- Released Year: 2015
- Main Cast: Hyeri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Park Bo-gum, Go Kyung-pyo, Lee Dong-hwi
- No. of Episodes: 20
Main Plot:
Set in 1988, the drama follows five childhood friends and their families living in the same neighborhood in Ssangmun-dong. It highlights themes of friendship, first love, family bonds, and the warmth of community, blending humor with deep emotional moments.
EPISODES SUMMARY:
Episode 1:
Instead of opening with the characters in 1988, Reply 1988’s first episode opens with a sentimental voice from the present. As adult Duk-Seon recalled his early years in the small Ssangmun-dong neighborhood, his statement covers us and takes us back in time. Narrow streets, children running through roads, and neighbors outside their homes are the first photos that attract our attention; They are neither bright nor fantastic. However, there is a sense of coitus and a feeling that the connections were abundant here. She tells us that 1988 was not just her story of a community where people shared their happiness and sadness, as if they were family. From there, the play slowly takes you into the universe we live in, tears, laughter, and timely on time, establishes an opportunity for beauty.
The Sung home, where mayhem breaks out around the dinner table, is immediately introduced to us after that. Between her cunning younger brother No-eul and her viciously critical older sister Bo-ra, Duk-seon tries to grab a piece of meat but is quickly defeated by Bo-ra’s faster instincts. Her father chastises Duk-seon for moaning, instead of supporting her, and she pouts once again. Duk-seon’s position as the unnoticed middle kid, her ongoing struggle for attention, and the chaotic yet affectionate dynamics of her family are all revealed by what appears to be a little argument over food.
At school, the difficulties persist. The 999th position is Duk-seon’s exam ranking. Even if the figure is absurd, she finds it embarrassing, particularly when compared to Bo-ra, who consistently receives high scores. She makes a valiant effort to conceal the outcome, but naturally, the truth is out, further embarrassing her. Her fundamental conflict is encapsulated in this moment: she is not lazy; rather, she just feels confined in other people’s shadows and longs for acceptance.
Duk-Seon struggles with ambiguity, while the house of Jung-Havan provides a completely different environment. His family’s fate increased unexpectedly after his brother’s lottery win, and his once most home house is now equipped with contemporary features like a bright color television. But cheerfulness comes in her old ways by her mother’s stubborn adherence, continuously assembling anxiety and penny as she was having money. Jung-hwan’s sardonic, caustic comments expose his incisive nature, and the humor of this circumstance gives the show a lighter tone.
Suddenly, the drama becomes more personal in Sun-woo’s house. Due to the lack of a father, Sun-woo quietly assumed the job of caregiver, supported his bereaved mother and took care of his younger sister. Their conditions are neither dramatic nor noise, but silent and weight filled that cannot be expressed. We witness his early maturity and sacrifices in the face of tragedy.
We meet Taek, the group’s quiet brilliance, on the other hand. Although Badhuk’s play has made him famous across the country, he is shy and reserved at home. He is given snacks and jokes by his friends, who consider him like a younger brother. In a poignant view, his father, whose face says more than words, sees him with wordsless pride. His friendship is a subtly important concept that runs through the narrative.
Comic Relief, Dong-Herg, injected life into the scene. He avoids jokes, dances, studies, and a particularly memorable moment in which he mimics Michael Jackson’s movements, leaving his friends speechless. Though their foolishness may seem inconsequential, it embodies the spirit of the group and demonstrates how important comedy is in friendship.
The episode’s most moving scene is when Duk-Seon ran with the torch at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She has a tiny part, but she feels incredibly proud. As though she were bearing the weight of the entire neighborhood, her friends encouraged her. She shines just once, and for her, that brief moment of fame is priceless.
With their easy banter carrying the warmth of long-standing familiarity, the five friends sit together, making the room resound with laughter as they munch and make fun of one another. Duk-seon’s older voice echoes the occasion, remembering how joys always felt greater because they were shared and anxieties never seemed too weighty during those years. The resulting image is straightforward but impactful: the comfort of a close-knit community, the quiet sacrifices of family, and the ties of friendship were the true measures of life’s richness, not wealth or success.
Episode 2:
This episode does a wonderful job of capturing the warmth and craziness of Ssangmun-dong, where life never stops. It opens with another look at the Sung family, when dinner is transformed into a vibrant battlefield. Deok-sun fights to acquire her fair share of food because she is always torn between her sassy younger brother No-eul and her abrasive sister Bo-ra. Dong-il, their father, tries to mediate but instead makes matters worse by reprimanding Deok-sun rather than standing up for her. Her position in the family, the neglected middle kid, always begging for attention yet encased in the boisterous love of her home—is aptly reflected in this little argument.
After that, the focus of the tale moves to the larger neighborhood, where companionship and enjoyment take the place of the challenges of daily life. When Choi Taek wins an international Baduk (Go) tournament, the families gather to celebrate. Taek’s achievement feels like a street-wide triumph since, in addition to being a genius, he is also the neighborhood’s favorite younger brother. Happiness fills the air as the neighborhood comes together to celebrate him, sharing food and beverages.
The funniest and most memorable moments in the program occur during this party. Even though Taek, being the youngest, provides the alcohol, Jung-hwan, Sun-woo, and Dong-ryong all partake in the drinking. They start to get drunk and start to laugh louder, mocking and bumbling in a way that only teens can. But Deok-sun reacts rather differently. She tries a sip and then recoils from the drink, unable to even face the taste. The hyperbolic exit from the room (which leaves her friends in stitches) continues to cement her role as the comic relief and focal point of attention.
And, now beneath the amusement, runs a deeper emotional current. Deok-sun confronts sentiments of obscurity within her family in silence, in addition to her peers. The quiet burden of her father Dong-il, who still struggles financially and with untold loss, is also explored in this episode. The show reminds us that every smile in this neighborhood is a tale of sacrifice by showcasing these sorrows through fleeting emotions, soft silences, and quiet sighs rather than through theatrics.
The community themselves symbolize the alignment of humor and depth: residents of Ssangmun-Dong behave together like a large family, whether mourning each other’s loss, laughing at fluffy antics, or celebrating the achievements of stare. Their happiness is multiplied three times because they are shared, and their troubles feel light because no one alone takes their troubles.
Five friends now call in their hangouts in the neighborhood, jokingly joke with each other, make fun of each other, and simply relax in simplicity to be together. Their laughter floats like music at night, making each chakli a little more special in regular evenings. Through the old voice of Deok-sun, we are reminded that friendship turned short moments into permanent memories and became an unbreakable family rather than neighboring wealth or reputation, which shines so brightly in those years.