Reply 1997
H.O.T, the idol of countless teenagers, is having a performance in Seoul right now.
Everyone, we may be unable to continue the performance right now...
We are afraid that there might be an accident during the performance.
We can't live without H.O.T.
There is no way but living with H.O.T happily...
The five guys who made us excited.
The idols of countless teenagers
The first generation of idols appeared in 1997.
When Koreans were thrilled with H.O.T...
Recall all your memories.
H.O.T always gives us hope.
When I listen to the music and see their faces, I get cheered up.
Because we loved them...
They were everything in our lives.
At that time, we were really into H.O.T.
In 1997, Busan, South Korea
The first stage is H.O.T. The song is called 'Warrior's Descendant.'
Moon Hee Joon, Jang Woo Hyuk, An Seung Ho, Ahn Chil Hyun, Lee Jae Won! I love you H.O.T!
H.O.T! H.O.T! H.O.T! H.O.T!
The age of 18. The adults usually says...
at our age we laugh at the simplest things...
But at that time, we were serious about H.O.T,
It was intense and hard.
In 1997,
When we were 18, things were like this.
Our splendid 90s.
Those faint yet wonderful memories...
If my body can't go back, I'll try to let my spirit leave instead.
Right now... I am going back to the 90s.
[Story/Characters]
My dad's favorite singer was C'est Si Bon and my favorite was...
H.O.T. 'Candy'
Tada!
Are you ready to see Tony?
What is it?
Did singer 'Onion' ranked in the Top Ten again last week?
H.O.T's 'Candy' is associated with nostalgia, the 90s, and youth.
Why do you like those monkey-looking guys...
Dad!
Our stories remembering the old days...
We are going back to 1997.
Original idol group H.O.T.
Here is a girl who is crazy in love with H.O.T.
Pocari is here! Pocari!
What did he say? Did he say anything?
Nothing much.
This girl is 18-year-old Shi Won, who only loves Tony.
Hello, this is Eun Ji from A Pink.
My character is a girl named Sung Shi Won.
She is very confident and honest about her feelings.
She uses the Busan dialect, which might sound a bit bold,
but she is just a shy girl when she stands in front of Tony.
A boy constantly at the side of Sung Shi Won...
An 18-year-old boy named Yoon Yoon Jae who is just falling in love for the first time.
My character's name is Yoon Yoon Jae.
He is very chic and abrasive in a way.
He is very popular at school,
but he becomes somewhat hasty in front of Shi Won.
I personally think he is very attractive.
This person is not the same Eun Ji Won from Sechs Kies.
Hi, I play Do Hak Chan in "Answer Me 1997."
Hak Chan is very masculine and rough, with strong machismo.
His one weakness is that he becomes foolish when he is in front of women.
This is the first time idol star Hoya of Infinite has tried acting.
He is delicate and gentle, unlike typical Busan guys.
There is also a guy named Kang Jun Hee, who keeps secrets.
You guys better be quiet!
And a charismatic math teacher, Tae Woong.
Shi Won's mom Il Hwa, who is in love with the drama 'Star in My Heart' and actor Ahn Jae Wook.
You think you can just walk into major leagues?
Shi Won's dad Dong Il, a baseball coach at Lotte Giants.
These are the main characters of "Answer Me 1997."
A transcript arrives at Shi Won's home.
Does this say that she got the lowest score in her class?
Really? Look at this girl.
Our daughter got 48th place out of 48 students!
Shi Won! What are you doing? Come out right now!
While her dad gets angry about her score, Shi Won is too busy with Tony.
Her father thinks she is being stupid.
What?
What are you trying to be?
I want to marry Tony.
What?
This is all because of these monkeys. Hot or hoot or whatever!
Stop! Stop it!
Stop calling them monkeys!
She doesn't care what her father says.
- I got this doll from my fan. - You see? That's mine!
Why is that yours? Why are you so into those stupid guys?
- Dad! - What?
The broadcasting station is being generous letting those monkeys be on TV.
They should be all sent to the army instead.
I said stop calling them monkeys!
Shi Won ends up going to Seoul to meet Tony.
First, get off at Dongjak station and catch a cab to go to Hyundai Apartment.
I'm not leaving until I meet Tony.
Finally, they accidentally meet!
- I came from Busan! - I came from the States.
Tony, I love you...
There is another girl who loves H.O.T.
Are you ready to meet Tony?
Weren't you into Kang Ta?
Shi Won's best friend, Yoo Jung.
