Twenty Five Twenty One: Episodes 3-4 Open Thread
by mistyisles
Disillusionment hurts, and our aspiring fencer has had to take a heavy dose of it, even as her dreams seem on the brink of taking off. But, as she’s starting to teach her new (very disillusioned) friend, sometimes even the most hopeless of circumstances can be improved upon with just a shift in perspective.
EPISODES 3-4 WEECAP
In the present-day timeline, Min-chae has become so invested in what she’s read of her mother’s diary that when Hee-do comes to collect her (and nag about her quitting dance), she has to catch herself from revealing how much of the story she knows.
Hee-do wants her to continue dancing because she’s good at it, and when Min-chae asks why Hee-do kept fencing when she wasn’t all that good, Hee-do says with a wistful smile that she liked it.
That introduces the fencing plot line of these episodes, in which Hee-do is given a lucky chance: though she fell two ranks short of qualifying to try out for the national team, two athletes drop out due to IMF hardships, and she’s bumped up into the last available slot.
It’s a profound moment for Hee-do as she realizes the very same circumstances that toppled her dreams have now opened up this opportunity. Coach Yang is quick to add that Hee-do got that opportunity because she didn’t give up when others did.
Hee-do asks Coach Yang for extra training so she’ll have a better shot at making the team. Coach Yang detests the idea of getting up earlier than she’s used to, but compromises by giving Hee-do assignments like running to school with weights strapped to her body.
Yoo-rim, meanwhile, is irked that Hee-do’s getting one-on-one coaching, but Coach Yang points out that Hee-do is the only student who’s ever asked for additional guidance.
The growing animosity between the two girls is further exacerbated when the next installment of Full House comes out and they race to the bookstore where Yi-jin works to snag the last copy. Hee-do arrives first, but Yoo-rim called ahead to reserve it (though that’s technically not allowed), and Yi-jin knows he’s in trouble. After a tense standoff, he sides with Hee-do, since she’s a regular customer.
But the war really comes to a head when Yoo-rim sees Hee-do staying late at the gym to practice and decides to do the same. This would be perfectly normal, except one of the senior girls on a power trip has forbidden anyone to practice at night.
Naturally, she catches Hee-do and Yoo-rim, and screams at them for breaking her rule. Yoo-rim immediately apologizes, but Hee-do won’t be cowed into pretending she did something wrong. That stokes the girl’s anger even more, and she orders them to clean the entire gym floor.
Once she leaves, Hee-do and Yoo-rim turn on each other – Hee-do outraged that Yoo-rim just takes the mistreatment, and Yoo-rim angry that Hee-do didn’t help smooth things over. Yoo-rim all but says that since she suffered to get to where she is, no one else should have the right to complain about their struggles, and that’s the final straw that kills Hee-do’s admiration for her former idol.
However, unbeknownst to them, they’ve been online chatroom friends all this time, Yoo-rim offering encouragement and support every time Hee-do has a bad day.
Last week we briefly met a couple of Hee-do’s new classmates, and this week we get to know them better. First, there’s charming, popular MOON JI-WOONG (Choi Hyun-wook), also known as the class pretty boy. He’s head-over-heels for Yoo-rim, and once the two actually meet, it’s clear she’s smitten, too. It’s not long before their shy flirting turns into little assurances that neither is interested in dating anyone else.
Then there’s Ji-woong’s best friend since birth, JI SEUNG-WAN (Lee Joo-myung). She’s top student, class president, and a producer in the broadcasting club, but though she’s straight-laced and direct, she’s not at all stuck up or mean. She also happens to be the daughter of Yi-jin’s landlady.
Speaking of Yi-jin, his job hunt continues to no avail, but he and Hee-do have fallen into a habit of consoling and looking out for one another. One night, after he trudges home drunk following a failed interview, Hee-do sits with him on the stoop and explains how she prefers to turn tragedies in her life into comedies – if she can laugh at herself, she can let her repeated losses roll right off.
On a different occasion, Hee-do overhears a man looking for Yi-jin, so she runs to the bookstore and has him hide in the back, certain this is another creditor come to give him grief. But it’s actually Yi-jin’s father, and they don’t realize the mistake until Yi-jin finds the note his father left tucked into the gate.
He races to the bus terminal, and just makes it in time. They only get a few minutes while the bus driver waits, but it’s enough for now. Yi-jin promises to do everything he can to reunite the family.
Meanwhile, Hee-do runs up and down the streets for two hours, crying and thinking she’s made Yi-jin miss meeting his father. Fortunately, Yi-jin spots her on his way back, and he first scolds her for running around aimlessly in slippers and then gently reassures her that he met his father after all.
