NEW K-drama series Twenty-Five Twenty-One is becoming the show to watch. The tvN drama starring Nam Jook-Hyuk and Kim Tae-ri had a strong start in ratings.
The story begins with Kim Min-chae (Choi Myung-bin) who sees her rival’s ballet audition and quits ballet because she feels inferior.
When her mum Naa Hee-do (Kim So-hyun) assures her to try her best and that it’s okay to lose, Min-chae disagrees, and goes to stay with her grandmother. There, she reads her mum’s diary and we are introduced to Hee-do’s story.
The plot flashes back to 1998, during the IMF crisis, which also forced many sports club in schools to be shut down, young Hee-Do (played by Kim Tae-ri), who is a part of fencing club, is determined to not give up on her dreams.
She admires Yoo-rim (Kim Ji-Yeon), a fencer who won world championships. She tries multiple ways to join other schools so that she can continue fencing.
Along the way, she meets Yi Jin (Nam Joo-Hyuk), a 22-year-old college dropout who came from a once-rich family who lost their fortune due to the crisis.
Different from the usual romance dramas, this story focuses on Hee-do’s love of fencing. From the first episode, this series is emotional and super engaging and beautifully portrays the ups and downs of life. The series dives into memories of youth and dreams of young adults.
The episodes so far were a solid watch as Hee-do’s and Yi-Jin’s overflowing chemistry kept me smiling throughout.
With few more episodes to unfold, let’s hope we get to see more of every character’s backstory.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One is available to stream on Netflix. New episodes will be released on Saturdays and Sundays, before the finale on April 3. If you are looking for a romantic series to watch, this series would be a good pick.
DIRECTOR: Jung Ji Hyun
CAST: Kim Tae-Ri, Nam Joo-Hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, Lee Joo Myung
E-VALUE: 9
ACTING: 8
PLOT: 8
