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Fuck you...... but I love you 25/21!
I'm absolutely livid at that last bit they showed at that ep finale!!! Why the fuck would you rub salt on my wound??? I'm never recovering from this betrayal ever. All that fan theories I read and held on to with the biggest hopes have been dashed.. ARGHHHHHHH I'm so miserable...DEEP BREATHSSS
There was a big moment that stood out to me from ep 16 (apart from that nasty bit at the very end)...The scene in between the episode in the tunnel where they thrash out their issues. It felt so real and emotional I almost forgot I was watching a show. I've never ever felt that the stuff I was watching was actually being played out in real life. It was really a strange feeling to lose it for a few seconds. I truly believed in that moment where they were breaking up and then Heedo asks Yijin if he ever loved her and he is incredulous and angry at the question. Then as she leaves, he calls out to her twice. That entire scene was brilliant.
I don't want to make this all about the fucking finale but I do want to say that despite my deep anger and desire to curse the writer/director this very moment, I think they are amazing and I loved this show with all my heart. After a slew of uninspiring, boring shows that I have been watching recently, this one was excellent and jam packed with all that makes a drama beautiful, loved and enduring.
Kim Taeri, I have loved you ever since I watched Little Forest and The Handmaiden. Nam Joohyuk, I thought you were just eye-candy and I'm sorry I didn't respect your talent apart from enjoying your work in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Soo.
Now I think you both are the greatest thing since sliced bread. The characters of Na Heedo and Baek Yijin are tailor made for you.
I love all the other characters - Go Yurim, Moon Jiwoong, Ji Seungwan. I love the fan/rival/friend relationship between Heedo and Yurim. I love the friendship of Jiwoong and Seungwan. I loved how Heedo's mother was such a career woman. I loved Yijin's mom being so openly and deeply in love with her husband.
The writer/s did an amazing job taking us back to the time of the South Korean financial crisis and showing us how it impacted the people there.
I can't write anymore because my heart hurts and I'm angry about the ending. But let me put on my mature and subjective hat on for this sentence and admit that the story did not NOT make sense. Not every love story gets a happy ending and that's okay. I just have never wished so hard for a Korean drama to be cliche. I will never ever take that for granted now.
Let me go back to crying and mending my broken heart,
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"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." -Marthe Troly-Curtin
To be honest, I enjoyed the entire series. I'm not sure why people are so offended by the ending. Why can't people cherish and appreciate both happy and sad endings? Life is always bittersweet. So don't expect this drama to be all epic and happy.Twenty-five Twenty-one is a coming-of-age drama that follows the journey of the female lead, Na Hee Do, from a regular fencing athlete to South Korea's "Fencing Queen." This drama began the story of Na Hee Do from a unique perspective: that of her daughter, Kim Min Chae, in the present day, who begins reading her mother's diary, which He Doo wrote when she was younger.
Though romance is one of the drama's genres, it is absolutely not the main theme. It's about friendship, youth, and passion. This drama explains why these are significant and why we should treasure them. The five member squard of Na He Do (Kim Tae Ri), Baek Ye Jin (Nam Joo Hyuk), Go Yu Rim (Bona), Moon Ji Woong (Choi Hyun Wook), and Ji Seung Wan (Lee Joo Myung) was phenomenal, and I enjoyed each of their personalities in their own way.
In my opinion, Na Hee Do's character was the best of the five, and I believe most viewers of this drama will also agree with me. She rose from irrelevance to become one of the most recognisable names in the fencing industry thanks to her fighting spirit and perseverance. She is strong, brave, and full of energy and passion, which are all the qualities I like in a female lead. I like to see female leads who change their world rather than being changed by it and the circumstances that surroundes them. Hee Do is prepared to go to any length to ensure that she and those around her have a better future. She is not afraid to express herself, not even to confess her feelings to the one she loves, and she fights for what she believes in. He Doo's character is one of the best I've seen in a long time.
After that, there's Baek Ye Jin. During the IMF crisis, his family was forced to split up. He was in distress because of not finding any job and wanted to reuniting his family soon. He, too, was persistent, but in a different way that caused him to crumble easily. That is, until He Doo came into his life. Because of her liveliness, he learned to treasure and enjoy his life. He became more optimistic about life and more confident in dealing with any situation. Although he still had the fragile part of himself, He Doo made him a happier young man, and he eventually fell in love with He Doo.