Despite a few minor spats (such as when Hee-do wanted Yi-jin to badmouth Yoo-rim after their fight without giving him any context), Hee-do and Yi-jin are consistently there for each other when it matters, and people around them are starting to take notice.
But their friendship isn’t the only one growing. Hee-do is also becoming good friends with her new classmates – especially Ji-woong and Seung-wan, who even allow her into their secret hideout on the top floor of the school.
By coincidence, Yi-jin, Hee-do, Yoo-rim, and Ji-woong all end up at Seung-wan’s doorstep one afternoon. After a round of “Wait, how do you know Yi-jin?” they get roped into helping Seung-wan’s mom catch live loaches that have spilled all over her floor. Yoo-rim and Hee-do work together to get the last ones out from under the fridge, and even cheer each other on before they realize what they’re doing.
Seung-wan’s mom snaps a photo of the group, which Min-chae finds in the present. At her request, Grandma happily points out which person is Yi-jin. We learn that Grandma met him recently, but Hee-do doesn’t seem to have spoken with him in a long time.
But what did Hee-do learn from her training with Coach Yang? First (and most painfully), that she’s too impulsive. This she starts to rectify by coming up with a plan to convince the controlling senior to let her practice at night, which works beautifully. Second, she learns that she has no sense of rhythm, which is what keeps her fencing from being as elegant as Yoo-rim’s.
Coach Yang’s final test is for Hee-do to spar with her, and though Hee-do loses, Coach Yang is confident she’s learned enough to do well in the national team trials.
Yi-jin shows up at the gym after this last training session, and eagerly plies Hee-do with fencing questions. She just as eagerly shows him around her world, and challenges him to a match. They bet a wish on it, and he wins (by trickery).
They both get sentimental as the evening goes on, and Yi-jin softly observes that all of Hee-do’s failures and setbacks to this point have built her the perfect staircase to success. She wonders why he always roots for her, even when no one else does, and he responds that she gives him hope – which makes him want to see her succeed even more. In the dim light, they look at each other like the other is their only lifeline.
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- Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk reminisce about summer in Twenty Five Twenty One
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Tags: Bona, Choi Hyun-wook, Kim Hye-eun, Kim Tae-ri, Lee Joo-myung, Nam Joo-hyuk, Twenty Five Twenty One
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1 Kun
February 21, 2022 at 11:21 AM
I love this show so much 😭
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2 Kurama
February 21, 2022 at 12:06 PM
I really like the building up of Hee-Do's different relationships with Yi-Jin, Yoo-Ri (on internet but they had a loach moment!) and her coach.
Yi-Jin and Hee-Do have different stories but they share the same hardship's pain and it's nice to see them cheering up and motivating each other.
I'm very impatient to see the friendship between the 2 girls!
The OST Shine on You reminds me so much the old Japan animes. It suits the drama ambiance :)
My only issue is the actress playing Hee-Do adult. I think she lacks the charisma and the charm of Kim Tae-Ri to make this role.
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wapz
February 21, 2022 at 2:04 PM
I don't get why it was ok to age HD's mom but not her.
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Kdrama Ahjussi
February 21, 2022 at 2:05 PM
Agree there is something off with the actress playing adult Hee-do. In the first few episodes I had no clue she was playing Kim Tae Rae’s character.
I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt though as perhaps there is something that will happen in the future that alters Hee-Do’s character change.
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sailorgirl
February 21, 2022 at 2:26 PM
@kurama Is it weird that I expected Hee Do to be a more affectionate mother? Like, more understanding than her mother was, yet the adult Hee Do seems like a carbon copy of the matriarch. Either she learns to love her mother's style of parenting, or life hardens her, which is more likely.
I don't know, I get the vibe from 18 year old Hee Do that she'd be her kid's best friend, but then again ups and downs are a part of life and the child's perspective also colors things. Teenagers are often standoffish, regardless of how great their parents are, but the exuberance is definitely missing from adult Hee Do.
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Kurama
February 21, 2022 at 8:59 PM
@mewcrazy and @bomibeans I don't know. I liked her as a mom. She believed in her daughter without pressuring her to win. She didn't say anything about hamburgers. She just cared about physical therapy because it was important for her daily life too.
I'm curious about her workshop. It was a nice place. There was a wooden sign on the wall with 2521 on it.
I think it's more the acting... She's flat compared to Kim Tae-Ri.
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bomibeans
February 21, 2022 at 4:20 PM
I agree with everyone’s assessment — How can “adult” Hee-do be so dull and young Hee-do be so vibrant?
Does she experience some unimaginable trauma that affects her character? If so, that would be a bummer. I was hoping for a more upbeat message from the show. If anything, in my adult life, I learned to keep my spirits up even in the face of unbelievable pain, because the alternative, perpetual misery, is not a life well-lived.
