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A masterfully done coming-of-age story
I would like focus this review on addressing common complaints about the show.1. Main love story and ending. Countless posts and reels/shorts list this show as an example of sad ending. That is understandable since it is rare for main characters to fall out of love and end their relationship. However, it is not so rare in real life, and people do overcome breakups and can still be happy in life. And due to the nature of this show, we knew that they do not end up together right from the beginning. This is a coming-of-age story rather than a classic romance, it is about young people achieving their goals and dreams, which they definitely did.
2. Characters of Yu-rim and Hee-do's mother. Since the show doesn't have antogonists/villains, these characters are sometimes seen as antogonists for different reasons. Yu-rim did say some hurtful things often time unnecessarily and unprovoked. She is immature, prideful and insecure in first half, but she is also a teenager. Many of those things can be explained by her situation and she was just too stubborn and prideful to acknowledge Hee-do, which is also realistic. On the other hand, mom is sometimes portrayed as a bad parent, especially in comparison to Yu-rim's parents. But we have to remember that most of the story is Hee-do's POV through her diary, a classic case of a biased narrator. As a single mother in SK of 90s she did an exceptional job of raising Hee-do (money, comfort and ability to pursue her dreams). And many of their fights were due to lack of communication, stubbornness and avoidance, not because she was a bad mother. Both Yu-rim and Hee-Do's mother are complex characters that do have their flaws, but they are also sometimes misunderstood by viewers.
From friendship dynamics to personal growth this show masterfully captures both youthful optimism and harsh reality of adulthood. Like the lyrics of the song "I thought it would last forever, twenty five twenty one", but here it is filled with nostalgia and warm memories.
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Not your typical high school romance but more of a coming-of-age story.
It was pretty obvious on how things were gonna end considering the direction it was going but the bittersweet feeling didn't leave me. I'm glad it was a realistic ending and not something fairytale. I wish more Kdramas did this where they go beyond the highschool life and show us the truth about young love and friendships. Really loved it.The beginning of the story especially the first 6 or so Episodes present this illusion that makes you think that everything will stay like this forever but also sprinkles a bit of hints about the unforseen future here and there. The writing of the characters are perfect in my opinion. They feel very human and realistic and not fictional and stale like most 1-dimensional Kdrama characters. And the actors did a phenomenal job with the acting. I need to check more kdramas with them in it. The happy scenes made me happy, the sad scenes made me cry and every emotion which the show wanted me to feel, made me feel it; and very few kdramas have done that because not every sad scene or happy scene makes u feel the same way if it wasn't written good.
This might have become a classic. Definitely one of the best, if not the best Romance Kdrama in the genre. In years to come I can easily see people talk about this as generational show.
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couldn't praise this show enough.
100% positive review coming up.this show resonated with me so much. the characters were so likeable and I felt anger, sadness and happiness all with these characters.
the show explores many different factors, from teenage love, teenagers struggles, to world struggles and world tragedies.
i love how the characters are so well written that i couldn't help but feel what they was feeling at the time, and the acting from the cast were impeccable.
na heedo and beak yijin. lets get into it,
1. na heedo, were introduced as this ambitions, independent and headstrong late-teens girl. heedos character is defo not one of the smartest people out there, but this created many laughable moments within the show. we get to grow with her, and see her teenage problems adapt into adult problems. I enjoyed getting to see her character mature but not lose her personality.
2. beak yijin, were introduced to this humble, mature and hard working character that has a really sad backstory, who's trying to rebuild his life. yijins character is nothing but loveable and we get to watch how he grows himself and his career, although he faces a lot of different issues ( one being heedo lol ) we still get to watch him become more financially stable.
the acting from the whole cast was commendable and the story was also amazing, id do anything to be able to watch this for the first time again.
the side characters
1. the side characters as a whole create a perfect balance of enjoyable and not so enjoyable moments. they create many happy, sad and even angry moments. I think ko yurims character development was really good, and the development of her and heedos relationship was really special.
overall... ( mega spoilers )
the story line of this kdrama was quite different, by making the two leads not end up together in the end. although I did shed a good few tears, I think there decision to not have them end together was amazing, it made the show different and memorable. I liked how this show explores a relationship that was just not meant to be. in my opinion, the idea of these two people sharing something so special that can't be categorised into any specific type of relationship is more beautiful than any romantic relationship out there.
this show demonstrated all different types of love, from friendship, relationships, siblings and the special bond between heedo and yijin. I liked the realness of this show, everything down from the relationship goods and bads to the affects of 911, the show really demonstrated all them issues really well. and
overall
if I could give this show a 100/100 I would
OMG the ost was also so good, a lot of the ost songs are still in my Spotify playlist.
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This will be a masterpiece drama, but...
