Netflix and tvN’s Twenty-Five Twenty-One starring Nam Joo-hyuk as Baek Yi-jin and Kim Tae-ri as Na Hee-do can perhaps be best described as showcasing a chapter of youth and of life. One that inevitably ends, but nevertheless creates a lifelong impact.
Twenty Five Twenty One begins with Kim Min-chae (Choi Myung-bin) deciding to run away to her grandmother’s house after a nervous withdrawal from her ballerina competition. Min-chae’s mom, Na Hee-do is a famous retired fencer. Once at her grandmother’s house, we see Min-chae discovering Hee-do’s diaries and with it, a young Hee-do’s story.
Once a prodigy, but in a slump at the beginning of the drama, Hee-do faces the harsh effects of reality around her when her school fencing team is scrapped due to the IMF crisis of South Korea. Nevertheless, she is determined to not give up and is keen on transferring schools to where her biggest fencing idol, Ko Yu-rim (WJSN’s Bona) goes to. Set in the late 1990s, the IMF crisis is a pertinent backdrop to the drama, and its various effects on the common people are shown through the characters, especially Baek Yi-jin, whose family has gone bankrupt. The once super rich, sports-car-driving Yi-jin is forced to take up odd jobs as his family scatters to different towns across the country to support themselves. It is on the first day of such a job, as a newspaper boy, that he meets an upset Hee-do, trying to convince her mom to let her change schools.
Nostalgia is written all over the series as it documents Hee-do’s rise to becoming a national champion. She finds friends in childhood buddies Ji Seung-wan (Lee Joo-myung) and Moon Ji-woong (Choi Hyun-wook) who are equal parts sincere and chaotic and eventually, in Ko Yu-rim. Together, with Baek Yi-jin, they form the perfect friend group, cheerful, chaotic and supportive, perhaps like we all want. Along with the relationships, the times around them change and it is documented with precision through the characters’ reactions and changes in their situation.
Yi-jin and Hee-do’s relationship inevitably blossoms. However, in what seems to be the trademark of the drama, they also face harsh realities that plagued the world at the beginning of the millennium and not all of them, together. The ending to this drama might best be considered as bittersweet, but there is no doubt it is a beautiful one, in what is a surprisingly fresh twist in the K-drama world. There is a happy ending, just not the way we usually hope to see in K-dramas. Most prominently, it ends with a melancholic bliss that comes with being at peace with your memories and the past. We do recommend keeping a few tissues handy though!
Genre: Bittersweet mix of slice-of-life and rom-com
Where to watch: Netflix
You will love it if you love:
• Sweet and caring boyfriends, especially ones played by Nam Joo-hyuk
• Athlete female leads
• Chaotic friend groups
• 90s nostalgia
• Melancholic vibes
The Telegraph rating: 4.5/5
Characters We Treasured
Lee Joo-myung as Ji Seung-wan:
Ji Seung-wan won everyone’s heart with her courage and determination. Confident, optimistic and with a level of maturity far beyond her years, she is an admirable friend we would all want.
Bona as Ko Yu-rim:
Let’s admit it, we all had mixed feelings for Ko Yu-rim but by the end of the drama, we all rooted for her. Determined and ambitious, her love for her family made us all emotional.
Kim Tae-ri as Na Hee-do:
The young Na Hee-do is ever-cheerful, smiling and optimistic, taking us through a beautiful chapter of her life. As she grows, she is relatable and adorable and we miss her already!
We also loved her in: Mr. Sunshine,The Handmaiden
Nam Joo-hyuk as Baek Yi-jin:
Quiet but chaotic best describes the charming Baek Yi-jin. He is hardworking and ambitious, and his quiet but powerful gestures of love are all we hear.
We also loved him in: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, Start-Up
Bonus: Character trivia!
Na Hee-do is an avid diary keeper in the series and guess who wrote those diaries in real life? Actress Kim Tae-ri! She trained for fencing to prepare for the drama and frustrated with her constant failing at it, she started keeping a diary to note her progress, which later got featured as a prop!
Mellow Melodies
Starlight by TAEIL: The NCT member’s sweet vocals shine in this youthful pop song that talks of a bright and cheerful love.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One by JAURIM: The haunting melodies in this song is one of the most prominent tracks to be played throughout the drama. The song talks of a lost love, one that was fleeting but nevertheless, impactful.
Very Slowly by BIBI: Another sweet melody, this song is perhaps the perfect theme song for Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee-do as their relationship blossoms, with hesitancy and a slowness and patience that is often rare.