‘Twenty Five Twenty One’ is a K-drama about a young man and woman with great aspirations and their journey together in a time when not all is sunshine and rainbows.
Recap
The episode opens up with Kim Min-Chae, a young, aspiring ballerina, as she runs away from a Ballet Competition. When confronted by her mum, she escapes to her grandmother’s house. There, she gets hold of her mum’s diary and relives her past.
The diary takes the viewers back to 1998, the year when the South Korean economy had crumbled down to pieces due to IMF. This affects her mum- Na Hee-do’s life, as her school decides to disband the fencing team due to underfunding.
In her bid to continue with her dreams, Hee-do decides to transfer to Tae Yang high school, the only team that won’t be forced to close down. This is because it includes Go Yoo-rim, South Korea’s youngest fencing gold medalist; and Hee-do’s greatest rival.
In the episode, she picks a fight with the newspaper boy, Baek Yi-jin, who has broken the ‘fake’ peeing boy’s statue on her porch.
What follows is the series of laughs as Hee-do tries to get transferred from her current school for ‘Disciplinary misbehaviour’. From assaulting a peer to getting caught in a girls’ gang war she leaves no stone unturned, but it ends up backfiring each time.
There’s an interaction between her and Yoo-rim, her rival, where she conspicuously helps her by lending her an umbrella.
Review
- There is this warmth that Korean Dramas often have- the pretty scenery comprising of hills, lush green creepers and beautiful blossoms adorning homes.
- There are a few humorous scenes too, with the characters exchanging banter- giving this episode the very much resemblance of ‘Slice-of-Life’ genre.
- Some scenes do give out the feeling of anticipation- like the instances where Hee-do actively tries to get expelled from her school.
- There are some clichés too- like the guy being secretly rich, which slightly gets corny.
Rating: 3/5
Also Read: Peacemaker season 1 episode 7 recap & review: Stop Dragon My Heart Around