Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

My drama of the Year

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Last time in the K-drama study, I talked about Joy's decent drama Once Upon a Small Town. Today I'll be telling you my drama of the year, which took over my whole year. I'll also be talking about my drama journey of 2022 and what I'll be checking out next year. I'm excited to announce the drama that took over my year since it took me a while to pick it up. Now let's jump into the post.
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Drama Journey 2022:
January started the year with me finishing up the drama Snowdrop which was still airing since it came out last year in December. By February, I started watching Twenty-five Twenty-one and Business Proposal, the first new drama of 2022 for me to watch. Of the two, Twenty-five Twenty-one was more attractive with its story. May was the first month I took a break from watching dramas while waiting for Café Minamdang to start airing, but I will say I didn't enjoy watching it much. July picked things back with Today's webtoon began airing as Café Minamdang was still airing. I fell in love with Today's Webtoon as Sejeong played her character wonderfully. Now with Café Minamdang ending, September came around with Today's Webtoon coming to a close and Once Upon a Small Town which aired three episodes a week until it ended at the end of September.

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Drama of the Year:
Todays, Webtoon and Twenty-Five Twenty-One both battled it out for Drama of the year. After listening to OSTS, watching clips, and reading the two blogs I created. It was challenging picking the year's drama since both dramas were enjoyable. So now, after thinking about it for a while, the show that took over my 2022 was Twenty-Five Twenty-One. Twenty-Five Twenty-One took over my year because of the story and characters. I loved the female lead Na Hee-do who made me continue watching the show. The characters in this show kept making this show even better. One moment I enjoyed was watching the Fencing moments, which kept things interesting. This coming-of-age story was a fun one to watch as we got to see the characters grow up. The OSTs helped bring the show to life, as I always listened to them. I'm glad Twenty-Five Twenty-One took over my year, as it was one of my favorite shows this year.

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Shows I'm checking out next year:
A Time Called You (Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Fantasy drama is supposed to air next year, but there is no release date for the show, so I have to keep my eye out for it. However, the story made me want to check it out, so when it drops, I'll be checking it out and reviewing it for you guys.)

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Ask The Start (Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi) doesn't have a release date yet, so I need to keep an eye out for that, but Lee Min Ho and the Story made me want t check this show out. I'm hoping this rom-com is enjoyable since there are supposed to be sci-fi elements thrown into the drama. So once this show comes out, I['ll start taking notes so I can review it once it ends.)

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Joseon Lawyer (Historical, Law, Romance, Drama is coming out on March 17th of next year and will be the next show for me t write a review. After enjoying Bona in Twenty-Five Twenty-One, I'd like to see how she will do in a Historical drama. I'm a big fan of Historical dramas, but I'm giving this one a try to see if that genre will grow on me.)

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Uncanny Counter season 2 (The sequel to the popular drama Uncanny Counter might be dropping next year, so I have to keep my eye out for it since I'm excited to see what they will do with the Sequal. I enjoyed the original drama as it had a few moments that could've improved. I'm hoping it improves the show a little bit, but I'll have to see whenever it comes out)

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Thanks, everyone, for reading my drama reviews for 2022. I'm excited to deliver some new ones for you in 2023. I can't wait to hear all the beautiful OSTs that dramas will bring to the table. I'd like to see which drama takes of my 2023 as I'll be doing this end-of-the-year drama blog again. If no new drama drops in January or February that I want to watch, I'll see you all. After watching Joseon Lawyer, which starts Bona. Have a great rest of your day; this has been the K-drama Study for 2022. See you all next year.
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one of the best ever dramas made

ep16:

no tears were left at the end of ep16. incredibly talented the writer to have us smiling for the future them after having us bawling in the beginning, the end and everywhere in between with their past goodbyes.

well, that was indeed a journey. the friendship is literally the best part of it. hee do's friendship with yijin , with yurim and the rest. each different, each special.

although a part of me wanted to know what the rest of them where doing in the present day, and maybe see a glimpse of minchae's father - but really, that's a different story to tell. a different chapter in life. 2521 was their best of youth.

