This review may contain spoilers
Its just not a drama its everything means everything..(Little bit spoilers, WORTH WATCHING)
This is the most beautiful, meaningful & one of my most favourite kdrama.This drama is all about love, friendship, support, goal, ups and down, everything.. The storyline, dialogues, casting, acting, ost, background music, cinematography everything's top notch.
This love story is about having right person but wrong timing and the relationship that will last forever even not didn't end up together.
It's not about having good times together as well as facing hard time together.
At the end all remains are the memories but that memories u didn't want to be fade out.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
a k-drama you NEED to watch
despite the open ending, the drama managed to portray how precious youth actually is. youth will be the only time where passion and friendships are the only things that matter. you have to treasure it because nothing lasts forever and thid is such a beautiful story to tell to the viewers. the ending sure left me emotionally damaged lol but definitely a new favourite of mine… (fuck the writer for not letting them have a HAPPY ENDING 🖕🏼) but although its sad its just real life and thats whats so pure about it, it portrayed life in such a straightforward wayWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Be prepared for a emotional rollercoaster ride through a very realistic and logical plot!
Just completed the drama today and am currently feeling so empty after watching such a "emotional rollercoaster ride-like drama"... Honestly I won't say the ending is bad or what, I'd say it's a rather down to earth and realistic ending given the time period it was set in for the story.A lot of viewers kept spreading unfounded rumors that Baek Yi Jin "committed suicide" due to growing depression symptoms but please watch closely in the scenes... He is not dead because if he did, it would have been a big news and Na Hee Do's daughter who read the diary would have known as well when she searched him up on the internet. In fact, it was implied in one scene when Hee Do encourage him to receive therapy when he's in the US showing that Baek Yi Jin wasn't aware he was showing depression symptoms... The moment he realized his mental issues and finally knowing why they should break up is when he cried and told Hee Do shall not put each other through suffering anymore. The current Baek Yi Jin is more like someone who is living in the memories of the diary.
I think it's a very true reflection of our lives and the society. I cried a lot when Yu Rim and Hee Do prepared a cake for the two friends who quitted school on the same day telling them it's a fresh start to their new live instead of what our society always telling young people like them that there is no future once they gave up what they have to been doing.
Highly recommended to watch and I really love all the casts' chemistry and the completeness of this story!
Was this review helpful to you?
It gives us a sentimental values above all...
1. GENRE — it's kinda slice of life drama which balances romance, sports, comedy and i bet tragedy. 🥲 it's a show that gives off warm feeling and where you can literally relate with every character bcos they represent all the natural encounters that youth experiences once in their life.
2. PLOT — set on the year 1998, this drama gives off historical and retro vibes which would definitely brings you nostalgia and an exact amount of refreshing energy. 2521 also revolves around the beautiful friendship between five youth, how they pursue their dreams, surpassed their struggles, how they become each other's support system and how their friendship evolves into something more.
3. CINEMATOGRAPHY — this drama features aesthetic and relaxing sceneries, warm tones and very pleasing in the eyes settings! certainly an add-to-bucket-list destinations!
4. ACTORS — the actors are all brilliant in portraying their own character! high-caliber talents that would make you sooOOO invested and simped! watching this drama would make you immensely absorbed by how good the actors are in playing the unique personality of their characters. (yijin, the walking green flag. heedo, the very extra and persevering fencing prodigy. seungwan, the intelligent and quirky homeroom president. yurim, the charismatic fencing gold medalist. jiwoong, the pretty boy who does pretty things!) together, they are so chaotic yet powerful. literally a squad goals! <33
5. LINES — striking, comforting and timely exchanged of lines between characters are present!!! VERY QUOTABLE SCENARIOS AHEAD, ISTG!!! 😭
6. CHEMISTRY — pURFECT chemistry between the male and female leads, check!!!! honestly didn't expect the nam joo hyuk and kim taeri pairing but they complement each other so well, I'M IN TEARS 😭 the second leads has the same great chemistry as well! in short, perfect pairings so true!!!
