The thread is now open.
lol. I’m sure you all saw the connection between the peeing boy unable to pee and the fountain scene at the end.
Gifs from kimgoeun’s tumblr
And I’m sure you also saw that she named her shop “2521” in memory of that year when they fell in love. It’s engraved on the wall sign.
I’ll try to finish my First Impressions this weekend.
Let’s enjoy the show.
Missed the 2521 sign. Well spotted 😂. I am looking forward to Ep3&4.
I was looking for her wedding ring. 😂😂
She wasn’t wearing one in Ep 1 (while she was watching her daughter on her phone) but I was hoping I’d spot it while she was at her workshop. No luck. Too far for me to see.
Saw the signboard instead. 🙂
@PM3 – only you can spot the signboard! I feel like my heart is breaking though. Look like Ep3 is up.
@packmule3, well done for translating the signboard. It’s so little, I’m surprised it could be read. Thank you for the updated thread, too. 💐
@packmule3, Ooooh, the sign-why am I feeling foreboding?
Thanks @pkml3.
Episode 3 – Another episode that got me laughing and even tearing up. And there’s a surprise at the end.
Still a delightful show. I’m totally engrossed in the little world of Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin.
Ep3 – there’s a chance for NHD to compete for a spot in the national team! She begged coach to work with her. Coach does a Mr Miyagi and listed tasks that NHD has to follow, no questions asked. Heedo memorizing a dance dance choreography was funny, will be related to her footwork I guess.
BYJ is literally tugged by Heedo and Yurim on opposite sides. I like that he has a good head on his shoulders by being fair to Heedo on giving her Full house 12 and also gently erasing Yurim’s first love impression of him (and his red car). He is turning out to be a good adult, not only for his brother but the 18yr olds. He almost missed his father visiting and their reunion at the bus station was sad but hopeful.
There’s so much to like in the storytelling. The daughter imagining 18yr old Heedo and Yijin as she goes on her day and then the next scene weaves seamlessly to year 1998.
End scene spoiler- we get to know who is injeolmi!!
Everyone keeps saying injoelmi is Yi-jin, but I never thought it was him. My first guess was Ji-woong, but I was wrong. 😛
I like how every theory I have from watching the previews was mostly wrong. The show keeps throwing a curve ball, and it’s fun.
Another aspect that I like a lot is how Yi-jin and Hee-do’s relationship started with a solid friendship.
@PM3, my thoughts on your question about the connection of peeing boy and fountain scene in the end… Top student said “good water pressure leads to happiness” and she’s right! Hee do’s happiness was stunted when her fencing team got disbanded. That was represented by what happened with the pissing boy statue. Yijin swore not to be happy but Heedo made fountain out of the faucet to make him happy again or at least be happy while with her.
Love the ep2 fountain scene with 25/21 OST and then the quiet sound of crickets and Heedo’s narration.
Looking forward to read your write up soon.
@Janey
Good point about the water pressure! I rewatched parts of Ep 2 (still can’t help chuckling) and it struck me that the pissing statue water was a pathetic single stream falling downwards, whereas Hee Do’s fountain was a flourishing, burst of water leaping upwards. So much more happiness. And Yi Jin multiplied it by the number of faucets.
More thoughts on how Yi Jin stopped running and let go of Hee Do while in the tunnel, but Hee Do pulled him out running with her from the tunnel. It reflected the exuberant way she chose to not leave Yi Jin depressed, but to bring him out of his sadness. Perhaps we’ll see more similar dynamics in their future interactions.
And yes I’m enjoying the OSTs!
I was reflecting on the end scene (trying not to spoil). I can’t read Korean so don’t know how much detail HD was putting into her posts. It seemed like she was the one who vented and Injeolmi acted as listener and support? However, that could give Injeolmi a lot of power over Hee Do. Fine, in theory, if they never discover the other’s identity, but I also think: how can Injeolmi NOT know it’s HD if the topics have had so much in common with her day? Injeolmi seems happy at the end of the last communication. If she knows, is she being HD’s friend secretly? Like HD was with the umbrella in episode 1? If she doesn’t know and finds out later, will she still be happy, will it give her empathy or will it give her ammunition?
I keep thinking how the friendship might mirror the coach and HD’s mother’s past friendship. I also wonder if the coach is deliberately working to make the girls rivals rather than friends.
I was also interested in why the coach allowed the Senior to intimidate/bully the younger girls. We heard that some team members complained that the senior girl didn’t let them practice at night and the coach punished the complainers rather than the older girl. In “Run On”, I saw that there is a culture in Korean Sports of the older members of a team being able to ‘discipline’ the younger ones that is accepted – except that it can tip over into bullying. Could the coach be operating on that principle of acceptable hierarchy? If anyone is familiar with that aspect of the culture, I would like to know more.
I was a bit dismayed that HD didn’t stay to help Yurim clean the floor even if it went against her principles. We’ll see what happens tonight, right?
HD’s comments to Yurim about hierarchy in how much one suffers for the sport was interesting. She may not be academic, but she is quick to respond meaningfully to situations. Each of them thinks that the other has some sort of advantage.
Finally, I had to chuckle that the casting director must have had a lack of taller middle aged people to act as YJ’s parents. I am aware that a late 20th C diet may have helped many children to be taller than their parents. It happened in my family, too, but not to the extent of the difference between YJ and his father. YJ looks consistently massive in this show. 😆 Not complaining, mind.
Everything about HeeDo is LOUD. She lives loud. She doesn’t do anything by halves. She knows what she wants and she’s singleminded about the pursuit of it. She never loses sight of her end goal. Even if she gets knocked down (like learning the choreography of the weird dance 😂 as determined by Coach). She gets straight back up and keeps going. She loves fiercely. YooRim and then YiJin. She gets hurt easily as a result of her hurtling straight into a relationship with careless abandon.
I can’t stop laughing at her antics. When she made to hop onto IJ’s back because she thought he was offering her a piggyback because of her broken slipper. 😂. Good save though on her part.
And how lame was the pick up lines of PrettyBoyFromClass7 in the hallway with YR? But ai laughed anyway despite the corny lines.
And the framing of the shots by PD. 😮 👏. Here are some of my favourites
https://i.ibb.co/ZKYzGWF/50290816-87-A8-4-FED-B7-E4-42-A03-B4273-E3.jpg
YR on the outside whilst YJ and HD were inside. And the 2 red chairs.
https://i.ibb.co/W5Cs93t/6002-FC1-E-83-C0-44-D0-B439-0-FDDA9-FDC931.jpg Again the red chair in front of YJ. Matching her red track pants.
https://i.ibb.co/GVPjVyP/84-AE2301-0-CF0-4-CBD-9-D30-452-BC7-DC18-D9.jpg
This one. The panoramic view of the 2 men. YJ and his dad. The lens makes them seem miles apart. But they connected that moment. I shed a tear 😢
https://i.ibb.co/6XcH2cX/4-C832386-DDCA-4-DDB-8382-46-BBF80-ABA94.jpg
The confrontation. When HD wanted YJ’s support and he hesitated. The jumbled vines connecting the 2 of them – misunderstanding.
