Drama Review : Reply 1997

Hi, I'm back :D I'm going to do something a bit different from the usual, a drama review. Actually, rather than calling this drama review, I'd like to call this a character review because I will talk a lot about the characters and the actors/actresses in the drama.

This may be not the best review out of hundreds or thousands out there, but I'm still doing this, just for fun :) I'm also completely aware of the fact that this drama came out last year. But, oh well, I just watched it this week. I wish I've watched it sooner though...

For those who hasn't watched this drama, I think it's quite OK to read this post as I don't think that I will give any major spoiler. I'll give some 'warning' should there be spoilers :)


I admit that I actually started watching this drama just because Infinite's Hoya is in the drama. I didn't even care about the reviews available out there :p But really, I got hooked into it really fast. I finish this drama in 2 days, which is a huge record for me \(^.^)/

Well, my overall impression of this drama is very good. Although sometimes they exaggerate their actions, the feeling is still very real. So, I give two thumbs up for this :) The whole story is very realistic and easy to follow. Not only that, it is also easy to relate to the characters in the drama, hence making it feel more personal and more likable. I also like the life lessons (or more like love lesson) that the producers slipped in the drama. There are a LOT of great quotes I can get from this drama :D 

The second thing that makes this drama is so realistic is the casts. I applaud whoever casted those artists to be the characters (both main characters and cameo) in the drama. ALL of them suit their roles perfectly. Thumbs up for that :)

Let's start on the character review :)

1) Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun-ji)

A hardcore and devoted H.O.T fan, her ultimate bias is Tony. Her love for Tony is so big that she is nicknamed "Tony's wife". Her dedication for H.O.T may make fellow fangirls giggle. Her childish attitude when she is with her family or closest friends is not annoying, it's more like endearing. (Well, that's my opinion)

A-pink's Jung Eun-ji brought up Shi Won's character very well. Shi Won's antics become all the more amusing thanks to her excellent acting. Even if anyone criticize her acting, I would still say that her acting was good considering the fact that this drama was the first drama she ever acted in. 

2) Yoon Yoon Jae (Seo In-guk)

Childhood friend of Shi Won, practically spends his whole life with her. The typical smart guy who aces everything, be it academics, sports, and singing. No wonder he got himself some admirers. I can safely say that he's Shi Won 바보, though.

Seo In-guk also brought up Yoon Jae's character very well. The way he expresses his feelings are very clear. I mean, viewers can definitely understand what he feels at that point in time. I will give the same argument to those who criticize his acting, I think Reply 1997 was only his second drama. 

3) Kang Joon Hee (Lee Howon -> Infinite's Hoya)

Kang Joon Hee, the typical good guy. He studies well, obedient to his parents, gentle and caring. He's also very observant and quite blunt. I can say that he's the most mature in the group. Well, Kang Joon Hee is a good dancer (as expected from Hoya). 

*fangirling time* Hoya suits playing Kang Joon Hee's character. I really can't imagine anyone else playing this character. His soft voice and face suits Joon Hee's personality. This is most probably because he's quite like Joon Hee in real life. I shan't speak too much or I will spoil the story :/ Anyway, Reply 1997 was his first drama, so I will still give him credit for his acting. Great job, Hoya :D

Btw, this is my favorite quote from Reply 1997. Kang Joon Hee said this...

The reason I like you? Because it's you. Just you. That's the only reason. I wish I knew. Then I could figure out how to stop liking you. If I can't avoid it, I only want one thing. To stay as a friend who doesn't change. For heartache. For love. 

4) Mo Yoo Jung (Shin So-yul)

Yoo Jung is Shi Won's best friend. She could change her favorite idol group in just a blink of an eye. Not a loyal fan, but a loyal friend :)

Shin So-yul is not new to the acting world, not the youngest actress that can be chosen for Yoo Jung's character as well. But, she suits the character very well :) Her youthful look helps a lot in playing Yoo Jung rather childish personality. It's a good thing that she was chosen for the role :)

5) Do Hak Chan (Eun Ji-won)

Do Hak Chan is a porn addict. He's cool and charismatic in front of guys but becomes a socially awkward boy in front of girls. 

Well, I can safely say that Eun Ji-won plays Do Hak Chan character nicely :) At first, I didn't know that he was actually a member of Sechs Kies (an idol group from the 1997 era) which means that he's 30+ year old. This is most probably because he can convey the feeling of the teenage Hak Chan well. I mean, it's very easy to see his nervousness and all. So, yeah. Choosing Eun Ji-won for this role is definitely the right thing to do :)

6) Bang Sung Jae (Lee Shi-un)

Bang Sung Jae is a super talkative guy. Once he talks, there's no stopping him. He loves Tamagotchi so much. He has vast knowledge for rather unimportant things but he doesn't really do well in school. Poor Sung Jae...

Once again, I applaud the casting manager(?) for choosing Lee Shi-un to play Bang Sung Jae. Even his face says that he's a blabbermouth :p The facial expressions that he makes are also very suitable with every situation that he is in. Despite his age, he still can channel his inner youth to play Sung Jae's character well. Good job :)

7) Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa

Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa are Shi Won's parents in the drama. Sung Dong-il is a hot-headed baseball coach while Lee Il-hwa is your normal housewife. Their rather shady relationship adds a whole new level of funniness to this drama :) Both of them express their characters well, so good job :D

8) Yoon Tae Woong (Song Jong-ho)

Yoon Tae Woong is a teacher in the school where the gang studies. He is also a caring, patient, and kind guy.

Gosh, I don't how the production team can be so good at choosing people. I don't know anything about Song Jong-ho, but he really does look kind. So, he doesn't need much effort to really bring out that character of Tae Woong. Well, from the description he doesn't seem to be an important character. But go and watch Reply 1997 so that you can understand the importance of his character :)

So, there you go, my first ever drama review. I hope it's useful and doesn't spoil any important bits :) Check out the teaser for the drama below :