In the fourth episode of Twenty Five Twenty One, Hee-do continues with her goal. While some relationships start sailing, some seem to be falling into a deeper trench.
Recap
The fourth episode of ‘Twenty five Twenty One’ starts with both Yurim and Hee-do chatting anonymously- with each other. It’s pretty ironic when Yurim swears she would recognize her when she can’t even look at Hee-do in real life.
Ji-Woong strikes a deal with Hee-do- he would teach her the choreography of a song, and in return, she would place a Pine flavoured drink daily in his crush’s (Yurim) locker. It goes well for a while until Yurim catches her. Ji-Woong admits that it was his wish, thus confessing his crush to Yurim.
As a piece of good news, Yi-jin gets to keep his luxurious, race car- a precious thing of his that he had considered going! We get to see him helping Hee-do escape from an avenging goon (recall the girls’ gang war in the first episode). But his happiness doesn’t last long- he gets rejected from yet another job interview.
The fencing coach gets to know about the fiasco that had happened the last night in the gym. She calls for Hee-do and indirectly asks her to resolve it. Hee-do comes up with a good plan- thus earning the right to practice at night. Hence continues her struggle to come top at the tryouts.
Yurim steps out to deliver a special dish to Yi-jin, for whom she still seems to have feelings. She comes across Ji-Woong, who offers to help her carry the baggage through the rain. Turns out, they are heading in the same direction- to the same house. Here, they realize that Yi-jin is a tenant at Seungwan’s. After a while, they are joined by the drenched pair- Hee-do and Yi-jin. Their meal together turns out to be a comedic mix of passive-aggressive remarks.
We have the fortune to get yet another wholesome scene- Yurim meeting her father after a while; and they seem to have a very close, affectionate relationship. They have a good time over soju, though reprimanded by Yurim’s mum for alcohol.
The Coach offers a last spar before the tryouts to Hee-do, which she hesitatingly accepts. With Ye-Ji (another member of the fencing team) being the referee, Hee-do loses. The coach consoles her by telling her that she is the most difficult opponent for Hee-do; she won’t get any tougher rivals in the tryouts. This somehow calms Hee-do of her anxiety.
Yi-jin brings some banana milk for a very tired Hee-do (Because of her spar with the coach). They talk a bit, and things escalate enough for them to have a friendly spar. The episode ends with Yi-jin demanding a favour from her- because he won albeit in an unfair manner.
Review
- This episode did a good job at showing the contrast between the late 90s and the present time through aesthetics. What’s also noticeable is the way the past has been linked to the present- giving a nice continuity to the series ‘Twenty Five Twenty One’.
- Ji-woong’s character demands much love and respect. Portraying as a sweet but thoughtful guy, he fits the ‘ideal guy’ trope, thus winning the critics’ hearts. Similarly, a lot many other characters have started getting a good depth in ‘Twenty Five Twenty One’.
- The particular scene including Hee-do, Seungwan, Ji-woong, Yurim and Yi-jin (Loaches Scene) was the highlight of the episode- quenching the viewer’s demands of more such interactions.
- The episode also displayed some wholesome moments- specifically the interaction between Yi-jin and his aunt, and Yurim and her father.
Rating: 3.5/5
Also Read: Twenty Five Twenty One season 1 episode 1 recap & review