Twenty Five Twenty One: Episodes 1-2 Open Thread

69 February 14, 2022February 14, 2022

by mistyisles

Heartfelt and hopeful, Twenty Five Twenty One sets us on a journey with two young people whose big dreams for the future are trampled by circumstances far beyond their control. Despite the age gap between them, they come to recognize each other as kindred spirits against the often-cruel realities of life.

EPISODES 1-2 WEECAP

We’re introduced to each episode by a glimpse into the life of our heroine’s daughter, KIM MIN-CHAE (Choi Myung-bin), who’s a high schooler in the present day. After walking out of a dance competition (because she sized up her competitor and decided she had no chance of winning), Min-chae evades her mother’s disappointed questions by running away to stay at Grandma’s house for a while. There, she discovers her mother’s diary from 1998, which chronicles the beginning of our main story.

Judging from this setup, I’d wager we’re in for a Reply series-esque guessing game of “Who’s the Father?” But the framework also gives us more insight into our characters – particularly our heroine, NA HEE-DO (Kim Tae-ri), and her mother (Seo Jae-hee), whose relationship has always been rather strained.

In the 1998 storyline, Hee-do’s big love is fencing, and in fact she was once touted as a fencing prodigy. Though she’s since hit a plateau, her one dream in life is to rival the local Olympic gold medalist, GO YOO-RIM (Bona), who’s also still in high school.

Hee-do worships the ground Yoo-rim walks on, to the point that she runs over to Yoo-rim’s school every Saturday just to watch her practice through the window. In one adorable sequence, she secretly gives Yoo-rim her umbrella and giddily runs home through the rain.

But when Korea’s IMF crisis forces Hee-do’s school to cut costs, the fencing team is dissolved. Devastated, Hee-do determines she’ll have to transfer to Yoo-rim’s school and train there. The problem? Her mother doesn’t see fencing as an important enough reason to transfer schools, especially since Hee-do isn’t performing as well as she used to.

So Hee-do decides to get herself forcibly transferred through delinquency (as one does), but she’s laughably bad at it. For example, she tries to get herself arrested by joining a gang fight… only to end up saving one of the girls from being assaulted, and to be completely ignored by the police when they arrive to break up the fight. (It doesn’t help that she runs up to the cop grinning from ear-to-ear to tell on herself for fighting.)

But her naivety takes a more dangerous turn with her next plan: getting herself caught as a minor at a nightclub. Thinking she’s in perfect control of the situation, she has no qualms about being sent into a room with a group of young adults, one of whom seems particularly eager to prey on her innocence.

Fortunately, she has an advocate in the form of our hero, BAEK YI-JIN (Nam Joo-hyuk). By this point, the two have already met a few times, because he’s picked up a couple of part-time jobs in her neighborhood. The skeevy guy is Yi-jin’s former friend, but it seems said ex-friend never quite showed this face to him before, and Yi-jin quickly and firmly ends what’s left of their friendship and removes Hee-do from the building.

She’s incensed that he’s foiled her perfect plan, and he’s equally angered – and horrified – that she has no idea how badly her plan could have ended. As someone who no longer has the luxury of asking his parents for help pursuing his dreams (more on that in a bit), he urges her to use that luxury and talk to her mom.

His words get through to her, and she takes his advice. It makes things worse before it makes them better, though, as the initial confrontation leads to a screaming argument that culminates in her mother ripping pages out of a rented manhwa and tossing it out the window into the water fountain.

The argument starts because Mom found out about Hee-do sneaking out to the nightclub, and Hee-do finally pours her heart out and explains that she was far less afraid to go to that club than she was to talk to her mom about transferring schools. That hits hard, and Mom initiates the transfer after all.

She doesn’t tell Hee-do this, however, until after Hee-do goes to Yoo-rim’s fencing coach, COACH YANG (Kim Hye-eun) to get permission herself. Coach Yang puts Hee-do through a few tests, some based purely on luck – which Hee-do fails — but she’s passed on merit of Coach Yang’s luck instead (well, and the permission Mom already got, but that’s beside the point).