We are still on episode 4, so we shall see if this is what’s it about or if it’s just the “acting”.
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3 Miss_elly
February 21, 2022 at 12:09 PM
This show just gets better each week. I really enjoy the friendship between our leads. It's so supportive when it matters, and i like the tone how its not romantic YET, but has the possibility to become in the future. I like how Hee-do is finding her people in her new class mates. And can i just say, i actually love in the present timeline they are not hiding the fact that it was filmed in covid times, with mask wearing and everything. Its kind of refreshing and possibly hints as to why min-chae wants to stop dancing.
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4 miss h
February 21, 2022 at 12:13 PM
I like that Hee-do and Yoo-rim’s relationship is getting just as much attention as Hee-do and Yi-jin’s. I’m also glad that Yoo-rim is a fully realized character with her own life and not just Hee-do’s rival.
Yoo-rim and Ji-woong are cute.
Yi-jin’s scenes with his dad and then with Hee-do afterward were really powerful. This drama has little moments that make me laugh like when Yi-jin said he found his dad at the bus station and Hee-do was like “You are so smart.” The writer knows exactly who these characters are and the actors are playing them wonderfully.
Do not distrub. LOL. No wonder Hee-do can’t spell since athletes barely have to go to class.
So Yi-jin definitely isn’t the dad or seemingly in Hee-do’s life but the grandma saw him recently. He must become an announcer since Hee-do’s mom opened auditions to high school graduates.
I understand the purpose of the present day scenes for the mothers and daughters, and I could see Hee-do and Yi-jin meeting again in the present, an open ending of sorts. I just wish they had aged Kim Tae-ri. If she can play 18 then she can play 40. The actress playing adult Hee-do just doesn’t seem like Hee-do.
I enjoyed the whole gang’s first meeting at Seung-wan’s house. Everybody feeling out the relationships and Hee-do just being Hee-do.
Seung-wan’s deference to Yi-jin and his exasperation with her makes me laugh. I really like Seung-wan.
When Yi-jin took off the fencing helmet, Hee-do finally seemed to notice that Yi-jin is a good-looking guy.
The ending of Episode 4 with the dark gym and the green light was beautifully filmed.
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Miky
February 21, 2022 at 12:20 PM
That if he didn't die...Meeting can also mean going to a grave...
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miss h
February 21, 2022 at 12:40 PM
I thought of that but it's so depressing, I choose to believe he's alive lol.
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Miky
February 21, 2022 at 12:44 PM
Indeed,too much dramas create wild scenarious LOL
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lobakputihdo
February 21, 2022 at 11:39 PM
i feel the same.. it's so depressing thinking he might be died. ;(
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wapz
February 21, 2022 at 2:07 PM
Now that you say it, they were talking about him quite sadly.
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Bouhoub
February 23, 2022 at 1:01 PM
I feel like you visit a grave, not meeting it, no?
I want to be optimistic ☺️
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Bouhoub
February 23, 2022 at 1:05 PM
I feel like you visit a grave, not meeting it, no?
I want to be optimistic ☺️
(I'm sending it with my account)
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Miky
February 23, 2022 at 1:21 PM
Yeah but seen the expression before used in dramas...
Hope he actually got to realize his dream and that's why he left the country...
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Bouhoub
February 26, 2022 at 7:19 PM
My new guess is : he will disappear for a long time, and she will be pregnant at that time. She will get married with someone who accept the baby.
The death scenario will be "too easy".
bomibeans
February 21, 2022 at 3:57 PM
Casting another actress to be a 40-year old mother irritated me so much. Can k-drama just stop doing it? Once we hit puberty to the time we are 60, our main features practically stay the same, unless we undergo a drastic plastic surgery or trauma or smoke a bazillion cigarettes a day. It almost made me think that by casting another actress there might my some mysterious switcharoo but then I checked the Wikipedia and indeed the actress plays “older” He-doo.
But other than that, this show is a sparkling perfection.
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maria0215
February 22, 2022 at 3:46 PM
I can't understand why everybody wants Kim Tae-ri to play the 2021 version. She looks like she's in her early 20s and everybody wants her to play a 40 years old woman convincingly. Maybe they could pull it off with some good make-up if Hee-do didn't have a child, but she does and no matter what, Kim Tae-ri would always look like Choi Myung-bin's older sister. She can never look like the mother of a teenager.
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Ally
February 23, 2022 at 1:20 PM
She’s 32, closer to being a mother of a teenager than you might think. That’s why we want her to play the character from teens to 40’s. She’s an actress with a very wide range, and infinitely better than the current actress playing that role.
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ChVal53
February 21, 2022 at 9:46 PM
the husband his dead right? from what I understood Hee do's husband is dead ... they probably chose this bc Yi Jin is going to come back into her life, no?
