Note #1: All ages are in Korean age Note #2: The competitions depicted are not real (fencing, ballet)
* 2000 -- Na Hee Do 20 years old -- Baek Yi Jin 24 years old
* 2001 -- Na Hee Do 21 years old -- Baek Yi Jin 25 years old -- Show title: Twenty-Five Twenty-One -- Madrid, Spain competition - Na Hee Do won Gold -- 9/11 (US timezone) attack -- 9/13 (Asian timezone) Yi Jin went to the US -- probably December Yi Jin got the New York appointment
* 2002 -- Grand Prix and World Championship tournaments in Europe probably January -- (sometime early to mid March) Ko Yu Rim returned earlier after the tournaments -- The previous item has to have happened in March because when Hee Do was crying after they met again, there was a light snow. Snow usually ends mid-March in South Korea. -- sometime between early and mid March, Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin broke up -- April 2002, Baek Yi Jin went back to New York
* 2005 -- Na Hee Do 25 years old -- Baek Yi Jin 29 years old -- Prague, Czech Republic competition - Na Hee Do won Gold -- (time period is just a guess)
* 2007 -- Na Hee Do 27 years old -- Ko Yu Rim retired
* 2009 -- Na Hee Do 29 years old -- Baek Yi Jin 33 years old -- sometime 1Q of 2009 Na Hee Do got married to a Kim -- 2Q of 2009, intense training -- July 10, 2009: San Francisco, USA competition - Na Hee Do won Gold and UBS live interview -- July 2009, Na Hee Do announced her retirement.
* 2010 -- Na Hee Do 30 years old -- sometime this year Kim Min Chae was born (1 year old Korean age)
* 2016 -- Na Hee Do 36 years old -- Kim Min Chae 7 years old (the actress was 4 years old if they filmed it in 2021; 5 years old if filmed in 2022) -- Kim Min Chae started ballet; and recital
* 2021 -- Present time -- Na Hee Do 41 years old -- Baek Yi Jin 45 years old -- Kim Min Chae had been doing ballet for 5 years (ep 1) -- Kim Min Chae is 12 years old (the actress is 13 years old if was filmed 2021; 14 in 2022)
Again: all ages in Korean age. 1. When they are born, they are 1 year old automatically. 2. By January 1 every year, ALL Koreans add +1 to their age. They do NOT add +1 to their age on their birthdays.
Could someone remind me if we got to know Hee Do's doughter age?
No. However, we can assume some things:
- Na Hee Do was married sometime 1Q of 2009. - Na Hee Do was no doubt in intense training in 2Q of 2009 - so there's no way she would plan marriage around this time, so it happened before. - July 2009 is the San Francisco tournament - July 2009, after the match, Na Hee Do announced her retirement - Newborns have a very high success of living if they were born in either 7th month or 9th month of pregnancy. Any other month, the newborn is likely to die. - Na Hee Do was not pregnant yet during the July 2009 San Francisco Match. If she got pregnant in March, July is her 4th month. If Feb, July is 5th month. Jan, then July is her 6th month. She probably won't make it in the tournament if she was pregnant. It's possible if it was within the first 3 months. - This only leaves the possibility that she got pregnant after she returned to Korea in July 11/12 onwards. - Assuming she got pregnant late July: 7th month pregnancy would be on Feb, probably gave birth late Feb or early March 2010. If 9th month, then she probably gave birth late April or early May 2010. - Lastly, in 2009 Na Hee Do was already 29. It is generally advisable to give birth no later than 30 years old, for the health of the mother and baby. Giving birth after 30 years old, the risk gets higher and higher. It's not impossible, the risk just higher as the mother gets older.
So … Kim Min Chae was probably born 2010, or 2011 the latest. Let's just assume 2010, so in 2021 Kim Min Chae is 12 years old. Not that far from the actress' real age which is 13 years old in 2021.
Honestly would have accepted the breakup more if they completed had moved on & how they grew out of it from 2009…
Your first true love will forever be the most meaningful part of your life. That's all there is to it. It doesn't mean she did not move on.
