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rec: reply 1997
People! Friends of mine! I want to tell you about this girl because she needs to be part of your life. This is Jung Eunji of kpop girl group APink portraying Sung Si Won from Reply 1997, and she is the first realistic depiction of a fangirl I've ever seen on TV. Because she's an actual fangirl: she writes slashfic about her band of choice, she waits in line for hours for tickets and CDs, she knows ridiculous details about her bias that only a real fangirl would know, she has clashes with her dad who wants her to focus more on her studies and less on some stupid band, she guilts her bff into taping their TV appearances when she can't watch them (on VHS of course! This is 1997, after all). And sometimes she takes things too far--no, Si Won, you cannot climb over the wall to Tony-oppa's house! that is not okay!--and is kind of ridiculous, and sometimes the show laughs at her, but never, ever in a mean-hearted or mocking way, because this show loves Si Won and her passion and her wholehearted approach to life. It even allows her to have the most amazing Crowning Moment of Fangirl I could imagine (involving a college application--you'd have to see it to believe it) and it doesn't make her "grow out" of her fangirl ways: she carries them with her right into adulthood, even if she does learn to be a bit more prudent in how she lives them.
And she is why you should watch this show. There are lots of other reasons to watch it, of course: the fact that it has such a great affection for its families, both biological and found; that it understands friendships and gives us great ones that are complicated but beautiful; that it has the most moving, compassionate, and progressive portrayal of a gay character that Korean TV has ever given us; that it has the most amazing OTP (and an absolutely adorable B couple, too!); that it portrays perfectly what it feels like to be a teenager--when your world is both small and cozy like your hometown and so much bigger than you can wrap your mind around--and to take steps into adulthood and make the choices that will shape your life. Those are all fantastic reasons.
But Si Won is the real reason, her and the other fangirls in this show. In a way, I think you could say this series is a love letter to fangirls. WATCH IT. Because sometimes you just want to see someone else who's overcome by fangirl feels:
This show follows Si Won, her parents, and her group of best friends from 1997 up to the present day. The bulk of the series focuses on the late 90s with flashforwards in the form of these high school friends getting together for dinner one night. This is one of those shows you can love completely because it loves its characters completely, because it's low-key and does both humor and heartbreak really, really well. It's kind of slice-of-life, and it does what it does really, really well.
At first I thought I might not be able to invest because I assumed that there would be so many 90s Korean cultural references that I wouldn't get. And there were times when I felt the joke was flying over my head (if that happens to you, I suggest going and reading the episode recap on dramabeans.com to clear things up). But honestly I was so impressed by the way it clearly incorporated so many little details of that time into the show without any of them becoming distracting to someone like me who has zero idea of the Korean cultural landscape at that time. While I felt like there were some humorous things I missed out on, everything was so grounded in character that I really didn't mind much.
And speaking of being rooted in character: I love these characters. So much. Si Won possibly should be annoying, but Eunji is so adorable and lovable that I fell in love with her. Yoon Je, her best friend from childhood and potential ~love interest (WHAT A WONDERFUL OTP Y'ALL) is wonderful, smart and good with just enough of a snarky edge to him that he's fun to watch--but without crossing into jerk territory like a lot of drama heroes. He really is just a good guy. My other favorite character is Joon Hee (played by Infinite's Hoya!) who finds himself in love with Yoon Je, who is his best friend. He is the most precious, lovely character, and I spent most of the show screaming at the screen that he better get a happy ending. But everyone is lovely: Si Won's mom and dad are just delicious drama characters, her bff Yoo Jung is a fantastic bff and totally believable, and the other guys they hang out with end up being fantastic, too. There's also a lovely sibling relationship between Yoon Je and Tae Woong, his older brother, that's really touching.
Basically: I love everyone. This is going up with Shut Up! Flower Boy Band as my favorite drama of the year (and those two are possibly my favorite dramas of all time, actually. I'm not sure what it says that they're both beautiful dramas about teenagers from TvN).
Reply 1997 (also called: Answer Me 1997 and Respond 1997)
Summary: This drama will focus on the extreme fan culture that emerged in the 1990s when idol groups took center stage and K-pop was blossoming. It tells the story of 6 former high school friends from a school in Busan who meet again in 2012 and brings back memories to 1997 when they were still high school students. Moving back and forth between the ’90s and today, the story centers on the life of Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji), who idolizes boyband H.O.T., and her 5 high school friends. - dramawiki
Can be watched on: dramafever.com, hulu.com (not every episode is up on hulu yet, but I expect it will be any day).
