First off, I actually decided to watch the whole drama 'cause am currently so into Infinite and Infinite's Hoya, which is MY BIAS, is said to be a part of it. So yea, this whole ''I'm gonna see the drama" thing was because of Hoya. :)))) And well, because of a certain best friend who killed me with cliff-hanging comments that left me no choice but to see the whole thing. XD

I ended up drowning over my freaking fangirl feels. I thought my sanity would flew away into the world of the unknown.

Anyway, am really glad that I decided to watch the drama. It has several twists that left me shocked, if not going hysterics over some scenes. Lol. I mean, that part where [SPOLIER ALERT] Joon Hee shares his unrequited feelings for Yoon Jae to Shiwon over the internet seriously got me mentally screaming my brains out (since I cannot, in any way, scream at home considering that am watching the drama at 1-4am in the morning. xD) I think I got a mini-heart attack there, not expecting that kind of twist AT ALL.

Back to the drama (haha), it was wonderful how it was able to showcase earlier idol groups that has become a huge part of Korean's music industry over the years, even after the groups has disbanded already. I was also able to relate since the lead girl and her best friends were fangirls as well. Another exceptional idea about it is that it featured love between Shiwon and her parents, as well as her parent's cute love story way back, unconditional love between brothers, shared love among friends, unrequited love, and the reality of life. And I'd have to give credit to their incredible team of actors and production for pulling off an awesome drama! Although, biasness (LOL) aside, I perfectly loved Kang Joon Hee's character (played by none other than, Lee Howon. XD) the best. I mean, who didn't, right? He's cute, sweet, pure, delicate, understanding, smart, an aweseome dancer, an adviser, a true friend. What more can you ask for? 

Now, what pains me here is that Joon Hee, who honestly harbors romantic feelings towards his best friend, Yoon Jae, and who stood not only by by his side but with Shiwon's too, giving Yoon Jae his loyalty, time, and helpful pieces of advise, wasn't able to get a justified ending at all. Sure, Yoon Jae's older brother, Tae Woong, sacrificed at lot as well and proved to be the best hyung out there but at least he got himself a splendid ending. His partnership with his surgeon slash DBSK's hardcore fan was interesting enough to put up with all the heartaches he got from Shiwon, and before I forget, her older sister.

Question, Did Joon Hee, who painfully dealt with that unrequited love, got any of that? No. That poor guy (gay, or whatever) deserves more than a nameless driver/partner/whoever that is, in a luxury car who picks him up after the reunion kind of thing. After all that he's been through, it was only right to at least give him a decent (and a happier) ending. Okay, he seemed happy and contented, alright but, his last scene just doesn't sound pretty fair to me. Someone could've at least tried to make him A LOT happier. He is such a saint after all. xD

    

/sobs once again just thinking about it/

I felt like the writer cheated on him or something. URGH. Who's with me? Lol. No, seriously. Half of my fangirl feels and tears were all because of that guy, and well, his experiences. I almost threw my laptop away when I first found out that Joon Hee likes Yoonjae (while am busy shipping Shiwon and Joon Hee thinking that the latter likes the girl. Damn), I crazily bit the outer part of my laptop's screen when Joon Hee confessed and Yoonjae took that as a joke (Gawd, so awful), I would continuously hit my younger brother's arms and threw anything within my range anytime Joon Hee is having a moment with Yoonjae. If it's just possible, I would've flown to Korea and beg the director to let me in and just give Joon Hee the love that he deserves. I'll do anything in my power to freaking convert him into a man. XD I AM SERIOUS YO. XD

 

Yes, I am that affected. 