I love you, H.O.T! H.O.T forever!
Shi Won and Yoo Jung promise to love H.O.T forever.
Shi Won's love for Tony only gets deeper.
This hair style looks so good on him! How is he so pretty?
But the guy at Shi Won's side is not Tony.
Shi Won doesn't have to know.
I heard that you became a man, Yoon Jae!
Stop it!
Sorry, does it hurt that bad? I wouldn't know.
Although they always fight, they have been best friends since childhood.
Yoon Jae, I'm so proud you got the best score at school!
Number one in studying.
All the girls at school like him, but Shi Won does not understand why.
There are so many girls crazy about you.
Stop swearing!
Hey you! Stop hitting on Yoon Jae!
We've been friends since birth.
Yoon Jae only becomes hasty in front of Shi Won.
But at some point...
- Where were you? - I watched "The Contact."
- By yourself? - With Joon Hee.
Together?
Yoon Jae starts worrying about Joon Hee, who seems to be close with Shi Won.
Yoon Jae feels bitter at Joon Hee and Shi Won.
You're here?
My little girl, are you dating someone?
No, we are just friends.
How can a boy and a girl be friends?
Why not? Here is the example.
She's going to drive me crazy.
You don't seem okay. Why don't you go to the hospital?
Yoon Jae is falling in love, but Shi Won doesn't know how he feels.
When will you grow up?
Don't bother me. I'm busy now.
When will Shi Won discover how he feels about her?
Then one day...
Yoon Yoon Jae, are you feeling nervous?
Yoon Yoon Jae's rival finally has come.
This is a new student from Seoul.
A new good-looking boy came to the school!
I enjoyed playing baseball and basketball in Seoul.
My name is Do Hak Chan, and I came to Busan because my father is serving in the army.
If you want to know who Hak Chan is...
You know what "Spark" is?
He has all the issues of the magazine "Spark." And all of "Hot Wind."
He also has thousands of manga videos.
Hak Chan, the master of adult videos.
He can show you any variety of genres.
You know genre, right?
Uniform, Western, everything.
- Where is he? Let's find him!
Hak Chan is admired by all the boys.
But, Hak Chan has one shocking, fatal weakness.
Wow, your eyelashes are so long! Can I touch them?
He becomes a complete idiot around girls.
He is usually not like this....
Are you being shy?
- I have something to tell you. - I'm listening.
Look at me.
On the way back from H.O.T's performance...
This morning, I...
She hears an unexpected confession.
Today...
Yoo Jung asked me out.
I heard.
Do you want me to date her?
Why do you ask me?
Do you want me to date her?
Do you?
A boy and a girl with different rates of growth. Would they have fallen in love?
[15 years after]
15 years later, there's an alumni meeting in Seoul.
Now 33 years old, these friends finally reunite.
One, Two, Three
At this meeting, one couple announces that they are getting married.
We liked H.O.T, we fell in love for the first time, and we laughed and cried together.
A period everyone goes through, but remains unforgettable. 1997.
I wanted to confirm...
if that was my first love...
Confirm...
Answer me, my 1997.
Up next is the making of "Answer Me 1997," and a very special announcement.
Man, you tried really hard.
[Making Film]
You look so ugly!
Now begins the making of "Answer Me 1997."
Is it like "Video World?"
That was so awkward!
It's a competition. Who leaves?
Korean groupies' first generation 1997's fandom history!
The history of idols!
The first generation of idols and the birth of their fans
Sechs Kies, the biggest rival of H.O.T.
In 1997, we were all groupies?!
I really was a fan of H.O.T.
I'm so nervous to meet them here.
There weren't these many yellow balloons for Sechs Kies back then.
There were way more white balloons for H.O.T.
If there were less balloons than I expected, I felt a little disappointed.
Idol fans had a costume, of course.
They confirmed each performance on a receipt.
They had balloons with the idol band's name,
and personally made banners.
People wear the uniform of their favorite sports teams,
and I always wore the costume for my favorite idol.
1997 was a while ago so there are many different kinds of costumes.
We based costumes off the actual design.
- How old were you when H.O.T. debuted? - Four.
We used the same cheers from 1997!
When the music starts, please scream in support.
The same feeling as in 1997!
It's easy being a fan these days, right?
We used to stay up all night at Jae Il Bank.
Although it's summer, people are dressed up for the winter scene.
Eun Ji, are you tired?
One, Two, Three!
Grab the last piece and...
