait for the next season!
I love how the show chose to end, I had been dreading them all moving away from the start of the show tbh.

BRxSW had way too much screen time, but in my heart I feel like DS and T are the type of couple to just do a city hall wedding so I'm not bitter about my otp being extras lol

Justice to DY and JB (the didn't even have him in the neighbourhood kids ic at the wedding -_-) tbh

All I truly learned from this show was why the "s" sound is silent in "imnida", which was :O:O:O
And the writer should be a shamed @ not giving me my Brotp reunion!!!!!
Also:










#alwayskeepthefaith!!!!!!


-XOXO, GG

Re: This was one crazy ride

[bubblyshades.livejournal.com]

lmao your gifs for the different teams

We were on different teams but I still <3 you, girl :)

And yes, this show was one of the most intense rides I've experienced yet

[yejun.livejournal.com]

When I finished ep 18 I was like fuck this shit why is Taek the end game? But then I watched 19 and Taek is cute so whatever but how did we not get anything from their wedding? "Yeah we waited and got married a couple of years later".
SHOW ME THE FACES OF EVERYONE WHEN U ANNOUNCED U'RE GETTING MARRIED, AT LEAST.

I thought Bora and SW's wedding was qt and everything but isn't Duk Seon the main character in this drama? Did I miss something?

They created so many good characters only to not have time to wrap them all up in a satisfactory way. I am so disappointed.

Also, I miss the subs for '94 and '97 when all the "bad decisions" made by Dong Il were properly explained. I felt like I missed out on a lot by not knowing what happened in '88 in Korea etc.

[hozrien.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, I definitely wouldn't of minded having them show the faces of everyone when they said they were getting married! Enter the sheep noise.

I adore SW and I like Bora, but they really weren't the main thing for me and I wondered why THEY got the whole wedding thing but there was nothing about the main couple's wedding ):<. Some things were left unanswered and open ended, kind of. I wish there was more information, and I realllly hope they don't do another husband hunt/game in the next Reply - but they likely will.

[bubblyshades.livejournal.com]

Woo, here we go.

This whole ride has been incredibly emotional for me. I soared high with hope and optimism, only to find myself taking a sudden nose dive come ep 19 and in ep 20 I was broken and scattered.

I'm not going to lie, the ending of R1988 really broke me, even more than I had anticipated. I lost my appetite for three days straight and hardly slept. It was for two reasons: 1) Deoksun didn't choose Junghwan; 2) that is the last we will see of Ssangmundong and I'm going to miss them all terribly.

It's a new day today and I'm feeling better. :) I've come to terms with what happened, and appreciated that the writer wanted to do something different this time. The only thing that I remain bitter and resentful about is that I feel I was deliberately led into Junghwan's story for maximum heartbreak. I think that's (cruelly) genius of her. Also, I wish Dongryong and Junghwan would have gotten more screen time in the last two episodes. I missed them sorely.

But R1988 is my favorite of the franchise so far. The cast was solid all around, characters so warm and true and engaging, and the OST is a standout. I know I'll still be tuning in to the next installment.

[oppasamaaa.livejournal.com]

This is exactly me!! I had actual heartaches when our teenagers became all grown up during the time skip and when the families move out of Ssangmundong. Noooo dont go I love you guys too much!! Took me a couple days before I could function again (although my appetite wasn't affected lmao). Cheese in the trap helped a bit.

I already felt like something is wrong by the end of ep 18 altho I still held up hope but Junghwan really did gave up in the end T.T I tell everyone I'm staying away from the Reply series but I'll definitely still end up watching. Just that this time will take me longer to get over my sunken ship than the last one. At least we know Chilbong ended up another girl but what happened to Junghwan :(((

[kjc48.livejournal.com]

About that husband hunt:
I was team Teak from day 1, and all my predictions came true lmao (this writer is seriously really lazy). I also stand by my theory that DSxJH is a satire on male entitlement lol

I feel the big difference with #teamT was that there was very little logic to why people supported him:
1) people just chose to support the ~pretty~
>>>this is interesting because AM usually chooses the "ugly" guy as the husband, thus Taek set up to be fighting a losing battle because his actor is a flowerboy
2) IRY fans following PBG in hopes of our psycho getting a happy ending
>>>this is the most important point. The main reason people became teamJH was because he seemed to be the only option at teh beginning of the show (SW has his on ship, and DY is #foreveralone). But teamT fans knew that AM and IRY filming overlapped, so PGB would have fewer scenes for teh first few episodes. The fact that he was still cast even with filming restrictions means the director/writer felt he was very important/necessary...maybe even husband material *hint hint*
3) chillbong fans who weren't afraid to lose again lol
>>>>although I personally will never understand why anyone believed CB was endgame past like ep 3 (lol), what he represented was the idea that a perfect guy (who is openly loving, supportive, AND kind) could actually get the girl. Because the GIRL deserves the best!
We didn't care about clues, and just stuck to our guts. But this also meant we mainly viewed the show without biased and were able to follow the writer's logic. While JH fans were blinded by their love and totally hoodwinked lol


Anyways: to be fair, in all honesty, JH was like a Gilmore Girl love-interest. Great when first introduced, totally endgame material, but eventually the writer will do everything in her power to RUIN her own perfect creation. Ya'll should have known shit was going to hit the fan when she had a teenage boy being a chivalrous daddy-long-leg lmao

Personally, I think this season was the most fair with the husband. Both guys had their chance, and the girl was madly in love with anyone from episode 1, and their was no pointless break up just to bait fans lol

[bubblyshades.livejournal.com]

While JH fans were blinded by their love and totally hoodwinked lol

lol I basically feel like I was rickrolled. -___-

Also, I'm gonna need you to give me your prediction on who's going to be the husband come the next installment so I can be prepared.