Did I just rant too much? Lol. Good thing about it though, was that Yoon Jae, despite discovering Joon Hee's feelings for him, still accepted his friend for who he is. Yoonjae, you good boy. :"> But I  really am a hard shipper of YoonjaeXJoonHee (unlike when I freaked out after knowing the first time that Joon Hee's, well, gay. I went nuts at that time.) Although, I do loved Yoonjae and Shiwon together. Even in real life. :)))

       

                                                                                             

 

 Enough of my rants. Here are touching quotes taken from Reply 1997:

(cr. to: kaisakun)

“The easiest thing we can do for the person we love is to throw ourselves away. The strength to do things that aren’t in our nature — that’s love.” — Yoon-Jae 

“When you like someone, you have eyes for her in the sides and the back of your head. And that if you don’t knock, there will be no answer. Standing in place will not get you what you want. There’s no such thing as fair play anymore.” – Yoon-Jae

“Go Stop, a game where you have to match the same shapes to get points. There was a time when we struggled to be the same. But in one moment, we began to be different. That we were becoming different types of people — why was that so hard to acknowledge back then? People are all different; that’s the law of the universe, the law of human growth. Eighteen. We were maturing into different people, and having to accept those differences meant we were faced with yet another consequence of growing up.” – Yoon Jae
 

“Anyone’s secret tells a truth that I could not have known. And then when what I knew is no longer real… secrets have more power. How much of what I know is actually true?” – Shi Won
 

“A person’s heart has countless levels. Its depth cannot be known. Its limit can’t be known. You could fight to the death, and then exchange affection as if nothing ever happened. A red-blooded male could turn into an imbecile in front of the opposite . Yes, the truth is uncomfortable. But if we don’t embrace that discomfort, then we must live the rest of our lives believing what’s fake to be real. Even uncomfortable truths must be embraced. What you see is not everything.” – Shi Won
 

“Bumping into someone on the street, reaching for the same book at the library, or running under someone’s umbrella… I thought that falling in love would be special. I couldn’t imagine… that I’d fall because of something like this. Spring of 1996. My first love began that suddenly.” – Yoon Jae
 

“This life that might leap anywhere — there’s no use avoiding or ignoring it. There’s just facing it and getting beaten to a bloody pulp. But at times life can surprise us with gifts that make our hearts flutter. And if we endure sadness, we are rewarded with happiness.” – Yoon Jae
 

“You have to be content with a dream that’s close. If you chase after one that’s far away, your heart will hurt and your insides will burn. A futile passion only leaves heartache. That’s why life’s stupidest thing is a one-sided love. But the reason that stupid one-sided love is worth trying is… that passion can sometimes make miracles happen… sometimes go the long way around to help you fulfill a dream… and even if it doesn’t allow you to realize that dream, it allows you to linger near it and find happiness.” – Tae Woong
 

“They say that people are born with a red string that they can’t see, tied to their pinky fingers, and the end is tied to the one you’re fated to be with. But the thread is twisted this way and that, making it hard to find the other end.” – Yoon Jae
 

“People’s countless threads, all tangled together. But when I start to unravel it, I end up face to face with my fate, without even knowing it. If the red thread of fate really exists, then who is the one tied to my red thread?” – Yoon Jae
 

“The reason I like you? Because you’re that person. Because you’re you. Is there another reason besides that one? I’d rather know the reason if there was one. Then I could find a way to not like you. If I can’t avoid it, then there’s only one thing I want: to remain by your side, unchanged, for long time. Here’s to our love, that chills our hearts.” – Joon Hee

“Liking someone isn’t a choice. It comes from your heart.” – Joon Hee

“Why are you sorry? It’s not like you can choose who you like.” – Joon Hee

“Since the day of that accident, I lived having completely forgotten the fact that I was someone’s son. A relationship determined before I was born, a relationship that ends against my will – that’s family. And now I only have one family relationship left.” – Tae Woong

“There are relationships of differing levels of difficulty. To me, Yoon-jae was the easiest of them, to explain or to maintain: that of childhood playmates. But on this day, contrary to everything I knew, I discovered… that there might be the possibility that we’d be the most difficult kind of relationship in the world. The relationship with the highest level of difficulty: that of a man and a woman.” – Shi Won

“Each expecting different things, each looking at different places, each dreaming different dreams… everything that happens between one man and one woman, is just continuous love and war. You sulk, you pacify, you fight, you make up, you hurt, you embrace. A relationship like a manic-depressive patient who can’t make up his mind. But the hardest thing about the relationship between a man and a woman is the timing — if the love doesn’t begin at the same time, it’s unlikely to ever begin at all.” – Yoon Jae
 

