[Drama 2015] Answer Me 1988 응답하라 1988

[unkyung]

I hope the cast and crew have fun on their trip! Well deserved! 

[conanblue32]

What a crazy finale it has been! Reading your thoughts made me think a lot about the ending. And while I understood it more (I don't blatantly hate it, when looking from the nostalgia lens), I was still disappointed with it. I guess drama endings are hard to make great.

So... in the end, I made a review of the drama! It's rather long, since there's a lot to cover (and I didn't even cover all of them!) but it summarizes my feelings for the series. I loved everything about the series, except the execution of the finale. The series sounds a lot like Jungpal in my opinion

Drama Review: Reply 1988

 

After 75 hours (!), Reply 1988 is finally finished. And what a run it has been. Being the third installment of the Reply series, one might have doubts about the quality of this particular reason. But, having finished it, it was a great series still. Just a warning, this review is going to be long. Just like the series.

 

Read more »

[hushhh]

12 hours ago, lyonesse said:

 1 question, do you guys think there's a difference between DS' crush towards sunwoo and junghwan? We saw at the end she tore a page from her diary, that page was about sunwoo right? Is it really embarassing that she had to tear and throw it away?

 

SW was marrying her sister.

I don't think either bR or SW knew about the crush.

That was something she wouldn't want anyone to discover once SW was her brother-in-law.

That's my speculation.

[tomanderson]

7 hours ago, __jesse said:

Goodbye, Kim Jung Pal

The writer didn’t change the script. JH was never meant to be the husband. His character and fate has already been set in ep 1.

...

 

I have to DISAGREE wholeheartedly.  Regardless of what you may think in terms of the storyline, remember that this drama was billed with two co-stars: Hyeri (Deoksun) and Ryu Joonyeol (Junghwan), which, in the previous 99% of Kdramas (and the two previous 응답하라), they are supposed to either hook up, die, disappear, or a combination thereof.  How the story unraveled is irrelevant.

In this case, because of the spoilers released by some trigger-happy elected official fanatic (Assemblyman Kim Kwangjin), the writers and PD decided to change the ending.  It's obvious that for 18 or 19 episodes, Junghwan and Deoksun were the center of the plot.  Taek was just a side show; so were Bora and Sunwoo.  All of those "hints" (left-handed, smoking, etc.) that may have led viewers to believe that Taek was the husband were just ploys to misdirect people, like in the previous 응답하라's and 10,000 kdramas.  Then, all of a sudden, episode 20 is all about Bora and Sunwoo, and Junghwan is nowhere to be found?  What?  Junghwan is the lead male actor, and he only gets 30 seconds in the finale?  Are you serious?  Did he get hurt during filming?  Was he fired?  That doesn't even make sense.  Imagine if Lee Byunghun was completely absent in the final episode of IRIS.  Or Hyunbin not marrying Ha Jiwon in Secret Garden?  Is that even conceivable?  Even the worst Kdramas have never changed the storyline at the very end.  I have seen over a hundred Kdramas, including the previous 응답하라 series, and none of them ended in this disconnected and pathetic fashion.  In terms of production, it was clear that episode 20 was nothing more than a very poor attempt to completely undo the 19 episode-storyline in roughly two hours.

Want to know how it was supposed to end?  This is how: After six long years, the air force pilot finally gets the stewardess.  That's how it was originally conceived.  It's very cliche and predictable but works all the time.

 What a disaster.

[sillyvivian_yo22]

4 hours ago, moonkeeper said:

 

 

Why is it so? Why  more sense than Taek?? as you can read, many posters describe what JH character (they almost have similar narrative description about him), My POV about JH, his character nature doesn't fit as husband DS for so many reasons, JH existence at the first place might not be as husband of DS but as someone who will be a good example of person who fall inlove,  who lost his first love, realized why he lost it, and learn from it and then move on without bitterness..

TK-DS lovestory have different moral values to convey to viewers.. they have their own set of lessons that you will learn from their friendship and lovestory..

 

Sorry to cut your post, but i think being sorry for JH story is not that nice... Pity , being Sorry is not a good compliment for his story...Failure make him a better person...