[hozrien.livejournal.com]

Overall, I LOVED this series and sure I was rooting for Taek - but I wasn't just in it for the 'husband game' but generally for all the family moments. I feel like some could of be dwelled on more, like Taek's family, Dong Ryong's family and him in general, among other things.

I liked the sister got married and what not, but episode 19 and 20 was just very...lackluster to me in general. I mean I liked the Taek scenes and everything, but I felt very little in the episode - probably because I spoiled myself - but it's definitely my favorite series out of the reply series, and maybe hopefully next Reply they do...they won't do a stupid husband hunt game.

[kjc48.livejournal.com]

+100

I still can't believe Taek didn't end up dying form a sleeping pill overdose tbh. (don't get me started on ~love~ curing his addiction -_-)

1974????!!!

[cafetin99.livejournal.com]

Taek was my fav so... yes, yes yes!!!!!

Also, 1974??? Then we will be seeing these outfits... (!?)

Re: 1974????!!!

[hozrien.livejournal.com]

Oh my lord. If they even have those type of outfits, I think I'll be laughing throughout the whole show.

[hurtmybones.livejournal.com]

I was planning on starting this after it was over but idk I think maybe not...

#justiceforreply1994! which ppl called bait-y and accused of changing the husband at the end when it wasn't even half as bad as this one

[kjc48.livejournal.com]

94 had the best ship. They were together for like 94% of the show lol

[bubblyshades.livejournal.com]

loved everything that you wrote about the family aspects of this show. i agree, it really made me reflect on my own family and our story and how far we've come and how much my parents have done for me and my siblings. mi ran eomma's story line in ep 19 especially touched me and when it ended I went to my mom and bawled to her, saying thank you for all your sacrifices and hard work. I'm thinking about getting a plaque of appreciation for my dad on his birthday in february lol.

sung dongil and bora were fantastic at her wedding. their unspoken love, how proud he is of her. the letters... our parents learn as they go along with us, and they do their best to raise us. And in some ways, like mi ran eomma said, we raise our parents too.

My last love is family indeed.

[kjc48.livejournal.com]

I've decided. The reason Taeksun got so little romance time and are very vague by the end (we don't even know if they had kids -_-) is because they will be the NEW parents in the next series (maybe Reply 2010 (or 06 if they adopted)...and the baby bro from 94 could be the male lead). I also truly believe CB will be the male lead if they ever make Reply 2002.

[shocko-o.livejournal.com]

My whole weekend has been sour every time i think of the last 4 episodes. It's been a long time since I've been heartbroken for a fictional character. Never really got into 1994, and while i love 1988, it won't surpass 1997 for me.
What pisses me off the most is that they've been building this up from jung hwan's, and wait too late to show us chemistry between ds and tk.

Rant: Junghwan who cares if Taek reached the theater first? What was the point of the forrest gump theme if you chickened out at the last minute? That whole scene does show that what he did was too late, because DS had already confirmed her budding feelings for Taek in 1989 with that kiss. Both guys liked her so much that despite the brotherhood they mustered up their courage to confess to her... The difference is Taek did it earlier, at the right timing, when DS started seeing him as a man.

There's so much focus on Junghwan early in the story that this show seems more like an ode to a sweet boy's struggle with brotherhood and the courage to pursue a girl, with a sad ending. I dont know if I'm making sense since i havent watched the last two episodes fully yet, but it seems more like Junghwan was the lead and the other two were second leads.

[kjc48.livejournal.com]

I think the original plan was for JH to be a really good second lead, like CB, but then he became the fan favourite (this is probably the first season where people barely cared about the main girl) by a mile. So the producers/writers/directs milked it for all it was worth. How else can they explain a dozen scenes of JH staring at his bedroom wall? lol

[cafeaulaitbunny.livejournal.com]

I still have to finish the last ep. But I want to comment already.
I enjoyed the drama a lot, I liked that was so much focused on family. I cried a lot and it's the type of drama I’d like to rewatch but each episode is so long lol (they need to stop that).

The husband hunt was funny to me because first I was really happy when they announced that there was no husband hunt and that park bo gum was casted because I thought PBG would be the main lead but then 'hello husband hunt again' and PBG barely appeared in the firsts eps (I forgot about the IRY filming overlapping).