Go Yu Rim was the most famous fencing athlete until He Doo appeared, and she was the one He Doo idolised. She came from a poor family and was also a friend of Ye Jin's. Although Hee Do and Yu Rim initially despised each other, they developed a rivalry that was stronger than any hatred because they loved and respected each other. She and He Doo have a love-hate relationship, but they also have one of the strongest friendships.
The characters of Moon Ji Woong and Ji Seung Wan felt like a breath of fresh air to me. They were incredible in their own way. Ji Woong was the most popular boy in the class, with a crush on Yu Rim, and Seung Wan was the class monitor, who was always at the top. They were childhood friends with a good reputation in their class. These characters' presence did not feel extraneous or unnecessary (which would have been if the storyline was not this beautiful).
What made all these characters more and more memorable were their choices. As the Harry Potter quote goes, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
The actors did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Kim Tae Ri was fantastic. I couldn't believe she was over 30 years old. She was perfect in the role of He Doo. She not only looked like a teen, but she also acted like one. Nam Joo Hyuk's acting was incredible. Despite the fact that he was younger than Tae Ri, the two had great chemistry on screen. They won many people's hearts, including mine.
Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, and Lee Joo Myung were also outstanding. They were excellent in their roles, making us laugh as well as cry. Of course, Kim Hye Eun as Yang Chan Mi, the fencing coach, and Seo Jae Hee as Shin Jae Kyung, He Doo's mother, deserve special mention. Without them, the drama would have felt incomplete. They did an excellent job portraying their characters and fitting them into the story.
When it comes to the plot, I enjoyed the fencing theme as well as the story's pace. It wasn't too quick or too slow. It was perfect. The drama explored various emotions while maintaining the suspense for its climax. The drama really did have some problems when it neared the end, which was mostly because of the screenwriting, I guess.
The first issue was that the drama, which had been so upbeat and optimistic until the 14th episode, abruptly turned negative and hinted at ending on a sad note (and so did it). Some audiences found this difficult to accept, and as a result, they deducted points from their ratings. Also, in the last two episodes, the characters felt a little disconnected from themselves, as if they weren't their true selves.
The second was that by not introducing some characters, such as Kim Min Chae's father, and this made some characters, particularly the older Na He Doo and Kim Min Chae herself, feel out of place and unnecessary. Furthermore, they could have ended the drama on a happier note by showing that He Doo and Ye Jin were happy and had moved on from their breakup. Even if the leads did not end up together, there would have been no problem for the audience. Any way, let bygones are bygones. Personally, I liked the ending and appreciate the fact that it wasn't a fairy-tale ending.
This drama had really good OSTs that evoked the audience's emotions and brought a 90s vibe into the presence. There are nine tracks in total, and nearly all of them have a very passionate, nostalgic, yet profound feeling:
"Starlight" (스타라이트) by Taeil (NCT)
"I'll Shine on You to Dazzle" (눈이 부시도록 너를 비춰줄게) by Bae Ki-sung
"Very, Slowly" (아주, 천천히) by BIBI
"Your Existence" (존재만으로) by Wonstein
"Go!" by DK (Seventeen)
"Stardust Love Song" by Jihyo (Twice)
"With" by Kim Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, Lee Joo Myung
"Free" (가보자) by Xydo
"Your World" (너의 세상) by Seol Hoseung (SURL)
"With" and "Starlight" are my personal favourites.
Finally, I would recommend this drama to anyone looking for a good youth rom-com with a strong FL and an excellent depiction of friendship. However, if you believe that the ending is the most important aspect of a drama or if you dislike sad or bittersweet endings, this drama is not for you. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and would gladly rewatch it at some point of time.
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Heartwarming and Special ❤️
Twenty-five twenty-one is a youth-life record of 5 friends. It's about their bonding, their struggles, dreams and how they grew up. 25-21 is a beautiful journey that keeps you entertained till the end. It's nostalgic, funny, gloomy and inspiring. The overall concept of this drama from 1998 to 2021 has impressed me.So what did I like so much in this drama?
✧ It has a dynamic story that made me emotional many times. I could feel for all of them and I literally smiled and cried along with them… a special mention to the screenwriter Kwon Do Eun for making this so special. The dialogues are absolute perfection. Even normal phrases appeared like quotes.
✧ the suspense. I bet no drama had so many "endgame theories" lol. I was quite satisfied with the ending. I do have some mysteries left unanswered in my mind but I don't mind them much. As compared to this destination they've reached, the journey was far more precious.
✧ Romance is definitely one of the main themes here and you'll end up rooting for our main "rainbow couple." They're the reason I rated this so high.
