Twenty Five Twenty One (2022)

Makes you vicariously long for a passionate and cherished past.

This drama is a must watch. It handles the different paths our lives takes with a realistic and positive vision. The characters develop so much it's beautiful. Growth, pushing yourself, overcoming challenges, taking risks, and so many light and funny moments, this drama has it all. The drama is visually fun with so many colors and sceneries. OSTs 'with' and 'your existence' are also top tier. The phone booth moment with "I wanted to see you, and then I saw you" is legendary. Having the cast sing 'with' worked out so beautifully too.

All in all, 10/10. Makes you vicariously long for a passionate and cherished past.

Lire davantage

Pure and Vibrant then...Painful

This drama is a hidden gem. It has the potential to be the best drama of 2022. Every scene is well executed and the story of each character is well woven into each other. I love the relationship between the ML and FL, something that blossoms from friendship and mutual understanding. They meet and communicate very naturally and every moment they get to spend together seems so innocent yet so sweet. I'm sure we are all reminded of our youth, our high school times when we watch this drama. I am hoping for double digits!

Edit: I cry a river in the last episode. And promise myself to never watch drama from Writer Kwon Do-Eun again. Both this drama and SearchWWW hurt me so badly. She likes to portrait the reality of life, which I don't want to see in a drama. If I could sum up 2521 in one phrase, it would be a proverb from my country which is "Head of an elephant and tail of a mouse", meaning it started so spectacularly and suddenly ended so spitefully. I feel bad for Kim Tae Ri and Nam Joo Hyuk, their acting was phenomenal but still couldn't calm the anger from the audience. It's all the writer's problem.

Rewatch? No, I won't. Just like how you desperate try to forget your first love so you can move on, this drama will make your heart pounding so much for the beautiful memories only for you to cry your heart out at the ends. It's too much of a roller coaster for me.

Lire davantage

I love everything but the ending was too much bittersweet.

Everything was great the story, the cast was the best, songs were good . It just felt like i am experiencing what first love is like, how beautiful friendships are in our life. How we should support and understand everyone in life. But the ending is breaking my heart into pieces i saw it coming but not this brutal bcz it doesn’t matter if its their first love or second love what really matters is that they were perfect for each other literally soulmates and this what loving someone is. Why its portraying to the viewers that when things get hard even the perfect lovers will break up and become strangers. Please writer focus on the ending too everything was being rushed in the end if you are writing such a masterpiece show with so many lovely moments, i think ending plays a very important role bcz it will leave an impact on the viewers who are watching it.😭❤️‍🩹💔
Edit-: We have to understand this is life. Sometimes some people are not meant to be together. Destiny plays it part. That why i think heedo has some regrets after reading baek yi jin message from the last diary. Its heartbreaking bcz their love was so pure and precious. But after listing to the 2521 song by jaurim and reading its lyrics it made me realise that the breakup was meant to happen but i love heedo and yijin chemistry so much that I don’t want this to happen. They still love each other it would have been great if the writer twisted the story(which i feel was a real persons story) and made it happily ever after. But no worry I love this show it was a roller coaster of emotions for me. I laughed while watching it and cried too. Saranghae❤️

Lire davantage

Amazing K-drama BUT THE ENDING WASN'T IT!!!

JUST FINISHED 2521!!!! And WOW! What was that ending?!! Like seriously?? Like I'm not mad about Heedo and BYJ not being together cause I sort of realized it from the very beginning especially cause of the title itself. But seriously they could have done a better ending of them not being together rather than showing Heedo being married but her husband not being shown and BYJ just climbing his way up. Them not seeing each other at the same time as the others and having potentially lingering feelings left for each other from the last interview was just not it. Like she is a married person and he has his own life. Showing that just makes it seem like she just married someone for the sake of not burdening BYJ and makes BYJ look like he will be single forever! Like I just didn't like IT. ANYWAYS GAVE IT 9/10. Could have been a 10/10 but the ending ruined it. Anyways have a watch it is a really good drama. And let me know your opinion if you already watched it.

Lire davantage

When the promos and posters of 'Twenty Five, Twenty One' came out I assumed it was a noona romance. I was so surprised on knowing the actual premise and age of characters that were in the drama. Like most people I started this drama with very high expectations. Kim Tae Ri is one of the most gifted actresses of Korea and with the praise she got in her last drama I thought this would be worth a watch as well.