Hi everyone.. it’s nice to read your comments. I can’t wait to watch the 4th episode. I’m looking forward to the turning point of NHD and KYR relationship.
@nrllee
I know right! I also love the shots oh this PD nim. Been liking his project since You are My Spring but this 2521 is another blast from him i think. I don’t know but every scene almost.. I think I could make them into my laptop wallpaper or something 😻😻
And yea the corny lines of from the pretty boy has given me a good laugh last night. It’s so cringey yet so funny. Also, I could see the hint of KYR’s true color only when she was with him. I think he is soon to be KYR’s first love??
Kim Tae Ri’s acting given me a various emotion while watching this show. I mean, I was gone from laughing to being nervous, and to teary eyed so quickly.. She made the different voices from her previous characters, it gave me thrills when I see her as a cheerful and full of energy high school girl.. I mean compare to her role in space sweepers and mr sunshine.
I saw a trailer/clips of the swoon games for the 2521 characters. And KYR told the viewers, something like these: at first KYR is a shy girl and she wanted to do everything on her own. But she changed after meeting her friends. So give much love for her too.
And yeah I am waiting for this transformation. Because some of my friends told me that they hate KYR so much.. but I have hope for this character to be developed soon.
And regarding to the bullying on sport team..
@Fern, I am quite curious about this too. How is it like nowadays in SK. For what I’ve watched from many drama, yes the bullying from the seniors even the coach are pretty common. It’s like killing cockroaches maybe, you can never really make them gone forever.
Happy watching all 📺📺📺📺📺
@nrlee – that almost piggyback ride (from Heedo’s side), I was laughing so hard!!! I think we will see that fulfilled sometime later for sure. And yes, the scene framings are well though of. It’s just everyday scenery but the director made them pop. The father/son meet up was heartbreaking. I’m glad it happened. I would feel so bad like Heedo if it didn’t.
@moonstar – we’ve seen what the director did in YAMS and 25/21 is even better since there is freshness of youth. I’m really enjoying it.
@GB – Yijin got her out of trouble and was the one holding her hand at the start of their run – with her personality she will get into trouble many times. But as you said, it’s her turn to drag him from staying in the dark tunnel to the light. Heedo is the light at the end of the tunnel. And it’s nice of Yijin to give her the new password to the restroom with a post-it in the newspaper as a thank you.
Ok, looks like the new episode is out… TTYL!!!
I feel like I should’ve put together that YR was injeolmi at the restaurant when the two girls were there and HeeDo was eating rice cake and thinking of yr coming to help her mom. I love how analytical YJ’s mind is. He solved the comic book problem with logic and when HD asked him to say YR was wrong, it was hard for him because he doesn’t base his determinations off emotions, it pained him to have to say it without knowing facts and circumstances.
I don’t hate YR. I feel for her because she feels so inferior to HeeDo. She sees she comes from money, has talent, and backbone to stand up to the bully that she didn’t have. She’s not right but it’s understandable and there’s plenty of room for redemption.
At this point, I have no idea if YR knows ryker (also another clue. YR would’ve been drawn to the screen name since she’s a big fan as well) is HeeDo
Hi @Janey! and Everyone!
Oh dear, I really should not be drinking water while watching this show. I almost lost my drink or choked while trying to hold in the laughter.
Still watching Episode 4. Half way through and it’s so good.
@Janey, yes agree! Since the theme of 2521 is youth, we got to see many colors too. I was excited when Ji woong showed Hee do their basecamp for the first time. I remembered that it was my dream back then, to have a group of friends in school and a secret basecamp where we could eating instant noodles!! Omg! Best..
I was happy seeing the 4th episode. As usual I had a good laugh. But my highlight was the conversation between NHD and BYJ. Both after yijin drunk and slept in front of his house and when they had a sparring game. This episode taught me about the alternative way to see our failure. At this point I am so happy that Yijin met Heedo. I am glad that they managed to elevate each other’s spirit somehow.
Now that NHD is going to climb up the stairs. I wonder how BYJ will climb his own.. will NHD help him to get audition in her mother’s office.. i recalled that NHD asked to borrow Yijin’s recording in the preview of next episode, haha.
And regarding to KYR and NHD. It was so happy seeing them laughing together after successfully catched the loaches.
In addition, this might be not important but, I’m glad that probably Yijin’s still alive in the current timeline (NHD’s mom met him last month, she said). Because I already prepared myself for the worst scenario such as Yijin passed away or something. Lol.. 😅
All in all, my heart is filled with joy after watching this drama.. i hope you are all too 🍀🍀
Hi @moonstar512, I’m enjoying this show a whole lot. It definitely fills me with delight. Loved Episode 4 ending, uplifting, hopeful, positive. Great messages in the face of our challenging times.
Yes, I too really hope Yi Jin is alive and well in the modern day timeline.
@birdie, true about guessing who’d be Injeolmi, since it’s her mum who runs the tteokbokki snack shop. I felt that YR was insecure and lacking in confidence when she recognised that Hee Do was the prodigy she’d met in childhood. Still, I felt that she was mean to trample on Hee Do in what she said. The offensive put downs were totally uncalled for.
@nrllee thanks for the screenshots. Yes they are beautiful and symbolic. So much to love about this show. I’m enjoying the OSTs, the character interactions and how emotional I get along with the characters.
@Fern, it’s an interesting thought, whether more is going on than meets the eye. There are still mysteries to solve. Besides what happened to Yi Jin, why Hee Do’s mum was not at her dad’s funeral, the relationship between Coach Yang and Hee Do’s mum.
And whether Yoo Rim really does not know who Ryder37 is. It seems that YR didn’t like to have her as a fan, or obsessing about her. Perhaps she wanted to discourage it but went to far in the extreme in pushing HD away. However as Injeolmi, she could give encouragement to HD to make up for insulting her in real life.
I like this Writer’s message(s). They are positive and inspiring. 🙂
Kalispera!
I watched Episode 3 & 4 back to back and it warmed my insides!
What a lovely connection Yi Jin and Hee Do have!
I am enjoying where the story is going and all those positive messages.
We need to trascribe those down in order to remember them!
What a relief Yijin is alive in the present. I wonder who will act as his mature version if ever he will be in the present picture. They were able to get a good resemblance with Heedo in her 40’s. With her mask on, their eyes look the same.
Heedo’s mom doesn’t seem to treat Yijin like her daughter’s first love – I would have teased my daughter like crazy if it was me. It seems she knows him from work but does not know how close they were? The mom most likely hired him as broadcaster.
@Moonstar – yes to their secret hangout! And in school too. #friendshipgoals
@Cleo and @GB – this kdrama is very warm and inspiring. My weekends are lovelier with this show. Lots of stuff to transcribe especially the last scenes in ep4. It’s thought provoking but not preachy. It’s appropriate for where HD and YJ are in their lives.