✧ I love things related to sports in dramas and two of the leads (Na Hee Do and Ko Yu rim) acted as fencers. It had many fencing matches and struggles as a player. I appreciate taking fencing as the main sport which is not a very famous game. And Coach Yang is still the best. “Don’t ever forget how you earned a new opportunity. Whenever you’re having a hard time, remind yourself how difficult it was to start.” – Coach Yang
✧ They chose the "right cast". They look like a bunch of silly teenagers who seek out their part of happiness. Their transition from being childish to understanding things slowly, being mature, taking decisions, falling and learning is beautiful.
✧ so many loveable characters ~
Na Hee-do (Kim Tae Ri) is my favorite character and it will be difficult to move on from this drama just because I was habitual to this voice for the past month. She is like sunshine. It's her straightness, her thoughts and her hardworking spirit that I fell for. At one scene she said "It feels better when I turn my tragedy into comedy." Gosh! How can someone not love her.
Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo hyuk) – He is not your forever perfect male lead and he gets sad, weak and tries to make things better. The way he and hee do become each other's hope is so heartwarming. “Because you give me hope. And I want more for you and it makes me want to do well too” – Baek Yijin
Ko Yu-rim (Bona) – Yu rim is the proud fencing gold medalist and Hee do's inspiration. She has her own problems. She is hardworking and honest at least. “It’ll probably hurt if you lose it all. But what matters is that you’ve had it at one point.” – Yu Rim
Ji Seung-wan (Lee Joo Myung) – I like her uprightness and being like the silent topper of the group. Also I love her changed look for the later half. Those perms look absolutely beautiful on her.
Moon Ji-woong (Choi Hyun Wook) – the loveable part of him is his nature. He's so carefree, chilled out and supportive. I like his bond with Seung wan.
✧ On the side note, they also show us different types of bonds between parents and children going through different conflicts… so they touch many small topics and present them in the most endearing way.
✧ OSTs —
I'm no critic in music but since this had many many songs I'll list the ones that I liked listening to often ~
❥ starlight – by Taeil (NCT) ( just my type of song )
❥ with – sung by all 5 leads ( just the news that they all sang it together made me happy. it's slow, soothing and the lyrics is beautiful. this song sums up all the feelings of the drama )
❥ I'll shine on you – Bae Ki Sung ( this is just the right thing for karaoke )
In the end, do you like youth based dramas with enough emotional ups and downs, realistic stories of growth, characters chasing their dreams and character development. If yes? Do give twenty-five twenty-one a try!
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oh....my.
wow...I know I am not alone in feeling incredibly disappointed in how this drama turned out. what started out as a hopeful coming of age story about growing up and finding your place in the world...ended with an hour of "your friendships of youth are meant to be kept in the past...deal with it :)"Twenty-Five, Twenty-One started out (and, honestly, continued to be until about episode 14) as one of the most genuine, engaging, and hopeful dramas I had seen in a long time. the characters were charming, but also human, with flaws and development that really made you feel like you were growing up with them. their friendships were the kind that had struggles, but as they grew up, they learned how to navigate these conflicts. it showed the realities of growing up, young love, and finding your place in the world.
and then it totally crashed and burned.
here's the thing, I actually am all for bittersweet, or even sad, endings. I just did not feel like this one did the story justice. it was such a...non-ending, that it felt like a cheap cop-out to get an emotional reaction, which was in stark contrast to the rest of the drama, where each of the emotional moments was in the story for an obvious developmental reason. I knew from the start that this drama would probably not have a "happy" ending, but nonetheless, I was very disappointed in this.
the ending, which provided no true closure for anyone but Hee-Do (kind of), felt like it was communicating a message that any friendship that happens in your childhood is...intended to be left there? that none of the youthful love or hope you have can follow you into adulthood... this, paired with how melancholy adult Hee-Do seems to feel about her life, was incredibly strange in contrast to the other 14 episodes of character development and hopeful storytelling.
all in all, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I feel like this drama was designed to be watched while it aired, and it created great engagement in the audience due to this fact...and maybe this is why the ending felt short. they kept the "mystery" going for too long, in a way that did not leave them time to truly flesh out the ending. I am not sure. I feel like they could have kept the "open ending" concept, and just tweaked it a bit... showing us that some of the friendship group were still in touch, or something...the fact the drama went to such great lengths to keep all the side couples together, and then threw out not only the main couple's romance but also their very long friendship so abruptly... hm. it just felt incredibly out of place and incredibly disappointing.
perhaps this is all a testament to how lovely the first chunk of the drama was! I highly recommend the first 14 or so episodes...but save yourself and do not watch the finale. it is not worth it.
