Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

Bittersweet & Touching to the end

Wow…what a drama. It truly yanked on my heartstrings so many times, I am usually a “happy endings only” kdrama watcher but I couldn’t resist being drawn into this one, despite guessing it would not end well for the romantic relationship between Baek Yijin and Na Heedo.

The heartache and struggle they all go through to achieve their goals - be it love, success, helping family, supporting friends - it was all such a beautiful portrait of the transition between being a brand new young adult to the actual adult realities of responsibility, tragedy & incompatibility. Freedom and possibility are so exciting, so the crash down to earth when they had hard lessons and had to make sacrifices was just so hard to watch :’( I am only a bit younger than these characters, old enough to have watched 9/11 from a high school TV, all of us frozen in horror. The endless tragedy unfolding in the news for weeks and months after….I really felt Baek Yijin’s deep exhaustion and hopelessness. Nam Joo Hyuk did an amazing job.

I absolutely ADORED the relationship between Na Heedo and Ko Yurim, from beginning to end. It was the highlight of the show for me, even though I also loved Baek Yijin. Everyone’s growth as individuals was so real and satisfying, and I didn’t feel like the ending was out of place, despite it being very disappointing. Life is clearly as much full of nostalgia, regret, and moving through pain as it is about happiness and success.

The soundtrack was nice enough but not super memorable to me. The 90s aesthetic was perfect. I think the modern scenes were interesting since they actually showed COVID-era details with masks, but otherwise it was unnecessary and I found adult Heedo’s acting a little too subdued and depressing (and annoying, I guess she is that type of Mom). One of the most disappointing things about the ending was the daughter being SOOO invested in the story but decided not to read the last diary?? She just dropped it like that? I wanted her to be more disappointed, since she was like all the rest of us viewers, desperately rooting for Heedo and Yijin! At least admit that it was a crushing disappointment for us all! I’ll be moping about this drama for a while.

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"You will have no idea how much your love has brightened up my life." - Baek Yi Jin

STORY: More than the journey of love, 2521 was a coming-of-age story filled with friendship and family. Yijin and Heedo's story started with their respective struggles with their family and friends. Yijin in the middle of the wreckage the the IMF has left his family and Heedo trying to survive and fend for herself with the absence of her mother. I love how they narrated and showed their story from being strangers, friends, someone they can rely on to being lovers and eventually back to being strangers again.

SOME QUESTIONS WORTH PONDERING:
1. Was it an open ending? - For me it wasn't. If anything, it stayed true to its roots--Na Hee Do's journey. Saying her proper goodbye to Yijin at the final scene was heartbreaking but it was fitting since that moment haunted her a lot in the years that followed. I understand the outrage since this is something new to kdrama. But also, it is beautiful in its own way. Heedo and Yijin will remain beautiful.
2. The break-up did not make sense. How can they break up just like that? - If you paid attention to all the things happening before the break up, you would understand that it was inevitable. Heedo practically raised herself when her Dad died. That is because of the path her mother chose to cope with her grief in losing a husband. In contrast, Yijin is impliedly asking her to go through all that waiting, being sorry, being disappointed AGAIN. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There was a scene in the original break up when Yijin said that everything fell apart when he went to NY. But if distance was the only problem, Heedo would not have felt so exhausted. It was the fact that Yijin was making decisions where Heedo was no longer included and Heedo just doesn't have the strength to go through another round of trauma with an absent lover. Her mother was enough in her lifetime. So yes, the build up to the break up was being true to the story.
3. Why didn't they reveal the father? - This one is the easiest to let go. They did not reveal him since the important point is that it wasn't going to be Yijin anyway.
4. Why? - Honestly, I haven't felt this beautiful pain about a kdrama in a long while. The last time was with Scarlet Heart and that had been so hard to let go. With Heedo and Yijin being as wonderful as they have been, giving me this bittersweet ache was welcomed. They both looked happy in their respective lives. I regret not seeing enough of present day Yijin but we can't always have what we want. What I know is that regardless of the outcome, Heedo and Yijin brought me so much comfort just by sharing their story.

ACTING/CAST: Hands down one of the best performances from Kim Taeri and Nam Joohyuk. There was that confrontation scene in the tunnel where they were both shouting at each other. When Heedo said, "Did you ever really love me?" and Yijin replied, "Watch what you say" that was the culmination of their relationship. Their range really did shine all throughout the drama but that one moment was so memorable because of all the emotions they had to portray. I don't think another couple can play Heedo and Yijin as well as they did. Their supporting cast has been outstanding as well. Can't wait for everyone's next drama project.

