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emtornado · 2 years

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Twenty Five Twenty One really laughed at our Pain

So we have a series with an amazing plot. A beautiful story to tell with characters you can’t help but love with your whole heart. There are real-world issues that are adding conflict. The story started with the pandemic, jumped to the IMF crisis and is at one of the saddest points of recent history— 9/11. Things suck but our characters are finding love, comfort and friendship amongst each other.

And then, everything goes to shit between the two characters we loved the most.

Honestly, I’m not even that angry that Baek Yi Jin and Na Hee do didn’t end up together. We all sort of called it by that point. We knew that these people would break our hearts. it’s not even the breakup that hurts it’s the fact that they are not in each other's lives anymore. A relationship ending is one thing but throwing away five years of unconditional love and support and friendship is just sad an depressing and this is basically the part that hurts most.

And then, I’m angry about the lack of closure.

Where is the conclusion with Kim Min Chae? What was going on with her that made her truly take up ballet again? They didn't give her character the importance she deserves. I mean we were getting the whole story BECAUSE of her. Because of her struggles and the way she was able to find comfort in her mother’s younger self. Where did her thoughts go? It started with a blending of Kim Min Chae’s life and Na Hee Do’s lives and their parallels, shown through the cut shots between the past and the present. And then finally the whole character’s arc and story were just abandoned.

Secondly, I’m angry about the adult Na Hee Do’s life in general. This girl created some of the best friendships in her teenage year, where she shared countless important memories with Seung wan, Ji Woong and Yu rim. Especially Ko Yu Rim. These two people have been best friends for more than 10 years. Where was Ko Yu Rim’s presence in Kim Min Chae and Na Hee Do’s lives? Where was Moon Ji Woong? Are they not friends anymore? Why? What happened? I mean considering Kim Min Chae’s lack of knowledge about Ko You Rim, you’d think that she basically disappeared from Hee Do’s life.

Which brings me to Kim Min Chae’s existence. Let's take the present time as 2022 (even though it gives more 2021 vibes). This kid had to have been born around 2007-2008. And yet, it's 2009 when Hee Do has apparently just gotten married. TO WHOM??? WHO’S KID IS KIM MIN CHAE FFS???? LIKE DID SHE JUST POP INTO EXISTENCE RANDOMLY? THIS MADE NO SENSE. Help me understand this one plot point.

What is going on with the rest of the characters, honestly? What was this ending where we got to know nothing about the other characters’ current lives? Do Yu Rim and Ji Woong have kids as well? Are they happy? What about Seung Wan and Baek Yi Hyun? What’s happening in their lives?

GIVE ME MORE INFO ABOUT NY OTHER FAVOURITE CHARACTERS FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!!!

Now let’s talk about Hee Do and Yi Jin. Just them. Since episode one there has been a gradual buildup of them overcoming anything and everything. He went away and they just lived on each other’s voicemails. They fought over everything but always resolved it because their relationship was important to both of them. It took precedence over everything else.

Now, of course, Baek Yi Jin was genuinely depressed after New York. And that's like a whole other thing I'm salty about because my poor baby was so fucking miserable and I can't change shit about this cuz it is *dramatic and heartbroken sigh* REALISTIC. Anyway, that is when, instead of showing their relationship crumbling, they should’ve had them talk to each other. Break down in front of each other. Blame each other and hate each other.

And then finally, be there for each other. Because that’s what their relationship has been from the beginning, since they met for the very first time. They’ve been there for each other, helped each other grow and loved each other regardless of what was happening.

They’ve both broken each other’s hearts before. They have fucked things up unknowingly. They have been happy and sad together. And you’re telling me that after growing up together they couldn’t get over this one bump in their relationship? They couldn’t have told each other exactly what they wanted and worked together towards that goal?

Say Yi Jin stays in New York and Hee Do continues fencing for the next 8 years. Their phones exist. They both make quite a lot, especially Hee Do who has her own wealth that is to her mother. You’re telling me they couldn’t have visited each other? When Hee do had to go back from competitions, she couldn’t make a pit stop in New York and be with her boyfriend for those few precious moments?

Bullshit.

These two have been too innovative and too in love to not do small things like this.

The fight in front of the bridge was the perfect moment for them to understand each other. Not even completely, just know that their love still exists and they can still be together if only they work for it. They say that the reason They couldn’t work out was because in the end, after Yi Jin got blinded by the world and his work, and Hee Do forgot to choose herself in her support of him, they both chose themselves in the end.