Secondly, it shapes you forever. All the pain and joy you experienced with your first true love, no matter how short or long it may have been, will always become your standard in love and relationships.
This is especially true if you parted ways amicably because it means it was a decision you both agreed upon. That last immense pain will forever mark the both of you.
Oh gawd. It's so sad you haven't experienced this kind of love and relationship. I've been there too. It changes you for the good, you learn a thousand lessons from it. IT IS VERY PAINFUL and VERY MEMORABLE.
People who've been through this, most assume they've forgotten about it. But that is a big fat lie. It will always be a part of you and you'll eventually get tired trying to forget it.
Whichever successful relationship we are today, it was all possible because of the PAIN and JOY we experienced with our first true love.
I think people are just surprised that the supporting characters got a proper ending but with the main leads we're…
"no proper explanation"
It was properly explained all throughout the series, even repeatedly explained in episode 16.
The problem is people want to live in their fantasies. If it doesn't happen the way their fantasies pictured the story to be, they throw all the negatives.
Like it or not, the writer chose not fantasies but true-to-life stories.
The point of the this show is how we mature through our experiences and relationships (especially first love).…
Your are misunderstanding "regret" here.
Yes, they want to change their decision back in 2002 when they broke up but they do not regret it, they were thankful for it because they never will be who they are in 2021 if they did not go through that.
How did I know? Because I've experienced it first hand. Me and my ex, we were both first love to each other. We dated for 3 years and parted ways similarly to how Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin parted ways. We dated from 1997 to 2000.
Like Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin, our first break up was nasty. Then we met again and we broke up properly and bid our farewells. Heck, she even told me the exact same thing Na Hee Do said in her what-if: "this time you go first".
Years later, when we look back at it all, we both (yes, "we" because we're friends), we do not regret it at all. Yes, we do want to bring back time to change things so we can be together, but it is NOT because of regret, it is wishful thinking. The what-if moments.
Instead of regret, we both feel thankful because we wouldn't be who we are today if not for the decision we both made together in 2000 -- break up.
It is as expected. I'm glad they did not give in to public demand to have the "they lived happily ever after" closure because that would've wasted the whole story, the message, and lessons they painstakingly told in each and every scene.
However, there is one question left: what did Hee Do mean when she said, "I'll take care of everything?" They never explained that even in episode 16. They probably changed their mind about something but they already filmed the scenes.
P.S. The identity of Kim Min Chae's father is not important. The only thing important is, right from Episode 1 they already set the mood that Na Hee Do married a Kim and not a Baek.
would you sit down, have a meal and discuss life with your ex who not only betrayed your love and trust but also…
Yes to all.
Every single scenario and decisions they portrayed were all based on true-to-life experiences. So saying "this is so unrealistic" is a total disrespect to people who've experienced it and made a decisions similar to what were depicted in this series.
YOU just haven't been blessed enough to have experienced the beauty of life and relationships the way the rest of us did.
Or maybe, you are just too young to have gone through any of it. Or, maybe you haven't been in any relationship at all.
What is "realistic" to you? They had a perfect relationship, butterfly-in-the-stomach, go to dates in beautiful places, and eat romantic dinners, and lived happily ever after? LOLs, if that is what "realistic" for you, that is actually NOT realistic, not even 0.0001%. That is called FANTASY.
Realistic is when a story shows what people actually experiences in real life. Realistic is when a story depicts how people actually make decisions in real life.
It is also called being a mature adult.
People make mistakes. People make wrong decisions. That is a FACT of life and relationships. It is how to handle it afterwards that defines if you are a mature individual.
All of the characters in this series showed how imperfect they are and how they learn from their mistakes and grow. Is that not realistic enough for you?
Don't tell us you haven't experienced making mistakes, learning from it, and growing because of those mistakes--that's why this show is "unrealistic"? I wish we are all perfect like you then.
I don't understand JHK's goodwill towards ki jun at all. Not even a little bit. She kept calling him a good person,…
It is not "dumb shit". It does happen in real-life far more frequently than society wants you to believe.
Society, mass media, and social media, wants you to believe that exes can never be friends. That is a complete fat lie.
