'Reply 1988' cast reunite for anniversary special
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Showbiz News
A decade after its debut, 'Reply 1988' is reuniting its beloved cast for a special anniversary program.
A decade after Reply 1988 first charmed viewers worldwide, its cast is reuniting for a 10th-anniversary special, and the nostalgia is hitting harder than a 1980s mixtape.
On Monday, tvN, which originally aired the drama in 2015, unveiled a new poster teasing the reunion project. Over on YouTube, Channel Fullmoon released a short teaser for what is reportedly a three-episode celebration, instantly sending longtime fans into a frenzy.
The special brings together the series' central five, Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, Go Kyung-pyo, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Lee Dong-hwi along with the actors who played their memorable families: Sung Dong-il, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Sung-kyun, Choi Moo-sung, Yoo Jae-myung, Ahn Jae-hong, Ryu Hye-young, and more. It's essentially the neighborhood gathering everyone always wished they could crash.
According to Channel Fullmoon, the cast headed off on a two-day, one-night trip to commemorate the milestone. The channel is helmed by hit variety show producer Na Yeong-seok, a name that almost guarantees heartwarming chaos, laughter, and at least one moment that turns the cast into a puddle of emotion.
While Ryu Jun-yeol wasn't able to join the main group due to scheduling conflicts, the Korea Times reported that he filmed his own segments so he could still be part of the special, a small but meaningful nod to fans who wanted the “five friends” dynamic intact.
The first episode of the Reply 1988 anniversary special is set to premiere on December 19.
For those who somehow missed the global wave of nostalgia: Reply 1988 is set in 1980s Korea and tells the story of five childhood friends and their tight-knit families in a Seoul neighborhood. It's the third entry in the “Reply” anthology after Reply 1997 and Reply 1994, and remains the series that left the biggest cultural footprint.
During its broadcast, the show hit a 19.6 percent viewership rating for its finale, the highest for a cable drama at the time. Its international popularity only grew once it hit streaming platforms like Netflix, with the BBC recently crediting it for helping spark a wider “Korean drama boom.”
Ten years later, the cast reunion feels less like a TV event and more like a warm letter delivered straight to the fans who never stopped revisiting the streets of 1988.