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Boring…

Hear me out, the first few episode were great, they had me hooked, but the episode more towards the middle of the show really bored me. The couple has an age gap so they can’t even get together until towards the end. Also the age gap makes me feel a tad bit uncomfortable since the fl was still a high schooler when the show started. The sports aspect of the show was interesting, but also felt like it was lacking and it too bored me. It was hard for me to watch those episodes. The ending though :( It’s bittersweet and did make me cry a pool of tears. Although, the cast and music are top tier. Love Your Existence by Wonstein. Overall, not a bad show, just not one for me.

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is it only me

I've seen 6 episodes so far... I loathe Ko Yu Rim so much. Like I don't really get why exactly she hates Na Hee Do. It is so ughhhhhh. Like I don't really get why exactly is she so against Na Hee Do and What it has to do with Na Hee Do. Like she is Na Hee Do's Online friend but she acts like the bitchest Bitch in real life with her it gets on my nerves so much that's all

*ahahwiwlbskxndkxnbwhwjeheiwowundnfjfjfnfhfjfjfieowjehbdmdkwowueurhtbgngkjvjfjfjdieowowiehfbfnfnnfvnnvnvnvmvmvkvkvooriwhwhsbdbfbfnfnvnnvngngjgjfjeoowiwurhfbvjfmfmcmnfjfjfjfjfjfjrjqopwuwuehrhfjdshekwjwimwndbfiepqhebdkd*

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Regardless of the ending, it's still worth a watch

Though I marked it as 'contains spoilers' here is a relatively spoiler free review for people that wanted to watch the show when it finished airing but are now hesitant after seeing the reactions to episode 16. I used the word 'relatively' because even though I'm not saying what happened, the words I use make it easy to figure out the ending.

This show is beautiful, it really is. The way they portrayed sportsmanship, relationships and friendships were everything. I found myself crying to scenes that weren't necessarily sad because the actors did a really good job at making me feel a million different emotions. Let's not forget the fact that there are so many hilarious scenes and great character development.
If you want your heart to not feel like a hollow shell, it's best you stop watching by episode 14. It's really not about a sad or happy ending but rather a really rushed one. They could've cut out some scenes and explained a bit more on why things turned out the way they did but unfortunately they didn't. It definitely is worth a watch but if an ending makes or breaks a show for you, it's best to pretend the show ends in episode 14. I'm sure you saw the word realistic being thrown around whenever anyone mentioned the ending and I love realistic shows...just not when it's done like this.

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This is the story of people who love career more than relationship

Life is making choices. And the ML chose to love his career more than his relationship, leaving behind his lover. I’m rating this story as an 8 because the story can be real and the actors are amazing but yes, I’m absolutely disappointed by the ending. The FL doesn’t deserve this after all the loneliness caused by her mother work. It is too cruel to make the boy who loves her choose the same path. It is too unfair. There were other way to work and being together, but he was so selfish for going to America and not sharing his feelings that relationship broke. I’m disappointed because in the first 10 episodes it seems that the boy is really mature and knows what love is, but at the end he was childish and selfish. At the end he cries because he doesnt want to leave her… Really?? YOU LEAVE HER. You want career and lovers, but this can’t be possibile.
To love deeply you have to sacrifice something important, you have to pay the price to have a true relationship. He didnt do it because he was immature and preferred career. And the thing that I can’t accept is that this drama seems to support the choose to put career at the first place. No, love is not this. Love is another story. This is not a Romantic drama, but a drama that shows a real possibility to mature in friendship, relationship and work with the help of people that doesnt love you deeply. It is a sad story, but not beatiful in my opinion, but a sad depressing story that teach that people cant be trustfull.

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why this drama is different from others ?

All dramas around us shows a happy ending with the togetherness of couples .But this drama shows us that not every couple has happy ending and they not always end up together . This dramas literally , teaches us that we should always be happy in the happiness of our love and be happy with the memories that we spend together . This drama by name tells the age of both Na Hee-do and Beak Ye-jin 's age when they had the best moments of their life . It just not only shows the relationship of lovers but also best friends , the friendship of Heedo and Yurim was a very diffrent case from others at first when they were kids they were enemies Heedo become fan of yurim , then after they endup becoming enemies again but after all of that at the last they became the best friends forever . It also shows the real life and efforts of a athelit .