Starring: Jung Eun Ji, Seo In Guk, Shin So Yool, Hoya, Eun Ji Won, and Lee Shi Un
Watch it if you like: stories about fangirls, watching Eunji be ADORABLE, 90s nostalgia, beautiful coming-of-age stories, gay characters whose stories aren't from some sort of After School Special, bffs who fall in love, family narratives, found families, gentle humor, bffs who can sometimes hurt each other but love each other fiercely and would do anything for each other, watching characters grow up before your eyes,high school stories,
Why you might not like it: It's not the fastest-moving drama out there (though I don't think it drags. It more...takes its time, and I love that about it), and if you hate high school stories, you might not like this one. If you discover that Eunji grates on you, that might turn you off to it, too, but I haven't heard of anyone that's actually happened to--everyone I've heard of who tried it loved it.
And my other main concern with the show: WOULD JOON HEE GET A HAPPY ENDING??? I wanted one so badly for him but I knew that on Korean TV we weren't going to have some guy come in to the restaurant and be introduced as Joon Hee's boyfriend, so I was skeptical that I would get what I wanted. BUT I DID. I really think that seeing him get into that (nice) car with the person who came to pick him up was the absolute best ending we could get for him on Korean TV, and I was totally satisfied with it (still trying to decide whether I'd rather it be Dongwoo or Sungjong in that car, but that's another story.). He has someone. He has a future. I'm so, so thankful for that. It was beautiful.Though in my ideal world that I will never live to see, my perfect ending would be Si Won, Yoon Je and Joon Hee all living together in a wonderful OT3 of domestic bliss and snarky love, but of course that wasn't going to happen. I'm asking for fic for Yuletide. Probably.
I thought it was a lovely, lovely drama from start to finish, with only a few small missteps that I can easily overlook considering how lovely it was overall. I'm very happy!
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I guess I cut her slack because A) I like Eunji so much in that role and B) I didn't actually do much studying either (though for me it was because I didn't need to; it wasn't till college that I even had to learn how to study) and spent my time reading everything I could get my hands on, writing fanfic, and spending time on fan message boards (which is...how I still spend most of my free time), so that rang really true for me. Of course I think people should spend more time focusing on their futures or whatever...but I don't mind it when it's a TV show and she's not a real person.
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Fictional Kpop-Fangirls/me/you = OT3
This is one of those shows you can love completely because it loves its characters completely
One of the things I have grown to love, love, love about K-dramas = always so much love!
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Fictional Kpop-Fangirls/me/you = OT3
I SHIP THAT!
One of the things I have grown to love, love, love about K-dramas = always so much love
So true! Often American TV is so pretentious and smug--not all American TV, there are shows like Friday Night Lights or Parks and Rec or Happy Endings or The Good Wife or whatever that love their characters just as much--that it's impossible to really love them even if you admire them. But kdramas have no shame!
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I SHIP THAT!
<3333333333
Often American TV is so pretentious and smug
I feel so often like Am TV wants the audience to make fun of the characters ... I'm not sure if that's a prioritization of "reality" over fiction (which: lol), of film over tv, or something else... it's disconcerting, whatever it is.
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And the characters, OMG. Not only they're likeable by themselves but the acting made them even better, i really felt like i was watching a group of friends and it reminded me of my own group of friends.
AND JUNHEE ♥ such a complex character, with touching acting from Hoya with some of the best lines i've heard from a kdrama character in all (and thats a lot) drama i've seen. It was like he was speaking directly to all of us who ever had a crush on someone, but yet he was just there, talking about himself.
I should stop this huge comment, but really, i loved this show so so much and i hope everyone enjoys it the way i did and you did too!
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I KNOW! I was actually only 10 in 1997, but I recognized all those things as well. AND DIAL-UP. The scene where Hak Chan is trying to load the porn and it's so agonizingly slow...I totally recognized that! (Well, not with porn. I've never done that. But with a page you wanted to load SO BADLY.)
Not only they're likeable by themselves but the acting made them even better, i really felt like i was watching a group of friends and it reminded me of my own group of friends.
THEY ARE ALL SO LOVELY ESPECIALLY TOGETHER.
Junhee is a glorious character, a real triumph. Hoya was perfect in that role--I have no idea what kind of range he has, and it might be quite limited, but he just inhabited that character so entirely. I was so proud of him! Especially since the character is so the opposite of his stage personae.
with some of the best lines i've heard from a kdrama character in all (and thats a lot) drama i've seen. It was like he was speaking directly to all of us who ever had a crush on someone, but yet he was just there, talking about himself.
I know! So perfect! The way that the PD and writer loved the character came through in all of his scenes.
I hope we can convince lots of people to watch it!
