Kate

Don't know if it will be of any help with "moving on" from the last two episode, but I wrote down a "short" analysis how (for me) it actually does work in context of the show and characters.

https://kisskh.at/695149-twenty-five-twenty-one#comment-9244553

Feel free to ignore and not read tho, just thought maybe a different perspective on it would help :)

❗❗❗ SPOILER OF THE ENDING ❗❗❗
My perspective and explanation why the ending makes sense.

Okay so I want to write, who from my perfective the break up and them drifting apart makes sense character wise.

Hee Do and Yi Jin had one personality difference that would be EXTREMELY hard to make their relationship work when they become actual adults: Hee Do wants to share her feelings with her partner - be it good or bad. Yi Jin wants to protect his partner from the negative feelings and would rather keep them to himself. None of their approaches is bad, it's just different.

Here's the thing - not everyone feels better after talking about their serious problems with their partner and going into detail how it all affects them. I now, relationships about communication and trust, but no matter the relationship, people need to respect each other's differences. So just based on these two completely different approach of dealing with issues, how could they make it work? Either Yi Jin would have to force himself to speak about his struggles and then feel guilty about putting it all on Hee Do's shoulders (which would make his emotional state even worse), or Hee Do would have to worry all the time and feel like she is not helpful to Yi Jin, because she does not know exactly what's going on with him. One of them would have to suffer for the other to feel better.

Another thing - Hee Do wanted an equal partner, while Yi Jin wanted to support and protect Hee Do. From my perspective, this was also the reason why he did not tell her how bad it was in US. He once said during the show that it's okay for Hee Do to be impulsive, make mistakes, not know about things, coz she has him and him will take care of it. He is extremely empathic person and he has no idea how to deal with it. He felt like he has to stay in US to report on the awful reality, he felt like it's his responsibility - but that also slowly ruined his relationship with the love of his life. I don't think it's as simple as him choosing work over Hee Do. He truly felt responsible to be there, he felt like he needs to be there. Not "oh it's a good job opportunity" type of deal. Even if he decided to come back to Korean, he would not be happy, most likely he would feel guilty about leaving these people in the US and not trying to help them in the way he could -by telling their stories. I honestly don't think Yi Jin could have gotten a perfect happy ending with Hee Do and work.

At first their relationship worked even when he went to US, because the reality did not hit them yet. But the more time they spent separately, the more it started to bother them. Why we did not see the same issue with Go Yu Rim and Moon Ji Woong? Because of their background, less severe problems, their different personalities etc. Neither Yu Rim nor Ji Woong had a trauma because of the parents not being there for them . YEs, Ji Woong had quite a messy family situation too, but it did not translate as well to his relationship with Yu Ri as it did for Hee Do and Yi Jin. While Go Yu Rim's situation was serious (her being the "traitor" and hate she got after moving to Russia) she had a huge support circle from her family and friends. Yi Jin was alone and was always the one taking care of the others - it's not that easy to out of a blue start oversharing about your emotions, if up till now you had to keep them to yourself. Another thing - Yi Rim and Ji Woong match in terms of their expectations of the relationship - Ji Woong respected that sometimes Yi Rim has issues with opening up, while Yi Rim made an effort to slowly open up to him. On the other hand Hee Do wanted it all right now, and Yi Jin was not ready and willing to do that.

No idea if it all makes sense, but for me it does. That's why I never felt like the break up was rushed. I did not like how they presented some stuff in last episode (for example they ended it on good terms right after Yi Jin left to US, but then they made big deal out of that diary as if it gave them closer they did not get before that... but they did get that closure), but overall, I saw no issue with the break up.

I already did write a review, tho I did not include it since I wanted to write a spoiler free on. Might add it in the comment under it as a spoiler tho 🤣

Honestly speaking, while I am all for how the drama ended, I am not happy with how they presented and executed it 🙃

It was early 2000' - mental health issues were not an open discussion type of deal. It still not in many countries now in 2022. There is a reason why Hee Do told Yi Jin to go to therapy coz it's easier in US - it implies it's not easy to get on in Korea at that time. Also, couple therapy when they work on different continents? How exactly would that work, with what technology would they do that? They both had extremely busy work schedule, how would they find time to even get one session a month? Where? It's easy to talk about it from our 2022 perspective when you can even schedule a meeting through zoom at any given time, but damn life was different in 2000'.

They were just different people, and while their relationship worked when they were happy and everything went well, the differences in their approach to life and relationship showed when things went south. I don't think it could work out no matter how much effort they would put into it - sooner or later it would all break down. Not every relationship can work out just coz you put effort into it.

I don't think Kim Tae Ri would pull of playing a mother in her what, early 40'? And definitely all the rest of the cast could not make it happen. No matter the make up etc, you are not making Bona look 40 🤣

I think the writers messed up a bit with showing the viewers that it's just Hee Do's story and not a story of all the characters. It was all Hee Do's perspective, and that's why it make sense at the end we only got to see her future/present.

long explanation why I feel the progression of the relationship in ep 15 and 16 makes sense 🤣

Okay so I want to write, who from my perfective the break up and them drifting apart makes sense character wise.

Hee Do and Yi Jin had one personality difference that would be EXTREMELY hard to make their relationship work when they become actual adults: Hee Do wants to share her feelings with her partner - be it good or bad. Yi Jin wants to protect his partner from the negative feelings and would rather keep them to himself. None of their approaches is bad, it's just different.