On YR and HD – if you strip the fangirling and the medal, these 2 have a lot in common in interests and aspirations. That’s why they click as online chat mates. I hope this translates to a solid friendship. My wish is for them to have a reunion in their 40’s (present time).
@GB,
Yes me too!! I am enjoying this show so much so far. I’ve been waiting for this show and I am glad that it exceeds my expectation so far.
@Cleo,
I will be patiently waiting for it 😊
I feel like i want to write their conversation down on my notebook but the thing is I can’t do multitask and I don’t know if I could rewatch those episodes (since I have a lot in the drama list waiting to be watched, lol).
@Janey,
I have the same thought with you regarding this two girls. They have a lot in common actually. It is so refreshing to see how the solid friendship will be built between those who initially hate each other. Yess for the reunion!!
Hi, I love this drama. It is so worth watching on multiple levels. K Dramas do a lot for women’s participation in sports. Women are portrayed as serious it is so refreshing. As you all say, we have wpgurs’ and women’s friendships and excellent depictions of family dynamics-good and bad. 8 am also impressed how they used documentary footage to introduce the IMF crisis. We, in the west are not so familiar with this part of Korean history (have also learned so much history from K Dramas recognizing that we have fictional accounts. This has sent me to the internet, where I’ve learned so much. It is interesting that during the crisis, there was a lot of migration from S. Korea to the US. In New York, Korea immigrants restored green grocers to our economy. They singlehandedly stopped food deserts in many neighborhoods but also suffered here when certain groups staged boycott of these grocers. They also showed prevalence in the dry cleaning industry. Korean salad bars where you purchased food by the pound were wonderful places to get lunch. Those were the entry level businesses that serve to help their children become professionals. Twenty five Twenty One, gives us a visceral feel for the hardships and life changes the greater part of the Korean population experienced during that time.
Howdy everyone! 👋🏻 I’m going to agree with everybody about this drama! What a feel good show and my gosh even I got inspired by the last scene between YJ and HD. Here’s their conversation.
YJ – You are by far the most experienced fencer when it comes to loosing. Those losses were blocks to build yourself stairs leading up. Think about it. Now you’ve got the highest staircase. Take your time to climb it and take whatever you want.
HD – Why do you root for me? Even my mom doesn’t.
YJ – Because you give me hope. And I want more for you.
Sigh, I just love it! ☺️
I think there was a turning point for both of them when HD looked at YJ for a long time while he was seating down.
I’m not saying the banned words but but but…….… don’t look at HD that way, YJ. 🙈
Lovely @agdr03!!! I also transcribed that part and other bits. I agree about that long look in fact… there were lots of long looks and becoming aware going on. (That’s what I want to believe anyway! LOL)
But I was also liking this show for this:
Sweet Parenting
I like this show for the nurturing parental attitudes. When Min Chae walked out of ballet, Adult Hee Do didn’t cuss at her but asked pointed questions. Adult Hee Do : “So what if you don’t win? What happens if you don’t? Is it meaningless if you don’t win?” She’s the opposite of those pushy parents who beat up their kids for failing. She lets Min Chae ‘run away’ from home to find out what she wants to do.
Similarly in Episode 4, YR’s dad is lovely.
YR : “What if that is the only gold medal I’ll ever have in my entire life? what if this isn’t the start of my heyday and it has already come to an end?”
YR’s Dad : Well, then let it be. Remember, not many people win a gold medal in their life. I respect you not as your dad, but as a person. Your mum and I are already so proud of you.”
Being or Not Being an Adult
Reflection on being a minor and being an adult. Just because a person gets past 19 years of age, does not make them an adult, but they are treated differently. They no longer have a guardian but have to take responsibility for the family’s financial situation. But aside from the official age, there’s nothing that makes a person an adult.
Episode 1 YJ warns her about the difference in the way adults think. He tells her that she has the right only available to her at her age to ask an adult for help.
HD to YJ: “It’s okay to go bankrupt when you’re young. It’s better than going bankrupt when you’re almost 60.”
YJ : “That’s my dad.”…”That’s why I can’t ask my parents for help. But I’m sure you have people who can help you. That’s a special right you only have at your age, so enjoy it. It would be a waste to blow it.”
HD : “You’re right.”
YR acknowledges to her Dad that she’s got things she’s struggling with but she knows she is not alone, because mum and dad are struggling too.
Dad says : “Don’t be such a grown-up. You can whine about having a hard time.”
In Episode 4 – Mum Shin is at her daughter Hee Do’s workshop. She shows Adult Hee Do the 1998 first group photo.
Mum Shin : “Min Chae was looking at this photo from your album.”
Adult HD : “When was this? We all look so young.”
Mum Shin : “At that time, I thought Yi Jin looked pretty mature. But now that I look at this, he was just a kid.”
Being Friends or More
Just as the shift to being an adult is not actually determined by a strict time, except officially. The shift from friendship to a deeper or different relationship is also unpredictable.
The defining of the Hee Do-Yi Jin relationship. Episode 3 was when first HD with Seung Wan and then YJ with YR was asked to define their relationship. HD said that they pursued happiness together and Seung Wan concluded that they were friends. YJ tells YR that he owed HD something. (By the end of Ep 4, he is paying back)
When HD jumped into YJ’s car, he acknowledged that although her turning his tragedy (the failed the interview) into a comedy embarrassed him, it also made him laugh.
YJ : “Can you exclude me from the tragedies into comedies thing?”
HD : “Sorry.”
YJ : “I have to admit. It worked. It made me laugh. After that, failing the interview didn’t seem like a big deal. I could relate to why you turned a tragedy into a comedy. How did you come up with that?”
HD : “Because I lost so many matches. I couldn’t let every day be tragic just because I lost every time. Laughing make it easier to forget. You have to forget to move on.”
YJ stares at her as if struck by what she said.
She spoils it all by asking “That was cool, right?”
YJ scoffs.
HD : “You know what?”
YJ : “What?”
HD : “It’s raining.” (LOL)
Once again it could be a tragedy for the car to be soaked, but HD is ecstatic. (She seems very happy around water!)
HD : “Awesome! This is our chance to be happy when we’re alone. I love getting wet in the rain!”
===
YJ sees a light on in the gym as he passes by. He gets a banana milk drink, which he seems to know HD likes, and by chance is looking in at the window under which HD is sitting. She’s surprised to get the banana milk drink with a straw and to see YJ through the window.
YJ : “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
She stares at him through the window, then tells him to come in : “I can’t stand how we’re here like a scene from Romeo and Juliet.” (LOL. But she too has become more aware of him as a guy like Romeo, outside the window wooing his Juliet. His getting her a drink might also remind her of how Ji Woong got her to give YR drinks because he liked YR).
Inside, he says that she looks different in the fencing outfit as if he shouldn’t be teasing her. She looks older and more professional. He’s interested in the gear so she gets him to put on the boy’s version. She helps him get dressed in the fencing gear, while he keeps looking at her with a smile and in a different way.