It does not seem to be an art class...
Aha! It's to cut out the picture from the magazine!
The last page was always hard to cut out.
When H.O.T. and Sechs Kies are on either side...
Do you know Ton Hyuk and Jung Hoon?
I studied Korean by reading fan fiction.
Fan fiction? H.O.T. fan fiction was really popular.
Some of them were even printed out like official books.
I didn't read them, but I heard that it was really popular among fans.
Attention! Bow!
Did you experience this during your adolescence?
Tell her to stop fixing her makeup.
You want to die?
Girls start fighting about which video to put on.
- We're still friends. - Yes, we're professionals.
See you later!
The fight goes on... the result will be shown on July 24th, at 11 pm.
There were a lot of really dramatic events.
I was living in a house with a very high fence, and my fans jumped over it.
Even burglars couldn't do that.
Waiting all night long to meet the stars...
My fans would watch me while I was sleeping.
I'm so nervous to meet Tony.
She resembles my fans back in 1997.
- Tony! - it was just like that!
Tony, I love you...
When they were the most important part of my life...
Do you remember?
When I was still innocent, my first love...
Please remember that we were once in love...
Answer Me 1997
Do you remember 1997?
When things started to turn from analog to digital...
I invite you back to those hazy days...
An invitation to you!
[Item #1 from 1997] Fluffy slippers.
Do it as if you are dancing.
[Item #2 from 1997] D.D.R.
A Japanese game that was a major hit in 1997.
- Do you know what Tamagotchi is? - Yes, I played it a lot in primary school.
[Item #3] Tamagotchi
- I'll take care of you. - What a good Tamagotchi.
Are you guys Lee Eui Jung and Bada?
The most popular hairstyle at that time. Originally by Lee Eui Jung and Bada.
In 1997, Baby V.O.X. and Bada made this hairstyle popular.
The key point is the part in the middle and this part that looks like an antenna.
I cut my bangs this much.
Just for the program.
- You look beautiful! - Really?
Check out how she acts out 1997 by watching the show.
1004! Who is this?
[Item #4 in 1997] Beeper
I used a beeper briefly in primary school. Cell phones came out right after I bought it.
So I got a clam shell cellphone after a beeper.
[Item #5 in 1997] Clam shell Cellphone
We had to take all phone calls without knowing who was calling.
The event that cannot be forgotten from 1997.
Goal!
All Koreans remember the match between Japan and Korea.
Is it ready?
I'm sorry.
I only did soccer.
Hoya, can you do it?
Nice shot!
Your shot is better than Eun Ji Won.
Is Seo Tae Woong going to the NBA?
He's not going to the NBA.
Oh, Choi Chi Su is going to the NBA.
No! He isn't.
Yes, he is. In the last volume.
He is going to the New York Knicks.
Eun Ji Won is mistaken. None of the characters go to the NBA.
It's Pocari! Pocari!
Pocari - the name of Tony An's car in 1997.
Tony, I'm here!
I am going to stay at home for a while, so you guys should go home.
What did he say? Did he say something?
This is a real situation!
My old habits are coming out.
Wow, he was an arrogant celebrity.
He is taking a photo with his 15-year-old Pocari.
I don't know about ColaTec. I've never been there.
When Han's band music played, we made our hair look like this.
Remembering 90s music and dancing.
The ColaTec scene has started.
The first drama screening!
You can only see this in "Answer Me 1997."
Hoya's amazing recreation of Deux's performance.
Kang Joon Hee! You are my love!
Kang Joon Hee! Kang Joon Hee!
"Answer Me 1997" audition
Eun Ji, relax... Don't be timid.
I'm already afraid.
Did you try acting before?
No, I didn't. I heard there was an interview
so I took one acting class.
One?
An idol turns into an actor.
Actors are working hard all summer.
Eun Ji and Hoya are acting for the first time.
Can't you buy me one pair of jeans? Then I'd study harder.
How Eun Ji becomes Shi Won
Hot new girl group A Pink and its angel, Jung Eun Ji.
But in "Answer Me 1997," she turns very aggressive.
Crazy...
The character fits my personality,
but as an A Pink member, it could damage my image.
My character has a vulgar mouth...
- Son of a bitch. - Hey!
I said acting is just acting.
People won't see me that way.
Continue after the second part. One, two, three and say Moon Hee Joon.
Moon Hee Joon. H.O.T! H.O.T! H.O.T!