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'therapy' review for my own sake
This, my dear readers, is my way to try 'move' on from this drama, or better, from that ending, through the 5 stages of grief...With all due respect to that ending, I really needed this 'therapy' review for my own mental and emotional wellbeing, and hopefully it can help the future audience too, who are somewhat heartbroken from that finale.
So let me begin, the 5 stages of grief...
'DENIAL'
Really!? This was it? This can't be it right? There has to be one more episode that I'm not aware of! If not, what's with all those fragments of the past, in her present life? From the red car, her shop's name and those rainbow chairs in that shop etc? Were they just 'aesthetics'? Were we all just a bunch of overthinkers? Is this pain on us then?!
'ANGER'
How could everyone else in the drama get their 'happily-ever-after' but not them? Even Seung Wan managed to get a reunion with a potential 'partner' in that 2mins of the finale, which, reminder, started with a greeting of freaking 10+ years ago!! Seriously!? So we can go to that extent to reunite them (I'm very happy for them btw), but we couldn't possible work out a way to make our lead couple end up together too? Are we kidding here? After all that they've been through? If time and distance and 'life' is what stopped them from being together, how did YuRim and JiWoong work out? Of course to each their own, but it's Baek YiJin and Na HeeDo we are talking about! You want me to believe THEY couldn't make it work!? THEM? The pair that went through it all?! All that good bad and worse of times they've been through?! All that for this? An ending that's labelling it all as a mere 'first-love's fate? Why make them both so mature and understanding in that relationship, in that 'love-that-betters' of theirs, to only end it, without even giving it another attempt? And the fact that the present HeeDo is even regretting that decision, while she is the one who actually initiated that breakup! Really? WHy make her regret her decision now?! It feel even worse!
'BARGAINING'
I'm someone who doesn't like open endings, but for this drama I'm not sure which is more painful, this or if they showed an open ending instead...Would all the 'what-ifs' make it better?
What if during their last embrace, under that cherry blossom, they promised to give it another try, rather than a 'goodbye'? Would we have had a different ending now? I can't believe that the YiJin and HeeDo, that we've known for the past 15 eps, would given up that easily, especially on this love of theirs. I feel like it was all because of time, both in the drama and outside the drama. In the drama because, well 'life' happened, outside drama, because I really think that if there were more episodes, like even one more, they could have reunited sometime after that 'break-up' and find their way back somehow, I have that much fate in them!
What if in that last scene, when older Na HeeDo visits that tunnel, to say 'goodbye' to that younger Baek YiJin, and she returns to her red car, to find an older Baek YiJin behind the steering wheels, telling her 'enough of past regrets, we are together now, that's what matters!' with that smile of his that's only reserved for HeeDo. What if they were married all along, and I'm sure we can come up with some logical explanations behind how that happened, at least that would still make more sense than how they couldn't resolve their issue and be together!
'DEPRESSION'
I feel like at the moment I'm still in the anger phase, so the pain is not sinking in yet, no matter how much tears I've shed, the weight still seems to be there sadly.
...ACCEPTANCE
I'm sure one day, just like MinChae reading her mom's diary, I'll look back at this drama with a bitter-sweet smile on my face, but in this instance, I don't think I'm strong enough to accept it yet, I need time...apparently HeeDo managed to forget all about that beautiful memory in the beach, so I think I can probably feel less bitter about this ending too, IN FACT HeeDo managed to freaking move on from her first love, a 'BaekYiJin-NaHeeDo' type of first love at that, and actually merry another person, so I'm sure I can move on from this pain of the ending too, I hope...
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Okay apart from me 'grieving' that ending, I'm well aware that we can't belittle a whole drama by its ending only, especially for this drama, which is much more that that!
But happy-endings, in the traditional sense of the leads ending up together, matters a lot to me, and endings in general are break or make for me. That is why I was contemplating a lot about what rating to give for this 'masterpiece' if only we don't include that ending. Should I give it a low rating because of how it scarred me with that finale, or a high rating because of how much joy it bought me throughout its run. So I came with the conclusion, that you never know, there could have been an even more painful ending ( I'm not emotionally available to think of its logic and details now, but you get the point), plus I like to believe in journeys being more 'important' than destinations, and what a journey that it was!! So here's me celebrating this wonderful journey, regardless of how it ended and its few/many? unanswered questions.
HIGHLIGHTS
~the complex characters----- some were more complex than others of course, due to screen time, but as a whole, the amount of effort put to make those characters '3D' instead of some 'plot-devices' is commendable!