Finally, Hee-do gets her wish to train at the same school as Yoo-rim. But, contrary to her hopeful expectations, Yoo-rim gives her the cold shoulder. Though Hee-do has no idea why, we eventually learn that the two actually faced each other in competition many years ago, back when prodigy Hee-do was the reigning champion. Yoo-rim had lost soundly, and still carries those feelings of insecurity alongside the pressure of being undefeated professionally.

Coach Yang has the two fight a practice match as part of Hee-do’s initiation to the team, and when Hee-do wins, Coach Yang pointedly tells Yoo-rim that it’s always more difficult to win against an opponent you don’t know, especially when that opponent knows everything about you – a dynamic she’s bound to face more and more since she’s so famous. But Coach Yang doesn’t diminish Hee-do’s win, and privately tells her she’s stronger than Yoo-rim.

Woven alongside Hee-do’s fencing and school-transfer quest is Yi-jin’s reason for taking those part-time jobs that put him in Hee-do’s orbit. He originally comes from wealth, and before the IMF crisis hit, he was on track for an engineering degree, with which he hoped to work for NASA one day.

His father tried to protect the family from the impending disaster by splitting them up – even divorcing his wife on paper so as to keep her from incurring his debt – and his company was eventually forced to declare bankruptcy, making their already shaky circumstances even worse.

That’s why Yi-jin had to drop out of college and move out on his own, even getting an exemption from military service so he could theoretically provide for his family. Now he has no one to lean on as he tries his best to find a stable job, only to be turned away time and time again because he’s seen as overqualified for anything that doesn’t require a degree.

We don’t learn a whole lot about this just yet, but it seems his and Yoo-rim’s families are close (or were, before his family had to disperse), and that his family even sponsored Yoo-rim’s fencing pursuits in some capacity. Of course, that’s no longer possible now.

The full, crushing reality of Yi-jin’s situation hits both us and Hee-do when she overhears a confrontation between him and two of his father’s former employees. The men are at their wits’ end, and though they know Yi-jin can’t possibly help them, that doesn’t stop them from taking out their desperation on him. All Yi-jin can do is promise with all sincerity never to be happy again – and goodness, Nam Joo-hyuk killed me with his acting in this scene.

Throughout these episodes, Yi-jin and Hee-do have developed a budding friendship, and as Hee-do does her best to cheer him up after the above encounter, he admits that he sees his younger, carefree self in her. She radiates innocence, ambition, and hope – everything he’s lost.

In response, she gets him to smile again by taking him to her old school and showing him how to turn the outdoor sink’s water faucet into a sprinkler. A new joy lights up in his eyes, and he excitedly turns all the faucets on, much to her awestruck delight. Referencing his promise not to be happy anymore, she proposes he limit his moments of happiness to when the two of them hang out – it can be their little secret.

So far, the relationship between Yi-jin and Hee-do is a wholesome, supportive friendship between a discouraged young adult and a teenager who’s determined to take on the world. But I can certainly see how that connection has potential to blossom into something more than friendship once Hee-do grows up a little more. Beyond that, I don’t really know where Twenty Five Twenty One will take us from here — but these two have already captured my heart, so I’m eager to find out.

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1 miso

February 14, 2022 at 12:05 PM

This show grabbed me in the post gang-fight scene when Hee-do realised "I should have run if I wanted to get caught!" 😂.

I like the story and characters so far and I especially like the setting. I was a child in the 90s but the music and fashion seems very much on-point!

Nam Joo-hyuk was very good in the Ep. 2 scene where he promised never to be happy again. He has that perfect wounded puppy face for this role. And how cute was it to discover that it's actually Kim Tae-ri who's four years older!

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neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~

February 14, 2022 at 12:32 PM

I had to rewatch that part with Na Hee-do because it was too hilarious! Kim Tae-ri is doing amazing in this role!

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Jance

February 14, 2022 at 1:08 PM

I loved that gang fight!!

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bomibeans

February 14, 2022 at 1:53 PM

The gang fight is what made me like the show but it was the ripped manga scene that made me LOVE this show. Priceless!