 

Why not? If that was really the reason why JH exist in the first place and if he was deemed unfit, a lot of people would not have thought he was the husband. Even the actor himself thought so until told otherwise. People wouldn't think a certain way if the drama didn't lead them a certain way. Your description of JH that way was because It had been written and shown that way towards the end. He cared for her very much so. He has his mean moments, but he also has his soft moments with her too. And in those soft moments, his character complements DS character as well. 

What's wrong with feeling sorry or sympathizing with his character? Why is it not a good thing? When TK faced failures in Baduk, he would always have his friends to turn to at home. When he goes through hard times, everyone knows, including the audience, and everyone was there for him. When JH goes through his emotional turmoil, he endured it all alone thinking for the sake of his friend, that one friend he couldn't hate, that he had to hold back, to hesitate. Knowing TK already confessed his feelings, if JH told the gang his feelings as well, it would definitely create awkwardness/tension. Everytime he hesitates, I felt for him because I could understand how hard it is for him trying to take the next step without hurting anyone that he loved. He didn't 'reject' DS's advances bc he wanted to, but it was bc he felt like he had to. If he was to accept her advances, both of them would date and it would hurt Taek deeply. If it was written in a way that despite him knowing that one of his best friends loves the girl too, that he still pursued her, I would not have loved his character as much. It would give me that adrenaline rush (^^;;) to see more JH-DS scenes, but it wouldn't make me love JH's character this much. When TK found out about JH's feelings that he also took a step back, I loved that part of the story too. Because it also shows how much they treasured each other as friends. Then 1994. Both of them were shown to make effort again, once again only TK's was clear/visible to DS but not JH. JH's effort went unheard/unseen just bc he was late with the timing. But then with that 1989 kiss, DS already felt for TK so it might not have mattered either way. Since it was already written that way. That kiss happened without TK being aware of it too. If the kiss back in 1989 was written for JH-DS, things would be different since at that time, DS was looking at JH, not TK. So everything has already been written to TK's favor and not giving JH much of a chance to show his feelings to DS. That's why, to me, JH's character stood out so much more. In life, people like JH, thinking for others, weighing in the importance of his loved ones into his decision, and willing to endure hard times and give in, are great people. And of course, in life, the effort that those people made for others would go unheard/unseen as well. But it was okay for them bc that's just how they are. JH's love story, as it was written that way, can only be accepted as a bittersweet love story. that things don't go your way sometimes.

The kiss/feelings changed marked the turning point of the drama. And it happened during the last 4 episodes. Instead of with how the flow was for the first 16 episodes.

I guess it was smart to have the storyline to lean towards the less likely candidate to receive so much more attention. Someone from tumblr said that in a way it's a bit similar to the whole Miss universe ordeal, if the unexpected twist didn't happen, no one would pay attention to it. I hated that unexpected twist too. Similarly, to me, if it was written to have JH ended up as the husband like the majority had predicted, it would be like a normal flow of a great Kdrama, possibly even my Best one watched to date. But now it's just the warmest family/friendship drama I've watched. But then, if JH was the endgame, TK's character would become even less important/impactful to the drama. So I guess it had to be written that way as well.

[moonkeeper]

9 hours ago, tomanderson said:

I have to DISAGREE wholeheartedly.  Regardless of what you may think in terms of the storyline, remember that this drama was billed with two co-stars: Hyeri (Deoksun) and Ryu Joonyeol (Junghwan), which, in the previous 99% of Kdramas (and the two previous 응답하라), they are supposed to either hook up, die, disappear, or a combination thereof.  How the story unraveled is irrelevant.

In this case, because of the spoilers released by some trigger-happy elected official fanatic (Assemblyman Kim Kwangjin), the writers and PD decided to change the ending.  It's obvious that for 18 or 19 episodes, Junghwan and Deoksun were the center of the plot.  Taek was just a side show; so were Bora and Sunwoo.  All of those "hints" (left-handed, smoking, etc.) that may have led viewers to believe that Taek was the husband were just ploys to misdirect people, like in the previous 응답하라's and 10,000 kdramas.  Then, all of a sudden, episode 20 is all about Bora and Sunwoo, and Junghwan is nowhere to be found?  What?  Junghwan is the lead male actor, and he only gets 30 seconds in the finale?  Are you serious?  Did he get hurt during filming?  Was he fired?  That doesn't even make sense.  Imagine if Lee Byunghun was completely absent in the final episode of IRIS.  Or Hyunbin not marrying Ha Jiwon in Secret Garden?  Is that even conceivable?  Even the worst Kdramas have never changed the storyline at the very end.  I have seen over a hundred Kdramas, including the previous 응답하라 series, and none of them ended in this disconnected and pathetic fashion.  In terms of production, it was clear that episode 20 was nothing more than a very poor attempt to completely undo the 19 episode-storyline in roughly two hours.