~the screenplay -----the incorporation of real life events, the nostalgic setting of the past, how that changes over time, the narrative style, and how the whole story unfolds is just art! The beautiful cinematography is a bonus!
~the acting-----where to start from? I was seeing everyone's work for the first time, except for Nam Joo Hyuk, so although I had no expectation of others, I was not expecting much from him either to be completely honest, but I can't express it enough, how impressed I am of his performance. Be it because of the opportunity to play a complex character, or him improving over the years or them both, but he pulled off Baek YiJin perfectly! So when he said in an interview, to look at his acting career as before and after 2521, I think that's exactly it! Writing a wonderful character can sometimes fall short, if you can't find the right vessel to play it, and not only he did justice to this character, he freaking owned it! From Baek YiJin's restrained self at the start, to him gradually warming up to happiness again, to his heart-wrenching break downs, it really felt like he lived every single of those moments. The same can be said for Kim Tae Ri, what a wonderful job that they've done, makes me look forward to their future roles.
TAKE HOME MEMORIES...
The whole drama is actually filled up with good, bitter-sweet memories, and with many hints of this imminent ending, I guess it's on us that we tried to see pass those hints for a final twist, so here's me trying to stop understanding the logic behind it all, and simply 'accepting' it as it is. Afterall it gave us so many wonderful moments, it would be too harsh to not appreciate them enough due to how it ended, so here's me 'letting go' of this drama, on 'good terms', Baekdo style:
''You comforted me just by being there.'' Na HeeDo
''I now know what perfect happiness is.'' -Baek YiJin
So will I shed some more tears again, seeing their break up scenes in the future? Yes, probably...
But I'm still happy for them, how far they've come, what they've achieved and the impact they left in each other's life.
And I'm glad I've got to experience it all, as an audience!
(I guess I've eventually made it to the acceptance phase of grief after all heheh)
P.S. This was really it huh
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Of Nostalgia and Regrets
“Nothing lasts forever. Everything is momentary. They all flow away. And that’s not always a bad thing.”—Na Hee Do (Twenty-five, Twenty-one)
The ending may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I like that it is meaningful, realistic and bittersweet but with proper closure. I encountered so many emotions watching this drama and I’m not complaining. I enjoyed the ride from beginning to end. I can make a good reaction paper on the ending, trust me. :p
I think Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee-do help inspire each other’s dreams and become better persons, and the way that that unfolds means that they can’t end up together but that their love isn’t any less important or real.
And even if she and Yijin didn’t end up together, Heedo married someone else and has a child (Kim Min Chae) as revealed, 2125 celebrates those loves that came in our youth (friendship and passion) and that they’re just as important as the love you have now. Heedo and Yijin share a memory that is only theirs that is pure and special that no one can take away.
At the end of it all, it’s about how important each person is in your journey, friends or lovers, in wherever you’re going in life.
“My diary from those days is filled with just love & friendship. A time when friendship & love were all that mattered in life. A time like that lasts only a moment. I hope Min Chae experiences such passion as well. A rowdy friendship and passionate love. Because those brief moments are what make your long life shine.” -Na Hee Do, 2021
Will I recommend this? Yes! In fact I am rewatching it a second time, now with a relaxed heart and mind.
P.S. This is so far my favorite Nam Joo Hyuk performance in a drama. He has definitely broke away from the previous role he played in Start-up that many fans didn’t like. He’s back on the game! Kim Tae-ri, as always flawless performance. I have no major complaints with the acting, soundtrack, technicals, all on point.
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A masterpiece indeed ...
You probably looking for another tvn-Netflix masterpiece after a small gap and here is the answer - 25 21 . Actually for me it was it's okay to not be okay before this, But now it must be 25 21 is my first choice if i need to decide from both. Twenty Five Twenty is the reality, pure slice of life drama with a stunning cast.For your knowledge, if you are looking for a rom com with a cliche type of plot then it's not for you. Because the romance is only a small part of the drama, there is not much role for rom. This is actually the life which so many people can relate, drama mainly narrating the story between five people and their life journey. thier friendship, Hardship and struggles, happiness, Sadness, dicision making, Choice, Some regrets. etc. The drama has so many things to discuss with you.
Every episode is worth and for the last 3 episodes I don't know what i can say. Just amazing, life is all about dicision making and right choices which you not regret later here is no room for some forced scenes, just follow the orginal script and make a masterpiece out of it and they did it. Especially the finale episode was particularly i liked a lot. The way they finished just wow. I expected this but the experience which i got was something really special..
