Tag: Twenty Five Twenty One

The Wednesday Five: Squad Goals

Posted December 14, 2022 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

I’m a list person. I have a list for every single thing in my life from a to-do list, a list of books that I want to read, a running shopping list, and in the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing different k-entertainment lists that I’ve been keeping track of. You’ll be seeing my top 5 lists of stuff like my current celebrity crushes, my favorite k-drama female protagonists, my favorite k-drama male protagonists, my to-be-watched k-dramas, and you know, stuff like that.

This week’s Wednesday Five will feature my favorite friendships, or squad goals. These are my favorite friendship circles from all of the k-dramas that I’ve watched up to date. I laughed, I cried, I happy sighed, with each of these squads and I just adored their dynamic, their love for each other and just them. Period.

1. Reply 1988

Where to Watch: Netflix
Starring: Park Bo Gum, Lee Hyeri, Ryu Joon Yeol

These five are at the very top of my favorite squad goals list. They were everything. Their friendship was crazy and it was fun but they were also very loyal to one another. The way that two of the boys were in love with the one girl in the group and were considerate of each other warmed my heart but I also loved just how silly they were with each other. The way that they looked forward to Taek winning his tournaments so he would buy them all food, the way that they all took turns teaching Taek bad words, how to be a normal kid, and the way that they reacted to each other (especially when they found out that Sun Woo was dating Deok Sun’s sister, haha) and just…everything. These guys were everything.

2. Twenty Five, Twenty One

Where to Watch: Netflix
Starring: Nam Joo Hyuk, Kim Tae Ri, Choi Hyun Wook

These guys were another fantastic friend group. I loved how supportive they were of each other, even when it was hard for them to do so. Hee Do and Yurim’s friendship came a long way but once they became friends, they were tight as hell and I really liked their friendship. Each of them had their own relationship with each other but I really liked the scenes in which they were all together. I mean, it’s hard to top the friendship between Ji Woong and Seung Wan but I thought their collective friendship between the five of them was pretty special and I really enjoyed seeing them.

3. Dear My Friends

Where to Watch: Netflix
Starring: Kim Hye Ja, Na Moon Hee, Go Doo Shim

I watched this show and couldn’t help but hope that my own squad would be just as tight as this squad was in this drama. They were damn near 80 years old, still getting in trouble but close as ever. I loved how they kept showing up for each other, even when it meant that they would get in trouble from kids. I know that I’m going to be giving Brenna fits when I’m older and I’m low key excited about that. I adored the friendship between all of these old ladies, so much so that I want that for myself.

4. Fight for My Way

Where to Watch: Viki
Starring: Park Seo Joon, Kim Ji Won, Ahn Jae Hong

These four were a lot of fun. They were also extremely loyal to each other even through the downs of a couple going through it. I loved how they each knew their place in the friendship and the girls stuck with the girls while the boys did the same. I also loved how supportive they were of each other. Love, love, love these guys!

5. Crash Landing On You

Where to Watch: Netflix
Starring: Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin, Seo Ji Hye

This squad holds a special place in my heart. I love how loyal they were to their boss and how that loyalty extended to his lady love. These guys were such a joy to watch and seeing them struggle, stumble, and then get back up to try again had me super happy. Adored these guys.

What are some of your favorite k-drama squad goals?

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The Weekly Recap (186)

Posted December 12, 2022 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

Hey guys!

It’s a new week and it’s been a quiet week. I didn’t get anywhere on my job hunt this week since I was busy learning my sister’s job and getting familiar with what she does daily. I’m also helping her with her company Christmas party this week, so I’m sure there will be things that she needs my input on so my job hunt has been pushed back one more time. When I get back from L.A. after Christmas, I won’t have anything else for the next little while to plan for so I’m going to get serious about my job hunt then.

For real, for real. If I’m being honest though, if my sister’s company doesn’t hire me, I’m going to be annoyed because what the hell am I even doing all this for? Gah.

Hmm, I will say that between me helping my sister with all of her work, I did manage to become a k-pop fan for real. I used to only listen to BTS but I’ve discovered Seventeen and their music makes me happy. So much so that I’ve got two biases and I purchased their fandom membership (I have three fandom memberships right now…yikes.), I’ve added collecting their photocards to my 2023 goals (just my biases though because there are 13 members in this group) and I’ve added my favorite songs to my weekly streaminig lists so I’m listening to a lot of Indigo (AMAZING ALBUM!), The Astronaut by Jin, Jack in the Box by J Hope, and loads of Seventeen and TXT. I am in k-pop heaven right now.

