4.13 - Episode 13 of 25, 21

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 12 of 25, 21, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Kim Tae-ri as Na Hee-do and Nam Joo-hyuk as Baek Yi-jin. We discuss:The songs we heard during the recap: Missing you by Byon Dong Wook and Whispers of Love by Lim Ha Young.How Baek Yi-jin is sending Na Hee-do mixed signals. He’s declared his love for her, he’s affectionate around her, he is very solicitous, and he wants to spend time with her. But when she gives him a kiss, he pulls away from her!How Baek Yi-jin is conflicted about his relationship with Na Hee-do, probably because of his job, which lets him make money and gives him a path toward bringing his family back together.Na Hee-do is really confused, she’s losing her self-respect, and she wants Baek Yi-jin to try a different type of love with her, or let her go.How Baek Yi-jin finally gives Na Hee-do a kiss at the end of the episode; he finally gives in to his love and his longing.How Na Hee-do and Ko Yu-rim lose their individual matches during the tournament, but both girls play really well during the team match, which powers their team to victory.How this is the last time that Na Hee-do and Ko Yu-rim play together on the same team.How we learn about how Coach Yang and  Shin Jae-kyung first became friends, how they became close, and how their friendship went out.How Ko Yu-rim and Moon Ji-woong finally get to hold hands!The K Drama elements in this episode: Crying, alcohol, second couples, clothing, and food.The Asian financial crisis, how the IMF imposed several financial reforms on countries throughout Asia, and how a show like 25, 21 shows us the impact of the crisis on regular people.How we’re going to start talking about the shows that we’re considering for Season 5 of K Drama Chat.ReferencesAsian Financial Crisis: Causes, Response, Lessons LearnedAsian Financial Crisis