Romantic relationships as mature and sentimental as the love between Na Hee-do and Baek Yi-jin inTwenty-Five Twenty-Onecan be found in a few other notable K-dramas. Becoming an immediate hit upon its 2022 release, manyfans view the K-drama as a masterpiece, praising how the series incorporates the 1997 Asian financial crisis in its plot, as well as other ’90s references. The economic crisis sets the series' core group of friends back in life, halting their initial plans for their careers.
Twenty-Five Twenty-Onebegins in the present day as Hee-do’s (Kim Tae-ri) daughter looks through her mom’s old diary. From there, audiences are transported back to the ’90s, where sparks between Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk) and Hee-do first begin to fly. The K-drama depicts how the lives of a group of five friends change throughout the years, but the series' greatest strength is its central love story, which is moving and realistic.Many K-dramas share the same themes that madeTwenty-Five Twenty-Oneso beloved by audiences, making them the perfect series for fans to watch next.
Love All Play
Cast
Love All Play (2022) is a South Korean drama series centered around the intense world of professional badminton. Narrating the lives of talented athletes Park Tae-yang (Park Ju-hyun) and Park Tae-joon (Chae Jong-hyeop), the show delves into their personal challenges and aspirations. The series captures the pressures and dynamics within the sport while exploring themes of ambition, friendship, and resilience.
Twenty-Five Twenty-OneandLove All Playare centered around the sports of fencing and badminton, respectively.InLove All Play, sports and romance are far more interconnectedthan any other K-drama mentioned. The series depicts Park Tae-joon (Chae Jong-hyeop) and Park Tae-yang’s (Park Ju-hyun) growing connection that begins friendly but turns into something more passionate as time passes.
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Love All Play’s low ratings might suggest to some viewers that the series is worth skipping over, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While the romance is the series' most appealing component, audiences are still treated with insight into the dilemmas other badminton players are facing, and the series has an overall hopeful message about overcoming setbacks.
Run On
Run On is a South Korean television drama released in 2020, which follows the life of a track star who deviates from his predetermined path. His journey of self-discovery is influenced by the entrance of a film translator, leading him to navigate personal ambitions and relationships.
The competitive nature ofRun On’s protagonist differs a bit from Hee-do inTwenty-Five Twenty-One. Unlike Hee-do,Run On’s Ki Seon-gyeom (Im Si-wan) is a competitive sprinter whose dedication to his sport has left him isolated and without many friends growing up. However, this changes when he meets film translator Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung). The two’s unexpected encounter leads to a sweet and compelling romance.
The K-drama is mostly concerned with the central romance, but there’s a compelling examination of one’s purpose in life that adds a bit of depth to the series' narrative. There isn’t as much substance to dissect inRun Onas there is inTwenty-Five Twenty-One, but the former series does have a comparable lighthearted tone that makes for an easy watch.
Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born
Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, released on June 05, 2025, follows a talented girl in 1950s Korea pursuing her dream of becoming a renowned gukgeuk performer. Amidst the backdrop of post-war recovery, she navigates challenges, embraces solidarity, and experiences personal growth in the world of Korean female classical opera.
While it may not be considered one ofthe best K-dramas of 2024by some,Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Bornis still an entertaining series that is unlike anything else out right now. Based on the webtoon of the same name,Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Bornsees its titular character (Kim Tae-ri) living in the aftermath of the Korean War and depicts her journey to becoming a beloved singer.
Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Bornhasan effective underdog story that’s supported by themes of trauma and artistic integrity, creating an incredibly well-rounded series. On the surface,Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Bornmay not appear to have much in common withTwenty-Five Twenty-One, but digging a little further, it’s clear their protagonists are a lot more alike than one might assume. Not only are Jeong-nyeon andTwenty-Five Twenty-One’s Hee-do both portrayed by Kim Tae-ri, but each character is similarly competitive and passionate about their respective interests.
Welcome to Samdal-ri
After a high-profile scandal rocks her career, a successful photographer retreats from the bustling life in Seoul to her quiet hometown on Jeju Island. There, she reconnects with her childhood friend, reigniting old memories and unresolved feelings. As they navigate their complex past, they both seek healing and a fresh start amidst the island’s serene landscapes.
The romance inWelcome to Samdal-ri, and the conflicts that pop up throughout the K-drama’s run are reminiscent of that inTwenty-Five Twenty-One. InWelcome to Samdal-ri, Cho Yong-pil (Ji Chang-wook) and Cho Sam-dal (Shin Hye-sun) have been friends since they were kids, but they grew apart as they got older. The two reunite years later, and their former connection begins to take shape.
LikeTwenty-Five Twenty-One,Welcome to Samdal-rihas elements of comedy and romance, and there’s a big emphasis on careers as well.
LikeTwenty-Five Twenty-One,Welcome to Samdal-rihas elements of comedy and romance, and there’s a big emphasis on careers as well. In the latter series, Sam-dal is a fashion photographer, and Yong-pil has trouble as a weather forecaster, as his desire to be honest with audiences earns him a bad reputation at work. The K-drama has a more traditional happy ending and is an easy series to binge thanks to its compelling romance narrative.
Record Of Youth
Record Of Youth is a South Korean television series that follows the lives of three young individuals, Sa Hye-joon, Won Hae-hyo, and Park Do-ha, as they navigate their careers and relationships in the competitive Modeling industry in Seoul.
WhileTwenty-Five Twenty-One’s romance may be its greatest appeal, there is still a lot to appreciate about its depiction of friendship and achieving one’s dreams. These themes are also present throughoutRecord of Youth,starringReply 1988actor Park Bo Gum. Park portrays one of the series' main characters, Sa Hye-jun. Along with Ahn Jeong-ha (Park So-dam) and Won Hae-hyo (Byeon Woo-seok), Hye-jun works in the entertainment industry and hopes to branch out to accomplish his goals.
