When "Reply 1994" airs in the fall, viewers may be surprised at how much of it seems familiar. Not only will the tvN show recycle at least part of the formula that worked so well for their hit "Reply 1997" but the storyline is expected to feature a generous helping of 1994 nostalgia.
"Reply 1994" will follows the story of several students from around Korea who come to Seoul to attend university. Since it's 1994, they will no doubt listen to music by Seo Taiji and the Boys, Lee Seung Chul and Kim Gun Mo, watch the drama "Star In My Heart" or "Last Match" and follow the Korean Basketball League.
Several members of the cast will also be familiar to kdrama fans as they have recently wrapped up or are currently appearing in popular dramas.
Yoo Yeon Seok who played Park Tae So in "Gu Family Book" and Jae Wook in the film "Architecture 101," will play one of three men living in a boarding house while attending Seoul University. Playing his roommates are Jung Woo, who played Seo Jae Wook in "You're the Best Lee Soon Shin," and Kim Sung Kyun, who has a cameo role as a detective in "I Hear Your Voice."
The female lead is actress Go Ara, whose last drama appearance was in "Who Are You?" which she acted in with Yoon Kye Sang. In the last few years she has focused on making films, with her most recent role being Joon in the film "Papa."
Making the drama even more appealing to kpop fans is the addition of Baro of B1A4. The rapper of the group, Baro is the one whose name contributes the B1, as he is the only group member with type B blood.
"Reply 1997" centered on the lives of five friends in Busan, who meet at a high school reunion dinner. The 16-episode story moved back and forth between their lives, starting when they were 18 in 1997. It ended in 2012 when one couple announces they are getting married.
"Reply 1997" was a surprise hit, earning decent ratings and making stars out of its cast. So, there was naturally some discussion on how a sequel might work and what year it might be set in. No one is sure why 1994 was the year chosen for the sequel but there is some speculation that it happened because that was the year director Shin Wo Ho attended university in Seoul. Shooting this film would provide a great opportunity for Shin to indulge in some nostalgia about his own university years.
Shooting for "Reply 1994" begins in a few weeks.