Now, let’s get into all of the things that I did last week…because it was a lot. I didn’t realize that I’m juggling so many different dramas right now. Some dramas are on their way out though so my watch list should ease up soon. On with the show though…

What I Watched

May I Help You?: We’re in our dating era, guys! Tae Hee and Dong Joo are official and just as things are starting to heat up for them as a couple, the shit hits the fan. Like, everything. I’m really glad that this drama is character driven because I really enjoy both Tae Hee and Dong Joo’s characters.

They’re good people, trying their best each and every day and I just adore them so much. Finding out that Tae Hee’s younger brother was actually the first ghost that Dong Joo saw, reeling from the guilt she’s been carrying around all these years and seeing that it’s part of the same guilt that Tae Hee has been carrying as well. Gah, so much drama and I’m here for it all. I’m curious about how this will all come together to wrap up drama. Sigh, this has been such a great drama.

Behind Every Star: I’m really only watching this show for Jane. There are only a few weeks left of this show and I wonder if I’ll tune in until the very end. Right now, I don’t think so but we’ll see but damn I really hope Jane wins her man back. She better not end up with the guy that bought the company. Also, it was great to see Daniel Henney in this weeks episodes. He’s so damn handsome.

Revenge of Others: This show gives me anxiety. Every damn episode there is something happening that has my heart racing cause I just know that these damn high school kids are going to get caught and everything is going to go up in smoke. This week wasn’t any different. Still, I can’t stop watching and I can’t stop hoping that everything comes together and resolves itself nice and tidy.

The First Responders: I’m still a big fan of this show and this week’s episodes only added to my love for these characters, the work that they do, and just everything. Love this one!

Reborn Rich: The last couple of weeks, I’ve been a bit bored with all of the business shit going on with Reborn Rich but not anymore. I’m gone and completely hooked. I think the romance between the two main leads is a weird one for sure because how the hell do they start dating and then she shows up at his work the way that she did? SMH. Get it together girl. I’m glad that I stuck with this one because things are heating up and I’m stoked to see where we go from here.

Summer Strike: I think this one is a keeper. Last week I didn’t think that I’d keep on with this one but the secondary characters have stood out a lot for me and I’m really liking them and it is through them that I’ve come to love the main leads. That’s never happened before. But, I’m good and hooked now and I’m going to need only good things for Bom now. I freaking demand it. Sigh.

Extraordinary You: I only managed to watch two episode of this one this week and though I’ve warmed up a little bit, the heroine still drives me a little crazy. I’m interested enough that I’m not going to drop this but it’s not my favorite, not by a long shotot. We’ll see how this all turns out though.

Alchemy of Souls 2: IT’S HERE! IT’S FINALY HERE! Therese and I have been waiting for the release of this season to drop for what seems like forever and the first two episodes were just as amazing as we hoped they’d be. I’m SO excited to see where this new season takes us and I’m itching for more Naksu and Jang Uk. There’s no time to fuck around and I’m so here for the changes from the last season. AHHHHHHH, SO EXCITED!!

The Forbidden Marriage: This show premiered this week and the first two episodes were a lot of fun. There was enough of everything that I like in a drama to satisfy me and leave me wanting more. I can already tell that it’s going to be a great ride and I’m looking forward to more.

Unlock the Boss: Another new premiere this week and another show that I’m excited about. The first two episodes were good ones so I’m looking forward to where this one goes as well. December has been a good drama month so far, let’s see if that keeps up but this one is definitely a keeper.