They decide to have a match where the loser has to grant the winner a wish. HD would have won if YJ had not cheated and lied that Full House Episode 13 was out. She’s upset but when he takes off the foil mask and shakes out his wet fringe. He looks younger. HD looks at him suddenly transfixed. It seems that they each may be becoming more aware of each other.
===
HD : “I’m ranked 26th. Realistically speaking, I shouldn’t be dreaming of coming first place at the tryouts.”
YJ : “But you are dreaming.”
HD : “Right. See, I don’t get disappointed when my dreams don’t come true. I’m used to losing and failing.”
YJ : “That’s called having mental fortitude.” … “Everyone wants to be as strong-minded like you. They don’t want to be scared of losing and failing.” (YJ had once said he wished he only had the worries of an 18-year old – being afraid about too much homework or a girl he likes not liking him…). “Sometimes I wish I could take it from you. I think that explains why I miss you when I feel mentally weak.”
She looks at him struck by his words. The lights go out at 11pm. He takes the tip of her blade to touch his vest so that they get some light.
YJ : “You are by far the most experience fencer when it comes to losing. Those losses were blocks to build yourself stairs leading up. Think about it, now you’ve got the highest staircase. Take your time to climb it and take whatever you want.”
It goes dark. She hits him with the sword so that the light comes on again.
HD : “Why do you root for me? Even my mum doesn’t.”
YJ : “Because you give me hope. And I want more from you.”
Isn’t it just lovely that they take turns to literally light up the space for each other as they give each other hope? 🙂
Kalimera Ladies!
@GB Unnie thank you for the trascribed parts! Yes, it is lovely. I want to rewatch those scenes again.
I agree with you that there was a shift in the energy around them when YJ came to bring her that banana milk at the gym.
I agree with everyone who said that this kdrama is giving us positive vibes and warms ours hearts! I think that we need Hope collectively and it is beautiful to get it via an artistic outlet.
I read on a forum that someone was mad because HD has a daughter with someone else and I was thinking: “Is that what really matters right now?”
For me the answer is No. I think what really matters is that Hee Do, when her mother told her about seeing Yi Jin the previous month, answered so sweetly about him. That means she still has beautiful memories and feelings about Yi Jin even after all these years and that matters to me!
Question: If we were to see Yi Jin as an adult in present time, who do you think would be great in portraying him?
P.S. I am leaving here my suggestions based on height:
Yoo Ji-Tae
Jung Woo-Sung
Lee Sun-Kyun
I second Lee Sun kyun. Although I’d much prefer if they kept the same actors.
@Cleopatra, I am so happy you mentioned the scene where adult HD learns from her mother that she’s seen adult YJ. Of course, I am nervous about their time when they are 25 as nd 21. My sense is that they’ll fall in love and split up probably because of fencing. But her feelings for him will not go away.I wonder if YJ made it to America and NASA. Our couple may have also split because both followed their dreams. I wonder if YJ got to go back to university. We are seeing more of HD’s life now but we get most of YJ’s struggles with hints of his dream. And we see it how as the oldest son, he has to assume more responsibility for his younger brother. This drama certainly delineates the economic differences between in our couple. Rich boy becomes poor. Financially secure girl has a cold mother, but somehow has developed a warm and caring ❤️. Both have so much to prove. There is so much to digest in this drama. I also fear the bittersweet here. I just hope, as a romantic, that they have a second chance at love. When they do meet again, the older IJ has to be played by someone tall. Who played the anchorman in Healer. He is tall and handsome and has gravitas.
It is a pity that they couldn’t use our stars and age them. Soon we’ll see the romance blossom.
@Cleopatra, You named him-Yoo Ji Tae. We can’t buipe for Gong Yoo or So Ji Sun or Jo In Sung or Ju Ji Hoon. As Director Bong said there are no lots of of Korean Brad Pitts….
@Cleo and @OAL, Yoo Ji Tae! What a great suggestion for older YJ. I’d have liked if they could have aged the same characters though, but it’s hard to age Nam Joo Hyuk by more than 20 years maybe, although I believe Kim Tae Ri might have been able to have pulled it off.
bHaving a dream – a theme that is brought up from the start and which continues. in Episode 3 Seung Wan does not know what she’ll do, but she’s sure she’ll do something amazing. This is a dream of sorts and it’s so full of positive vibes. Hee Do knows how to dream and thinks that anyone can have a dream. However Coach Yang tells her that many young people do not know how to dream. And this actually happens with her own daughter, Min Chae.
Grandma Shin asks Min Chae whether she had done ballet for 5 years because she loved it and what she’d do next.
Min Chae : “I don’t know anymore. I need to do something to look like I’m doing something.”
G Shin : “Not something you have to do. What’s your dream?”
MC : “Adults never accept it if we say we don’t have a dream. Do we need to have one? People only talk about getting a job.” (This is our modern child who is cynical, already jaded and impassive. We compare her with young, passionate, exuberant Hee Do.)
G Shin : “You’re right. These are the times you’re living in.”
(The times have certainly changed. In 1998, the times took away opportunities and offered other opportunities and somehow I feel that the kids then took their chances with greater gratitude and less of an entitled attitude.)
===
Hee Do didn’t think that people losing things had any connection to her. It was adult stuff. She thought at age 18, she had nothing to lose. “The stuff I have can’t be lost. For eg. my dream and admiration.” HD considered Yoo Rim her dream and her admiration. HD’s dream was to become YR’s rival. So unlike her daughter, Hee Do seems so alive and full of dreams. But she sees that adult stuff does affect her and someone only 4 years older, YJ.
(However by the end of Episode 3, we find that she’s lost her admiration for YR, although her dream has strengthened.)
Ryder37 : “The times. Was it the times that crushed my dreams?”
Injeolmi : “What will you do now? Will you give up?”
Ryder37 : “No. I will never give up. But I don’t know what to do.” (Unlike Min Chae.)
Injeolmi : “If your world is gone, go to her world.”
(She will come up with harebrained schemes to get transferred to YR’s school LOL.)
HD wondered what Injeolmi’s dream was.
===
YJ lectures HD for going to the night club in order to get arrested by the police. However he does concede : “Protecting your dream …though your plan was wrong, you had the right idea. I always think only about what I’ve lost. But you think about what you can gain. I want to try that too.” At the end of Episode 4, he wants to have her mental fortitude and the hope that she retains despite her many match losses. The 22-year old ‘kid’ found himself inspired by the 18-year old kid, from almost the beginning.
===
In Episode 4, YJ is sitting drunkenly outside after failing a job interview, and HD suggests turning his tragedy into a comedy.
YJ : “You’re right. I heard that every tragedy in life is a comedy if you see it from afar.”
HD : “That means we have to live as if we’re seeing ourselves from afar. Your dream was to be in space. Let’s live as if we see ourselves from there.”
