Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Forecasting Love And Weather, and Thirty-Nine may be three different Korean dramas but they equally offer life-giving narratives that portray humanity’s ups and downs.
Here are some insights we have analyzed from the three shows:
1. Twenty-Five Twenty-One
We all have been let down in life, either by wrong choices or unavoidable circumstances. We all have that one dream we wanted to pursue and attain to make life worth living. And yet, amid dreaming, we may have experienced getting crushed due to limited resources, rejection from significant people, or fearing the unknown. And so we back out. Or perhaps, hibernate. Some live in shattered dreams unable to move on in life while others look for meaning in other things.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One is the kind of drama that will take us to life’s highs and lows. Kim Tae-ri’s bubbly and highly optimistic character will inspire us the most to dream on and carry on amid the negatives of life. And yet, she will also remind us that a strong mindset is not enough tool to achieve the most in life. The reality is that there will always be pitfalls and some failures along the way that will teach us to grow in wisdom as we deal with life’s dreaming and achieving.
Whereas, Nam Joo-hyuk’s character from riches to rags convey the innate strength in us that will enable us to conquer the unbearables and stings of life. It is easy to give up but knowing that one brave step of choosing to stand up and face life anew does its wonders. Most of the time, the strength to move forward comes from a friend who hears and soothes our agonies with life-giving words.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One conveys the deeper meaning of failures in life— they teach us the most to live richly, wisely, and freely.
Genre: Romantic, Drama, Coming of age
Synopsis: The series depicts the romantic life of five characters from 1998 to 2021.
No. of episodes: 16
Starring: Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Bona and Lee Joo-myung
Written by: Kwon Do-eun
Directed by: Jung Ji-hyun
Original network: TVN, Netflix
Date: February 12 – present
2. Forecasting Love And Weather
Signs. Sounds. Visuals. Hints. Warnings. Advices. Name it. Life has bestowed us every opportunity to discern something as healthy or unhealthy. We also have every freedom to choose which path to walk or words to take heed. And yet, despite all the cards laid down in front of us, we sometimes still pick what is strange, dangerous, or unknown. Out of curiosity or perhaps out of brokenness?
Park Min-young’s character in the drama is an intelligent and dedicated career woman who knows what she wants in life and clearly perceives what is wrong or not. And yet, despite this strong character, she still finds herself drawn to life’s risks and perils. Like the weather forecasting that needs lots of attention and staff on standby to foresee dangers and avoid damages, love also needs lots of good accountability to help us steer clear of painful traps.
Forecasting Love And Weather brings us to a level of grasping love’s red flags conscientiously and perceiving what traces are good or not.
Genre: Romantic, Drama
Synopsis: This series depicts the cheerful love story of people working in Korea Meteorological Administration who break, fall and rise up again, and their everyday life together in the office.
No. of episodes: 16
Starring: Park Min-young, Song Kang, Yoon Park and Yura
Written by: Seon Yeong
Directed by: Cha Young-hoon
Original network: JTBC, Netflix
Date: February 12 – present
3. Thirty-Nine
Life is short. We may obtain everything we want or achieve what we want to do in life, but one truth that will always remain is that life on earth is but limited and short.
When life nears 40, that’s the time when it hits differently. You get to look at life with depth, reflect upon what is truly valuable or not, and chase not the wealth but the health.
Life may be taken from us either by a terminal illness, war, disease, or accident. We know not what lies ahead. We can only predict the unknown. That’s fearsome but we can live free from anxiety. One precious thing that this drama reminds us of is that our limited time on earth is best spent alone with significant people in our lives.
Life is full when it makes time for families, friendships, and other significant relationships. We need people, whether in small or large communities. To be with people is what makes life richer.
Thirty-Nine lays down the reality of life and death and the matchless joy of keeping company close to your heart.
Genre: Romantic, Drama
Synopsis: This series revolves around the life, friendship, romance and love of three friends, who are about to turn 40 years old.
No. of episodes: 12
Starring: Son Ye-jin, Jeon Mi-do, Kim Ji-hyun
Written by: Yoo Yeong-ah
Directed by: Kim Sang-ho
Original network: JTBC, Netflix
Date: February 16 – present
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