Streaming giant Netflix is known for its incredibly large and diverse library of Korean television shows. From intense crime thrillers like “Vincenzo” to historical dramas like “The King’s Affection,” there is never a shortage of shows to fulfill your binging needs. The streamer’s latest Korean romance series, “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” is already a hit among viewers with a love-filled storyline bound to melt even the toughest of hearts.
“Twenty-Five Twenty-One” centers around the lives of Na Hee-Do (Kim Tae-Ri) and Baek Yi-Jin (Nam Joo-Hyuk) throughout the late 1990s and 2021. The series begins in present time, and Kim Min-chae (Hee-Do’s daughter) runs away to her grandmother’s house, where Hee-Do grew up. During her stay, she discovers a journal belonging to her mother from the year 1998, which details Hee-Do’s life as a young adult. In 1998, Hee-Do is an avid fencer, but her love for the sport is put in jeopardy when her high school can no longer afford to keep the team together. Baek Yi-Jin came from a wealthy background, but now works a handful of jobs to make money following the failure of his father’s business. The two meet in a twist of fate, and as time goes on, they evaluate what means the most to them.
If you can’t get enough of “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” check out these 15 K-dramas that will definitely warm your heart and bring out the waterworks.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Forecasting Love and Weather”
There is nothing more enticing than a workplace romance. In “Forecasting Love and Weather,” workers at the National Weather Service of Korea experience love, heartbreak, and friendship while navigating the complicated job of weather reporting and predicting. Weather reporter Jin Ha-kyung takes her job seriously, but when she starts working with young reporter Lee Si-woo, the sparks start to fly. As the show displays, the love lives of those in the office are as unpredictable and forceful as the weather. Similar to “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” “Forecasting Love and Weather” highlights the complicated nature of love with a lighthearted tone that keeps you coming back for more episodes.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Record of Youth”
In a neighbourhood of Seoul, South Korea, the lives of three young adults are interconnected by their love of fashion and dreams of making it big in the industry. Sa Hye-jun is a model and aspiring actor that works hard to overcome economic obstacles between him and his goals. An Jeong-ha works as a makeup artist with dreams of opening her own beauty salon and is a certified fangirl of Hye-jun, who inspires her to work toward her goals. Won Hae-hyo is a close friend of Hye-jun who also was a model, but became an actor with help from his rich family. If you like the thought-provoking, sentimental tone of “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” you will surely want to watch this show.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Our Beloved Summer”
In life, falling in love isn’t always simple. The right person could be there, but the timing is wrong. Lapses in time and the exploration of developing love are themes explored in both “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” and “Our Beloved Summer.” In the series, high school students Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-su fall in love and film a documentary together. Their love doesn’t last, the two break up, and vow to never see each other again. Ten years later, their documentary goes viral, and the pair are reconnected when they are brought together to film it once more. The two find out, however, that their romantic history and strong feelings of love toward one another aren’t as easy to repress as they’d previously thought.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Love Alarm”
What if you could determine if someone within a short distance liked you from an app? Sure, Tinder and Bumble exist, but “Love Alarm” is way different. The series follows three high schoolers as they navigate their world, and more importantly their love lives, with an app called “Love Alarm” which notifies the user if someone has feelings for them in just a few feet of distance. At the centre of “Love Alarm” is Kim Jojo, who is stuck between two love interests: rich model Hwang Sun-oh and student Lee Hye-yeong. The app can tell Jojo who loves her, but it can’t predict which direction her heart will lead her. Like “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” the series highlights how youthful romance is often influenced by external factors in life.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Run On”
Track and Field star Ki Seon-gyeom has dedicated his entire life to being the best in his sport, but his strong work ethic has left him lonely and without many meaningful relationships. In a chance encounter, fate brings Seon-gyeom to meet Oh Mi-joo, a hard-working young woman who dreams of becoming a successful film translator. The two end up working together, but soon find their feelings for one another too strong to contain and love blossoms between them. “Run On” has the same light, romantic tone as “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” with a unique storyline that makes for an incredible watch.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Nevertheless”
No matter how hard you try to push something away, fate can always find a way to bring it back to you. “Nevertheless” follows Yu Na-bi, a college student who is discouraged about love and romance after a toxic relationship left her in a bad space. When she meets Park Jae-eon, however, her attitude starts to change. The only problem? He is a notorious flirt who doesn’t believe in monogamous relationships and likes to play hard to get. As the pair get to know each other, they start to let go of their rigid beliefs and fall in love. Like “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” the show touches on the role of fate in romantic relationships and how two unlikely people can fit beautifully together.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “You Are My Spring”
Similar to “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” “You Are My Spring” shows how humans have more in common than we think. The series follows three main characters as they navigate adult life while dealing with the effects of trauma experienced during childhood. Kang Da-jeong works as a hotel concierge manager and is single after several bad relationships. Ju Young-do is a psychiatrist who uses his painful experiences to help patients find meaning in life. The worlds of Young-do and Da-jeong collide when a murder in their town brings them together.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Hello, Me!”