He turns to look at her profile : “I’m happy to watch from where I am. You’re fun to watch even when up close.” He closes his eyes.
HD : “That’s good to know. It was only a month ago when I was told that the times we live in took my dream away. Then recently, I heard that the times had given me an opportunity. So if you think about it, there’s no such thing as a pure tragedy or comedy. Still, I hope the road ahead of us is filled with more comedy.”
She knows that she said something profound. This is one of the big messages of this show. Winning or losing, comedy or tragedy, can be a matter of perspective. The opportunities that are lost become new opportunities to grow stronger There is no such thing as total failure if one continues to keep continuing, if one keeps protecting one’s dream. There is always reason to hope and carry on, and we can look back at the hard times with a smile if not a laugh. 🙂
Dears @OAL and @GB Unnie!
Yoo Ji Tae fits our profile perfectly because he is the same height as Nam Joo Hyun, which is 1,88 cm.
@OAl we cannot ask someone like GY or SJS or JIS because NJH is the name of the series here. We should also check about the oval of their faces and their height. That’s why I didn’t mention them at all…
@GB Unnie I agree with you guys when you say, we would prefer our actors to age a bit for the current timeline. But since they didn’t do that, I do hope we will get someone who is pretty good as Yoo Ji Tae!
Yi Jin will become a sports reporter in the next episodes! YJT has a pretty solid articulation! He would be perfect!
I like what Hee Do told to that drunken Yi Jin, @GB Unnie! It is profound. We need to have a positive view on our lives, even when things are not going well at some point. I can relate to that. I think everyone does.
I am glad we get such a beautiful message and yes you are right. We are part of the generations that we thrived in what we wanted, because we simply…tried. We still do for the same reasons, even though things don’t go our way. <3
I agree with all of you guys and gals. Awesome drama so far. Love all the leads. Especially the female lead KTR alias HeeDo.
I love all of your comments too and am enjoying it. I will chime in from time to time, since I am not such an artistic writer like many of you.
What I am loving in this drama is all these phrases and life lessons that I feel, I should embroider these saying and hang them on the wall and look at them everyday. So hopeful and inspiring.
I vote for Yoo Ji tae for the adult YJ.
I think things have become much easier for the newer generation compared to our generation that they want to take it easy and know that their parents can have their back. We worked so hard to get to where we are, and it would not have been so if we were disillusioned with the realities of life. Even though it was so difficult for YJ to work and be responsible for another person, he was doing a great job at it.
Love the optimism of HD and how she has rubbed off on YJ and how slowly he is changing too and getting his mental fortitude. There are so many, that I can apply it to my life and wonder why I did not realize so many of these things that I had to learn from a drama. Very well done for the last 4 episodes.
In the preview for next week, YJ gets a phone call, drops the phone and runs – we see him running on the street at the intersection, waiting….. Did he get the job as a reporter?
@nrlee – saw you on Soompi – tagged your post. KIT
@Cleopatra, I saw an article from KoreNews/Koreaboo in my news feed showing Gong Yoo giving a thumbs up to Nam Joo Hyuk performance in 25/21 on his Instagram accunt. They are represented by the same agency, management SOOP.So much fun.
Dear @OAL I know…😇
I am following management Soop’s Boss and I saw it on Instagram on my feed…
He was smiling that Ahjussi! 😊
Finished Ep4. Still loving it. I think with Ep4 we can put to rest the question as to whether Baek is YJ’s real surname or not. It has to be because the man at the interview that he bumped into referred to him as Baek YiJin. Had he changed his surname after his family split up, the man would’ve called him by some other surname? That would also explain how creditors found him so easily. He kept the same name.
I really love how funny the dialogue is. And the clever banter between friends. This after JW and HD rock the dance 😂😂😂
https://i.ibb.co/H2NhdX7/F3-EB47-B8-E609-46-D9-BC49-6-BACDE50-AF1-B.jpg
Spotted the Romeo and Juliet moment even before HD referred to it. 😂. By the end of Ep4 with all the framing by PD (Green light on YJ’s side 😂)
https://i.ibb.co/VYkdPRr/6-E284238-A9-F7-4-AC7-9-AFD-73-D0-E75-FD159.jpg
I am pretty sure YJ is smitten. He strode towards her in the dark gymnasium. She took a few steps back though? I am not sure she’s as invested. Somehow I think they went their separate ways after 25-21. He went away to NASA to pursue his dream and possibly earn enough to pay off the creditors to reunite his family. She off to fencing stardom.
I think YJ summed up how people around HD feel. Her singularity of purpose and ability to bounce back in spite of failing fills them with awe and dread at the same time. Especially if they don’t have a lot of confidence in the first place or allow their own insecurities play on their self worth when they compare themselves with her. That’s why YR can be such a good friend to HD online (no HD aura to contend with) yet she can’t help but denigrate her in real life (she’s speaking from a place of fear and insecurity).
https://i.ibb.co/Czm9Ggg/993100-B5-BE7-F-4-D2-D-AAB9-BB64-D31691-D3.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/9NRDfbW/7-BC508-A3-8317-4-C61-ABA4-348-A308-CC2-E2.jpg
Thanks for transcribing the dialogue @GB. It’s so witty yet maintains its authenticity. I love it.
Kalimera Ladies!
@nrllee Yi Jin won’t go to NASA. He will become a sports reporter. That’s why we saw Hee Do’s mother arguing in her channel meeting to extend the job hunting not only to college graduates, but also to high school graduates because of the 450.000 college drop outs due to IMF crisis!
As for changing his surname, we were just saying that maybe since he will be on television he might change his last name because of the creditors. It was just a speculation, since we don’t know who is Hee Do daughter’s father!
@angelwingssf hey there Chingu. Yes saw you surfacing in Soompi. I am around in the 25-21 thread there too. It seems to be touching a lot of folk so the thread is humming along.
@Cleo yes that’s plausible too. Would be interesting to hear what happened to MC’s father. HD’s father passed away (not sure what of) so writer may have history repeat itself and have MC’s biological father pass away and open up the way for a reunion of HD and YJ later in life.
I am finding the mature HD actress difficult to read. KTR is doing such a good job of acting that when the mature actress comes on screen as her older self, I am finding it hard to believe it’s the same person 😂.
O and the other thing I noticed are the fencing bags and the foil colours. HD is red. Which goes with her fiery personality. YR is blue. Cool and calmer.
My Fave Female Lead
Young Hee Do is about the most endearing FL I’ve watched since, maybe Goblin!!!
I like that HD is different from a majority of Female Leads. She’s such a tomboy, very independent and a loner, without the need for a female confidante, except for the virtual Injeolmi. The way she walks, stretches, flexes her muscles and her mannerisms remind me more of a thug than of a young girl. I don’t know why, but I love it.
One of my favourite scenes has to be of her running faster than all the guys, including the guy on the bicycle. Love their utter chagrin and how YJ drove by in his red sports car…
YJ while driving next to a running HD : “Why are you being chased? Did you do something again?”