“The one benefit to that top-degree-of-difficulty relationship between a man and a woman is… one word can overturn its mood at any time.” – Hak Chan

 

“What should I do? There are two people I love the most in the entire world. One is my hyung, who gave up everything because of me. And the other is you. It’s you… and hyung says he likes you. A lot. Like I do.” – Yoon Jae
 

“The reason my teen years are like a rushing wind is because I don’t yet know the answers: what it is I really want, who really loves me, who is it that I love. The time of life when I tumble here and there, searching for the answers. And then in the end, the moment when I figure out the answers to everything like a miracle… we had already become adults, and been doing big and small things. And like that, that winter was full of goodbyes.” – Shi Won

 

“My body remembered my ’90s. The moment I saw the person I had once been crazy about, I immediately returned to that ’90s fangirl, and my ’90s, which I thought were over, began all over again…” – Shi Won
 

“Oppa, I like you a lot… but my heart doesn’t race or flutter. I’m still young so I don’t know exactly how it feels to like somebody, but my heart now… is beating in a different direction. I’m sorry, oppa.” – Shi Won
 

“I’m not expecting anything right now. I’ll wait. Until you like me a lot… I’ll be your daddy long legs. Like now, always… next to you.” – Tae Woong

 

“I had forgotten. That if she liked something right now, she expressed the fire of that moment directly, and without hesitation. I could’ve just said: I like you. Be mine. I could say it like that right now. Back then, and even in this moment… I was just hesitating.” – Yoon Jae

 

“There is nothing more urgent than now. Because later might never come. Life isn’t long enough to speak of the next opportunity, rather than the now that’s before our eyes.” – Yoon Jae

 

“If you give up on now because of laziness or a lack of courage, there is no hope of another opportunity. If you love now, the best timing is now. You have to go before it’s too late, and you have to confess now. Because you never know what’ll happen later. The next opportunity might never come.” – Yoon Jae

 

“I’m sorry. You must’ve had a hard time too. But I only thought of myself. And I’m the only one you told everything to, because you thought of me as a friend. I don’t even know what I’m doing to you right now. I’m sorry.” – Shi Won

 

“She could have not known. There are times in life when you don’t know… that someone likes you.” – Joon Hee

“Then the game’s already over. No matter how much you think it over, there’s no answer. You already like her. So what choice is there? What decision to make? Don’t regret it later. Don’t use Hyung as an excuse. Do as your heart tells you.” – Joon Hee

 

“A person’s heart can’t be and off like a switch. Once it’s … it won’t turn off.” – Yoon Jae

 

“First love. The reason everyone’s first love is beautiful is not only because the love was pretty. At the time of first love, there was a youthfulness that didn’t know how to be wise, a me who was pure to the point of cruelty, and a you whose fire I couldn’t handle. It’s because I already know that I can never go back to that youthful, innocent, passionate time.” – Yoon Jae

 

“First love is reckless. Without calculating, it throws everything in with pure passion, and inevitably fails. But that’s why it’s dramatic — the reckless tales wrapped up in experiences or feelings that you can never have again.” – Yoon Jae

 

“First love is a time. Once it passes, it’s gone. Now you have to give a new love and a new time a chance. It might not be the experience or the purity of first love, but out of that scar is a love that grows and becomes a little more mature — you have to wait for an adult love. Only those who wait can dream of love.” – Yoon Jae

 

“When romance passes, life comes. Purity gets dirtied, passion freezes over, and youth turns to shrewdness as you age. That innocent era’s first love becomes fatigued and exhausted daily routine… and is why first love appears to be something that can’t be realized. Because those who succeed at realizing their first love… don’t tell you.” – Yoon Jae

 

“Succeeding at first love is nice too. There’s comfort that’s even better than your favorite sweater, but also an excitement that you can find when you’re tired of that comfort. As childhood playmates, as first loves, as lovers, and as husband and wife, we live through the same times, share the same memories, and grow old together. A familiar excitement. It’s nice.” – Yoon Jae

“They say that unrequited love is the most foolish thing in the world, but the reason why it’s worth trying, is because the passion could create a miracle; and if you stay near that dream, it gives you a chance to be happy.” - Joon Hee  

 

  

/kazeryu23/