.jpg)
Next year in 2022 will be the 10th anniversary of the start of the Answer Me (Reply) series, it’s when Answer Me 1997 premiered in September of 2012. The other two premiered shortly thereafter with Answer Me 1994 and then Answer Me 1988. This week a poll of current college students, which would make them in late elementary school when AM97 premiered, asked them to rank the three dramas. The polling results went like this: First half of 1994 > 1988 > 1997> Second half of 1994. Do you agree? For me it’s far and away 1988, I don’t know why I loved it way more than the other two but I just did. I didn’t even finish 1994 TBH and found 1997 a great start but didn’t stay with me the way 1988 did. I thought 1988 did the best for multiple family connections and the neighborhood interconnected storylines and that really stirred my nostalgia heartstrings. The commentary on this poll had K-netizens majority split between 1994 (for Chilbong love) and 1997 (because it didn’t have a real guess the husband trick).
Pingback: Poll of Current 2021 Korean College Students Rank the Best Answer Me Dramas – First Half of 1994, 1998, 1997, Second Half of 1994 in that Order - Kpopnchill - All About K-pop News
It’s 1988 for me too, I mean I love 1997 to bits and I have bingewatched it a lot of times but something about 1988 just resonated with me more. I loved the whole family settings and it reminded me of my young days with my family, so for that it’s 1988 but on the romance aspect, 1997 beats them all for me.
And I can never forgive the reply 1994 team for what they did to Chilbong and my heart, I went through a lot for Chilbong?. As for 1988, it was all Taek for me, he was the only one that felt right for Deok Sun in my opinion.
Same here 88 is special and I’m Team Taek all the way.
I tried 1997 and could understand why so many related with the main female lead’s fangirling. But I wasn’t a big fan of the OTP and only watched a couple of episodes.
With 1994 I only started the first episode and thought it was hilarious. But because I didn’t like the main lead guy which is why I still haven’t continue watching the rest even up to now.
Only 88 managed to pull me in right from the first episode. It managed to be funny and made me cry in the end. The PD also did Prison Playbook which is also a favorite.
Reply 1988 is one of the best dramas period. It was much more than just a who does she marry romance. All relationships were explored and well written, father/daughter, father/son, mother/son, mother/daughter, sisters, neighbors, friends, etc. The other Replys were really good too, especially 1994 but 1988 sits on top as the story telling was tight from start to end. Also, as for the 1988 main romance, which I know a lot of people were unhappy about, I thought it was well done in the way they showed why Junghwan didn’t win over Dukseon. He hesitated. Taek didn’t. That’s life. I really need to rewatch the drama.
It was 1997 for me. The use of the same casting and kind of story for 1994 and 1988 made it redundant. For 1988, there were too many characters.
The “who is the husband” never really worked neither.
For me it’s 1997, it was the first and I genuinely had no idea whether it was the story of a first love that didn’t work out or one that did so “who was the husband” was a legit suspenseful question until like…ep 12 I think.
1988 is my second fav I just love the families/all the parents and the Ssangmundong setting so much.
It’s Reply 1988 for me as well. That drama just resonates with me. I love all the characters and the familial / neighbors bond. The “guess who is the husband” trope gets old real fast by the 3rd installment but I had a soft spot for Park Bogum’s nerdy character so the romance works out for me. I think it’s refreshing that the supporting character was the one that got the girl.
Nothing can top 1997 for me, I thought that the other two overdid it with the love triangles. Song Shiwon was the most memorable female lead, Junhee’s storyline was bittersweet, but not depressing, It was funny as hell and 1997 nostalgia hit all the right spots. Reply 1994 was also really good, but my second lead sydrome was severe enough for me to never being able to finish the last episode. Reply 1988 was the weakest for me. It was the first time in the Reply series that I hated the secondary plotline (Dokseon’s bully sister and Sunwoo). And once again, the love triangle was just depressing, even though I liked both male leads equally this time.
1997. 1994. 1988.
88 had great characters but went on too long per episode. Plus the writer lost her mind. Still hate that ending because of character inconsistency. Yes, Deok-seon and Taek were meant for each other blah blah blah since they’re both bland. She did a disservice though to RJY’s character.