Exes becoming friends is actually very common. Again, as I've said earlier, mature adults.
Some say, if you are friends with your ex, then you have not moved on. The truth is, it is the other way around.
If you can not stomach seeing your ex's shadow or hear your ex's voice, then YOU have NOT moved on at all. A person who truly moved on will no longer have any emotional reaction when they cross paths with their ex. Because … they moved on. There is nothing. There is no anger. There is no romantic love. There is no jealousy. There is no bitterness. Nada. Zero. Zilch.
A mature adult knows that full well. A mature adult knows that they can be friends with their ex'es if they so choose. Or, be colleagues if not friends. If one asks for advice, they can to, again if they so choose.
Did you notice how SW and YJ tried to stop their better halves from talking to their ex'es? AND YET they themselves talk behind their backs? That is a sign of an adult who hasn't matured yet.
Eventually, SW matured himself. He even started listening to KJ instead of him shutting him down. He slowly learned that KJ is only looking after them two. Yes, KJ was jealous, KJ was suspicious of SW, KJ was a total jerk trying to break them up, but KJ eventually supported them, and SW himself realized this.
It's too bad they did not how YJ matured herself. It would've been interesting seeing YJ and HK. At least on HK's side, she was happy when KJ showed her a recording of their baby's heart beat. We can deduce that she let go of her anger towards YJ. But on YJ's side, we weren't given even the slightest hint that she moved on, I wish they did even for just one scene or a passing dialogue. Instead they focused on YJ's maturity as a mother (which itself is very good).
Again, as I've said before, this is not about rape, physical and mental abuse, bullying, or any very traumatic experiences. Those are not relationships.
I don't understand JHK's goodwill towards ki jun at all. Not even a little bit. She kept calling him a good person,…
Welcome to being a matured adult. ;)
I'm not being sarcastic. I'm not mocking or patronizing you. It just what it is. When you go through the same experience in life, you learn these things.
Her ex-fiancee is a good person. He was a fool. He made a mistake. He cheated on her. That is all true, no one is denying that, no one is erasing that. She knows it full well herself, after all, she's the one who experienced it. But beyond all that, he is a good person.
He learned from it. He continually makes an effort to be a better person, especially for his wife. He himself matured by letting go of HK and supporting her relationship with SW. He is even a good friend afterwards, giving good advices but without pushing himself. He is just there as a friend, as a support.
That is a good person. That is a mature adult. And they both are. She let go of their past. She has forgiven him. She herself is a friend to him. She and his wife may not see eye-to-eye, there probably will be animosity between them, after all, she stole him from her, but as a mature adult, she can be a supportive friend to him.
That's what life is. That's what relationships are. That's what being a mature adult is all about.
Special note: We are not talking about rape, murder, bullying, physical and mental abuse, and any very traumatic experiences.
Even though they chose the "and they ALL lived happily ever after", the road to that was well-written. They did not just jump into that conclusion, they still went through and highlighted the trials and tribulations of each relationship (romantic, family, parent-children, work). They avoided the common pitfall in the "they lived happily ever after" ending.
Episode 16 will be about how they eventually went their separate ways.Noticed how in Episode 15 Hee Do said her…
His father is not a criminal. They filed their bankruptcy properly. Just like in any bankruptcy, not all employees receive anything. Even if they all did, only a small fraction is given … because well … the company is bankrupt.
His father is hiding because in Korea, they love to invade a person's personal space, and even get physical. It is rare to see that kind of "reaction" in other countries where bankruptcies happened--people know they shouldn't cross the line. But in Korea, at least as far as this show has demonstrated, they will cross the line, forget about anti-trespassing and privacy laws … give us back our money or die.
These are the surname rules in Korea: 1. Both husband and wife retain their maiden names. 2. The children will inherit their father's surname UNLESS it was agreed during marriage of their parents that they will use their mother's surname. 3. You can not change your surnames
In January 1, 2008, children were given the right to adopt their mother's surname, even their step-parent's surname. I am not sure how easy it is to change your surname (again, surname … changing your given name is very, very, very, easy in Korea since 2005).
