Warning: May contain spoilers
THE famous Korean drama series “Reply 1988” has been a comfort show for many K-drama enthusiasts. We’ve witnessed the coming-of-age of Deok-sun, Jung-hwan, Sun-woo, Taek, and Dong-ryeong a.k.a the “Ssangmundong Squad.” This circle of friends is named after Ssangmun-dong, a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea where they all grew up.
There are many reasons why this heartwarming series captured the hearts of the audience. Besides the excellent production that presented the South Korean landscape in 1988, it also emphasized the importance of pop culture within their era.
Moreover, the plot of the story is light and digestible and it can be recommended for a wide range of age groups. It delves into the dynamics of familial, friendly, and romantic relationships, as well as the challenges of school life and everyday concerns faced by families in Ssangmun-dong. A lot of scenes in the series will make viewers contemplate their connections with those around them.
Meet the Families of the Ssangmundong Squad
The series centers on five different families in Ssangmundong, with each of them teaching us a lesson that our family has always been a vital part of our lives.
The Sung Family (Deok-sun’s family)
During their younger years, the Sung family was not the most fortunate as they lived in the basement of the Kim family. Living with Deok-sun in the basement were her parents, her strict yet diligent older sister Bo-ra, and her naive yet full-of-talent younger brother named No-eul.
As the middle child, Deok-sun felt adrift and unsure of her aspirations in life. Their family issues often revolved around financial struggles caused by their father Dong-il’s mistake.
The Kim Family (Jung-hwan’s family)
The Kim family enjoyed a privileged life after they won the lottery. They had a nice house, they got to eat the most delicious food every day, and they could wear branded clothes. However, they weren’t a perfect family. Jung-bong, the eldest son, had been struggling to continue with college due to his health conditions. Jung-hwan appeared consistently laid-back. Their father, Sung-kyun, had self-issues which he often masked with humor, making her wife, Ra Mi-ran, often concerned.
The Sung Family (Sun-woo’s family)
Sun-young had been through a lot just to keep her family safe and protected. She never got her eyes off of her two lovely children: Sun-woo and Jin-ju. Sun-woo was a smart and responsible son and a caring brother to his younger sister Jin-ju. He deeply disliked witnessing his mother in discomforting situations, even if she was merely experiencing minor bodily pains.
Choi Family (Taek’s family)
Comfort in silence. That’s how Taek and his father, Moo-sung, lived together. It was an emotional relationship but one that many people could see the sacrifice in. Nevertheless, their mutual care for each other provided abundant comfort amidst their shared silence.
Go Family (Dong-ryeong’s family)
With his two parents being workaholics and strict, Dong-Ryeong often did things on his own. He could eat, go out, and study on his own, but too much aloneness brought him trouble. If it weren’t for this, his parents wouldn’t realize how much their physical and emotional absence affected the well-being of their only child.
Notable Scenes in the Series
While there are a lot of iconic scenes that captured the hearts of every K-drama enthusiast, here are some of the memorable moments that mirror scenarios we experience when we practice penance during the lenten season.
Deok-sun and Bo-ra’s love-hate relationship
The siblings’ relationship with one another was not the best. Petty verbal and physical fights between them occurred almost every day in the series. Deok-sun dealt with middle child problems, while Bo-ra carried responsibilities in the household. Deok-sun was hit with a sudden realization when she visited her sister in her boarding house where the latter prepared for the exams. Deok-sun was immediately humbled upon seeing the small space her sister endured in the meantime. She regretted assuming that her sister moved out because she wanted to live a fancy life alone. This scene led to a heartfelt embrace, with Deok-sun tearfully expressing remorse over her sister’s current living conditions.
The passing of Dong-il’s Mother
When Dong-il’s mother died, Deok-sun and Bo-ra wondered why their father showed an emotionless demeanor during the wake. But as soon as their father’s family arrived at the place where the wake was held, they all hugged each other and broke down into tears. This moment served as a reminder that adults have feelings too, they just try to conceal them as much as they can.
Dong-ryeong Finally Spends Time with His Parents
Dong-ryeong often ate, studied, and went out on his own. Despite having his four friends whom he spent time with, there was still a sense of emptiness in him. Even if he received much love and support from his friends and their families, being nurtured by his parents was unmatchable. When he got into a motorcycle accident, his parents realized he sought solace outside because they were preoccupied with work, leaving little attention for him. When his mom cooked seaweed soup for him on his birthday, he narrated everything to his mom because of so much joy.
Taek Hears his Father’s ‘I love you”’ for the First Time
Choi Taek expressed his love for his father, Moo-sung. While the latter wanted to say it back, he didn’t dare to do so. Their relationship was unusual from other father-and-son relationships as they were already comfortable with silence.
But when the reporter showed the clip of Moo-sung saying “I love you” to Taek on television, Taek broke down into tears. The simple declaration was something he’d been wanting to hear for a long time.
Jung-hwan Helping Mi-ran Read her Romanized Name
When Jung-hwan called her mother on the phone to ask for details, Mi-ran kept delaying the answer. He later realized that the reason for this was because she could not read the Romanization of hangul (Korean alphabet). Mi-ran was surprised to find out in the airport that there was a translation of her name in the passport and assumed that it was written by Jung-hwan.
Sun-woo Finds Out his Mother’s Job in the Public Bathhouse
Sun-yeong suffered from great loss when her husband died. This prompted her to work harder for her two children to provide them with a great life. However, her mother-in-law believed that she wasn’t adequately caring for the children and insisted that she could do it better than their mother. She wanted to take the kids away from Sun-yeong and asked her to move into a smaller space since she would live alone. This pressure drove Sun-young to take on multiple jobs to prove to her mother-in-law that they could live a comfortable life. One time, Sun-woo caught her working late at night in a public bath house. Sun-woo, who hated seeing his mother suffer, couldn’t help but break down but he pretended he didn’t know anything about her part-time job, considering their family’s situation.
Taek Accepts His Defeats in Go Game Tournaments
Growing up, Taek did not have the usual life of a child who should be at school. Instead, his life revolved around being a professional Go player which he had been trained for. For Taek, this path held as much significance as academics or any other career. Consequently, he perceived his identity as inseparable from his skills in the game of Go, feeling incomplete without them. Unlike typical children and teenagers who spend their days in school and socializing with friends, Taek’s life was centered around his training. Whenever he lost, Taek felt like a huge part of him was destroyed. But because of his dear friends, he came to understand that defeat is a natural part of life and shouldn’t be viewed as a major setback.
These are some of the most iconic scenes in the series that leave the audience with a space to reflect on themselves, their relationship with other people, especially their loved ones, and how they navigate daily existence, even the simplest things.
