This story is set 3 years prior to the first series and has a brand new cast except Sung Dong Il and Lee Il Hwa who return as the protagonist's parents. Na Jung lives with her parents in Seoul who run a boarding house that takes in kids from the countryside as boarders. Sseu Re Ki (Trash), Chil Bong, Samcheonpo, Haitai, Gue Re Gue Re Bing Gue Re (Smiley Face) and Yoon Jin are the 6 boarders at the Shinchon Boarding house.
All of these are from the countryside including Na Jung except Chil Bong who was born and raised in Seoul. The initial episodes deal with the kids figuring out Seoul, the subway, the girls, the food menu, the night clubs and all things that they need to do to be a part of the 'in' crowd.
Chil Bong is a baseball player and is Bing Geu Re's cousin. After visiting Bing Gue Re at the Boarding house Chil Bong becomes a permanent visitor because he loves the family like atmosphere that is shared in the house as opposed to the coldness he has grown up with.
Sseu Re Ki is the son of a family friend who has been living with Na Jung's family to pursue his academics in medicine and he is the oldest of the lot.
Yoon Jin is a quiet and reserved girl who knows just one thing - Seo Taiji and Boys. Her love for the man goes to the point where she gets her boyfriend to ransack Seo Taiji's empty house and bring her back his commode!
Haitai and Samcheonpo are roommates, one with absolutely no sense of space and the other with definite need for space. This blooming bro-mance was such a joy to watch.
Bing Gue Re the shy boy who wants to be a singer but is in medical college and can't find his way about the academic life takes a break from school and works several part time jobs. He is a passive aggressive rebel who is trying find his own way.
Last but not the least Na Jung who loves her Basketball oppa and can't see beyond him but suddenly finds herself falling in love and has to go through the turmoil of confession - rejection and letting love find its way to her.
The series is again done so beautifully and talks of several events that effected South Korea - Pagers! Death of Kim Il Sung on 8th July, 1994 and the fear of an impending war, The collapse of Daewoo in 1999 and many such instances that gripped South Korea between 1994 to 2013.
Like the pervious series even this series has KPop playing a very important role in the series. We are introduced to so many good songs because of this show and its background music. I had completely forgotten about Deli Spice after having watched the Classic and thanks to this show they are back on my playlist!
This show teases us about who is married to Na Jung in the present day. All in all for a sequel this wasn't bad at all and more importantly I was glad it wasn't set in school again but was instead set in college giving us a glimpse in the life of a Yonsei student!
12 Reviews
Favorite Reply Series!
palefumes9 January 2022
Everyone is comparing this to reply 1988 or 1997 which i totally understand and i couldn't help but compared it too.
But i do think this is my favorite reply series so far (haven't watch reply 1997 yet). It's light, warm, sweet, funny with the right amount of drama! I love the setting and how everything is so oh well written. I love how it shows everyone's stories and not focused on the main characters. I especially love the epilogue episode -every drama should have this kind of episode, too! Lol
i also loveee how can i relate to the stories and situations like graduating from college, getting stressed by jobs, quarter life crisis, and so on.
I think why reply series are hard to forget and makes us hard to moved one is because they give us the perfect 20 episodes with more than one hour duration which makes us live as if we're there thus we get attached to the drama so much.
Reply 1988 really traumatized so this one healed me! Lmao.
But i do think this is my favorite reply series so far (haven't watch reply 1997 yet). It's light, warm, sweet, funny with the right amount of drama! I love the setting and how everything is so oh well written. I love how it shows everyone's stories and not focused on the main characters. I especially love the epilogue episode -every drama should have this kind of episode, too! Lol
i also loveee how can i relate to the stories and situations like graduating from college, getting stressed by jobs, quarter life crisis, and so on.
I think why reply series are hard to forget and makes us hard to moved one is because they give us the perfect 20 episodes with more than one hour duration which makes us live as if we're there thus we get attached to the drama so much.
Reply 1988 really traumatized so this one healed me! Lmao.