Going back, everyone knew who Baek Yi Jin is in the late 90s and early 2000s. When he became a full-pledged reporter, he still uses that name.
If he did change his name, again the January 1, 2008 law, then sure, it is a possibility, since Hee Do was married sometime early 2009 (or late 2008).
However, again, Hee Do's daughter doesn't know who Baek Yi Jin is (or was). She would've reacted or have realized the Yi Jin in the diaries was/is her father.
Again, I'm not saying it's not possible. Just that, things point to them going their separate ways before the 2009 San Francisco fencing tournament.
1 
Note #2: The competitions depicted are not real (fencing, ballet)
* 2000
-- Na Hee Do 20 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 24 years old
* 2001
-- Na Hee Do 21 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 25 years old
-- Show title: Twenty-Five Twenty-One
-- Madrid, Spain competition - Na Hee Do won Gold
-- 9/11 (US timezone) attack
-- 9/13 (Asian timezone) Yi Jin went to the US
-- probably December Yi Jin got the New York appointment
* 2002
-- Grand Prix and World Championship tournaments in Europe probably January
-- (sometime early to mid March) Ko Yu Rim returned earlier after the tournaments
-- The previous item has to have happened in March because when Hee Do was crying after they met again, there was a light snow. Snow usually ends mid-March in South Korea.
-- sometime between early and mid March, Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin broke up
-- April 2002, Baek Yi Jin went back to New York
* 2005
-- Na Hee Do 25 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 29 years old
-- Prague, Czech Republic competition - Na Hee Do won Gold -- (time period is just a guess)
* 2007
-- Na Hee Do 27 years old
-- Ko Yu Rim retired
* 2009
-- Na Hee Do 29 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 33 years old
-- sometime 1Q of 2009 Na Hee Do got married to a Kim
-- 2Q of 2009, intense training
-- July 10, 2009: San Francisco, USA competition - Na Hee Do won Gold and UBS live interview
-- July 2009, Na Hee Do announced her retirement.
* 2010
-- Na Hee Do 30 years old
-- sometime this year Kim Min Chae was born (1 year old Korean age)
* 2016
-- Na Hee Do 36 years old
-- Kim Min Chae 7 years old (the actress was 4 years old if they filmed it in 2021; 5 years old if filmed in 2022)
-- Kim Min Chae started ballet; and recital
* 2021
-- Present time
-- Na Hee Do 41 years old
-- Baek Yi Jin 45 years old
-- Kim Min Chae had been doing ballet for 5 years (ep 1)
-- Kim Min Chae is 12 years old (the actress is 13 years old if was filmed 2021; 14 in 2022)
Again: all ages in Korean age.
1. When they are born, they are 1 year old automatically.
2. By January 1 every year, ALL Koreans add +1 to their age. They do NOT add +1 to their age on their birthdays.
- Na Hee Do was married sometime 1Q of 2009.
- Na Hee Do was no doubt in intense training in 2Q of 2009 - so there's no way she would plan marriage around this time, so it happened before.
- July 2009 is the San Francisco tournament
- July 2009, after the match, Na Hee Do announced her retirement
- Newborns have a very high success of living if they were born in either 7th month or 9th month of pregnancy. Any other month, the newborn is likely to die.
- Na Hee Do was not pregnant yet during the July 2009 San Francisco Match. If she got pregnant in March, July is her 4th month. If Feb, July is 5th month. Jan, then July is her 6th month. She probably won't make it in the tournament if she was pregnant. It's possible if it was within the first 3 months.
- This only leaves the possibility that she got pregnant after she returned to Korea in July 11/12 onwards.
- Assuming she got pregnant late July: 7th month pregnancy would be on Feb, probably gave birth late Feb or early March 2010. If 9th month, then she probably gave birth late April or early May 2010.
- Lastly, in 2009 Na Hee Do was already 29. It is generally advisable to give birth no later than 30 years old, for the health of the mother and baby. Giving birth after 30 years old, the risk gets higher and higher. It's not impossible, the risk just higher as the mother gets older.
