[Drama 2022] Twenty-Five Twenty-One ​⌛ 스물다섯 스물하나

[babypillow]

I said my piece on the last episode and after reading more post, it's really getting depressing! This weekend was filled with sadness - from 39s to this ending!! Can anyone recommend good Fanfics sites that perhaps some writer might do an alternative episode 16 instead of this shitty opened ended, no answer ended last finale? I am out of touch with Fanfic sites so please shout out! Thanks!

 

[aria26]

@babypillow I am also waiting for fanfics. my worry is most good fic writers would gravitate towards the heerim story haha.

 

After a night's sleep, I still hate ep 16. Ep 16 could have been used to show that Heedo is consistently happy with her life - she lost Yi Jin but got Minchae instead. The diary plot is not really important. It sucks more because it seems that she did not get her closure even after 20+ years until she read Yi Jin's words. 

 

With Ep 15, we can just imagine how it happened. 16 instead focused on furnishing an explanation for the break up and it was so unbelievable. They broke up because they lacked communication when Yi Jin was abroad. When they were so good at it when they were younger. They just showed us that these people were growing up to be the lesser versions of themselves.

 

Seungwan and Yihun development is so minor but I have come to hate it. If they got together, this would mean SW and YJ have become family, then JW is like SW's brother who is married to YR. So those 4 are still probably in contact and Hee Do was just avoiding them all?

[little bunny]

1 hour ago, Skysky said:

 

Right? I can see she is also not happy with the ending. NJH also got a lot of calls asking him whether yijin would die or not lmao. He seems frustated so he address it by himself eventhough the drama isn't done yet. I am sure he wasnt happy with that.

 

What a way to ruined this beautiful drama. Everyone can see the ending is wrong on many levels including the actors and viewers, except the writer lol. I'm sure she got a lot of suggestions from people around her already but she ignored it. Well she has right to write whataver she likes but viewers also has right to be mad and choose to not trust her future project anymore

Yeah. pretty sure they  also felt pity about it. NJH cannot hold his tears when he took the scene when Yijin had to congratulate HD for her marriage. The writer lost a chance to make 2521 to be loved and remembered as one of best written drama, now people will just hate it because of the lousy ending!  Can't understand what made her ruin the drama with such ending instead of saving it and turn it into something great just because of "first love sentiment?" She has created solid characters and got perfect actors to portray them. I was hoping this will be one of must rewatch drama, now im not sure anymore. Im little bit regret that i already recommended my friend to watch it.

 

 Kdrama fans may have second thought to watch her work after this LOL.

[-Love Blossom-]

@babypillow, @aria26 I've tried to find some fanfics but most people are writing for Heerim so I guess we have to wait for people to finally show some interest to them. Otherwise I'm just going to create my own happy ending with all those theories 

 

@aisling Seriously there were so many clues here and there that showed that Yijin MIGHT be Minchae's father. This is why viewers got their hopes high. I don't believe that the writer didn't think think that viewers won't make theories with all those clues. After all Kdrama writers has always been deliberately giving clues and showing things to make viewers make assumptions. Even in Reply 1988 there were hints that Taek is the husband. As far as I remember the biggest was Taek being a smoker and Jung-hwan who didn't and even hating it. It's hard to believe that the writer thought that viewers would be simple and just watch the drama without thinking anything. Perhaps she intentionally did this to increase suspense and ratings. 

 

At 25-21 both Yijin and Heedo were not ready for each other. Yijin was going through depression and Heedo wanted his time. So it's acceptable that they broke up. I have watched lots of dramas with sad ending and I never had any issues with them as long as they were satisfying. But the problem is the drama clearly showed that they were not over each other even after years. The epilogue kind of foreshadowed that Yijin would always have feelings for Heedo (I don't what was the purpose of this scene anyway except this explanation because he had girlfriends before). And Heedo was still stuck in that tunnel where she couldn't say goodbye to her first love. Heedo broke up with Yijin because he couldn't give her time but then she married someone who works overseas. What was the point of them breaking up other than showing that she made a bad decision and she still couldn't get what she wanted? 

 

I think the perfect ending would've been Heedo not rushing into marriage with a person she doesn't even like much. Yijin after receiving therapy and having stability in his life approaching Heedo with the diary, ready to share his happiness, burdens and sorrow with Heedo and finally starting over again. Heedo might have still struggled with loneliness but she'd have been with a person she truly loves and there would always be some moments of happiness. At least she'd have been much happier than the current Heedo and she won't have any regrets as well.

