Twenty-Five Twenty-One Review: A Bittersweet Ride Through Youth & Dreams

Title: Twenty-Five Twenty-One 

Episodes: 16

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama 

Main Cast: Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Ji-yeon(Bona), Choi Hyun-wook, Lee Joo-myung

Streaming Platform: Netflix 

Image Credit: Wikipedia

What happens when youthful passion meets real-world struggles? Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a coming-of-age Kdrama that explores friendship, first love, ambition, and the bittersweet beauty of growing up. With nostalgic '90s vibes and emotionally rich storytelling, this drama leaves a mark on every viewer's heart.

“Twenty-Five Twenty-One” is a South Korean television series aired on tvN from February 12, 2022, to April 3, 2022. Written by Kwon Do-eun and directed by Jung Ji-hyun, this romantic series is available to watch on Netflix. 

Plot Summary 

Kim Min-chae, daughter of Na Hee-do (a retired fencer), quits ballet and flees to her grandmother's house. There she finds her mother's old diary, and from here, we go back to 1998, where young Hee-do's story unfolds.

Fencing prodigy Na Hee-do is devastated by news of the dismissal of the School Fencing Team and decides to transfer to a new school. Eventually, Hee-do transfers to Taeyang High School, where her idol Ko Yu-rim, a fencing gold medalist, goes.

Despite Hee-do's admiration, Yu-rim's cold attitude and rude behavior turn both of them into rivals. With the help of coach Yang Chan-mi's training, Hee-do manages to join the National Fencing team and move one step closer to her dream of winning an Olympic medal.

During her hard time, Hee-do meets Baek Yi-jin, whose family went bankrupt due to the financial crisis, and he had to leave his family to earn money. Yi-jin works several part-time jobs while looking for a full-time job to pay off his father's debts, and eventually, he becomes a sports reporter.

Moon Ji-woong, Hee-do's classmate, falls for Yu-rim and tries to win her. Meanwhile, Ji Seung-wan, Ji-woong's childhood friend and class president, hosts an anonymous radio show to address the problems faced by students.

Later, Yu-rim reflects on her behavior towards Hee-do and apologizes to her, which marks the beginning of their new friendship. The five of them build a strong bond of friendship as they support and uplift each other during setbacks.

During this journey of achieving their dreams, Hee-do and Yi-jin grow closer and fall in love with each other. But as they move toward their dreams, their life gets busier, and eventually, they start distancing themselves from each other.

My Thoughts 

The show’s storyline connects the past to the present through the diary written by the mother and read by her daughter. The series depicted the journey of a youth who turned unreachable dreams into reality through unwavering ambition and hard work.

The cinematography of the show is nostalgic, showcasing the youth of the 90s and closely capturing the thrill of fencing as well as sports reporting. The setup is sporty and energetic with bright themes. As for acting, the whole cast did an outstanding job by portraying such memorable characters, and a special shout-out to Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk for their iconic characters.

I truly loved the chemistry between Hee-do and Yi-jin; they looked SO good together. Their interaction was wholesome and adorable. Meanwhile, the side couple Yu-rim and Ji-woong stole our hearts through their cute romance. Also, the love-to-hate relationship between Hee-do and Yu-rim was heartwarming, and their fencing matches were a chef's kiss!

The friendship between Hee-do, Yu-rim, Ji-woong, Seung-wan, and Yi-jin is wholesome and worth watching. The scene where all these kids went to Yi-jin's house to help him in shifting, but rather than helping him, they turned his house into a mess was hilarious! I loved this scene and laughed a lot.

The show perfectly blended romance, comedy, and drama with emotional depth. It also presented the reality of the financial crisis and how it impacts every person's life, regardless of being rich or poor, dragging the whole nation into a difficult position.

The series taught us to never give up on our dreams; although they seem impossible or numerous hardships come along the way, your hard work and ambition can make anything possible. But everything comes with a price. In the journey of achieving your dream, you might have to sacrifice your attachment that you will never forget.

The show had a bittersweet ending and didn't reveal the identity of Min-chae's father, leaving the viewers in the mystery. Apart from the ending, I enjoyed the show a lot, and each episode is extremely entertaining.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One isn’t just about romance; it's a moving portrait of youth, choices, and the moments that shape who we become. If you’ve ever felt the thrill of chasing a dream or the ache of letting go, this Kdrama will resonate deeply. Prepare to laugh, cry, and reflect long after the final episode.

Have you watched Twenty-Five Twenty-One? Tell me your thoughts on the ending of the show in the comments section. 

If you want to watch rom-com dramas with emotional depth, check out my review of Goblin. 

My Rating: 8/10