HD : “I didn’t do anything! And shouldn’t you offer me a ride if you think I’m being chased?”
YJ : “But I’m sure no one can catch you.” (Heheheheh!)
HD : “Doesn’t it occur to you how tired I would be?”
LOLOLOL
She goes about like a charging bull and with as much finesse, and yet she is sensitive and sweet, able to take criticism, and to grow from it.
I noted that at the beginning of Episode 4 both HD and YJ faced what seemed like failure. YJ was disillusioned, and it showed in his interview answer, and HD was criticised for having no strategy, but by the end of the Episode, despondency had given way to hope, and in HD we see progress. She figures out how to strategise, successfully gets the selfish seniors to eat their words and give her permission to train at night. She’s built up enough strength and stamina after training with Coach Yang so that she can outrun the thugs, and she finds a solution to learning the dance choreography. Although she’s soundly defeated in the match against Coach Yang, she considers it an honour. This is one kid whom I really want to see win her way into the National Team.
I agree with @nrllee… somehow, I can’t see this kid growing up to be the Adult Hee Do that we see. I would actually like to see the process of how she became the demure and polite adult. Probably becoming a public figure, and famous like her mum, got her to make a great transformation LOL.
Ohhh, I saw 25/-21 sign again in episode 4 (bigger and more obvious as the name of the woodworking shop) when grandma and old HD were talking about Yijin.
Although I am giving the casting director a chance with the decision to put a different older actress for Heedo, I’m with everyone that it feels disconcerting to watch the shift especially that the voice is different. They should have tried to age KTR. I was rewatching Ep3-4 with the daughter and she had the same misgivings but I told her they may be avoiding what happened In The last movie of Harry Potter series where they aged Harry, Hermione, etal and it was awful! LOL! But I like Yoo Ji Tae as adult Yjin.
@GB – same with me! I am thoroughly enjoying HD character and the way LTR is playing her is fantastic and memorable. Thanks for the transcripts and your notes on parenting. I even find the concern and interest (some laughed it off) of the older folks who saw the note he failed in the interview endearing. He is finding his community too who will be rooting for him, I’m sure.
Having watched these episodes with the daughter, she commented that she really liked the friendship and support for each other and she’s ok if they remain just great friends. LOL! I’ve been viewing these in romantic lens.
Heedo is also teaching Yijin how to dream and fail and win. As the “times” have granted an opportunity to Heedo to be in the national team, soon we will find the “times” will also grant Yijin his chance. Because they did not quit.
Lastly, Happy Birthday to Nam Joo Hyuk!
Hi All, I am waiting to see our leads when they turn 25 and 21. Ithink we’ll get more clues to their older selves. For some reason I think they’ll part at that age. I could be wrong, but HD’s daughter is discovering her mother through her diary and the timeliness may have ended when HD attained her fencing goal/gold. Perhaps YJ is her first love and there will be a parting. YJ has a love for space but I agree with @Cleopatra that he doesn’t go to NASA but he ends up doing something in broadcastingbecause of his legendary status in the high school broadcasting club. So far, I don’t think HD’s daughter is YJ’s child. Unless they had a long time relationship, which seems implausible, the daughter is too young. And another speculation is that given the opening ballet scene and the daughter running away to her grandmother, has adult HD become like her mother?
There are so many questions to ponder here that may be answered when we see our leads in both of their young adulthood. S. Koreans are very age conscious. The four year age difference has significance at different stages of life. There may be a change to the relationship when she reaches legal maturity. Our writer, even in the title of this drama, has provided a tantalizing mystery here. We know that new age will be significant. We know that adult HD is curious about YJ (where we think we know there has been distance.). We are definitely being toyed with. I am hoping for a romance but I won’t assume. And as others have said, will we get an idea of their adult development or will we get a time jump.
On another vein, I have seen complaints about Nam Joo Hyuk regarding his acting. I think his acting is fine. I loved him in Start Up. He is not flashy but has a boyish charm. Just saying…
@OAL, I agree with you and @Cleo. I’m guessing that we are to enjoy the goings-on between these 2 young people for 3 years, until they turn 25 and 21. It is the time of crossover from childhood to adulthood, in which we watch the dynamics between them shift. At the moment we only know what happened when they were 22 and 18 from Min Chae’s reading of 18-year old Hee Do’s diary.
At first I wondered if we were watching through the lenses of 18-year old Hee Do, her perspective of the past, but since we get to watch what happens in Yoo Rim’s life as well, I believe that we are given an objective view.
At the very least, the attitude of never-say-die and the positive attitude of her mother, should make their way into Min Chae’s consciousness. She will or has seen that her mother can relate with her over loss and mistakes, over her sometimes fraught relationship with her own mother and with the reality of an absent father. The parallels between mother and daughter are quite evident. She might learn to see her mum as her ally, and not just the grown up who won’t accept her as she is, the way Adult Hee Do and Mum Shin seem to do.
The end of the series will, I trust, give us the growth of not just the 5 main characters but of Min Chae as well.
===
According to Asianwiki/MyDramaList, Yi Jin “… becomes a sports reporter for a broadcasting network.” I’m thinking he asks to be in sports reporting so that he gets to follow Hee Do on her matches. It becomes natural, then, that they should become a couple as they may not have been separated in the initial years.
The synopsis also says: “Two people first meet when they are 22 and 18 years old and fall in love years later when they turn 25 and 21.” Hence we are watching the most fun parts of their relationship, from when and how they begin, until they actually are confirmed to be in love.
We have a big gap of years (at a guess, around 20 years?) when we see Hee Do again: a very different Hee Do who’s doing well in her woodworking after retiring from active competition, but still alone as she generally was. A Hee Do with a teenage child, but no husband, but seemingly on better terms with her mother.
While we want to watch young HD’s rise to success, the characters have already become so entrenched in our hearts that we also want to know about them in the unknown ‘gap years’ that seems to have kept them apart.
FROM HINDSIGHT
Mugged
In Episode 1, Mum Shin is driving home when she sees HD jumping around along the road holding her sword aloft with Coach Yang’s apple still impaled on it. Mum notes that she has no shoes but instead black plastic bags on her feet, since she lost her shoes to Coach Yang.
Mum Shin : “Were you mugged?”
HD : “Yes.” (It seems both mother and daughter do not bother to correct misconceptions!!! Mum never told her she still had the wedding rings even 20 years later!)
Mum Shin : “Why do you bother doing sports?”
HD : “To be mugged without being hit.”
This is a played out exactly in Episode 4, when HD’s sports training enables her to run away from the thugs. In fact in Episode 1 she already got tangled with one of them in the gang fight, and never took a hit.
And later when she breaks her slippers, it’s meta. She thinks it’s funny that her slippers broke and she has no glue, so she does not know how to get home.
YJ : “The most you’ll think of is wrapping your foot in a plastic bag.”
