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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The kind of story that made me feel everything is temporary.
By watching this, I realized that you will likely forget many of your most exciting moments with friends or family throughout your life, and that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. You will only experience your teenage life once, so cherish it. The ending was an example of that. Even though Baek Yi-Jin and Na Hee-Do were there for each other at their lowest, they didn't end up together. Everything you cherish might be gone tomorrow. Also, the OST in this kdrama was phenomenal. I know the song "Twenty Five Twenty One" by Jaurim is not from this kdrama, but it suits so perfectly. I'm repeating it constantly every day, by hearing this I could feel like I'm watching the kdrama again and again. Best korean song.Was this review helpful to you?
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?
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Doesn't work well when this show is recommend as heartbreaking + should have been a GL
This series might have hit better for me if I was watching it while it was airing. I knew the biggest plot twist i.e heedo getting married to someone who is not yijin. Matter of fact i might have seen that scene the most before watching this series.This series was very hyped up with people saying the last 2 episodes gave them a heartbreak so that hype might be a factor to my disappointment.
First of all, THE AGE GAP?!? i thought 25-21 might be a cute inside joke and not their ages. And it's not even the age they get together, it's the age they break up at!!!!! I could not get over their age gap, given that they met each other while she was 18 and he was 22. They even heavily point out how of a mental difference there is between 18 year olds and 22 year olds. But then everyone pretends that it's ok for this grown ass man to hang out with high school girls ( and one guy) and even date one of them. Even at the end they point out how they were such clueless kids and he was the only adult.
One good thing the age gap did was to show what parents'emotional neglect will lead to. If you don't give your children emotional support they end up seeking it in the wrong places. Due to heedo's luck yijin was decent, if he was anything but that she could have gone the wrong path. After getting attacked by the entire country her mother doesn't come up to protect her or comfort her, she has to seek comfort from the man she met in a bookstore and strangers in restaurants.
The best thing about this series was that friend group. They showed a good friendship with all of them loving and accepting each other as they are, letting each other take breaks and providing support on the various paths they take. Even a very healthy male and female friendship. On that topic.......HEDDO AND YURIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOVERS.
Honestly this should have been a gl. EVERYTHING about heedo and yurim was romantic. Both of them knowing each other before actually being introduced to each other, them wanting each other to do well so that they can compete together, them being scared together, being online penpals. Their declarations of friendship felt like love confessions. They way yurim plays with heedo's hair......YOU CAN'T TELL ME IT WAS NOTHING. Then hugging at that marid match after not talking for months, yurim's speech at heedo's retirement, all of these were the most passionate and romantic moments of this series. I would have eaten this up if it was gl with two fencers who fall in love with each other and their highschool life.
The last few episodes are the most talked about, i feel like they were pretty realistic and good. I thought the 9/11 part was unnecessary, just felt like they threw something in there to give yijin a reason to be an ass. Like i can understand he is affected by it ofc, but being so affected that you say your gf's support doesn't help and she doesn't understand you yet she should not break up with you? From heedo's side the break up made sense. She is not the naive girl who could not find support from home anymore. She grew up and understood that the kind of life her mother led was not the one she wanted and that yijin is probably going to follow the same path and she doesn't want a future like that no matter how much she loves him.
During the time when life gives you tangerines was airing I saw a lot of comparisons between this show and that, saying that in one the couples give up their dreams for their love while here the couple give up their love for their dreams. I think that's a bad comparison cause here without their dreams they will not be who they are and they would not love each other if it weren't for their dreams.
I was not that emotional over their breakup or relationship (due to the above mentioned reasons). The best parts were yurim and heedo's friendship. I liked heedo's journey and high school parts the best. I got a lot of new perspective on athletes.
Overall an okay show. Another series with Kim Taeri and Bo Na as leads please
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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 my fav drama
This drama is truly one of the most beautiful and memorable Korean dramas ever made. The story is heartwarming, emotional, and filled with nostalgic feelings about youth, friendship, first love, and chasing dreams. Every episode feels meaningful and realistic, as if it gently brings viewers back to their own teenage years full of passion and hope. The acting performances are absolutely outstanding, especially from Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk, who deliver natural and powerful portrayals of their characters. Their chemistry feels genuine and sincere, making the relationship between the main leads incredibly touching and believable. The storyline is well written, balanced with humor, sadness, excitement, and life lessons that stay in your heart long after watching. The cinematography is beautiful, the soundtrack perfectly matches every scene, and the dialogues are simple yet deeply moving. What makes this drama special is that it is not only about romance, but also about growth, hard work, failure, and learning to move forward in life. The friendship between the characters is warm and inspiring, showing the true value of supporting each other through difficult times. Watching Twenty Five Twenty One feels like going on an emotional journey full of laughter and tears. It is a drama that makes you smile, cry, and fall in love with the characters at the same time. Without a doubt, this drama is a masterpiece that deserves to be watched again and again.Was this review helpful to you?
Twenty-Five Twenty-One is not just a K-drama, it’s a feeling.
This drama talks about youth, dreams, friendships, and first love in a very honest way. It doesn’t try to be perfect or unreal — it feels like real life, especially if you’re young or standing at the beginning of adulthood.What I love most is how deeply emotional yet gentle it is. The characters grow, change, and try their best, even when life doesn’t go as planned. While watching it, you don’t just watch their story — you remember your own moments, your own hopes, your own people.
I watched this drama twice at different stages of my life, and it felt completely different each time. That’s how you know it’s special.
If you’re looking for something meaningful, realistic, and unforgettable — this drama is worth watching. Please don’t rush it. Feel it.
'starlight :)
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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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