I think this was overall one of the better dramas that came out in recent times. However, I kept having issues with certain characters and sub-plots. While there were wholesome moments I kept feeling like something was missing. By the end the drama delivered on a lot of ends but the ending fell awfully short of making this drama into a near masterpiece that it could have been.

PLOT:
I'd compare this drama to Reply series but without the love triangle. However what they still have in common is the nostalgia of the 90s, friendship, parent-child relationships and memories of first love. This drama carries all the essence that one might expect from a drama set in the somewhat older times. There is innocence, youth, dreams and experiences that all people might have gone through one or other point in their lives.

CHARACTERS & ROMANCE:
I really admired Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin for the people they were. They both went different kind of struggles, had breakdowns but never gave up in the face of difficulty. I couldn't really see any chemistry between the actors and the age gap was a slight cringe, but their interactions had a lot of heart in them. I really enjoyed all supporting characters in this and only had a definitive love-hate relationship was with Ko Yu Rim and Achorwoman Na (who I cared less for). Yu Rim was pointlessly rude at times but we as viewers know that she isn't the villain here. People respond to bad situations in life in different ways and Yu Rim had hers. However I really like the group and their friendship stayed strong till the end.

OST:
I like the songs sung by NCT's Taeil and Twice's Jihyo. Other tracks were either fine or forgettable.

MAIN PROBLEM OF THE DRAMA: The villain i.e. timing
One thing I really loved about the drama was the realistic portrayal of how everything in life is about timing. That's the true villain in this drama along with the circumstances that come with it. After all, isn't that what life is all about? It becomes a little hard to accept an ending where the leads do not end up together, but I know plenty of people who didn't try hard enough with their past or failed relationships. Sometimes people are right for each other but they either give up or move on. That's what this drama portrayed and UNPOPULAR OPINION alert- I feel like there were clues all along.

I admit it did seem like the drama was setting us all up for a sad ending but some dramas do the reverse towards the end. This might be the first time where everything was clear and there were clues all along but the viewers kept theorizing about the possibility of the leads ending up together. For starters, the title of the drama is a dead giveaway.

ENDING:
For me the true shock related to this drama was that the writer was gutsy enough to do her own thing. I am sure she will receive loads of backlash but I'm always in for creative surprises. My real issue with the drama was us not getting to know how Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin lived after their separation. We have no clue about Na Hee Do's marital status and how Baek Yi Jin looks like now. I felt cheated with the lack of details. I wish they hadn't included the present time at all. It could have been a story set between 1998-2009 and us never having to meet their present selves at all. I think the ending is what ultimately takes away a major point for my overall review.

OVERALL:
I'll still recommend this drama due to the stellar acting from the cast, the slice of life elements and the very nostalgic aura it gave me as a viewer. Just be prepared for a bittersweet ending (because heck Kim Min Chae is cute). :)

Lire davantage

THIS DRAMA WILL HEAL YOU

New comfort unlocked. This drama comforted me for weeks regardless of the ending just watch it, for me it’s the comfort and healing throughout the journey >>then the ending. You won’t regret this one i promise. I mean if you want to heal watch this drama, if you want to smile for no reason watch this drama, if you want to feel butterflies watch this drama, if you want to feel love watch this drama.
It is my first time ever writing a review i just couldn’t stop myself from writing one, every time i watch a episode it make me feel a lot of emotions at a time.
This drama will make you laugh, cry, heal, want to love, experience friendship all at a time. Heads off to the writer, actors, offcourse the songs and the dialogues which i listen on repeat.
This drama can change something inside you. One can feel like I’m exaggerating but, the ones who are watching this drama can feel what I’m sayin, so please just go and watch this drama without a second thought.

Lire davantage

If the journey is so good the destination don't matter

A perfect reality dramas after ages .kdramas are always know for its healing nature but Trust me TFTO made it to another level..
Let's talk about the story slow claps for the director and the writer for such a beautiful story,best cinematography,soulful music and the perfect cast made this drama as one of the best drama of this year
The chemistry between the whole cast is at another level for me personally i love both the leads as friends more than lovers but yes at some point they made me realise that their love is so beautiful yet so calm
Yurim and heedo's friendship was the light to the drama at first i didn't like yurim but now she is one of my favourite character she has the most suitable character growth ofcourse her love story with jiwoong was cherry on the top and the 2 bestfriends literally made us believe that a girl and a boy can be a best friend
The music was on point.
And i would definitely re-watch it to all those people who don't like romantic dramas should watch this to experience the warmth of this drama
I decided to write the review before the ending so that the ending don't make any changes to my love for this drama 💜

