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The drama’s ending, however, has become so divisive among its viewers.
This drama’s genres are romance and coming of age. If you focus only on the romance aspect of this drama, you will be disappointed with the ending. But if you focus equally on the coming of age aspect of this drama, you will be satisfied and happy with the ending; you will understand why K-pop superstars have recommended this drama to their fans.
My advice on how to watch this drama: If you become invested only in the romance aspect of this drama, then you should just watch Eps. 1-13; avoid watching the last three episodes. But if you become invested also in the coming of age aspect of this drama, then you should watch it up to Ep. 16.
Jump to synopsis of Episode 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16 (Finale); How I wrote these episode summaries with no spoilers; Historical / cultural backgrounders and other information; Lessons in photography from “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” with in-depth analysis of its visuals, cinematography, and editing
From Wikipedia: “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” is a 2022 South Korean television series directed by Jung Ji-hyun and starring Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun-wook, and Lee Joo-myung. The series depicts the romantic lives of five characters spanning from the year of 1998 to 2021. It premiered on tvN on February 12, 2022, and aired every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST) for 16 episodes. It is available for streaming on Netflix.
Since the broadcast began, “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk maintained the top spot in drama and actor’s popularity rankings conducted by Good Data Corporation for eight consecutive weeks until the end.The series also placed first in viewership ratings for all its 16 episodes, in both the Metropolitan Area and nationwide. Additionally, it featured in Netflix’s “Global Top 10” (non-English edition), a weekly list of the most-watched international Netflix series, for ten weeks in a row (as of the week ending May 1, 2022).
Following the drama’s conclusion, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a travel product (itineraries alongside various accommodation and rental vouchers) touring the filming locations of the series, which includes the Jeonju Hanok Village, locations surrounding the Seohakdong Art Village, and the Hanbyeokgul Tunnel where the drama was shot.
For her portrayal of main character Na Hee-do, Kim Tae-ri won the “Best Actress” award from the 2022 Baeksang Arts Awards.
How I wrote these episode summaries with no spoilers
1. I assumed that you will be reading these summaries and watching the videos chronologically.
2. I narrated some of the main actions in each episode without revealing the plot’s twists and turns.
3. At the beginning of each summary starting with Episode 2, I placed in a table a recap of the major twists and turns of the previous episode. But because you have already watched the video of the previous episode, they aren’t spoilers anymore.
4. I followed this structure all throughout, except for Ep. 16 (Finale) where I included spoilers. Reason — most people want to know if the drama has a good/happy ending or a sad ending before they invest the time in watching it.
Note:The video clips from “The Swoon“ that are embedded in some epsiode summaries might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episodes.
Episode 1
Present times ... After running away from a dance competition, the teenaged Kim Min-chae goes to her grandmother’s house. In her mother Na Hee-do’s old room, she finds her mother’s diary.
Flashback, 1998 ...
The IMF Crisis takes hold over the South Korean economy, with the country at the brink of defaulting on its loan payments.
Na Hee-do avoids the protests on the streets and runs to Tae Yang High School to watch her fencing hero, Olympic gold medalist Ko Yu-rim, in practice.
With her own school’s fencing team disbanded because of the lack of funds, Hee-do argues at home with her mother Shin Jae-kyung about transferring to Tae Yang High School; her mother refuses to let her transfer, telling her to just give up fencing because she doesn’t have any talent for it.
Hee-do also argues with Baek Yi-jin, the new paper delivery boy, who broke a statue in front of her house. Later on, however, she has to humble herself before Yi-jin (who works part time in a comics book store); in a fit of anger over her insistence on transferring, her mother tore up the pages of a comic book that she borrowed.
After sneaking into Tae Yang High School’s fencing gym, Hee-do meets Coach Yang; she begs on her knees to be accepted into the team, but Coach Yang turns her down.
Determined to transfer to Tae Yang High School, Hee-do decides to be expelled from her present school by getting into trouble and getting arrested.
Note: The video clips below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episodes.
Episode 2
| Ep. 1 recap:
Hee-do has a friend in a chat room named “Injeolmi” in whom she pours her heart out. Yi-jin lives alone and accepts part time jobs after his “chaebol” family went bankrupt. To get herself into trouble and arrested, Hee-do joins a street fight, using an umbrella as her weapon. Later, she goes into a nightclub, but Yi-jin rescues her from a randy guy by hitting the fire alarm; he also encourages not to give up on her dreams. Under the pouring rain, Hee-do drops from the roof her umbrella so that Ko Yu-rim can use it. Besides remonstrating with her mother about not ever having watched any of her fencing matches, Hee-do tells her that it took more courage to talk to her openly about what she wants than going to the nightclub. On the other hand, her mother tells her that she has not gone beyond being a prodigy in fencing. Hee-do fails the quirky, second part of her qualifying exam with Coach Yang. But unknown to her, her mother Shin Jae-kyung had already requested Coach Yang to accept her into the fencing team. Despite their past differences, Coach Yang accepted Shin Jae-kyung’s request. |
Present times ... Min-chae asks her grandmother Shin Jae-kyung about the IMF Crisis.
Flashback, 1998 ...
Being a TV news anchor, Shin Jae-kyung is greeted like a famous celebrity by the teachers and administrator of Tae Yang High School when she accompanies Hee-do for her first day of school. Later, Hee-do meets Ji-woong, the resident “cool kid” who doesn’t date fans but who has a big crush on Yu-rim; she also meets Seung-wan, the reluctant class president.
After meeting the other members of the fencing team — Ye-ji, Han-sol, Da-seul, and Ji-soo — Hee-do finds out from Coach Yang that she will fence against Yu-rim in a practice match; if she wins, she will get her branded shoes back.
At the locker room, Hee-do tries to befriend Yu-rim, asking her about her injured ankle that forced her to withdraw from the national team. But Yu-rim brushes her off, warning her that those who Coach Yang had taken on for training before didn’t last several months; she also says that she doesn’t think Hee-do has the talent for fencing or the tenacity to endure the training.
On the way home after practice, Hee-do sees Yu-rim and Yi-jin together. Later on, she asks her chat mate if it’s a good idea for them to meet in person.
On the day of her practice match with Yu-rim, Hee-do meets Yi-jin, who’s all dressed up for a job interview. Later on after the practice match, she runs an errand for Coach Yang. At the school’s broadcast studio, she meets Seung-wan; to her surprise, she finds out that Yi-jin was a popular student and broadcaster in Tae Yang High School back in 1994.
Note: The video clip below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episode.
Episode 3
| Ep. 2 recap:
Present times ... From her daughter, Hee-do finds out that her mother never sold the gold wedding rings, a point of conflict between them during her high school years. During their practice match, Yu-rim remembers how Hee-do defeated her when they were little kids. Due to her uneasiness about that past memory and her ankle injury, she loses the match to Hee-do, 15-14. Coach Yang warns Yu-rim that everyone has studied her moves and techniques. Flashback, 1994 ... Yi-jin is a popular guy in high school and a host on the school’s radio program; upon his being accepted into Yonsei University, his father gives him a red sports car. But when the IMF Crisis begins to hit Korea, his father gets a sham divorce from his mother. He sends his younger son to his sister and Yi-jin to military service. While Yi-jin is in the military, his father’s company goes bankrupt like countless other companies in Korea. The military dismisses him because of his family’s financial difficulties. Flashback, 1998 ... Hee-do sees and hears two former employees demanding to know from Yi-jin where his father is. She hears Yi-jin promise the former employees never to be happy again and to always think of the sufferings that their families are going through. At a corner store, Hee-do and Yi-jin share their dreams, with Yi-jin saying that he desperately wants to be 18 again. On the other hand, Hee-do says that she wants to be Yu-rim’s rival. To perk up Yi-jin’s spirits, Hee-do brings him to her former high school where they play around by flipping the faucets and turn them full on so that the water gushes up and falls on them like rain. They run away after a school security guard comes upon them. |
Present times ... Despite Min-chae’s protests that she will quit ballet, Hee-do takes her to physical therapy. Later, at a restaurant, Min-chae asks her why she didn’t quit fencing.
Flashback, 1998 ...
Seung-wan is embarrassed to find out that the tenant she has been rude to is Baek Yi-jin, a well-known alumnus from the Tae Yang High School broadcasting club.
With someone on the fencing national team injured with a torn meniscus, a spot becomes open and will be filled through a qualifier. But Coach Yang tells Hee-do and the other fencers that it’s too bad their ranks aren’t high enough for them to join the qualifier.
