Following her performance in the 2018 period drama "Mr. Sunshine," actress Kim Tae-ri returns to the small screen with tvN's new romantic series "Twenty Five Twenty One."

"While many mystery, horror, science fiction, and thriller series have entered the cultural mainstream, when I read the screenplay for 'Twenty Five Twenty One,' I was overjoyed. According to Kim, who spoke at an online news conference on Wednesday, "I was pulled to the bright, vibrant spirit of my character Na Hee-do as well."

Aside from the wonderful tale and character, Kim was drawn to the project by the possibility to collaborate with filmmaker Jung Ji-hyun — the two previously collaborated on the film "Mr. Sunshine."

"Twenty Five Twenty One," directed by Jung, who has directed several popular romance series in the last three years, including "Search WWW," "The King: Eternal Monarch," and "You Are My Spring," revolves around teenagers pursuing their dreams and ambitions during the economic crisis of 1998. Jung is also the creator of the hit web series "Search WWW."

Back Yi-jin is a diligent young man who seeks to restore his life and family after it has been torn apart by the country's economic crisis. Kim portrays an adolescent fencer named Hee-do, while co-star Nam Joo-hyuk plays a dedicated young man named Back Yi-do.

According to Jung, "Although the tale portrayed on television is a drama, I believe many incidents in our series seem to intersect with our everyday lives during the COVID-19 epidemic, allowing the audience to readily sympathize with the experience that the key characters are going through."

"Because the film is set in 1998, some viewers may feel nostalgia for the clothing and structures shown in 'Twenty Five Twenty One,' while younger viewers may appreciate the charm of late 1990s Korea," the filmmaker continued.

Nam and Kim believed that learning the historical and personal origins of their characters was vital to performing their parts to the best of their abilities.

Many books and movies were consulted by the 27-year-old Nam, which considerably aided him in his performance of Yi-jin and in recreating the atmosphere of the time.

Kim recounted her first-time sabre-fencing experience with the group.

"Because Hee-do is a national athlete-level fencer, I learnt to fence for 5-6 months before to filming the series." To document my experience, I even drafted a notebook, which was later utilized as a prop in the series' last episode. "Another component to observe is the development of the youngsters and their will to pursue a promising future," Kim stated, implying that her new series will have more than just romance.

The 16-part series is set to premiere on tvN on Saturday at 9:10 p.m., after the conclusion of the current Saturday-Sunday drama "Bulgasal: Immortal Souls," which will conclude on Sunday.

Twenty Five Twenty One will also be accessible on local streaming platform Tving as well as worldwide streaming provider Netflix in addition to the traditional distribution channels.