MUSIC: The music was great but not as memorable as I would have thought. Fave song, Very, Slowly by BIBI.

REWATCH VALUE: Would definitely rewatch it. Even though I know it will only bring me pain in the end, it does not discount the fact that their journey was so comforting and beautiful to witness.

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“It’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all”

I watched this show with no expectations as I’m not into high school dramas, but episode by episode, I’ve grown to love it.

The acting is superb! Very convincing as emotions were delivered perfectly! This is a show about life experiences rather than anything else. It’s about the memories we created wither the happy or the sad ones, the memories that shapes who we are.

As for the ending, I think I loved it because it’s very relatable to me, I’ve been through a similar experience emotionally and I can tell you that I felt what they both did exactly. People who are in the 30’s will understand how those experiences make us grow so much and when we look back, we can’t help but smile because as they say “it’s better to have loved and lost than the never have loved at all”

The only downside about this show was the time transitions as they weren’t gradually convincing.

P.S: the single thing that was missing for me would be, them meeting in the current time even if it’s only for a glimpse and with only an eye contact.

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One of the best coming of age stories in a K-drama.

I am already rather reminiscent of this drama and I am going to miss waiting every week for it. To state it briefly, this is a very well rounded coming of age story and I love how they have wrapped it into this quaint bundle.

Kim Min chae picks up her mother's coming of age story when she herself is dejected and unmotivated. Twenty Five, Twenty One is solely told from the perspective of Na Hee do. It is not a story about the love between Yi jin and Hee do, it is only the story of how Hee do grew up to be the person she is.

I love how they captured the IMF crisis and how it effected different people from different walks of life.

If I break down characters, Hee do is such a refreshing Female Lead. Kim Tae ri is brilliant actress who has played Na Hee do to utmost perfection. I love how they've represented Hee do's temperament throughout the show. When they show her as a child and as she grows as person as well. The writers have taken careful account of how Hee do is as a person and created a rather inspirational character.

Baek Yi jin is another character that is rather well rounded. Nam Joo hyuk is one of the actors in the K-industry that is rather expressive with their eyes (kind of like Jung Hae in). He displays emotions like Yi jin's from innocence, joy and happiness to his depression, fear and sorrow through his eyes. Yi jin as a character is a person who had to grow up too soon because of unforeseen circumstances. Yi jin is an individual who hasn't had the opportunity to grow consistently and has had his growth happen very haphazardly. When it comes to upholding responsibilities , Yi jin is matured and put together. Yet, when it comes to emotionality, Yi jin is very similar to a teenager. I think that is why Yi jin starts being friends with Hee do and the rest of the gang. It allows him to embrace the childish part of himself that he has to lock away when it comes to his daily circumstances.

The rest of the characters- Ko Yu rim, Ji Seung wan and Moon Ji woong were all perfect aspects of the story. Each of the characters were special and all of them had their own nuance. I loved Yu rim's determination and her passion. Seung wan was one of the most interesting characters I have seen to date. She represents the ideal qualities of a leader. I loved her relationship with Yi jin and how similar they were in certain aspects. Ji woong and his creativity and charm was a pleasure to watch. I loved the friendship between all of them and the interconnectedness each of their relationships had with one another.

Coming back to my initial statement. Twenty Five, Twenty One is a story purely from the perspective of Na Hee do. All of the characters are in some way connected to her. Yi jin plays large role in the entire story because he is the one that has influenced Hee do the most in her youth. From emotionally growing up to maturing and understanding the world. Baek Yi jin features as an integral part of Hee do's youth. Similarly, for Hee do's fencing career, Yu rim is a key factor that built Hee do up as a fencer. Therefore, Yurim features alot during Heedo's youth

As I read some of the comments, I did notice that a lot of people were not very happy about how the last two episodes turned out. I understand the frustration about getting a rather bittersweet ending for the couple and not really knowing more about Yi jin and Hee do in the present. Yet, I believe the ending was well done too. Like I said the focus was Hee do and her story. Yi jin does not really play a part in her story after her youth and that's where their story ends. Especially since this story is read by Min chae who wanted to know her mother better, this is just the story of how her mother became the person she is. Therefore, making the ending justifiable.

