Jennie Expertly Emulates Kim Hee-sun In “Tomato” From When She Was 3 (Apartment 404).

“Apartment 404” on tvN builds anticipation by evoking nostalgia for retro objects.
loannguyen962 hoursLast updated: February 16, 2024 2 minutes read
“Apartment 404” follows six residents—Yoo Jae-suk, Cha Tae-hyun, Oh Na-ra, Yang Se-chan, Jennie, and Lee Jung-ha—as they investigate strange events in an apartment, a familiar and necessary area

Each episode travels over time and space, generating recollections and longing for the 80s and 90s.


Retro elements enhance the viewing experience in teasers, highlights, and still cuts.


First, the “Apartment 404” members’ wardrobe stands out. Jennie, who resembled Kim Hee-sun from “Tomato”, garnered attention upon release. Oh Na-ra looks like Go So-young and Shim Eun-ha, Yang Se-chan like Seo Taiji, and Lee Jung-ha’s bleach hair is retro.


Retro objects are frequently shown in teaser videos. From the 80s and 90s apartment decor to the members using Chinese newspapers to solve mysteries, several props emerge, including CD players, cassette tapes, cordless home phones, and CRT TVs. Which vintage things will bring back memories for “Apartment 404” viewers is intriguing.

The “nostalgia summoning” survey event before “Apartment 404” launched received positive replies from netizens. Do you remember the 500-won bill? “What electronic devices did you use to listen to songs in school? Over 1.8 million people voted on “Radio, MP3, smartphones?” and shared stories from different generations.



“Our generation expressed affection through pagers“, “The decreasing number of people who know about pagers means that our school days have become memories of the past” and “As a generation that experienced both analog and digital, I feel lucky” were among the 340,000 responses to the question “Have you ever used a pager?”


The “Apartment 404” watch kit is very popular.

The box seems like it came from “Apartment 404” and contains food from the 1950s to the 2000s, a newsletter, and a retro room décor kit that looks like a gift set.


A draw will award the “Apartment 404” watch kit to “watching plan” event page participants.


On February 23rd at 8:40 PM, tvN’s “Apartment 404” will premiere with retro things and recollections.