Twenty-Five Twenty-One 스물다섯 스물하나 [2022]

[gilaswan]

Gee… I think I’m still processing episode 15… very rollercoaster-y. I kinda understand why he chose to stay on in NY as a correspondent - it’s his personal conviction and values. But I also wonder why he did not share that decision with Heedo. I understand how trauma can change you significantly, but I would have thought his connection with Heedo, given the impact she had on him also during an equally emotionally traumatic time in his life, was strong enough to at least warrant some level of accountability. Why did he choose to pull away? Between the two, I suppose he’s the the one who feels more despair. Without her, he sinks deep very quickly. And she wasn’t there with him in NY. She completes him than the other way around.

 

How hopeful are we about them being endgame still? Present day Heedo’s comments don’t seem to point either direction. She’s lost the diary, so at this point it’s no longer Minchae recalling the past - it’s Heedo now.

[JenL]

Hahaha, I don't know what to make of the preview either @ktcjdrama! Do I hang onto the divorce theory with conviction or do I go back to the original sad seperation ending?  Or is it a plot twist as Yi Jin went overseas and was always busy....I mean, it could be the same guy she married him knowing full well he would be away months or years at a time?  But she sounded so sad when she went back to the tunnel and thought about Min Chae reading her diaries 

 

I haven't written as much about the actual drama recently due to time, but I want to say this drama is so beautiful and painful at the same time. It really does feel like such a meaningful drama that gives us a trip down memory lane. Episode 14 was so melancholy. Episode 15 was in contrast very fun and lovely. I was so glad we got to see Hee Do and Yi Jin finally spend some quality couple time together doing what other normal couples would do. But ended as always with the harshness of reality and a reminder that you don't always get good choices in life...you just play the cards given to you. And sometimes you can really love people, but other responsibilities will make you potentially choose against them 

34 minutes ago, gilaswan said:

Why did he choose to pull away? Between the two, I suppose he’s the the one who feels more despair. Without her, he sinks deep very quickly. And she wasn’t there with him in NY. She completes him than the other way around.

 

Totally agree with all your comments. I suspect that he was struggling to think of a way of telling Hee Do about his staying in NY- he's both afraid to lose her, but also doesn't want to hold her back or make her feel sad/ angry. 

 

Yeah, I think I'm like Yi Jin with despair. Depressing things can make me withdraw into myself, so understand his feelings. He's maybe a more natrally pesimistic person and the opposite to Hee Do who always seems to view the world with optimism and hope. She thinks she's not reaching him with her support, but I think it's just because they still had terrible technology in 2001 

 

 

[movingwheel]

@JenL @gilaswan as Mark Twain once said - people change and they forget to tell each other. This is exactly what is happening right now. I have convinced myself of sad ending as this is the only explanation of today’s episode.

[Mizv]

The writer is basically sharing a journey of hardships that will reach a plateau of happiness.  TvN has enjoyed trolling us.  am very confident they will end up together. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Mizv

[ktcjdrama]

A new observation I read from comments elsewhere. Min Chae’s father is BYJ because someone had written inside her ballet shoes the same way BYJ wrote on NHD’s fencing sabre. Don’t have time now to go do a handwriting comparison, but I am buying this observation. 
 

I am actually hopeful that they will be the endgame because really, what’s the point of telling the story of all their struggles being together if not to have them end up together. That’s not the way (great) dramas work, lol. So what remains is the mystery of Min Chae’s surname. 

[gilaswan]

@JenLI didn’t feel sadness from present day Heedo actually. More a tinge of nostalgia, the way we look back on those years and remember how we thought we would last forever in that state.

 

I was telling my hubby last night how he would love the show too cos really, it’s a story of our times. We lived through that era and the characters in 2521 are essentially our age peers. My own daughter is Minchae’s age, and we had our own version of a relationship that went through ups and downs before we settled down.

 

I too remember once upon a time loving so passionately and having friendships so tight I never thought they would end. But life has taken many of us to different places and some very far away. Some no longer with us too. I do look at occasional FB posts by some of my peers who are in touch with each other but not with me, and there was once we were all close to each other, though I don’t think we desire a reunion now, nor if we did meet up, we would reconnect with that same fondness of yesteryear. And it is just the way it is. Not sad per se. But in acknowledgment that there was such a time. 

 

Ep 15 wasn’t exactly happy. What it was, was realistic. It was the end of teenage life and the beginnings of career building where we learn we need to make choices and they’re not always easy ones. 

 

I’m still hopeful that it will be a happy ending - enough sadness as it is. I’m more the Heedo-eternal-hopeful type. Hahaha… my hubby is more the Yijin type. In episode 14 at the end of interview, Heedo says that her support had reached Yijin. In Episode 15 when he was in NY, she said her support had stopped reaching him. Is that an indication that they did overcome that hurdle?

[mademoiselle]

This scene... the only scene from episode 15 that had me in tears

 

[movingwheel]

@Mizv @gilaswan @ktcjdrama ar this point, my heart refuses to look further into it. I will just wait fir Netflix. 😂 

 

@mademoiselle me too.

