If you decide to watch it, I really do hope that it'll lift up your spirits like it did mine.
Firstly - I LOVE NA HEEDO. She is my favourite protagonist now!! And Baek Yijin is pretty awesome too.All the characters are vibrant and honest. The stories within the greater story explore different perspectives on concerns about status and money, different types of love that are all real and meaningful, loss, failure, resilience, the complexity of human relationships, accepting others' belief in you, believing in yourself and other people, the phosphorescent shine of realistic optimism - just to touch a few of the themes.
The production is amazing - the settings are colourful and nostalgic, the shots can be humorous or heart-wrenchingly cinematic and the OST slaps. I don't know if this will ever reach the eyes of writer Kwon Do-eun and director Jung Ji-hyun, the actors and the creative team but you all have my full support (haha). Thank you for creating what is, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece!!!
To anyone else reading this: if you decide to watch it, I really do hope that it'll lift up your spirits like it did mine.
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this kdrama might not be liked by everyone because of its ending, this is just my opinion
this kdrama made me cry a river, it hurted but I loved the pain. If I have to describe it in 3 words it's bittersweet, youth, friendship. hands down, the best youth kdrama I watched. Na hee do is a determined fencer whom no matter how hard it gets keep working hard. when her school fencing club closes. She decides to go to Ko yu rim's, her idols school for fencing for which she tries to get herself out of the school trying fights, underage drinking. In this she meets Ye jin who knocks some sense in her telling her to talk to her mother directly, with whom she has a really bad relationship. they both had a chaotic first meet where Ye jin is just giving newspapers around as he throws the newspaper it ends up breaking the peeing boys statue. I laughed soo hard when Na hee do came to confront him. this all is written in Na hee do's diary which is being read by her daughter. Seeing this Kdrama I wonder how must've my mom's life as a teenager been... Probably better than mine I'm just staring at my phone 24/7. I really loved the kdrama even though the last 2 episodes killed me. i kind of find their reason for breakup a little unreasonable. Both Ye jin and Na hee do were way too busy for each other but that's not the reason for their breakup it's the lack of communication. The last interview broke me when it was revealed that Na hee do was married to someone else even though it wasn't revealed who. the last scene where Ye jin was trying to log into an application where it asks for his first love with a sigh he wrote "Na Hee Do" it fucking broke me I had 3 mental break downs because of this Kdrama but I don't regret watching it and I never will.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I'm watching this because of kim taeri! the projects that kim taeri brings must always look beautiful and fresh, before I watched this I really felt that this drama gave a beautiful and nostalgic impression, full of emotion, sadness and laughter wrapped in a fresh and warm format, a simple plot format but able to give something new with all the varied scenes in it. Thus the audience will still be addicted to watching it.from the start, this drama emphasized a dream, the agility of being a teenager, I was reminded of the lyrics of taylor swift's song "nothing new" like 'how can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?' the lyrics really describe the portrait of the main character in this story, na heedo.
Na heedo who is passionate in his dreams, she is someone who is principled and doesn't want to lose so don't be surprised if yall will see his cheerful, weird, annoying and outspoken personality.
I like the plot depiction of forward and backward plots presented in being harmony by showing the struggle to achieve dreams and challenges in it with the results of these achievements which then become an effect for those around them until now.
friendship, a love story that affects the change in identity from someone aged 18 to adulthood.
warm and passionate nostalgia makes everything feel nice and romantic. but nostalgia still called nostalgia which means the "past". doesn't stay forever will definitely go too.
people come and go, dreams that have been achieved can be finished when it's time to finish, but the beautiful memories that made up the identity remain forever.
this drama really describes nothing last forever in life. all achievements, pleasures and happy endings of life are not always permanent, in the future we never know what will happen, such as death, and soulmate. we really don't know about those things.
although in most films and dramas with a happy ending or happy goals is being as inspirations for audience , but being grateful for everything include your weakness as it is also a happy ending.
open ending about love, friendship, family and career makes us think with various questions such as "how they live..." "how are they now.." we determine the answer to that question.
REMEMBER ! nothing last forever, but good memories will last forever.
that's how the characters in this drama feel.
NOTES: this drama is a melo-drama and nostalgia genre, it will definitely make the audience empty, lonely but happy to be touched because finally the character's life journey is formed from nothing into extraordinary characters. a love story that is so sweet, passionate and intimate that forms the main character in this drama is so beautiful and then ends with a form of self-achievement, beautiful yet tragic.. because the separation in it validates us when we are 25 and 21.
that's what the screenwriter is trying to convey to the audience.
at any age in a love story there must be a difference in it and accept a different ending, but the memory in it is equally beautiful and unforgettable, that's first love, first journey and first goals means.
FOR THOSE WHO LIKE SOMETHING POETICAL, and SLOWBURN TROPE will be very easy for you to enjoy.
