*bringing my fan wall back from the dead to share this very important piece of information*
before he was part of the intelligence service in vincenzo, before he was seri’s insurance agent in CLOY, this man (actor lim chulsoo)… stole my junghwan’s sneakers.

i realized i literally forgot to post this— but during my reply 1988 i kept a list of easter eggs/callbacks/fun things to notice? idk what to call them but i just saw a bunch of little hints or things that would be foreshadowed in later episodes of the series. anyway, here it is!!! @turtuallysarcastic @midnightramyeon

why did i put off this recap so long?? part of me says schoolwork, part of me says it’s because it’s nothing i haven’t mentioned before. but part of me thinks that once i finish writing this recap, the show will be truly over. i mean, it has been for five years anyway, but there’s something about episode 20 that i’ll never really get over or never be able to not cry while watching.

i was gonna hold off on this recap for a bit, but today actually marks a year since i finished reply 1988 (i’m crazy for remembering this, I KNOW). and i decided that maybe today would be a good day to finish this recap, and share what the show means to me.

r88 ep 20
taek and deoksun’s relationship is sweet as ever— i love when he hugs her in the parking garage and you can see how happy he is!! their relationship will never make me FULLY happy, but i’ve come to peace with it because out of all the men, it’s taek, it’s bogum, and those small smiles he gives when he sees deoksun make me realize that it may be worth it.

the scene where the ajummas find out about sunwoo and bora is HILARIOUS (“why, you” by chuli and miae scores this scene, which i love). and sunwoo and bora being open to their parents about their relationship is difficult, but i love it because it perfectly captures their personalities as well as their families. the ajummas making up after the awkwardness is the BEST too, it reminds me so much of how my family friends and i react after we’ve had an argument— it’s awkward at first, but once we’re over it, we’re back in no time (how i’ll miss the ajummas…)

i love the smaller family moments, like when the kim parents sit outside and reflect upon how happy their sons have made them, how their children made the bad times bearable and worth it. one of my favorite moments in the series is when kim sungkyun said JB and JH coming up to him as he sold jajangmyun was the best day of his life. it’s just a sentence, but KSK’s face as he remembers that is so bright, and his smile is so contagious. i also love when sunwoo gives his real invitation to taek’s dad, where he lists him as his father. it wasn’t easy for sunwoo to accept him, but the invitation shows how much he does care for him, because he brings so much happiness to his mom.

bora and her appa’s relationship is the one that makes me cry THE MOST, as it reminds me of the one i have with my own father. i think a lot about when bora keeps asking her dad if the shoes are okay, or if he’s fine. it reminds me of me asking my dad if he’s okay when we drive together and he doesn’t say anything— it’s not because we don’t have a good relationship. quite the opposite, we are just too similar and don’t know how to convey our love for each other. i really had to pause the show when bora finally noticed the shoes were too tight on her dad and starts sobbing at her wedding, and how sung dong il waves her off with a sad, small smile. i DISSOLVE when bora and her father read their letters to each other, because they’re the exact same to the very end. for the umpteenth time, words fail how much this show touches me, and in this instance, it’s particularly because i think of my own relationship with my father and how i guess what i want to say to him before college is pretty much what bora says to her father…

the wedding in general makes me sob, as it was the last scene they filmed. the actors’ tears move me to pieces. and when it’s time for the families to leave, and the ajummas are separated, and deoksun looks around ssangmundong one last time, my heart hurts, because of how much i’ll miss this group.

i assumed that the ending of the show wouldn’t hurt as much as it had the other times i saw it, but i was surprised that i cried the most than i ever have watching the show this time. each element moves me, whether it’s “youth” by sanullim, looking at the character’s defaced rooms (it physically hurts), and most of all, deoksun’s monologue. she says this: “I couldn’t return to my youth, and I couldn’t return to that street either. Time flows, everything passes by, and ages. The reason that youth is beautiful is because of that. Because at a brilliant moment, you shine so brightly that it’s blinding, but you can never go back.” (taken from the DB recap). and seeing the gang back in taek’s room, or even thinking about it makes my eyes well up. the gang sings, jokes, and yells at each other one last time, and just like the show began, the ajummas call out, and they go back home, and then the street is left empty. and deoksun closes the show with the reply trademark: “A time so warm and innocent that I miss it painfully. Do you hear me? If you do, answer me, my 1988, the days of my youth.”