Likewise, I do have a few issues with the story. Such as they gave a lot of emphasis on the "Twenty Five, Twenty One". Yet, there was barely an episodes worth of the characters in that time period. As much as I love Hee do and Yu rim's relationship, I did not understand why Yu rim was so mean to Hee do in the beginning. Even though it was explained in later episodes, I felt that the contempt Yu rim had for Hee do was a little too strong in that sense.

Factoring the other elements of the drama, the acting was pretty good and all the characters like said was done well enough. The music was beautiful and I bloody loved songs like Very, Slowly by Bibi and 스물다섯, 스물하나 by Jaurim.

The drama encapsulated the retro 90s aspect in Korea and the mise en scene catered wonderfully to all of the very 90s elements of the drama.

Would I rewatch this drama, definitely. I hope all of you who watched this drama had a pleasurable experience.

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Felt Like A Self Help Book To Me

There’s a debate regarding how the show was ended. I think that the ending was a risk for a Korean Romantic Drama, however, I do think that it was a risk worth taking. A lot of romantic dramas have happy endings. Twenty Five Twenty One took a route I’ve never seen done before. The ending was meant for the characters, not for the viewers. I think Hee Do held a huge regret regarding how she ended the relationship. There were words she said to Baek Yi Jin that she wished she said and wished she hadn’t said. On the other hand, Baek Yi Jin was able to find closure because Hee Do’s journal where she wrote how she truly felt ended up on his door, while Hee Do never got closure til the end of the show. I honestly liked how the reasoning behind why they had to break up, Baek Yi Jin chose his career and did not want to share the pain he was going through as a reporter which shows the trauma he went through at the beginning of the show. Hee Do decides to initiate the breakup because she wanted someone who could share both their happiness and sadness which Yi Jin was unable to do. In the end, Yi Jin and Hee Do broke up because they wanted different things for each other. One thing I got from watching Hee Do’s closure as she reads and imagines an alternative breakup with Yi Jin is that when you choose to end a relationship build from love and support it is best to end it the same way. I truly enjoyed watching this drama. I do not by means think it is the best Kdrama I have seen but it is definitely the drama that made me think about my relationship with myself and my relationship with others and how I treat them.

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The writer did not bother to write a well thought out ending, why should I give this a high rating?

Okay, so the ending is just horribly bad. It's not just that I did not get the happy ending that I have wanted, but none of it makes any sense. BYJ leaves the sports department to be with her love NHD, joining the New York office is the bestest idea -also BYJ. I hugely dislike watching shows that are about first loves failing amicably, but I don't think this show ever wanted to be that. (otherwise they would've set things up differently) What I think happened is that the writer had no idea how to finish the story, so she kept procrastinating until the last two episodes & then just went with this knowing that no matter what she does, the commercial success of the show is not in danger anymore. Behavior like this is fairly common in Kdramaland, but this ending is truly one of the worst ones I've seen, in my opinion it's far worse than How I Met Your Mother's, there should be a blowback, right? Unfortunately I cannot do anything else other than writing this review & giving the show a low rating, so here we are!

If I want to be entirely honest, the ending is not the only problem with this drama. Yes, up until episode 10ish, up until HD made up with Go Yurim this was a 10/10 drama for me(Episode 9 was probably the best kdrama episode I've seen since IOTNBO's episode 3.), however after that, much of what made the drama so great has been toned down several notches. For example it would have been possible for me to partly ignore what happened with the OTP, if we would have gotten more fencing. Like I don't know, HD at the Olympics, HD at the Olympics for a second time. Could have even gone with some fairly standard plot with Evil Foreigner injuring GYR & HD having vengeance with her saber, there were endless possibilities to end this sports drama respectfully as a sports drama. Fencing was more than just cool up until episode 7-8.

So if you have have yet to watch this drama, should you watch it? Well, if you are not obsessed with getting closure, then yes you can watch the first 9 (perhaps even 10) episodes & then stop. Treat it like it's the American TV show Wonderfalls and just enjoy the ride. (Speaking of Wonderfalls, I should watch that again sometime soon)

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Comfort Drama with a box of tissues!!!

I love love love this drama so much and will forever be in my top 10 favorite dramas, top 5 dramas to recommend and top 5 drama to re-watch!!!