If you could meet and speak to your younger self, what would you say? The fragility of time and personal growth are themes at the centre of both “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” and “Hello, Me!” 37-year-old Bahn Ha-ni isn’t leading the life she thought she would be by this age. She works as a mascot at a supermarket and finds life to be dull and meaningless, until she meets a version of herself from the past. 17-year-old Ha-ni has a fresh and enthusiastic look on life and tries to bring the energy and spunk back to her older self. The younger version of Ha-ni helps her older, present self to love life and herself again.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha”
Yoon Hye-jin has it all, until she doesn’t. Hye-jin works as a dentist in the city, but loses her job when she speaks up about corrupt practices in her office. In an attempt to start over, she moves back to her seaside hometown of Gongjin and works at a practice in the small village. Soon enough, though, Hye-jin meets Hong Du-sik, the official village handyman who seeks to help out those in need. Through a number of coincidences, the two grow close and form a special bond. “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” has romance, comedy, and themes of personal growth – perfect for viewers of “Twenty-Five Twenty-One.”
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “A Love So Beautiful”
Like “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” “A Love So Beautiful” is a coming-of-age story that follows several main characters from teenage years through adulthood, and shows how this passing of time changes their outlook on life and love. Shin Sol-i is a kind and bubbly student who has had a lengthy crush on her neighbor, Cha Heon. Cha Heon is a lot more reserved and doesn’t share the same feelings for Sol-i (at least on the outside), but this doesn’t deter her from pursuing him as a love interest. When the arrival of transfer student Woo Dae-sung threatens Sol-i’s crush, Heon must act fast before he loses his true love.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Thirty-Nine”
If you like the themes of growth, maturing, and the journey of life in “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” “Thirty-Nine is a great choice. The series follows three lifelong friends as they approach their upcoming 40th birthdays and reflect on their lives of love, friendship, and loss. In the show, Cha Mi-jo is a dermatologist who comes from a rich family. Jeong Chan-young works as an acting coach and is Mi-jo’s closest friend. Jang Ju-hui is a cosmetics manager at a department store. The foundation of their friendship is strong, and will be tested when devastating news changes the course of their lives as they know it.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Start-Up”
In a growing and ever-changing world of technology, start-up companies are one of the best ways to make it big as an entrepreneur. Set in a fictionalised version of Silicon Valley, “Start-Up” centres around Seo Dal-mi, a passionate and driven business owner with hopes of becoming as big as Steve Jobs. Dal-mi strives to turn her dreams into a reality, and with the help of Nam Do-san, founder of Samsan Tech, and Han Ji-pyeong, an investor, her goals soon become achievable. A love triangle between the three, however, complicates the situation, but makes it supremely entertaining to watch.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “It's Okay to Not Be Okay”
“Twenty-Five Twenty-One” is dramatic and heavy at points, and weaves romance and love seamlessly into the storyline. This same approach occurs in “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” which follows the difficult life of Moon Gang-tae. After the murder of his mother, Gang-tae has to grow up fast and take on the responsibility of caring for his younger brother, Sang-tae, who has autism. Ko Mun-yeong is a popular and successful children’s book author who also has had a hard life. When Gang-tae meets Mun-yeong at the hospital where he works, the pair discover they share a difficult past and help each other work through their issues.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “Snowdrop”
“Snowdrop” takes place during the period of political unrest in South Korea in 1987, as the Democracy Movement was gaining traction and weakening Korea’s dictatorship. The series follows Im Soo-ho, a secret agent from North Korea stationed in South Korea on a mission to help contain the growing democratic movement. Soo-ho assumes the identity of a graduate student, but becomes torn between his duties and love when he meets Eun Young-ro, a student who instantly falls in love with him. Will Soo-ho be able to hide his true identity from Young-ro? Or will he be forced to stay loyal to his country? Like “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” “Snowdrop” has a captivating storyline filled with drama and love.
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Shows Like "Twenty-Five Twenty-One”: “My ID is Gangnam Beauty”
Kang Mi-rae has dealt with relentless bullying and torment her entire life. As she grows older, she gets plastic surgery as a means to stop the bullying and make herself beautiful in both the eyes of herself and her peers. While her plan works initially, it soon turns sour and she is ridiculed for her fake, plastic look. As Mi-rae navigates her life with little self-esteem, she befriends Do Kyeong-seok, who is distant and detached on the surface, but has a kind heart buried within him. The two bring out good qualities within one another and soon fall in love.
