r e w i n d n o t e ♥︎

note: spoilers ahead for the entire series! you've been warned!!!
okay, so i literally just finished watching the entirety of reply 1988 for the very first time, and wow. i actually wrapped up the final episode today, november 6th, which is the exact day the show first premiered ten years ago. what a coincidence; the timing felt special, meant to be, :D.
i have been on such a journey with these characters. the acting was incredible across the board; everyone was so genuine and relatable, making me laugh and cry in equal measure; truly amazing talent all around. every single person felt so real. we had deoksun (ahem, sorry! uh... sooyeon) with her bright spirit, dog (jung hwan) with his silent pining, the pure heart of turtle taek, the cool strength of sseuregi sun woo, and of course, our dear salamander (dong ryong) providing the laughs, wisdom and farts(?) and the parents! like taek's father, choi moo sung, who was normally so cool and collected, but the scene where he was frantically worried about taek after the plane accident news absolutely stuck with me; it showed the depth of his love so perfectly. and bora and sung dong il? their relationship evolution was so powerful to watch. plus, that slow-burn romance between taek's father and sun woo's mum? they seriously needed their own spin-off show! oh, and we can't forget jung bong failing the exam like a hundred times but always staying positive.

the show was wonderful when everyone was still in 1988; the energy was high, and the stories were so simple yet perfect. those time jumps forward, though, felt a bit strange. it was a little sad to see the magic shift. suddenly everyone was an adult, the old neighborhood started changing, and it really hit home that time moves on for everyone, realistically. it was a deep and thoughtful message, and it made the whole experience feel very real, if a little bittersweet.
and that ending? i'm still thinking about it. it felt kind of open, maybe? the way they tied it back to the first episode was very clever, a nice full circle moment, but it also left me wanting just a little more closure. it was a thoughtful, quiet wrap-up :,( but i didn't like how deserted the neighborhood looked after everyone moved out..... why couldn't they stay there for the rest of their lives???

but what really got me were the deeper lessons this show so beautifully wove in. It taught me that while family and community are everything, life itself is incredibly fleeting. the time jumps in the show were a powerful, bittersweet reminder that you can't stay young forever and that life moves on, whether you're ready for it or not. the show beautifully emphasizes that life isn't just about big moments, but about the small, everyday moments of love and friendship that we have to cherish while we can. it was a beautiful reminder to appreciate the present and the people in your life, right now, because those moments, like youth, will one day be gone forever.

Labels: rating, television