[Skysky]

1 hour ago, little bunny said:

Yeah. pretty sure they  also felt pity about it. NJH cannot hold his tears when he took the scene when Yijin had to congratulate HD for her marriage. The writer lost a chance to make 2521 to be loved and remembered as one of best written drama, now people will just hate it because of the lousy ending!  Can't understand what made her ruin the drama with such ending instead of saving it and turn it into something great just because of "first love sentiment?" She has created solid characters and got perfect actors to portray them. I was hoping this will be one of must rewatch drama, now im not sure anymore. Im little bit regret that i already recommended my friend to watch it.

 

 Kdrama fans may have second thought to watch her work after this LOL.

 

Not only that, k-actors also need to rethink again if they got project from her lol. They might afraid that she would ruined their characters in the end. She got really lucky to have kim taeri who rarely doing drama project, it's her comeback drama after 4 years, and she will probably going back to movie project after this, this is also last NJH project before enlistment but she had to ruined it with the ending. Sigh

 

 

Anyway this is so funny lol

 

[piluche]

Woke up….still upset over the ending. 
 

Yes, I get it..the writers wanted to have a memorable love story that is reminiscent of the past youth. They sure got that love story except they failed to tied it up to the present. They didn’t think the viewers will not care how present HD live her life? 
 

The love between Hee Do and BYJ was magical, deep love of support for each other to push one another to become a better person. They needed one another the most during the time in their career where it was the hardest. The writers set their story up and then during that hard time, took it away. Instead of them continuing that support and love we have come to know they would do for each other, the writers decided “hey, this would be a good time to break their foundation down and break them up”.

 

The ending where they ran to each other and hug for one last time….broke my heart. It wasn’t a break up because they wanted a break up, it was a break up because someone told them they weren’t good enough for one another anymore. This is what I didn’t get….the sudden shift in their character in the second half of episode 15. Hee-Do and BYJ from earlier episodes, who left uplighting messages for one another, were no longer not just lovers but now seems like strangers.  Hee-Do spent so much of her youth loving him from afar and when she finally broke him to respond back her love, would she have given up on him that easily like it was portrayed in episode 16? Would the BYJ from the beginning not once take a few moments to contact his girlfriend to update her on his status? I’m sure BYJ and HD from earlier episodes would have made it guys. They would have said, “we will try our hardest to love each other without regrets and our love is strong enough to overcome anything” because it really did. The foundation to their love was so magical and strong, all it needed was the writer to keep going in the direction it was suppose to go. If the storyline was consistent in the end as it has been from the beginning, their love would have gotten stronger instead of weaker. 
 

Clearly in the 2009 interview, there was still sadness when they face each other. So all that talk about sending their support to one another was just crap talk….how do you send support to someone you haven’t talked to for many years? The ending with the whole you gave me happiness and love blah blah blah….ok fine writers, try to convince me why you break up their love only to throw BYJ behind a desk for years and HD to be in a depressing stage later in life? How did you gave up on their love just like that? How did you gave up on our Hee Do like that? Her mom choose her career over her, now you have her lover choose his career (same career no less) over her too.

 

I think the problem with this drama was that we didn’t really need the present day characters because they didn’t add any closure to the basis of the break up. By having present day HD with a 2521 shop, rainbow chairs l, driving a red car, etc, what came of as sweet memories of her past gets portrayed as lingering memories of her past she couldn’t let go. And the diary at the end making its way back to her was unnecessary. If they had broken up mutually, she would have let him go right then and closed on that chapter of her life then. 

 

Some might argue that this was a great story with a realistic ending. Yes, no doubt it was a great and well written story about friendship and love. But the ending just wasn’t convincing enough for me to be satisfied. One doesn’t love someone that deeply without fighting for that love at least. We didn’t get that……

So yeah, this drama was on track to be one of the greatest youth coming of age love story but instead, it failed  and become a “love that got away”. So I hope writers and directors take note from this drama so we can all meet again on a happier and more uplifting youth drama again. 

 

[little bunny]

6 hours ago, Skysky said:

 

Not only that, k-actors also need to rethink again if they got project from her lol. They might afraid that she would ruined their characters in the end. She got really lucky to have kim taeri who rarely doing drama project, it's her comeback drama after 4 years, and she will probably going back to movie project after this, this is also last NJH project before enlistment but she had to ruined it with the ending. Sigh

 

 

Anyway this is so funny lol

 

Oh writernim why you wasted KTR and NJH's acting and chemistry for the crappy ending!! KTR's doesn't have many drama projects and I just come to love NJH's acting here. I'm not really  interest in his previous projects but his acting as Yijin and Taeri are the reason I want to watch this drama. 