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Dial-up was the WORST, it was cheaper to use only after midnight and during sundays so i had to stay awake late or wait for the weekends lol Only those who went through that can see the greatness that was that scene of Hackhan trying to load porn hahahaah
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Oh, wow! I've never heard of that being the case before! How funny!
Only those who went through that can see the greatness that was that scene of Hackhan trying to load porn hahahaah
I know! As I watched it I thought of all the kids/teenagers who would be watching that scene and not have any idea of what it was like to live through that!
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Do you like Si Won? I think she's totally ridiculous, but I love her anyway!
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also: THE PARENTS. i have this abiding loathing for how thoroughly the stereotype of teenagers' non-relationships with their parents are embedded in western media. the only narrative i know of that doesn't do this is easy a ( ♥ ) and i just. chokes and dies on my love for this show. GBU tVn.
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First of all: OH THAT’S SHI WON IN YOUR TUMBLR ICON I SIMPLY DID NOT KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW. BB ANGEL GIRL. <<<<<33333
Speaking of, 1000% word to everything about Shi Won and her fangirlism. I AM SHI WON, SHI WON IS ME. And the best thing about this show by a mile is HOW MUCH IT LOVES HER. It’s her story 100%. I CRY AND MY TEARS ARE BLOOD.
And yeah, Eun Ji (AND EVERYONE ELSE) are absolutely adorable and every character feels so real, IT IS LIKE I HAVE GROWN UP WITH THESE PEOPLE MYSELF.
BUT LAUREN OH MY GOD CAN WE PLEASE DISCUSS MY HUGE OVERWHELMING OTP FEELINGS ABOUT SHI WON AND YOON JE. I HAVE NEVER SHIPPED ANYTHING SO HARD IN MY LIFE (that is how it feels). The biggest emotional stupids ever, Lauren. What I love is that they actually are kind of jerks to each other a lot? But it’s utterly believable, teenaged, emotionally driven jerkitude, and there’s no doubt that they know and love each other more than anyone else in the world and MY LIFE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY THEIR FACES OH GOD HELP NO ONE UNDERSTANDS (EXCEPT YOU AND LIKE MAYBE TWO OTHER PEOPLE).
AND YES YES YES ABOUT JOON HEE’S HAPPY ENDING PRECIOUS DARLING BOY *_________________________*
Btw I am also here because Eleonore let slip to me that you are asking for prompts????? And I have been going insane all day at the thought of you writing Shi Won fic???? BECAUSE. I WANT. ALL THE SHI WON FIC. (AND ALL THE SHI WON/YOON JAE FIC IF IT IS AVAILABLE.) So. Pray tell, where can I request prompts? YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE.
/capslock comment
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YES SHI WON IS MY FANGIRL AVATAR I NEED HER TO BE MY TUMBLR ICON.
And the best thing about this show by a mile is HOW MUCH IT LOVES HER. It’s her story 100%. I CRY AND MY TEARS ARE BLOOD.
I KNOW. And I can never get over how great the characters are, how real and lovable and precious. PERFECT SHOW.
I am so glad you got to watch it all in one go because it was AGONY watching it as it aired. Because I'm serious: we really didn't think Shi Won and Yoo Jae would end up together. We really didn't know. With 99% of kdramas you know from episode one who's going to end up together. But this one was so fresh and different that we thought it was a possibility she'd marry his STUPID ASS BROTHER (least favorite character by faaaaaaaar) and we were all dying all over the place.
BUT THEN. THE WORLD WAS SET TO RIGHTS. AND NOW THEY'RE MARRIEDS AND HE BREAKS HER PHONE AND SHE ATTACKS HIM FOR IT AND HE YELLS YA! AND SHE ATTACKS HIM SOME MORE. GREATEST THING EVEREVEREVER.
The biggest emotional stupids ever, Lauren. What I love is that they actually are kind of jerks to each other a lot? But it’s utterly believable, teenaged, emotionally driven jerkitude, and there’s no doubt that they know and love each other more than anyone else in the world
THEY SO ARE I LOVE THEM SO HARDHARDHARD. I love when Jun Hee says that when he first met them he thought they were twins because they were so much a part of each other. No one could ever mean as much to either of them. It's not possible.
(Also, I do OT3 it. Maybe not as hard as Eleonore, though!)
Haha, yes, prompt away right here! I'd love to write some fic for it only the show is so perfect it's hard to know where to start! It's so much easier to write fic for shows that aren't perfect--there's so much to fix. But this one I have a hard time coming up with ideas for, so HAVE AT ME!
(Capslock comments are my favorite!)