She is practicing hard to master the Warrior's Descendant choreography.
Also practicing while filming.
I'm filming the Warrior's Descendant choreography.
Oh, really?
It is so hard.
I did that choreography for three months.
Because I wasn't that good at dancing.
You're good!
Eun Ji's Warrior's Descendant, which Tony acknowledged.
Check out the full version in the first episode.
Moon Hee Joon, Jang Woo Hyuk, An Seung Ho, Ahn Chil Hyun, Lee Jae Won, I love you H.O.T!
Eun Ji Won was part of the first generation of idols in 1997.
It's an amazing honor to work with him.
Ji Won, you really look like a high school student.
Eun Ji, how old are you?
20 years old.
There's a 15 year gap between us.
15 years?
Eun Ji Won plays 18-year-old Hak Chan.
He changes into a charismatic and hot-blooded young man.
The start of his shower scene.
But...
Why is it so cold?
I can't breathe! It's so cold!
I said charismatically...
Giving up...
One more time.
Wait!
How did he go into the water last time?
I can't breathe! It's so cold!
One of the A Pink members' dads is the same age as Tony. So the same age as you.
Really?
They suck. I don't want to care about this.
"Wolf and Sheep," the title is awesome!
You're right.
I'm on duty this week so I'm out of my mind right now.
I will show you everything later.
You are really good at the Busan dialect.
Of course, I am from Busan.
Isn't hard to speak with a Busan accent?
It's hard. I have to make it up.
They're mostly from Busan, but I'm from Seoul.
It's hard for me too.
I'm originally from Gyeongsang-do, but
I came to Seoul as a trainee and fixed my accent.
Now I'm using the Busan accent again because of this drama.
Put a stress on the first note.
I am Mo Yoo Jung and...
Losers...
Why do they recognize Busan as a small town?
They are no longer idols!
Their transformation into actors has begun.
"Answer Me 1997' is having a special announcement.
With the special announcement, there is also another event.
A 90s' style party.
The meaning of these white and yellow balloons?
Thank you H.O.T!
Sechs Kies is the best!
H.O.T and Sechs Kies fans gathered together.
Back then there were a lot of concerts like Dream Concert,
and there would be a lot of fighting over seats.
Fan club members had to fill up concerts with their balloons
to show their idols that they had the most fans.
A 90s style party to recreate those era's memories
Special guests
They are closely connected to "Answer Me 1997."
Here they come, H.O.T. members Moon Hee Joon and Tony An!
They're really here.
The stars who lit up 1997.
H.O.T. Tony
H.O.T. Moon Hee Joon
Idol legends supporting "Answer Me 1997."
Hello, I'm Tony An of H.O.T.
I'm the MC Moon Hee Joon.
I play a small cameo in this drama, which is why I'm here now.
If we're talking about H.O.T., we can't forget Sechs Kies.
The leader of Sechs Kies, Eun Ji Won.
It's good seeing you.
It's been a while.
Idol legends together in one place...
It feels so weird.
I think this drama will make people in their 20s and 30s
really nostalgic about the old days.
There aren't that many stories about the fans.
I think the material is very interesting.
There's been a lot of criticism about fan culture,
so I hope this drama digs deeper into the story
and shows people that not everything that happened was bad.
Actually, I think our fans were really nice.
They would sit quietly in front of our house.
They would quietly enter our house.
They were really quiet and nice. It was fun.
To H.O.T. fans
Working everyday is hard, isn't it?
And if you're married, it must be hard taking care of kids and a husband.
Conditions have improved these days,
so please, follow us around again.
And finally...
Please welcome A Pink's Eun Ji.
Introducing the cast of "Answer Me 1997."
The passion of 1997, one more time!
Introducing Eun Ji Won!
A 90s style party with fans
Eun Ji Won is certainly an idol legend.
She's been a fan for over ten years...
Please give her a hug.
You guys look good.
How do you feel?
Actually, I'm a fan of Infinite now...
Then what does that make me?
Eun Ji sings Riaa's "Tears."
The drama is filled with favorite 90s hits.
In Guk sings Sa Joon's "Memories."
This song reflects how Yoon Jae feels.
Remembrance of the past overflows in "Answer Me 1997."
We all may be the same,
but watching them on TV together and remembering what happened back then will be nice.
Please come back to me.
Any time...
It rained really hard on Wednesday, April 15!
You will be shocked when you watch the drama.
Coming up, a guide to why you must watch "Answer Me 1997" when it first airs.