So good!
misswritercreates23 March 2019
I really enjoyed this show! Mostly it was awesome going back to 1994. It was cool seeing how they lived and such. I loved the storyline, especially them all being boarders of our main casts family then becoming friends. It was awesome! The actors did a great job and I didn't feel the need to skip through any scenes. I was pleased with the ending, although I wished our characters had gotten married sooner, I reckon I can understand why they waited. It's just shows how different culture is for sure! (I'm in the US) Anyways, If you enjoyed reply 1988 and 1997 you'll enjoy this one as well!
Predictable love story
marakimpousiou9 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
After watching reply 1997, I decided to watch reply 1994 with high expectations. I was disappointed. Even though I liked the series as a whole, what I didn't like at all was the love story. First of all, I predicted that Na-jung was going to marry Sseureki from episode 1, even though he was doing the bare minimum. While Chilbong did everything for her throughout the whole series, Na-jung couldn't see that. Its really frustrating. They may not have been the perfect couple but he didn't had a single chance. Whatever he did, somehow Na-jung could only see Sseureki.
I really love this drama so much
thaliaerik25 June 2018
I'm giving a straight 10 to this drama. I love it so much, there's no boring conversation inside this movie, i never wanted to skip any part of the movie, i can feel the love, the struggle, the good and the bad times in this movie, i really recommend this movie to you guys :)
Funny, mesmerizing show
dtms-1618127 July 2015
I absolutely loved this show. It's got everything you could want to watch. Loved all the characters and the way the plot went from 1994 to 2013 and back. Couldn't wait to see who Na Jung married and what happened to everyone. Loved how it ended and would like to see them all reunite! Had lots of humor in it and kept you laughing throughout! You were really interested in every character too. I couldn't wait to see everyone of these characters and how each ended up. Enjoyed the parents also. I mean, they were the coolest parents! And so funny together. Liked them better than in Reply 1997. Definitely loved 1994 over 1997 and I really liked how they put the characters of 1997 in this one too. (Cameos) Really recommend this show!
The best drama
nofitatjam22 August 2019
The best love story, best kissing scenes and best friendship.
After watching 1997, i hesitate to watch 1994. But then i love it so much. Jung woo and go ara nailed it. And so much exploration too for the other casts. So it is very refreshing . Must watch
So much fun to watch
xeniamd-3521028 June 2020
REPLY 1994 (2016)
Friendship. Family. Love. Choices. Fate.
A story of people in a boarding house who became a family. So much fun to watch! Laughed my heart out on this one. There were tear jerker scenes as well. I love how they gave each character to shine. Salute to Writer Lee Woo-jung and Director Shin Won-hoo! My favourites are Chilbong, Samcheonpo, and Trash.
9.5/10 for me.
Friendship. Family. Love. Choices. Fate.
A story of people in a boarding house who became a family. So much fun to watch! Laughed my heart out on this one. There were tear jerker scenes as well. I love how they gave each character to shine. Salute to Writer Lee Woo-jung and Director Shin Won-hoo! My favourites are Chilbong, Samcheonpo, and Trash.
9.5/10 for me.
Love the actors but not this reply.
Van-pumpkinberries13 December 2020
Reply 1988- the absolute best
Reply 1997- enjoyable, short, Can't live up to 1988
This one, Reply 1994---- why??? It was really just ok. I love all the actors and actresses but it was long, dragged out, lots of filler moments, disappointed in this one.
This one, Reply 1994---- why??? It was really just ok. I love all the actors and actresses but it was long, dragged out, lots of filler moments, disappointed in this one.
So moving!
angelsnevercry5 October 2020
1988>1997>1994
manasidhavale4 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I started watching Reply 1994 after much consideration as I watched Reply 1988 first, and I was still trying to accept that Jung hwan and Dong-Ryong were not even given a proper ending. ( Reply 1988 will still remain my favorite among all three)
In my opinion, 1994 had the potential to be a really good addition to the reply series, but it just missed the mark in terms of its main plot theme of finding the husband.
My favorite part was when they showed 1997 characters in 1994 and how they are related. The scene couldn't have been funnier.
