Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

❤Nothing Lasts Forever, But The Impact Of This Drama Will.... ❤ 9/10

Extremely Good Writing+Great Acting+Phenomenal Chemistry+Awesome OSTs+90s vibe = 25 21 (MUST WATCH)
..
*SPOILER-FREE REVIEW*
It's a Rare Gem of a drama, It's been soo long since I have loved any Korean drama to give it=10/10...
The Story is Emotional, Endearing, Passionate, Healing.
Kudos to the writer for introducing such a Wonderful Story & Beautiful Characters.
All the Actors suit their respective roles perfectly and they have undoubtedly portrayed the Character Impressively.=10/10
(Kim Taeri said that Nam Joohyuk's Baek Yijin is Different from the Original Yijin) because he immersed himself in his roles so devotedly and gave us a Perfectly Imperfect Character Baek Yijin...
Great Portrayal of Na Heedo by Kim Tae Ri
This show has Awesome OSTs, (my Personal fav being the intro song and Very Slowly)=10/10
**It's totally a must-watch drama**
Every character has a unique element and you don't get bored throughout the drama... I couldn't skip a single scene in this drama(instead kept repeating many scenes, thus rewatch value =10/10) cause each scene is meaningful and important in the development of the Characters...
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**FROM HERE ONWARDS THE REVIEW CAN BE QUITE MESSED UP** BEAR with ME :P
This isn't a healing drama it's way more than that
More relaxing,
Makes u feel through it,
you laugh with them,
you cry with them,
you get angry at their mistakes,
You feel proud of their Accomplishment...
I don't think Anyone can regret watching this drama...
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PLOT:
Nam Joo Hyuk Plays the Part of a 21-year-old college student Baek YiJin who had to drop out due to his family crisis, though I don't have much knowledge about the IMF crisis it really must have been hard on those who were affected...
BUT in the dark phase of his life, he met and befriended 18 a free-spirited girl Na hee do (Kim Taeri) who as a friend became his ray of hope brought light to his darkness and gave him the courage to fight for himself instead of running away from his problem.
This story or the relation between Heedo and Yijin is beyond any intimate relation even when they are separated they rely on each other
(Heedo kept listening to Yijin's old recording finding them encouraging and something to miss him by)
(Yijin memorized her number and kept listening to her voice mail and kept going on with his life's tough time)
When the world was against Heedo even her mother didn't help her but Yijin was the only one who came forward and cleared her name...
You only need one person on your side to keep going and for HEEDO AND YIJIN, it was Themselves...
And
Simply
This
Drama
Gives
Us
A
Reason
To
Smile
Foolishly.
..
..
..
..
..
*S.P.O.I.L.E.R..A.H.E.A.D*
Things I Love:
PAST;
The bond between lead is unmatchable
It's really like A Rainbow... pleasing to the eyes
the more fun and cute na hee do is, the more calm and breathtaking Baek Yi Jin is,
They help each other become strong in life and they are always supporting each other even if they were apart...
The impact they have on each other's lives, everybody needs these types of friends in life...
...
Heedo loves fencing, she doesn't force it on herself, she does it because she enjoys it...
Yurim and Heedo are perfect examples of enemies to best friends...
Then our diaper buddies are the support system of this whole drama making it more enjoyable...
every character plays a meaningful part in this beautiful drama...
...
Things I Love:
PRESENT;
I love how Na Heedo's daughter is different from her mother and is way more mature than Heedo was at her age
and how she understands her grandma's feelings and the sacrifices she made...
and I'm very curious about what happens in the present times to all five of them...
...
EDIT: I HAVE STOPPED AT EPISODE 15 AND COULDNT CONTINUE
Cause the last episode has been spoiled for me soo much that I feel SAD watching the finale and I don't wanna cry...TT
..
if I think from a real pov: that's life sometimes we have to let go of people for their own benefit BUT even though it's understandable but it still hurts... Seeing much they cared and loved each other...
it was a damn Fiction Story they could have done it better, just for the sake of viewers who have invested in it BUT no, SERIOUSLY all the drama that are set in the 80s/90s time period gives us such disappointing endings like happy endings didn't existed at that time, they all love and are separated at the end either they die or this... TT
..
BUT A BREAKUP DOESN'T NECESSARILY STOP HER FROM LOVING HIMCAUSE AT THE END THEY ARE THE MEMORY OF HER YOUTHFUL DAYS AND SHE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM AS HER FIRST LOVE AND ONCE A BEST FRIEND...
LOVE YOU HEEDO AND YI JIN...
I'M GONNA CRY WHENEVER ILL THINK ABOUT THEM... TT

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this shit got me on my knees

This is genuinely a piece of fiction that will remain in my heart for a very long time, mashallah. It is a tearjerker in the sense that even the slightest mishaps that occur in the character's lives will bring you on your knees crying as the production regarding the ever-so-beautiful OST, the intimate acting, and the godly cinemaphotography.