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T5t1
February 23, 2022 at 8:59 AM
we probably won't see a 40 year old Yi Jin since only 40 year old Na Hee Do was in the cast list. Starting to get worried about the posibility that he dies. 😭
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5 Lonestar Girl
February 21, 2022 at 12:13 PM
I want Hee-do to be my Life Coach! What's that famous quote? "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." That perfectly describes Hee-do. You cannot curb her enthusiasm and that's one of the things I like about her. Plus, she is kind. She does not appear to be jealous of the success of others. She and Yi-Jin are such an awesome couple, even at this stage in the relationship. That scene at the end after they had sparred in fencing was so moving. The expression on their faces in the green light was perfect because (to me) it showed they are starting to see each other in a new light. Their relationship is really progressing past just a friendly face in the neighborhood. But I was sad to have it confirmed that they do not stay together. I know this show is going to break my heart. Still loving it though.
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6 sailorgirl
February 21, 2022 at 12:43 PM
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sailorgirl
February 21, 2022 at 12:43 PM
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7 sailorgirl
February 21, 2022 at 12:45 PM
The reveal of the secret chat friend threw me! ಠ_ಠ
In the back of my mind I suspected that it was her mother, but the reveal makes much more sense. I think I love this drama, it's sentimental without being cloying and all of the characters shine in different ways. It's an easy watch but also very compelling.
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Miss_elly
February 23, 2022 at 1:18 AM
same, I thoght it was yi-jin at first since they had a scene when he turned off the computer after hee-do sayin they should meet one day.
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sailorgirl
February 23, 2022 at 9:17 AM
@misselly I didn't think it was Yi Jin, but my suspicions were definitely on her mom being the penpal as a "I've always rooted you on," sort of thing. Lol, boy was I wrong. The reveal is good because it shows that there has always been a commonality between the two girls and promises a strong friendship going forward.
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8 Kafiyah Bello
February 21, 2022 at 12:50 PM
I like this drama. It is quiet. That sounds weird because Hee Do is loud and effervescent. However the best moments in this drama are in the quiet moments. When they all get caught in the rain and are running. The moment at the end when Hee Do realizes that Yi Jin means something to her, the moment when he is drunk and is still kind to her even in distress. When Yoo Rim and pretty boy of class 7 are on the bus. The way he compliments her without shame. I really enjoy all of it.
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bomibeans
February 21, 2022 at 4:04 PM
So beautifully said.
Spirited yet thoughtful is what this show is to me.
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amara
February 21, 2022 at 8:42 PM
idk why but this comment made me feel really nice and inside and want to start it right away. nice PR
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mugyuljoie is preciousss
February 21, 2022 at 9:07 PM
It's lovely.
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Kafiyah Bello
February 22, 2022 at 7:28 AM
Yeah, I'm glad, it is a lovely drama.
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9 Jance
February 21, 2022 at 1:59 PM
I so love the fresh vibes of this drama! It makes me nostalgic and want to be more carefree. I love all the interactions - they all feel new to dramaland and three-dimensional.
I just have one big problem: the present day stuff! Whyyy??
“We learn that Grandma met him recently, but Hee-do doesn’t seem to have spoken with him in a long time.”
Noooooooo! Now I have a sense of doom / sadness watching the drama and it was my week’s highlight! Waaaaaaaaaa TT_TT
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wapz
February 21, 2022 at 2:10 PM
You put it so right, it makes you want to be carefree.
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Mani-chan
February 22, 2022 at 12:18 AM
I am the exact same. I was enjoying the drama a ton but now it seems to have a sense of foreshadowing and that really took the joy out of a lot of stuff
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10 wapz
February 21, 2022 at 2:15 PM
Tbh at this stage idc how the future will look like as long as they give me a solid story of their youth and growth. But maybe as the romance will develop I will wish for their happy ending. However this show is unconventional in many ways so I'll be glad to let the writer take me wherever she wants to. Also NJH has grown a lot on me these 2 episodes. I guess I need time to get used to him. KTR is excellent but so is rest of the cast. Bona has improved a lot since her early acting days. This is so good that everything else airing pales in comparison.
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11 miso
February 21, 2022 at 2:26 PM
I love this show! Prayer circle for it to stay good 🙏📿🤲.
Every interaction between Yi-jin and Hee-do makes me smile so broadly. When he was demanding an apology for the spelling mistakes 😂🤣.
There are many moving scenes too. The one with Yi-jin and his dad and the scene where Hee-do just wanted a "Yu-rim was wrong" felt so real.
For some reason I have a feeling Yi-jin is dead in the present day timeline - when Hee-do's mom said she 'met' Yi-jin it just gave me that sense for some reason. I think it'll break my heart if that's what happens 😧.
