5 Reasons To Watch Korean Drama Twenty Five Twenty One, Inspiration To Face Crisis In Life

JAKARTA - The Korean drama Twenty Five Twenty One began airing last week. This drama is based on the story of the 1998 Asian economic crisis in South Korea.

Starring Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Tae-ri, this series tells the story of five young people whose dreams have been shattered by the events of the Asian economic crisis. Brings an emotional coming-of-age story. At least, there are 5 reasons to look forward to the drama Twenty Five Twenty One. Here's the review:

A different 1998 depiction

Through this series, viewers can peek at what 1998 was like in South Korea. This is a tough job for Director Jung Jeehyun.

"What sets this series apart from the others is that it depicts a specific period, namely 1998, and is made as clear as possible," he said, quoted from ANTARA, Monday, February 14.

The director continued that he and his team tried to recreate the atmosphere of the late '90s by focusing on elements such as location, dress style, hairstyle, and make-up.

He added, “Setting up the properties and other elements took a lot of effort, but we finally got it right.”

Inspiration to face the crisis Jung Jeehyun praised Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Tae-ri for having chemistry in interpreting characters in an era that he himself experienced when he was a student. The year 1998 brought changes to the lives of many people who had to face difficult things.

It is a common thread of what society is currently facing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Seeing how young people were in 1998, I hope I can give a message that can feel close to the audience," he explained.

The strength of the Coming of Age story "Twenty Five Twenty One" also has another strength, namely the coming-of-age theme. The two main characters are described as growing up in the midst of the impact of the financial crisis that hit Korea.

Na Hee-do (Kim Tae Ri) faces disappointment when his fencing team is hit by a financial crisis. Meanwhile Back Yi-jin (Nam Joo Hyuk) grew up in a family full of problems due to the same crisis.

“This series is set in 1998 when there was a financial crisis in Korea, so these five young characters lost their dreams but kept looking for ways to move forward. Often they also face the emotional turmoil that you can feel when watching this series," said director Jung Jeehyun.

Strong chemistry between Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyukYou can also witness the strong chemistry between the two main characters in this series. During the press conference, Nam Joo-hyuk explained how he had never felt chemistry like this before.

He said, “At first I thought this was our first meeting, but it turns out that we've worked together on commercials in the past. This is what ultimately made us good friends.”

Director Jung Jeehyun also mentioned that the characters Back Yi-jin and Na Hee-do are the strengths of this series, their chemistry looks very good in front of the camera. Jee-hyun added, “Both of them are great actors, and were able to prepare and portray the characters very well.”

Actor's well-prepared Kim Tae-ri got an interesting challenge in "Twenty Five Twenty One" because he had to play a fencer. In order to represent a reliable fencer, he regularly trains with gold medal fencers about six months before filming begins.

"It turns out that this sport is very exciting. I try to do my best. I study with Bona, but I often lose when I compete with him," chirped Kim Tae-ri.

During filming, he practiced fencing with Bona, who also plays rival fencer Go Yoo-rim.

Unlike Kim Tae-ri, Bona only trained for three months. He admitted that he was surprised and even more motivated to see how diligent Kim Tae-ri was in practicing.

"Seeing that Kim Tae-ri really exercises every day, I am also encouraged to see that she is very diligent," said Bona, who claimed to be equally competitive.

Nam Joo-hyuk is no less serious in preparing for his role as a sports journalist.

"I got to know sports journalists to learn more about the current situation, in order to better describe my character," he said.

He chats a lot with sports journalists and learns the nitty-gritty of reporting.