i needed quite a bit of time to recover from the ending this time, and when i talked to a school friend (who also loved the show), i think i figured out why. reply 1988 has always been so important to me because of what it meant to me last year. when things were difficult, this show was what made me laugh and smile and feel something. more than anything, it gave me a feeling of warmth, which i so longed for last winter. and even though i’ve seen certain scenes tens of times, they never lose their meaning. but this time, deoksun’s words of youth moved me more than they ever have. it’s because although i haven’t enjoyed high school, although last school year was without a doubt, the worst year of my life… it still represented my youth. i don’t quite know if that makes sense, but that’s why it stings even more— this final year, which was supposed to be brilliant and be my last and “shine so brightly”, has really just gone by. i feel like i never really got to enjoy school as much as i could, and it looks doubtful that i’ll ever be able to return to that time.

i guess this is somewhat the brilliance of reply 1988. it has officially been a whole year since i finished this show. i was so worried that my love for it would deteriorate, that it would be a passing phase, but i find quite the opposite— through this rewatch, i found more meaning and solace in the words it gave me. i know that it’s just a tv show, but to me, reply 1988 represents happiness. or, as deoksun would like to put it, the show is “so warm and innocent that I miss it painfully”. ◡̈ , 응답하라 1988, 사랑합니다

this whole video is moving because EVERYONE started crying while filming the wedding scene (it was the last one), but i found it so moving how kim sungkyun and ra miran and the ajummas started crying because they were gonna miss each other : , (

just finished my r88 rewatch, and same, bora, same. < 333 recaps soon to come when i can form coherent sentences again TTTT

*this took me a while to write as i teared up multiple times lol*

i actually did not cry as much as i had expected during this episode— maybe because this rewatch has made me more understanding of deoksun and taek’s relationship and because i’ve seen the ending scene multiple times by now. that being said, i think episode 18 does make me cry the most </3

episode 18 does have warm moments, such as the gang meeting back in taek’s room for his birthday (i love how they all sit in the same spots, the food is the same and so is the room), and they joke around like usual after so many years. i also love how all the parents comment that they miss seeing their kids LOL and the couple reunions (jungbong and miok, and sunwoo and bora). i forgot about the r94 cameo too (i totally said “oppa-ya” when i saw trash on screen again). i like the r94 cameo in r88 better than the r97 cameo in r88— it seems more planned and intact with the storyline (it also helps that they casted michol in both shows, he was trash’s friend at yonsei in r94 and the boys’ friend in this show). the r97 cameo(s?) in r94 was funny, but it seemed a bit out of place for trash to fight sung shiwon (sung shiwon would TOTALLY fight him though).

but let’s be honest, you all know what this post is for, and who episode 18 of r88 is really for. kim junghwan. *sighs*

no matter how many times i rewatch this episode, and no matter how many times i know who the husband is, every time i start 18, i find myself desperately wanting it to end differently. i thought about it a while, and the reason i think i love junghwan so much is because i am similar to him— too shy to ever say anything, and so i hesitate and keep my emotions to myself. which is why it’s painful to watch this episode, and even though i love junghwan so much, i understand why he is not the one for deoksun. *sigh*

the first crack in my heart appears when “empty heart” by lee seunghwan starts playing (my absolute favorite song), and the camera pans to both taek and junghwan looking at where deoksun once sat. the LYRICS of empty heart are made for that scene, as the song begins with the lyrics “Without regret, I let you go. But my heart…/Why does it feel so empty today? I can’t figure it out/I suddenly woke up in the morning, and the sun shone brightly/But you sleeping beside me is just a memory now, I feel so hollow”— and then we see deoksun’s LEFT THE ROOM, the music direction is absolutely amazing.

and then deoksun and junghwan just miss each other once again as they’re heading out (that damn timing…) and during that forrest gump scene, that’s where the tears come in. i’d also never noticed how unexpected taek’s arrival is— in the previous scene where the people at the baduk club are talking about deoksun being stood up, i’d thought taek was shown to have overheard. but that’s not there, leading the audience to believe that he doesn’t know. which is why taek showing up, just before junghwan, is so heartbreaking. it’s unexpected for the audience, because we see junghwan speeding right before, and hope for JH begins to grow, only for it to be dashed away.