Lire davantage

A refreshing coming-of-age drama

I'm only on episode 9/16 as I'm writing this review. Originally, I was going to wait until all the episodes were released until I started watching this drama. But I kept seeing so many clips that I just had to start. The beginning started off a little slow and now I've just spent the whole day binging the show. This is such a good, refreshing, and touching drama. I love the way its shot and I love how we, as an audience, is reflected as Min-Chae. For example, when Hee-do said she had a boyfriend, I was like WHAT and it immediately cut to Min-Chae with a similar reaction. There has been so many moments of this drama already where I felt so touched and moved to tears. I love watching the characters embark on their journeys, learning painful lessons and growing from them. It's exactly as Yijin said, they're going through their growing pains. I can't wait to see how the rest of this drama unfolds and I really hope there's a very happy, very cute ending waiting for us at the end of this journey.

EDIT: Coming back after finishing the rest of the drama
I knew it was coming, and I knew it wasn't going to be a happy ending but I really had high hopes for a happy ending anyways. Honestly, I'm not too mad about this ending but I definitely don't think this ending was done as well as the rest of the drama was. I understand that the writer wanted to portray a realistic ending, but I didn't think the reason for the breakup for that justified. I definitely think that it was a bit out of character for Na Hee Do and Back Yi Jin to basically give up on their relationship. The break up itself was beautifully done and really captured the pain of a break up, but I just wish the reasoning behind the break up made more sense. In addition, i didn't even know Na Hee Do's husband is someone working overseas, so it seems even more ridiculous that Na Hee Do would break up with Back Yi Jin because she didn't want to always be waiting for someone and be in misery.
I didn't think too much about the present-day Na Hee Do and Kim Min Chae, but after reading other reviews, I agree. The present-day characters basically served no purpose to the show and only teased the viewers. I was also annoyed because they included that scene where present-day Na Hee Do forgot about the their first beach trip, but the scene made it seem like something happened to her to make her forget, instead of her just forgetting because it's been so long. I feel like it makes more sense that once it was brought up, she would fondly but faintly remember her friends and the memories that they once shared.
But overall, the drama was still emotional, impactful, and really captured the exciting but turbulent time of youth. I don't regret watching this drama but I really wasn't expecting the emotional damage this drama has given me.

Lire davantage

This story is Atypical

I love unique stories and this one embodied that. Yes, everyone hated the ending, but to me I was satisfied. Probably because I was so impressed with the intelligent story telling, directing, cinematography and of course strong acting leading up to episode 16. The journey that this screenwriter takes you with their careers and their awkward yet beautiful relationship was truly beautiful. I don't think I've seen writing like that and the way the director and the actors carried out that story is what keep me so engaged with this drama. It was so unique and lovely. Relationships are about the journey and yes about the end game too, but think if it were a happy ending, you'd probably say that was good and move on to your next drama. But nope, you're still here, you're still thinking about it and maybe yes you're upset- but the writer made you think and that's what they want. That's their happy end game. This one will be in my 10 ten of all time.

Lire davantage

The most perfect drama !!!

Watching Twenty-five Twenty-one was a different experience altogether. Somehow in the past weekends I started feeling that 2521 wasn't some drama I was watching but a reality. I've cried along with Heedo, laughed together with Heedo. felt Baek Yijin's despair and felt him get back together. Most importantly I've felt Heedo's and Yijin's love and even if they don't end up together I know what they felt for each other. For me 2521 has been the kind of drama i would wait all week to drop and then purposely delay watching it so I don't start missing it too early. In my opinion everything about this drama was perfect from the cast to storyline to the music. I can't express how sad I am that this drama is going to finish tonight knowing that it will take a long tome to find something like this. In my opinion 2521 is the drama of the decade and none of the previous dramas hold any candle to it.

Lire davantage

what a great show

i genuinely think everything was executed really well for 2521. im not a fan of sports drama but i find myself anticipating for heedo's competitions and journey as a fencer. i would say its one of the best youth kdramas out there , i didn't find myself bored of the show at all! i didn't really care about present heedo if im being honest but its whatever ! wish i could see present baek yijin though overall satisfied with the drama and would recommend to everyone .

Lire davantage