A Slice-Of-Life Story That Entertains But Doesn’t Leave The Kind of Mark You’d Hope For

Tv Drama Name: Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Where To Watch: Netflix ← *Click for direct link*

Average Rating: 8.8/10 (MyDramaList)

My Rating: 6.5/10

One Sentence Description: A heartfelt yet scattered story about youth, first love, and the reality that good things don’t last forever.

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Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

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*Want a more detailed description? click here!*

Simple Description

Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2521) is a slice-of-life drama about a girl navigating her late teens, dealing with sports drama, friendships, and a love that hits a little too close to home — specifically, her mom’s past mistakes.

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The Review

The Good

The Actors

I feel like I’ve mentioned this in all the dramas I’ve reviewed but the actors in this were really good. I must say Hee Do was done really well. Crying scenes are said to be the hardest and yet it was done so effortlessly. Not only that, but I must mention the fact that their eyes would be red from crying felt so real. This acting was so well done that sometimes I forgot this was a show and not just secret filming (not really but you get my point!).

The Breakup

Many viewers felt the ending of Hee Do and Yi Jin’s relationship was rushed, questioning whether it aligned with Hee Do’s personality. Some believed she would have fought to preserve it no matter what. However, I respectfully disagree. Let me break this down in two parts:

She Did Wait

I think it’s important to remember the months leading up to Yi Jin’s move to New York. More importantly how much Hee Do did try. For months. Even when he was constantly late, always canceling because of work, and missing important moments, she stuck with him. She pushed down her feelings, trying to be understanding, but it rightfully became hard. One important moment that stands out is when Yi Jin missed dinner with her mother — a missed opportunity that highlighted Hee Do’s growing exhaustion.

That dinner is crucial because of what follows. Her mom asks her if she can handle the constant disappointments, sacrifices, and waitingin being with someone whose career overshadows their personal life. And let’s not forget, this isn’t just a hypothetical for Hee Do — this is exactly how she grew up. She says she’s willing to wait, but we later see her struggle with that answer. Hee Do did fight for the relationship, but as time passed, loneliness took its toll, leaving her emotionally drained.

It was like déjà vu — of the worst kind

This wasn’t just about Yi Jin being busy. This was about Hee Do realizing she was walking into the same painful cycle she had with her mom. Her childhood was defined by waiting for her mother, a workaholic news anchor, which left her battling feelings of neglect and isolation. Recognizing the parallels, Hee Do foresaw her romantic relationship mirroring those painful experiences — not just for her, but for her future family as well. She clearly looked into her future life she might’ve had with him, and saw her potential kids who would’ve felt as neglected as she once did. It wasn’t a decision rooted in misunderstanding or haste; it came from a place of deep reflection and lived experience. People think it didn’t match her personality when in reality, it may have matched her inner child’s issues and fears of history repeating itself. Knowing how she felt growing up, I’d be more surprised had she actually stayed with him. Staying with Yi Jin might have turned cherished memories into resentment and regret. Ending things before they unraveled allowed them to part ways while holding on to their love, rather than letting bitterness consume them. And honestly? That was the best thing she could’ve done- for both of them.

Sometimes it’s better to let things go while they are still good, then to hold on, eventually have to let go, and not be able to have the same kind of love you once did. Hopefully me and you, dear readers, never experience this, but it’s clearly more painful to hold on rather than just letting go in the first place. It’s better to see them off with love then see them off with hate.

The Scenes

Even though this drama had its messy moments (see “The Bad” section), some scenes were incredibly well done.

I loved the friendship group moments — the beach trip, the hideout… all of it. I never had a friend group like that in high school (tragic, I know), so watching them felt bittersweet.

The fencing scenes? Top-tier. Stressful, anxiety-inducing? Yes. But also some of the most intense and well-executed moments of the drama.

And don’t even get me started on Madrid. That scene was heart-wrenching. No notes. Just pain.

The Bad (Kind of)

Fencing Skills

This might not be a huge issue, but how did Hee Do’s fencing improve so fast? In flashbacks and scenes at her old school, it was clearly said and shown she wasn’t very good. Yet within days of transferring to her new school, she’s suddenly as good as — or even better than — Yu Rim, who was supposed to be the best fencer in the country. Sure, Hee Do practiced a lot after she transferred, but it still felt like too big of a jump. Was that amount of practice really enough to make her unbeatable against Yu Rim? I know she knew all her moves but what about the other girls in the country who she DIDN’T know? It didn’t feel very realistic to me.

Yi Jin Moving to New York??

A lot of people thought this was just a random plot move, and honestly… same. Yi Jin was clearly unhappy in New York and even struggled with trauma from being there. So why did he decide to move there? It didn’t really make sense to me. Not only that, but he seemed to make the decision without thinking much about his family, his brother, or even Hee Do. Moving to New York felt rushed, especially since he claimed he wanted to make things work with Hee Do. How could he think that was possible while leaving her behind? And then calling her support a “burden”? That hurt.