the only other episode with a monologue by JH is the one in the end of ep 4 (“we cannot help loving them”) and that was for like a minute. junghwan’s monologue in 18 about fate and timing reduces me to tears each and every time. when he gets back in the car after he just misses taek, his lines there are more angry at the world for causing him to miss his chance with deoksun, and JH’s face is controlled, but you can see the sadness in his eyes.

and then when he cries in his car alone as it rains, you see the sorrow and resignation in his face, because while he can be mad at the world all he wants, all he needed to get close to deoksun was if he’d been more open with his feelings in the past. he can blame the red traffic lights all he wants, but to quote JH himself, “in the end, fate and timing do not just happen by coincidence. they are the products of countless earnest choices that make up miraculous moments.” it is his own hesitations that stopped his first love from taking place, and that is only his fault. the song that plays during this scene is “days of longing, days to be forgotten” by lee seunghwan (another favorite of mine), and the chorus reads, “How much longer do I have to miss you?/I can't even say anything/If you leave now, I won’t be able to see you again/Why can’t I say that "I love you" when you're here, the person I want?/I don’t have any more time left”, which once again, perfectly illustrates junghwan’s frustrations.

my heart’s already broken by now, but the show decided to go further, and then puts a car ride with deoksun and junghwan, and JH notes deoksun repeatedly checking her pager… like she’s waiting for someone. they bicker once more, and listen to lee moon sae’s “as love goes by”… which continues until…

a confession so earnest that whatever’s left of my heart shatters into pieces. the bgm in this scene is “a girl” by lee moon sae, junghwan and deoksun’s love theme, and this is the last time the song plays in the show. this is actually the first time JH says he likes deoksun, reply 1988 is just brilliant with the dramatic irony. everyone can tell how real junghwan’s declaration of love is from just the look in his eyes (hyeri actually cried when they were filming this scene), and that’s why when he retracts it, it’s so painful. while the other three at the table thought it was a joke, the audience knows it’s real.

the final nail in the coffin for me is when the door opens, and deoksun looks automatically…. even after that confession (although it was retracted, i’d hope she’d understand the meaning behind it, but i guess not). that one turn just shows to me that she’s still searching and waiting for taek, and junghwan’s bitter smile with tears in his eyes…. (it doesn’t help my tears that “empty heart” plays again). junghwan’s stolen smiles in those flashbacks kill me, it’s so painful to watch how much he loved deoksun and how happy he got around her, only for it to end the way it has. and then the ring is left behind…

and despite it all, i still love this loveline and junghwan, even though it didn’t end happily. it’s beautiful, it’s painful, it’s first love. It’s bitter to swallow, but it’s real. as hard as this episode is to watch, ryu junyeol’s performance never ceases to amaze me. citing the title of the last song of this episode, despite the heartbreak episode 18 gives me, “i even loved the pain”. <3

OK LAST THING… SO MANY POSTS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THIS, BUT WHY WOULD THE WRITER MAKE DEOKSUN AN AIR HOSTESS AND JUNGHWAN A PILOT IF THEY’RE NOT TOGETHER UAFSGHFJKLHSBN im just not over this

i’ve made it to the last four episodes of reply 1988, which mean a WHOLE lot of tears for me, whether we’re talking about wholesome friends and family moments, first loves coming to an end (i am NOT READY, if yeolri weren’t dating i would be a soulless lump right now), and of course, it means the end of the show i love with all my heart (or all that’s left after JH’s sad smiles *i’m tearing up as i write this ughhh*)

ep 17

i first wanted to talk about the EXCELLENCE of the music direction. there’s a scene where deoksun’s reflecting upon having a dream, and the song “as time goes by” by choi hoseob starts to play. the scene then shifts into deoksun visiting bora at her hostel, and once deoksun sees how small the room really is, she bursts into tears, and that’s when the remake of “as time goes by” for the r88 ost (sung by yoo kihyun) comes in. i love how the sisters’ relationship is peppered with these warmer moments— while i remember deoksun and bora for their HILARIOUS FIGHTS, these scenes are the ones that warm my heart.