It's a good drama actually but so many plot holes. It's not that i didn't like the ending because BaekDo didn't end up together, i knew it from the start that they won't end up together but the way the writer titled this drama as Twenty Five Twenty One but only gave us (+/-) 2 eps of those age, it's just weird for me. I thought that age will be a peak moment. And also i think the old Na Heedo didn't really take important roles for this drama, if they reveal the Minchae's father maybe the old Na Heedo roles is more understandable but they didn't even reveal it..And also what happened to Yijin after 2009? What happened about all the rest main characters? I mean eventho Na Heedo might not always being together with them, at least they should give us a glimpse about them after 2009. If there's the old Heedo at least give us the old Yijin...
I feel like the plot was so rushed at the latest eps. But after all it's actually a good drama, if the writer make it more good than this, probably i'm gonna say one of the best drama i've ever watched. Is this recommended? I can say yes, maybe? Honestly i love the plot in the early eps and i love the chemistry of all the main characters especially the squad.
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Plot could have been better but the rest is ace!
Despite the disappointing non-disclosure in the plot and questionable change of the main leads' characters/personalities in about the last two episodes through the conflicts that arised, I genuinely enjoyed this kdrama a lot. Some may have strong opinions on the ending, and even though yes it mostly made the present scenes useless, the story really was about the youth and the relationship development with Heedo and Yijin as they grow up, so personally it didn’t ruin the show that much for me. I really can't hate it because of the deep connection I felt with the characters as I was watching, I really felt like I was growing up with them. I'm not a very emotional person, but this drama brought a lot of this out of me. Whether it was the nostalgia, relating to certain moments, or anything of that sort, the show will remain close to my heart. I'd actually like to consider it one of my top favorite kdramas- alongside Reply 1988 which made me very emotional too so I guess yall see the pattern of what I like lol. Other than the plot, everything else was really a work of art. The actors/casting were AMAZING, I loved them all so much and you could tell they formed a nice strong bond together which made the chemistry that much better. The cinematography and flashbacks in time added a lot into that nostalgic mood that I love and the sceneries are beautiful. Lastly, HUGE PRAISE TO THE SOUNDTRACKS!! I LOVEDDD all the soundtracks so so much, I really have no words for them. (Faves were Wonstein's, Bibi's, and Dk's of Seventeen osts.) I find myself forgetting a lot of soundtracks from kdramas or at least not focusing enough on them, but 25 21 allowed me to multitask in that while genuinely enjoying the songs and making them unforgettable. In regards, to rewatching value, I will admit if we actually had a better disclosure then the rating would have been way higher. In conclusion, the plot could have really been fixed but everything else being incredible owns up to those mistakes for me and I truly enjoyed it. If you're still reading, thank you so much for your time. <3 (ps. Plz be kind to me this is my first actual review here :') )Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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5 stars if not for it's horrible turn
I would have given this drama 5 stars or even more if that was possible... if only it didn't change up like that in the last few episodes. The amount of plot holes in this drama is atrocious. Who is Min chae's dad if it was being built up and teased so much? Why did Na Hee Do forget about the beach scene? What about when when Her mom said she recently saw Baek Yijin? These are only a few unanswered questions. If they weren'tto be answered then adding it into the drama was completely unnecessary. The ending felt rushed and as if the writers let go of everything that was built up in the beginning. Baek Yijin and Hee do saying those things in the end like "we never supported eachother properly" that was in fact rubbish. People change but never that much, i felt like their entire individual personalitys changed and without explanation.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
About the ending!!
Am i completely satisfied/happy with the ending? No, absolutely not.Was the ending justifiable? A 100% yes!!
I am very much mad and angry at others for not understanding what the story is about and how realistically it ended(though very much heartbreaking).
I seriously don't know why people commenting that the ending was rushed and bad, only because it was sad, even though the climax of 'what would happen to their relationship' was revealed earlier in the first episodes and you people choose to ignore it. Stop the hate just because the story/ending was not what you fantasized it to be.
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reality
i thought it is a healing drama that is why i watched it despite me having a hard time in real life. with the last 2 episodes, its very nerve wrecking. i am one of those people who loves unusual ending and if i was in the best position when i watched it, i might love it the first time i watch it. i grew to love the ending after some thought. its chracters and story line is very realistic so i cant blame the write. it even stick with the title 2521, their love at that time. i love it. super rewarchable. super relatable. i actually see myself to na hee do. very determined, stubborn to dreams, honest, transparent, always journal, looks extrovert but deep inside very introvert. i love it as the characters are very harmonious and so perfect *chef's kiss* nam joo hyuk and kim taeri's acting? wow speechless solidVond je deze recentie nuttig?