Seung-wan takes Hee-do to the small restaurant owned by Yu-rim’s mother to ask for advice about Yi-jin and the rude way she acted towards him. Meanwhile, Yi-jin goes to a fast food joint with his younger brother.
During their training, Hee-do tells her junior teammate that she wants to become part of the national team; she also asks her teammate why their senior teammate, Da-seul, scolded her and Yu-rim for practicing at night.
At the comic book rental store, Hee-do and Yu-rim fight over the latest issue of “Full House.” Yu-rim gives Yi-jin an ultimatum — choose between her and Hee-do. Later, at the bus stop, Yu-rim reminds Yi-jin that he was her first love.
The next day, Coach Yang surprises the team by saying that since the 24th- and 25th-ranked fencers have quit, Hee-do, who’s ranked 26th, now has the chance to join the qualifier. But Yu-rim resents the chance given to Hee-do.
On her way home that night, Hee-do sees and hears a man looking for Yi-jin. When Seung-wan’s mother tells the man where Yi-jin is working, Hee-do runs to warn Yi-jin.
Episode 4
| Ep. 3 recap:
Yi-jin finds out that the man looking for him is actually his father. He catches up with him in the bus station. On his way home, Yi-jin sees Hee-do still searching for his father. When Hee-do begs her for guidance in training, Coach Yang imposes on her a demanding regimen — running with weights on her torso, hands, and legs for an hour; 1,000 fentes (lunges) each day; fetching water from a hill and bringing it to her; and learning dance choreography. When Yu-rim asks her why she’s giving Hee-do private training, she says that all it takes is for someone to ask her. When Coach Yang catches her playing video games after training, Da-seul takes out her anger on Hee-do and Yu-rim, who are still practicing in the gym. She bullies them by ordering to clean up the whole gym. Hee-do becomes extremely disappointed in Yu-rim for merely enduring the bullying and refuses to clean up the gym; she tells Yu-rim that while she idolized her in the past, she now loathes her. Hee-do walks out on Yi-jin when he hesitates in saying “Yu-rim is in the wrong.” When he asks her what’s wrong, she says that she has failed in fencing because she has failed to control the distance between her and her opponent; she has also failed to control the distance between her and him, between her and Yu-rim. At home, Hee-do rips off from her bedroom wall the pictures and newspaper clippings about Yu-rim and her achievements. She then vents her anger and disappointment with Yu-rim to her chat mate. Unknown to Hee-do, her chat mate is none other than Yu-rim herself. |
Ji-woong agrees to help Hee-do with her dance choreography; in return, he asks her for a favor.
Coach Yang scolds Hee-do for her encounter with Da-seul the night before; she tells Hee-do that fencing is not a sword fight but a game of wits and strategy.
Yi-jin mopes after failing in another job interview; when he falls asleep outside Seung-wan’s house, Hee-do covers him up with a blanket and places a note on him, telling people not to disturb him because he failed in another job interview. But the next day, he becomes embarrassed when it becomes public knowledge that he failed another interview.
During training, Yu-rim tells Coach Yang that she will be missing their practices because she’ll be working out again with the national team. Coach Yang commends her but raises eyebrows among the team members when she says that she’ll be accompanying Hee-do to the qualifier.
On the bus, Ji-woong tries to win Yu-rim’s affections. Meanwhile, Hee-do meets the bully she smacked around with her umbrella. She runs, but the bully and his friends chase her on their motorcycles.
The tension continues to rise between Hee-do and Yu-rim when they meet in Seung-wan’s house and later on when Yu-rim catches Hee-do placing her favorite drink inside her locker.
Note: The video clips below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episodes.
Episode 5
| Ep. 4 recap:
Before Yi-jin passes out due to his drunkenness, Hee-do tells him that they should turn their tragedies into comedies. As strategy, Hee-do manipulates Da-seul into allowing her to practice in the gym at night. Yi-jin’s father transferred ownership of the red sports car to his sister. As Hee-do runs away from the bullies, she sees Yi-jin driving the sports car; she jumps into the car, and they escape from the bullies. While dining over loach fish prepared by Seung-wan’s mother, Yu-rim becomes jealous of the closeness between Ji-woong and Seung-wan, Ji-woong asks Yi-jin what’s his relationship to Yi-rim, and so forth. Seung-wan’s mother finds a camera and takes a picture of them. Ji-woong clarifies to Yu-rim that he asked Hee-do to place the drink inside her locker. As final preparation for the qualifier, Coach Yang spars with Hee-do. Later on, at the gym, Hee-do tells Yi-jin to put on a fencer’s uniform for some sparring, with her being only on the defensive. Their bet is that the loser will do whatever the winner wants. Yi-jin wins when he distracts Hee-do’s attention by tricking her about a new “Full House” release. When Hee-do asks him why he roots for her when even her mother doesn’t, Yi-jin replies, ”Because you give me hope. And I want more for you.” |
Hee-do’s mother confronts her on what her relationship is with Yi-jin.
At the Hwaseong National Fencing Team Tryouts, Hee-do makes it to the finals. But against a former national team member and despite Coach Yang’s warning for her not to get flustered, she drops early on to a 4-0 disadvantage .
The next day, Hee-do rushes to see Yi-jin, but she finds out that he has quit his job at the comic book store. With the help of Yu-rim, Seung-wan, and Ji-woong, she looks for him but to no avail. She begs Yu-rim to give her Yi-jin’s pager number; when she reaches her house, she sees hanging at the gate the sword that she gave to Yi-jin.
Episode 6
| Ep. 5 recap:
Hee-do’s mother is shocked when Hee-do wins and becomes part of the National Team. But she and Hee-do clash over Hee-do’s official picture. Yi-jin takes his younger brother Yi-hyun to Pohang, intending to make a fresh start. While visiting their mother, he decides that Yi-hyun should finish his middle school there. But Yi-hyun soon falls in with the wrong crowd and becomes embarrassed about Yi-jin’s job at a fish market. For the duration of the National Team training, Hee-do and Yu-rim are assigned to the same room. Yu-rim reveals to Ji-woong that she was able to continue with fencing because the company of Yi-jin’s father sponsored her. Three months later ... Yi-jin endures through the difficult times by listening to Hee-do’s messages on his pager. Yu-rim wins the Presidential Cup Fencing Competition, with Hee-do coming in third. |
Seung-wan broadcasts her own Internet radio program. Meanwhile, Yi-jin helps his mother communicate with his father through Internet chat.
Five months later ...
Despite being a mere high school graduate, Yi-jin is now a trainee reporter at UBS News, the company where Hee-do’s mother is the star broadcaster. After phoning in his latest story from a pet salon, he sees that “Full House” Vol. 15 has been released.
Fresh from their gold medal and bronze medal finish in an international competition, Yu-rim and Hee-do go back to school where they find themselves in the same class as Seung-wan and Ji-woong. Their rivalry grows more intense as the Asian Games draw nearer. Hee-do tells Yu-rim that she has studied all her moves and techniques — when she’ll attack, when she’ll retreat — which is why she keeps winning against her; she also reveals to Yu-rim that the precious umbrella which floated down from the roof one rainy day came from her as a fan.
Yi-jin’s boss at UBS takes him along for the drawing of the broadcasting rights to the Asian Games in Gyeongju. Later, Shin Jae-kyung (Hee-do’s mother) visits Coach Yang and asks her to become her station’s color commentator for the fencing matches. But Coach Yang explodes in anger, reminding her that, inspite of their friendship, she was the first reporter to expose the bribery case against her.
Yi-jin sees Hee-do on the street in the midst of a massive IMF Crisis protest. After he catches up with her, he gives her the copy of “Full House” Vol. 15. But at a restaurant, Hee-do introduces to him her possessive boyfriend, who’s also on the national fencing team.
Note: The video clips below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episodes.
Episode 7
| Ep. 6 recap:
While Hee-do runs after the Japanese fencer who mistakenly took her bag and sword, Yi-jin tries to interview Yu-rim. But Yu-rim brushes off his apology for not keeping in touch; she also resents Hee-do for breaking her promise (to update her about Yi-jin) when she gave her Yi-jin’s pager number. Using his press credentials and threatening the police officers that they’re blocking a potential gold medal winner, Yi-jin guides Hee-do to the venue of her finals match with Yu-rim. |
Present times ... Min-chae tells her mother Hee-do that she wants to quit ballet because she’s not seeing any progress in her abilities. But using the wooden fence and her paint brush to illustrate her point, Hee-do advises Min-chae that progress comes in steps over a period of time. She remembers that day in 1990 when her father took her to her first fencing lesson in France; her father encouraged her that she could someday compete in the Asian Games.