This Show Was Kind of All Over the Place and… Boring

Look, I enjoyed the romance, the friendships, and the sports elements — but all together? It made things kind of messy.

I genuinely struggled to come up with a one-sentence description for this drama. What was this show actually about? If you had to sum it up, what would you say?

• Was it a fencing drama? Kind of.
• Was it about friendships? Sort of.
• Was it a romance? I guess?

It felt like the show wanted to do everything at once, and because of that, it didn’t fully commit to anything. I wish they had picked one major plot (like fencing) and then let the other elements be subplots.

For example, the Madrid match could’ve been the grand finale, wrapping up both the fencing rivalry and their personal growth. Instead, we got a story that kind of drifted along without a clear sense of direction. And because of that, some parts felt… well, boring.

This Show Was Too Close to Reality

This isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s hard to watch a drama that felt this real. The reminder that life moves on, that good times don’t last, and that friendships don’t always stay the same was painful. Too painful.

I know not every show needs a happy ending, but for slice-of-life dramas like this, I prefer happy endings, even if they’re not realistic. Dramas give me a chance to be delusional and pretend things stay perfect, and I think I wanted that escape here.

Seeing how the characters probably drifted apart and how everything changed was a reminder of what happens in real life, and that was like a slap in the face and a reminder that TV is TV. But come on! Let me be delusional! Some might find that ending relatable, but I wish the story had ended on a lighter, happier note instead so I can continue my delusions. I hope that makes sense.

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What I Would Do

(This will be short- don’t worry 😉)

A More Focused Plot

I get that this was meant to be a slice-of-life drama, but that doesn’t mean it needed to juggle so many major storylines at once. Fencing was where it all started, and it tied into the daughter’s ballet storyline. That would’ve been my main focus. Hee Do’s romance and friendships would’ve been more like side plots, making this fit much better as a “sports drama.”

When they were in Madrid, that should’ve been the big final match like I mentioned earlier. Hee Do winning, followed by her and Yu Rim sobbing and hugging each other, was such a powerful moment. That definitely felt like final episode material to me. No extra fluff needed.

Hee Do and Yi Jin’s Ending

They should’ve ended up together. Screw reality, we want happy endings! Here’s how I’d do it: Yi Jin is in New York (or still in Korea), and as Hee Do heads to Madrid, something makes him realize how distant he’s been and how much he actually wants her over his career. Maybe he overhears a conversation between two girls venting about their boyfriends never prioritizing them, and it finally clicks — this is exactly what Hee Do must have been feeling. In a split-second decision, instead of heading to another Very Important News Flash, he books a flight to Madrid in hopes of fixing things.

He’d arrive just in time to watch her final match with Yu Rim (we wouldn’t know this until after the match). Imagine how amazing it would’ve been if, as Hee Do and Yu Rim hugged, Hee Do looked into the crowd and saw Yi Jin crying too. That could’ve been the moment we all realized he’d chosen her and decided to prioritize their relationship. He finally put her first. After that, maybe he’d quit his job and finally pursue his true passion — he hinted at having one when talking to Hee Do’s mom. He follows that dream instead, and we get our well-earned happy ending.

OR…

If they had to go the sad route, I’d at least make Yi Jin’s move make sense. No New York. He just moves to a different city for better opportunities — something logical and in-character. That way, we still get the heartbreaking shoe-lace scene (ugh), but without the unnecessary “let me randomly go back to the place that gave me PTSD” plotline.

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Final Thoughts

This is my shortest review yet (and maybe ever), but honestly, I didn’t know what else to say. This show was just… fine. It wasn’t the masterpiece everyone hyped it up to be, but it also wasn’t bad — just aggressively average. If we’re being real, the only reason it got a 6.5/10 instead of a 5 was because of that beach scene song and all the edits I saw on social media (lol).

While this wasn’t a bad drama, it also wasn’t particularly great either. It’s the kind of show I’ll probably forget the second I finish writing this review. If this was (or is) your favorite drama, no disrespect, but I think it was overhyped. People compared it to Twinkling Watermelon, but aside from the friend groups and the fact that both are slice-of-life, they don’t really have much in common.

That said, the show did have its cute moments, and the cast was fantastic — but it just didn’t hit for me the way it did for others, which made it even more disappointing. If there’s one takeaway here, it’s this: don’t go into shows with sky-high expectations, because when they don’t deliver, it’ll feel worse than it needs to.

I’m glad I watched it, but I’m even more glad that it’s finally crossed off my watchlist. Some dramas leave you with deep emotions and lasting impressions — this one left me wondering what to watch next. 🤷🏽‍♀️

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What were your opinions on the show? Is it one of your favourites? Let me know!

See you next week!💕

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