[JenL]

2 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

A new observation I read from comments elsewhere. Min Chae’s father is BYJ because someone had written inside her ballet shoes the same way BYJ wrote on NHD’s fencing sabre. Don’t have time now to go do a handwriting comparison, but I am buying this observation. 
 

I am actually hopeful that they will be the endgame because really, what’s the point of telling the story of all their struggles being together if not to have them end up together. That’s not the way (great) dramas work, lol. So what remains is the mystery of Min Chae’s surname. 

 

That's interesting! I had not thought about the shoes which he definitely could have gifted to his kid like he does to Hee Do. I don't know if the writing looks alike though...but it's also hard to tell with markers? 

 

 

 

 

I'm still 50-50 on the ending. It still seems just as possible for an endgame as it is for a bittersweet ending. I feel like nostalgia dramas do still have a different set of rules in that bittersweet endings are entirely valid. The point would be to show the story of a first love that shaped the growth of two individuals even though life takes us apart.

 

But endgame is possible too. It's very much possible they do have a happy ending, but like all their endings there is a tinge of reality - ie, marriage means they're together but having a kid and working also means they're like everyone else, it's no longer really romancey, but more practical and they may have to be seperated for long periods of time etc. 

 

@movingwheel Just focus on the nice edits 

 

 

 

The description looks sad, but who knows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[movingwheel]

Today i will open Netflix only if twitter reveal makes me happy….  Or else i will focus my energy in something else and after that i will watch it when i will be at peace… never have i ever felt this was about a drama… like so invested in leads… NJH , SJK DO THAT TO ME….

 

@JenL by the way no episode ended at the preview. So there will be more to left. BTS jung kook laughingly said he is in favour of happy endings. Director nim are you listening??

[mademoiselle]

@JenL Will you be staying up for spoiler tonight? 😆 I am so foreseeing myself losing Zzz hours thanks to this. I should have taken an annual leave 😅 to save myself from insomnia/lack of sleep. Thank goodness we gained one hour back though. LOL!

 

=== Some thoughts ===

 

I have to say this writer got me good in the sense that I couldn't predict the outcome for this OTP like I did with Start-Up or other shows before. In memory, only R88 came close to having me guessing who is the endgame. Although I care about who the hubby is, I didn't mind which guy ended up with Deok Sun. But this! The guy whom supposedly is Kim Min Chae's father is non-existent in this drama, so making it extra difficult to accept Yi Jin isn't the guy. This writer had no prior projects we could refer to making it even more challenging.

 

I don't think I'd be super duper pissed like some Netizens I am reading on my TL. I can accept the theme of the story is about youth and all, and that relationships don't always work out, but it'll depend on how the story ends their relationship if Yi Jin isn't the man she ended up marrying. Because so far, the writer had convinced us Yi Jin and Hee Do's relationship should be able to stand the test of time so it would be extra heartbreaking if they break up for reasons such as too busy or because they were miles apart. It somehow makes their relationship less special... if you know what I mean?

10 minutes ago, movingwheel said:

Today i will open Netflix only if twitter reveal makes me happy….  Or else i will focus my energy in something else and after that i will watch it when i will be at peace… never have i ever felt this was about a drama… like so invested in leads… NJH , SJK DO THAT TO ME….

This happens to me a fair few times, the most memorable was Faith 😅😆😂. It was obsession unhealthy level. I was staying up late and losing sleep over worrying how the show would end.

[gilaswan]

I did find it sad that at the end of yesterday’s episode, when the 2 young fans said to Heedo, “You have a boyfriend, don’t you?”, she responded with, “I’m not sure”. I think it would be easy to be angry with Yijin at this point. He just disappeared. But this was not the first time he suddenly disappeared and told no one - there was that time after his brother got into trouble and he disappeared to be with his mother without telling Yurim or Heedo. And from when we first see him interact with Yurim after the family’s bankruptcy, we also know he’d disappeared and could not be contacted. So this disappearing act is actually not out of character. 

 

In the pre-released scene, it seems Heedo was going somewhere. Back to the Training Centre? And it would appear angry words were exchanged before that. I’d just like to know why he felt the need to compose himself before approaching her. 

[JenL]

hahaha this tweet:

 

 

[gilaswan]

4 more hours to go if you're waiting for Netflix!

[movingwheel]

28 minutes ago, gilaswan said:

4 more hours to go if you're waiting for Netflix!

Fingers crossed 🤞 

[Mizv]

Time to celebrate!!!!  
it’s KMC Dad reveal day!!  
 

No more theories!  And the winner is…

[Mouse]

Ugh I don’t know if I can handle this.. I love Yijin and Hee-do so so so much and to know that they’re going to go their separate ways kills me….

[JenL]

6 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

@JenL Will you be staying up for spoiler tonight? 😆 I am so foreseeing myself losing Zzz hours thanks to this. I should have taken an annual leave 😅 to save myself from insomnia/lack of sleep. Thank goodness we gained one hour back though. LOL!

 

Hahaha @mademoiselle I think I have to because I've been too invested with all my theories! 