1999 ... Hee-do wins the finals match against Yu-rim, but Yu-rim sets off a big controversy when she claims that she was robbed of her gold medal. The slow motion replay of the final and decisive point seems to show that Yu-rim indeed won the point and the match.
During the match, Yi-jin noticed that the referee was the man whom he helped find a good Korean restaurant the night before the finals match; at the restaurant, the man had asked about the “podaegi” (traditional baby carrier made of fabric). He tracks down the referee at his hotel, but the referee denies having been paid off to favor Hee-do.
Because of their words and actions during the press conference, the national coach orders Hee-do and Yu-rim to leave the training center and wait for their disciplinary sanctions. Hee-do becomes more depressed as she sees the newspapers with headlines screaming that Yu-rim’s gold medal was stolen from her.
Episode 8
| Ep. 7 recap:
At the airport, the referee agrees to give an interview after Yi-jin softens him up with a “podaegi” as a gift. He says that the rules mandate that the referee must come from a neutral country and only be assigned the day before a match. He also says that being right there in front of the action, he was the best person to know and decide who won the point and match. In a small eatery, Hee-do cries after watching Yi-jin’s interview with the referee and receiving encouraging words from a group of old men. Instead of going home, Hee-do decides to spend the night in Seung-wan and Ji-woong’s secret room in Tae Yang High School. But the janitor unknowingly locks her up in the room. While waiting for Yi-jin, Seung-wan, and Ji-woong to get her out, she happens to see a carving on a desk that says “Yi-jin loves Da-eun.” She also hears the recording of Yi-jin and Da-eun professing their love for each other. |
Hee-do becomes intrigued with who Da-eun is but can’t identify her in the yearbooks. Later, along with Yu-rim, Seung-wan, and Ji-woong, she helps Yi-jin move back into his room in Seung-wan’s house. She finds a photo sticker of Yi-jin and a girl, but Yu-rim says it’s not Da-eun but another girlfriend of Yi-jin.
At UBS News, Coach Yang gives Hee-do’s “stolen gold medal” to Shin Jae-kyung.
Yi-jin makes amends with one of his father’s former employees by offering the money for the tuition of the employee’s daughter. At UBS News, however, he messes up a breaking news report, leaving Shin Jae-kyung hanging back at the studio.
Yu-rim and her family’s financial situation takes a hit when the owners of the nearby rice cake house abandon it; Yu-rim’s mother and other people in the neighborhood lent money to the owners and even became surety for loans used to purchase equipment. To make matters worse, she and Hee-do are suspended for three months by the National Fencing Association and ordered to move out of the training facility; she’s not also allowed to get an advance from her Olympic gold medal pension.
Episode 9
| Ep. 8 recap:
Hee-do sees a deeply emotional Yu-rim jump off from the 27-meter diving platform into the pool below. Later, she tells her chat mate “Injeolmi” that she hated a person so much but now feels confused about her. Because of the mystery of who Da-eun is and Coach Yang’s warning about being close to journalists, Hee-do becomes wary of Yi-jin. When Yi-jin plays a prank on her with the ice cream on her face, she loses her cool and tells him not to treat her like a kid. Yu-rim likes rap more than rock, and so Ji-woong changes the way he dresses up and begins listening to rap music. Because of the emotional distress that she’s going through, Yu-rim (“Injeolmi”) asks her chat mate (“Ryder37”) to meet in person in a park, with a yellow rose to identify themselves to each other. Hee-do (“Ryder37”) agrees. On the appointed time and place, however, Yu-rim sees Hee-do carrying a yellow rose. In shock, she immediately gives the yellow rose to Yi-jin and runs away. Hee-do thinks that Yi-jin has been her chat mate “Injeolmi” for the past three years; she tells Yi-jin, “I have to have you.” |
Yi-jin deflates Hee-do by saying that he’s not “Injeolmi” and it’s just a coincidence that he’s in the park with a yellow rose. Embarrassed and humiliated after Yi-jin remembers her words “I have to have you!” Hee-do runs away.
Back home, Hee-do learns from “Injeolmi” (Yu-rim) that something came up, preventing her from going to the park. The next day, Yu-rim pleads with Yi-jin to keep lying to Hee-do for at least one week.
Shin Jae-kyung gives Hee-do her Asian Games gold medal and apologizes for the hurtful words (“stolen gold medal”) that she used during her broadcast.
Worried about the financial situation of Yu-rim and her family, Coach Yang brings her fencing team to the “Elephant Snacks” restaurant. But Hee-do feels awkward towards Yu-rim’s mother because of the Asian Games controversy.
Hee-do avoids meeting Yi-jin or answering his calls. But she’s surprised when several days after their meeting in the park, Yi-jin and a UBS camera crew appear at the gym. At Coach Yang’s office, Yi-jin explains to her and Yu-rim that UBS will air a three-part Asian Games documentary, with her and Yu-rim as the interviewees for the first part. When she becomes reluctant because the documentary could stir up people’s sentiments against her all over again, Yi-jin tells her to have faith in him.
Alone by themselves at the gym as the other fencers have run to the test shoot, Hee-do tells Yi-jin that she feels uncomfortable about doing the interview because she’s embarrassed about confessing her feelings to him.
After Yi-jin presents his plans for the documentary, his producer says that they can draw higher ratings by focusing on the “simultaneous touch” between Hee-do and Yu-rim during their finals match.
On his way home after the meeting, Yi-jin gets a call to do an emergency sports news broadcast. As he rushes to find a telephone, Hee-do sees him. Since her mother’s not yet home, she allows Yi-jin to use their phone. Afterwards, they talk about the nature of their relationship and what word they can use to describe it.
The next day at school, Hee-do overhears some students badmouthing Yu-Rim in the toilets. The students gossip about her family’s dire financial situation and claim that she only made a fuss at the Asian Games about being robbed of her gold medal to try and get compensation for her family.
Note: The video clip below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episode.
Episode 10
| Ep. 9 recap:
Through the window, Shin Jae-kyung gives Hee-do her Asian Games gold medal and apologizes to her. At the diner, Yu-rim’s mother hugs Hee-do and encourages her. Shin Jae-kyung orders Yi-jin to transfer out of the UBS sports department and to never tell anyone that Hee-do is her daughter to protect her from unwanted publicity. After the fight in the bathroom with the students who badmouthed her, Yu-rim reveals to Hee-do that she is “Injeolmi” and asks for forgiveness for having been mean and rude to her. Hee-do agrees to forgive her on the condition that she will never dive off from the 27-meter platform ever again. During their chat, Hee-do says that all her pain from the Asian Games fiasco vanished after Yu-rim’s mother hugged her at the diner. Later, using the cellphone that her mother bought for her, Yu-rim calls up her mother. Because Yi-jin’s bonehead producer insists that Hee-do and Yu-rim reenact the “simultaneous touch,” Hee-do twists her ankle. On the way to the hospital, Hee-do and Yi-jin stop on a bridge to admire a spectacular rainbow. Yi-jin says that he doesn’t need the word “rainbow” to define their relationship; instead, he tells Hee-do, “I love you.” |
Yi-jin swallows his pride and apologizes to his producer for their shouting match during the filming of Hee-do and Yu-rim’s documentary.
Seung-wan, Ji-woong, and Yu-rim catch the persons who have been stealing the cushions that their classmates need for comfort during the college admissions test. Later, when Ji-woong gets punished by a teacher, Seung-wan broadcasts on her Internet radio station how schools are similar to prisons.
Yi-jin asks permission from Coach Yang to take Hee-do and Yu-rim on a “school trip” as part of the UBS documentary. Ji-woong sees it as an opportunity for him and Yu-rim, and so, Seung-wan pesters Yi-jin about asking her mother to let her and Ji-woong come along for the “school trip” to the beach.
Note: The video clip below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episode.
Episode 11
| Ep. 10 recap:
Yi-jin, Hee-do, Yu-rim, Ji-woong, and Seung-wan spend some happy times playing on the beach and in the surf. But they also share some solemn moments sharing about their situations with their families. Present times ... On their way to see a doctor, Min-chae asks her mother Hee-do to allow her to go on a school trip. When Hee-do says no because of the COVID situation and adds that she herself did not go on any school trip, she mentions the pictures of her school trip on the beach with her friends. But Hee-do doesn’t remember anything about that school trip; she says, “Nothing lasts forever.” |
Coach Yang schedules a three-day training for the fencing team at a university, but Yu-rim becomes concerned because she had said yes to Ji-woong’s invitation for her to attend his band’s upcoming concert.