7. OSTS — although 2521 is just in it's 4th episode, the first few osts featured were already so gooood. (especially starlight by taeil 🥺) it suits with every scenes shown in the drama and it would definitely make you listen to it countless times.
ISTG, THIS SHOW IS ANOTHER HEALING DRAMA IN THE MAKING. Y'ALL SHOULD WATCH THIS IF YOU NEED A NICE BREATHER FROM YOUR DEMANDING LIFE! WATCH #TwentyFiveTwentyOne
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
what does happy ending mean to you?
So far, my favorite k-drama of the year. As an avid fan of Kim Taeri, this is another refreshing role of Kim Taeri that moved me. But before I start talking about how much I love her as Na Heedo, I will talk some other aspects of the drama first.I found the show a bit slow and draggy at certain places but nevertheless it really kept me expecting what’s next. Overall chemistry between the casts feels pretty good. The story is well built and balanced perfectly with comedy, romance and dramatic events. I’m not history nerd so I’m not sure if the props used in the drama are accurate to details but they really won that nostalgic factor for me, another point would be incorporating big cultural events that happened back then into the drama.
Now moving onto characters, most of them are created really well, I especially enjoyed the friendship between Na Heedo and Ko Yurim as much as I enjoyed the romance between Baek Yijin and Heedo. Kim Taeri’s portrayal of Na Heedo is very youthful and energetic, which takes audiences with her to witness the struggles and happiness Na Heedo went through in very lovely way. I cried and laughed a lot in most parts. My favorite was when Heedo and Ko Yurim had a dramatic fight at the press when she won her first gold, as an audience, I want to sympathize with heedo but later learning about yurim’s struggles, i couldn’t hate her either and in fact grows to sympathize with her. That kind of balance is achieved in 2521. Nam Joohyuk’s portrayal as Yijin was also quite good. I didn’t have much opinion on him before but this drama really proved that he can do well.
And finally, the ending. I don’t understand why people call this sad ending or bad ending, I think it’s realistic and achieves what the story wants to tell; youth also ends one day. I’m aware people think they kind of broke up really fast and their romance part was rushed, however the drama clearly foreshadows how the two aren’t meant to be since the very beginning. All in all, I love the portrayal of friendship and sportsmanship here. I think I won’t look at the fencers the same way again.
Was this review helpful to you?
True slice of life drama
If you hope to witness a love story, be it sad or happy, this k-drama may not be for you. While romance is present there, the story does not revolve around it. In fact, viewers might be left disappointed in the end, provided they focus only on romantic scenes. On the contrary, for those who succeed in grasping the bigger picture watching experience likely will end up being wholesome:)To put it simply, though, 25/21 is hilarious, cute, inspiring, tearful, nostalgic and swooning.
+Things to think about during/after watching:
*Every generation welcomes new technologies, while also hearing about geopolitical threats and environmental problems; ultimately, the world d o e s n o t change.
* 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened'
*Parents are main characters in their life, too:)
*What makes relationships work? (an allusion to two couples that had different outcomes in the drama)
Was this review helpful to you?
approaching perfection and giving insights into choosing a hero's side.
The movie is simple, telling the story of an idol and her success in reaching the point where she has reached the same level as her idol in an era where the pressures of the economic situation are in decline and it affects every character differently. The movie combines storytelling perfectly and flawlessly. The story is told in a way that cuts back and forth between past and present scenes. In a step-by-step and amazing way, the characters in the movie that stand out are the heroines who act perfectly. Credit must also be given to the screenwriter. that tricks the audience back and forth and teasing and tempting you to think accordingly Tricking people into misunderstandings until the end.Was this review helpful to you?
A drama that breaks your heart gently
Twenty Five Twenty One is a love letter to youth that gently lures you in… and then absolutely devastates you.It starts by making you feel invincible—dreams are loud, friendships are warm, and love feels like it can survive anything. You watch two people grow together, believe in each other, and make you believe too. Then, without being cruel about it, the drama slowly teaches you that timing, life, and growing up don’t always care about how much love there is. It crushes you not with betrayal, but with realism—people change, paths split, and some loves are meant to shape you, not stay.