HD : “How did you know?” LOLOL
Differentiation
Hee Do blames YJ for turning the peeing boy statue into a eunuch. LOL. She’s surprised that it’s a fake statue and that there’s really an original in Brussels. Just because it’s original does it have a better right to pee? LOL
HD has a retort : “Is it okay for the peeing boy to be unable to pee if it’s a fake?”
We see this same logic in Episode 3 when she stands up for herself against Yoo Rim’s spiteful insults. She asked if it was okay for an average fencer’s effort to be considered less valuable than a gold medalist’s effort. Is there a tier for effort? What gives anyone a right to look down on the effort of others.
If YR wanted to disabuse HD from being obsessed with her, this was a surefire way to do it.
Prophetic
When HD decides to get a compulsory transfer by starting a fight with a schoolmate who was the boss of the girl gang, the boss girl was correct in her advice. She said HD should take care of her athlete’s body because she might win medals later. Well, she did win many medals, so it was fortunate that HD never injured herself during all her feats of daring do.
===
In Episode 1, HD comes to speak to Coach Yang to beg to be taken in. She admits to being not a good fencer.
Coach : “Why do you still fence if you know?”
HD : “I’m familiar with it.”
Coach : “What?”
HD : “Technique and good sense are important, but familiarity can really help too.”
We see later that this became true. She was able to beat YR because she was familiar with YR’s moves.
Thank you @GB for filling in the gaps from articles and posts I did not see and for these beautiful write ups. Like Just Between Lovers, this drama is rooted in unforeseen circumstances that had direct and indirect effects on its victims and bystanders. There would be no plot if the school HD attended was able to keep its fencing program. YJ might not have gone into broadcasting had his university education been interrupted and his family permanently separated. It is another drama that is so profound.
I too adore HD for her awkwardness, her unbridled joy, her determination, her teen angst. Kim Tae RI, who is a beautiful woman, shows that, as an actress, she allows herself to become immersed in her character without regard for how she looks. She is totally be,is able as a teen and as an athlete. I am sad that her middle aged character has to be played by a different actress. Nevertheless I am taken by her performance.
She also pairs well with NM Joo Hyuk, who to my mind, is underrated. It is funny that his and Kim’s ages are almost the reverse of the roles they play. He is a natural actor and is a quiet foil for her energy. I hope his older self is played by someone good.
We are a quarter of the way in and have lots of ground to cover. I have a feeling that our journey will be satisfying, but, in the end, we won’t want it to end.
Sounds like the synopsis blew away my guess about YJ going to NASA 😂. I guess as everyone said here, as a sports reporter he gets to follow her around. Unlike JiWoong who has to wait around for YR when she’s away in training and competitions.
Class President seems to be the glue that keeps the 5 of them together. She is neutral and doesn’t have any underlying jealousy issues. 😂. The loach catching was hilarious if it didn’t give me the heebie jeebies (ewww) as they grabbed those slippery little suckers 😂. Nothing like giving them a task together to work towards for team bonding. I did love how HD was the only one who gobbled it up. A princess she ain’t 😂. Nothing remotely precious about her.
@nrllee I like that Ji Woong considered it a talent to eat heartily the food that one didn’t like. HD must have taken Coach’s words to heart. She had been told to eat well and maintain her strength as an athlete.
I do like Seung Wan. She’s so secure in herself, that she does not create problems for others. I loved all the times she has been trying to undo her faux pas (when she had been rude towards YJ) with her revered sunbae Yi Jin. No matter how smart, she still could not foresee how her words or plans would be undone by circumstances, and continue to put her in a bad light with him. Poor Seung Wan.
Show is a bit different in that all the 5 protagonists (and even Min Chae) are independent individuals, without satellites or besties around them. It will be nice when they get together in a united project, ie something other than catching slippery loaches!!
Kalimera Ladies!
@OAL who said that Nam Joo Hyuk doesn’t act well in this one? Are they blind?
Seriously, some people have expectations about something, when they don’t even know the craft of acting.
@GB Unnie, we are going to find out, how this will play! Your notes are up to the point as usual!
@Janey, yes Nam Joo Hyuk and Han Hyo Joo both had their birthdays yesterday!
This scene had me in stitches. After JW taught HD the dance, they had this funny exchange and I laughed out loud when he told her “don’t fall for me”. 😂. He’s so full of himself but he’s not obnoxious for some reason.
https://i.ibb.co/mJr0dyV/FE1-C6141-4-C74-4-F11-8-F76-8-C7592-B37-F17.jpg
@Old American Lady and @Cleopatra, is it so impossible that Gong Yoo might play the older YJ? He is fairly tall and they wouldn’t be standing next to each other anyway.
YJ asked HD about the different colours on the guards. When HD said it had to do with international and national competitions, it was good that YJ asked her about the colour she would have when she gets to that level. He has faith in her. I wondered if HD’s choice of colours for her guard is significant? YR had red on hers, so out of the two possible colours, HD chooses to be different and wants blue. I thought that before they knew each other HD might have wanted red to emulate YR.
I liked the scene where she helped YJ get fastened up into the fencing outfit. He seemed VERY aware of her closeness, but she seemed oblivious at that point. Not so later in the scene.
I would also like to applaud good parenting in YR’s household. Not so much the father sneaking a drink to YR but their unfailing support of her regardless (gold medal or not). Whilst her family aren’t well to do, their family unit is stable and there is harmony in their home. YJ’s family (from what little we have seen) appears to be similar. Despite the fracturing due to the IMF crisis, they are still “together” and unified in their suffering. YJ’s relationship with his brother stays strong. I really like how this author pens relationships and the dialogues. She gives you enough to understand what’s going on but she keeps it lighthearted (even if the situation portrayed is rather dark and dire). It has the potential to enter really makjang territory but she subverts it and turns it into a funny moment instead eg the potential piggyback ride, the 2 bus rides. Just like HD thinking YJ was offering her a piggyback, YR thought JW was offering the seat to her…only to find out that an old lady took the seat instead 😂😂. And just like YJ finding a different solution to the problem, JW asked the old lady to lap the containers of food for YR.
Dear @Fern,
I would love it if Gong Yoo was the older Yi Jin, but I don’t know if that is possible. That’s why I didn’t even mention it.
They are in the same Agency Management Soop. Btw, GY is 1,84cm. So yes he is tall himself and 4 inches is not that much.
I agree with you Yi Jin was aware for the attraction but she wasn’t, until later anyway when they were on their matching fencing gears and Hee Do really looked at him.
@Cleo, I think it didn’t strike HD until that moment when the lights went out. The director made his footsteps echo so loudly when he came towards her. Then he touched her foil tip to his chest to make the light come on, rather than touching her with his foil. Some directors make a background noise of a heartbeat, but here it was footsteps, which was very effective in a darkened room. When the light went back out, she struck him in the abdomen with her foil – both times it was he who was ‘touché’ in more ways than one. It may be foreshadowing.
