“Twenty-Five, Twenty-One” starring Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk gathered attention before its release. International and domestic fans went crazy over the cast of popular stars and the reminiscent 20th-century vibe of the show.

Capturing a realistic portrait of people during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) crisis in South Korea, “Twenty-Five, Twenty-One” is essentially a love story between Na Hee-do and Baek Yi-jin. However, it also includes elements of societal issues during financial hardship and friendship struggles between fencing rivals Na Hee-do and Ko Yu-rim. 

“I first saw the trailer of this new K-drama on Instagram,” Charlotte Lee (12), a fan of Nam Joo-hyuk, said. “I started watching because I am a big fan of the cast, but I got drawn into it more because it was different from other TV shows that only capture romance. I have never seen a TV show about fencing, and I love how the directors also focused on Hee-do’s pursuit of success in her passion.” 

With the intense interest in the show came curiosity about the meaning of the title. Fans started to speculate how the title “Twenty-Five, Twenty-One” indicates the ages of Yi-jin and Hee-do, respectively, at the end of their relationship. Some Youtube videos summarizing possible hidden clues that point toward Yi-jin’s death gained hundreds of thousands of views. 

However, the release of episode four, which revealed that those “hidden clues” were indicative of another character’s death, crushed this “Yi-jin death theory” for good. 

“The ideal ending would be Yi-jin and Hee-do falling in love with each other,” Rachel Kim (12), an avid fan, said. “Career-wise, Yi-jin would become a successful businessman and Hee-do would become a world-renowned fencing athlete. I am guessing that would be the ending, but I am excited to see how everything takes place.”