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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (2024 review)
This drama is the first 10/10 I have seen in a while.I really enjoyed watching the main characters develop into adults achieving every single one of their dreams.
The story is very well written with a bitter sweet ending. It talks about first love as what it should be… a first love, a memory, and that’s what we get through the diaries. It is a story that hits close to my heart and will always remember. This k-drama is different from what we are used to, found myself screaming, crying, laughing all at the same time.
What I also found fascinating was the accuracy they had regarding the historical events at the time, it matched to what was happening at the 90s/early 2000s. It felt way more realistic with this factor in mind.
My favorite male lead by far from all the dramas I’ve watched.
Give it a go if you need to have a good cry.
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2521 shows that in the end we all will become a memory
As a hopeless romantic and a nostalgic enjoyer (if that is a thing) every episode of this series Is magical. Hee-do and Yi-Jin slow burn and bittersweet ending feels just so heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time. All the stories are very well written, the characters are very interesting as well as their respective backgrounds, all have and important development which Is one of the topics of the series, a coming of age drama. I really liked Yu-Rim and Ji-Woong romance, they’re so cute.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Please don't mark down your score because you don't like the ending!
I loved Twenty-Five Twenty-One because it was a beautiful love story which made me laugh and cry. Like everyone else, I wanted Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin to end up together, but it the timing wasn't right for them and they had different priorities. Na Hee Do wanted to be Ko Yu Rim's rival and was driven by her late-father's belief in her. Baek Yi Jin wanted to reunite his family and being a reporter/newscaster gave him the chance to do this, despite not being a college graduate. Na Hee Do needed a supportive partner like her father and not someone who was going to be like her mother. Perhaps if Na Hee Do had a mother with a different profession, things might've been different, but her mother's past actions had scarred her too much. I live in hope that they can make their way back to each other when Min Chae is older.Although I've given top scores, the show isn't perfect. One criticism is that the mother missing her husband's funeral altogether was too unbelievable and surely her boss would've made more of an effort to make her go. I do understand that the mother was fearful about keeping her job and raising a child on her own and was trying hard to keep it together, so the pre-reconciliation interactions between her and Na Hee Do were heart-wrenching. A second minor criticism is that I also find it unbelievable that the older Na Hee Do didn't remember the beach trip. Surely if you have a photo album, you'd remember such a special trip!
The actress who plays the older Na Hee Do had a good resemblance, but she lacked spark, but perhaps the loss of spark was from marriage to the wrong person? But who can match Kim Tae Ri in acting, beauty and personality? I wonder if the makers looked at ageing Kim Tae Ri to play the older Na Hee Do?
I'm not ready to let the show go yet and have re-watched it several times, even though it makes me cry each time. The ending was heartbreaking, but it was signalled right from the beginning. So please award your scores based on the categories and not on your disagreement with the ending!
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Yi-Jin did warned us, gravity is the only thing that stays the same forever.
Best kdrama I've ever watched and the ending was perfect because this story is not about first love, it's about friendship and growth as a person.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Tell me the story of your youth
I put this on hold for a long time because I am not a fan of the leads (don't judge me), but YouTube kept recommending Bibi's song, and I became quite addicted, so I gave it a go, and boy, this was a magical drama.All the characters were amazing, but I must commend Nam Joo Hyuk for his wonderful portrayal of Back Yi Jin. Honestly, I am more invested in his story. His struggles and sacrifices make me cry a lot. His acting really improved.
The story will make you remember your youth. Your first love, decisions, and everything in between Despite some painful memories, there are lots of great things that make you smile and make you silly.
I don't know why I am okay with the ending. Maybe because I used to be in love and hurt like that. Not everything has a happy ending in life, and that's okay.
I will give this a solid 10. Great story, lovely OST, and amazing acting. A must-watch... Just remember to enjoy every moment. Embrace the hardships and find a silver lining in every struggle that you encounter in this world.
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This review may contain spoilers
It has been one year with a heartbroken
It has been one year since I got my heartbroken because of this I literally cried that sunday morning and went to threat tvN for always give us bittersweet endings, anyways I still can't get over.To be honest, I find that this drama has it all, good plot, good acting performance and above all good music. Each weekend it got me waiting for the next episode and I even cried in a few, I felt so identified with Na HeeDo, the fact she missed his father so much and was looking sad seeing the relationship Yurim got with her father, it reminds me to myself.