Also I hate spoilers and will be dead if I open twitter and see people either in full angst or celebrating hardcore 

 

I've been staying up weekly for this drama because I liked it so much which has been a killer on Monday morning...so in some ways although I'm really sad it;s ending, I'm also relieved that I will get to sleep at more normal times going forwards!

 

6 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I have to say this writer got me good in the sense that I couldn't predict the outcome for this OTP like I did with Start-Up or other shows before. In memory, only R88 came close to having me guessing who is the endgame. Although I care about who the hubby is, I didn't mind which guy ended up with Deok Sun. But this! The guy whom supposedly is Kim Min Chae's father is non-existent in this drama, so making it extra difficult to accept Yi Jin isn't the guy. This writer had no prior projects we could refer to making it even more challenging.

 

As a long time drama watcher like @mademoiselle,  I'm usually able to call the ending or a theory somewhat close to the ending some time before it's revealed (haha, still proud that in my main 3 guesses of the lottery winner for Hometown Cha Cha Cha, I got it right. Also proud I did not have to change my display picture for the Start Up bet ), this one has been tricky because they keep dropping these twists at the end of each episode. And the twists are like little knife wounds into the heart just when you think maybe you could reason that they got together in the end 

 

For me,  it will hurt if Hee Do doesn't get with Yi Jin, but I can also accept that it's a drama about personal growth. I mean, in the end, life isn't just about romance, it's also about finding ourselves and making the best situations with our lives. Also I think it's about valuing the importance of those who have loved you unconiditionally and helped you along your way in life.  For me, a drama is goood if it can provide meaningful lessons and to be honest, I don't have a preference for sad or happy endings as long as the ending makes sense and happens naturally to the progression of the story. I don't think it would make sense for the story to bend over backwards to be happy, but it also shouldn't add overly dramatic and illogical events to make it sadder than it needs to be (I think @Unnie0110 might understand I'm referring to DDSSLLS here )...it should just flow with the story.

 

10 hours ago, gilaswan said:

@JenLI didn’t feel sadness from present day Heedo actually. More a tinge of nostalgia, the way we look back on those years and remember how we thought we would last forever in that state.

 

I was telling my hubby last night how he would love the show too cos really, it’s a story of our times. We lived through that era and the characters in 2521 are essentially our age peers. My own daughter is Minchae’s age, and we had our own version of a relationship that went through ups and downs before we settled down.

 

I too remember once upon a time loving so passionately and having friendships so tight I never thought they would end. But life has taken many of us to different places and some very far away. Some no longer with us too. I do look at occasional FB posts by some of my peers who are in touch with each other but not with me, and there was once we were all close to each other, though I don’t think we desire a reunion now, nor if we did meet up, we would reconnect with that same fondness of yesteryear. And it is just the way it is. Not sad per se. But in acknowledgment that there was such a time. 

 

True, I probably wrote sadness because I couldn't think of the phrasing, but I agree - it's more like she's reflecting on the past with a slight nostalgia and a tiny bit of wistfulness. Like you, I also understand these feelings, though I think it's not just for my school days. My school days were happy, but to be honest, I think I was happiest in the life stage after uni with a large group of friends. That stage has kind of lasted till recently when a lot of changes have happened (just before covid). A lot of friends from this stage of life have drifted away recently to other places and so I'm definitely experiencing this feeling that nothing lasts forever even though in those years it felt like things would be the same forever. In some ways it is kind of sad when one of those friends tags us in an old photo and tells us they miss us...but in other ways, it feels like they've moved on and I've moved on and I can understand that it needs to happens. Also in the age of social media at least we still message each other on occasion and see what each other are doing.

 

@gilaswan wow you do share a lot of similarities with this story. I'm surprised your husband isn't watching it as well!

 

 

 

[JenL]

Leaving this here regardless of the ending 

 

This is actually a little video made by one of my favourite instagrammers  ( @Unnie0110 this is that DDSSLLS instagram account that made beautiful videos of LJW & Go Ara ...she has also moved onto Twenty Five Twenty One...seems like we have the same tastes in dramas )

 

You can watch this with music here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbuy4D5sJNw/

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

I’m prepared for a so called sad ending , I think sometimes people grow in different directions. Better to have kept these as precious memories than becoming angry with each other when you feel the other person held you back . 
 

spoilers for tonight 

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[abs-oluteM]

These spoilers 

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[movingwheel]

i am continuously following her up and refreshing like crazy. my mom asks me why am I so tensed ? :D :D @abs-oluteM

[abs-oluteM]

7 minutes ago, movingwheel said:

i am continuously following her up and refreshing like crazy. my mom asks me why am I so tensed ? :D :D @abs-oluteM

ahahahha that makes the two of us. Till now I still feel we're being teased no end . 

[movingwheel]

Just now, abs-oluteM said:

ahahahha that makes the two of us. Till now I still feel we're being teased no end . 

and the episode is going to end probably next5 mins and stilll no answer who is min chae's dad?

[abs-oluteM]

Just now, movingwheel said:

and the episode is going to end probably next5 mins and stilll no answer who is min chae's dad?

IKR ...this says it all...