If you're reliving the 90s, stay tuned!
The secret points of "Answer Me 1997," revealed!
"Answer Me 1997" Guide
We'll reveal three secrets hidden in "Answer Me 1997."
Secret point one.
There are couples in this drama.
Seoul, 2012 Busan's Kwang An High School reunion
Friends getting together again.
15 years later, they have special news for each other.
Tonight, one couple announces their engagement.
I'm taking a picture! One, two, three!
Who will be that couple?
Woman number one, Sung Shi Won.
I just got four days of payment at once!
I'll do all the cleaning before I leave. About tomorrow...
Woman number two, Mo Yoo Jung.
I'm so in love with L these days. Will they sell it anywhere?
- You think they would? - Can you buy it for me if they do?
She falls in love so fast.
Man number one, Yoon Yoon Jae.
Career : The Seoul Central District Court's Judge.
Is his first love still alive?
Man number two, Do Hak Chan.
He still oozes charisma, but...
in front of women, he's still a failure.
Man number three, Kang Joon Hee.
A surgeon with gentle charm.
Can't you just pick by appearance?
Skilled at work and in romance, he's Prince Charming.
Man number four, Bang Sung-Jae.
How many years have you worked as an assistant manager?
He's a talkative assistant manager.
I haven't seen that many people at a funeral!
As charming as he is talkative.
You are so cute.
The continuation of attraction and longing.
Love is always unpredictable.
Which couple is it?
Secret point two.
Hey, here comes Pocari! Pocari!
- Tony, I'm here. - How was your day?
Good.
Yang Joon Hyuk is Yoon Jae's dad.
Yi Yoon Suk acts as the fool of his neighborhood.
I think my neck is broken.
There are many familiar faces in "Answer Me 1997."
Shin Bong Sun plays the leader of Club H.O.T.
I cut my bangs this much for this drama.
Today, I am the president of Club H.O.T.
Listen...
There is an announcement.
One of our members has been punished by her dad and expelled to the States.
At that time, we wore a thick baseball jacket and shorts.
And this has to be longer...
What are you wearing on your hair?
Hee Joon used to wear this. Funnily enough, I had it at home.
Who did you follow in 1997?
Me? Sechs Kies.
He feels so awkward.
This is his first time acting.
I lived in Daegu for 40 years and...
it's been a year since I came to Seoul.
They ask me to use a Jeolla-do accent.
Who knows what's going to happen?
PD is weird.
Yang Joon Hyuk is good at the Gyeongsang-do accent
but PD asks him for a Jeolla-do accent.
And I can only speak in a Seoul accent, but he asks me for a Gyeongsang-do accent.
You said, you are going to give this to Yoon Jae, right?
I forgot.
I thought acting was looking at the script once, saying one sentence, and repeat.
I thought it was filmed through cuts.
But you do the whole thing. The entire sheet.
How do I memorize this whole thing?
I will call 911.
These cameos are full of unique personalities.
All right.
Check out the familiar faces from the drama.
Secret point three.
Joon Hee has a secret.
He is always nice and kind.
You really know everything about Yoon Jae.
That is his attractiveness... Logical and calm.
Nonsense!
But Joon Hee has a secret.
Hoya fits perfectly into his character.
If you watch the drama, you will be surprised!
We considered Joon Hee as just quiet.
His secret is coming out little by little...
Kang Joon Hee! You are my lover!
What will his secret be?
I heard that you are doing well at the studio.
Yes, and the style goes back and forth. Very interesting.
I can feel you as an actor.
We will support you!
"Answer Me 1997" fighting!
Actually, Eun Ji is not a prude...
She is more of an easy-going person,
so I think Eun Ji matches her character.
That made her more comfortable when she was acting.
Sung Shi Won, fighting!
Suddenly...
No more glasses! Tada!
When I see you, my heart pounds.
Okay, Okay! Stop!
Yoon Jae is good at everything.
His basketball skill is as good as Seo Tae Woong.
That's why I don't like Seo Tae Woong that much.
He doesn't have any sense!
Are you okay?
I'm okay.
She won't die from that.
That is Yoon Jae's attractiveness. Logical and calm...
Nonsense!
You know everything about Yoon Jae.
We've been friends since we were born.
Good luck!
I can't go today.
- I promised to wait in line with Shi Won today. - Let's go.
What's wrong with you?
I asked Yoon Jae out today.
Did you?
-Is it okay if we date? -Why not?
Confirm.