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CS
February 21, 2022 at 6:17 PM
"All I could think about for two days was 'liek'." So funny!
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miso
February 21, 2022 at 6:49 PM
I mean I agree with him since I clearly remembered that too 😭.
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12 neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
February 21, 2022 at 2:35 PM
The role reverse in having the woman teaching the guy the sport. And the way it played out??? So much heart fluttering giggles and sweetness and closeness and whatever you call it, I loved that part to bits!
The reveal or probably red herring that our main OTP won’t end up together doesn’t bother me much YET. As long as the past timeline makes sense and continues to be this fun and heartwarming, I wouldn’t mind.
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13 currypuff
February 21, 2022 at 3:05 PM
Aaaa, I'm absolutely smitten by this show! Nothing original to say -- many of the following thoughts have already been echoed by other Beanies -- but I just gotta squee:
Kim Tae Ri and Nam Joo Hyuk nail their characters and the chemistry between the two. Na Hee Do's joy and sunny optimism complement Baek Yi Jin's pragmatism and restraint, and I love that their budding friendship is built upon mutual respect and support. As much as I can't wait for the romance, it's lovely to see this relationship slowly build upon a solid foundation of friendship. (Though can I just say, my heart dropped when Kim Min Chae did not recognize BYJ's photo -- and then plummeted when NHD's mum said she'd seen BYJ recently. I mean, I knew the daughter had a different last name...but come on, Show! I am just too invested in this so you better give us a happy ending!)
K-dramas are unparalleled in their portrayals of camaraderie, and Twenty-Five Twenty-One is no exception. I adore the show's humor and so many scenes had me laughing out loud.
I'm not a fan of the reformation-of-bitchy-supportive-lead trope, so I'm just looking forward to Yoo Rim's reformation! That said, I appreciate that the screenwriter didn't turn NHD into a doormat in response to Yoo Rim's treatment of her. I don't find YR's bitchiness believable, but at least NHD's response has been! (Also, am I the only one who had a heart attack when they revealed ?Injeolmi to be Yoo Rim? I had dibs on Yi Jin!)
I'm with @kurama on adult Na Hee Do. There's nothing wrong with her acting but she lacks the joie de vivre that so characterizes NHD. Like @missh, so wish they'd just aged Kim Tae Ri, like they did the actress who play's NHD's mum.
I love the "tone" of this drama. I agree with @kafiyah-bello, it's "quiet", which is a bit of a paradox, given how literally loud the wonderful Na Hee Do can be! Maybe it's the way the friendships are being allowed to slowly grow without melodrama? I'm not sure. But it's beautifully reinforced by the cinematography and soundtrack.
I'm thoroughly captivated! Next week cannot come too soon!
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Kafiyah Bello
February 21, 2022 at 4:08 PM
I actually loved that it was Yoo Rim that was Injeolmi. I appreciated it wasn't Yi Jin at all. It reminds a little bit of Love is Blind, in that you are getting to know someone without any presuppositions. I think it is lovely and the reveal if done right will be lovely as well.
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currypuff
February 21, 2022 at 7:51 PM
Love is Blind is a great parallel! Let's hope it doesn't end it the same manner, though, heh.
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asterell
February 22, 2022 at 4:52 AM
I was really worried Yi-jin was Injeolmi, and then he doesn't tell her right away once he finds out.
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mistyisles
February 21, 2022 at 4:27 PM
"K-dramas are unparalleled in their portrayals of camaraderie." This may be the single greatest reason I love K-dramas so much.
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currypuff
February 21, 2022 at 7:18 PM
Same! The soldiers and mums in CLOY, the entire gang in Dear My Friends and Hospital Playlist and Reply 1988…ad infinitum.
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Wkwkwk
February 23, 2022 at 2:17 PM
I thought I'm the only one getting that bitchy vibes from YooRim lol
It's getting me to a point of a lil bit irritation, haha
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currypuff
February 23, 2022 at 4:24 PM
Nope, not the only one!
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14 princesspreets
February 21, 2022 at 4:05 PM
I was unsure but definitely charmed from eps 1 & 2 - after eps 3 & 4, I’m IN LOVE 😍 Can’t wait to see where this goes, esp into their young adult years. But it’s so heartbreaking that it seems like Hee Do and Yijin didn’t end up tog, or that’s how the show is pointedly making it seem to be so far anyway… wld def be delighted if it’s all a red herring!! (Though, I also can’t see how it can spin it that way…!? 😟)
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15 fourwithsun
February 21, 2022 at 5:50 PM
This drama is the reason why slice of life is the superior genre for me!! So many comments referenced how this show has such a quiet tone, and I get it!
