How did the 2015 TV masterpiece Reply 1988 spark the K-drama boom?

Until now, K-dramas have generally fallen into one of two camps: highly rated series that cater to older viewers but have little online impact, and more niche drama series aimed at younger viewers that have thrived through memes and virality. However, Reply 1988 proved to be a show for everyone. As South Korean cultural critic Kim Hern-sik says, the way it reflected Seoul’s “alley culture” — the tightly-knit neighborhoods found within the city’s narrow streets — and its distinct multi-generational characters made it a show the whole family wanted to watch together.

It is difficult to overstate how profound the impact of the 1988 response was in South Korea. In contrast to the thrillers and melodramas that shaped much of the country’s dramatic production, Response 1988’s embellished, unadorned realism offered viewers something more subtle yet poignant. For younger viewers, in particular, the series provided a way to look back in time and learn about past generations—including their parents—young people who were not far removed from their own. This is a sentiment echoed by Ryu Hye-young, who played Deok-sun’s older sister (and usual executioner), Bo-ra. “Playing Bo-ra allowed me to better understand an era I had never experienced before,” she told the BBC. “It made me realize that the peaceful life I enjoy today exists because of the young people who paved the way.”

CG Inm

More physically, by showcasing Air Jordans, Walkmans, Puck Man (Pac-Man’s original name), and a host of 1980s and 1990s musical hits, the show sparked a retro revival in South Korea. Pop stars and ’80s styles returned to the charts, Crown Beer was revived after two decades off shelves, and the fad of the decade became the new vintage trend. “While we can’t say that our series was the first to explore retro themes, I do believe that it initiated the emergence of retro culture.” [in South Korea] “And dramas centered around 1990s Korea,” says series writer Lee Woo-jung, referring to the wave of nostalgic, slice-of-life series that followed, such as Twenty-Five Twenty-One, My Mister, and the upcoming Shin and Lee collaboration Hospital Playlist.

How it became global

However, her story resonated far beyond her home country. “Reply 1988 depicts a warm, casual and cosmopolitan family – the kind of family that anyone can relate to or long for,” says Ryu. The first signs that it would have an impact outside its home country came from China, where it aired in 2016, where it reached 235 million viewers within a month. As streaming has made the television landscape more global, Response 1988’s reach has increased – first through the Viki streaming service since 2016, but especially when it was added to the Netflix library in 2020. According to the streamer’s own data, it continues to rack up millions of viewing hours globally each year.