STORY 9/10 for the most part of the series was truly something to remember, it is embodied by youth and teaches us many life lessons that will prove useful in our future experiences whether it be romantic, family and passion. However, there were some plot points that were explored in the beginning only to either be brushed away in a 2 minute scene or absolutely left unanswered.

CHARACTERS 9/10 every character had their own story but it was clear our side characters are as they are... side characters;. With the crazy length of each episode, you would think they would dive deeper into our side characters. Unfortunately, they did not bruv, absolutely buggered me. BUTT our main characters arcs are so well explored creating social

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Reality applied unevenly in the story

There has been many many great reviews of the story, so I will add only one that I have not seen anyone mentioned.

I agree that what happened to the main couple, and even the Class President (sorry, can't remember the name) are realistic. Those things happen in real life, even though we don't think great love like that of Baek Ji Yin and Na Hee Do should be like that. However, they are still just young adults. They still have so much to learn and grow.

However, my quibble is with the unrealistic achievements afforded to Yurim and Ji Wong. In real life, people with limited resources, as Yu rim's and Ji Wong's background were depicted, face a lot of obstacle when starting their own business. Passion and skills alone are not going to be enough. Funding is a big one. I can see that Yurim has a better chance to open her fencing school. However, given Ji Wong's family circumstance, where did he realistically get the support and resource to start a company that can buy and sell high quality products? The story would have been much more in line with the desire to be real if Ji Wong had a thriving blog but not a CEO of a successful company after 7 years.

Does it sound like I am salty? Yes, I am. :)

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realistic story

i crying over this best 2022 kdrama ever, i can't move on even after months and never rewatch cause this "congratulations on your wedding" traumatized T_______T but i like kim taeri, bona and nam joohyuk's acting here hoping next project for both of them. my fav scene is when baek yijin break up with na heedo thats hurt so bad and i got a moral message that what is forever close to us may not necessarily be together. even i totally agree that na heedo husband is not published because it will ruin the expectations of the audience including me, better not to know.

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You must watch this drama!!

This story will get you immersed. You'll laugh, cry and be with them until they reach their own dreams. Main cast and other casts are all good actors. They really showed the right emotion every scene that they are acting. One of my fave scenes is when Baek Yi Jin had to sub for the guitarist during the school festival, I feel the scene when Na Hee Do looked at Baek Yi Jin during the stage and Baek Yi Jin smiled and looked back during his times. AAAAAAA I love them so much, all scenes are worth watching! I will never forget the bus stop scene, I cried so much and so many thoughts kept ringing on my head. Also the Full House scenes, fencing matches, beach trip and the nostalgia from 1998. How they meet and how they progressed, the scenes from the tunnel!!! I learned a lot and I relate so much with this drama. I hope you watch it too! :)

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A little jewel

I am truly in love with this drama. And for people who are used to my comments, I never say this.

The thing is, everything about this drama is so poetic and gives you a nostalgic feeling even if you never lived in Korea at that time period or even if you were too young (or not born) to remember how the end of ghe 90’s and beginning of the 20’s were. In that, the drama is very strong.

I won’t say much about the performances, everyone is on point, they don’t over do it and don’t lack in any way. You get attached to all of them. And again this is how strong the drama is.

The cinematography, the music everything is very poetic to me.

What I like the most is how every details matters. Who knew there was an old korean song holding all the meaning of this drama and its ending before you reach it ? And the directing is giving it to you.

If I had to point out one drawback it would not be the end. As I said, if you are ok with the meaning of the song (same name as the drama for thos who don’t know) and the fact that the drama is a time traveling to a forgotten time, the ending is good. So the only drawback I have is the Na Hee do as a mom and the teenager Na hee do are too far apart to me. Of course we all grow up, get wiser blah blah blah but to me there is absolutely nothing similar to old versus young Na Hee do… and it should be important. As we are opening and ending with the old Na hee Do (sorry spoiler), we want the young one to make that bridge that will connect each other and it is missing. I think it was a cast problem.. (maybe).

otherwise, great !

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First Love

The title alone should already warn us of the ending but some didn't take the hint.

Likes
1. The friendship between Heedo and Yurim was my fave part. All their final matches and when Heedo retired ?
2. Heedo and Yijin's relationship. It was the right love at the wrong time. Maybe if they met in their 30s they could have handled the relationship better.
3. Yurim and Jiwoong's happy ever after is a contrast to H&Y. Despite the LDR they still made it work. Maybe coz they didnt have a lot of issues to deal with.
4. The fashion, the music of the 90s I can relate.
5. I love sports themed dramas so i love watching all the fencing scenes.

Dislikes
1. I think the present timeline wasnt necessary. Maybe because they used a different actress to play Heedo and she had a very different vibe from the younger Heedo. It makes you think what happened to her all these years and how her youth and passionate love shaped her into who she is now but we didnt get any of that. Instead I felt like she only had closure when she found her diary. Who did she marry and was she happy?
2. We also dont see what happened to older Yijin aside from being UBS anchor.
3. I didnt mind the ending, just wish it was stronger and made more impact. But otherwise this was almost perfect.