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miso

February 14, 2022 at 1:56 PM

The ripped manga 'repairs' were hilarious. For some reason the teeth on one of the characters she drew just seemed SO big to me, I couldn't stop laughing. Just like Yi-jin lol.

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bomibeans

February 14, 2022 at 2:06 PM

I need to re-watch that scene again. I was laughing so hard, I had tears in my eyes, and didn't see it as clearly, but I do remember a (turned) |-| drawn on the paper. 😂 And for the first time, Netflix "creative" translation titles actually served their purpose and were hilarious - the way they misspelled "liek" - I'm weezing 😂

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2 redfox

February 14, 2022 at 12:24 PM

that overqualification thing really is a bitch, in my own twenties I temporarily starved and lived on the street because I was unemployed 4 and a half years and no matter what I did, I couldnt earn anything. I had to live overwinter on my aunts´ porch.

I like that we are at an era where people had to - horror- talk to each other, meet up, move school to see someone practice - no internet, no Youtube, no texting.
and realistic problems, young people desperately trying to make a life for themselves cause you only get 1 shot.

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3 Jance

February 14, 2022 at 12:41 PM

I love the two characters- both of them are smashing it. I also think they’ve generally got the tone right considering her age - I love her funny tantrums about nothing and general awkwardness. I’ve said before, it reminds me a lot of Reply 1997 - and that’s a good thing!!

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4 Lelly19

February 14, 2022 at 1:10 PM

Mmh...it was fine, for me, but I'm not really feeling it (yet..?).
Clearly I'm not seeing what everyone else is seeing here, I wish I did...I miss being hyped about a show I'm live watching and discussing it with everyone tbh!

I don't like being negative, but just one thing: I think Kim Taeri is too old (not really her looks, she just has a mature vibe to her) to play a teenager, it feels like they're trying too hard and it's not really working imo...just me?
I'm assuming at some point they will be 25/21 years old like the title seems to imply, so that might work better.

Let's see how it goes!

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wandering spot

February 14, 2022 at 10:45 PM

Totally agreed with you. I had almost the same thoughts while watching the first episode. Hope their older sequences have a better vibe.

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kadota

February 15, 2022 at 2:38 PM

I think it's her voice for me - it's so mature sounding. Also her previous roles were very mature too, kind of hard to see her as a teen. *hopes the timeskip is soon*

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Lelly19

February 15, 2022 at 3:25 PM

Yes! That's a factor too, for sure!!

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velvetstuff

February 16, 2022 at 6:22 PM

That's what it is for me as well. She's trying hard to make it high pitched and youthful, but it really takes me out of the moment.

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5 miss h

February 14, 2022 at 1:16 PM

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6 Kurama

February 14, 2022 at 1:20 PM

I really liked Kim Tae-Ri, she reminds me a lot Kim Soo-Hyun, I find they have the same dorky energy when they want. Her character has so much energy, it must be exhausting to act. But she was great and it's hard to think there is a 12 years difference between Kim Tae-Ri and Choi Hyun-Wook.

Back Yi-Jin's story is really interesting and when we got no clues in the trailer about how the economical crisis was playing a role, it's an important one for him. He was safe in the army after all but they sent him back to help his family. It's funny like he's connected to the 3 girls being the oldest one of their futur group? I'm not a fan of NJH, he has an ungainly side that is difficult to conceal, but it was ok.

I loved the color palette, so beautiful greens and blues with some warm touches.

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javinne

February 17, 2022 at 11:40 AM

Agree totally on Kim Tae-Ri similar to Kim Soo-Hyun, at least they have a very similar way to smile (to my eyes), so much they could pass for siblings.
I have only seen Kim Tae ri in Mr Sunshine so now in a modern setting, it will be interesting.
I need to watch this show like... now!!!!

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7 miss h

February 14, 2022 at 1:27 PM

I love Hee-do. She's so pure and full of life. I was laughing out loud during the umbrella fight and when she was trying to tell Yi-jin about Full House. Her solution to draw the missing scenes herself amused me as much as it did Yi-jin.