Un k-drama de très haute qualité
Dès le premier épisode on est aspiré dans l'histoire et attaché aux personnages. Casting et acting exceptionnel. Des acteurs connus et moins connus mais dont leur jeu nous fait oublier leurs personnages précédents. Une production et réalisation habiles qui nous entraînent aisément dans la chronologie des événements qui s'étendent de 1998 a aujourdhui. A l'instar de la vie, on est bousculé par plusieurs émotions fortes ;du rire aux larmes, en passant par la déception, l'amour, la fierté, la colère, l'injustice, ...La force du drama est le personnage féminin principal qui fait preuve de bcp de force, de résilience, 🌈d'authenticité , de naturel,... avec une intensité qui donne une légèreté a la série qui sinon serait trop mélodramatique à mon goût 😉 sa personnalité éclatante et spontanée détonne avec ce que nous avons l'habitude de voir et cela fait du bien.
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Gooddramafewerbadtrops
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Great ending and the only ending it should have.
I absolutely love this show. I know some people don't like shows that have "sad ending" in my opinion, if this had a happy ending it would have been so forced and weird. Considering how their relationship started to fall apart by the end of the show.The ML really was focusing on his career and in the beginning of the show he also had a clear goal in mind; was to help bring his family together. So the relationship, though was sweet, it was never gonna last
She didn't want to have someone who was rarely there and who couldn't be real with his feelings plus, considering she already went through the same thing with her mom, who was barely there for her.
Her mom always put work before anyone that includes her own daughter. I don't think the news channel ever even found that that one of the most famous fencer in Korea was the news caster's daughter. Pretty wild lol her mom was something else lol
The show is so well written though. All characters are amazing and super likeable. You get to know and love everyone
The FL here is super likeable, funny and caring and good ML as well.
He can actually act when the materials required him to.
The SFL is also good. Though, I didn't like her at first but as her story progressed , I learned more about her and her struggles and she ended becoming very likeable after she solved her issues with the FL and she got a happy ending. So, for people looking for a good or cliché relationship. There you go. I loved that she kept losing to the FL 😂😂
I would definitely revisiting this show again in the future. I saw some people skipping last two episodes don't do that. You won't get the full story if you do.
It's not a sad ending, it is the perfect ending.
10/10
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Work hard for your dream!
Finally I find another series that keeps me up until 3 a.m.!The girl who fences, the poor boy who works hard to become a great reporter, as well as their 3 friends. All great characters and actors.
In this series I rediscovered friendship, sacrifices, love, dreams and more.
There are many teachings in there: perseverance in realizing one's dreams, the support of friends in difficult situations, the sacrifice of children to repay their parents, hard work to get results, the will to fight injustices even at the cost of paying a high price, for example.
I liked "Na Hee Do", this girl who makes decisions, gives wise advice and has admirable perseverance.
I also liked "Baek Yi Jin" in the role of the unlucky boy who, when rich, finds himself poor and fights against adversity to get back on his feet. When they say "the sins of parents fall on their children".
So touching, I cried a lot.
Just a small note on the ending which remains open. Who knows if there will be a sequel?
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We are lovers in the good times and burden to each other in the bad times
2521 is one of the most beautiful dramas I have ever watchedI am fully convinced it is incomplete
I’ll tell you why
I admit wholeheartedly that it was a wonderful, amazing show that made me feel a lot of thing I didn't know I could feel, love, hate, annoyance and a sense of longing..? if that is the right word? all the actors were amazing and obviously I had a big crush on Nam Joo Hyuk when I started the show so I have no complaints there
the only problem I had was with the plot, it was a well written plot, complex and well thought out [kudos to the writer-nim because phew!] and so complex, all the characters going through so many complex emotions at the same time and the portrayal of that was great, You get the sense of the emotion of freedom and also fear that all of them were going through in their early 20's in the first few episodes, not ready to grow up but forced to make do with where they are, and that's what i'm saying. the writing was so good until the 13th episode, everything was going wonderfully. then for some reason everything changed in the 14th episode
all the emotions started changing, from freedom and uncertainty it went to differences in personalities and causing the characters to not understand each other anymore, and the ending did not make sense at all because; why would they spend so much time telling us that Na Hee Do's DAUGHTER was reading her diary if they weren't going to give us a "fix-it" scene in the ending?
The ending seems too abrupt, like we see the ending where they just split way and then Baek Yijin just goes of to New York—
then what? then nothing? I feel like the writer was trying to bring about a feeling like, "they split ways here and then many years later Na Hee Do's daughter starts finding out about her mother's past and starts searching for her mother's old boyfriend and then she brings them together" and I feel like before that last episode we should gotten a scene with older Na Hee Do and Baek Yijin where they come together as mature adults, and spend some time talking to each other, give each other another chance and work through their conflicting emotions before giving it another shot, that would have made more sense since Min Chae’s father (Na Hee Do’s husband) seems to be a really out-of-the-picture person
That would have been a more fulfilling ending
In my opinion.
I'm not usually like this when I watch dramas I assure you [....god i wrote a lot...] [I actually wrote this as a message to my cousin 😅]
it's just 2521 was such an interesting drama and I loved it a lot, it deserved more from it's finale considering how good it was
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