The 4 Male Actors Who Make "Reply 1988" Shine

Is anyone as obsessed with “Reply 1988” as I am? I had high expectations after “Reply 1997” and “Reply 1994,” and the third installment of the series has still somehow managed to find a place in my heart. A large part of its success has to be due to the actors, all of whom are talented and well-fitted for the roles that they are playing. In particular, the four male actors who play the four neighborhood friends of Girl’s Day‘s Hyeri have risen to immense popularity through their roles. Since not all of them were quite so well-known before, let’s take some time to meet them!

Park Bo Gum was probably the most well-known actor before “Reply 1988” came to existence. He played a major role in “Tomorrow Cantabile” and then “I Remember You,” giving himself some recognition. The most helpful is probably his role as an MC for “Music Bank.” He’s undoubtedly good looking, and also said to be one of the nicest celebrities one will ever meet (as told by his co-stars). He’s naturally friendly, kind, and all kinds of lovely with all of his co-stars, both male and female. And he always has his bright smile on him.

Park Bo Gum is also one of the best actors I’ve seen in his age range. For being relatively young, he has played a wide variety of roles in both dramas and movies and pretty much nailed them all. Even in “Reply 1988” alone, he has shown a wide range of emotional acting. Besides, can you imagine anyone else being Taek?

Honestly, Ryu Jun Yeol was not on many people’s radars before he starred in “Reply 1988.” That may be due to the fact that he’s starred in a good number of movies, but only starting in 2014. Additionally, “Reply 1988” is his first drama or TV show in his celebrity career. It’s a pity that it took him this long to be in a drama, because he’s doing an amazing job. I sincerely hope to see more of him on the small screen in the future.

Ryu Jun Yeol is definitely a prime example of how the “Reply” series can bring an unknown actor to overnight stardom. This article from a few weeks back makes my point better than I can in words. He is definitely one to look out for!

Ko Kyung Pyo is one of those actors that you may not have heard of before, but you have definitely seen him somewhere. He was in “Tomorrow Cantabile” and the hit movie “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” with Park Bo Gum, as well as “Flower Boy Next Door,” “Potato Star,” and a large number of other dramas and movies. According to his profile, he was also on all three seasons of “SNL Korea.”

The first time I put his name to his face was when he came out on “Infinity Challenge” in February this year. After recognizing him, I looked forward to his role in “Reply 1988” — and he has not disappointed. His character as the perfect son, perfect student, and perfect boyfriend suits him incredibly well. Plus, add his “little sister” into the mix and he just wins all of the awards.

Lee Dong Hwi is similar to Ryu Jun Yeol in that he has mostly been in movies and not many TV shows or dramas. However, if you watch a lot of Korean movies, you probably do recognize him because he’s played roles in a lot of major films. That acting talent has added flavor and life to the chemistry of the friend group in “Reply 1988.” Lee Dong Hwi is another case of a celebrity who became immensely popular through his role in the “Reply” series; he is apparently all the rage in Korea right now!

That’s not to say that these are the only four male actors in “Reply 1988” that make the drama shine — definitely not in the least, not with Sung Dong Il, Kim Sung Kyun, Ahn Jae Hong, and Choi Sung Won starring with them. To be honest, I could go on and write a feature for every single actor in “Reply 1988” and how they contribute to the drama because that’s how solid the entire cast is. However, as solid as core friend groups go, there couldn’t be another more solid than these four right here (plus Hyeri). They have shined in “Reply 1988,” shined through “Reply 1988,” and made “Reply 1988” shine.

hearteu is a K-drama, K-pop, K-anything fanatic who probably shouldn’t prioritize those things over school… but does so anyways. Her latest obsessions are baby Daebak, bubble tea, EXO’s performance at the KBS Song Festival, and Park Bo Gum (could you tell?).