Invoking the past in a way that makes it very much alive is something that the tvN "Reply" series has perfected over the past view years.

The newest season, "Reply 1988" premiered earlier this month. As the third reiteration of the "Reply" (also called "Answer Me") family, there was a lot of hype and expectations surrounding the retro show, and it definitely delivered as a entertaining show. By tugging at the viewers heartstrings, the show weaves in didactic messages to created an image of what South Korea was.

More than just a good drama, the "Reply" series has become a way of introducing modern day Korean history to television audiences, both domestically in South Korea and internationally. Like BBC period dramas a la "Downtown Abbey," "Reply" has continually acted as a visual textbook, or reminder, of South Korea's recent past.

[Disclaimer: Slight spoilers are included.]

While period pieces are typically older, "Reply" is always, relatively, new. Many viewers were alive during or shortly after the shows' timeline and the world doesn't always seems so different from ours. But South Korea in 1988, 1997, and 1994 was very different than it is now, and the show acts as a guide to many of South Korea's recent historical triumphs and tragedies.

By interspersing important moments into the lives of the characters of each "Reply" series, the production team is able to make seemingly remote events seem very much alive and relatable.The oldest series so far, "Reply 1988" is still relatively recent in the sense of history, but feels very removed thanks to the fast paced world that we live in.

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