I did think Kim Tae-ri overacted a bit in Episode 1 and shouted a bit much for my tastes, but either I got used to it or she settled into the role by Episode 2. In any case, I think she's doing a great job as Hee-do.

I've been critical of Nam Joo-hyuk's acting in the past, but I like him a lot here. He was really really good in the scene where he promised never to be happy again. Yi-jin is very mature and rational, which is a nice contrast to Hee-do.

The other characters didn't have a lot to do, but they all seem interesting.

I'm a 90's kid, so I love anything set then. Having the IMF crisis as a backdrop is interesting.

So Hee-do's daughter's last name is Kim and Yi-jin's is Baek. Hmmm. I'd actually like it if a first love was simply a first love but who knows what twists and turns are in store.

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8 bomibeans

February 14, 2022 at 1:40 PM

Honestly, going into this I had low expectations based on previews. In fact, for the first 40 minutes or so of the first episode I was like: Reply vibes, check, "who's the father", check, "and the award to the best anchor mother goes to", check, "manga-loving teen brat" check, you get it. But. I have to say, that umbrella-fencing gang fight was absolutely hilarious, after which I started muttering, "uhmm, not bad, not bad." And then that sidesplitting hysterically funny scene with ripped manga and misspellings (don't we, adults, remember our theater-worthy reactions to mundane things and disastrous attempts at repairing the situations like these as teens?!) was a moment that won me over. The show is not tonally jarring (oh-so-surprising for a k-drama) - it's always focused on the (aspiring and failed) dreams and turbulent personal happenings of our young adults (and the adults surrounding them), and the chaos of the world does not distract as much as it highlights their dreams and sufferings while providing a respite here and there courtesy of hijinks of our main leads.

Nam Joo-hyuk stunned me with his acting. I was already getting impressed with him in Start-up, but here it seems like the role is just for him to do what he, as an artist, allows himself to do (without the distraction of charismatic second leads or directorial interference.) I can see how he's getting more confident with knowing when to pull back to let the scene play itself out, and when to flash his acting chops.

And Kim Tae-ri? Oh what a delight! Her interpretation of an innocent, airy-headed but obtuse teenager with a big dream could have been annoying and grating-on-nerves but she came across as such an endearing character, that I almost wished I had a feisty daughter like that, and I cannot wait to witness her journey of "growth".

I'm so in for the ride so far, for sure. Show, don't get too suffering, too "who's-fathering" or too melodramatic, and you might just be the next Ssam, maiwei!

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9 Eazal

February 14, 2022 at 2:07 PM

I totally loved this one, laughed with HeeDo so much. I read comments before I watched that she was too noisy, but I found her being loud (not just shouting for no reason) totally fitting the role. HeeDo is trying to find her place and doesn’t really know how to express her frustration but out of being loud.

Her relation with her mum is interesting. She feels neglected and she’s probably been neglected. Why didn’t her mum tell her she never sold the rings?

I loved also all the characters we were introduced: the dynamics between JiWoong and SeungWang, the way YuRim protects herself, the little brother…
And above all the excellent job both Taeri and NJH are doing.

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bomibeans

February 14, 2022 at 2:45 PM

I find the daughter-mother relationship fascinating. There are these hints of mystery that I'm curious to untangle too. Clearly, there's some history with the coach, and there's something going on in the past with her diseased husband. Regardless of mystery, Kim Tae-Ri and Seo Jae-hee are absolutely killing it as actresses in the scenes between them. I'm glad that they have great lines to work with, but honestly I feel like even if they'd be reading the phone book to each other with these emotions, I'd be re-watching it, because there's beauty just observing their acting craft. And isn't the mom actress has just started acting recently? I could not find anything about her. If so, amazing.

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Eazal

February 16, 2022 at 10:49 AM

I've only seen before the actress playing the mum in Run On, and she was really good (who wasn't in that drama?).

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parkchuna adores YoungWon 🍉

February 18, 2022 at 8:07 AM

I think dramaland needs a loud and chaotic FL once in a while. It’s refreshing. That first meet when she admitted to him that she was just yelling cause she needed to vent was so satisfying for me.

