SHOW / EPISODE

Twenty Five Twenty One [Korean drama Eps 9-16]: Discussing & Making Peace with THAT ENDING - Why it's painfully beautiful rather than as sad or unrealistic or open as we might believe

59m | Apr 10, 2022

The year you turn 21, you start to drift away from your boyfriend and everything changes forever. This episode we talk about THAT ending for Twenty Five Twenty One. Were you upset by the ending? Did you think that the ending was too sad or unrealistic or too much of an open ending? While I would have have LOVED a conventionally happy conclusion to the story, I've given the ending a lot of thought and I think it's painfully beautiful and realistic. In this episode, we look at all the critcisms that people had about the ending and talk about why it's not necessarily as sad or unrealistic or open-ended as some would argue it is. We talk about ways to understand & make peace with the ending as we say good bye to this series.

In this episode, let's chat about:

1. Details of the final episode and THAT ENDING - We do have to go through all the details (sorry for reliving the pain again!)

2. All the criticsms people have about the ending and why it's not as bad as we might have thought. Criticisms I address include:

-The ending was too sad or too bittersweet

-What's the point of watching a story where the 2 main leads don't end up together?

-All dramas should have Happy Endings!

-Yi Jin has an unhappy future

-Hee Do has an unhappy future

-The ending was unrealistic

-How could Yoo Rim and Ji Woong survive a long-distance seperation for many years while Hee Do and Yi Jin could not?

-The ending was an open ending

-What's the point of a drama if you don't find out who Hee Do's husband/ Min Chae's father is?

-The ending was rushed and there was no time to address a lot of 'clues' throughout the drama

3. Getting closure on the so-called clues & Finding comfort after watching the series. Clues we address and discuss:

-Hee Do's Photo

-Yi Jin's things at Hee Do's home

-Hee Do and her mother's hospital scene

-Yi Jin's dad saying he was a great consolation 10 years ago

-Hee Do's reaction when her mother says she met Yi Jin

-Hee Do naming her workplace 2521 and having rainbow chairs

-Hee do & Yi Jin's interview and the 'Appa' soundbite

4. The Beautiful Scenes. We talk about the beauty of Seung Wan standing up for her values against abusive teachers, Yoo Rim and Ji Woong's relationship processing towards a happy ending and both the dreamy kisses between Hee Do and Yi Jin, epsecially the one in the snow!

Photos of Heedo's Husband & Baby Min Chae

Photos of the scene that was cut out of Twenty Five Twenty One

Other Analysis about the Ending:

Jane's tweet about importance of remembering in Twenty Five Twenty One

Oh our past selves, the selves we thought eternal!

Raia's Tweet rant listing all the so-called unresolved clues in Twenty Five Twenty One

Intro music by: Joseph McDade. If you like his music, please support his Patreon

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