Reply 1994 () is a 2013 South Korean television series and the second installment of the Reply anthology series. It stars Go Ara, Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Sung-kyun, Son Ho-jun, Cha Sun-woo, Min Do-hee, Sung Dong-il, and Lee Il-hwa. Set in 1994, it follows six university students who live together at a boarding house in Sinchon, Seoul. It aired on tvN from October 18 to December 28, 2013 for 21 episodes.

Written by Lee Woo-jung and directed by Shin Won-ho, it is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history with its final episode garnering an average viewership rating of 11.509%.

Synopsis Set in 1994, six university students from various provincial areas of South Korea (Jeolla Province, Chungcheong Province and Gyeongsang Province) live together at a boarding house in Sinchon, Seoul, which is run by a couple with a daughter named Sung Na-jung (Go Ara). It follows a nonlinear story telling where it shifts between the past in 1994 and the present in 2013, making the viewers guess who will become Na-jung's husband among the male characters.

The series covers the historical and cultural events that happened in the country in 1994 and the years that followed, including the emergence of seminal K-pop group Seo Taiji and Boys, the Sampoong Department Store collapse and the birth of the Korean Basketball League. The names of the boys are revealed later, to avoid spoilers. They're mostly just referred to by their nicknames listed below.

Cast Main Go Ara as Sung Na-jung Originally from Masan, Gyeongnam, she specialise in Computer Engineering at College of Engineering, Yonsei University, has an easygoing personality and is a big fan of Basketball player Lee Sang-min who is the star of KBL. Jung Woo as "Sseureki" (meaning "Garbage", "Rubbish" or "Trash") A medical student at Medical College of Yonsei University. He was the best friend of Na-jung's late older brother, and grew up with the Sung siblings. (Hometown: Masan, Gyeongnam)

Yoo Yeon-seok as "Chilbong" (meaning "Seven Shut-outs) Although he is only a freshman, he is the number one pitcher of Yonsei University's Baseball team. He has a crush on Na-jung. (Hometown: Gangnam, Seoul)

Kim Sung-kyun as "Samcheonpo" (referencing his hometown) He looks much older than he actually is. He is a student at Department of Engineering, Yonsei University whose specialty is Computer Science. (Hometown: Samcheonpo, Gyeongnam)

Son Ho-jun as "Haitai" (referencing baseball team Haitai Tigers) His father is the CEO of the bus company Suncheon Transportation Inc. (Hometown: Suncheon, Jeonnam)

Cha Sun-woo as "Binggeure" (meaning "Smiley"; referencing baseball team Binggrae Eagles) Chilbong's cousin, and Garbage's junior in school. (Hometown: Goesan, Chungbuk)

Min Do-hee as Jo Yoon-jin A fan of Seo Taiji and Boys, and a quiet, aggressive student. (Hometown: Yeosu, Jeonnam)

Sung Dong-il as Sung Dong-il A coach of the baseball team Seoul Ssangdungi, and Na-jung's father.

Lee Il-hwa as Lee Il-hwa She runs a boarding house in Seoul along with her husband Dong-il and daughter Na-jung.

Supporting Yook Sung-jae as Sung Joon ("Ssuk-ssuk") Sung Joon (Sung Dong-il's son) as young Sung Joon Shin Soo-yeon as young Sung Na-jung Yoon Jong-hoon as Kim Ki-tae Yeon Joon-seok as Kim Dong-woo Lee Bong-ryun as Na-jung's classmate

