Fleeting Lights, Lasting Hearts

Every life holds a season when youth burns with passionate brilliance. Yet it is never without its thorns — a time when excitement dances with fear, and dreams brush against despair. Twenty Five Twenty One captures the story of young souls who, even in the harsh winds of uncertainty, cling to their dreams and persevere with unwavering hearts. Their story is not far from ours — it mirrors the youth that lives within us all.

Setting the Stage

-Turning Points of Youth

Twenty Five Twenty One is a young adult romance television series that aired in 2022 on Korea’s multi-genre entertainment channel, tvN, written by screenwriter Kwon Doeun and co-directed by Mr. Sunshine director Jung Ji-hyun and producer Kim Seungho. Starring famous Korean actors such as Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk, the series promised both strong performances and star power. The narrative adopts a distinctive structure, alternating between 1998 and the present day of 2021. The series is set against the backdrop of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis — known in Korea as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis — a shattering period that left deep scars on society through bankruptcies and soaring unemployment. The crisis went beyond economic turmoil, striking a heavy blow to the dreams and passions of youth. Yet against this turbulence, the story delicately portrays how young lives are shaped by friendship, aspiration, and harsh reality. During its run, the show peaked at an 11.5% nationwide viewership rating and ranked first in its time slot. It also garnered international attention, staying in Netflix’s Global Top 10 for non-English TV shows for 10 consecutive weeks. Praised for its deft portrayal of both the pain of an era and the passionate love of youth, the drama shines with multidimensional character arcs, emotionally charged direction, evocative soundtrack, and polished cinematography. While the ending divided audiences with its unexpected turn in the main couple’s relationship, Twenty Five Twenty One reaffirmed the enduring appeal of youth narratives and remains widely discussed long after its broadcast.

-Synopsis (*Spoiler Alert)

Amid the turmoil of the IMF crisis, high school fencer Na Heedo sees her dreams crumble as her team disbands. Refusing to give up, she transfers to Taeyang High School and throws herself into relentless training. She also forges a connection with Baek Yi-jin, whose family’s downfall has left him working part-time jobs, delivering newspapers at dawn to make ends meet. Together with world champion fencer Go Yu-rim, freespirited Moon Ji-woong, and steadfast Ji Seungwan, they form the “Taeyang Squad” — a tightknit circle bound by friendship. In the midst of triumphs and heartbreaks, Hee-do and Yi-jin become each other’s anchor. However, diverging dreams and choices eventually pull them apart, leaving memories of victories and losses, laughter and tears — a radiant yet aching trace of youth that will never return. 

The Pulse of Youth

-Youth in Bloom: Trials and Growth

The Taeyang Squad shows the many faces of youth throughout the series. Hee-do, passionate about fencing, refuses to give in even after her team disbands. She petitions the coach for a transfer and eventually joins Taeyang High School, where she becomes teammates with her long-admired role model, Ko Yu-rim, who would later become her greatest rival. Through these scenes, Hee-do’s youth is defined not by the comfort of staying within a given environment but by the courage to carve her own path. At the same time, Yi-jin’s life — delivering newspapers after his family’s collapse — shows that the road toward a dream is not always glamorous. Despite growing up in a broken home and facing constant debt collectors, he never falters and ultimately achieves his dream of becoming a journalist. Meanwhile, the rest of the group face their own realities. Yu-rim fences while shouldering financial burdens and supporting her family. Drifting from schoolwork, Ji-woong also searches for what he truly wants, growing along the way. At the same time, Seung-wan refuses to remain silent in the face of teachers’ injustice, using the radio to speak out and forge her own path. Indeed, their youth is far from perfect. Misunderstandings, conflicts, and hard choices test their relationships — yet these trials become the stepping stones for growth. Despite the financial crisis, their passion and setbacks prove that youth is not just the radiance of being young. Rather, it is the unstable, imperfect moments that paint the truest portrait of youth.

-Hearts in Conflict: Love and Loss

In Twenty Five Twenty One, the two couples — Yu-rim & Ji-woong and Hee-do & Yi-jin — live through the same era, yet endure the weight of love and reality in different ways. Yu-rim and Ji-woong choose not to hide their pain; they endure it together. When Yu-rim confides her financial struggles and fears for the future, Ji-woong quietly shoulders her burdens. When Ji-woong faces worries of his own, Yurim stands by him. They become each other’s haven, growing together despite the harsh reality. In contrast, Hee-do and Yijin initially find strength in each other during the IMF crisis, but as trials deepen, Yi-jin withdraws into himself, carrying his burdens alone. He finds that he cannot fully share with Hee-do the hardships his family faces or the weight of his responsibilities, and the emotional distance between them slowly grows. Their breakup comes alongside Yijin’s decision to leave for a correspondent assignment following the September 11 attacks in 2001. Though they loved each other, they ultimately walk separate paths in the face of the realities shaped by their era. Through these two relationships — one defined by sharing pain, the other by bearing it alone — the series reveals that love is more than just a feeling; it is a way of facing life’s burdens in many forms.

-Moments in Between: Dreams and Reality

The struggles of youth torn between dreams and reality are honestly depicted in Twenty Five Twenty One. Once a fencing prodigy celebrated with high expectations, Hee-do’s brilliance over time seems to fade into the ordinary. Yet her burning passion and perseverance eventually earn her a place on the Olympic stage. Her success stands as proof of the rewards that come from pushing past one’s own limits, revealing both the dazzling potential of youth and the universal value of perseverance. By contrast, Yu-rim’s financial struggles and responsibilities keep her from fully pursuing her dreams. Her desire to continue fencing while battling economic hardship ultimately leads her to change her nationality to compete for Russia. This decision deeply troubles Yi-jin, a journalist torn between reporting the truth and revealing a controversial story. His affection for someone he holds dear makes the choice even more agonizing, as exposing the facts could harm the person he cares for. The contrast between Heedo’s achievements and the struggles of Yu-rim and Yijin captures the multifaceted nature of youth, showing that enduring the gap between dreams and reality is itself a profound form of growth.

Windows into Their World 

#EP.4

The day before the evaluation, Yi-jin says to Hee-do, “You are the player who has fallen the most among those who came before the evaluation. With each failure, you have been building your steps. Think — now your steps are the highest. Climb them slowly and take what you want.” Failure is not something to fear; it is through setbacks and stumbles that we grow and discover the strength within us.

#EP.10

On a summer trip, the five friends find themselves soaking in the fleeting warmth of the season. Hee-do, sensing the magic of the moment, exclaims, “This summer is free — let’s seize it.” Though they felt this time might last forever, youth is always fleeting. Kingos, carry your brightest seasons with you, so that one day you can look back on them with warmth.

#EP.16

In the final episode, Hee-do and Yi-jin finally share the words they had long kept to themselves. On the verge of parting, their conversation carries the weight and depth of the youth they spent together. The moment is neither grand nor dramatic, yet in speaking the words left unsaid, they bring a quiet closure to a chapter of their youth. Let this serve as a reminder to hold nothing back — sometimes, voicing the unspoken is the truest way to live in the present.

Youth rises on the horizon between dreams and reality. It is shaped by effort, choices, and sometimes, pain. Often, it feels like standing on unsteady ground — caught between possibility and uncertainty. However, every experience, from triumph to hardship, becomes a part of the irreplaceable season called youth.