Twenty-five Twenty-one Ep 1 and 2 review: Romance takes a backseat at the moment in Netflix K-drama

The show, like Reply 1988 gives a glimpse into what Korea was like back in the day. It’s an insightful point of view for people who haven’t been exposed to the country’s culture and history before.

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Twenty-Five Twenty-One Season 1

Story: After the South Korean financial crisis leaves conglomerates and businesses bankrupt, the aftershock affects people across social classes. While Na Hee-do's fencing team is disbanded, Baek Yi-jin, once used to a life of luxury and riches is left to fend for himself.

Review: Man, I love K-dramas. They are, hands down, the best escape from reality. Invigorating even, depending on the genre. But it’s true that K-dramas can be mired with clichés, the acting can often be over the top, and if it’s a romance the story leaves you with an eagerness that can only be fulfilled if you decide to continue further. Last but not the least is the charming cast at the forefront.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One has the air of a romance drama but that’s not really the focus at the moment. The show begins in the present when COVID-19 is still at large. An adult Na Hee-do (Kim So-hyun) and her visibly nervous daughter Kim Min-chae are about to walk into a ballet content for the lattee. Hee-do comforts her daughter, reassures her that winning is not the ultimate goal. But Min-chae gets cold feet, tells her mother that there was no point to this because she just knew she would't win. "Is it meaningless if you don’t win?," asks Hee-do, a question and attitude that's reiterated again in the show. But Min-chae is averse to any logic, and decides to quit ballet altogether and move in with her grandma. 

There she discovers her mother’s old diary. We’re taken all the way to the 90s when the Korean economy was struggling to stay afloat. The two leads, high school student and fencer Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) and 22-year-old Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk), are affected by the financial crisis in different ways but the weight of the loss remains more or less the same. Plus, when you’re a teenager, every little thing whether good or bad, especially bad, holds great significance. That’s something the show aptly captures when it comes to both a young Hee-do and Min-chae.

Another thing that k dramas capture, with a touch of theatrics, are the familial relationships - like Hee-do’s mother is brusque and dismissive of her talents, rigid to the idea of her moving schools. She’s also unable to show much emotion or give her daughter the words of comfort when she sorely needs them. To this Hee-do is full of resentment and their relationship is hanging by a thread. However, Hee-do’s meltdown shakes her and she tries to do her part, albeit covertly. You’ll know what I’m talking about. A lot of Asian parents find it hard to display any sort of affection, so Twenty-Five Twenty-One’s portrayal is not far from reality.

The show, like Reply 1988, gives a glimpse into what Korea was like back in the day. It’s an insightful point of view for people who haven’t been exposed to the country’s culture and history before. There’s entertainment with the added advantage of a little learning.

The first two episodes focus solely on the two leads and their resilience to achieve their significant goals. Hee-do aims to make it big in the fencing community, while Yi-jin is rebuilding himself after his world came crashing down because of the financial crisis. The spirit and grit of being a sportsperson is celebrated here, and also inculcated by Hee-do's fencing coach. There is definitely a love story brewing here but the fact that it’s not the defining factor makes Twenty-Five Twenty-One a refreshing watch.

The first two episodes of Twenty-Five Twenty-One are streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer here:

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