Special appearances

Moon Kyung-eun as himself (ep. 1) Woo Ji-won as himself (ep. 1) Kim Hoon as himself (ep. 1) Hong Seok-cheon as ROTC cadet (ep. 2) Na Yeong-seok as Yonsei student boarder (ep. 2) Huh Kyung-young as interrogatory student boarder (ep. 2) Bae Woo-hee as Ha Hee-ra Kim Min-young as Lee Soon-ja (ep. 2) Kim Kwang-kyu as Na Chang-seok, Sseureki's professor at the university hospital (ep. 5) Kim Jong-min as doctor (ep. 5) Lee Joo-yeon as medical student Lee Joo-won (ep. 5) Kim Jung-min as himself (ep. 5) NC.A as Ssuk-ssuk's girlfriend in 2013 (ep. 6) Park Gyeong-ree as one of Na-jung's friends on the group date (ep. 7) Park Min-ha as one of Na-jung's friends on the group date (ep. 7) Lee Hye-min as one of Na-jung's friends on the group date (ep. 7) Lee Yoo-joon as one of Sseureki's friends on the group date (ep. 7) Ji Seung-hyun as one of Sseureki's friends on the group date (ep. 7) Yang Ki-won as one of Sseureki's friends on the group date (ep. 7) Lee Kyung-shil as Dong-il's first love (ep. 8) Jung Sung-ho as songwriter (ep. 9) Lee Jung-eun as Samcheonpo's mother (ep. 10) Choi Deok-moon as Kim Yoon-shik, Samcheonpo's father (ep. 10) Jo Yang-ja as Samcheonpo's grandmother (ep. 10) Kim Han-jong as Samcheonpo's drunk neighbor (ep. 10) Kim In-seo as Haitai's crush (ep. 11) Kim Byung-choon as Jung Man-ho, Dong-il's friend (ep. 12) Jo Jae-yoon as Kim Jae-young (ep. 12) Kim Won-hae as Sseureki's father (ep. 12, 21) Seo Yoo-ri as Joo-kyung, Sseureki's first love (ep. 12) Kim Min-jong as himself (ep. 13) Choi Jong-hoon as sergeant (ep. 14) Kim Seul-gi as Sseureki's cousin (ep. 14-15) Song Min-ji as Min-jung, Sseureki's coworker (ep. 16–17, 20) Yoon Jin-yi as Jin-yi/"Die Die" (ep. 16-17) Jung Eun-ji as Sung Shi-won (ep. 16–17, 21) Seo In-guk as Yoon Yoon-jae (ep. 16–17, 21) Hoya as Kang Joon-hee (ep. 16) Lee Si-eon as Bang Sung-jae (ep. 16) Shin So-yul as Mo Yoo-jung (ep. 16) Eun Ji-won as Do Hak-chan (ep. 17) Kim Jae-kyung as "Yonsei's Jun Ji-hyun" (ep. 18) Go Woo-ri as "Yonsei's Uhm Jung-hwa" (ep. 18) Jun Hyun-moo as Haitai's junior (ep. 18) Yoon Min-soo as married man (ep. 18) Jo Yun-seo as Ae-jung (ep. 18-19) Jung Yu-mi as girl who bumps into Chilbong (ep. 21)

Production

Director Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung had originally planned for their previous TV series to be set in 1994, which was the year they entered college (Shin studied Chemical Engineering at Seoul National University). But they decided to change the year to 1997 after casting Sechs Kies member Eun Ji-won, since H.O.T. and Sechs Kies fandom was at its peak that year, which made an interesting juxtaposition to the failing Korean economy during the IMF crisis.

Shin and Lee felt there was enough material for another series, and in a bid to replicate Reply 1997'''s success, cable channel tvN announced a "sequel" or "second season" in April 2013. Shin said, "The stories about people moving to Seoul are full of unpredictable incidents."

Despite the same writer and director, and the casting of Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa, Reply 1994 is not a prequel of Reply 1997; it uses the same concept of coming-of-age drama combined with 1990s nostalgia, but with a completely new plot and characters. A novelization was published on January 17, 2014.

Themes One of the main themes of the series is the experience of young people who move to Seoul from other parts of South Korea to attend university. The characters hail from different parts of the country, with their regional backgrounds reflected in their dialects, lifestyles, and experiences of adapting to life in Seoul. The Sinchon boarding house serves as the series' emotional center, depicting how students from diverse backgrounds form bonds and gradually transform a simple residence into a family-like community.

