Twenty Five Twenty One
Twenty Five Twenty One
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Twenty Five Twenty One is a romantic comedy in Korean with English subtitles that has some language ("bitches," "damn," "hell"). A multi-generational story about teen girls whose dreams are disrupted by family disputes or political issues, girls are sometimes called "idiots" by their coaches or other adults. As part of a plan to be transferred to another school, a main character tries to get expelled from school by taking part in a fight, and when that fails, goes to a night club where people are drinking and smoking. Some hitting, shoving...and lots of fencing.
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What's the Story?
In TWENTY FIVE TWENTY ONE, a middle schooler named Kim Min-chae is readying herself for a dance competition at a school in Seoul, Korea. But as she watches the girl competing before her land every move, she abandons the competition. She runs away to her grandmother's house in a suburb, blaming her mother for putting too much pressure on her. When she finds her mother's diary from 1998, she becomes immersed in her mother's teenage dream to become a fencing champion. A mysterious young man, whose family was devastated by the economic crisis that ravaged Korean companies at that time, keeps appearing in the story. Will Kim Min-chae learn to forgive her mother? Does her mother's story hold a secret that will change their mother-daughter relationship?
Is It Any Good?
Bubbly, spirited, youthful, Twenty Five Twenty One asks how people can follow their youthful dreams when the world has other plans. Girls in this series are not to be deterred, which is refreshing, if challenging. Mothers' and daughters' voices spiral in dramatic arguments that passersby can hear from the street. Girls run away from home, trying to escape pressure, getting into trouble for the sake of saving their own dream. Though not always artfully executed, the modern Korean woman's plight is lightly explored in this show.
Fans of fencing will enjoy how seriously the sport is taken by characters in this show-- not a sport rom-com's are typically built upon. The romantic aspect of this comedy develops at a maddenly slow pace, which might leave some teens wanting, though others will stick around to witness the innocent joys of first love.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in media. At one point, Na Hee-do participates in a big fight after school. How does seeing violence like this affect you?
Na Hee-do likes reading comics, though she's teased by others as being stupid because she prefers comics to other books. Do you think having a preference for certain kinds of media makes you smarter? Does it matter?
TV Details
- Premiere date: February 12, 2022
- Cast: Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Tae-ri
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: March 2, 2022
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