Coming home at night, Hee-do notices that the chairs in the yard need to be repaired. Her mother, who’s at home just to get some documents, says that the chairs are too old to be repaired but can be repainted. After her mother leaves, she marks on the calendar her father’s death anniversary.
While the fencing team is running laps, Ye-ji (a 10th grader) runs out of the school. Hee-do, Yu-rim, and the rest of the team make up excuses to Coach Yang on why Ye-ji isn’t with them. When Hee-do and Yu-rim run after Ye-ji, they see her in the middle of the street, unmindful of the cars speeding by her.
After officially becoming a UBS sports reporter, Yi-jin takes Hee-do out on a dinner date to celebrate.
Seung-wan, Ji-woong, and the rest of their classmates are stressing out over the upcoming CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test); when one of her male classmates runs out of the room, Seung-wan leaves the classroom to check up on him. On the corridor, she sees the teacher (who beat Ji-woong) striking three students with his stick.
During a team dinner, Yi-jin meets a tipsy Shin Jae-kyung. After he tries to help her get sober, they talk about their dreams.
Shin Jae-kyung is supposed to meet Hee-do to bring the chairs to a repair shop for a paint over, but a breaking news situation on the capture of the fugitive Sin Chang-won makes her go back to the UBS studio. Under the pouring rain, Hee-do tries to bring the chairs to the shop, but on the stairs outside their house, she drops one of the chairs, breaking it apart. After coming home that night, Shin Jae-kyung has a big fight with Hee-do about putting her career over anything else.
The next night, Yi-jin comes upon Hee-do, who’s searching the trash pile near their house. Hee-do cries that her mother has thrown away the chairs that her father built.
Note: The video clip below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episode.
Episode 12
| Ep. 11 recap:
The conflict between Shin Jae-kyung and Hee-do comes from Shin Jae-kyung always choosing her career over her family, even during that time when Hee-do’s father died. With everything from her piggy bank, Hee-do asks the furniture repair shop owner to teach her how to build and repair furniture. Yi-jin makes up an excuse with Coach Yang about the documentary in order to get Hee-do and Yu-rim to Ji-woong’s concert. Before the encore, the band’s guitarist walks out to run after his girlfriend; Ji-woong thus pressures Yi-jin to play the guitar. At the school’s broadcast studio, Hee-do forces Yi-jin to read an old script for her. At the spur of the moment, Seung-wan decides to broadcast Yi-jin’s reading live to inspire the senior students preparing for the CSAT. Afterwards, Hee-do, Yi-jin, Seung-wan, Ji-woong, Yu-rim, and the seniors enjoy watching the fireworks. At the shop, Hee-do is stunned to see the chairs that her father built; when she thought her mother had thrown them away, she actually had them repaired at the shop. Later, at the cemetery for her father’s death anniversary, she sees her mother break down and cry before her father’s grave. |
When Coach Yang refuses to let Ye-ji quit the fencing team, Hee-do and Yu-rim stand by Ye-ji’s decision and refuse to train. As a compromise, Coach Yang says that Ye-ji can quit the team if she reaches the quarterfinals of the Junior National Fencing Championships.
When the abusive teacher slaps Ji-woong several times, Seung-wan reports him to the police. This incident reaches the KBY news station, which sends a reporter to interview Seung-wan. But as the reporter is trying to convince Seung-wan to give him an interview, Yi-jin arrives and takes Seung-wan away with him.
Because of the overlapping of schedules of the baseball games and the lack of a reporter, Yi-jin volunteers to cover the game since he will also be going to Daegu to report on the Junior National Fencing Championships. But the heavy rain messes up his sports news report.
Later on, as Yi-jin and Hee-do have dinner in a small eatery, some old guys who are fans of the rival baseball teams begin shouting at each other. Hee-do loses her cool, slams her spoon on the table, and shouts at the old guys to stop shouting inside the eatery. After bringing Hee-do back to her hotel, Yi-jin is confronted by the member of the national fencing team with whom Hee-do had a short-lived relationship.
The abusive teacher gets a recording of Seung-wan’s pirate radio broadcast where she mentions Tae Yang High School and gives his full name. Citing school regulations, the teacher threatens to expel Seung-wan unless she writes a letter of apology and reads it in front of the student assembly.
Note: The video clips below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episodes.
Episode 13
| Ep. 12 recap:
On the way home from the cemetery, Hee-do gets into another argument with her mother when she says that she won’t go to college and instead join a professional fencing team. Later, when she asks Yu-rim what her plans are, Yu-rim also says that joining a professional team will bring her the much needed income. When Yu-rim mentions that it’s actually more lucrative to go and join another country’s team, she warns her that it’s considered unpatriotic. Hee-do surprises Yi-jin by speaking in French with the hotel guest who’s looking for his luggage. With Hee-do and Yu-rim’s help, Ye-ji reaches the quarterfinals of the Junior National Fencing Championships; true to her promise, Coach Yang allows her to quit the team. Rather than apologize to the abusive teacher, Seung-wan decides to drop out of school. With her mother’s support, she plans to take the GED and then take the CSAT a year later. Afraid of what could happen to the world with the Y2K bug, Hee-do, Yu-rim, Ji-woong, and Seung-wan gather in Yi-jin’s room. Thinking that it could really be the end of the world when 2000 arrives, Yu-rim, Ji-woong, and Seung-wan leave to be with their mothers. Alone by themselves, Hee-do kisses Yi-jin. |
With Yi-jin’s bland response to the kiss, Hee-do becomes depressed; she thinks the kiss is her personal millennium bug.
After passing his driving test, Ji-woong takes Yu-rim, Hee-do, and Seung-wan for a joy ride. But he’s a nervous driver and can’t do parallel parking.
Coach Yang presents to Shin Jae-kyung the three colleges that are willing to give a scholarship to Hee-do. On her way out of the UBS headquarters, she meets Yi-jin. Over soju, she reveals to Yi-jin how her career as a fencer unraveled after her best friend Shin Jae-kyung started broadcasting exclusive stories of how she accepted a bribe to get someone into the national team. She warns Yi-jin about journalists becoming emotionally entangled with the athletes whom they cover.
With the Presidential Cup Competition coming up, Hee-do finds it difficult to focus on her training because she’s always thinking of Yi-jin; Yu-rim advises her to take the gamble and confess her feelings to Yi-jin. On the other hand, Yi-jin finds out from his “sunbae” in UBS that he needs to spend at least a year in the sports department before he can transfer to a new department; he would also need a good reason in asking for a transfer.
During the Presidential Cup Competition, Coach Yang loses her cool and shouts at Hee-do and Yu-rim for losing their individual matches in the round of 32.
Note: The video clips below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episodes.
Episode 14
| Ep. 13 recap:
Ji-woong and Yu-rim finally hold hands together. Hee-do fails twice to convince Yi-jin to give their love a chance. During his broadcast of Tae Yang High School’s final team match victory with Hee-do and Yu-rim as part of the team, Yi-jin describes it as a brilliant result and a wonderful process. Back at the UBS sports department, his boss scolds him for using such a poetic expression. Moved by Yi-jin’s description of the final team match, Hee-do goes to see him. Yi-jin says that there should be distance between them and walks into the house. After she pleads with him, Yi-jin goes back to her and kisses her under the first snow. |
Present times ... Min-chae can’t find the next volume of her mother Hee-do’s diary. When she searches the Internet, she comes upon a 2009 sports news video of Yi-jin (a sports program anchor) interviewing Hee-do, who had just won a gold medal in the USA. When Yi-jin asks her what her toughest match was, she mentions the 2001 gold medal match in Madrid between her and Yu-rim.
February 2000 ... After finding out that Hee-do and Yi-jin are now in a relationship, Yu-rim, Ji-woong, and Seung-wan get drunk with them in the bar and later on in Yi-jin’s room.
Yu-rim’s father crashes his truck into a car; he only suffers a broken arm, but the man in the car he crashed into suffers severe injuries. In order to avoid being charged and sent to jail, he and his wife decide to sell their store for the settlement. To put an end to their financial woes, Yu-rim decides to change her nationality and play for Russia.
Just like what happened between Coach Yang and Shin Jae-kyung, Yi-jin does his job as a journalist and reports that Yu-rim is changing her nationality and play for Russia. The public becomes outraged and brands Yu-rim as a traitor.