Want to know how it was supposed to end?  This is how: After six long years, the air force pilot finally gets the stewardess.  That's how it was originally conceived.  It's very cliche and predictable but works all the time.

The PD, writers, and that assemblyman should be ashamed of themselves.  What a disaster.

 

Well even you write a pretty long arguments, all I can see is the bitterness of your statement ... Even you watched 10,000 dramas or more, you can't assumed that the ending will be what you expected... Or what you have predicted...

JH is JH..TK is TK ..DS is DS ... You can't compare it.. Their character have their own traits... This drama have their own story... 

You have your own POV on how it should end, they have theirs ..and they're the writers and producers.. Your not in the right position to bash them, you even not the person who work hard to produce this kind of drama..

If you don't enjoy it.Dont bash it.

 

 

[melleri]

Nope.  10k Kdramas doing something doesn't mean THIS one was going to.  JH and DS were never the whole focus of the drama and Hyeri and RJY weren't the co-leads  I don't care if they are listed that way somewhere, it doesn't matter. That's not the reality of the drama.  Hyeri was the "lead" and it was an ensemble cast of characters who were just as important as hers. It's a family drama.   Even the triangle was not actually that important.  Everyone in this drama is the lead of their own story, and sorry JH was no more important than Sun Woo or Taek.  Your fanfic about a stewardess and a pilot is not reality.  That you think the point of this drama is "after six long years, the air force pilot finally gets the stewardess, " is ridiculous in itself.  Finally GETS?  What about her feelings (that didn't even exist for JH by 1994) This isn't a romcom were everything works out perfectly. Listen to what DS said about misunderstandings and not telling someone you love them early in the drama.  JH's fate was decided early on, and the heart of his story was always his family and not Deok-Sun. 

They also always going to have the name issue be a major plot point.  There was a reason why Sun Woo's name was never known.

[hushhh]

On January 19, 2016 at 2:37 AM, DragoonKain3 said:

Any writer worth their salt would've just left it at that and imply that Duk Seon and Taek slept together after the kiss... but somehow she ran away from the situation, got a key from staff that mysteriously came back from break, and then show that she couldn't sleep in her own hotel room because of the kiss? And all these without showing EXACTLY how she got back to her room? Really reeks of subpar writing to me, so I'm not surprised at how they handled Duk Seon's romance.

 

When I saw Taek serene face as he slept and DS excitement  I was 95% sure they had slept together.

I've gotten the impression that sex was Taek best substitute for sleeping pills.  Also he was in his bed and I suspect he never was on the couch that night.

DS would not have wanted her roommates/co-worker to know she had slept out. Especially since she had explained she and Taek weren't daing and they didn't seem particularly convince. She wouldn't have wanted to start a scandal around Taek, so she would have returned to her room before dawn.

[hushhh]

13 hours ago, melissala said:

@lyonesse  I agree, even if the midst of her crush she was still spending time with Taek over Junghwan. 

As for the two crushes, SW and JH... I actually think they were about the same type of thing.  The only real difference is JH liked her and SW didn't.  She was in love with the idea of someone loving her. She set up tests for JH to pass and when he didn't, she moved on. They really follow the same pattern from start to finish.  She thought they liked her, they showed they didn't, she was mad/sad, and then she got over it. With JH, she was hurt and felt unworthy of love, but I never got the feeling she was so broke up about JH specifically not loving her. She was just hurt he didn't like her.   When something more important came along (her future) she just moved on to other things. 

To me the big different between the guys and her reaction is with SW and JH she did all sorts of crazy tricks and acted differently to win them over, with Taek she's just herself.  She also did not forget him and the kiss that happened, but ignored that it happen.  That's a huge thing for a girl who only wants love. Anyway, their relationship to me was a natural progression from friendship to love.  

