Kim Tae-ri gave all the credit to Nam Joo-hyuk for the success of “Twenty-five, Twenty-one”

Actress Kim Tae-ri expressed her affection for tvN’s “Twenty-five, Twenty-one” and the character Na Hee-do. 

Kim Tae-ri recently thanked fans for their great love through a video interview to commemorate the end of “Twenty-five, Twenty-one.” The actress played the role of Na Hee-do in this drama and received enormous love for her charming romance with Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk), as well as her depiction of a fencing-loving high school girl growing into a national gold medalist.

Kim Tae-ri said, “Na Hee-do and Kim Tae-ri have a high synchronization. I’m also very confident when I have to be confident and do the things I say I will. But I don’t know how to fight. I want to be gentle. That’s why Na Hee-do is cooler than me. Na Hee-do is a person who knows how to fight. She is a person who knows how to fight for injustice or her beliefs in faith and life. That’s cool,” she said, expressing her affection for the character.

The actress added, “Na Hee-do is a character who would not aim for or avoid anything. She was so free and perfectly written that I didn’t try to do anything about it. The writer trusted me completely. Rather than depicting that kind of youth, I believed how well the script was written and the director and the writer. At that time (my youth), I was a child who searched for coins under the swings and iron bars and loved eating choki choki.”

Na Hee-do, a high school girl, devoted her youth to fencing. When the fencing department of her school was canceled due to the IMF, she tried to transfer to Taeyang High School, where her role model, Ko Yu-rim (Bona), was studying, and finally grew into a national athlete on par with her. In the process, she competed with Ko Yu-rim and had conflicts, but she became best friends with her and met her first love, Baek Yi-jin.

When asked whether “Twenty-five, twenty-one” was a work that focuses on Na Hee-do‘s growth or romance, Kim Tae-ri said, “It’s a difficult question. I think it’s right not to think about it that way. There is romance and many scenes in Na Hee-do’s growth.”

In addition, some netizens didn’t agree with the relationship between Baek Yi-jin, an adult, and Na Hee-do, a high school girl. Even though the two were just a man and a girl simply falling in love while growing up together, strict viewers thought it coulf be a sensitive issue.

In response, Kim Tae-ri said, “I think it would have been more burdensome for Nam Joo-hyuk and the director than me. He was actually very careful about the amount of expression he should put on. But Na Hee-do is not that kind of character. Since she is in her teens and is in the stage of becoming an adult, she expressed her true feelings about Baek Yi-jin. Of course, everyone looks at it in a careful way.”

Nevertheless, “Twenty-five, Twenty-one” was a fresh and exciting romantic comedy. Kim Tae-ri also attributed all the credit to Nam Joo-hyuk, who has more experience doing romance dramas. The actress said, “It was by far the most enjoyable and best when I acted with Nam Joo-hyuk. That’s how muchI learned and I learned a lot. He’s been in more dramas than I have. Nam Joo-hyuk holds on to the points that he should not miss, develop it, and not let it go.”

“Baek Yi-jin can’t let go of Na Hee-do. It is a special relationship that cannot be defined. Thanks to romantic comedy senior Nam Joo-hyuk, viewers liked our chemistry much better than I thought. Nam Joo-hyuk made such a big contribution. I dedicate all the credit to Nam Joo-hyuk.”

Kim Tae-ri continued, “Should I get my own romantic comedy drama? I’m not there yet (laugh). Personally, I think I failed. Viewers seem to have generously seen it as a romantic comedy. I don’t think I did a good job. I think Baek Yi-jin did so well because it seems like I didn’t. I am still very lacking in romantic comedies,” she said humbly.

However, “I felt that there were endless possibilities in acting. When I looked at it with such a flexible mind, I realized that it (romantic comedy) was a genre that could be done in a fun way. The next time I do it, I have a desire to challenge myself with such memories and confidence. But I don’t feel like “I’ll pave my own romantic path,” she said with a smile.