nefariouspirit

[nefariouspirit]

[nefariouspirit]

More and more behind the scenes cuteness 🙈

Extraordinary You

What's Wrong With Secretary Kim

A Business Proposal

Doom At Your Service

Imitation

Twenty Five Twenty One

Vincenzo

Catch The Ghost

She Would Never Know

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

[nefariouspirit]

“You helped me get back on my feet during the hardest times of my life. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I’m now. You made me smile. With you, I felt like I was on top of the world even when I had nothing. I now know what perfect happiness is. You will have no idea how much your love has brightened up my life. Thank you for everything. Goodbye, Hee-do.”

— Baek Yi-jin, Twenty-Five, Twenty-One

[nefariouspirit]

2521's only real endings

i've come to the conclusion that there are only two ways this story could be ended logically, depending on the perspective we approach it from.

ending one: the melancholy framing of jaurim's 2521 foreshadows yijin's death when him and heedo are young. an abrupt ending of the love story is explained, and the drama retains a heartbreaking finale. this works best if heedo is pregnant at the time of yijin's death, explaining minchae's existance without sabotaging heedo's love for yijin.

ending two: the characters write their own story. jaurim's 2521 is thrown out the window, because it doesn't suit the hopeful vibe of the story of chasing your dreams even in the darkest times. heedo and yijin continue to brave every obstacle together, grow and communicate and share their every sadness and happiness. they get married at the ages of 25 and 21, when one of them proposes to be happy together forever at the place where they first chose to be happy. they walk through their tunnel hand in hand as the camera stays in the same spot where they kissed, both of them growing smaller and smaller as they take slow steps into their future while the ending credits play.

[nefariouspirit]

☇✈ nam joohyuk; twenty five twenty one ♡❞

☇ like or reblog ⋮ @jynani

☇ don’t repost our edits

☇ polarr filter by: @porcelainrose

[nefariouspirit]

since i started watching korean dramas the rest of the shows are so boring for me (EVEN BOOKS???@?#? this is ridiculous i swear) they really knew how to get to me

if anyone is reading this i'll leave # recommendations here ok

[nefariouspirit]

Even if we didn't know each other, we would still be together like now.

We were destined to meet at some point in our lives.

—Baek Yijin

[nefariouspirit]

do you think yijin and hee do should have never been a couple? some people say they should have stayed just friends

i saw some comments about that on tw, and while i dont agree with that take at all, i think i get where they are coming from. I guess if the relationship was completely platonic, they could be in one another's present life. But you know what? I don't think that would be entirely true. Their relationship was always rooted in mutual respect, understanding and fondness since they met, but at the end of the day, they were in love with each other. Hee Do in particular was very determined to pursue this other kind of love with Yi Jin, even when she is fully aware of what's at stake if they eventually don't work out, romantically speaking. So, in this hypothetical scenario where they only remain friends while being very much in love, I can see this dynamic becoming unbearable to her. I mean, we actually got to see her on the drama wondering why this kind of love could be wrong, and asking him for a chance, even if that meant potentially losing him forever. So how could she just be friends with him, hiding her own feelings like that? for me, that would have been so out of character.

And, if they somehow managed to be friends, i think they would become an obstacle to one another. Do you imagine them exploring their own love lives with other people over the years, when the one they love is literally available right there? because i can't, not when we know they are so devoted to one another. ultimately, they would be stuck in this situation, which is kinda unfair for their own selves, isn't? just because they didn't want to explore the possibilty.

I get the sentiment, i do too would've liked to see them together in the present, in some capacity. But the romantic aspect of their relationship while inevitable, it was key for them to value themselves and grow the way they did.

[nefariouspirit]

“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪.

—Baek Yijin

They first met three times.

They broke up three times.

[nefariouspirit]

GROWTH AND ACCEPTANCE WITH NA-HEEDO AND BAEK YIJIN

Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk as Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin

Released in early 2022 but set in 1998, ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’ quickly garnered an emotional audience whose hearts the cast and characters took away with every new episode. It was not only new for the audience to witness a special story like this, but was fairly new to the actors that played Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin as well.

Kim Tae-ri, popularly known for the critically acclaimed film, ‘The Handmaiden', showed a different side of her acting as Na-Heedo, a loud and expressive girl, compared to her past roles which are often associated with serious and sensitive topics. Nam Joo-hyuk, on the other hand, expressed more of his emotional side as he played the troubled adult Baek Yijin, who struggles with worldly affairs from finding a job and reuniting his family due to the effects of the IMF Crisis.

Baek Yijin and Na-Heedo in the early stages of their relationship

GROWTH

If you watch the first three episodes and then skip to the last three, you will immediately notice the significant contrast in how the characters behave with their surroundings and the vast difference in their maturity and priorities.

I tried my best to transfer here, but all of my plans failed. That is why I’ve come to show you my fencing skills. Please watch and decide whether or not you want to train me.

Episode 1 of ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’

Na-Heedo is what I’d consider an odd but idealistic character to look up to. It is obvious, if not exaggerated, how much passion Heedo has for her skills in fencing. And without her brazen character and confidence, no one else would have gotten the success she did if put in the exact same steps as the latter gold-medalist champion. While Na-Heedo works her way up to the national finals as a professional fencer, Baek Yijin scores for jobs to survive in the world and eventually lands the working title of a News Caster and Journalist. All throughout, we witness the dynamic duo’s friendship, and later relationship, unfold.

Neither of us is at fault here. And yet we’ve grown this much apart. It just happened. -- I’m not trying to say who is right or wrong. It’s just that…this love isn’t supporting me anymore.

Episode 16 of ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’

And finally, the time came. Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin have grown into the individuals they were always meant to become, only with the help of each other’s presence and support. Even with every episode, there were already significant changes and symbols which represented the characters’ growths, some of them being as little as the changes in the way Heedo wears her hair (from a scrunchie always tied halfway at the back of her head to loosely displaying her straight hair) and the way Yijin dresses (from sweaters and jeans to button-down shirts and slacks).

Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin's final embrace after falling apart in Episode 16

ACCEPTANCE

The main lesson I received from 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One' is that things happen because they’re supposed to. As a part of the audience, if you were asked the question – Would you rather witness the couple grow apart from each other or have them not experience their growth and love at all? –  would you really choose the latter option?

Even if we didn’t know each other, we would still be together like now. Because we have the same destination.

Episode 6 of ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’

That line, delivered by Nam Joo-hyuk, struck me and plainly summarizes my point. At some point in time, every one of us and the people we held special in our lives, had the same destination but different endings. Heedo and Yijin both had the same destination of success in their minds, and because of that shared destination, they were able to reach even farther although presently apart.

 ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’ was able to bring us the sad realities of life and romance while keeping the light-hearted and humorous feels of the early 2000s K-Dramas. A must-watch for those who crave love, pain, and truth.

(Click HERE for Writing Commissions)

by Isobelle Cruz, 27/05/2022

[nefariouspirit]

_ ✨💕 Tael&Joohyukie

[nefariouspirit]

That autumn, they tried breaking without knowing how to bend.

Is it because of the crack that formed when they broke?

Everything started to change slowly

— Twenty five Twenty one

[nefariouspirit]

At times world seemed completely when we were together. 💞

                         —  Twenty five Twenty one

[nefariouspirit]

You always rooted for me.

I believed in you when I couldn't believe myself.

Pls see: This is not the ending I wanted.🥺😟

[nefariouspirit]

I just finished watching Twenty five Twenty one.

And I wanna ask one thing, who's paying for my therapist?

Because I need therapy.

Congratulations on your wedding? Really?

You were supposed to be together. While manifesting happiness together.