The page was about SW.  Well, I think her being wrong about the crush is embarrassing enough.  Add in he's her sister's boyfriend and that just makes it even worse.  I'd burn it too. 

 yup

yup

yup

[melleri]

17 minutes ago, hushhh said:

 

When I saw Taek serene face as he slept and DS excitement  I was 95% sure they had slept together.

I've gotten the impression that sex was Taek best substitute for sleeping pills.

DS would not have wanted her roommates/co-worker to know she had slept out. Especially since she had explained she and Taek weren't daing and they didn't seem particularly convince. She wouldn't have wanted to start a scandal around Taek, so she would have returned to her room before dawn.

 

Yep. I thought they did at first, but it's not fitting with DS' character.  She seems conservative about love/romance.  She didn't even want the public to know her and TK had kissed in high school. She also wouldn't stay over with the boys, who are her lifelong friends.  So, she's not going to sleep with a man after one kiss.  Add in she's not alone and her coworkers with her.  It wouldn't be good to stay over honestly. That she went in the first place instead of waiting tells me she really wanted to be alone with him (when she couldn't for dinner). 

And  DS got the key to go back to her room by going to the desk and asking for a key.  The people at the desk wouldn't be gone forever. That's what she was going to do anyway.  It's not sloppy writing, it's common sense. 

[hushhh]

7 hours ago, __jesse said:

Goodbye, Kim Jung Pal

 

Do you still think the writer had been unkind to JH?

I cut your great post for space.

Thank you.

[melleri]

No, you really don't.   You don't just go bash people when you don't get your way.  

The bitterness people feel and spew everywhere really kills the discussion and enjoyment of the end of drama.  I feel sorry for the cast and crew to worked so hard, and then get hated on because people got too wrapped up in their fantasy about one character.  

[tomanderson]

20 minutes ago, melissala said:

No, you really don't.  Grow up. You don't just go bash people when you don't get your way.  

The bitterness people feel and spew everywhere really kills the discussion and enjoyment of the end of drama.  I feel sorry for the cast and crew to worked so hard, and then get hated on because people got too wrapped up in their fantasy about one character.  

Don't tell me to "grow up."  Refrain from attacking me on a personal level.  I have every right to bash those producers and writers.

57 minutes ago, melissala said:

....Hyeri and RJY weren't the co-leads  

...Nothing was changed if you actually pay attention to the drama

I actually did pay attention to this drama, so, again, please refrain from attacking people who have an opinion that differs from yours.

You are mistaken: Hyeri and RJY are indeed the co-leads of this drama. How do I know?  Because it says so: http://asianwiki.com/Reply_1988

[nearsea]

@melissala I am sorry I just liked your post without even reading it.I think the newcomers who are appearing each day,,are not taking time to read the analyses that have been shared so far.Everyday there are these tons of new posts where they keep giving new 'Angles' why JH should be the husband,but they don't back-read and take time to understand so many people who've already given so many justification for the drama and the way it ended.This is going out of hand.

[melleri]

No, they really aren't co-leads.  It's a family drama.   The story revolves around Deok-Sun and the families around her and the neighborhood.  The story is not about Deok-Sun and Junghwan. Don't link me a wiki that anyone can edit to prove your point.  See here http://program.interest.me/tvn/reply1988/ the official web page,  and how the characters are laid out as families listed by the kids.

 

 

[nearsea]

1 hour ago, sillyvivian_yo89 said:

Why not? If that was really the reason why JH exist in the first place and if he was deemed unfit, a lot of people would not have thought he was the husband. Even the actor himself thought so until told otherwise. People wouldn't think a certain way if the drama didn't lead them a certain way. Your description of JH that way was because It had been written and shown that way towards the end. He cared for her very much so. He has his mean moments, but he also has his soft moments with her too. And in those soft moments, his character complements DS character as well. 

First of all,number 1 and 2 highlighted lines,these are not related to the drama or the story at all.