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Watch this drama asap

So I watched the show while it was airing and only now am writing a review? Seems odd but I had to. I was unable to think about this drama without crying for a long time so I needed the time to calm down and piece my thoughts together. So here I am, finally reviewing my favourite show of all time.
Story:
This drama is incredibly well written and every thing that happens makes sense in the world of 2521. HeeDo and YiJin are our female and male leads, both having different backgrounds and ways of thinking about the world. They mirror and oppose each other perfectly. The story is that in the future, HeeDos daughter is looking back at her moms past through her diaries. We see HeeDo as she meets YiJin, as she works incredibly hard to get where she wants to go. But the drama does give us YiJin solo moments so we as the viewers know things that HeeDo does not but also are given the chance to connect with YiJin as he works to rebuild his family. I also want to clarify the age thing. HeeDo, in Korean age , is an adult when we first meet her. She is 18 Korean age so she is an adult. They don't begin to date until she is 19/20(I can't quite remember) Korean age but she was always an adult. Plus the friendships in this drama were so sweet and wholesome

Acting:
Phenomenal on all fronts, each of them did an excellent job. No complaints.

Soundtrack:
I already preordered the ost, need I say more?

Rewatchability:
For me, never. This drama tore my heart out and I can't watch it again but for you, who probably won't sob for 30 minutes after watching the final episode like I did, it is definitely rewatchable.

Overall:
Please watch this. It is so good

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Dis Drama Will always be in my Heart Forever ❤️

If you are ready to accept the reality..go watch tis show
One of my fav kdrama till date.
This drama brings into light the reality adults must face as they grow up.
Drama is about a girl in her teenage striving to achieve her goal. On her journey she meets many people who influences, comforts and cheers her.

This story gives us an insight on friendship . I personally liked the way friendship was showed in this movie.

Nothing stays with us forever...all we have to do is enjoy the moment to the fullest
This drama is about friendship ❤️, love, relationship , student- teacher relations

Follow ur dream...there is nothing tht can stop you ! The protagonist of this story is an inspiration for everyone .
She is a brilliant fencer nd her life gives us lessons on achieving goals, self love .

Watch the show and u won't regret if you are a kdrama fan

The cast nd crew of this drama is sooo perfect tht we might not be able to imagine any other characters instead of the original one.
25 21❤️❤️❤️ will stay in everyone's heart forever

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Twenty Five Twenty One is my first true experience in the realm of K-Dramas and I could not have asked for a better start. This show has delivered in many more aspects than I could have ever dreamed. The simpleness of the story, but the rawness of the actors brings together a spectacular slice of life series.

At first I did not like the main lead Na Hee-Do as I felt she was a bit too over the top, but as time went on slowly but surely I started to relate with her and see my own self in her character. Her experience with being an individual with great potential but not acting on it slowly turned into just another talented person that could have been something special. She never backed down from anyone and always stood her ground believing in what she thought was correct so no matter if you like her or not, you would always respect Na Hee-Do.

The maturity shown in this series was refreshing. Even though most of the cast was teenage to twenty years old, they really behaved in such a sophisticated manner. Never taking anything personally no matter how harsh they must have felt it to be, they always thought that there must have been a reason behind it. This speaks volumes to real life in the sense that if you love someone but do not agree with their decisions do you really love that person whole? People do things in life that will benefit them as we are all selfish beings, so why is it that we are always so surprised when it happens directly to us? We think we are special and therefore we should not be betrayed to an extent, but in the other person's brain, it is not betrayal, it is simply making the best decision for themselves.

A compact 16 episodes really tells this story in full. I do not feel like it dragged, or even went on longer than it should have. It was enough… just like friendship and relationships are. Though it might not be as long as you might have hoped, without that person or persons, could you really say you would be the person you are today? So in that sense, was it not worth it?

I feel as though Na Hee-Do’s mothers character is one that can garner some intense views, but personally as harsh as she was I do agree with her. I believe Na Hee-Do would not be the champion she became without the strong womanly presence her mother brought to her. Tough love is not always agreed upon, but it is how I was raised and I thank my mother as well for that. It brings true strength. This one line from her mother encapsulates her character in a whole “ It is not my job to congratulate you, it is to make you worthy of congratulations``. She loves her daughter as most mothers do, but feels that praising her daughter will make her be content with her standing so she does the opposite and never praises her. Forever leaving Na Hee-Do to be in a constant state of trying to win her mothers approval while at the same time bettering herself in the process.