The come back of Kim Taeri into drama land was gifted a special drama which i can remember for a long time. All the others actor's were also good. Twenty Five Twenty One is must must watch drama if you love slice of life plots.
Really happy ?
#N45Views
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Nam Joohyuk and Kim Taeri are phenomenal! The way they carried this drama by adding their own touch to their characters. I've always been amazed with Nam Joohyuk because he did so well in (WLKBJ, The Light in your Eyes, Josee, Start-up) . The fact that he did different roles in each of his project kinda reflect the kind of actor he is. And the fact that he completely change Baek Yijin's original character to his own interpretation. Outstanding.
As for Kim Taeri, i actually never heard of her before. But she really left a deep impression. Who would've believe that she's actually 32 y/o? She brings Na Heedo to life. She's a perfect female lead I've ever seen. Strong, immature but also mature, determine... Na Heedo is such a loveable character and i love her so much
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Does the journey matter or does the ending?
Okay, if you're one of those people that think "how it ends doesn't matter, it's the journey that counts" then you'll probably rate this really highly and love it from start to finish. If you're the type of person who needs things to be wrapped up cleanly with closure — me — then the show will leave you with a lot of mixed feelings.To start with, the vibe of the show is pretty much perfect. I really loved Heedo's character and how the themes were incorporated into the show — dreams, efforts, happiness, friendships, different types of love, supporting each other from afar...it was all just really beautiful. I still love all the friendships in this, and for the most part the time jumps were done really well with us seeing how the characters grew into adulthood and went about their lives after growing and learning from each other.
It's the last few episodes (15 & 16) that really take a different turn. There were really multiple ways to write a "realistic" story and the writers picked the one that, to me, felt as though it went against a lot of the inspiring hope that we had gotten in the rest of the show. There were crazy time jumps in the last episode and the past and present timelines never felt like they converged with closure. The last episode was just kind of miserable, except for a few side characters that really saved it.
Speaking of which, I felt like present timeline was just really unnecessary from start to finish. The characters never felt like themselves (even if they were the same actors) and it really felt like it was included either to (1) show how time passed and Heedo's daughter Minchae was dealing with the same thing (to which I would say nobody really cared about her story and everyone only cared about the 90s timeline) or (2) to purposefully throw off the audience. Either way, it felt disjointed and unnecessary. It didn't provide closure either — the questions we started with still persisted, and we never saw the other main characters again.
Overall, this was still such a comfort show for me for so many weeks. There are some iffy parts that I wish it touched more on but overall I thought all the character arcs were thought out thoroughly. It just kind of sucks that the writers picked the route they did.
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Age of Youth
Juggling life as a teenager growing up in the 1990s while carrying the nation’s hopes for sporting glory? That’s what this drama is entirely about as it revolves around Na Hee Do’s coming of age as a young woman and as the rising star of South Korean fencing.25-21 is presented in a non-linear storytelling approach from the perspective of Na Hee Do’s daughter in the present day, who comes across her mother’s diary which provides an account of her life during her younger days. Viewers are then taken back in time to the 1990s, the main setting of the narrative, through a prolonged series of flashbacks. We get to observe Na Hee Do navigating her way through countless challenges that life throws at her while also developing close friendships with the people that she encounters and, of course, experiencing her first love. Simply put, this drama is about slice-of-life, youth themes, friendship, sports and, yes, romance too.
This TVN production which is streamed on Netflix is helmed by Jung Ji Hyun, the director of notable productions such as The King: Eternal Monarch and Search: WWW, the screenwriter of which also wrote the screenplay for this drama, Kwon Do Eun. Kim So Yeon (not to be confused with the actress; who had also directed Kim Tae Ri in the 2017 film, Moon Young) provides the artistic direction while Im Ha Young (Hometown ChaChaCha) serves as music director.
Since broadcast began, 25-21 has maintained the top spot in the South Korean popularity rankings for 7 consecutive weeks, placing first in viewership ratings for 12 consecutive times (in both the Metropolitan Area and nationally). At the time of writing, it has been featured in Netflix's "Global Top 10" (non-English edition), a weekly list of the most-watched international Netflix series, for five weeks in a row.
The story is set primarily in Ahyeon-dong, in the Mapo District of Seoul. The principal photography, which is based on a live-shoot system, took place across a variety of exciting and gorgeous filming locations including Jeonju, Seohak-dong, Jeonju Hanok Village, Jeonju National University of Education's dormitory alley, and the National Heritage Center.