So … Kim Min Chae was probably born 2010, or 2011 the latest. Let's just assume 2010, so in 2021 Kim Min Chae is 12 years old. Not that far from the actress' real age which is 13 years old in 2021.
-- note: all ages in Korean age.
I hope it helps.
Secondly, it shapes you forever. All the pain and joy you experienced with your first true love, no matter how short or long it may have been, will always become your standard in love and relationships.
This is especially true if you parted ways amicably because it means it was a decision you both agreed upon. That last immense pain will forever mark the both of you.
Oh gawd. It's so sad you haven't experienced this kind of love and relationship. I've been there too. It changes you for the good, you learn a thousand lessons from it. IT IS VERY PAINFUL and VERY MEMORABLE.
People who've been through this, most assume they've forgotten about it. But that is a big fat lie. It will always be a part of you and you'll eventually get tired trying to forget it.
Whichever successful relationship we are today, it was all possible because of the PAIN and JOY we experienced with our first true love.
That's what Twenty-Five Twenty-One is all about.
It was properly explained all throughout the series, even repeatedly explained in episode 16.
The problem is people want to live in their fantasies. If it doesn't happen the way their fantasies pictured the story to be, they throw all the negatives.
Like it or not, the writer chose not fantasies but true-to-life stories.
Yes, they want to change their decision back in 2002 when they broke up but they do not regret it, they were thankful for it because they never will be who they are in 2021 if they did not go through that.
How did I know? Because I've experienced it first hand. Me and my ex, we were both first love to each other. We dated for 3 years and parted ways similarly to how Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin parted ways. We dated from 1997 to 2000.
Like Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin, our first break up was nasty. Then we met again and we broke up properly and bid our farewells. Heck, she even told me the exact same thing Na Hee Do said in her what-if: "this time you go first".
Years later, when we look back at it all, we both (yes, "we" because we're friends), we do not regret it at all. Yes, we do want to bring back time to change things so we can be together, but it is NOT because of regret, it is wishful thinking. The what-if moments.
Instead of regret, we both feel thankful because we wouldn't be who we are today if not for the decision we both made together in 2000 -- break up.
It is as expected. I'm glad they did not give in to public demand to have the "they lived happily ever after" closure because that would've wasted the whole story, the message, and lessons they painstakingly told in each and every scene.
However, there is one question left: what did Hee Do mean when she said, "I'll take care of everything?" They never explained that even in episode 16. They probably changed their mind about something but they already filmed the scenes.
P.S.
The identity of Kim Min Chae's father is not important. The only thing important is, right from Episode 1 they already set the mood that Na Hee Do married a Kim and not a Baek.
Every single scenario and decisions they portrayed were all based on true-to-life experiences. So saying "this is so unrealistic" is a total disrespect to people who've experienced it and made a decisions similar to what were depicted in this series.
YOU just haven't been blessed enough to have experienced the beauty of life and relationships the way the rest of us did.
Or maybe, you are just too young to have gone through any of it. Or, maybe you haven't been in any relationship at all.
What is "realistic" to you? They had a perfect relationship, butterfly-in-the-stomach, go to dates in beautiful places, and eat romantic dinners, and lived happily ever after? LOLs, if that is what "realistic" for you, that is actually NOT realistic, not even 0.0001%. That is called FANTASY.
Realistic is when a story shows what people actually experiences in real life. Realistic is when a story depicts how people actually make decisions in real life.
It is also called being a mature adult.
People make mistakes. People make wrong decisions. That is a FACT of life and relationships. It is how to handle it afterwards that defines if you are a mature individual.
All of the characters in this series showed how imperfect they are and how they learn from their mistakes and grow. Is that not realistic enough for you?
Don't tell us you haven't experienced making mistakes, learning from it, and growing because of those mistakes--that's why this show is "unrealistic"? I wish we are all perfect like you then.
Society, mass media, and social media, wants you to believe that exes can never be friends. That is a complete fat lie.
Exes becoming friends is actually very common. Again, as I've said earlier, mature adults.
Some say, if you are friends with your ex, then you have not moved on. The truth is, it is the other way around.