i was moved to tears by deoksun not having a dream of her own— maybe it’s because i don’t really either??? starting college applications were rough because i didn’t really know what path to choose, and i’m still not 100% certain with my future… but you can really see how much this lack of a dream weighs upon deoksun, and it breaks my heart ever so slightly

jungbong’s short story with miok was devastating. jungbong is mostly comic relief throughout the show, but his scenes with miok are so cute, and you can see how happy they are around each other. it’s heartbreaking to watch how he becomes super quiet post-breakup. the song that plays when jungbong gets his final letter from miok is “let’s forget it”, made for the ost by yeoeun of melody day (originally sung by kim wansun). fitting, as miok’s last words are “please forget me.” T_T poor JB

sunwoo and bora’s breakup is so painful to witness. sunwoo always has this look of joy when he’s around bora— a sweet smile, and eyes full of joy. when he saw bora and told her about his wish for her, that look was there, full of hope. and when bora utters those words “let’s break up” and he remembers them, you can see the look in his eyes has disappeared completely, and the smile slowly fades off his face… oh, sunwoo ! </3 and throughout the scene, you can see bora’s lip quivering— it’s difficult for her too.

now, let me talk about the romance that does progress in this episode… deoksun and taek ◡̈ i have to admit, during my first watch, the kiss angered me so much that i fast forwarded through it LOLOL but after truly watching the series, it made me happy. taek relies on deoksun for comfort, and deoksun feels so comfortable around taek, and they BOTH make each other so happy that i can’t help but smile.

and still, even though i know what is coming, even though i know that deoksun and taek are meant to be, despite everything… junghwan still makes me cry. my heart bleeds a little bit when jungbong tells him so softly “i just want you to do what you want and be happy”— and it’s revealed that the reason junghwan wants to join the air force is to fulfill his hyung’s dreams :,( JH and JB’s relationship throughout the show is filled with super small moments. it neither has the constant warmness that sunwoo and jinju have, nor the bickering and tears that the sung siblings have (well, the OTHER sung siblings lolol). i would say the kim brothers are not as open about their love, but display it through gestures, like in ep 8, when jungbong asks his brother about his nosebleed post-surgery. and in this scene, junghwan blinks back his tears, because of how touched he is that his hyung cares about him, and laughs it off.

i think i’m gonna save the rest of my junghwan dissertation for another post, just because i wanted to include pictures of him LOLOL

anyway, wish me luck for tonight… i wonder if i’ll be able to make it without crying through the first 20 mins at least TT

oh, did you guys think i forgot something in the ep 16 recap? NEVER. a scene as awesome as the singing competition deserves a post of its OWN. (and i couldn’t fit all the pictures together)

note that this scene was right after bora seeing her dad, so right after that scene, i had tears in my eyes.

i really cannot think of a scene that makes me laugh out loud as much as this one. dongryong combined with ra miran was BOUND to be a hit, and this one was explosive.

dongryong’s vocalizations when he was warming up and the LOOK ra miran gave him… i don’t know what else to say besides I DIED, because i DID. and then his face again, as the other guy performed “i just called to say i love you” T_T, POOR DONGRYONG LOLOL

but of course, the real star of this scene is the singing cheetah herself… if you watch that scene, you can see the extras holding back laughter (is it for the show or for ra miran herself? BOTH) and the way she continued singing even when she was dragged out, oh my GOD.

it’s not often that a TV show makes me laugh out loud, especially this much AFTER a sad scene too. oh reply 1988, how i love you <3

ep 16 r88 recap
CAUGHT UP! FINALLY! and what an episode… only this show can make me tear up and laugh out loud within five minutes.

let’s start with taek and his dad— together, they only got like 3-5 minutes of screen time, but i’m impressed by how moving they made it without much dialogue. i’ve also never addressed how much i LOVE choi moo sung!! i haven’t seen all his shows, but i’ve seen bits and pieces of his work in FOS and mr. sunshine, and i think it’s pretty amazing how he always absorbs himself in his character. taek’s relationship with his dad is quiet, as the two of them are reserved, but there’s so much love for each other. it was touching to see how moved taek’s dad was with a few words and a smile from his son.

then there’s bora and appa, which is the relationship in the show that makes me cry the most. the two of them are so alike, and so quiet with each other, but you can tell they want to say something, they just don’t know how. bora just breaks my heart a bit with every glance, like when the shirt she gave her dad didn’t fit and she looked away, or when she hears about money troubles at home… in that scene, you can hear the sung parents telling deoksun and noeul to hold off on going to the study room or an academy because there’s not enough money because of bora’s new place and the moving costs, but obviously, bora packs all the stuff in her car, and we see her small place later next episode. the show does a really excellent job of hiding these little things here and there and communicates so much without words.

