When the promos and posters of 'Twenty Five, Twenty One' came out I assumed it was a noona romance. I was so surprised on knowing the actual premise and age of characters that were in the drama. Like most people I started this drama with very high expectations. Kim Tae Ri is one of the most gifted actresses of Korea and with the praise she got in her last drama I thought this would be worth a watch as well.

I think this was overall one of the better dramas that came out in recent times. However, I kept having issues with certain characters and sub-plots. While there were wholesome moments I kept feeling like something was missing. By the end the drama delivered on a lot of ends but the ending fell awfully short of making this drama into a near masterpiece that it could have been.

PLOT:
I'd compare this drama to Reply series but without the love triangle. However what they still have in common is the nostalgia of the 90s, friendship, parent-child relationships and memories of first love. This drama carries all the essence that one might expect from a drama set in the somewhat older times. There is innocence, youth, dreams and experiences that all people might have gone through one or other point in their lives.

CHARACTERS & ROMANCE:
I really admired Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin for the people they were. They both went different kind of struggles, had breakdowns but never gave up in the face of difficulty. I couldn't really see any chemistry between the actors and the age gap was a slight cringe, but their interactions had a lot of heart in them. I really enjoyed all supporting characters in this and only had a definitive love-hate relationship was with Ko Yu Rim and Achorwoman Na (who I cared less for). Yu Rim was pointlessly rude at times but we as viewers know that she isn't the villain here. People respond to bad situations in life in different ways and Yu Rim had hers. However I really like the group and their friendship stayed strong till the end.

OST:
I like the songs sung by NCT's Taeil and Twice's Jihyo. Other tracks were either fine or forgettable.

MAIN PROBLEM OF THE DRAMA: The villain i.e. timing
One thing I really loved about the drama was the realistic portrayal of how everything in life is about timing. That's the true villain in this drama along with the circumstances that come with it. After all, isn't that what life is all about? It becomes a little hard to accept an ending where the leads do not end up together, but I know plenty of people who didn't try hard enough with their past or failed relationships. Sometimes people are right for each other but they either give up or move on. That's what this drama portrayed and UNPOPULAR OPINION alert- I feel like there were clues all along.

I admit it did seem like the drama was setting us all up for a sad ending but some dramas do the reverse towards the end. This might be the first time where everything was clear and there were clues all along but the viewers kept theorizing about the possibility of the leads ending up together. For starters, the title of the drama is a dead giveaway.

ENDING:
For me the true shock related to this drama was that the writer was gutsy enough to do her own thing. I am sure she will receive loads of backlash but I'm always in for creative surprises. My real issue with the drama was us not getting to know how Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin lived after their separation. We have no clue about Na Hee Do's marital status and how Baek Yi Jin looks like now. I felt cheated with the lack of details. I wish they hadn't included the present time at all. It could have been a story set between 1998-2009 and us never having to meet their present selves at all. I think the ending is what ultimately takes away a major point for my overall review.

OVERALL:
I'll still recommend this drama due to the stellar acting from the cast, the slice of life elements and the very nostalgic aura it gave me as a viewer. Just be prepared for a bittersweet ending (because heck Kim Min Chae is cute). :)