Throughout the drama, Taek was my favorite character but I was so sure junghwan was the husband but didn’t mind cause I liked him a lot. I’m kind glad it turned out that way cause people are too much with the ‘Junghwan deserves her the most’ like what? There’s no such thing. I don’t think Dukseok liked him back much, she only showed interest when she find out he liked her, the same thing she did with Sunwoo.

Things I didn’t like: Junghwan doing nothing about his crush in general, I understand but not even clarifying a simple misunderstanding such as the shirt one was too much (writers for heaven’s sake what was that); Junghwan confession turning into a joke? Wtf was that; Sunwoo and Bora had so much screen time, they were definitely the main couple haha which was annoying because Sunwoo is annoying, wtf was that ‘3 conditions’ thing? Wth he was implying with ‘I’ll think about the next step if you don’t agree get out’ (or whatever he said exactly) that made me so…………..

Apparently we’ll have 1974 next? Maybe next it will be a ‘wife hunt’ instead of a ‘husband hunt’ or they could just drop that cause it’s annoying lol.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_redneckbitchx/]

His three condition thing wasn't bad. They explained his reasoning really well and the only thing that may have seemed much was the last one (dating with the intention to marry), but that defers from person to person. For me, I wouldn't date someone seriously either without an intention to marry.

[iznanassi.livejournal.com]

Nothing was surprising and I maintain that Junghwan didn't deserve anything bc that was the point of the entire story BUT

The last episode was a fucking waste of time no one gives a shit about Sunwoo and Bora especially when it meant we got NO closure for all the other characters??? I'm SO mad about that.

[hozrien.livejournal.com]

Definitely, I ended up skipping over the wedding scene when it was subbed because I glanced at it RAW and couldn't give a shit about it.

I would of preferred a different wedding or more information about the other characters, even though I like Sunwoo and Bora.

[integrawh.livejournal.com]

First of all I can't even remember the last time I got this much invested into a character. I was completely in love with Jungpal!
I have no understanding of how the f writers thought of making so many scenes with Jungpal as possible husband, so much build up and then end it with TK. And I get it, it was not all about the hubby hunt but the writers do that every season - they make this about hubby hunt otherwise it would be revealed somewhere around the middle.

One of the most touching moments in this drama was Jungpal's confession scene. I cried like a baby. There was nothing touching about TK finally confessing...wait a minute actually there was nothing like that. It went basically from "it's awkward, idk" to "I love you" within like 20minutes. WTF. And then they completely left out Jungpal. Like...he was barely in any of the scenes of last 2 eps.

Dear writers, you're building a town, right? And you're building many houses, right? So how the f can you say this town is finished when one of the house's roof is missing? And also why does it feel like the whole time you were building one house of 18 floors but in the end you gave up on it and just dropped a roof on a 1 floor building and said "this will work...I think". Cause it didn't. Your town is full of unfinished houses.

This might be too literal but I feel like I wasted too much time (20 x 90 mins) to get such poor and unfinished ending.

[chanqsun.livejournal.com]

omg. this so much.
i'm trying to accept the ending, but that shit is hard.
How could they do that to my heart? :/
TO US??!

[atopworld.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I watched every installment and got done just in time for this finale. I was confidently wrong in who I thought the husband was, lmao. But honestly, I didn't care who Deoksun ended up with. I felt like she had good relationships with all of her male companions, whether there was something romantic or not. Though, I personally adored Taek (Bo Gum playing him helped. Shamelessly biased), I understood and related to Junghwan the most.

My gripes would have to be the loose ends that didn't get tied up. The recurring gripe is how at least one or two characters, in every series, has to mention that there can be no friendships between a man and a woman.

Junghwan's feelings were still pretty much left up in the air. At least to me. I loved the scene with him confessing, but I do dislike how it was disguised as a joke. I guess I just wanted him and her to have a moment where he got it off his chest. The situation is pretty true to real life, I give it that much. For sure there are people who aren't able to tell others how they really feel, whether it be your parents or the person you like. This alone, made me feel very bad for Junghwan. I completely understand how that is. But we never even know how he gets over it....IF he gets over it. He's just suddenly cool. Which, I think leads on to a lot more about Junghwan's personality, and why I latched to the character so much.

I don't get spending so much time on Bora and Sunwoo, and not giving that same amount of attention to DS and Taek. I was SO looking forward to the reaction from the neighborhood. I also wanted more about Dong Ryong. I felt like even Jungbong and Manok got more story lines than he did, lol. Random, but I am incapable of seeing Bo Gum cry. I can't do it.

97, however is still superior to me in terms of find the husband quest, because I was confused and unsure up until the very end...lol. In general, 88 is my favorite. Take away the quest to find the husband, and this drama was almost perfection. I feel having all of the families and the interaction between them among the five kids helped a hell of a lot. If not every single episode, every other episode, I cried. A lot of stuff hit home in ways I didn't know would or even expected to affect me personally. Most of the time I cried, I was in shock about it. The last episode gave me no rest. It was back to back. I never felt so embarrassed, lol.

I haven't read everyone's comments yet, so I don't know what I missed or how ridiculous my comment will read in comparison to those who have watched from the beginning.