Reliving My Adolescence, Korean Style: Answer Me 1997 (Reply 1997) Review

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As someone who came of age, myself, in the late 1990's/early 2000's, watching Answer Me 1997 (or Reply 1997) is like watching what my life would have been like had I been born in South Korea, and had my best guy friend been an incredibly attractive Asian man that just happened to be madly in love with me.

However, instead of fangirling over early Kpop bands like H.O.T., like the characters in Answer Me 1997, I was living out my awkward teenage life in America, attending N'SYNC concerts and learning the dance moves to all of Britney Spear's music videos. (I know for a fact that there exists a home video of me and my four best friends reenacting a Spice Girls music video at my best friend's birthday party, but I don't know where it is and probably should spare you the awkwardness anyway.)

But, I digress. I wrote this post to tell you that I loved watching Answer Me 1997, and give it my full recommendation as a great Kdrama for beginners and connoisseurs alike. It has a distinct vibe, different from the typical Korean romantic comedy plot and characters, which makes it feel fresh and unique. The characters are relatable and lovable, and the situations will likely remind you of your own adolescence.


The Story

Answer Me 1997 is a coming-of-age story, visiting key moments in a group of friend's journey from adolescence to adulthood. Each episode focuses on themes and events that are the quintessential parts of growing up, complete with first loves, evolving parent/child relationships, teen idols, and awkward encounters with the opposite sex. The main characters take turns narrating the events and the life lessons they learned from their point of view. The best comparison I can make to it is the old American show from the 1980's, The Wonder Years:


Reasons to Love

1. The core of every good Kdrama is the OTP (which in fangirl speak stands for One True Pairing, or essentially the main couple). Answer Me 1997 delivers when it comes to a dramatic relationship with lots of chemistry. There are some pretty great moments full of romantic tension! It doesn't hurt that Seo In Guk is truly a Kdrama hottie and Jung Eun Ji is cute and fun. Seo In Gu as Yoon Yoon Jae definitely made my heart melt. His true love for Sung Shi Won, despite her obliviousness towards him, is adorable. 

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I also definitely developed a girl crush on Jung Eun Ji, and kind of want to be her. Just look at her smize (what Tyra Banks calls smiling with your eyes in America's Next Top Model. I only know this because Vivi loves that show.) She's a truly adorable heroine who experiences character growth as she becomes less selfish and more aware and apreciative of others.

2. This drama is especially engaging because there really is a question as to who the main girl is going to end up with. Will she finally return the love of her long time best friend, or choose his older brother? The drama flows in a flashback format, opening with the main characters reuniting at a class reunion in 2012. We're then taken back to 1997 where the circle of friends is in the full throngs of high school. We're not quite sure from the beginning who is married to who or how their lives progressed to that point, but each episode slowly reveals it. This drama keeps you engaged in anticipation of finding it out until the very end. I really enjoyed this aspect of the show because in most Kdramas it's pretty clear what the outcome will be from the beginning.

3. The other characters in the group of friends were really fun and realistic with their own engaging side stories. This show contains several love triangles, one of which is surprising for a Korean drama, but I don't want to spoil it. The friendships between the characters is so endearing and reminded me of the bond my best friend from adolescence and I share. There's just something about surviving the drama of middle school and high school together that bonds you for life. There's a particular moment where the heroine gets her hair chopped off by her dad as punishment and her best friend chops her hair off too in solidarity that just melts my heart and represents what true friendship is all about.




4. Everyone always comments on how the kiss scenes in Answer Me 1997 are so great and among the best, but despite the great chemistry between the main couple I have to disagree. While Seo In Guk delivers, Jung Eun Ji does not do her part. The kiss scenes felt a little strained because she was not the most passionate kisser. I'll give her a break though, since she is pretty new to acting. The main reason there is chemistry between them has mostly to do with his intensity, so it's still worth watching. Good job Seo In Guk! Can I get in line?

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Drawbacks

There really aren't very many drawbacks to this Korean drama, but Answer Me 1997 can be a bit hard to follow for non-Koreans three reasons:

1.  There were a lot of references to Korean pop culture from the 1990's, which I unfortunately did not get because I was too busy listening to N'SYNC and Britney Spears instead. There were also a lot of cameos from current and past Korean pop stars that I didn't recognize, so I didn't get to enjoy the full effect. But don't worry, with a little research you can get on board. All I can say about this is, thank goodness for the site Dramabeans! If you've never checked them out, they do an amazing job at recapping and explaining Korean dramas, with a good dose of humor and insight.
2. It can be hard to follow the story line because its travels around a bit in time.
3. Some scenes feel totally unfinished and unresolved and leave you wondering what happened next.

Overall, though, I truly love this Kdrama and have added it to our list of Korean Drama Recommendations for Beginners. What did you think of it? Did it remind you of your adolescence and favorite Pop bands? Comment below.

Check it out on DramaFever or Viki and enjoy!

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