Apart for the fact I felt a conexion with Heedo's character and even if I didn't like the ending it was a good drama, which reflects all the hardships prople can have while growing up and how this affects their relationship, even the ending was kinda realistic (I don’t like realistic endings at all btw, I watch dramas to escape from reality, its a little bit childish, but this is how I think) the fact they couldn't overcome the hardships their relationship went through and other ones could, makes me angry, but I guess it was my fault for having high expectations since the first episode aired, thinking they would do something to make Baek Yijin the father, but well, now I'm not able to listening to 2521 by Jaurim without feel so emotional and even cry just a little bit, btw I don't know if this is overhyped, but the fact I was commenting with all the people here about the ending, makes me think it was something that linked people, for me, this was an excellent drama that never got boring. So if you like realistic endings, and even if you dont like the, you should give this a a chance. ^^
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This review may contain spoilers
The reviews are all basically only about the ending and people critical with it, coming from an emotional mindset sure I get it, it's heartbreaking but that doesn't make it bad. It's fitting, it's realistic and was also setup throughout the entire show. Not every show has to have the perfect romance ending, if it did I still would've enjoyed it but I would not go back and think about and have the emotional attachment that I do to it. The only reason that I see people rating so low is because they can't get past that things don't always end perfectly. They went different routes in life and that's perfectly fine, and honestly is fitting. Just because the romance between the other friends doesn't mean they have to work for them. Coming from an actually trying to criticize the story perspective it just doesn't hold much water imo. The only thing I think would've been nice is if they did at the minimum show them still being friends because it would definitely make sense for them to stay in contact and be friends rooting each other on. That is my only real criticism of the end. The rest of the show is fantastic. Was this review helpful to you?
Beautifully and poetically made, a masterclass on storytelling, and in it's own class.
I watched 2521 almost three years ago in August 2022, and it's still my favourite drama of all time. I am so happy when I learn that people learn to love it as much as I do. I was debating whether I should write a review since there would be so much to talk about, but I want to rewrite my thoughts on this show so someone who looks through these reviews can see why it deserves such a high rating.A fencer and a reporter, their lives are followed by another fencer, Yu-rim, her love interest, Ji-woong and another character, Seungwan, who is a great character. I loved how slice-of-life this show was. At times, it could feel so unrealistic, comedic-wise, but it always felt like a real story of people and their friendships. The 90s nostalgia was captured, and I loved watching every scene grace my TV screen. I never knew how to put it into words, but this show had such a magnificent ambience that my eyes were glued and never looked away. The music took my breath away, and it was so hard not to get looped in. Overall, the direction and cinematography were stunning. My heart broke, and I laughed. The pacing was amazingly well done.
The writing touched on themes that applied to my life and I believe to anyone else's life. LDRs, special bonds tied to deep history, the sanctioned morality of journalism, and the transient nature of life. They were executed perfectly, and I couldn't help but think about them being shown in other dramas. This drama left a massive footprint on me that I compare to every drama I watch. Perfection.
The acting was incredible. KTR and NJH have the most poetic and beautiful chemistry that I grew SOOO attached to them. I believe NHD and BYJ shared a one-in-a-billion relationship. Their words were special and supportive, they spoke of love and beauty when supporting each other in hard times. They always kept my attention. I never wanted to look away. I fully watched the drama once, but I think some scenes are so unforgettable that you realize them as time passes from finishing the show. It's impossible to forget, and you're eventually drawn into the emotional landscape that presents the characters' raw identities and emotions, so you would want to empathize with anyone. No character was two-dimensional.
No other drama is superior to 2521 when it comes to authentic character creation and development. The vibes are immaculate that you see your heart breaking and desiring such an experience again. I poured my heart and soul into this drama, and that's what makes it on another level. You could be critical writing a review on a story's writing, but you don't just watch Twenty-Five, Twenty One. You feel it. You are transported into another world. It doesn't feel like fantasy, but like living in someone's story. So, please watch this masterpiece. No other drama or TV show has made me feel the same. Your mind and thoughts will change, your emotions are in a whirlwind, yet you feel overcoming a sense of dread and sadness and feel hopeful about the future. For whatever comes next.
Even then, I think this show is incredibly well-written. It balances comedy and seriousness, and you come out feeling renewed with a broken heart. No dumb cliches, just a heartfelt story celebrating the passage of time and the cherished bonds that look into universal thoughts of life, encapsulating a journey. I believed this show changed my perspective on growing up and dealing with life's hardships, it inspired me to be open-minded, and it was the first time I felt a connection to fictional characters.
Just bravo. Watch it for the journey, even for the controversial ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
First love
I really loved this drama. Last episode brought tears to my eyes. I probably cried for like an hour lol. To me this drama shows the major 2 ways first love can go. An example is with yu rim and ji woong. They ended up getting married, and having their happy ending together. However, life isnt ideal. Hee do and yi jin's ending is probably more common. First love is somthing people take for granted. In the moment, you think it would last forever. But eventually she's smiling at the thought of her naivety . This kdrama made me laugh, smile and cry. And i loved every part of it 💞Was this review helpful to you?