And just when you’re emotionally wrecked, it heals you. It reminds you that even if a love doesn’t last forever, it was still real, still beautiful, and still worth everything. You end the drama sad… but grateful—smiling through tears, feeling like your heart grew instead of broke.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
??
I just can't describe howmuch i loved this drama....The characters...
Na hee do .... She's just awesome
Baek yi jin .... Cutie pie
Thier love story..... How the love build up ..how they started to know each other..became so much for each other...
Thier first kiss...
Second one😩😩
But....
THE END
made me cry the most..
I cried for the whole episode..it was so heart breaking...
I wanted a happy ending for them when I watched their breakup .. but as the episode ended i realised ...yup it was a happy ending...
Not to talk about the group ....😩😩
Their friendship...
All three were also so awesome...
Altogether...
School life, love , friendship, rainbow, no need of a name for relationship, dreams, sacrifice, struggle,,. I just loved this drama ...so much...
After a very long time some drama made this big impact on me ... And it's just totally added to my very selective favourite list....
And yup...this drama made me cry the most
I will not recommend it to anyone ,so that their hearts can be healthy 💞🤌😩
Was this review helpful to you?
High on nostalgia
Twenty-Five Twenty- One is more about the journey than the destination itself. It's about two people who propel each other forward during difficult times and get each other to a better place in their individual journeys rather than focusing on being together ❤️ it has a beautiful message on individual growth in relationships and the joy relationships bring to our lives even when they're momentary. And sprinkled on that is the magic of nostalgia ✨️ I'm not from Korea and it still took me back to a time of innocence and when internet was still fairly new.TFTO has great characters, and very talented actors who do them justice. Both the leads have great chemistry and I really enjoyed watching them on screen together. I also really enjoyed their friends, coach, and others. Fencing is obviously at the center of the show, and the creators make sure that it's the focus till the very end unlike some other shows where the FL's dream and profession is quickly forgotten as the show progresses.
What didn't work for me is that the show is mostly set in one stage of the characters' lives, it sort of gets stuck in high school. The later part of their lives is rushed through in last 3- 4 episodes. So the show premise and title is deceptive in a way, because it made me think that it'll capture the lead characters' lives in different stages. So like another comment here stated it really wouldn't have mattered if the daughter and older FL weren't there. I found the FL very engaging and it would have been great to see her life in her 30s, some more of her marriage and motherhood. I also didn't buy the ending. It didn't seem like a natural course of their relationship although I believed in the sentiment behind it, that you can't have everything but you can preserve the beauty of the moments. But, their relationship had been shown to be so strong early on that it seemed a little forced that it ended the way it did.
Overall, of course this is a great show, very well made, and showcases the best of its lead actors. But, don't expect too much from the ending. Go in thinking of it as high school sport drama with some flashback and you'll come out happy 😊
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Be prepared to cry....ALOT!
I absolutely loved, loved this series. The actors were great, very convincing, and drew me in immediately. The story line was relevant and showed the growth of each character and their developing relationships with the others. I admit that the last few episodes, especially the last one, made my heart ache and had me in crying as if I were experiencing the situation in person. Although I had hoped for a different ending, over all im glad i watched it and I highly recommend. Just keep the tissues handy.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
a very strong start but a somewhat disappointing end.
i love a school drama. i loved the start: the setting of 1998, the bookstore, the characters, their arcs, the interactions, the romance, everything. i felt like the latter half went a bit off the trail--i did take a break at this point so maybe i missed a lot--but the ending was a bit disappointing, also i felt that the flash-forwards to modern day hee do also didn't add anything. and i dislike timeskips a LOT, it feels like i don't know the characters at all anymorethe soundtrack does still gives me goosebumps. i miss the lead characters
Was this review helpful to you?