Episode 15
| Ep. 14 recap:
Yu-rim tells Ji-woong that because of their circumstances and the distance, they shouldn’t burden each other and should break up. With Hee-do’s help, Yu-rim escapes from the swarm of reporters and photographers. After having their pictures taken in a photo booth, they eat “jjajangmyeon” in a small eatery. But the owner serves the food only to Hee-do; he says that Yu-rim is a traitor who sold out her country. Yu-rim defends her decision and demands that she be served. In the tunnel, Yi-jin breaks down after reading the words “Ko Yu-rim is a traitor!” painted on the wall. Hee-do arrives with a ladder, a bucket, and cleaning materials. At the end of their 2009 interview, Yi-jin congratulates Hee-do on her wedding. |
Flashback ... Yi-jin tells Yu-rim how he found out about her plan to change her citizenship and play for Russia. He asks her to tell everyone her reason, but Yu-rim tells him not to mention her parents in his story.
Through email, Hee-do and Yu-rim keep in touch as they train for the Madrid competition. Seung-wan gets into Seoul National University and gets elected as the freshman assembly president, while Ji-woong starts a web page showcasing his fashion sense. On the other hand, Yi-jin has transferred departments in UBS from sports to local news.
From the sidelines, Hee-do watches Yi-jin as he covers a crane collapse that led to the death of several workers. Later, Yi-jin confides in his “sunbae” that all the tragic accidents such as collapse of Sampoong Department Store and Seongsu Bridge could have been prevented and how the tragedies he has covered are affecting him; his “sunbae” advises him to grow numb to the victims’ situations and just focus on the incident.
Despite the conflicts in their schedules, Hee-do and Yi-jin try to meet and spend time together. They plan to spend time together for their September 12, 2001 anniversary.
Note: The video clip below from “The Swoon“ might contain some spoilers that could ruin your viewing of the full episode.
Episode 16, Finale (with spoilers)
| Ep. 15 recap:
After Hee-do wins the gold medal in her Madrid match against Yu-rim, they linger on the platform, crying and embracing each other. Moved by the emotional display, the reporters file their stories about “friendship before borders.” As Hee-do waits at the airport, Yi-jin is ordered by UBS News to travel to New York to cover the breaking news of the 911 terrorist incident where some Koreans are supposed to be among the victims. While Yi-jin is assigned to Afghanistan, his company building is bombed; he’s breaking down psychologically, and Hee-do notices that his enthusiasm has disappeared. Shin Jae-kyung tells Hee-do that Yi-jin has applied for an opening in New York. As the New Year comes around, Hee-do finds herself alone. |
Historical / cultural backgrounders and other information
A. Korea’s “IMF Crisis” which began in 1997 forms this drama’s backdrop — Yi-jin’s "chaebol" family becomes destitute, Hee-do’s high school fencing team is disbanded for lack of funding, etc.
In Ep. 1, a conflict arises when Hee-do accuses her mother of selling the gold wedding rings; her mother replies that it’s her duty to the country and because she’s a public figure. Please read “How Gold Rode To The Rescue Of South Korea” (Forbes, 2016). |
Perhaps once in a generation, there is an economic event so significant that it effects a permanent altering of a country’s economic landscape. And even if the country as a whole recovers as those cyclical indicators turn positive again, for some people the disaster drags on indefinitely.
The 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis, known invariably in South Korea as the ‘IMF Crisis,’ was such an event. Over the 20 years since the nominal end of the bad times, the legacy of the crisis is a reorientation of the country’s systems of employment and a growing increase in inequality. It also affected a psychological change: People here no longer make the same assumptions about lifelong stability and employment at family-like companies.
From “The Long Shadow of the Asian Financial Crisis in South Korea” (The Diplomat, 2021) by Yong Kwon (fellow and director of communications at the Korea Economic Institute of America):
The Asian Financial Crisis still casts a heavy shadow over South Korea because it was incredibly traumatic. Unemployment during the turmoil tripled and 80 percent of households experienced loss of income.
Structural readjustment measures that Seoul adopted as part of a rescue plan coordinated by Washington also left deep scars, leading to greater job insecurity and heightened inequality in subsequent years. For instance, the number of workers without full-time contracts increased by over 800,000 between 1997 and 2000.
B. Fencing is prominently depicted in this drama with the characters Hee-do and Yu-rim both members of the Korean national fencing team; numerous scenes show fencing competitions.
| South Korea's remarkable victories in the fencing competitions of the 2012 London Olympics spurred fencing's popularity in Korea. The fencing competitions among K-pop personalities further popularized the sport.
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From “Fencing Boom in Korea” (KBS World, 2012):
In women’s sabre Kim Ji-yeon, an Olympic rookie, fought her way to garner the first gold medal in fencing for not only Korea, but for Asia.
Choi Byung-chul grabbed bronze in men’s foil despite injuries, and women’s epee team seized Korea’s first silver, giving Korea two gold medals, one silver, and three bronze medals in the fencing event alone and putting Korea behind only Italy in medal count. Such stunning performances came as a pleasant surprise to many Koreans, because there are not that many fencers in Korea and the sport itself is not very well-known among ordinary Koreans.
From “Fencing-Resurgent South Korea fencers aim for gold” (Reuters, 2021) by Sakura Murakami: “With two gold, one silver and three bronze medals, the 2012 London Olympics proved to be the turning point for South Korea’s fencing record. Only Italy beat South Korea that year in the fencing gold medal and total medal tallies.”
In Ep. 6, Hee-do runs after the Japanese fencer who mistakenly took her bag and sword. At the train station, the Japanese fencer profusely offers her apology to Hee-do; when the fencer senses that Hee-do doesn’t understand her, she switches to French, and Hee-do replies in French (an earlier episode shows Hee-do growing up in Paris, France). In Ep. 12, Hee-do surprises Yi-jin by speaking French with the man who lost his luggage. She explains that a lot of fencers know how to speak French.
Resources: “Why is French the international and official language of fencing (Olympic sport)?” and “Fencing 101: Glossary”
C. In Ep. 11, Hee-do and her mother Shin Jae-kyung are supposed to go to a furniture repair shop. But the breaking news of the capture of Sin Chang-won forces Shin Jae-kyung to go back to the UBS studio.
In Ep. 12, Ji-woong is slapped several times by the abusive teacher for wearing a shirt similar to the shirt worn by Sin Chang-won when he was captured by the police.
From “The Story Of Korea’s Dark “Robin Hood,” The Seductive Criminal Who Captivated A Nation” (Koreaboo, 2022): “While the Robin Hood of lore is hailed as a hero, the story isn’t so black and white for one real-life outlaw. South Korean criminal Shin Chang Won rose to notoriety in the late 1990s, captivating the nation with his cat-and-mouse games.”
Lessons in photography from “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” with in-depth analysis of its visuals, cinematography, and editing
Index: A. Vignettes added to random shots by Netflix?; B. The tunnels: filming locations as characters in a film or drama; Kogonada’s critically acclaimed 2017 movie “Columbus”; The choice of filming locations to fit the narrative or to suit the mood; C. “Breaking the 180-degree rule” or “crossing the line” in Eps. 4 and 8 to depict emotional or psychological tension; D. Visual cues; E. Frequently used compositional techniques: (wide shots; wide shots from a ground level point of view; wide shots with the character or characters partially hidden by a foreground element); F. Miscellaneous observations: Most beautifully composed shot in this drama?; Camera roll in an emotionally intimate scene in Ep. 15; Motion blur or aesthetic blur in Ep. 15; Wrong ways to hold a camera as shown by Ji-woong in Eps. 11 and 16: missed opportunity to show character development?; Ep. 1’s broken lollipop: visual metaphor for something?; Composition technique: Rule of Odds in Ep. 10
A. Did you notice that black vignettes at the four corners of the frame appear in some random shots of this drama?
I searched Google with the search terms “Netflix vignetting,” and I came across several discussions in reddit subs dedicated to films and to Netflix itself. In these discussions, there were two explanations given to explain these random vignettes that people have noticed on Netflix shows. (Some comments also said that depending on the device used to view the Netflix shows, some people might see the vignettes, while some people might not.)
Explanation no. 1: The vignettes were created by the type of lenses used for the cameras.
Explanation no. 2: The vignettes are added by Netflix itself for some unknown reason; Netflix began doing this in 2018 with the show “Sabrina.”
I tend to believe that Explanation no. 2 is the actual reason for these random vignettes.
During my film-based photography days, I used with my Canon AE-1 Program camera several lenses including a Vivitar Series 1 70-210 mm lens and a Vivitar 28-210 mm superzoom lens. With my 70-210 mm lens, I had to retract the lens hood whenever I used the 70 mm end of my lens to avoid vignetting. For the same reason, with my 28-210 mm lens, I had to remove the ND (neutral density) filter I had attached whenever I used the 28 mm end of my lens.
