Did you ever find yourself moving forward after your dreams are taken away from you? That’s what happens in this new Netflix K-Drama, Twenty Five Twenty One, a show to watch out for on the streaming platform that’s premiering on February 12, 2022. The coming of age drama is directed by Jung Jeehyun and stars Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, and more.

Watch the official trailer of Twenty Five Twenty One:

Just before its premiere, we attended a virtual press conference where the director and the lead cast talked about the newest coming of age K-Drama on Netflix, how they brought the 90s back to life, and the lead characters’ chemistry.

Here are things you need to know about Twenty Five Twenty One:

The Story

It is set in 1998 when South Korea was hit by the financial crisis. The story follows five young people whose dreams are taken away and they get together to find ways forward during the most difficult time for many.

A couple who first met when they were 22 and 18 are now 25 and 21 and begins to love and grow on each other. It shows not only a fresh sensibility of young people but also describes how they overcome hardships and frustrations together.

The Creators

Writer Kwon Doe-un collaborates with Director Jung Jeehyun for this coming-of-age story. Director Jung Jeehyun helped produce Search: WWW, The King: Eternal Monarch, and You Are My Spring.

The Cast and Characters

Twenty Five Twenty One is led by Kim Tae-ri who starred in The Handmaiden (2016), Mr. Sunshine (2018), and Nam Joo-hyuk who became popular starring in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016) and Start Up (2020).

Coming back from a three-year hiatus, Kim Tae-ri plays Na Hee-do who is a high school fencing player with a passion and a dream but her team was disbanded due to the financial crisis. “The reason I chose this show is that it is so much fun. My character is full of energy and a kind of character that I haven’t met before and I was attracted to that aspect of hers,” she shares. This is also Kim Tae-ri’s second time working with Director Jung Jeehyun after Mr. Sunshine.

Nam Joo-hyuk plays Back Yi-jin whose family was broken up due to the financial crisis. However, as the oldest son, he takes all the responsibilities for his family and becomes a reporter. When asked how he showed a different side of himself, he says “I didn’t focus on showing anything new when it comes to myself, I focused on how my character could be diverse.”

Other cast members are Kim Ji-yeon who plays Ko Yu-rim, a member of the national fencing team; Choi Hyun-wook who plays Moon Ji-woong, an influencer and wants to be a member at Cyworld; and Lee Joo-myoung who plays Ji Seong-wan, a top student who is a member of the high school radio team, sharing the student’s daily lives in school.

Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk’s Characters’ Chemistry

Did you know it’s not their first time working together? Nam Joo-hyuk shares that he hasn’t seen this kind of chemistry before. He recalls that he and Kim Tae-ri actually worked in two commercials before and that experience made their bond a lot stronger. “We both thought we were meeting each other for the first time but we were wrong,” Nam Joo-hyuk admits to the press.

When asked what word to describe their characters’ chemistry, Kim Tae-ri answers with “immature” and “naive.” She adds, “Hee-do and Yi-jin are starting together and they’re inexperienced, so I think those are the attractive points of the two characters.” Meanwhile, Joo-hyuk answers “youth” to describe their characters’ chemistry — “the youthfulness and purity of the two,” he adds.

The Difference Between Other Coming of Age Dramas

Writer Kwon Doe-un shares that this show is depicting a time period that is set in the clearest way possible. The story is about the individuals but at the same time, it also deals with the particularly hard time in Korean history from the individual’s life.

Director Jung Jeehyun also shares they had to focus on styling, hairstyle, and make-up — elements that played into creating this unique story. In terms of setting up props right and other elements, that required a lot of effort but they were able to pull it off.

Twenty Five Twenty One premieres on Netflix on February 12. Stream here.

About ‘Twenty Five Twenty One’
Director: Jung Jeehyun
Writer: Kwon Doe-un
Cast: Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Ji Yeon, Choi Hyun Wook, Lee Ju Myoung
Produced by: tvN
Distributed by: Netflix
Logline:  Amidst the turbulence of the East Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, the 22-year-old meets the 18-year-old. At the time, friendship was passionate; love was overwhelming; and despair, heart-wrenching. At 25 and 21, they fall in love. The story of five young people from 1998 to 2001, who thought they would be together forever.
Release date: February 12, 2022