Sharing a bit of trivia concerning the drama. Both main leads, Kim Tae Ri and Nam Joo Hyuk, had tested positive for Covid on separate occasions during filming which had halted productions momentarily but fortunately the broadcast scheduling was not affected. In terms of the historical accuracy of the competitions depicted (Singapore 1997, Madrid 2001) and Asian Games (Gyeongju 1999), the Olympics and Asian Games are never held in odd-years while the editions referenced had actually taken place in different host countries. Additionally the women’s fencing saber event, which Na Hee Do and Go Yu Rim specialise in, was only adopted as an official Olympic event for Athens 2004. Obviously the drama is fictional and events are dramatised for the benefit of viewers so historical accuracy really has no major impact on the plot at all.
What I Generally Liked
As far as this drama is concerned, personally I have absolutely no complaints over the production values and technical execution, which are amongst the best that I’ve seen in recent memory. Top notch cinematography and special effects rendering, quality production designs and obviously the numerous filming locations add to the beauty of the visuals. The sporting aspect comprising the fencing choreography and stunts is quite impressive, as is the post-production editing. Even the title sequence is nicely put together. This is an extremely well produced drama indeed.
There isn’t much to criticise in terms of the casting and the all-round performances of the leads as well as major supporting characters either. Kim Tae Ri is 31 years old but manages to pull off the depiction of an 18-year old Na Hee Do. She not only looks the part physically but behaves very much like one as well, which is quite amazing in and of itself. I’ve been a huge fan since her Mr Sunshine days and she doesn’t let me down here with a near flawless and absolutely endearing performance that made her my favourite character in the show.
I’ve seen Nam Joo Hyuk around but most notably in The School nurse Files. Playing the ML Baek Yi Jin here, he has won the hearts of many viewers and unsurprisingly so as he demonstrates an impressive range while exuding much charm, tenderness and fragility to his portrayal. Amongst the supporting cast deserving of mention include the likes of Bona as Go Yu Rim, Seo Jae Hee as Hee Do’s mum, and Kim Hye Eun as the fencing coach. Look out as well for memorable appearances made by Choi Myung Bin (The King’s Affection) as Hee Do’s daughter, and Kim So Hyun, a renowned South Korean musical singer, as the present day Hee Do.
Music plays a big part in this drama not only by evoking the emotional connection and ambience but also in drawing the 90s vibes. Featuring a total of 9 tracks that range from the upbeat and inspiring to the deeply touching. My personal favourites are the retro beats of the opening theme, Starlight by Taeil, and I’ll Shine on You by Bae Ki Sung.
What Ultimately Proved Contentious
The only aspect that ultimately proved controversial, certainly to the many viewers and myself included, which provoked profoundly passionate debates as well as creative postulating of theories not only here in MDL but also around the world (judging from the internet) is the plot itself.
For the record, I truly enjoyed most of the drama, especially up to around say episode 14. After that, the plot trajectory sort of went sideways for me, in particular the out-of-character final episode which was rather surprising considering how consistent the screenplay had been in general.
I don’t speak for others but there are two key issues for me…
1. From a subjective point of view, which relates more to personal preferences rather than any fault of the script, I would have preferred a more positive and feel-good outcome. Regardless of whether any ship sailed or what became of the endgame, and the age-old argument about “realism through tragedy” to reflect real life instead of an unrealistic or impractical “Walt Disney happy ending”, I honestly do wish that the screenwriter could have dispensed with the overdramatics, the at times overwhelming air of negativity and pain in the final arc of the drama.
2. From an objective perspective, something which contradicts the intended realism that the writer is trying to infuse in the story, is that viewers (or maybe just me) have no inclination as to who Na Hee Do’s actual husband is. Not with absolute certainty anyway. This begs the question of why? Whoever he is does not appear at all in that capacity either in the past or present.
I strongly suspect that because this is a live-shoot drama, perhaps the screenwriter was strongly influenced by the initial ratings success and rave reviews garnered during airing that she must have felt compelled to “sensationalise or tease” the rapidly growing number of viewers and fandom to such extent that certain characterizations regressed while the eventual closure raised more questions than provided much needed answers instead.
Final Thoughts
TLDR - the first 14 episodes were great and I truly enjoyed them. The last 2 were disappointing, in addition to a few other turns of events along the way. Is this worth watching? I would still recommend it but be prepared for the dissatisfying ending.
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A Refreshing Take on Age Gap Romances.