 

Hahaha the twitter. Yeah even alien, mermaid, comic character into real world even the doctor from the joseon era to modern time have happy ending! Even the most unrealistic plot and story have much better ending!

Edited April 4, 2022 by ferily
Please don’t quote Tweets. Thanks!

[frozentundra]

1 hour ago, -Love Blossom- said:

At 25-21 both Yijin and Heedo were not ready for each other. Yijin was going through depression and Heedo wanted his time. So it's acceptable that they broke up. I have watched lots of dramas with sad ending and I never had any issues with them as long as they were satisfying. But the problem is the drama clearly showed that they were not over each other even after years. The epilogue kind of foreshadowed that Yijin would always have feelings for Heedo (I don't what was the purpose of this scene anyway except this explanation because he had girlfriends before). And Heedo was still stuck in that tunnel where she couldn't say goodbye to her first love. Heedo broke up with Yijin because he couldn't give her time but then she married someone who works overseas. What was the point of them breaking up other than showing that she made a bad decision and she still couldn't get what she wanted? 

 

I think the perfect ending would've been Heedo not rushing into marriage with a person she doesn't even like much. Yijin after receiving therapy and having stability in his life approaching Heedo with the diary, ready to share his happiness, burdens and sorrow with Heedo and finally starting over again. Heedo might have still struggled with loneliness but she'd have been with a person she truly loves and there would always be some moments of happiness. At least she'd have been much happier than the current Heedo and she won't have any regrets as well.

 

This. They had difficulties at 25-21 but then they never really got over them or moved past this. I like your ending. Please write the next drama I get immersed in!  

[aisling]

2 hours ago, carolinedl said:

Best comment ever!... ha ha

 

I like reading all your posts and also the evolution. When I left yesterday, people were made and screaming. Now it seems people are strating to accept (though still frustrated). I just wish we had one more episode to really finish it all and explain the last things left unanswered.

To be honest one moment I feel like the whole world has crashed down because it hurts so much. Listening to Jaurim and replaying the scenes and seeing how their beautiful relationship progressed…. It just hurts.
 

Moreover when I read a post drama interview how even Kim Taeri asked the writer to change the ending and then when I watched Nam Joohyuk hardly containing his tears when he had to film “congratulations on your wedding” scene.
 

 

Then I try to cope with it with sarcasm and cynicism but just like the rest of you I still feel betrayed, heartbroken and empty. 

[Apricot Tree]

With this ending, the writer portrayed reporter as the loneliest job. They can’t either find someone to love or someone to understand them. The whole drama had been so inspiring until the last ep.  Another thing doesn’t make sense to me  is that she tried to apply the realistic ending to BaekDo but the opposite to others. That’s so inconsistent. 
After all, I just want to tell MC that let fight hard for your love or at least try, otherwise you will live in regret just like how your mom can’t get over her ex for years while living with your father.

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Apricot Tree

[piluche]

11 minutes ago, Apricot Tree said:

With this ending, the writer portrayed reporter as the loneliest job. They can’t either find something to love or someone to understand them. The whole drama had been so inspiring until the last ep.  Another thing doesn’t make sense to me  is that she tried to apply the realistic ending to BaekDo but the opposite to others. That’s so inconsistent. 
After all, I just want to tell MC that let fight hard for your love or at least try, otherwise you will live in regret just like how your mom can’t get over her ex for years while living with your farther. 

 

Exactly…..the ending didn’t make sense anymore……it was full of regrets or at least came off as such. Neither found the same love and happiness they had when they were with each other. The writer’s intention of saying first love doesn’t last, it’s better to have it once then to not have it at all. But I want to say….it is possible….first love can be true love that last, especially the kind of love Baekdo had. 

[Kathia]

13 minutes ago, Apricot Tree said:

With this ending, the writer portrayed reporter as the loneliest job. They can’t either find something to love or someone to understand them. The whole drama had been so inspiring until the last ep.  Another thing doesn’t make sense to me  is that she tried to apply the realistic ending to BaekDo but the opposite to others. That’s so inconsistent. 
After all, I just want to tell MC that let fight hard for your love or at least try, otherwise you will live in regret just like how your mom can’t get over her ex for years while living with your farther. 

 

And they totally ruined that narrative. Since Hee-do's mother prioritized her job over her daugther, Yi-jin was supposed to be the one that would go against all odds and be a reporter who balances well between work and family. He was supposed to be different and show everyone, including Hee-do, that, yes, reporters can have families of their own and care for them deeply.