1 hour ago, sillyvivian_yo89 said:

Then 1994. Both of them were shown to make effort again, once again only TK's was clear/visible to DS but not JH. JH's effort went unheard/unseen just bc he was late with the timing. But then with that 1989 kiss, DS already felt for TK so it might not have mattered either way. Since it was already written that way. That kiss happened without TK being aware of it too. If the kiss back in 1989 was written for JH-DS, things would be different since at that time, DS was looking at JH, not TK. So everything has already been written to TK's favor and not giving JH much of a chance to show his feelings to DS. That's why, to me, JH's character stood out so much more. In life, people like JH, thinking for others, weighing in the importance of his loved ones into his decision, and willing to endure hard times and give in, are great people. And of course, in life, the effort that those people made for others would go unheard/unseen as well. But it was okay for them bc that's just how they are. JH's love story, as it was written that way, can only be accepted as a bittersweet love story. that things don't go your way sometimes.

DS was looking at JH yes,and that makes all the difference.She was interested at him at the first place because of her friends,because her friends pushed her that way.Two times at that.First there was sun woo,and she was as persistent with him as she was with JH.Sun woo did not happen because he was already interested at Bora right? So,when she got to know about JH and how he reacted when she was supposed to go on a blind date,that made her convinced that JH likes her.But remember ,as DR asked her later on,whom does she like? Not by anyone's influence,just on her own,who's her first choice? And it was TK,she hesitated both for Sun Woo and JH.Here writer made a clear difference/clear line between two different group.On one side there are SW and JH,and in both case were initiated passively,by her two friends,only in TK;s case she was the first one to make a move.Only in TK's case,even after she was disappointed that the movie date did not happen,she did not go after him to ask for reasons.In other two cases,both time she was always persistent to make the boys getting to like her,or make a move on her.She waited till she could catch JH on the way to school or had to make  an excuse of hurting her leg so that she can hold his hands,it was always her.JH even though liked her,and has had feelings for her,unfortunately his feelings were mostly his own.There was not one single time where he shared his feelings with her..Even if you say that he stopped going after her because of TK,but remember even if TK stopped pursuing DS because of JH,he never stopped caring.He carried her when she had that foot injury,or ran to the concert venue,forfeiting the game and all.And JH himself admitted at that point that it was not timing but "Hesitations' time after time that made it impossible for him to have her.There is a clear line between these two boys.For one it was always spontaneously acting at the moment,and for other one it always would be contemplating,taking time to grasp the in between meaning.JH somehow was never quick enough to get what DS meant.He should have known when she says she's not cold,she actually is,or he should have been quick enough to lend her a coat,when she asked for it.

Thing is everyone in this drama is a lead in his/her own.See even Jung Bong has his share of story days after days,up to Finale.Sun woo,bora,no  eul,kim sung,ra mi ran,sung parents,DR mom,DR dad,TK *dad,sun woo mom,jin joo every one has part in this story.They all had growth and moments of ups and downs.We can't just neglect or ignore the process here.In that sense,JH had the most character development of all.He came out as a human,[by being the never born daughter to his mom].He even managed to give his mom-dad a proper wedding ceremony out of nowhere,and that too when no one even suggested this to him.So is not that speaking volume here? 

I've felt at times that JH is presented to us as writer himself,and through his eyes we're experiencing the problems these people have to go through.Sometimes we get lessons of how to solve the struggles in couples,or sometimes it's what you've to face in relationships,when you love someone.In short,this is the story of each and every person from these five families,and that's why we've got the whole neighborhood in the cover photo too.

 

[melleri]

Yeah, not bothering anymore lol 

33 minutes ago, nearsea said:

@melissala I am sorry I just liked your post without even reading it.I think the newcomers who are appearing each day,,are not taking time to read the analyses that have been shared so far.Everyday there are these tons of new posts where they keep giving new 'Angles' why JH should be the husband,but they don't back-read and take time to understand so many people who've already given so many justification for the drama and the way it ended.This is going out of hand.

Yes, it's very frustrating to see.  And there has been so little discussion here about the end of this wonderful drama as well because of this.  I can totally understand shipping JH/DS.  I did as well, but don't come in here bashing everything saying the script was changed and nothing makes sense.  It does make sense if you carefully see things from all sides.  If you come in here saying DS/JH were built up for 18 episodes, and TK/DS have no development,  then I question how much of Reply 1988 you actually watched.  Could the writer have done better?  Well, obviously.  But there have been so many well thought out analysis that people of all fandoms (JH fans included) that people have written that should really be required to read before posting  conspiracy theories. 

