The beginning was lovely, but the finish was pointless. The ending of ‘Twenty-five Twenty One’ has sparked outrage among viewers, surpassing the worst ending dramas of all time, ‘Lovers in Paris’ and ‘High Kick Through the Roof.’
‘Twenty-Five Twenty One,’ which concluded on the 3rd, is a romantic drama that depicts the wandering and growth of young people who have lost their goals in 1998. Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-Ri), a fencing dreamer connected by passion and ambition, and Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk), who lost their light due to a family ravaged by the IMF, passionately express the romance of youth that provides each other courage and comforts simply by being there.
‘Twenty-five Twenty One‘ portrayed youth, growth, comfort, and hope superbly, provided viewers healing and joy, and became a ‘work of life’ for many. It took the top position in viewership ratings in the same time period on all channels, including terrestrial channels in the metropolitan area and nationwide, after the first broadcast, displaying the power of retaining an indisputable first place for 15 consecutive broadcasts.
However, as the second half progressed, the audience’s displeasure began to surface. Because it implied that the Baekdo couple would be estranged. In the end, there was no turning back, and the ‘Baekdo Couple’ Na Hee-do and Baek Yi-jin, who had been widely loved, had a sad ending in the final episode of ‘Twenty-Five Twenty One,’.
There was a double line from the start of the drama that Na Hee-do and Baek Yi-jin would not be connected, so it’s not like fans didn’t expect the two to be separated. However, at the end of episode 13, the pair who began to love each other only after confirming their emotions for each other entered a long-distance relationship, and the process of breaking up was hastened until the final episode, prompting a lot of “the chance is low” reactions. Furthermore, the curtain has come to a conclusion without revealing the identity of Na Hee-Do’s husband, and cries of unhappiness are mounting among the viewers.
Despite the fact that the identity of Na Hee-Do’s daughter, ‘Kim Min-chae,’ was disclosed at the start of the broadcast, viewers who were too engaged in the Baek-do couple could not let go of their hopes for a happy ending until the final episode. They were so enthusiastic about Baek Yi-jin and Na Hee-Do’s love that they speculated that the male protagonist’s name was changed to ‘Kim Baek Yi-jin’ and the female protagonist’s name was changed to ‘Baek Kim Min-chae.’ They even set up a ‘forced hypothesis’ in the spirit of collecting every last straw, and the viewers’ desire for the Baekdo pair to continue has crumbled. What is the author’s motivation for separating the Baekdo couple, who had a sweet and lovely relationship?
It doesn’t have to be a happy ending just because it’s in the roco genre. Viewers who wanted to be healed and laugh for a while forgetting about the harsh reality through the drama, on the other hand, wanted an ideal romance ending rather than a sad breakup. What good is an ending that viewers can’t accept, even if it’s a genuine story about ‘first love never comes true’?
The romantic story between an adult and a minor, the beautification of a naturalised athlete, and the 9/11 terrorist attack were mingled with a crazy narrative as a result of the incident, and the dispute came to notoriety. Finally, ‘Twenty-Five Twenty One’ was mired in controversy and received harsh criticism for having “a horrible ending, not a sad conclusion.”
Netizens commented, “If it was a well-written sad ending, this wouldn’t have been such a reaction”, “I feel like I’m being cursed because the process of breaking up with my first love doesn’t feel right to me”, “How many controversies are there in one drama?”, “A drama that only had a good first appearance”, “ Worst drama ever,” “It’s a pity only the actors”, “It’s an empty shell story, but the actors are only good at casting”, “It was a work of my life, but it gradually went to the mountains”, etc. Source (1)
What are your views about the ending?