Kdrama Review: Twenty-five Twenty-One

Twenty-five Twenty-One is a show about Na Hee-Do, a girl who dreams of being a successful fencer, and Baek Yi Jin, a gritty young heir whose family fell apart in the unfortunate times of the IMF Crisis (1998) in South Korea. What brings them together is their personal willpower to overcome hardships, which was apparent from the moment they met. In fact, it shows us how the people around us can inspire us to power through ill wills, just by lending us their presence. 

Genre: Romance, Coming-of-age story

Rating: 4/5

The show begins in present-day Seoul. Na Hee-Do’s daughter, Min Chae, reads her mother’s teenage diary, and it opens up a world of memories, created in her mother’s youth. The memories recap Na Hee-Do’s trials and tribulations, and how she made long-lasting connections that stayed strong through it all. It serves as a parallel for the daughter, and by experiencing her mother’s life vicariously through her diary, she learns that giving up is not always the right option. 

If you liked the “vibes” of the Reply Series, which gave you a rush of nostalgia even if you weren’t born in the 90s, then this show is for you. It’s a similar blend of heartwarming friendship, naïve school kids making foolish decisions, young love, and fencing. It is a true comfort K-drama about friendship, love, and youth. Our youth flows by in an instant, and before we know it, we’re looking back upon nostalgic memories. A feeling as bittersweet as any. 

Kim Tae-Ri, ah, she’s the star of this show. Capturing teen naivety almost effortlessly, with her haphazardly cut bangs and atrocious grammar, her portrayal of what a teen in the 90s would be like seems so realistic, especially with the tacky outfits. She’s absolutely charming here.

With the addition of Nam Joo-Hyuk, the perfect K-drama is ready. As my brother so eloquently put it; “This guy is in every other drama!” 

Na Hee-Do is a great main character, with her grit and relentless stubbornness to reach her aim, it’s difficult not to feel inspired. If the Director aimed to make the audience root for her, they succeeded. She aimed for the stars and reached for them too. She had a dream, and it came true because she was stubborn about it, albeit not without bumps in the road. Baek-I-Jin is one hell of a character too; former heir to an immense fortune, he has to drop out of college when his father’s company falls under the IMF crisis, and the family gets separated. He stays sturdy though, as you will see. I can’t explain why this is one of Nam Joo-Hyuk’s best works, but it is. 

One dialogue from the show still resounds in my mind, although it’s been a while since I saw it.

“Your skills don’t improve in a smooth slope (continuously) but in steps. And when people hit a wall, they want to give up. Once they get past this blockage, they’ll improve exponentially, but they don’t realise it. Why not? Because they think this slump (drawing a long straight line) will last forever.” 

(Slumps are bound to occur, but overcoming that slump is what will make you better at your skill, so don’t give up!)

Na Hee-Do to her daughter, Episode 7

There are many moments in the show, a lot like this, which make me pause and ponder. This was just what I needed to hear when I watched this scene. Inspiration can be found anywhere if you look hard enough. 

Unexpectedly devoted to a fictional match, I was so invested in the fencing, the competition, and the outcomes. Honestly, I didn’t even realise how exciting fencing was before seeing this drama. I’m not someone who loves watching sports, but fictional worlds appeal to me apparently. 

And listen, this is a show with real-life themes, so it’s not going to end up with our stereotypical fluff ending. That is not to say it’s not a Happy Ever After, it only depends on how you view it.  My fellow re-watchers know the pain of the ending, but it’s worth it. Pinky promise! It’s easy to get spoilers for shows on social media, so I bet a lot of you know the ending already, but I would like to argue that it is still an exceptional watch. 

Finally, this is a tale of nostalgia, an adventure filled with lessons if you are willing to see them. The stunning visuals and the dreamy themes are reminiscent of the notion of “happier days”. There’s warmth sprinkled in each meaningful encounter. Overall, I really liked the show, and despite the controversial (yes, controversial lol) ending, I think the rewatch value is high. Shows like this give KDramas their stellar reputation, by the way. 

I’ll take your leave with some fencing terminology that I picked up;

En garde! prêts? Allez!

(Shame on me for learning French in my formative years and still not knowing what this meant until I saw the show.)

If you liked this review, check out my review of Extraordinary Attorney Woo!