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10 latebloomer

February 14, 2022 at 2:12 PM

I love how Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee-do balance each other. She's loud and impulsive, he's quiet and thoughtful. She's impulsive and reckless, he's careful and understated.

I felt like in the last scene of ep.2 he was struggling with their age difference as much as with the right to be happy. How do you not fall for the person who helps you to glimpse happiness again, but how can you when you're very conscious she's just a kid?

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11 jerrykuvira

February 14, 2022 at 2:19 PM

This is a very warm premiere.

That line on picking between sleeping a day jail and talking to her mom. I am happy they hit this point and I hope it gets more awareness. The home needs to be a haven for everyone involved. A haven so they do not need to panic if they need to talk things out. So many conversations out there haven't been said on the basis of panic and fear.

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emsel

February 16, 2022 at 2:04 AM

Well said! Parenting is not for everyone because many of my friends who well past mid twenties and are earning individuals, still lie to their parents than have an open talk about their desires. This habit is cultivated from childhood and it is really difficult for such people to overcome it by trusting their parents.

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12 neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~

February 14, 2022 at 2:32 PM

It is hitting the right buttons for me so all I can do now is pray to dramagods to please please continue to be good!

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13 KDramzFan

February 14, 2022 at 2:47 PM

What a great show so far! I remember my own financial troubles during the IMF crash and really felt for the older adults who were trying to keep their spirits up.

And the pager/beeper era. Classic! I'm looking forward to to the next 2 episodes.

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14 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)

February 14, 2022 at 2:49 PM

guessing game of “Who’s the Father?”

In a Reply-free context, this could be problematic. Especially in a show with nightclub scenes :)

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bomibeans

February 14, 2022 at 3:35 PM

I hope the show does NOT descend into "who's-fathering" "whether-they-ended-up-together" types of speculation. I remember back in Reply days that "guessing game" was so exhausting and distracting, like I was thinking, guys, let's just discuss the actual show, not the endless guessing game. I still can't fathom whether that was a fault of Reply writers or just some manufactured hype around the mystery.

(I love the nightclub scene, btw. It wasn't just there to show how our lead was once really rich and oh-so-cool, but also serves to underline the character differences between the leads, he, more measured and cautious, and she, naive and clueless. And, yep, no one should be playing guessing games with that "asshole-friend"... unless dashingly handsome NJH is there to rescue you, teehee.)

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15 princesspreets

February 14, 2022 at 4:09 PM

Was excited for this drama because of the 2 leads, but wasn’t sure what to expect, and I still don’t know for sure from the first 2 eps. It’s a little quirky and offbeat, but so full of heart. The cast all looks solid - from Bona who’s finally/really impressing me with her hugely improved acting; to Choi Hyun Wook who’s more than a decade younger than most of them (!!!) and yet holds his own! Had already noticed him in Racket Boys, n he’s giving off serious young Park Seo Jun vibes here! Nam Joo Hyuk is so so lovely as always… and Kim Tae Ri is clearly having a ball of a time playing this role, it’s so nice to see she can do comedy as well as her other more serious/artistic earlier roles. It’s so nice to have a drama to look fwd to again (after Our Beloved Summer ended, bawl), I really hope the story stays on track and ends well, fingers crossed ❣️

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16 bbstl 🧹

February 14, 2022 at 4:56 PM

I like it. Kim Tae Ri is a bit shouty for me and I am shallow-ly having trouble with her seeming older to me and . . . those bangs. I want her to grow up and get a new hairdo 😕 Then again, I don’t even remember what kids styles were in the 90s ☺️
I really love how NJH’s character is written to be so mature beyond his years. Every reaction he has to her histrionics is so cut-the-crap logical that I laugh.

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17 Ally

February 14, 2022 at 6:52 PM

I’ve fallen for this show and Nam Joo-Hyuk all over again, which says a lot since I’ve really not cared for him since WKBJ. I’m also always impressed with KIM Tae Ri. Their relationship is sweet and I’m anxious to see them grow a bit and get this romance started. I loved the comic book scene. I gave my husband the play by play of it. He’s turned off by the shouting, so looks like I’ll be watching this one on my own! Bring it on!

