The adorable duo spill the details on stepping into their characters’ shoes in a K-drama that’s just a tad more unconventional than most
Starring Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Ji-yeon (Bona of K-pop girl group WJSN), Choi Hyun-wook, and Lee Joo-myung, upcoming Netflix series Twenty Five, Twenty One is set to raise the bar for K-dramas with its squad of talents and unique storytelling. Set in the '90s, during the most difficult period in Korean history, the drama tells the story of youths who grow together in the aftermath of having their hopes and dreams ripped away.
Read more: 7 K-Dramas That Tackled Uncharted Territory
Against a backdrop of devastation–when South Korea suffered the Asian financial crisis and experienced a seismic change in economy, society, and culture–is a heart-fluttering story of love and friendship.
Kim Tae-ri plays the role of Na Hee-do, a high school fencer whose fencing team was disbanded due to the financial crisis. Hee-do is still full of energy and passion to achieve her dream even though she encounters a lot of hardships. Meanwhile, Nam Joo-hyuk plays the role of Baek Yi-jin, whose family was broken up; as the oldest son, he takes on all responsibilities for his family and becomes a reporter.
Yi-jin and Hee-do first meet at 22 and 18 respectively and eventually fall in love when they get older.
See also: Netflix: The Making of ‘Hellbound’, the Thrilling K-Drama That Dethroned ‘Squid Game’
In reality, Nam, who is known for his excellent acting spectrum and Kim, who has been called ‘an irreplaceable actress’, were born in 1994 and 1998 respectively, which means that they were only children during what is South Korea's worst recession in the postwar era.