What I Reviewed

Love in Contract | 4 out of 5
Extraordinary Attorney Woo | 4.5 out of 5

What I Posted

The Weekly Recap (185)
The Monthly Recap: November 2022
The Wednesday Five: K-Movies I Love
My TBW Pile: December 2022
Eye Candy Friday: Baek Yi Jin from Twenty-Five, Twent-One

Eye Candy Friday

Baek Yi Jin

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

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Eye Candy Friday: Baek Yi Jin

Posted December 9, 2022 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

Eye Candy Friday is something that I’ve been doing since I first started my personal blog way back in 2003. That first personal blog is long gone but I’ve never really grown out of the eye candy phase. I’m always up for some eye candy. Whether it’s a character from a book (male or female, I don’t discriminate), a character from a movie or TV Show, if I loved them and want to gush about how much I loved them, you’ll find them here. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

This week, I’m featuring Baek Yi Jin from Twenty-Five, Twenty-One. Baek Yi Jin was such a highlight in this show for me. I adored him from beginning to end. He wasn’t perfect but he woke up every day and tried to be better than he was the day before so my love for him continued to grow with each passing episode. And even though his show didn’t have the ending that I wanted, I still really loved him. And that is why he’s this week’s Eye Candy Friday.

Twenty Five, Twenty One was a great show and even that ending couldn’t smash my love of the characters and the show as a whole. So if you haven’t watched it yet, you should because everyone should know Baek Yi Jin.

Watch Twenty-Five, Twenty-One

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One

Where to Watch: Netflix
Starring: Nam Joo Hyuk, Kim Taeri, Bona
Year Released: 2022
Genre: Drama, Life, Romance

In a time when dreams seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues big ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuild his life.

Na Hee Do is a member of her high school fencing team. Due to the South Korean financial crisis, the high school fencing team gets disbanded. Getting through all the difficulties, she becomes a member of the national fencing team.

The South Korean financial crisis also causes Baek Yi Jin’s father’s business to go bankrupt. This leads to a life change for Baek Yi Jin, from living the life of a wealthy person to a poor person. While studying, he works part-time jobs like delivering newspapers. Later, he becomes a sports reporter for a broadcasting network.

Until next week…enjoy!

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The Wednesday Five: My K-Drama Besties

Posted October 26, 2022 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

I’m a list person. I have a list for every single thing in my life from a to-do list, a list of books that I want to read, a running shopping list, and in the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing different k-entertainment lists that I’ve been keeping track of. You’ll be seeing my top 5 lists of stuff like my current celebrity crushes, my favorite k-drama female protagonists, my favorite k-drama male protagonists, my to-be-watched k-dramas, and you know, stuff like that.

This week’s Wednesday Five will feature my top K-Drama Besties. These are some of my favorite k-drama characters that I would love to be besties with in real life. These characters have captured my heart and I adore them to pieces and know that we would have the best of times if we were really best friends.

1. Ji Eun Tak from Goblin

I want to be besties with Eun Tak because if anyone needed someone in their corner, it was her. I mean, I know that she eventually finds her found family but before she found them, she was living life on her own and I got a mean mouth so I could have stood up for her at school, I could have fought some bitches for her, especially her cousin. I could have definitely fought that bitch. I wanted to protect Eun Tak so much because she was such a sweet person, even with the shitty hand she was dealt. She’s a much better person than I am.

2. Naksu, from Alchemy of Souls

Naksu is a bad bitch and I always want to be around bad bitches. Naksu is such a bad bitch that she could protect me from anything and everyone. And since I have this big ol’ mean mouth, with Naksu, I could run it without fear of consequence because having Naksu as a best friend, she’d handle all of my light weight, haha. Let’s not talk about my love for her boo thang. LMAO.

3. Sung Deok Sun from Reply 1988

Deok Sun is one of the funniest and most fun female leads that I’ve ever watched. She was funny as shit, silly as shit, and just looks like she’d be a good time, no matter what we were doing. She’d be the best best friend because of everything I mentioned. We all need a goofy bestie to make life more interesting and Deok Sun fits that bill perfectly. Let’s not talk about my love for her boo thang either, haha.

4. Na Hee Do from Twenty Five, Twenty One

Ain’t nobody as loyal to the soil as Na Hee Do. She’s one of those best friends that take all of your secrets to the grave so she’d be a great bestie. She’s also really good at fencing so I’d carry her bags so that I could travel all over the world so she could play and I could see the world. It would be a fun friendship, I promise. I would be her loudest cheerleader at all of her matches, too. See? So much fun.

5. Jin Yeong Seo from A Business Proposal

I really loved Jin Yeong from A Business Proposal. I thought she was a great best friend to the main female lead. She was thoughtful, she was funny, and just the right amount of silly that would be a good time. She’s the kind of bestie that sleepovers were made for. We would have so much fun together. Our girls nights in would be full of laughter for sure.