With tears in my eyes I can genuinely say Twenty-five Twenty One, became my forever comfort drama! Every episode left me happy and always wanting more even though I will also occasionally shed tears. I found solace in each and every character and the storyline. And don't get me started on the ost... I just can't get enough of it! Especially Your Existence by Wonstein. I've had that song on replay and every time I cry as if I've not listened to it a hundred times already. The friendships, romantic relationships and familial relationships just struck a chord with me. Especially Hee Do and Yu Rim's friendship. It really captured how we sometimes go from enemies to friends and being able to laugh at your past selves seeing how childish you were in the moment. I love all the characters but there was something about Ji Seung Wan that really made me fall in love with her.

But on a serious note why did it end like that? I get that it' realistic and things like that happen in life but still my heart was shattered to pieces. Plus I have so many unanswered questions....like who is MinChae's father? Are they still in contact with each other? etc... And the ending credit...ugh...when the security code question said, 'who is your first love? And YiJin type Na Hee Do, I jut started crying all over again. Because when she get her lost diary, the monologue she gives when revisiting the tunnel, just shows that they both have some regret on how they handled things in their relationships. And YiJin's answer for the security code jut shows that Hee Do was and will forever be his first love and him hers.

It' sad to see this amazing show end and I keep on crying just thinking about HeeJin endgame. Thank you for being my comfort/happy place these pat weeks.

saranghae <3

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Could have been better

It's nice to see high-schoolers trying to figure out what to do with their life, and anchor the whole in real facts (Asian financial crisis of 1997, then to a minor extent the Sept. 2001 terrorist attacks), but looking a few below the surface, the series unravels, leaving much nonsense.
The series is full of monoparental families, or where parents are absent, and as such can't help their kids, which is seriously odd in Korea today. Extremely odd is the daughter of HeeDo who makes 0 reference to her father (she was somehow born! even if sperm donation was performed).
The whole spiel about fencing looks abnormal. Geographically, the high-school supplying half of the female national competitors and the national training center make no sense. Linguistically, the French sucks big time (school in "France", commands during Korean training, and at international events, ... the whole thing); the producers could have recorded a complete set of orders and then used it ad hoc throughout the series.
In the end, I am left with the feeling that the author didn't really know what to do, and thus took a bit of this (choose a sport, fencing), and that (some pseudo-rivalry among leads, a point in time for the main story and another for the results of the story), and then see what happens.
What happened is not much.

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WHY?!?! It could have been better.

I am so annoyed with the ending, I don't understand this. There are SO many loose ends, I would have been okay with them not ending together but the execution and the plot just did not make sense. First of all, why did she have that picture of her that yijin was supposed to have? Why did she marry someone and have a long distance relationship with them when that's the reason she broke up with yijin? They didn't show her happy and have that "It's okay, we don't end up with our first loves as someone else out there is the one for us" ending but was just like "We don't end up with our first loves, whatever."
AHHHHH i am infuriated rn, I'm gonna be mad at this for a while
Even scarlet heart was better than this.

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Be prepared ....unsatisfactory ending!!

everything about this drama was great from the actors to their acting to the initial storyline but after 13 episodes the story suddenly debacle resulting in a pathetic ending
if u wanna watch it for hee do and Ji yin's bond in the initial episodes u can give a try ( till ep 14)because the ending will tear you apart.
all the hopes were shattered and the worst was it is open-ended making you ponder the whole time about the ending and their afterlives
8 rating only for Nam Joo Hyuk and Kim taeri 's brilliant acting
after such a stupid ending I still feel it's generous to give 8
I recommend not to watch if you hate open and bad endings and can't live without watching the ending.

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A different type of bittersweet journey.