That’s not true. Please. They were both going through personal hardships and forgot to lean on each other because of how far away the other person seemed (not physically, emotionally. Cue Hee Do’s “my support isn’t reaching him anymore” line.) What could have been done was to show that they could choose themselves WHILE supporting each other. Because that’s what people do. Fuck, if a goblin and a human, an alien and a human, a North Korean soldier and south Korean heiress, and a king from another realm and a person from the other realm can figure shit out, two fools who’ve been there for each other for years can figure out a way to be together, this was bullshit.

I mean, they made a strong and amazing leading couple, where people cared more about them than the other couples, where each of them are facing their own hardships and overcoming them, but somehow can’t overcome the one and only time something goes wrong in their relationship. This was mendable and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

If the show makers wanted to show realism, why couldn’t it be in the form of ‘relationships are hard. Love isn’t enough. You have to make an effort 24/7’? Because that is also the truth in life. Relationships are a lot of goddamn work and when they showed these two characters, who have always put in the effort just giving up like this—

That was the truly unrealistic part. The lack of effort being put towards saving one’s relationship.

Okay now, things that were not given an explanation or made no sense:

Kim Min Chae’s Father. Who the hell is it? What is all this mystery about? Give us a proper ending where this kind of information is given and gotten over with. What was the reason????

How does Na Hee Do have the picture of herself that only Baek Yi Jin has a copy of? Did he give it back to her? And then she put it in an album? Why?

Yi Jin’s father’s “You gave me comfort 10 years ago” comment when his boy was 22 at the time. Why ten years ago? What’s the significance?

Hee Do forgetting her school trip. The only school trip this kid went to and she forgot it? I still remember trips I took when I was in nursery. My mother remembers HER school trips. And this lady forgot the one trip she went to? How tf?

Where and when and how did Hee Do’s mom see Baek Yi Jin in the current time? Why was it emphasised like that?

Kim Min Chae’s birthday. That’s it. I already spoke about that so like no point in talking about it again but you have to admit, it's annoying.

(And so many other things I’m sure I’m missing)

I know this stuff might seem irrelevant but I’m a writer. I write stories and books and scripts and if there’s one rule to writing, it's the fact that if something is mentioned in a story, then there’s a reason for it. You don’t mention useless shit.

A character really likes strawberries? It’ll come back in some way. It has significance. Every word you write for your story building has a purpose and cannot be ignored. They mentioned certain things and never ever spoke about them again. That makes no sense. These things had absolutely no explanation and it annoyed the fuck out of me, honestly speaking. Like— what was the reason? Why would you mention it? I’m just really frustrated about this whole thing. It makes me angry as a writer, to be frank.

Now on to what could be a more plausible ending, if they wanted Na Hee Do and Baek Yi jin to one hundred percent not end up together, would be for them to explore their lives currently, show that Hee Do is happy with her daughter and current husband (who they’ve made Voldermort at this point. ‘He who must not be named’. Nonsense), shown Ko Yu Rim and Moon Ji Woong and Ji Seung Wan and Na Hee Do meeting for drinks or something, talking about their kids and life, missing Yi Jin, their mothers, their memories, literally anything. Then a shot of Baek Yi Jin also living his life the way he wants it to be— dedicated to his family and being happy with them.

Or in my opinion, The two fools figured shit out, lived their lives and got together when they finally could to have what they both wanted most in life— each other, love, family and a warm, happy life.

But no. They really gave us the best storyline with amazing characters and a love story to be remembered, only to give an unsatisfactory ending. The whole time, the story has been about people coming together and staying together despite the odds, and yet, it ends with them ending apart because they gave up. It's been about working hard to achieve your goals (and this is applied to all the characters) and then being successful one way or another.

I mean, look at Seung Wan. SHe left school and had an added burden, but she worked hard despite that and got where she wanted to be. Ji Woong came last in school but now runs a successful business. Yu Rim is making money and is happy in life. It's only Na Hee Do and Baek Yi Jin who had THAT ending. What was the point? To show that your youth can be amazing but adult life is looking back at memories of your youth and being nostalgic? I mean, what?

Throughout the story, they have spoken about overcoming hardships (career, life, circumstances, money, love and even friendship) and this is how they ended it. With the two leads not overcoming shit.

Honestly don’t know if I should recommend this to other people because the journey was so beautiful. The ending was absolute shit though.

I understand that some of you may not feel that way, but honestly. I watched this Drama to feel good about existing, to see something that seems ‘impossible’ working out, something that gives me hope. But instead, I got an ache in my chest and a long post most people wouldn’t give a flying fuck about.

Yay.

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