[hushhh]

On January 19, 2016 at 11:42 AM, melissala said:

 

Yep. I thought they did at first, but it's not fitting with DS' character.  She seems conservative about love/romance.  She didn't even want the public to know her and TK had kissed in high school. She also wouldn't stay over with the boys, who are her lifelong friends.  So, she's not going to sleep with a man after one kiss.  Add in she's not alone and her coworkers with her.  It wouldn't be good to stay over honestly. That she went in the first place instead of waiting tells me she really wanted to be alone with him (when she couldn't for dinner). 

And  DS got the key to go back to her room by going to the desk and asking for a key.  The people at the desk wouldn't be gone forever. That's what she was going to do anyway.  It's not sloppy writing, it's common sense. 

 

Different views.

She didn't want him to advertise that they had kissed, but they had.

What you want known and what you do are not always the same. 

Two kisses, twenty years.

I don't think she stayed over that evening, but she stayed long enough.

A couple of my favorite moments in the China reunion sequence sequence were DS and Taek wanting to eat alone but not being able to because of social pressure

and

DS half-hearted attempt at seeing if she should leave to help with her drunken roommate.

I think it made sense that the change in DS and Taek's relationship was acknowledge in China because the change in how DS saw TAek happened in China. 

 

[bebebisous33]

PLEASE, ALL MODERATE YOUR COMMENTS!!  

You can criticise the drama, the ending but never be rude to anyone (actors, writer, members aso) 

Remember the rules from Forum soompi 

2. NO DISRUPTIVE OR DISCRIMINATORY CONTENT
Rudeness, hateful messages, member bashing, and trolling are forbidden.

 

 

[Grimm_Jagg]

I've logged in after a long time just for this drama. I started the watch the drama after episode 18 aired , this is the first Reply series I have watched. I'm not really a fan of mystery end games but I decided to give it a go because of everyone going crazy over JungPal over the past few months.

I loved it! From the start to the end, what a beautiful drama! There's no one who takes over the story: there are so many different stories going on and everyone is the lead in each of their own. If you focus on one thing too much then you lose track of the whole show's meaning: remembering your youth. There are so many things when you look back and think those times were the best and how I should have not done that. The family aspect was heart-warming, it makes me wonder how my parents were in their youth, what were their dreams and hopes? I know currently it's the same as what the parents discussed: all related to their children.

A neighbourhood where everyone gets along well, sharing their food, gossiping and helping each other out. I don't know where I am going with this but all I want to say is that I love the writer! I have become a fan! Each individual story was well built: all the subtle hints during the story telling, all the hidden flashbacks that make you think "Ah! So that's why..."

I love how Taek's dad and SunWoo's mother gradually get together, the reason not being that they were lonely but that they had things in common. Mrs Cheetah and her husband. So many different topics were covered.

In regards to the husband hunt... I went in thinking it was JungPal since everywhere I went people said it's him, but from the first episode I got vibes from Taek. Why was he introduced last when we started the drama in his room? Why the emphasis on baduk throughout the whole story if he is supposed to be a side? But there is no side character, not really.

 JungPal's actions were definitely heart-fluttering but if you look from DeokSun's POV then it's Taek who she gravitated to: the pink gloves she chose to wear were from Taek even though he gave them after the whole manito. I found it to be a slow burning love, something steady and stable which was exactly what she needed as a middle child. I could see the progress in each episode. She was gradually realising her feelings for Taek without being prompted: not burping in front of Taek, pretending that  kiss never happened so things wouldn't become awkward. 

Regarding JungPal and closure, wasn't episode 19 somewhat a closure? Progressing through the ranks as an air force pilot, gaining respect, spending time with family. He might have found love as well, he left behind his one sided love in episode 18: he said goodbye there. I didn't like how he passed his confession off as a joke but I realise that he didn't want to spoil his friendship.

I like the ending. It's open but also firmly in place. The characters that were missing in the future, you can just imagine them, DongRyeong as a successful franchise owner, JungPal as a highly respected officer, SunWoo as a brain specialist (as his hobby since his main job is Bora's stalker), Taek as a regular Baduk player and DeokSun working from her home office. 

This drama has changed my perspective in regards to my friends and family. So again I saw, I loved it! Hats off to the writer for writing such beautiful characters!

One question, why did DeokSun become an air hostess? This is the only plot hole I found so far.