POV: These 6 elements in Typhoon Family took me back to the Reply 1988 days!

Typhoon Family and Reply 1988 have more in common than you think. Let’s break down the similarities between these two popular K-dramas!

Two very different shows, one a retro, cozy trip through the alleys of late-’80s Seoul aka Reply 1988, and the other a high-stakes family business drama born in the eye of the 1997 IMF storm aka Typhoon Family. At first glance, they might seem like total opposites: nostalgic neighborhood banter versus business shenanigans but scratch the surface and you’ll find they’re actually kindred spirits. Both dramas are deeply rooted in family, responsibility and community. They celebrate the power of bonds, whether forged over shared meals and backyard games or built under the pressure of a collapsing economy. In their own charming way, Reply 1988 and Typhoon Family remind us that growth, resilience and love don’t just survive hard times, they thrive in them!

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Here’s everything they have in common!

Family as a core theme

Both Reply 1988 and Typhoon Family have kids growing up in wholesome and supporting families! Reply 1988 revolves a lot around family dynamics, intergenerational relationships, and how different households in the same neighborhood support each other. Typhoon Family similarly centers on a family business and the responsibilities passed down across generations, particularly the burden on the younger generation to honor and preserve the legacy!

There’s tons of socio-economic and historical context

Reply 1988 is a nostalgic slice-of-life set in 1988 Seoul, capturing not just family life but also the broader social and cultural atmosphere of the time. The show gave us a glimpse of what Seoul was like during the 80s and it felt like we went back in time with the characters. Typhoon Family is set during the 1997 IMF financial crisis in Korea, which deeply affects the characters’ lives, especially their economic stability and their business. Both dramas ground their personal stories in a larger historical moment, making individual struggles reflect broader social realities during Korea at the time!

Both shows emphasize that families are not just bound by blood but found along the way as well

Reply 1988 emphasizes a sense of community: the five families in one neighborhood lean on each other, and there’s almost a second-family feeling among the friends. Typhoon Family, similarly, builds a team not just in blood relations but among employees, co-workers and the loyal staff. The company becomes an extended family as they struggle together.

Slow burn romances take center stage in both dramas

Reply 1988 features subtle, realistic romantic arcs woven into everyday life unlike the over-the-top melodrama that’s usually shown in dramas. Typhoon Family also has a soft and slow romance between Kang Tae-Poong and Oh Mi-Seon where he falls first and she falls harder. The two are a team in every sense and have each other’s back, be it at work or in personal life!

There’s cultural reflection through everyday life!

Reply 1988 often uses day-to-day interactions (meals, gatherings, conversations) to reflect broader cultural values and generational shifts. Typhoon Family does something similar: it uses the micro (family business, office life) to reflect macro issues like national financial crisis and class divide. 

Last but not the least, both shows have Sung Dong-Il playing the head of the family

The biggest link that connects these two dramas to one another and makes one nostalgic of Reply 1988 while watching Typhoon Family is none other than Sung Dong-Il. He plays the hard working father who wants a better life for his children in both the shows and his characters is beyond kind to the people who’ve stood by him through thick and thin!

Do you see similarities in both the dramas as well? Let us know in the comments below!

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