I was thinking that Gong Yoo could even look a bit like Nam Joo Hyuk around the eyes and chin. Ah, well, that will have to go in my mental imaginary fanfic. 🤪😆
As testimony to how popular this show is, I found quite a large number of music videos. Here are just 2 with selected couple scenes up to Ep 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IIaDD_7xLc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8lupgi4cFA
🙂
@Fern – love your “touché “ reference above! Learning a bit more on fencing and its metaphors – gauging and maintaining space, move with grace like a dancer, parry your way to tough times. Allez Yijin and Heedo!!!
@GB – thanks for the links! Those are good mv’s of favorite scenes. I’ve been looking at the BTS also but they are short. Saw one comment in the YT link that said they’re like Jo and Laurie from Little Women. Oh no… my heart! LOL!
@Cleo and @AOL – NJH’s acting here is appropriate for his role and a perfect foil for the exuberant Heedo. I also read before that his goal in acting is for the viewer to see and feel that his character was real. So no over-the-top acting there, I would think.
Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise? 🤔
https://www.soompi.com/article/1514640wpp/choi-tae-joon-to-appear-on-tv-for-1st-time-since-marriage-to-park-shin-hye-in-twenty-five-twenty-one
@Growing Beautifully, thank you for the MVs. They really were well edited and each matched the mood of the songs.
@nrllee, his family name isn’t Kim, so I’m not too worried. 😉 Interesting, though…
@Fern,
I don’t remember clearly that scene in my head at the moment. I need to rewatch it.
If you remember footsteps we were listening on TKEM when Lee Gon was coming near Tae Eul, so I get what you want to say!
@Janey I think that he nails it. I don’t understand what people are saying at times…
@GB Unnie,
thanks for the links I need to watch these!
@Cleopatra, about 1.11.05 the normal sound of footsteps stops and slower, echoing footsteps sound closer and closer.
I also think that NJH is catching absolutely the right tone in his acting.
@nrllee mentioned the green light and it sparked this thought. … @Fern, I wanted to add to your touche comment since first YJ then HD used HD’s sword to touched YJ’s vest, that symbolically, he first gave himself the green light (to go in pursuit of HD), followed by HD, who probably never considered it as a green light for action.
I’d have thought it more usual if YJ had used his own sword to touch HD and light up the room, but that would have been a red light which means ‘no go’! LOL.
Thank you for the tip @Fern! I will check it again tomorrow!
Yes NJH is good in these depressed/repressed male lead roles. It was the same in Radiant (Light in Your Eyes). But he has grown in confidence in his acting and it shows. He’s a lot more assured.
@nrllee, to me NJH has melancholy eyes. Gong Yoo does, too. NJH has that even when he smiles, unless it’s a really broad grin.
@packmule3, please could you post an ep. 5-6 open thread for tomorrow?
With many thanks.
thanks for the reminder, Fern.
This scene just has me cracking up 😂 JW doesn’t care….HD, “Okay.” Moving right along.
@nrllee, I just rewatched and laughed heartily too.
Don’t you just love how HD is so secure that it does not matter to her a whit what’s going on with other relationships? She’s just totally focused on her game, and eating well, and staying healthy to compete.
The Right Distance for a Handshake
Some music videos clued me in but I really started to notice when I did a quick rewatch. This show makes me so happy.
I notice that Episodes 1-3 were episodes of failed handshakes, except for one proper one (guess whose!)
YJ meets Seung Wan for the first time in Ep 2 and offers to shake hands but she won’t take his hand. In Ep 3 Seung Wan discovers to her chagrin that YJ is her sunbae from the same club and goes up to him to bow obsequiously. However when he introduces himself by name and offers his hand, she stops short of taking it, exclaiming instead that she thought he was rich!
YJ offered to shake hands in Ep 2, to congratulate HD for getting into the new school, and she slapped his hand. In Ep 3, she tells him that she gets to try out for the national team and again she slaps his hand instead of shaking it.
In the fencing match, after HD beat YR, YR refused to do more than touch the tips of HD’s fingers. Five years earlier, HD had also beaten YR and she had refused to shake hands entirely.
Did you guess who really shook hands?
The only 2 who shook hands were Yoo Rim and Ji Woong, after he almost ran into her with his skateboard in the school hallway. Heh!
Other Distances and Physical Contact
We have a sweet scene in Ep 3 where YJ meets his father who examines him closely, whose wrist YJ grabs and who gives him a big hug. The absolute right distance between father and son.
Ep 2 ends off with YJ then HD grabbing the other’s wrist to run, and they forge a relationship with the secret of their pursuit of happiness. In Ep 3 YJ catches a running HD by the wrist just as she broke her slippers. They end up doing a 3-legged walk-hop home. The right distance between friends.
At the end of Ep 3, HD feels that she has not known how to control the distance between herself and YR and herself and YJ, because she expected too much from them. But we find that the one who says there is no distance between them and who claims to be always on HD’s side, is Injeolmi, who is none other than YR.
If we jump to Ep 4, once again it’s only Ji Woong who gets a proper hand clasp, and this time it’s with HD after they successfully execute the dance steps.
Finally we see HD make a proper handshake with Coach Yang after being beaten by her in a match. The right distance between sunbae and hoobae. 🙂
Great observations @GB. I agree that 2521 is just the right drama for these “times”. That there is happiness to be found if we look hard. It requires spontaneity in the moment, belief that these “times” will not last forever, and hope for a better future. For some reason that in itself steadies me despite all the rumours swirling around that we’re in for tears and sadness in the coming episodes. It’s that assurance that no matter what hits the cast, there will be reason for happiness. And a reason to be hopeful for the future.
@Cleo: Manifesting a Gong Yoo older version of NJH! That would be awesome.
Loving the drama more. Storyline is getting better and I’m glad both HD and YJ are noticing each other now on a whole new level. That scene on the gym and how YJ is looking at HD with the half smile… I’m melting! 😍
I love class seven’s pretty boy. He doesn’t come off as obnoxious or irritating. I hope there is no love triangle or anything with YR and his bestie. JW and HD’s dance number is the best!
I don’t know what the twist is but I am still wishing YJ is still the father of Minchae. There must be a reason why she didn’t recognize him.
In the scenes where the whole group of 5 is together, did anyone else have the impression that Ji Woong was a bit piqued that another man (YJ), who was more mature and more ‘cool’, knew all of his friends?
Dear @Fern, yes I noticed it too. Even when YJ and HD just got out of the car, JW noticed that YR was staring at them and he peered into her face. He had a serious look on his face.
He hears YR asking YJ about his car and he touches his fringe (his normal affectation when he thinks he’s cool, but this time he thinks his cool-ness is at risk LOL).
JW looks at YJ and asks : “How come you both know him, is he someone important?”
YJ : “You can say that.” (LOL I wonder what YJ means by that!!)
JW gives him a look of displeasure.
When Seung Wan bows to YJ, saying he was just as handsome as always, Ji Woong’s even more unhappy. LOL.
JW is not the only ‘pretty boy’ around, suddenly, and he does not own a car. 😉