I don’t have any experience with movie cameras, but I do know that directors can monitor the shots or scenes as they’re being shot by the cinematographer through a “director’s monitor” or “1st AC monitor.” If vignettes appear in the shots because of the lens used, I would think that the directors (or the cinematographers themselves) would remedy the situation, unless the directors or the cinematographers actually want those vignettes in the shots.
Note: I discussed vignettes and vignetting in detail in my analysis of the visuals, cinematography, and editing of “Hotel Del Luna.”
In the comments I read in the different subreddits, it seems that people have complained to Netflix about this random vignetting, but for one reason or another, Netflix has kept on adding these vignettes in random shots of the shows it streams.
B. The tunnels: filming locations as characters in a film or drama; Kogonada’s critically acclaimed 2017 movie “Columbus”; The choice of filming locations to fit the narrative or to suit the mood: the phone booths in Eps. 5 and 6
B-1. The tunnels: filming locations as characters in a film or drama
Perhaps the most memorable locations in this drama are the tunnels. They were witnesses to the relationship between Hee-do and Yi-jin all throughout the drama, starting from Ep. 2 when they ran away from the security guard who caught them playing with the faucets. At the tunnel, Hee-do encouraged Yi-jin that although he has promised to his father’s former employees never to be happy again, he can be happy whenever he’s with her.
In Ep. 16, Hee-do and Yi-jin part ways in anger after exchanging recriminations. But after finding the long lost volume of her diary, it’s also in the tunnel where Hee-do says her final farewell to Yi-jin and releases all the anger or disappointment in her heart.
I’m sure that the symbolisms or metaphors of the tunnel in relation to Hee-do, Yi-jin, Yu-rim, Ji-woong, and Seung-wan have been talked about or explained during the on-air discussions. Let me just refer to you articles and a YouTube video on how filming locations can become characters in a film or a drama.
The article “Filming Locations As Character: The Definitive Guide” (Filmmaking Lifestyle) discusses the following:
- What Are Filming Locations
- Filming Locations As Character
- Why Location Matters to Your Film
- Filming Locations Friday Night Lights
- Filming Locations Location Hacks
- Filming Locations Impact Of Setting On A Story
- Vital Filming Locations
“Some settings matter so much to the plot, they take on a life of their own — and they are just as necessary as the characters themselves.”
“Locations are also used to highlight plot points, character reveals, themes, etc.”
“Sofia Coppola’s, Lost in Translation, also has a setting that functions like a character — the entire city of Tokyo.”
In this video essay, we discuss a long-held belief in filmmaking theory how you can take your directing and filmmaking to the next level by building locations that serve as a character in your movie. This video essay will show you how setting can not only be a character in your movies, but it needs to be. When directing movies, you have to keep everything in mind in filmmaking which includes your film settings.
Kogonada is a Korean-American video essayist who recently directed “Pachinko” starring Lee Min-ho, Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, “Hamilton” star Jin Ha, and Kim Min-ha. The drama is based on an award-winning novel that narrates the triumphs and struggles of three generations of “zainichi Koreans.”
In 2017, Kogonada wrote, directed, and edited his debut feature film “Columbus” which has received rave reviews. One thing that viewers and critics have praised is how the modernist architecture of Columbus, Indiana is practically the third major character after ML Jin (played by John Cho) and FL Casey (played by Haley Lu Ruchardson).
Columbus, Indiana has structures built by world-famous architects and designers such as Eero Saarinen and I.M. Pei (designer of the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre Museum); you can see some of these structures in the YT video “Columbus, Indiana - travel destination.”
B-2. The choice of filming locations to fit the narrative or to serve as a visual metaphor
The article “Filming Locations As Character: The Definitive Guide” says:
“Using the right location can be the difference between a mediocre film and a memorable classic. The right location can take an ordinary film and make it extraordinary.”
“Filming locations are often what make or break a scene or film.”
“Location is one of the most important aspects of your film. It can help to set the mood and tone of the whole piece.”
Eps. 5-6: Yi-jin takes his younger brother Yi-hyun to Pohang, intending to make a fresh start after their father’s former employees continue to harass them. He and Hee-do get separated for the next three months, with their pager messages being their only communication. While Hee-do begins to be successful in her fencing matches, Yi-jin labors in a fish market.
You’ll notice that the phone booths in which Hee-do and Yi-jin listen to their pager messages to each other are located in isolated places and always at night. And at the end of Ep. 5 and the start of Ep. 6, it’s snowing. The isolated phone booths, the nighttime, and the snow depict and reinforce Hee-do and Yi-jin’s loneliness brought about by their separation.
C. In two shots/scenes from Ep. 4 and Ep. 8, the cinematographer “broke the 180-degree rule” or “crossed the line” to depict emotional or psychological tension.
From “What is the 180 Degree Rule in Film? Crossing the Line with Purpose” by Studio Binder:
The 180 degree rule is a filmmaking guideline for spatial relations between two characters on screen. The 180 rule sets an imaginary axis, or eye line, between two characters or between a character and an object. By keeping the camera on one side of this imaginary axis, the characters maintain the same left/right relationship to each other, keeping the space of the scene orderly and easy to follow.
When the camera jumps over the invisible axis, this is known as crossing the line or breaking the line, and it can produce a disorienting and distracting effect on a viewer.
The Studio Binder article also discusses the uses of the 180 degree rule:
- Following the rule will establish orientation
- Breaking the rule will disorient and signal unease.
- Bending the rule signals a gradual change in your scene.
Notice that the Studio Binder article speaks about “bending” the 180-degree rule. Examples of “bending” the 180-degree rule are these shots from “Heat” (blockbuster 1995 action movie starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro) and from “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho.
Examples of “breaking the 180-degree rule” or “crossing the line” from movies:
(1) “Heat” 1995 blockbuster action drama directed by Michael Mann, with the cast led by Al Pacino and Robert de Niro:
The character played by Robert de Niro (a bank robber) goes to a bar when a woman starts making small talk with him. He is frame left while the woman is frame right. He becomes suspicious about the woman but lightens up a bit later when the woman explains that she has been seeing him in the bookstore. To signify that change in the scene’s mood (aka “beat”), the camera moves such that Robert de Niro’s character becomes frame right while the woman becomes frame left.
(2) “Parasite” Oscar-winning movie by Bong Joon-ho:
Mrs. Park is frame left while Jessica is frame right. Jessica tells (deceives) Mrs. Park that her son has artistic talent. The camera moves to show Mrs. Park’s shocked reaction such that Jessica is now frame left while Mrs. Park is now frame right.
Relevant resource: “Breaking the 180 Degree Rule for BETTER Storytelling – Crossing the 180° Line Examples in Movies” (YouTube)
Ep. 4: In the gym, Hee-do and Yi-jin engage in some lighthearted sparring, with Yi-jin tricking Hee-do to score a point. Yi-jin then compliments Hee-do for her mental toughness in not being discouraged despite having lost a lot of her matches. When the lights go out, Yi-jin approaches Hee-do; he’s frame left. The cinematographer “breaks the 180-degree rule” or “crosses the line” by moving the camera to the right such that he becomes frame right and Yi-jin becomes frame left. (As the camera passes Hee-do, the shot goes into slow motion. There's also a rack focus: Yi-jin becomes in focus as Hee-do becomes out of focus.)
In the next shots, Yi-jin is now frame left while Hee-do is now frame right. Yi-jin uses the tip of Hee-do’s sword to touch his uniform so as to turn on the light from the electronic scoring device. He encourages her to use her many losses as a staircase.
When the light from the electronic scoring device goes out, Hee-do slaps Yi-jin’s uniform with her sword. The light turns on again, and
we see a closeup of the top of the electronic scoring device. The next shot is a high angle shot of Hee-do, who’s now frame left, and Yi-jin, who’s now frame right.
In the next shots, Yi-jin is back to frame left, and Hee-do is back to frame right. Hee-do wonders why Yi-jin encourages her when even her own mother doesn’t. Yi-jin answers, “Because you give me hope.”
The changing viewpoints help keep the dramatic tension high; while the cinematographer took all of the shots, the credit for this excellent scene goes to the editor. (Ultimately, based in the “auteur theory,” credit for this scene’s excellence goes to the director.)
Ep. 8: Yu-rim realizes that her chat mate “Ryder37” is none other than Hee-do; she hurriedly hands the yellow rose to Yi-jin and runs away. Seeing Yi-jin in the park and holding a yellow rose, Hee-do thinks that he’s her chat mate “Injeolmi.” She tells Yi-jin, “I have to have you.” But Yi-jin doesn’t have a clue about what’s happening.