and the song noeul performs is “sad fate” by nami*, which plays later in the episode when taek is sad over deoksun </3 oh, these BOYS, they keep breaking my heart over how sweet they are!! once again, this reply is so different because in the other ones, when the male leads found out they both liked the girl, it created tension and competition between the two. but in this one, a girl doesn’t come between them. in fact, you could almost say taek comes between JH and DS or JH comes between taek and DS, but not like it’s a bad thing… it’s because they care so deeply for their friendship. oh, reply 1988!!!

closing this post off with a picture of the ajummas— name a better friend group, i’ll WAIT (the only one that comes close are the kids in this show, obviously)

FINALLY! i knew i’d seen it in the show, i just forgot where, but here it is. reply 1988 is pretty spot on with the props, clothing, and music used, making sure it’s accurate to the time. but this was the exception that i’d noticed…

in this scene, it’s april of 1989 and dongryong and deoksun are taking the bus, and deoksun offers to carry a girl’s bag for her, only the bag has A SUPREME logo on it. why does this matter? supreme was only established in 1994. BOOM.

as much as i love deoksun’s 80s inspired outfits, there are some errr mistakes here and there. look at adult noeul’s hat to figure out what i mean *facepalms* WHY, COSTUME DEPARTMENT, WHY????

i also thought this video was the sweetest– you can tell that ryu junyeol and bogum are moved by the dialogue and care so much for each other just like their characters 🥺 english subs aren’t available but it’s still super sweet

well sunwoo, SHE DID IT WITH JUNGHWAN T_T

ep 15 reply 1988
episode 15 has a lot of storylines occurring, but i enjoyed every one of them!! i’d forgotten that all of these events happened in the episode to be honest.

first off, i just have to address HOW funny and cute jungbong and mi ok’s parody kisses are. i forgot to mention how funny the last one was when jungbong went, “i couldn’t tell if my heart was racing because of my condition or this girl” and THEN, launches into the r97 confirmation kiss. and this time, it was secret garden of course. the kisses are also pretty suitable considering how much jungbong loves imitating movies, usually he gets hit or ignored for them at home, but i think mi ok doesn’t mind.

i liked dongryong’s storyline, especially because his relationship with his parents is used more as a joke in previous episodes, but it was nice to see him connect with his mom and finally get his seaweed soup ◡̈ for someone as funny and warm as him who’s always there for his friends, it was nice to see him get a moving moment.

deoksun makes me cry in episode 15 with the college consultation with her mother 🥺 it just kills me a bit how she’s so kind, funny, and good to her family, but it’s her grades that define her entry into college. the way she cried, “omma! i’m sung sooyeon, not deoksun, have you given up on me?” :,( (i think this scene also resonates a bit more after my college apps lol). i also think lee il hwa deserves more recognition for her work in the series— sung dong il receives a lot of praise (that he DESERVES OF COURSE), but lee il hwa is LITERALLY a mother, and i love the way she just cares for her kids and even though deoksun can’t go to college, she doesn’t yell at her, and only cries softly because she feels the pain of her daughter T_T

something i’d forgotten about was bora’s short dialogue to sunwoo about how everyone loves deoksun and how she has an air about her that makes others feel comfortable. i really like the juxtaposition of the two sisters: bora is so intelligent, but more reserved with people, giving the impression that she’s colder when that’s not at all the truth, and you can see she’s a bit jealous or longing for deoksun’s charisma. and then deoksun is bubbly and well-liked by people, but you can tell that the fact she’s 999th ranked (or more recently, 989th ranked) really weighs upon her.

junghwan continues to be just one step behind T_T i’m not ready for ep 18 YOU GUYS UGH *cries* but this rewatch really has shown me how perfect taek and deoksun are together (i do think deoksun and JH would also be perfect together, but i guess i’ll never know if he doesn’t SAY ANYTHING UGH). but one thing that i didn’t notice before is how in the other replys, the husband hunt divides the lead and the second lead and they end up not talking for a while or hating each other. but in reply 1988, junghwan just becomes quiet about his love for taek’s happiness, and when both of them know, they’re noble enough about it to keep being kind to each other and they don’t let love cloud their friendship. which i really appreciate, because can you imagine if r88 had gone the way r97 had gone and let the girl divide the two? and deprive us of junghwan and taek’s friendship? i also think this way is more realistic and it really does highlight that this show is about friends and family, not the love triangle.