It feels quiet in the sense that there's no contrived drama for the sake of drama. Rather, the characters are slowly folding their way into each other's lives in a natural way, and we get to see that steady progression each episode! It leaves me feeling so safe and cozy as I watch, and my investment in their growth is more meaningful. It's the reason I love shows with solid ensemble casts, like Reply 1988, Hospital Playlist, and Vincenzo.
Also, appreciation ahead for Yi Jin (and his portrayal by NJH). I like how he's logical and pragmatic, but not cold or emotionless. In fact, he seems to have a very high EQ through his interactions with everyone around him. From the start, he's been so willing to open himself up to Hee Do, and I love how he's not shy about expressing verbally how much he values her and appreciates her - he doesn't hide his affection and care behind insults and cold-shoulders like most MLs. He just says straight: "This is why I like you," "You give me hope", "I miss you when I'm weak," "I want more for you", I'm sure I missed some because this man could write a whole book on "100 Ways to Say 'I Love You' Without Saying 'I Love You'" lol. I think this is why it's gonna be so so sweet when the romance does officially start, because it's based on something so beautiful and meaningful and real.
And maybe it's because my love language is words of affirmation, everything he says leaves me melted, because this is the exact kind of reassurance that would make me soar! Not superficial stuff like "you're so pretty," but when people verbalize how much I mean to them or say some specific reason why they like having me in their life, there's nothing that makes me feel more loved... perhaps that's why I catch myself falling for Yi Jin too haha XD .... Or maybe it's just Nam Joo Hyuk? Or BOTH?!?
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CS
February 21, 2022 at 6:24 PM
I love your analysis of what makes Yi Jin such a stand out ML. He is so encouraging and honest and emotionally mature. I loved the scene with his little brother, who is obviously a chip of the same block. The whole, "I miss mom and dad. What can you do?" was heartbreakingly honest and real.
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mimimi
February 21, 2022 at 9:24 PM
i love the little brother and their relationship. they're both wise beyond their years. you can tell they were raised right and with a lot of love.
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drawde2000
February 22, 2022 at 4:20 PM
Yessssss! Thank you. Someone mentioned that "What can you do" scene. He expressed it so well, that I felt what he was going through.
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currypuff
February 21, 2022 at 7:20 PM
I agree with all of the above. 🤗
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bomibeans
February 21, 2022 at 8:01 PM
"he doesn't hide his affection and care behind insults and cold-shoulders like most MLs." Oh, how refreshing, isn't it?
What a perfect analysis -- thanks for your opinion.
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fourwithsun
February 22, 2022 at 2:30 AM
Sooo refreshing!! Oh! Another thing I like: even though he's the older, more experienced one, he's not afraid to admit that he's learning from Hee Do, too! And whenever he's talking to her or giving advice, he's never patronizing or talking down to her. He doesn't act like he's annoyed or embarrassed by her hyperness, he appreciates her just the way she is, and tells her so. You can just tell there's an undercurrent of deep respect. Another reason why their romance is gonna be so wonderfully amazing!
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bomibeans
February 21, 2022 at 8:37 PM
By the way, if anyone is interested about your own “language of love” here’s the link to quiz:
https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language
The Words of Affirmation placed third in my pie. My primary languages were Quality Time and Physical Touch, and I believe there’s already plenty of Quality Time between our leads in this drama, don’t you all think? I can’t wait to observe their Physical Touch: I already imagine their first kiss, Hee-Do practically exploding while Yi Jin trying to keep cool and level. But NOT YET! Let’s enjoy this amazing friendship as much as we can!
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16 Orientedstar
February 21, 2022 at 6:19 PM
I'll just ignore the present day and pretend that it's not happening. And I feel that I'm suprisingly okay with Hee do and Yi jin not being together. Not always a great relationship be lifelong. It is sad but it is also life. And I love the gang. Yu rim's superiority over Hee do is the only thing irritating to me. But fits with the character and she is actually quite nice with everyone else. Ye jin lording over seung won is hilarious. And I love Ye jin refferring the full house comic. That was pretty hilarious.
And something I really liked that even though Hee do is shown as quite not intelligent(I'm getting Bok ju vibes) it does'nt matter and the show never treats that as her downfall but shows all the positive things about her. Evrn though Ye jin teases her he just sees her as she is. Hard working, optimistic, full of energy and really bright. And I love Hee do and all her loudness. :)
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17 ssandulak
February 21, 2022 at 7:01 PM
Still loving this show. I actually find myself rewatching the episodes shortly after watching them the first time. Our leads have GREAT chemistry, but it’s not just them. The whole cast is absolutely crushing it.
I’m curious if they’re just trying to throw us off with the way they phrased our FL’s mum going to see Yi-Jin. It sounded like they were purposely ambiguous and it seems like he might be dead. That being said, they faked me out with the computer chat room. Making us think it was Yi-Jin by having him turn off the computer just as our FL was finished chatting. They knew what they were doing, so it’s hard to take the subtle mention of going to visit him at face value.