If you can not stomach seeing your ex's shadow or hear your ex's voice, then YOU have NOT moved on at all. A person who truly moved on will no longer have any emotional reaction when they cross paths with their ex. Because … they moved on. There is nothing. There is no anger. There is no romantic love. There is no jealousy. There is no bitterness. Nada. Zero. Zilch.
A mature adult knows that full well. A mature adult knows that they can be friends with their ex'es if they so choose. Or, be colleagues if not friends. If one asks for advice, they can to, again if they so choose.
Did you notice how SW and YJ tried to stop their better halves from talking to their ex'es? AND YET they themselves talk behind their backs? That is a sign of an adult who hasn't matured yet.
Eventually, SW matured himself. He even started listening to KJ instead of him shutting him down. He slowly learned that KJ is only looking after them two. Yes, KJ was jealous, KJ was suspicious of SW, KJ was a total jerk trying to break them up, but KJ eventually supported them, and SW himself realized this.
It's too bad they did not how YJ matured herself. It would've been interesting seeing YJ and HK. At least on HK's side, she was happy when KJ showed her a recording of their baby's heart beat. We can deduce that she let go of her anger towards YJ. But on YJ's side, we weren't given even the slightest hint that she moved on, I wish they did even for just one scene or a passing dialogue. Instead they focused on YJ's maturity as a mother (which itself is very good).
Again, as I've said before, this is not about rape, physical and mental abuse, bullying, or any very traumatic experiences. Those are not relationships.
I'm not being sarcastic. I'm not mocking or patronizing you. It just what it is. When you go through the same experience in life, you learn these things.
Her ex-fiancee is a good person. He was a fool. He made a mistake. He cheated on her. That is all true, no one is denying that, no one is erasing that. She knows it full well herself, after all, she's the one who experienced it. But beyond all that, he is a good person.
He learned from it. He continually makes an effort to be a better person, especially for his wife. He himself matured by letting go of HK and supporting her relationship with SW. He is even a good friend afterwards, giving good advices but without pushing himself. He is just there as a friend, as a support.
That is a good person. That is a mature adult. And they both are. She let go of their past. She has forgiven him. She herself is a friend to him. She and his wife may not see eye-to-eye, there probably will be animosity between them, after all, she stole him from her, but as a mature adult, she can be a supportive friend to him.
That's what life is. That's what relationships are. That's what being a mature adult is all about.
Special note: We are not talking about rape, murder, bullying, physical and mental abuse, and any very traumatic experiences.
Well done. Touching. Memorable.
Best of all
Full of LIFE LESSONS!
This is an investment, I hope it will turn out good along the way.
His father is hiding because in Korea, they love to invade a person's personal space, and even get physical. It is rare to see that kind of "reaction" in other countries where bankruptcies happened--people know they shouldn't cross the line. But in Korea, at least as far as this show has demonstrated, they will cross the line, forget about anti-trespassing and privacy laws … give us back our money or die.
These are the surname rules in Korea:
1. Both husband and wife retain their maiden names.
2. The children will inherit their father's surname UNLESS it was agreed during marriage of their parents that they will use their mother's surname.
3. You can not change your surnames
In January 1, 2008, children were given the right to adopt their mother's surname, even their step-parent's surname. I am not sure how easy it is to change your surname (again, surname … changing your given name is very, very, very, easy in Korea since 2005).
Going back, everyone knew who Baek Yi Jin is in the late 90s and early 2000s. When he became a full-pledged reporter, he still uses that name.
If he did change his name, again the January 1, 2008 law, then sure, it is a possibility, since Hee Do was married sometime early 2009 (or late 2008).
However, again, Hee Do's daughter doesn't know who Baek Yi Jin is (or was). She would've reacted or have realized the Yi Jin in the diaries was/is her father.
Again, I'm not saying it's not possible. Just that, things point to them going their separate ways before the 2009 San Francisco fencing tournament.
Oh, and, he suddenly asked her for money afterwards … so … yeah … don't judge the book by its cover.
If it is set to end on "2022-04-03 21:30:00 KST" their timer ends it once it is "2022-04-03" instead of waiting for "21:30:00 KST".