Here's the thing - not everyone feels better after talking about their serious problems with their partner and going into detail how it all affects them. I now, relationships about communication and trust, but no matter the relationship, people need to respect each other's differences. So just based on these two completely different approach of dealing with issues, how could they make it work? Either Yi Jin would have to force himself to speak about his struggles and then feel guilty about putting it all on Hee Do's shoulders (which would make his emotional state even worse), or Hee Do would have to worry all the time and feel like she is not helpful to Yi Jin, because she does not know exactly what's going on with him. One of them would have to suffer for the other to feel better.

Another thing - Hee Do wanted an equal partner, while Yi Jin wanted to support and protect Hee Do. From my perspective, this was also the reason why he did not tell her how bad it was in US. He once said during the show that it's okay for Hee Do to be impulsive, make mistakes, not know about things, coz she has him and him will take care of it. He is extremely empathic person and he has no idea how to deal with it. He felt like he has to stay in US to report on the awful reality, he felt like it's his responsibility - but that also slowly ruined his relationship with the love of his life. I don't think it's as simple as him choosing work over Hee Do. He truly felt responsible to be there, he felt like he needs to be there. Not "oh it's a good job opportunity" type of deal. Even if he decided to come back to Korean, he would not be happy, most likely he would feel guilty about leaving these people in the US and not trying to help them in the way he could -by telling their stories. I honestly don't think Yi Jin could have gotten a perfect happy ending with Hee Do and work.

At first their relationship worked even when he went to US, because the reality did not hit them yet. But the more time they spent separately, the more it started to bother them. Why we did not see the same issue with Go Yu Rim and Moon Ji Woong? Because of their background, less severe problems, their different personalities etc. Neither Yu Rim nor Ji Woong had a trauma because of the parents not being there for them . YEs, Ji Woong had quite a messy family situation too, but it did not translate as well to his relationship with Yu Ri as it did for Hee Do and Yi Jin. While Go Yu Rim's situation was serious (her being the "traitor" and hate she got after moving to Russia) she had a huge support circle from her family and friends. Yi Jin was alone and was always the one taking care of the others - it's not that easy to out of a blue start oversharing about your emotions, if up till now you had to keep them to yourself. Another thing - Yi Rim and Ji Woong match in terms of their expectations of the relationship - Ji Woong respected that sometimes Yi Rim has issues with opening up, while Yi Rim made an effort to slowly open up to him. On the other hand Hee Do wanted it all right now, and Yi Jin was not ready and willing to do that.

No idea if it all makes sense, but for me it does. That's why I never felt like the break up was rushed. I did not like how they presented some stuff in last episode (for example they ended it on good terms right after Yi Jin left to US, but then they made big deal out of that diary as if it gave them closer they did not get before that... but they did get that closure), but overall, I saw no issue with the break up.

Everybody watched this series for a happy ending < this is literally incorrect 🤣

They set some interesting things up at the beginning for the present time, and then delivered none. That's why I said it was useless. As far as I know they could have opened with old Hee Do finding the diary and reliving her youth as she was reading, and it would not change much for the show.

The daughter first episode is like: I don't want to do ballet anymore. And then last episode: now I want to do ballet again. But all the rest of the episode she is there just to read diary.

9.5, maybe 10 🤣

It's because your comment did give me the "the drama has no issues, it's the people who dislike it that have problem or just not watching it correctly" which we get a lot on mdl.

I would say it's always wise to state one's opinion without adding an opinion on other people watching who might disagree.

I don't like it coz they treat me like an idiot who is just going to accept things without asking questions. Like how Thyme was able to get people on his side based "trust me bro" and "i like the look in his eyes" when he showed to graphs during his presentation.

Or how he literally threw a chair at Gorya's direction one time when he was angry and I'm just suppose to give him a pass coz he changed...

For me this show had many either too problematic ot just stupid scenes for me to truly enjoy it. Loved it at first, was saying how it might become my fav adaptation, but the while 2nd half is a massive disappointment.

And it's not because i just "don't know how to enjoy things". There are many dramas i enjoy this is just not it.

bitter-sweet would make the most scene and is the most probable.
they will grew apart romantically, but still support each other from the distance and wish each other all the best.

Remember that meme picture of a drawing of a horse getting worse from left to right?
That's the progress of this show 🙃

"Thirty Nine is… a show that I never particularly looked forward to each week, won't particularly miss now that it’s over, and wouldn't really recommend it to people when there's a host of other dramas. " this sums up the show perfectly. I actually looked forward for it to end...

Well, I am a sci fi fan and for me this show is mediocre ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That's my point - you should not judge everyone by what you like.

It's not like this show well represents sci-fi genre to then base ones opinion the genre might not be for people, if they dislike this title. This is more of a thriller with sci-fi elements.

Again, the idea that it's wise to assume a whole genre might not be viewers' cup of tea, just because they did not like one show makes little sense.

Ah yes. Gotta love the: you don't like this one drama? I guess the whole genre might not be for you. Type of comments 😂

If you want a casual relationship and you know for a fact the other person wants a serious one, you don't go after them. It's that easy. Even after she told him this won't work and tried to break up whatever they had, he still acted jealous and tired to get her back. He gave her just enough attention to keep her around, and when she wanted to be free from that, he tried to prevent her from moving on.

They were both wrong here. He should never try anything with her, when he knew she wants a serious relationship. She should be responsible enough for her emotions and cut him off right away when she found out he is a player. But acting as if he did no wrong and is not manipulative is just factually wrong.

Also... people in their 20' can be manipulative. Let's not act as if he was some 13 years old boy who did not know better. Give some credit to emotional capabilities of young adults.