Record of Youthmay not be as well-known as the other K-dramas mentioned, but it still has plenty going for it.The struggles the young adults face at work are relatable, from having to deal with difficult bosses to failed attempts at leveling up. Still, the characters remain optimistic and eventually take matters into their own hands, doing everything it takes to achieve their dreams.
Reply 1997
Reply 1997 follows the story of Sung Shi-won, a high school student in 1997, and her first love, Yoon Yoon-jae. The drama jumps back and forth between the past and the present, as Shi-won reminisces about her high school days and her relationships with her friends and Yoon-jae.
The entireReplyseries has earned critical acclaim for its performances and its ability to capture life in its titular year. The first installment in the anthology series,Reply 1997, takes place closest toTwenty-Five Twenty-One’s timeline.Reply 1997moves back and forthbetween present-day 2012 and the late ’90s, following the lives of six friends in Busan. The series plays with the past and present timelines in a similar way toTwenty-Five Twenty-One.
With its pop culture references and honest conversations about friendships and growing up,Reply 1997introduced the characteristics theReplyseries would eventually go on to be beloved for. The success of the series reignited the public’s interest in 1990s pop culture, especially when it came to the popular boyband H.O.T., whom Jung Eun-ji’s character, Sung Shi-won, is a devoted fan of in the series.
Twinkling Watermelon
Twinkling Watermelon is a South Korean television series that follows the lives of a group of high school friends who form a band. As they navigate the complexities of adolescence, they encounter challenges, build relationships, and discover their passions. Featuring a mix of music and drama, the show delves into themes of friendship, ambition, and self-discovery.
A charmingK-drama about friendship,Twinkling Watermelonis about a father and son who start the series off not seeing eye to eye. Ha Eun-gyeol (Ryeoun) dreams of becoming a musician, but when he brings this up to his father, the two get into a fight, and Eun-gyeol finds himself traveling back in time to 1995. Living in the ’90s, Eun-gyeol finds his dad, who’s unaware he’s speaking to his future son, and the two become closer.
LikeTwenty-Five Twenty-One,much ofTwinkling Watermelontakes place in the ’90s. However, Eun-gyeol’s ability to time travel adds a whimsical component to the latter series. The K-drama also has a greater emphasis on family dynamics, with Eun-gyeol’s odd predicament giving him the chance to view his stubborn father in a new, empathetic light, creating a stronger bond between the two.
Our Blues
Our Blues, released in 2022, weaves together multiple narratives of individuals residing on Jeju Island.
BothTwenty-Five Twenty-OneandOur Bluestake time to explore the troubles and accomplishments of their main group of characters. However, whileTwenty-Five Twenty-Oneis likely to earn a few tears from audiences,Our Bluestakes its emotional storytelling to another level.The series revolves around various individuals living on Jeju Island. Each episode of the K-drama looks at different individuals at varying stages in life.
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Our Bluessees its characters navigating every type of relationship, including those that are romantic, as they experience all of its ups and downs. The series tackles several tough subjects and does so with a great deal of consideration. The experiences ofOur Blues' characters are refreshingly realistic and are captured by the K-drama’s stacked cast. Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Uhm Jung-hwa, and Cha Seung-won, are just a few notable actors that appear throughout the show.
Nevertheless,
Nevertheless is a South Korean television series that explores the complex relationship between two art students, Yoo Na-bi and Park Jae-eon. Despite Yoo Na-bi’s aversion to love and Park Jae-eon’s flirtatious nature, they are drawn to each other through a series of encounters. The show delves into themes of love, desire, and the challenges of modern relationships, providing a nuanced look at youthful romance.
The responsibilities in Hee-do and Yi-jin’s lives outside their relationship cause tension within their romance. LikeTwenty-Five Twenty-One’s couple,the main pairing inNeverthelessface their own relationship troubles.The series is among the steamier K-dramas, as it follows two individuals with cynical outlooks on love. Yoo Na-bi (Han So-hee), after being hurt in a previous relationship, has given up on love, and Park Jae-eon (Song Kang) prefers to flirt with others rather than commit to them.
However, the two end up finding themselves in a friends-with-benefits dynamic, and they begin to have a change of heart when it comes to love.Neverthelessfeatures one ofSong Kang’s best K-drama romances, as his chemistry with Han So-hee is intense. The greatest appeal ofNeverthelessis the tension built throughout the series, as audiences eagerly await to see where Na-bi and Jae-eon’s whirlwind romance ends up.
Our Beloved Summer
Years after their documentary in high school made them unwilling stars, two ex-lovers are brought back in front of the camera when the film goes viral. As they reluctantly reunite to shoot the sequel, they confront the reasons behind their painful breakup and discover the unresolved feelings between each other.
The passage of time and, of course, romance are two of the biggest themesexplored in bothTwenty-Five Twenty-OneandOur Beloved Summer. The latter series follows Choi Ung (Choi Woo-shik) and Kook Yeon-soo (Kim Da-mi), a former couple who ended their relationship with the promise to never see or speak to one another ever again. The pair keep their word for a while, until the documentary they filmed in high school goes viral years later.
Differing from Twenty-Five Twenty-One’s bittersweet ending, the end of Our Beloved Summer is more in line with what audiences might expect of a romance series.
When Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-soo are forced to reunite following the documentary’s virality, they begin to rekindle their friendship and, eventually, their romantic connection as well. Differing fromTwenty-Five Twenty-One’s bittersweet ending, the end ofOur Beloved Summeris more in line with what audiences might expect of a romance series.The K-drama’s happy endingmay be a bit cliché, but it’s incredibly sweet nonetheless and not too implausible.