Disclaimer: I'm not the type to usually watch age gap romances, but I will admit I am a sucker for Nam Joo Hyuk LOL so here we go!Storyline: 10/10
Everytime I've watched a kdrama with an age gap, I'm immediately disgusted by how the (usually) male lead sees the younger woman romantically right off the bat. Especially when it's a minor and it's one of those "forbidden loves". But this story takes a wonderful spin on it. The male lead even explicitly says: "minors should date minors, adults should date adults". And even in the way the two characters talk, you can tell that the male lead knows to set a boundary and doesn't treat a minor girl like a "woman" so to speak. It's the bare minimum, but it's always lovely to see respectful characters. Aside from the main characters, the storyline itself is refreshing too. It's a bit sad since it's based on the IMF crisis, but it's got a good mix of sadness and hope. You don't feel weighed down by the heaviness of the situation but it's never a childish hope either. It's simply the world through the two leads' eyes: hope for the female lead since she is young and full of dreams and realism for the male lead since he's older and his dreams have been tarnished.
Acting/Cast: 10/10
Personally, I've watched Nam Joo Hyuk's dramas since 2017 onward and it's amazing to see how much he has improved. His facial expressions are better, his movements are more fluid. He's got Baek Yi-Jin nailed for me so far. Sad but kind, and just enough quick quips to be endearing. Now, this is my first time seeing Kim Tae-ri, but she is phenomenal. I was shocked to learn she's 30 because of her youthful face and her wonderful acting. She fits the part with her expressions, and you really feel like you're watching the character come alive and not an actor. I will definitely be watching more of her once this show finishes airing!
Music: 8/10
The music is quite good, I think it fits the retro vibe without any overkill. That's pretty much all I've got to say on that, but it's a sweet tune that adds to the vibe!
Rewatch Value: 10/10
As of now, it's hard to say whether I'd watch this show again since it's still going. But for now, I'm loving the way the show is moving and these characters.
Alright that's my review! I hope this can be helpful to anyone on the fence about watching this amazing drama. =)
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Kim Tae Ri does it yet again..
Hm, i fell for the ole adrenaline rush after completing this drama for the first time. I’ve given this a rewatch recently and.. i was reminded of the many small aspects that didn’t sit well at all with me. This section alone will be an update of my thoughts with a clear head this time as to those bumps in the road i forgotten about. The first episode is,again, without a doubt the worse of this series, may i even say god awful when looked at separately instead of comparatively. Embarrassingly forced interactions(the club),amateur scenes and screenplay that were unbearable to sit through again(after school “brawl”),and underwhelming moments of acting where it could’ve hit the hardest. Pair these disaster moments along with the unfortunate nosedive the last two episodes took and it became very clear that i was too fixated on the highs of this drama and rated it beyond how i regularly would. Welp, that’s about it and some small revisions in my original review. Back to it.The main cast all served their roles decently enough so don’t get me wrong when i say this, but Kim Tae Ri OWNED this drama, easily her best performance out of all her works for me, and that says alot due to all of her previous works being damn good as well.
The first episode showcases the worst part of the drama , i think most of us can agree on that, because what a HELL OF A 360 the quality took from there. Don’t believe me? Give the very first two episodes a shot and tell me if you can even believe both were even from the same writer.
I’m not somebody that says a show is a must watch, but in my perspective I’ll definitely say that this drama is most certainly a must try, we all have different tastes and preferences, so this series obviously won’t be worth everyone’s time to sit through. The first 2 episodes are enough for a viewer to know rather the show is worth their time or not, anything further than that don’t bother, the quality skyrockets from the second episode and keeps that consistency the rest of the way.
Now there are obviously some hiccups in how they pushed towards the ending, and NO it didn’t showcase realism...In reality people don’t suddenly go blank in their decision making, the problem isn’t the end game despite many thinking so, the problem resided in the lack of effort in resolving and communicating. It didn’t make enough sense for me to believe Yi Jin would’ve taken that offer down New York knowing how hard it was to see Hee Do already, he became inspired in that field in the matter of months, not a childhood dream he longed striving for where he’d immediately put it before anything else. Maybe he thought Yu Rim did it why can’t he? Lol. Hee Do giving up that easily didn’t quite add up with her character consistency either, yes there’s the past conflicts with her mother because of similar issues but that doesn’t mean cut everything without trying to at least accommodate either of their paths to work out for one another. Putting that aside, “ both characters’ reasoning for their actions were clear and understandable, just paced poorly. I agree that it was extremely rushed at that point,still, the Pros far outweighs the cons , and i mean FAR. Undeniably a masterpiece that’ll be that staple slice of life, coming of age drama for alot of us.
It’s been quite the journey.. here’s to my 8 week long adrenaline rush,here’s to first love, here’s to the unforgettable experience. Until next time
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