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4.2 - Episode 2 of 25, 21

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 2 of 25, 21, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Kim Tae-ri as Na Hee-do and Nam Joo Hyuk as Baek Yi-jin. We discuss:

  • The songs we feature in this episode: Very, Slowly by BIBI and Shining Man by Shin Min Yong

  • The many encounters between Hee-do and Yi-jin in this episode

  • The contrast between cheerful and emotional Hee-do and the stoic, sad and burdened Yi-jin

  • How we learn more about Yi-jin’s life: how his family split up, his short stint in the military, his little brother, and how he’s been threatened by his dad’s creditors

  • How Hee-do has achieved her dream of transferring to Yu-rim’s school and now, Yu-rim is cold and hostile towards her

  • The encounter between Hee-do and Yu-rim from five years earlier, when Hee-do beat Yu-rim during a junior fencing competition

  • How we get introduced to the other characters, including Ko Yu-rim, Moon Ji-woong and Ji Seung-wan

  • The gold campaign and how it turns out that Hee-do’s mom did not turn in her wedding rings

  • The K element we saw in this episode is triangles, potentially lots of them!

  • Two other K Drama elements that we need to add to our list: 24) when two people turn out to have a connection from their past; and 25) the obligatory abs scene when a man’s amazing abs are displayed

  • Our favorite lines from the show

  • The song 25, 21 by Jaurim, which was played at the end of this episode, and how it maybe gives us a clue about how this show is going to end

References:

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K Drama Chat is a weekly podcast where we take one Korean (K) Drama each season and and recap and analyze each episode. K Drama Chat is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.

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