Hee-do is frame left while Yi-jin is frame right. The cinematographer “breaks the 180-degree rule” or “crosses the line” by arcing the camera clockwise such that Hee-do becomes frame right and Yi-jin becomes frame left.(Notice that as the camera arcs clockwise, it slightly moves down and then pushes in on him so that it shoots against the light, creating a polygonal lens flare.)
Things to remember from this brilliant scene:
- The writer conceptualized the scene.
- Based on the script, the director prepared what is called the “shot list.” (From the shot list, the storyboard is created.)
- Based on the shot list, the cinematographer shot the scene, doing what is called “coverage” (shooting the scene from various viewpoints and shot sizes - closeup, medium shot, wide shot).
- Based on what the cinematographer shot, the editor chose what shots to include and in what order to serve the director’s vision of the scene or drama.
While the directing, the cinematography, and the editing certainly were major factors in this scene’s excellence, the major credit should go to the brilliant acting (through facial expressions) of Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk.
Excellent editing of the Ep. 8 scene:
After the “crossing of the line,” which ends with Yi-jin engulfed by the light and a polygonal lens flare, the shot cuts to
(1) a medium closeup of Hee-do, who’s frame right;
(2) a wide shot from a low angle point of view of Hee-do, Yi-jin, and the park;
(3) the wide shot above cross dissolves into a full shot of Hee-do and Yi-jin facing each other, with Hee-do frame left and Yi-jin frame right;
(4) the full shot then cross dissolves into a medium shot of Hee-do and Yi-jin facing each other.
In number (2) above, you’ll notice that the elements of the scene — Hee-do, Yi-jin, the tree, the buildings in the background — seem to be falling over. This effect is known as “keystoning,” which is caused when the subject (the scene’s elements) and the camera’s image plane are not parallel to each other.
(In photography, “keystoning” can be corrected by using a “tilt shift lens” when shooting a subject; in the darkroom by tilting the photo paper; or through editing apps.)
In Ep. 15, there’s a scene that’s almost similar to “breaking the 180-degree rule.” Ji-woong visits Yu-rim in Russia; notice that at first, the out of focus flowers in the vase are frame left while Yu-rim is frame center as Ji-woong comes into the shot from frame right. The camera then trucks (moves parallel) to the left. The next three shots are medium closeups of Ji-woong and Yu-rim in a tight embrace. As the camera continues to truck, the flowers are now frame right while both Yu-rim and Ji-woong are now frame center.
D. Visual cues
“Visual cues” are explained in an excellent series of articles from “My Drama List” written by someone with the username “3GGG.”
“Popular Visual Cues found in K-Dramas, Part 1: visual ways to establish a conflict, division, or fight between two or more characters”
“Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 2: boxing to establish a character’s vulnerability, solitude, or fear; comfort and respite; change; danger; showdown”
“Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 3: Dutch angle”
“Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 4 Interpersonal cues (using cues simultaneously or one after another)”
The YouTube video “The Brilliant Cinematography of Parasite” by Thomas Flight (5:04 mark) shows how director Bong Joon-ho used lines to depict the division between the social classes, between the rich family and the poor family.
Ep. 1: After running away from the dance competition, Min-chae seeks refuge in her grandmother’s house and finds her mother Hee-do’s diary. The drama uses Min-chae’s reading of the diary as a narrative device. Notice that she’s boxed in by the door frame.
Ep. 1: Yi-jin’s “chaebol” family has become destitute because of the IMF Crisis. In a previous scene, he’s shown leading a privileged life. In this scene, he’s now destitute, living in a small and almost bare room. Notice that he’s boxed in by the window frame; the camera also pushes in in him.
Ep. 1: Hee-do goes to the Tae Yang High School gym and meets Coach Yang. She begs Coach Yang to take her into the fencing team, but Coach Yang says that she mustn’t be a good fencer since she has to beg her way into the team. Notice that they’re boxed in within the window frame, thus depicting and reinforcing their conflict.
(Note: When two or more characters are boxed in within a frame, it could either mean conflict or unity depending on the context.)
Ep. 2: Hee-do becomes confused and disappointed when her fencing hero Yu-rim deliberately doesn’t pay her any attention. Notice that she’s boxed in by the door frame.
Ep. 2: Hee-do beats Yu-rim in their practice match by one point. Later, Coach Yang assembles her team to tell Hee-do to enjoy her victory and Yu-rim to learn from her defeat. Notice that Hee-do and Yu-rim are boxed in by the window frame to depict and reinforce their conflict; they’re also shot with a subtle Dutch angle.
Ep. 3: After running away from the school’s security who caught them playing with the water faucets, Hee-do and Yi-jin end up in the tunnel; Hee-do encourages Yi-jin to find happiness despite the times that have taken everything away from him. Notice that they’re boxed in within the frame of the tunnel walls to depict and reinforce their unity.
Ep. 4: In the gym, Hee-do and Yi-jin engage in some lighthearted sparring, with Yi-jin tricking Hee-do to score a point. Yi-jin then compliments Hee-do for her mental toughness in not being discouraged despite having lost a lot of her matches. When the lights go out, Yi-jin uses the tip of Hee-do’s sword to touch his uniform so as to turn on the light from the electronic scoring device. He encourages her to use her many losses as a staircase. Notice that they’re boxed in by the frame created by the out of focus window frame to depict and reinforce their unity.
Ep. 5: Min-chae reads in the diary about the conflict between her mother Hee-do and her grandmother Shin Jae-kyung; she reflects on her own conflict with her mother Hee-do. Notice that she’s boxed in by the window frame to depict and reinforce her emotional tension.
Ep. 6: Hee-do gets back her sword and bag from the Japanese fencer who mistakenly took them. She rushes back to the venue of her gold finals match with Yu-rim, but the train she’s riding on gets delayed. Notice that she’s boxed in by the window frame to depict and reinforce her emotional tension.
Ep. 7: After the news reports and the public condemn her for stealing the Asian Games gold medal from Yu-rim, Hee-do becomes afraid that she’ll be recognized on the train. Her tension and dilemma are depicted and reinforced by the window frame that boxes her in.
Ep. 8: Because of the controversy in the post-match press conference in the Asian Games, both Hee-do and Yu-rim are suspended and ordered to leave the national training center. From behind a wall, Hee-do overhears Yu-rim ask one official if it’s possible for her to get an advance on her pension as an Olympic gold medalist. The tension on the scene is depicted and reinforced by the line created by the edge of the wall that separates Hee-do and Yu-rim.
Ep. 8: After overhearing Yu-rim indirectly speak to an official about her financial difficulties , Hee-do begins to be confused about what she feels towards Yu-rim. (Later, she tells her chat mate Injeolmi about her confusion.) Her confusion is depicted and reinforced by the frames that box her in.
Ep. 8: From the partially open door, Yu-rim sees and hears her mother crying as she mends the fencing glove; they had found out earlier that the owner of the rice cake house has abandoned the business, leaving her mother and other people in the neighborhood in deep financial trouble. Yu-rim’s dilemma and tension over her family’s finances are depicted and reinforced by the door frame that boxes her in.
Ep. 8 (similar situation to that above): Yu-rim is shot from a low angle point of view; notice the frames that box her in.
Ep. 8: Shin Jae-kyung receives from Coach Yang the gold medal that Hee-do won in the Asian Games. Her emotional struggle and tension over how to give the “stolen gold medal” to Hee-do are depicted and reinforced by the door frame that boxes her in.
Ep. 9: Together with Coach Yang and the rest of the fencing team, a reluctant Hee-do goes to the eatery owned by Yu-rim’s mother. She hesitates at the door at the eatery door; her emotional and psychological tension are depicted and reinforced by the door frame and the lower and right edges of the frame that box her in.
Ep. 9: Yi-jin tells Yu-rim that she’s making him lie to Hee-do. Yu-rim begs Yi-jin not to tell Hee-do for at least one week more that she is “Injeolmi.” Notice that their conflict is depicted and reinforced by the walls that box them in.
Ep. 9: After Yi-jin uses her phone for an emergency sports news report, Hee-do asks him what word he’ll use to describe their relationship.She prevents Yu-jin from from leaving by holding on to his coat. The tension between them is depicted and reinforced by the the out of focus window frame and walls in the foreground.
Ep. 9: In the locker room, Hee-do is shocked when Yu-rim catches her in front of her locker and reading her copy of the final edition of “Full House.” Notice that they’re boxed in within separate frames to depict and reinforce the tension and awkwardness between them.