There you have it. The five k-drama characters that I want to be besties with. Who’s on your list?

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Review: Twenty Five, Twenty One

Posted July 26, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Twenty Five, Twenty One

Starring: Kim Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, Lee Joo Myung
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy, Romance
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Recommended By: N/A
Who I Watched It For: Nam Joo Hyuk, Choi Hyun Wook

In a time when dreams seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues big ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuild his life.

Na Hee Do is a member of her high school fencing team. Due to the South Korean financial crisis, the high school fencing team gets disbanded. Getting through all the difficulties, she becomes a member of the national fencing team.

The South Korean financial crisis also causes Baek Yi Jin’s father’s business to go bankrupt. This leads to a life change for Baek Yi Jin, from living the life of a wealthy person to a poor person. While studying, he works part-time jobs like delivering newspapers. Later, he becomes a sports reporter for a broadcasting network.

I wanted to watch this show because both Nam Joo Hyuk and Choi Hyun Wook were in it. I was still riding high on my love of Racket Boys and wanted to support Choi Hyun Wook’s new project so as soon as the drama dropped, I was on it.

This drama follows a young protagonist who is determined to be the best fencer in South Korea. She meets a young man named Baek Ye Jin and becomes fast friends with him. Na Hee Do was such a vibe. I loved the hell out of young Hee Do. I also loved the hell out of young Ye Jin. Seeing them meet, bicker, and then become friends before developing romantic feelings for each other was a whole lot of fun. I adored the first half of this show. Seeing high school Hee Do battle her Mom to be able to keep fencing and seeing Ye Jin struggle to find his place in the world now that he wasn’t the rich kid anymore made tuning in every week a lot of fun. Things were hard for Ye Jin but I loved that he didn’t give up and he just kept right on grinding, even though he kept getting kicked down. I loved the friendship that blossomed between him and Hee Do, too. The faith that Hee Do had in him gave him the wings he needed to find his footing. I cheered for the two of them on their own and I cheered for them together.

The romance between these two was one for the books. I adored every moment they shared with each other when they were young. I was oohing and ahhing over every journal entry right along with Hee Do’s daughter. I kept hoping that they would somehow find their way back to each other even though current Hee Do and Ye Jin didn’t seem to keep in touch at all…and that’s where a lot of my issues with this show started and ended. The reasons they broke up and couldn’t be together made no sense with the kind of relationship that Hee Do ended up in. So they had this intense love affair and were each other’s whole world but couldn’t be together because they couldn’t do the long distance thing….and then Hee Do grows up and has a husband that works abroad? How does that make any sense? Grrr….I’m still not over my attitude about that. It sucked that we spent an entire season cheering for a couple, only for them to not end up together in the end. And the reason is just too stupid for me to understand.

Now, aside from my attitude over how everyone ends up when they’re older, my very favorite thing about this show was these guys…

This squad was everything. I absolutely adored these guys. It took me a little bit to warm up to Yu Rim but once she joins the squad, I came to really love her. Things were hard for her and my heart hurt for the sacrifices she felt she had to make for her family but I loved that she was just Yu Rim to these guys and even though I was really shipping Ji Woong with Seung Wan, I wasn’t mad that he ended up with Yu Rim.

As much as I loved everyone in this show, my favorite character was Moon Ji Woong. Hee Do was great. Seung Wan was great. Ye Jin was great. Yu Rim ended up being great. But Ji Woong? He was the best. He was funny. He was sincere in everything he did and I absolutely loved his man crush on Ye Jin. Every time he showed Ye Jin how much he loved him, I laughed so much. I loved how he showed up for his friends and I really loved the way that Seung Wan showed up for him. They were the definition of best friends and I really enjoyed their relationship.

There was a lot to cover in this drama and I thought the actors handled their jobs incredibly well. Had this had a better ending, this would have been very high on my favorite dramas of 2022 list. But I couldn’t get over that ending and the second half of the show made me want to kick a wall so while the first half was great, the second half wasn’t and that bummed me out.

The OST

There’s some great music on the OST though I haven’t added any of the songs to my k-drama playlist. Maybe that’ll change, I’m not sure yet.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

3.5 out of 5

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