JOANNA GRACE P.

BERINGUEL STEM NMPL 12-02

Media and Information Literacy

“TWENTY FIVE TWENTY ONE”

The drama series that I have watched is actually a Korean drama entitled 'Twenty Five
Twenty One,' and the story centers on a teen fencer who pursues big ambitions and meets
a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuild his life in a time when dreams seem out of
reach. At ages 22 and 18, they say each other's names for the first time, and at ages 25
and 21, they fall in love. But the whole plot is more than that as it gets more captivating in
every episode and can create a connection between the viewers of how realistic and
relatable the storyline is for the general public. And even if it is a Korean drama, its genre
is still truly comparable to those of Filipino local soap operas or dramas, also referred to as
teleseryes, because they share some similarities in terms of concept or plot, characters,
scenarios, and more. But honestly, I am not really a fan of watching local soap operas or
teleseryes because their overall production is very cliché and easily predictable. Its plot and
scenarios are always repeated, leading to a boring and ordinary storyline. Moreover, these
local teleseryes are usually adapted and inspired by other nations' cultural shows and
dramas as well, predominantly Korean dramas. That being said, it is widely tested and
proven by research and surveys that Korean culture as a whole has a profound influence
and impact on other countries on a global aspect. Hence, this phenomenon is known as the
"Hallyu Wave" and is causing widespread trends around the world, including the spread of
cultural diversity and heritage in terms of viewing or drama series.
 This particular Korean drama, ‘Twenty Five Twenty One,’ made me feel and undergo
all sorts of emotional rides even in the first few episodes. The main genre is ‘coming of
age’ and more of a ‘healing and comfort’ type of drama, and how ironic it is because I was
really in need of consolation and therapy for my very scattered mental health state. I had
endless breakdowns these past few months, and I found my solace and comfort in Twenty
Five Twenty One. It came in perfect timing when I had no one to console me nor have
someone I could really relate with and vent out. So this drama, the characters, and the
whole plot–there I knew that there is already a made connection because the existence of
the drama itself felt like it was made for me even if I wasn’t an athlete myself! And like in
every episode, I cannot help but cry a river. In fact, there is no episode that I won’t tear up.
The reason why Twenty Five Twenty One is just so close to my heart is that aside
from the fact that I can reflect or see myself in the characters are the lessons it brings to
us, which we can all relate to at some point in our lives. And even if we have not experienced
it yet, it already allows us to feel and simply learn from the ‘applicable to life’ learnings given
to us. Mainly, the drama centers on youth. I have witnessed the slow transition of the main
characters’ bubbly and carefree days to their serious and adulting period. This drama really
made me feel the genuine happiness of being young and carefree through the scenes of
the squad that got close to my heart. It’s quite funny to see Yi Jin, a complete adult by age
and mind, babysitting four teenagers who are still kids on the inside, enjoying the company
of each other. And it’s a special moment for Yi Jin every time because, among all of them,
it is he who has been through a lonely life. Yet because of them, Yi Jin can distract and lead
himself to the happiness he deserved and relive the youthful days he skipped and missed
as he had to adjust and enter adulthood quickly. Hence, their squad is perfectly fit for each
other. And honestly, I cannot help but get emotional every time their ‘youth’ is being shown.
There are actually two different POVs: the adulting stage of Baek Yi Jin and the blossoming
of the youth with the Taeyang Squad. Regardless, both of them would make me emotionally
vulnerable and cry so much when they opened up about their lives.
And because it circulates around their youth, I loved how they also incorporated the
importance of having a dream and passion. Of course, no youth has no dream or is
passionate about. Even if we grew older and did not reach or pursue any of it, at least there
is a time in our lives when we were so excited and inspired to talk about it. Even if we had
to give it up, at least we were momentarily motivated by it to do good in our lives. It became
a beaming light when we were still trying to find the right pathway for us. And at the end of
the day, when we try to look back on our good old days, we would then find ourselves
smiling and complementing our past selves on how vigorous we were when it came to our
dreams and passions. Like how Ye Ji gave up fencing because she was not happy about it
anymore, she already found her new calling and redirected her path. Just as Baek Yi Jin
gave up on his dream to become an engineer because circumstances won’t allow him to
do so but realized he was meant for a different journey of becoming a reporter. And of
course, the two main besties and the best fencers, Na Hee Do and Ko Yu Rim, underwent
a lot of pain and struggled just for them to continue in fencing because it is what they are
born for. It actually felt surreal when they showed the ending scene: the retirement
announcement of Na Hee Do and Ko Yu Rim went there. Then they told each other how it
was an ‘honor’ for the two of them to become the greatest fencing rivals to besties for life.
This ‘it was our time’ scene was such a tear-jerking and a very touching moment. Definitely
close to my heart aside from their many special moments together, especially when they
hugged and cried after the Madrid match after they faced each other wherein Yu Rim
represented Russia and Hee Do for Korea.
Most importantly, I just want to commend every character for their development,
especially on how they all overcame their traumas in life. A very tight hug to them for being
so relatable and showing me that there is so much more in life. Among them all, Ko Yu
Rim’s character represents me the most as she is someone who had to display a strong
and poised personality but is just as fragile as broken glass on the inside. Throughout the
series, I can’t help but sympathize and relate to her character because it reflects me deeply.
Indeed, growing up can lead to maturity, just changing everything. Dreams, passion, career,
priorities, and even love. It can all shift in a different direction, and through its process, we
can pick up realizations and learn from them. We can let go of our traumas and start anew.
And simply, that is how life goes on.
Overall, I really loved how this drama included all sorts of themes, from youth to
entering maturity, to romance, friendship and family, high school life, dreams and
aspirations, and most importantly, heartbreaks and lifelong lessons. It also highlighted the
lives of the athletes with their relentless efforts and struggling to reach their goals and
become the pride of their own homeland. They also spotlighted fencing, which is quite
underrated in the sports world but is one of my personal favorite kinds of sport. It’s amazing
how they gave justice to this gratifying sport, especially to the hardworking fencers in real
life. I hope more people can appreciate our athletes by watching a series like this. To more
dramas like this and hoping our Filipino producers can get ideas from concepts like this
instead of those repetitious teleseryes they keep on airing. After all, we need something
awakening and realistic that the general public or the mass audience can relate to and enjoy.