Rating: 9/10

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I hate to love it

I am absolutely livid at how this show ended. This was one of the best love stories I've seen in a kdrama in ages. I haven't felt so captured by the two lead's emotions and the story as I did in Twenty-Five-Twenty-One and it hurt when you find out that they didn't end up together. The actors and story did such a good job in making the viewer believe in love and then they rip it out from underneath you. I've set the rewatch value at such a low rating because I don't think I can put myself through that kind of pain again. Like I avoid these types of painful situations in my own life for a REASON. I'M TOO WEAK AND WILL NEED TIME TO RECOVER AFTER WATCHING THIS.

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Better Than Expected

Every so often I get this urge to binge-watch recent k-dramas and this happened to be included this time. Tbh, I'd scrolled past it for a few weeks before finally giving it a chance. Honestly I'm glad I did. The characters and chemistry was so good! I loved how everyone evolved over time and the character development. Also, let's not forget about the music. I actually first heard about this drama when it was announced that DK was doing an OST for it. It's such a good song; along with literally every other song on the sound track. This is one of those come of age, feel good type dramas. I highly recommend it.

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realistic, overall the drama is unique and different from your average clingy romance plot

[please don't read this unless you've finished the drama!]

this is my first time writing a review and i'd like to keep this as short as possible haha, overall this was one of best kdrama i've watched. amazing plotline and again it was realistic. of course, the ending wasn't something that'd make you smile, but nevertheless it was still beautiful. it portrayed how your first love or your greatest love wouldn't always be there with you forever and how you should move on with life regardless of what happened in the past; a lesson on life. on a side note, i've also seen people being confused on who heedo married and in my opinion, i don't think the identify of him matters at all. i believe the writers just wanted to show how heedo had moved on from yijin and was able to live her life and finding a new partner.

aside from the ending, the overall plot is still very refreshing and is something that you'd enjoy, this drama clearly showed youth in the 1990s, as a teenager myself, this drama reminded me that i should be spending my teenage life on something fun instead of wasting time staring at a screen. moreover, the drama itself is actually pretty healing for me, (not included the ending ofc, i cried for 2 days straight for that.). the most beautiful thing in this drama is how the main leads starts from supporting eachother, being there for eachother into falling inlove. it was a natural process and not rushed at all. out of all the kdramas i've watched, i was most jealous of their relationship. even if the ending wasn't what you'd expect, they still loved eachother with their whole heart and did not regret falling inlove. meeting eachother made their lives and youth shine brighter than before, a fateful encounter.

i don't think heedo left yijin, nor did yijin left heedo. it was fate who left them.

some reviews have mentioned this before and i'd like to mention it again. the ending is what make 2521 unique from any kdramas. the writers did not attempt to force the main leads together and i appreciate them for that. the ending was probably the most realistic one. watching 2521 was a refreshing and nice journey for me. i enjoyed it very much and to the person reading this, i hope you've had a great ride in 2521 too! <3

alright, time to study for my exams now haha, again i hoped you enjoyed 2521 and have a nice day!

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It just felt incomplete but yet loved it

I loved this drama with all my heart and everything from the very begining. I loved how it explored friendship, goals and might I dare say love. It had everything. This series gave me butterflies and made me cry at some points. How I kept on silently rooting for both Na Hee-Do and Baek Yi-Jin. How I cried every time Hee-do won and celebrated with her friends. This series really showed how friends grow apart but still play a great role in Every step of your life. Reminded me of my college buddies and how we all went different ways and still are there for eachother always to support each other. The cast was just amazing and acting was perfect except the middle aged Na Hee-Do. She kinda ruined the character's vibe tbh. The tracks were great too. The story was so nice to watch and of course I desperately wanted a happy ending but didn't get one which was okay too. The drama really taught us that not every fluffy love story has a happy ending. I was not dissapointed at the fact that they didn't end up together but I was more dissapointed at how they ended the series without proper explanations. At some point of the drama it was indicated that Na Hee-Do didn't have much connection with her friends anymore. The show never really told anything about that later. They never showed us if they actually got apart or just weren't friends anymore. They never finished Ko Yu-Rim's story. And the worst was they never showed Na Hee-Do's husband. I really was hoping to see her husband or at least their family photo to know who she actually ended up with. And what happened to Baek Yi-Jin.. Was he married too? Ughhh so many questions and not a single answer and yet THIS is one of my favourite dramas. Netflix you owe us some answers baby. Give us a season 2 or at least a special episode or something. We really need some closures.
So to summarize It felt incomplete but yet I loved it

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A very bittersweet story about love, hard work, friendships, fate and facing the inevitable. I very much enjoyed the story as it was so much different from your regular Korean dramas. The plot was very refreshing, and even the side characters had an interesting character development overall.

While most topics about the ending and relationships were discussed in many of the existing reviews, I just wanted to say personally, the ending didn't work for me. Maybe it's because I had too many unanswered questions about Na Hee Do's year's leading up to her marriage and then having a daughter. Hence, I wasn't that satisfied with how the show was executed towards the final episodes.

I'd say a very good watch because of the rather interesting story and the visuals, worth the hype that it gets.

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