1997 for me. Loved lead characters and actors portraying them. Have rewatched different parts many times.
1997 by far, for the simple reason of how fresh it was and how they didn’t overbloat the episodes. The other two had great moments but so much filler in movie length episodes that they became plodding and unbearable to watch. By the end I didn’t even CARE I just wanted them to wrap everything up already. It’s a shame because they had some elements that were brilliant (and definitely more polished than 1997), just watered down by lengthy scripts that needed major editing down. 1997 was short and sweet and funny and relatable, and full of heart. When it started losing a bit of steam, it wrapped up so the aftertaste was nice.
By the way I can’t believe it’s almost 10 years, I still remember when we were tracking down subs and the whole Dramafever drama with fansubbers. Damn now I feel old lmao.
1997, because it was the first, the one i can relate to the most, because 90’s remind me of Backstreet boys, a lot of different dramas ( ER, Friends, Dr Quinn,…) It was refreshing and both leads had fantastic chemistry . 1988 , was more family centered and stirred my nostalgic soul , i was in middle school reading Zola, Austen, Bronte sisters, and shipping Gilbert and Anne ! and listening 80’s songs but i didn’t care about the “who is the husband” ? , 1994 was a big disapointment because of what they did to Chilbong . 10 YEARS already . I can’t believe it .
Reply 1988 is the one and only for me. 5 years after and I m not over of the ending…
Before R88 I tried 97 and drop it halfway.
I was done with the 84 by the third episode even though Yoo Yeon Seok was in.
I could not oversee things about the main couple ( don’t want to spoil it) .
I love 94 more than the other two. I got bored with the first half of 88 and the ending of 97.
My fave is Trash Oppa. So R94 will always be my fave.
I like the ending of 88. Simply bcuz i hate a guy like Jungpal. His hesitation got on my nerve.
R97 bcuz im kinda conservative, so shotgun marriage ending isnt my thing.
Team 94 jjang!!!
The best lead actor is 1994 Go Ara, Jung Woo and Yo Yun Suk. , but I like 1997 the most because It’s the first and while watching the second and the third, it’s no longer as fun since we already get the trademark and the pattern so watching the second and the third with more the love triangle conflict make it less exciting.
1997 was the best simply coz it was the freshest off the block. It has the best OSTs with All For You simply made unforgettable by Seo In Guk and Jung Eun Ji till today. It was not even specially written for the drama. Came out in 2000 by a band called Cool. The recent rendition of All For You at the close of the KBS Song Festival by all the girl and boy bands made me teary eyed. In 97, the pacing was just right & the Joon Hee storyline was delicately handled. 1988 was a close second but some episodes dragged too long and I hated Deuk Sun’s bully sister.
Speaking of ost. It’s 97 for me. Old is gold. My fave 97 ost is confession by delispice. nam ji hyun singing confession in her car noraebang video recently just made me realise how 97 popularised the old songs. It was first featured in son ye jin’s 2003 movie the classic yet it was 97 whom people associated the song with. I think jihyun was thinking of ahem somebody when she picked that song to sing after “nobody” by wonder girl. but you. Just a fan theory. Don’t shoot me. Lol.
that duck doll as her noraebang singing mate gave me heart attack. it’s like soop is trolling us shippers. the mic decorated like wedding bouquet. you know how koreans view duck symbolism especially wedding duck pairs.
She was wearing fashion rings on both wedding ring fingers. Hoping she would pull a Park Shin Hye announcement. Anyways, here’s wishing all AM actors give us k-drama babies irl joining profusion of k-pop bubs next year.
I’m 45 but 100% with the students here. First half 94-88-97-2nd half 94.
Maybe because they ended together irl, but still, FL had much better chemistry with 2ML than with ML
in Reply 1988
I liked 1994 the best even if I got broken-hearted over Chilbong. I also liked 1984 but I struggled with the super long episodes.
Reply 1988 for me.it tells me about the past and family life and struggle.and the husband was not predictable which I love.the writer did great a work. I really don’t like the other reply series much but it was still good. And I lov taek.