I agree with @daebakgrits, Through the Darkness was great in every category : acting, directing, story, etc.

I really liked Life on Mars about the bad decisions the Korean government took before the Olympic Games in 1988.

Girls Generation 1979 was a nice short drama.

I don't have a favorite in this category (but I spent my teen years in Iowa, so I relate better to Stranger Things). I did enjoy the reliving the 80s-90s in Reborn Rich.

Girls Generation 1979
Youth of May
Reply series
Sunny (two movies with the same title, both are retro)

I am debating between Girls Generation 1979 and Youth of May.
I will pick Youth of May since I remember it better being newer. The show captured that turbulent timeline very well. Was a hard watch but a good drama.

If it is simply about the feels, I would have to say Reply 1988 but although it is a bit of a cheat, the retro which is burned-in-the-memory great for me is Signal. I remain astounded that the show successfully (for the most part) pulled off the combo of heartbreak, nail-chewing suspense and a Rubik's Cube plot.

Miss Korea

As I have not seen the Reply series yet, I'll pick that beautiful drama that was 25-21.
I could feel the 90ies vibes because I was the same age that Hee-do and her friends in those years. It was as rewatching a period of my life: the "old" internet, the "year 2000 problem", the impatience for the next volumen of my favorite manga...

Honorable mentions: Go Back Couple, Girls Generation 1979 (the OST is brilliant), King of Baking (if I'm not mistaken it was set in the 80ies and early 90ies).

It's not very nostalgic, but my favorite k-drama set in the second 1/2 of the 20th century would definitely be Giant. It does an excellent job of showing the upheaval, progress and problems of South Korea's economic boom and transition to democracy from the 1970's to the 2000's.

This drama isn't really retro in the sense of the other dramas named, but since it's almost 20 years ago that it came out, I'll submit it here. I'm currently watching Old Miss Diary, and I'm loving every hilarious, sad, thought-provoking moment of it. It's a very long daily, but so good that I can't believe it took this long for it to be available in the U.S.

It's definitely in the slice-of-life category along the lines of the Reply series, and for any single professional woman with Asian-American parents, particularly Korean-American, every moment will be relatable on some level. The narrative ranges from mundane to downright hilarious (laughing to the point of tears), and the cast is excellent. The characters are all well-developed, and the wholesomeness of it may be a bit outdated, but it makes for good Kdrama viewing. I'm so glad I'm getting this now, even if it is a very old release.

I've only seen Reply 97 from the franchise and have absolute zero interest in other two. That one was fun and relatable despite age and cultural difference. Wonder why we've never got 2002 version knetz were practically begging for since like forever... Did the series eventually killed its potential by going too far on love triangle mess? I thought ratings were still great despite controversies.

RR was a bit too local and political/financial stuff heavy to my understanding, but some references did give me a nostalgia. Agree with everyone that TTD was great overall. I also loved Tunnel, not the least for heartfelt approach of time-travel and era change topics.

Love the Reply series. Does Tunnel count? Probably not because it was based in the future, huh. Well then Reply 1988 for the win.

Just as Solstices' I'll go with Go Back Couple. I haven't exactly finished Through the Darkness so it doesn't score in my sheet. Go Back Couple was sweet. And a skilled use of the retro days both as a plot device and as another primary setting for the drama.

There's nothing extraordinary about Go Back Couple being my go-to retro. But I do know one thing - it was simple and peaceful.

The Light In Your Eyes also has retro vibes.

Chicago Typewriter.
Honorable mention - Girls Generations 1979.

I am a bit hung up on the definition of "retro" drama.
Retro in the sense of being set in the 1960s-1980s?
Retro in the sense of how "older" dramas made before the Hallyu wave in the 1990s?
Retro as in modern take or homage in the sense of how stories were told or made "back in the day" (the origins of tropes and stereotypical characters)?

I've got to go with Youth of May! Nothing else has made me feel so much so deeply in such a relatively short amount of time - 12 eps felt like a second and an eternity (in the sense that the feelings linger for so long afterwards post watch.

For a happier drama, I don't know if it counts but maybe on a technicality since it does have retro vibes and part of the story line is set in the past - The Best Hit.

When I read the title and saw the header, I thought I had an obvious answer. But then as I went through the post, I was reminded that we were given these much dramas set in this time.

I guess the only one among the faves that I haven't seen is Girl Generation 1979, which I have been meaning to watch.

Saw the tags for this post, and I shall abide, I'll chose 2521. Just like missvictrix, it shattered my heart to pieces but I had fond memories. TT_TT

Reply 1988. No doubt about it.
Watching this drama really felt like revisiting 1988, probably because it was a family-centered drama.

Reply 1988! It just hit different since there were familiar aspects about it that brings nostalgia of my childhood. Mostly because I was close to and grew up in the same neighborhood as my extended family.

Twenty five, Twenty one will be forever remembered as one of the best coming-of-age stories out there; yes I said it. Even the romance, the bitterly sad ending only makes it better.
I love Reply 1994, unlike most people who choose 1988. The college setting, and 98 economic meltdowns, make it all the more memorable for me, despite the "whos' the husband" aspect of the story.

Youth of May
Snowdrop
Chicago Typewriter

This is really hard because this genre is one of my favourite genres. I loved the recent film 20th century girl, Twenty five, Twenty one was the drama of 2022 for me and went into my top five of all time. Go back couple and Let’s eat 3 were great for capturing the carefree university years compared to the responsibilities of adult working life.

However, the standout drama in this genre for me is Reply 1988 as that was my last year in school before heading off to the next stage of life. Both my childhood home and secondary school were knocked down and turned into housing estates so I can relate to the significant places only existing in our memories element too. The veteran actors as the parents and the youth actors all did exceptionally well in bringing their characters to life and creating that feel good factor that makes K dramaland standout. I do not rewatch dramas but this and both seasons of Hospital playlist would be the ones that I would rewatch because I know no matter how many years after release they are watched the quality stands up to scrutiny.

Chicago Typewriter

Hands down, Reply 1988. Although, I enjoy retro dramas in general and there are a lot of good ones.

Have to agree with Thru the Darkness. I also find the ins and outs of profiling very interesting. And to think it was introduced in the recent past and how it has grown to be such a big part of detective work is really intriguing to me.

I'm pushing the boundaries of the discussion here, but I'm choosing the 20 seconds of the opening credits of Taxi Driver (versions 1 and 2). That tune takes me back to the past faster than any scene. It's sooooo good - the only drama I continually allow the credits to run without ffing.

Definitely Reply 1988! Just a mention of Love Rain which had a significant retro backstory with the parents.

I've seen the Reply Series' and enjoyed them all—some more than others. Go Back Couple was also nicely done. But my pick is 25-21. I loved the friendships, the romance, the coming-of-age story. I loved everything except for the sucker punch ending. But maybe that's why I like it; it left the most significant impact on me.

25-21 for me!

Great to see lots of love for Girls’ Generation 1979 here.
I think it’s retro without being overly nostalgic.
There’s so much thought that was put into it, from the way it was filmed to the OST, to all the little details I spot when I rewatch it.
It’s a toss-up between Reply 1988 and 25,21 for 2nd place.