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CS

February 15, 2022 at 8:28 PM

I love that the show even poked fun at the yelling a little bit when NJH wondered aloud why everyone in that town yells so much. :D She is shouty, but I'm hoping that's being played for effect to show her clumsy youthfulness and she'll grow out of it.

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Ally

February 16, 2022 at 4:42 AM

I even pointed that out while we were watching! I did go back and show him the last scene in episode 2, so maybe he’ll be back.

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18 LoveSojiSub51

February 14, 2022 at 7:36 PM

I love this drama! Kim Tae Ri is really delivering it for me. I have only seen her in The Handmaids Tale. I wasn't that interested in Mr. Sunshine.

My favorite part honestly was the comic book scene. That was hilarious!

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19 brown25

February 14, 2022 at 8:14 PM

So far so good! I love how they set a 90's drama here. The leads had a character straight out a japanese manga or live action especially Na Heedo. I feel like I was watching an old j-drama in the pilots rather than the reply series. The comedic parts got me most. Also the part of fencing was really interesting.

Kim Taeri was doing a good job for this role. I really never expected that she could act well in romcom. btw,I can imagine some actresss like Park Eunbin as Na heedo. I have nothing to say much about Nam Ju Hyuk, he's handsome but he didn't show me much emotional or range of acting.

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20 ssandulak

February 14, 2022 at 10:40 PM

I’m SUPER happy with these first two episodes. I was looking forward to this and Park Min-young’s new drama and this was far and above the better of the two. Kim Tae-ri is ALWAYS excellent, and she’s so talented I had little doubt she’d kill it. That she can pull off being an 18 year old kid is just impressive.

Our FL is super relateable and charming and I felt for her immediately. Her fight with her mother in the first episode hit me right in the feels, where I’ve had other shows not accomplish that after more than half their run.

And everyone is gushing about the scene in episode 2 with Nam Joo-hyuk, and for good reason. Dude has really stepped it up lately and he really nailed that downtrodden good guy. We’ve only seen brief flashes of his previous lifestyle and he projects that pain and sadness after life tore his whole family apart. Despite that he’s still a good person who works hard. Impossible not to root for!

It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed two premiere episodes this much. Usually it’s one or the other, or I can see the potential. I’ll be seriously disappointed if this one ends up taking a downturn. It’s humour, heart and characters have really grabbed me, and I can’t wait for more.

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21 wandering spot

February 14, 2022 at 10:40 PM

Surprisingly I did not like the first episode. It seemed so forced. I struggled a lot to finish the first episode. I loved KTR in Mr Sunshine but I didnot find her character hilarious here. I am resorting to reading open thread atleast the next time period.

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Alluvial_Fan

February 15, 2022 at 5:27 AM

Struggled to finish Ep 1 which lodged in my brain as "screechy". Will dive in to ep 2 today, hoping for less shouting and more character development.

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22 Mina00

February 15, 2022 at 12:54 AM

It was a very beautiful opening week. Great story telling but some how I found ML is so weak. OK he is cute but that's all. I ve never liked his previous dramas either. Luckily FL is amazing. I hope she can cover up his lack of acting akıl.

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23 Shaw

February 15, 2022 at 1:11 AM

Apart from the Husband/Father guessing game which is never fun the drama is quite good. The future storyline isn't necessary though.

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Shaw

February 15, 2022 at 1:12 AM

By future storyline I mean the daughter reading her mom's diary. It's not adding anything to the story.

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24 Misky

February 15, 2022 at 7:50 AM

Finally I show I'm excited about it's been a dry period. I can't wait to see them grow but I'm equally enjoying where we're at right now. On another note NJH is making me feel things, something I've never gotten from him before...I'm excited. KTR is SELLING her teenage role I forget she's already past 30. Again I'm excited

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25 Pan cake

February 15, 2022 at 8:01 AM

Nam Joo Hyuk really fits in these kinds of roles...no doubt he has some great acting skills also, which I noticed in Habeak drama.

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