PLOT.
If I could forget all episodes I would just so I could fall in love all over again, that's how much one of a kind it was. It's been awhile since I last been so invested and attached to a drama. They gave us everything. When the cast, teasers and trailers came out I was so excited! I knew 2521 would be one of the best this year but it ended up being one of my all time favorites. I'm in awe of how beautifully detailed this drama was. They made us laugh, cry and root for them altogether week by week. I'm gonna be honest: it was both a dream and a nightmare having to wait to watch this. From main to side characters, I could feel their pain, sorrow, happiness. 2521 is a roller-coaster of emotions, just like youth and life overall. Even though a handful of unfortunate things happened, the quintet shined brightly as the time went by. At some point I thought everything would go down all at once, and I actually bawled my eyes out because of so much pain. However, I could connect with this drama a lot and I'm grateful for that. Also, I've been waiting for something like Reply series for so long, especially Reply 88. Every single character matters here somehow, they're so well written. As much as Baekdo are the main characters, this show gave everyone a special moment and not a single boring episode in between. Speaking of which, I just want to point out that I love both Heedo and Yijin as individuals and also together as friends and lovers. I had soo much of fun with theories, even the wildest ones! So many dramas lose its freshness once it reaches the second half, they did a an amazing job here sustaining the plot. They made a good number of people question what'd happen next. Writing, directing, producing and acting on point! The majority of us wanted Baekdo to end up together, but so many details were indicating a sad ending: they left clues here and there. All the hints were right there yet I grew attached to its plot and characters. From the very start I had a gut feeling that this drama could end with a bittersweet taste in my mouth (just by watching the teaser with 2521 playing in the background and seeing the poster where they were looking at different directions). I think some things could've been better of course, yet, imo it was a fresh and well-written one for the most part. I'd like to point out some things though. Both Yijin and Heedo had so much potential as a couple, I'm still hurt they grew apart like that, not even remaining as friends who support each other. I'm also sad because Heedo had forgotten that precious summer trip with the gang. However, I understand that's life, things change and we can't always control everything in order to get what we want. I'm taking 2521 close to my heart regardless of this and that.

CHARACTERS.
Kim Minchae: this girl represents 2521 nation so well it scares me ngl. Her father! As much as I was really curious to know who he was I also understand why the writter didn't show us: he was simply not the main point. I'm happy that she decided to go back to ballet and challenge herself in order to create her own experiences.

Ji Seungwan: she stood up for herself while helping other people and is such a great friend. She's so brave and honest, I really like her and I'm glad she had a good ending.

Moon Jiwoong: at first we got to see his reckless self as a funny student and his charms as the 7th pretty boy from class 3. As the episodes went by he shows his other sides as we see his friendship with Seungwan growing stronger and how much he looks up to Yijin. Last but not least, his love towards Yurim: he went from someone who used to appreciate her because of her image, and ends up forcing himself to grow up little by little in order to picture a future with her. He grew up and matured beautifully, without leaving behind his genius personality. The way he proposed to Yurim was so cute :)

Ko Yurim: this is a character with interesting layers. When I saw the umbrella scene I thought she wouldn't be as sweet to Heedo as it looked like - and I was so right. Her mean attitute towards Heedo would always let a bitter taste in my mouth. I was of course waiting for her redemption so when they finally got to know the truth I was the happiest. Yurim is extremelly passionate when it comes to fencing, it's admirable. She had to mature at a really young age and I respect that.

Baek Yijin: I'm glad Joohyuk changed the tsundere Baek Yijin from the script, he's definitely one of the best characters. His acting has improved even more here. This character is now part of my favorite ones, he brought a lot of comfort with his wise words and selfless actions many times. He was such an important person in Heedo's life, so necessary. He struggled so much, I cried watching him getting more and more disappointed in himself. Both him and Heedo started to lose themselves at some point, it was extremely heartbreaking. Baek Yijin had a caring and giant heart but too many issues and traumas at once on his plate. Him and Heedo deserved way better than they got in the end. Nam Joohyuk AND Kim Taeri both deserve nominations, they nailed their characters with top notch acting.

Na Heedo: her younger self was such a daring and carefree character, I'd like to be friends with her. She's become one of my favorite characters as well. Whenever the older Heedo would appear, I knew something would make me sad somehow. She looked miserable and hurt even after so many years after the break up. It was a relief to see Heedo being at peace with her mom while still young. I was shocked when she told Minchae that she didn't remember the gang's summer trip, because it was her first one. Also, her future self had many regrets related to their break up. What they had was really precious, how painful.

OST.
Hands down to everyone involved here, I've been listening to the tracks non-stop (including the instrumental ones).

On a final note, I'd love to see at least Joohyuk and Taeri (or Taeri and Bona) working together again in the future, their chemistry on and off camera is really natural. Oh and I'll definitely watch the whole drama all over again once the feeling of emptiness comes to an end, which is going to take some time. If you read this till here, thank you ♡

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