 

But no. They destroyed that narrative and made it seem that reporters are best on their own than with someone, since they're bound to hurt other people.

 

They totally annihilated Yi-jin's character development. His growth throughout the drama was thrown away like banana peels.

[aria26]

16 minutes ago, Kathia said:

They totally annihilated Yi-jin's character development. His growth throughout the drama was thrown away like banana peels.

I've been complaining about hee do's character but yijin is suspect too. I understand depression and the way you just want to hide. but I also dont have a na heedo in my life. na heedo is someone you pray for to have. yi jin did not grow into trusting and sharing with hee do. it might be realistic that depression relapse hunt you in your whole lifetime, but I wanted a glimmer of hope in my drama.

this is really my biggest disappointment. most kdramas higlight and aspire for the admirable qualities. lacking characters try to work hard, be more understanding, be better. but here, two really good characters just degraded because of "getting older". heedo became more impatient, yijin ran away much further. 

[piluche]

19 minutes ago, Kathia said:

And they totally ruined that narrative. Since Hee-do's mother prioritized her job over her daugther, Yi-jin was supposed to be the one that would go against all odds and be a reporter who balances well between work and family. He was supposed to be different and show everyone, including Hee-do, that, yes, reporters can have families of their own and care for them deeply.

 

But no. They destroyed that narrative and made it seem that reporters are best on their own than with someone, since they're bound to hurt other people.

 

They totally annihilated Yi-jin's character development. His growth throughout the drama was thrown away like banana peels.

For real….poor guy went oversea to cover the 9/11 stories only to come home to an insecure girlfriend who couldn’t make it work. When did our HD broke down like that? Regardless, the writer really messed it up with their characters at the end….there was no way to recover from it when Minchae was introduced in episode 1. I was hoping for a plot twist that they married in secret and he changed his name to protect her since they made a whole damn episode 13 over the whole reporter/subject issue. I guess it was all just fillers to keep us believing until they toss our Baekdo couple away and made happy endings for everyone but them. How pointless….now when I go back to rewatch all their earlier scenes, their promises of love and support are just empty words to me. 

[Sleepy Owl]

Okay, so firstly I got to say 

 

 

Now back to the drama and its ending, I don't really mind sad endings, I have several dramas with very sad ending, where the OTP didn't really end up together, but it made sense. You could understand why those dramas didn't have a happy ending, or why they ended the way they ended.

 

While being really very hopeful about OTP ending together in this drama, I believe deep down I, just like most of us knew that it won't end with them being together. So I really wouldn't have been disappointed if they didn't end up together, its just the way they just showed it. Both Hee Do and Yi Jin, especially Yi Jin suddenly started acting out of character in the final episode. 

 

The Yi Jin we knew in this drama wouldn't just apply for correspondent role in NY without informing his gf. Hee Do wasn't just his girlfriend then, she was the closest person he ever had for the past several years, even before ending up together. At the same time, the Hee Do we knew wouldn't object in him applying for the role in NY. Hee Do was pretty brave for her age and also pretty mature to tell him that they got to share their sorrows too, and not just happy moments. So I do understand Hee Do feeling like not being able to uplift Yi Jin.

 

Again, in Yi Jin's defense he did face something very terrible there, not something he could ever think of, but he was not alone in it all. He always had Hee Do to rely upon during his most difficult days, and he didn't choose to do it this time. At the same time, the Yi Jin we knew wouldn't just give up, especially after reading what Hee Do had written, he would try his best to make that relationship work. So I didn't really understand the whole sudden change in their characters here. 

 

Honestly, in my opinion, it would have been a lot harder for Ji Woong and Yu Rim to make their relationship work, and it worked since they both put efforts in it. They tried their best, but I feel like Yi Jin gave up very easily. 

 

The only thing I really loved about the final episode was Kim Nam Hee's cameo. Dude literally represented all the viewers when Hee Do and Yi Jin cancelled their couple plans.

 

Spoiler

And well, those who know, know that Kim Nam Hee played the bad guy in Mr. Sunshine, and became a very big headache for Kim Tae Ri in that drama. So it was great to see him try his best to make both Yi Jin and Hee Do think everything over before signing. 

 

What I really hated was the fact that Hee Do was shown to not really moved on from her past and that relationship. Again, it was pretty unlike Hee Do, and I believe we all wanted to see her very happy with her life, and see her past as a memory which shaped what she is today. But that wasn't something at least I feel we got to see. 

