Reply 1997

Main characters

Jung Eun-ji as Sung Shi-won

She's the ultimate fangirl who lives for boyband H.O.T. (when her exasperated father asks what she's going to be when she grows up, her totally heartfelt answer: "I'm going to be Tony oppa's wife!"). Shi-won is last place in her class and has her head firmly in the clouds, but she's also forthright and sassy.

Seo In-guk as Yoon Yoon-je

A boy next door, who is quiet and broody. He is also first in his class. Yoon-je grew up with Shi-won all his life and as teenagers, he falls in love with her.

Hoya as Kang Joon-hee

Yoon-je's best friend, who is gentle and sweet, and loves to dance. He also harbors the secret that he's gay and is in love with Yoon-je, which only Shi-won is aware of.

Shin So-yul as Mo Yoo-jung

Shi-won's best friend. Yoo-jung is known for falling in love at the drop of a hat, whether its idols or real boys.

Eun Ji-won as Do Hak-chan

The army brat who just transferred from Seoul. He's good at sports and has an enviable porn collection, but his one weakness is his inability to interact properly with girls.

Lee Si-eon as Bang Sung-je

The mile-a-minute talker and one-man rumor mill of the group.

Sung Dong-il as Sung Dong-il

Shi-won's father and a baseball coach of the Busan Seagulls.

Lee Il-hwa as Lee Il-hwa

Shi-won's mother and a housewife.

Song Jong-ho as Yoon Tae-woong

A teacher at the high school who turns out to be Yoon-je's brother.

Supporting characters

Noh Ji-yeon as Jang Dan-ji - Moon Hee-joon fangirl

Jung Kyung-mi as Kyung-mi / "Eun Dokki" (Eun Axe) - Sechs Kies fangirl

Kim Sun-ah as Kim Sun-ah / "Eun Gak-ha" - Sechs Kies fangirl

Production

The series originally aired live on cable channel tvN in 16 episodes (14 30-minute episodes aired back-to-back over a period of 7 weeks, with the last 2 episodes aired separately and lasting 1 hour each due to the amount of material the staff didn't want to edit out). However, due to its popularity, the 15th and 16th episodes were also aired simultaneously on Mnet, OCN, O'live, Ongamenet and OnStyle.

This drama served as the acting debut of Jung Eun-ji.

Ratings

This drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC & EBS).

Reception

The TV serial mostly consisted of idol singers with scant acting experience, and apart from the meta casting of Sechs Kies member Eun Ji-won (who previously worked with director Shin Won-ho and the writing staff on variety show 1 Night & 2 Days), it premiered to little hype. But with strong word of mouth, it soon gained recognition as a high-quality production with a distinct sense of identity, becoming a buzz-worthy "syndrome" show (Korean slang meaning, a real hit with an ardent fanbase).

With Korean cable shows generally considered successful if they hit 1%, Reply 1997 took cable ratings by storm, and received an immense amount of attention and critical praise. The show has been credited for its laser-sharp attention to detail, re-creating the late '90s with an accuracy that has fans singing its praises. Endless pop culture references are packed into every minute of the show, with little pop culture easter eggs hidden in scenes, callbacks to the trends of the day, and cameos that are in-jokes.

It was also a digital success, receiving more than a million hits after it was made available for downloading and streaming on internet and mobile site Tving. This was attributed to the fact that Reply 1997 had aired on a cable network (pay television channel), such that several viewers were unable to watch it live.

With majority of Korean dramas shot in the capital Seoul, another of the show's charms is its Busan setting, which is treated in a matter-of-fact way as a locale. The realism is aided by the fact that much of the principal cast is actually from the region, who speak with authentic Gyeongsang dialect. The dialogue also uses time-specific, location-specific slang.

But '90s nostalgia and meticulous attention to detail is only part of the show's appeal. Fans were also intrigued by the clues which the 2012 scenes dropped at regular intervals about who ends up together, as well as the episodes' subtle twists. And its smart, witty way of addressing the growing pains of its adolescent cast makes it just as relevant in the present as it was back in the late-'90s setting of its primary plot. Audiences have lauded the show's intimacy and realism, with a sincerity that connects with people — even those outside that particular generation.

Seo In-guk, Eun Ji-won, Lee Si-eon and Shin So-yul hosted the 15 September 2012 episode of sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live Korea, which included skits that parody scenes in their series. On 20 September 2012, a special was aired on tvN's enews featuring behind-the-scenes videos and a few bloopers from the set.

A novelization was published in January 2013.

Director Shin Won-ho re-edited all 16 episodes for a special director's cut DVD, released in February 2013. It also included 358 minutes of exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, a blooper reel, as well as commentary from the director and actors.

Soundtrack

The '90s-set drama didn't have an original soundtrack of its own since a huge aspect of the show's mood is set with era-specific music, one of its defining characteristics. So as a thank you to the fans of the show, lead actors Jung Eun-ji and Seo In-guk recorded a 2-part mini OST called Love Story. Seo was the first season winner of the music audition program Superstar K, and Jung is the main vocalist of K-pop girl group A Pink. Their duet in Part 1 was a remake of 1990s idol group Cool's "All For You." Their duet in Part 2 is a remake of "Just the Way We Love," from the soundtrack of 1999 film Love Wind Love Song.

The two singles topped the Gaon Single Chart and Billboard's K-Pop Hot 100, and "All For You" became one of the best-selling singles of that year with 2,499,273 downloads. Jung and Seo also gave a live performance on Mnet's M! Countdown on 6 September 2012, and on 19 September, the song "All For You" ranked first on another music program, Music Triangle.

Due to popular demand, CJ E&M eventually released a "Director's Edition" soundtrack that feature Jung and Seo's 2 covers, as well as '90s songs played throughout the series. It also included a mini photobook and a behind-the-scenes DVD. Before its official release, the album sold out its 12,500 units via pre-order, surpassing the average soundtrack sales figure of 5,000.

Spin-offs

Another series from the same writer and director, Reply 1994 was produced in 2013. Set in a college campus, it follows the pop culture events of that year, including the emergence of seminal K-pop group Seo Taiji and Boys and the basketball craze of the era. It also starred Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa, but as different characters. Younger cast members Jung Eun-ji, Seo In-guk, Hoya, Lee Si-eon, Shin So-yul, Eun Ji-won, and Lee Jooyeon reprised their Reply 1997 roles in cameo appearances.

A second spin-off, Reply 1988, aired in 2015. Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa again joined the cast.

Remake

An American remake, Answer Me 1999 is in development at Fox, written by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer (Step Up 3D), with the pilot episode directed by Jon M. Chu.

International broadcast

The series also aired in the Philippines on GMA Network (dubbed in Tagalog) from 10 August to 4 September 2015 before replacing StarStruck (season 6) on 7 September with a total of 20 episodes.

In Thailand, the drama aired dubbed into Thai under the title ย้อนรอยรัก 1997 (Yon Roy Rak Nueng Khao Khao Jed; literally Reply Love 1997) on the Workpoint TV beginning 13 May 2013.