Ep. 10: Ji-woong hesitates to ask Yu-rim to go out on dates with him. The tension between them is depicted and reinforced by the line of the window frame that separates them.
Ep. 11: Thinking that her mother threw away the chairs that her father built for their family, Hee-do decides to go to the furniture repair shop and ask the owner to teach her how to build furniture. She uses everything in her piggy bank as payment for the lessons. Notice that she’s boxed in by the door frame to depict and reinforce her emotional and psychological tension.
Ep. 11: Hee-do and her mother have another argument, this time about the chairs and her decision to place her career over her family. Notice that they’re boxed in by the ftame forned by the lines of the out of focus wall, the ceiling, and the edge of the right frame to depict and reinforce their conflict.
Ep. 11: The conflict between Yu-rim and Ji-woong is depicted and reinforced by the window frame that boxes them in.
Ep. 11: When two or more characters are boxed in within the same frame, it could either mean unity or conflict, depending on the context. In this scene, the unity between Ji-woong and Yu-rim is depicted and reinforced by the out of focus foreground frame that boxes them in.
Ep. 12: Yi-jin and the fencer known as “Cutie Pie” confront each other about Hee-do on the hotel lobby. (Unknown to them, Hee-do listens in on them from behind a wall.) Notice that they’re boxed in within separate frames to depict and reinforce their conflict.
Ep. 12: From behind a wall, Hee-do listens in on the confrontation between Yi-jin and the fencer known as “Cutie Pie.” Notice that she’s boxed in within the lines of the wall behind her.
Ep. 12: Seung-wan’s mother hugs her to support her decision in dropping out of Tae Yang High school because she won’t apologize to the abusive teacher. Notice that they’re boxed in within the window frame to depict and reinforce their unity.
Ep. 15: In her email to Hee-do, Yu-rim vents about the extremely cold weather in Russia; she pines for the sunny summers of Korea. Notice that she’s boxed in by the window frame to depict and reinforce her emotional tension.
Ep. 16: After finding out that the latest volume of her diary is missing, Hee-do talks to the bus driver and pleads with him to contact her if someone returns it. Her dilemma and tension are depicted and reinforced by the way she’s boxed in by the window and the steel poles inside the bus.
Ep. 16: Yi-jin is forced to meet Hee-do after their suitcases get mixed up at the airport. At home, he breaks down and cries; notice that he’s hunched over and is boxed in by the door frame.
Ep. 16: Yi-jin’s emotional and psychological tension are depicted and reinforced by the frames of the telephone booth that box him in.
Ep. 16: Hee-do and Yi-jin are forced to meet each other again in order to cancel the “couple plan” for their phones. Their awkwardness and tension over meeting each other against depicted and reinforced by the door frame that boxes them in.
“Twenty-Five Twenty-One” uses both subtle Dutch angle shots and over dramatic Dutch angle shots.
Examples of subtle Dutch angle shots:
Examples of dramatic Dutch angle shots:
E. Frequently used compositional techniques: (wide shots; wide shots from a ground level point of view; wide shots with the character or characters partially hidden by a foreground element)
Examples of wide shots:
Examples of wide shots from a ground level point of view:
Examples of wide shots with the character or characters partially hidden by a foreground element:
F. Miscellaneous observations: Most beautifully composed shot in this drama?; Camera roll in an emotionally intimate scene in Ep. 15; Motion blur or aesthetic blur in Ep. 15; Wrong ways to hold a camera as shown by Ji-woong in Eps. 11 and 16: missed opportunity to show character development?; Ep. 1’s broken lollipop: visual metaphor for something?; Composition technique: Rule of Odds in Ep. 10
1. Most beautifully composed scene in this drama?
After canceling the “couple plan” for their phones, Hee-do and Yi-jin find themselves at the tunnel. Their conversation, however, turns sour as they raise their voices at each other and exchange recriminations. Later, during training, Hee-do collapses and has to be brought to the hospital. When her mother asks her what’s wrong with her because all the exams the doctors did turned up nothing, she confesses that she broke up with Yi-jin. Later on, as she lies on her hospital bed, she regrets saying the hurtful words that she said to Yi-jin.
Notice that as she lies on her bed, her reflection can be seen on the table in the foreground. That dual image brilliantly captures the emotional dilemma and distress that she’s experiencing as she regrets having broken up with Yi-jin in such a nasty way.
Relevant resources:
“Cinematic Film Composition — Roger Deakins on Blocking, Staging & Composition in Cinematography”
“How Kubrick, Spielberg, and Inarritu Stage their Scenes”
“Blocking and Staging a Scene From The Ground Up: A Complete Guide”
You may not be into cinematography or videography, but you certainly may be involved with photography, whether that’s using high-end DSLR cameras or just your smartphone. Whether your using a DSLR or your smartphone to take pictures, the techniques and principles of composition are the same. For more information about photographic composition, please surf to my blog post on this topic.
2. Camera roll in an emotionally intimate scene in Ep. 15
In Ep. 15, both Hee-do and Yi-jin get drunk. As they hold each other while about to fall asleep, they promise to support each other through whatever each one is going through. Notice that as Hee-do is speaking, the camera rolls clockwise. (I stand to be corrected, but I think in the shot of Yi-jin, there’s also a clockwise camera roll.)
Note: I slowed down the GIF to around 80% of its normal speed so that you can better see the camera roll.
3. Motion blur or aesthetic blur in Ep. 15
Despite his fear of driving, Ji-woong rushes to the airport to see Yu-rim before she leaves for Russia. As he kisses Yu-rim, it seems that time stands still for them as people around them move in a slow motion blur.
From “What is Motion Blur, Is Motion Blur Good & Why Does it Happen?” by Studio Binder: Motion blur is the visual streaking or smearing captured on camera as a result of movement of the camera, the subject, or a combination of the two. The human eye naturally registers motion blur in real life, so a subtle blur in film often mimics reality better than if it were absent. When applied intentionally, this effect may be referred to as aesthetic blur.
Note: Motion blur can be created in-camera or added during the post production.
Relevant resources:
(1) “Using Motion Blur for Vatural Movement”
(2) “Motion blur photography and shutter speed explained”
(3) “Blur and shutter angle explained”
4. Wrong ways to hold a camera as shown by Ji-woong in Eps. 11 and 16: a missed opportunity to show character development?
The cameras that Ji-woong uses in Ep. 11 and Ep. 16 have the branding elements removed. But the camera he uses in Ep. 11 is a film-based camera, while the camera in Ep. 16 seems to be a Canon EOS camera. In both episodes, Ji-woong holds the camera wrongly.
In Ep. 16, Ji-woong has started his website on fashion, and in one scene, he shoots pictures of a fashionably dressed guy on a playground. Notice that as Ji-woong holds his camera, his left pointing finger is obscuring part of the lens. This scene could have been a little way of showing Ji-woong’s character development if only he held the camera correctly.
5. Ep. 1’s broken lollipop: visual metaphor for something?
Hee-do decides to get kicked out of her school so that she can transfer to Tae Yang High School; after seeing a trio of girls whom she can get in trouble with, she stands up and drops her lollipop, which breaks into two after it lands on the cement. Notice that there’s a little plant on the right side of the frame. I’ve thought about it a lot, but I can’t understand why the director wanted that shot of the lollipop and the little plant.
From “What is a Visual Metaphor — Definition & Examples in Art & Film” (Studio Binder): “Film is primarily a visual medium. Filmmakers have various tools to create meaning through visual elements, one of which is the visual metaphor. Visual metaphors are often subtle, but are incredibly important for filmmakers in communicating and resonating with an audience.”
6. Composition technique: “Rule of Odds” in Ep. 10
The “Rule of Odds” in photography and cinematography states that (1) odd-numbered groups of subjects or objects easier to compose and shoot, and (2) but that they are also pleasing to the eyes. In this example from Ep. 10, Seung-wan is in the middle, with Yu-rim to her right and Hee-do to her left.
Relevant resources:
From “The rule of odds and what it means for your film” (Videomaker) by Weland Bourn:
- Rule of odds: The basic concept
- A rule for everyone (writer, production designer, etc.)
- The classic group of three: learning from a masterpiece (Akira Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood” 1957)
- A rule that demands staging
- One-and-three method for four subjects (“Mean Girls,” 2004, and “Star Wars,” 1977)
- Three-group method (“The Avengers,” 2012)
- Five-and-one method
- Two-groups-of-three method
- Large groups (musical “Grease,” 1968)
- Odd thirds – space as a subject (Rule of Thirds)
- The distance method
- Odds and thirds and Orson Welles (“Citizen Kane”)
- A rule that makes sense
- The rule of odds: live