This show is a constant tearjerker especially during the controversial final between the two main women. Seeing Na Hee-Do get comforted in the restaurant by those old men telling her that she truly did win was a fantastic portrayal of grief being overcome. Till then, no one has really congratulated her, not even her mother. Seeing the love she received in the most unlikely of places was beautiful. If that was not enough, we also see that the main male got in contact with the referee and convinced him to get a piece of his opinion on the action. This show is perfect as showing all sides, it brings up a problem and tackles it in such unique ways from all different angles. The relationship between pretty boy and Ko Yu-Rim is also moving extremely slowly but perfectly in the context of the story. Also one of the aspects I love about K-Dramas is how they portray love in such an innocent way. It all starts as friends first and slowly moves further and further as we see both characters are in love but too shy to express it in their own ways.

One of my favorite scenes in this drama is when Ko Yu-Rim is singing and later jumps into the pool. Na Hee-Do is there to watch all this and as much as she might believe she hates Ko Yu-Rim, you could see the worrisome nature in her face seeing the jump. She was genuinely fearful because as much as she might see her as a rival, she still respects her as an individual and a person. The music, the tense but relaxing atmosphere, the sight of Ko Yu-Rim being in her feelings and showing emotion made this scene absolutely unforgettable to me. Both these women are broken, yet found the solitude in fencing. As much as they compete, they do not yet know they are the exact same person. Twins born of different parents even. The next scene is the two women messaging on the chat board yet unknowing that they are speaking to each other. Truly a prophetic moment, two girls with everything in their hands and the world at their fingertips, yet at the end of each day, all they can do is go and message the one person that has been there throughout everything. The one person that they have not even seen in person yet trusts them with all their hard difficulties.

I also love the scene where Na Hee-Do hears two women in the washroom gossiping about Ko Yu-Rim and her family situation. It is at that moment where she takes charge and goes into the stall and attempts to beat up the two girls in protection of Ko Yu-Rim. This is one of the true moments we see Ko Yu-Rim and Na Hee-Do work together and it felt absolutely fantastic to see. Ko Yu-Rim had always disliked Na Hee-Do but after learning that she was the one Ko Yu-Rim was talking to, she does a complete 180 and realizes all of her past mistakes which takes a truly grown person to do. The actress that plays Ko Yu-Rim has great facial emotions. Whenever she is in a sad scene, it really makes the viewer feel exactly what it is that she is feeling. You just can't help but want to give her a hug and tell her everything will be alright.

Seeing the two embrace each other after Ko Yu-Rim confesses she is the online friend is so heartwarming. I just could not help but smile the entire time through. The two girls finally found their platonic soulmate and it is beautiful to see. All that hatred and all that anger at one another just vanishes and it turns to embrace and lovingness.

The second last episode was absolutely heart wrenching especially towards the end. Seeing the differing situations between Yi-Jin and Hee-Do was just setting this show up for a sad finale. Growing up is an occurrence that no one can ever help. You can not ever beat time. We should have known that this would eventually happen to the couple that fell in love so young, but we just never learn as humans. Relationships between humans are the most difficult thing to work out because of them having two fully functioning people. Two smart and in different mind stated individuals.

No one was simply to blame in this couple's ending, if anything it was simply the cards they were dealt. Having to be apart so early in the relationship, and on top of the already difficult long distance was the added agony of both and especially Yi-Jin’s day to day life. He wanted to succeed and in doing so he took all opportunities, but the cost was the life he imagined with Hee-Do. We see when they break up first, that Hee-Do does not even seem like the same person. She is so cold on the outside and has just fully checked out from an emotional standpoint. She thought of all different routes this relationship could go and came to the conclusion that it was a lost cause and there was no way to pick up the already broken pieces.

It gets to a point in some relationships where even if you are one of the people within, you look as a bystander. Some relationships are just not meant to last, and it gets to the point of simply watching either yourself or your partner lose the attachment once felt.

All in all, this show was a great entry and had magnificent points throughout its 16 episode run time. I do believe that it had a bit of a fall off later in the series, but the last 2 episodes were done greatly. Some questions such as how Yi-Jin and Yu-Rim know each other from their childhood, I feel could have been incorporated into the story a lot better. I definitely would not say this show has failed potential as it had a great ending and accomplished what it set out to, but I was not satisfied quite fully after the show ended.

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