I’m locked in regardless. *eagerly awaits next Saturday*
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currypuff
February 21, 2022 at 7:24 PM
I just don’t think my heart can take it if they kill Yi Jin off. K-drama gods, are you listening?!
And the computer chat room…ARGH. I know the show plans to redeem Yoo Rim’s character as made clear from the flashback, but, gah, I so thought Injeolmi was Yi Jin, sigh.
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ssandulak
February 21, 2022 at 11:06 PM
I definitely thought Yi Jin was Injeolmi as well, but I think after looking back on it I quite like this direction they’ve gone with it. It’s a fairly well worn trope that the two leads would know each other through some other means, and it’s nice they subverted our expectations. For something I think will end up giving us some great character moments between Hee Do and Yoo Rim.
I’ll certainly be sad if Yi Jin ends up dying. Could it be another reason for the title? He dies at 25 shortly after they’ve been in love? Either way, chomping at the bit for more!
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18 Ally
February 21, 2022 at 7:31 PM
I KNEW I would like this. I knew from the moment I saw Kim Tae Ri was cast in the lead. I was less excited about NJH, but I should have known that he would play the perfect beta male to the alpha-athlete female! I like him in these roles. He’s soft and subtle, and I just want to squish him up and put him in my pocket. It’s a thing. But Ye-Jin’s speech to Hee-do was so poignant, so filled with respect and affection. I don’t see them as a couple yet. But I do see him as the best big brother a little sister could have at that moment. And as much as I wish for a time jump so their relationship progresses, I love the innocence of their relationship now—how comfortable they are around each other, just being there for each other without the awkward romantic tension. I’m living for this show right now.
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bbstl 🧹
February 24, 2022 at 11:53 AM
I’m just so happy without any romance right now, it’s very fresh and I like it.
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19 KS stuck on 🥰 Aegiya KHAAJA🥰
February 21, 2022 at 8:08 PM
Firstly This show is ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
it feels a like "fresh morning mountain breeze" among all the traffic pollution.... like one hour passes in a blink and at the end you are liek "oh why its finished sooo soon" "I want more of it"
when i say more.. its not just the leads cause every single character in this show has its own shine n bling, its own story to tell, its own way to make me want to know what's more to that very story...
like.. why HD's mom behaves that way ?
why YR is so good to HD over chats ?
what YR feels when she see HD competing her ?
why... why.. why.. just so many whys.....
Love YR and Pretty Boy, LandLady's daughter and YJ's interactions just make me ROFL as to how well all such tiny plots can be used to evoke laughter and to know more abt the characters.
and while i scratch my head to find whys... HD n YJ together just make feel forget all about i had in my mind already.. cause together they are complete.
HD is his hope as YJ verbally affirmed but then him turning that green light on was a non verbal sign he is no less than a bigger Hope for HD. She is all blazing guns, loud, passionate but its YJ's silent, calm, soothing words that bring the self attestation in her that she is more than just her loudness (I love that already), that she is more than her failures as she accepts her failures as a part of her journey but its actually HIM makes her believe those failures are her badge of owner,
how those failure are something not to be ignored just cause they happened but cause they made her what she is today and wil be tomorrow... A Fighter.
Secondly.. by each passing week i fall for this show even more.. and i am least bothered abt future and how and why things will pan out....
cause i am drowning in a ocean of beautiful storytelling of those real life characters with gorgeous cinematography....
Bottom Line...there cant be a better show than this currently.. rest all goes to background while 25 21 shining in its full glory.
Sorry for such long post... but i cant resist.
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KS stuck on 🥰 Aegiya KHAAJA🥰
February 21, 2022 at 8:09 PM
owner=honor (mistake in spelling.. i am in HD mode i guess)
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20 amara
February 21, 2022 at 9:02 PM
i love the comments and it looks cute and i can tell frm the pics they have chemistry i just wish that they would fast forward to when she's out of that uniform bc it is weird and it takes me out bc the reason why it doesn't freak us out is because she is very obviously not an actual high schooler and has not been that age in a long while (and is older than NJH. by like a year but still.) like.... it weirds me out. im in2 romance n getting over potential childhood trauma but...gorl.
ANYWAYS im watching racket boys rn so omg a familiar face!
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21 panshel
February 21, 2022 at 10:58 PM
I can't stand Yoo-rim. Who is she calling two-faced when she's the most two-faced of them all? Hee-do did nothing to deserve this treatment just because Yoo-rim has an inferiority complex towards her. Whenever she's smiling at her parents or Ji-woong, whom I ship with Seung-wan as childhood friends to lovers, I find her so fake. I cheered when she returned to the National Training Center because fencing practice would be way less hostile without her around, but of course Hee-do's going to make the national team. Yoo-rim's going to hate Hee-do even more when she beats her in competition and dates her Yi-jin oppa.