The series recreates the daily life and media landscape of 1994 through technologies and media of the era, such as 486 computers, early dial-up online services like Hi-Tel, and public payphones. These elements help establish the period atmosphere of the 1990s and reinforce the series' nostalgic portrayal of the era.

Soundtrack Soundtracks for the drama consist of re-arranged popular Korean songs from the nineties. All re-arranged songs are well received by Korean general public and topped various Korean music charts.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Reply 1994 Director's Cut OST

Ratings Original broadcast date Title Average audience share(Nielsen Korea) Nationwide Seoul 1 October 18, 2013 Seoul Person 2.858% 3.137% 2 October 19, 2013 We're All Strangers 3 October 25, 2013 A New Generation's Love 3.185% 3.528% 4 October 26, 2013 Lies 4.020% 4.449% 5 November 1, 2013 Words I Can't Bear to Say 4.778% 4.932% 6 November 2, 2013 Introduction to Gift-Giving 5.698% 5.789% 7 November 8, 2013 The Summer of That Year 5.991% 5.631% 8 November 9, 2013 A Moment's Decision Can Change Your Life Forever 7.242% 7.100% 9 November 15, 2013 So, the Thing I Want to Say Is... 8.090% 7.782% 10 November 16, 2013 It Might Be the Last 8.719% 9.244% 11 November 23, 2013 The Only Way to End an Unrequited Love 9.071% 9.008% 12 November 29, 2013 The Miracle That Will Happen to Us 9.046% 9.810% 13 November 30, 2013 The 10,000-Hour Rule 9.228% 9.573% 14 December 6, 2013 The People Who Changed Me, Part 1 9.241% 8.676% 15 December 7, 2013 The People Who Changed Me, Part 2 8.067% 8.031% 16 December 13, 2013 Love, Fear Part 1: Reply 1997 8.068% 7.769% 17 December 14, 2013 Love, Fear Part 2: Reply 1997 7.892% 8.509% 18 December 20, 2013 Should I Tell You Again That I Love You? 8.258% 8.046% 19 December 21, 2013 Do You Believe in Fate? 9.064% 9.800% 20 December 27, 2013 The Beginning of the End 9.670% 10.464% 21 December 28, 2013 To the Nineties Average

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Recipient Result 2014 8th Cable TV Broadcasting Awards Grand Prize (Daesang) Reply 1994 50th Baeksang Arts Awards Best TV Drama Reply 1994 Best Director (TV) Shin Won-ho Best Screenplay (TV) Lee Woo-jung Best Actress (TV) Go Ara Best New Actor (TV) Jung Woo Kim Sung-kyun Best New Actress (TV) Min Do-hee Most Popular Actor (TV) Jung Woo Yoo Yeon-seok Kim Sung-kyun Most Popular Actress (TV) Go Ara Min Do-hee Best OST Seoul, Here - Roy Kim To You - Sung Si-kyung 9th Seoul International Drama Awards People's Choice Actor Jung Woo People's Choice Actress Go Ara 7th Korea Drama Awards Best Production Director Shin Won-ho Best Screenplay Lee Woo-jung Best New Actor Son Ho-jun Best New Actress Min Do-hee Best Couple Kim Sung-kyun and Min Do-hee 6th MelOn Music Awards Best OST Only Feeling You - Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon-seok & Son Ho-jun 3rd APAN Star Awards Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Jung Woo Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Go Ara Best Supporting Actor Sung Dong-il Best New Actor Son Ho-jun Best New Actress Min Do-hee 16th Mnet Asian Music Awards Best OST Happy Me - Lim Kim 2016 tvN10 Awards Best Actor Sung Dong-il Special Acting Award Best Content Award, Drama Reply 1994 Made in tvN, Actor in Drama Jung Woo Made in tvN, Actress in Drama Go Ara Scene-Stealer Award, Actress Lee Il-hwa Best Kiss Award Jung Woo and Go Ara

See also

Reply 1997 Reply 1988''

Notes

References

External links