 

The writing in final episode was so inconsistent, that I really don't know if someone else wrote the last episode. We suddenly get to know Seung Wan has a dad (never saw him before), and he died. Not even Seung Wan or her mom were that sad, and I don't really know why they decided to have that funeral to bring in the whole group back in one place. It was bad writing in my honest opinion. 

 

I totally agree with all the comments that, this drama would have become a lot more meaningful on several levels, if we would see Yi Jin balance his professional and private lives, give time to Hee Do, unlike Hee Do's mom and do prove that reporters can always have time for their loved ones if they try to do that. 

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed the whole ride of this drama, and it was one of the top "feel good dramas" for me, so this drama will remain memorable for me. But the ending wasn't really good. 

[little bunny]

27 minutes ago, piluche said:

For real….poor guy went oversea to cover the 9/11 stories only to come home to an insecure girlfriend who couldn’t make it work. When did our HD broke down like that? Regardless, the writer really messed it up with their characters at the end….there was no way to recover from it when Minchae was introduced in episode 1. I was hoping for a plot twist that they married in secret and he changed his name to protect her since they made a whole damn episode 13 over the whole reporter/subject issue. I guess it was all just fillers to keep us believing until they toss our Baekdo couple away and made happy endings for everyone but them. How pointless….now when I go back to rewatch all their earlier scenes, their promises of love and support are just empty words to me. 

Agree, the writer ruined their previous magical bond into ashes, that the most i felt pity about. 

58 minutes ago, piluche said:

Exactly…..the ending didn’t make sense anymore……it was full of regrets or at least came off as such. Neither found the same love and happiness they had when they were with each other. The writer’s intention of saying first love doesn’t last, it’s better to have it once then to not have it at all. But I want to say….it is possible….first love can be true love that last, especially the kind of love Baekdo had. 

YES!! we  all have high hopes because we witness how they started their innocent friendship, developed deep of trust and supported to each other before it bloom into love. To see how they progress, made us believe that they will overcome their crisis but we lost their character consistency in the last episode.

 

And why need to repeat what happened to HD with her mom and gave HD same agony? In real life not same thing will apply. The writer should make different impression that being reporter doesn't mean you will always hurt your loved ones.

[Kathia]

25 minutes ago, aria26 said:

I've been complaining about hee do's character but yijin is suspect too. I understand depression and the way you just want to hide. but I also dont have a na heedo in my life. na heedo is someone you pray for to have. yi jin did not grow into trusting and sharing with hee do. it might be realistic that depression relapse hunt you in your whole lifetime, but I wanted a glimmer of hope in my drama.

this is really my biggest disappointment. most kdramas higlight and aspire for the admirable qualities. lacking characters try to work hard, be more understanding, be better. but here, two really good characters just degraded because of "getting older". heedo became more impatient, yijin ran away much further. 

Exactly. Moreover, wasn't this drama supposed to be healing? I mean, I get why the writer wanted to convey that nothing lasts forever. I totally get it. But, at least, show us an older Yi-jin and older Hee-doo happy, fulfilled and with no regrets.

 

The ending they provided for us was not healing but damaging, as they became the worst version of themselves, instead of becoming better people with each other's support.

[piluche]

In the end….HD lost everything that matters to her, fencing and her love. YR was the winner in all this……how far our HD has come to lost it all in the end. 

[Skysky]

47 minutes ago, little bunny said:

And why need to repeat what happened to HD with her mom and gave HD same agony? In real life not same thing will apply. The writer should make different impression that being reporter doesn't mean you will always hurt your loved ones.

 

They also repeating

- heedoo alkong, she never love him but accept him but her heart was still with yijin, then they broke up because of that. Same thing happened with older heedoo, her heart stiill with yijin eventhough she already married and have kid.

 

-heedoo husband is busy doing work at overseas. If she cant handle being on LDR with yijin why would she married another 'yijin' lol. I saw a lot of people defend heedoo as she hates being lonely because her father died and his mom was busy thats why she can't be with yijin, but then she married another yijin lmao

 

I mean where is the development??? they are making heedoo never learn and she become miserable in the end by repeating the same thing. 

 

[alivingparadox24]

2521 would have been at par with Reply 1988 if all red herrings were answered in the end. 

 

But lol, the drama was only a collection of unnecessary hints to confuse the viewers. 

 

I’m starting to move on but I’m still disappointed with the ending. Some  people were defending that the ending was realistic for Heedo and Yijin but the side character’s development arc was too unrealistic for me. Idk what was the writer trying to convey?
 

Even Taeri wanted BaekDo endgame. :/