*i am now practicing shuffling (the dance move) after watching deoksun dance to nami, but i’ll look for a better model than her— she seems to be as clueless as me LOLOL*

okay SO, i haven’t posted my r88 mini reviews in a while, partially because i got caught up in school, partially because i felt lazy to write T_T, and since there’s not much going on now, i decided to post!! i’m actually not going to write about episodes 10 or 11 (or 12 or 13 either), i love 10 and 11, but the DB recap pretty much covered everything i was gonna say LOL and when i thought about it more… i mean, everyone that’s seen the show knows those moments i was gonna cover (and the people that haven’t show have most likely seen JH’s “hajima” somewhere— it practically covers my instagram feed ADSFGHJ)

but episode 14 is one that i felt i had to write about— it moved me to tears, and it’s not talked about often. first of all, i have to acknowledge how cute bora and sunwoo are!! i haven’t in other posts. and in this episode particularly, my heart goes out to sunwoo. sunwoo is arguably the best kid of the bunch in that he’s always there for his family and cares so much about them, which is why it must be heartbreaking to see how his mom and jinju care for taek’s dad and rely on him now. and ugh, i knew the whole time the ajusshi in his room was his father, but it breaks my heart to see sunwoo’s smile fall and cry for his dad :(((

it was also really moving to watch how the sung family reacts to the announcement that they’re out of debt— everyone is SO OVERJOYED and it’s adorable to watch how deoksun and noeul react (and how excited they get about nikes!!!)

and above anything else, i love deoksun so much. the short storyline in the episode with her classmate suffering from epilepsy and her the advice dongryong gives her on the steps really characterizes who she is: she’s just a girl!! she’s not the brightest, but she’s caring and has so much heart. she’s unsure of her emotions. she does her best to make people feel comfortable and laugh with them, and that’s what matters most.

so sad that this rewatch is almost over 🙁 but then again, i can always watch it again (and will never ever stop talking abt it LOLOL)

ep 9 r88
i’m three episodes behind on my rewatch, but hopefully will catch up after tomorrow.

episode 9 is a decent episode, but i do think that it’s one of the weaker ones of the lot. i enjoyed episodes 7 and 8 a lot for how all the storylines seemed very intact, but to me, episode 9 is not extremely memorable, except for a few moments. (rare critique from me, i KNOW). i love watching sunwoo be persistent in chasing bora tho!

here’s the problem i have: while i love choi moosung and kim sunyoung’s relationship (that i guess ep 9 marks the beginning of), i found episode 9 to be a bit off in their pairing— specifically how taek’s dad barely ever talks before this episode. in episode 7, when he and sunwoo’s mom had a conversation, he seemed a bit comfortable with her, but not so comfortable for her to call him oppa! ep 9 tries to show that they’ve known each other longer than the other neighbors, but i found it a bit jarring for taek’s dad to be suddenly informal with sunwoo’s mom. it’s fine, but knowing how the writer has incorporated so many other elements so effortlessly into the show, i do think that she could’ve made this relationship transition smoother.

anyway, another thing that’s killing me is that as i continue watching, i see how taek and deoksun are meant for each other T_T maybe it’s because i’m trying my best not to be biased this watch, but i really do feel so bad for junghwan despite everything. you can see the differences in the pictures they take— deoksun seems more stunned and quiet in JH’s picture (look at his smile, he must’ve been so excited tho 🥺) whereas in the one with taek, she’s almost smiling. i don’t think she liked either of them yet, but i think she feels more comfortable around taek than junghwan for sure. ugh, i’m excited but also dreading watching ep 10 for this.

i also noted a lot of musical easter eggs/fun things to keep an eye out for!
when sunwoo’s mom first receives note of the foreclosure on her house and starts to panic on how she’ll repay the debt, the song “together” by noeul from the ost starts playing. and when taek’s dad gives her the money to pay the debt and her problems are solved, the original version of “together”, sung by park kwanghyun plays— thought this was kinda neat.

and for some reason, the netflix version doesn’t play it for junghwan, but both times when deoksun takes* her picture with a boy, the song “the only thing i can give you is love” by december starts playing!

and i noticed the kids talk about lee sooman, the bassist of the masam trio, so i found myself thinking “… like the SM entertainment founder?” did some research and found that yes, they are the same lee soo man! quite interesting, love how r88 continues to teach me about korean culture.

*the word “take” autocorrected to “taek” as i typed LMAOSJHDFJO