Staring with the plot itself of guessing who the husband is; it was clear right from the start who it was going to be. It would have been weirder if it was Chilbong or anyone else seeing how they are all so close. The main theme itself of finding who Na-Jung ends up with was very weak and there was no mystery left because of which after like the 10th episode until like the last 2 or 3 episodes it goes on very slow.
I love all the characters because they were so real. Unlike 1988 we were able to see all the characters in 2013 which was good. I loved how we were able to get to know the stories of other characters too and their life. It was really great to watch how each character was so impactful. I prefer the stories of other characters to the main leads.
Many viewers actually like and ship Sseureki and Na-Jung as a couple. My only problem with that is their chemistry that was shown in the first 2 episodes where we were made to believe they were siblings. It was actually weird how close there were shown while also fighting like true siblings. If it was not for these first few episodes, I would like them to end up together too. ( I don't mean that Chilbong and Najung would have made a good couple. They had no chemistry whatsoever. It was one-sided love in its most true form) Also, I was not able to get behind Na-Jung's obsession for Sseureki. Any hope of shipping these 2 leads together is instantly thrown away by how obsessed she is with him at the start. I mean I get it that the story wanted to show how these immature students grow up while living with each other and everything but didn't anyone else think that her character was shown a little too immature when it came to Sseureki?
( But if you actually watch random scenes of the lead couple in the latter part of the series you will like them, some scenes are really sweet.) To be honest towards the end the show picks up its pace and the story becomes more emotional and heart-warming. Watching 20 something adulting and live their lives as grownups. Every character had such good character development in the end. The ending was really happy.
I definitely recommend this show to whoever is starting out with the Reply series.
My favorite part was when they showed 1997 characters in 1994 and how they are related. The scene couldn't have been funnier.
Staring with the plot itself of guessing who the husband is; it was clear right from the start who it was going to be. It would have been weirder if it was Chilbong or anyone else seeing how they are all so close. The main theme itself of finding who Na-Jung ends up with was very weak and there was no mystery left because of which after like the 10th episode until like the last 2 or 3 episodes it goes on very slow.
I love all the characters because they were so real. Unlike 1988 we were able to see all the characters in 2013 which was good. I loved how we were able to get to know the stories of other characters too and their life. It was really great to watch how each character was so impactful. I prefer the stories of other characters to the main leads.
Many viewers actually like and ship Sseureki and Na-Jung as a couple. My only problem with that is their chemistry that was shown in the first 2 episodes where we were made to believe they were siblings. It was actually weird how close there were shown while also fighting like true siblings. If it was not for these first few episodes, I would like them to end up together too. ( I don't mean that Chilbong and Najung would have made a good couple. They had no chemistry whatsoever. It was one-sided love in its most true form) Also, I was not able to get behind Na-Jung's obsession for Sseureki. Any hope of shipping these 2 leads together is instantly thrown away by how obsessed she is with him at the start. I mean I get it that the story wanted to show how these immature students grow up while living with each other and everything but didn't anyone else think that her character was shown a little too immature when it came to Sseureki?
( But if you actually watch random scenes of the lead couple in the latter part of the series you will like them, some scenes are really sweet.) To be honest towards the end the show picks up its pace and the story becomes more emotional and heart-warming. Watching 20 something adulting and live their lives as grownups. Every character had such good character development in the end. The ending was really happy.
I definitely recommend this show to whoever is starting out with the Reply series.
Good enough
PennyReviews25 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Reply 1994 is a mix of Reply 1997 and Reply 1988, and somehow it makes it work. The story centres around a girl, whose parents rent rooms for college students at Seoul. The viewers are asked to guess with whom the girl is going to end up with. In addition, we have the stories of the other college students and events that occur in the 1990's. For me, Reply 1994 was better than Reply 1988, though the main reason why I didn't like Reply 1988 was the length and in Reply 1994 the episodes got longer and longer but never reached the two hours (fortunately). I especially liked the episodes where the characters from Reply 1997 appeared and it was quite funny to watch. Moreover, Reply 1994 offers the family drama that Reply 1988 also has, but also the humour and the funny situations that Reply 1997 had. So, 5 out of 10, because it's a good drama, only way too long (it could have ended in 18th episode).
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