I had suspected Yoo-rim was the online friend, but this makes me wonder what Hee-do tells Injeolmi. Not her being a fencer or transferring schools or being looked down by a girl on her team? Yoo-rim is the epitome of "Never meet your heroes."
I squealed when Hee-do immediately told Yi-jin, "That company was in the wrong" just like she wanted to hear from him. I wish that Yi-jin's wish will be for Hee-do to win the tryouts. Is the green light symbolism? He is really straightforward, and I think he started to like her since the water fountain but would never pursue a romance.
I will always wish this drama took place in the 1998 timeline only. I can't relate to daughter Min-chae and adult Hee-do in post-Covid 2022 and hope we never meet adult Yi-jin.
I want to read Full House.
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22 chibi8535
February 22, 2022 at 12:12 AM
Is it just me, or does 12 eps seem awfully short for them to cover about 5 years worth of plot, with the pace we're going at? It's sad how I want answers, but that also means we're inching closer to the finish line! :')
As much as I'm loving the slow pace, and the trip down 90's nostalgia-lane... I'm kinda disappointed to see not as much narrative development & commentary on the two (different, yet similar) pairs of mother-daughter relationships... but hey, that means more of Yi-Jin on our screens right? Because heaven knows what happened to him in 2021. T_T
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LoveSojiSub51
February 22, 2022 at 12:03 PM
I think this series has 16 episodes.
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chibi8535
February 22, 2022 at 10:47 PM
Yeah, I was talking about the 12 remaining episodes! We are already 4 eps in!😅
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LoveSojiSub51
February 23, 2022 at 12:45 PM
Oh! That makes more sense now. Let's hope they don't rush through or add unnecessary side characters that barely add anything to the plot.
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23 LoveSojiSub51
February 22, 2022 at 11:46 AM
I am liking the progression of the show. It's got a nice pace.
Also, the friendship that those two have is realistic to me. It's the main reason why I've always wanted to start a relationship from friendship. I am interested to see what happens to the group. Since this is taking place in 1998, I would be interested to see how they navigate the IMF crisis graduating from high school. They seem to all come from affluent families, but as we have seen with Yi Jin, that doesn't mean you are safe from any of the issues that come from the collapse.
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24 Over-Dramaddictally
February 22, 2022 at 4:31 PM
I’m loving this one. It has everything: laughter, tears, overarching messages of hope and humanity, and a reminder not to be too quick to call who’s the underdog (because positions can flip quickly).
Also, I’m finding the leads pretty fun and adorable. The scene with legs tied together was ridiculous and hilarious.
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panshel
February 22, 2022 at 6:18 PM
I adore how the writer subverted expectations with their three-legged walk home. We weren't the only ones expecting the tropey piggyback ride, even Hee-do mistook Yi-jin as she was about to jump on his back until he stood up and saved her from embarrassment.
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mimimi
February 22, 2022 at 7:48 PM
imagine if she'd actually managed to hop on. i'm cackling thinking about yi jin's quiet exasperation like this is what i get for hanging out with a romance manhwa fanatic lol
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Over-Dramaddictally
February 23, 2022 at 3:17 PM
so good! I was getting ready to be annoyed with the piggy back ride when he stood up, which made the three-legged scene even funnier (laughing at them and at myself).
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25 Jingbee
February 23, 2022 at 2:13 AM
I may be a minority, but I don't really mind if Yi-jin and Hee-do are not end-game. I think the show is doing a very good job in showing the process of them growing up more and learning from each other, and as a result, develop a great friendship. And it is not just them , but the three other characters here too. I look forward to how Min-chae learn the same lessons or at the very least solve misunderstanding between her and her Mom.
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Kurama
February 23, 2022 at 2:25 AM
I don't really care for now. I think it will depend the reason. I mean if he was killed by a truck of doom, I will be mad but if it was a natural separation, I will be able to accept it.
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bbstl 🧹
February 24, 2022 at 11:48 AM
Yes, I find myself hoping it’s not romantic love between them.
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26 oneearedgirl
March 31, 2023 at 6:00 AM
I'm loving teenaged Hee-do and her carefree self and Kim Tae-ri is wonderful, but I have the same sentiments about the older actress playing Hee-do in her forties because she doesn't seem to bear a single resemblance personality-wise and it's quite hard reconciling these both versions of the same character.
Enjoying the drama so far, but I'm far more intrigued in Hee-do's friendship with Yu-rim than I am with her budding romance with Yi-jin.
Also, Coach Yang!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
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