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omg THIS IS ACTUALLY HILARIOUS??? CLEARLY IT COULD BE NO OTHER WAY. Like, this was basically the Shi Won and Yoon Jae show. Their relationship was given the most space to breathe and develop and be complex and the two of them were the main POV characters, so to me there was no way they wouldn't be endgame (and even if they weren't technically endgame, they still kind of would be, lol)? Why would the audience care about anything else. I SIMPLY CANNOT IMAGINE YOUR AGONY.
lol, I don't dislike Tae Woong but SMH @ how he kept insisting he and Yoon Jae compete for Shi Won? Like, YEARS after she straight up tells him she doesn't feel that way about him. Which, you know, being a girl's friend for a long time doesn't mean you're entitled to anything. But whatever, preaching to the choir here.
I totally get OT3-ing it. (Jun Hee/Shi Won/Yoon Jae, that is.) ALL THREE SIDES ARE PRECIOUS.
As far as fic goes, I imagine Eleonore has already prompted OT3 fic from you, lol? (GOOD.) Alternatively, I feel like that 6 year gap during which Shi Won and Yoon Jae were tragically estranged has tons of fic potential. Mostly I really want good Shi Won fic, AND I THINK YOU'D BE AWESOME AT HER VOICE (avatar and all). What's interesting to me is that Yoon Jae was always the more emotionally open one (up until the end of high school) while Shi Won was more abrasive? So, her falling for him back is played more subtly BUT YOU KNOW SHE WAS A MESS ON THE INSIDE and yeah, I am basically just itching for good Shi Won POV about their relationship. OR WHATEVER YOU FEEL LIKE. I will send you a fruit basket.
<<<<<<<<3333333
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I don't dislike Tae Woong but SMH @ how he kept insisting he and Yoon Jae compete for Shi Won? Like, YEARS after she straight up tells him she doesn't feel that way about him. Which, you know, being a girl's friend for a long time doesn't mean you're entitled to anything. But whatever, preaching to the choir here.
Yes, yes! In general he's a good guy and mostly a good brother but I just get sort of skeeved out because of his relationship with her sister and him BEING HER TEACHER and everything and I'm just very glad they didn't last long because it means I can mostly like him while disliking everything about him with Shi Won. But on a show where I LOVELOVELOVE everyone else, disliking him almost feels like hating him!
Um, I love your thoughts a lot. I will have to ponder on this a bit! (And btw, OT3 fic is up!)
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And I hope it's okay that I just copy-paste my already existing flail about the possibility of you writing more fic for us? (anyway, it's too late to ask)
1. So, regarding that Shi Won scenario (WHICH I SECOND SO HARD OMGGG), I of course have to express my OT3-needs :
I really need a companion piece of Joon Hee's point of view. Like HOW IS HE HANDLING THIS FUCKED UP SITUATION OF BOTH OF THEM NOT TALKING? Does Shiwon ask about Yoonjae sometimes, does he tell her even when she doesn't ask (because he knows better). DOES YOONJAE KNOW THAT HE'S STILL SEEING SHIWON???? So many questions. I want all the fic for this span of time, yes.
2. I would love some boys-friendship fic, especially during their high school days. I think the way they position themselves towards their female friends/love interests is actually fascinating. AND I LOVE THAT THE SHOW ACTUALLY GAVE US BOY TALK ADMALDJMALDJML <333 I want more of that so bad. Because it's canon that they talk about porn. It's canon that they talk about relationships. I JUST WANT ALL THE AWKWARD BOY TALK. Especially Yoonjae and Hakchan I mean come on, they are both so sexually frustrated and awkward with girls hahaha. I NEED IT.
4. I also really really want a fill-in scene for the fallout discussion between Hakchan and Yoojung on D-Day. Never over the fact that she was coming on to him without him suspecting the slightest thing (omg this dude is so thick i can't even). I love their dynamic especially because it's made clear that as much as both want each other (still weeping over Yoojung's desire being canonically acknowledged!!!), they are also total babies who aren't ready at all and for some reason this really makes them work for me. If they were stereotypes, he would awkwardly sleezy and pressuring her in a way that would be framed as humorous, while she frets and is uncomfortably flattered. But they are not and I love them so much for it!! /feels
5. I WOULD ALSO BUY A PONEY FOR ANYBODY WHO GIVES ME THE FAMILY DINNER WHEN SHIWON AND YOONJAE CAME OUT TO THE PARENTS. Like, how much freak-out VS how much I-told-you-so VS how much laughing their heads of at their stupid kids??? I need all the yelling and throwing things and laughing til they cry. Idk idk, family is my weakness. ((that car-scene with the cigarettes <3333333333))
Obvs, there is more where that came from. But maybe I should slow down the neediness for a bit and come at you again later.