A Promising Drama Held Back by One Annoying Character
**Review of "Twinkling Watermelon"**"Twinkling Watermelon" is a drama that a lot of people really liked, but it didn’t fully work for me. I can see why it’s popular, but I struggled with the character Se Kyeong, who I found really annoying. Whenever she was on screen, it made the drama less enjoyable for me.
The first few episodes were pretty good, but the middle of the drama got a bit boring. Things picked up again towards the end, but not in the way I wanted. The ending left me feeling a bit disappointed and unsure about the whole show.
I’d still recommend this drama to someone who doesn’t mind one character being annoying. Unfortunately, Se Kyeong’s character ruined it for me, which is a shame because I really liked the rest of the show, especially the touching relationship between Eungyeol and Yi Chan and the emotional scenes with Chung Ah.
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This review may contain spoilers
Will Definitely Be Added To My ‘Favorites’ Box!
SPOILER:99% of the time, I only watch K, J and C dramas. I can’t remember when last I watched anything from Hollywood.
My criteria are that all episodes must already available AND already subtitled, plus it must be romantic with a happy ending. So, now you know something of why I put a spoiler alert.
Because you’re probably unfamiliar with the cast, I’ll try and make them memorable.
Eun Gyeol ( Ryeoun) Guitar Man ML1
Ha Yi-chan ( Choi Hyun-wook) ML2 Guitar Man’s Dad
Cheong-ah (Sin Eun-soo) FL1 Cello Girl
Se-kyung (Seol In-ah) FL2 Deaf Artistic Girl and ML1’s Mom
Along with other delightful and some scary characters. In fact, one of the really good looking 1995 band members has his bad past create quite a bit of havoc.
This is not a light-hearted rom-com, though many parts had me laughing so much my stomach hurt. I got swept away on a roller coaster of emotions, and cried my eyes out in parts, too. In fact, I cried so much cos at one stage it seemed hopeless, soI went back to check again if it DID actually have a happy ending! Some of it was chilling, where the headmistress plays her part-( in abusing Deaf Artistic Girl)- so convincingly you can’t help be appalled, and end up hating her (headmistress.)
Guitar Man is the CODA- Child Of Deaf Adults to his parents and also a a deaf brother. He tries really hard to be selfless and to subjugate his guilty passion for music and guitar playing. He isn’t successful so plays anonymously initially. I think this is clever, to make his passion music and to bring in the musical CODA.( In sheet music it signifies that the musical composition is nearing completion. Guitar Man was taught that by the grandfather of Cello Girl when the grandfather was teaching him to play the guitar. This is how all the lives in a drama series entangle.)
Most of the time Guitar Man succeeds in being the obedient child who strives to excel academically,and in all other areas, where he can be seen as an asset, and good example, so his parents can bask in the reflected glory. His parents aren’t knowingly bad in this respect, it’s almost an unconscious pressure they exert.
When Guitar Man’s Dad discovers his son’s secret passion, they clash, and Guitar Man rebels, and lands up at the time travel musical shop. Once he travels back in time he meets his charismatic, often hot-headed, but always well-meaning 1995 Dad. Cello Girl also travels back in time via the same music shop. She’s had enough of her home-life/situation, too. The younger version of his Mom, Deaf Artistic Girl is , of course, already there , and also enters the picture. So their lives, Drama-land style, intertwine.
Guitar Man and Cello Girl are unaware that both are time travellers until nearly the end. She tries to help Guitar Man prevent any disaster which might be the reason for Guitar Man’s 1995 Dad going deaf.
I got a bit lost with Cello Girl’s back story, as I thought she was the adopted child who was supposed to replace a child who died. That she was the adopted child who took up the cello in a desperate bid to try and gain her alcoholic Mom’s attention. How is she then a carbon copy of her 1995 “Mom” then? Confusing, or maybe it’s just me that is confused.. I never had time to go over earlier episodes to see how I missed some of that story so I will definitely need to watch it again. But even if I weren’t confused, I will watch it again, sometime in the future.
Both time travellers leave the only chance that they can, when the two moons appear in the sky. Guitar Man, who left 1995 feeling like a devastated failure re-enters a very different 2023 . Him and Cello Girl meet up again.
The ending satisfied my romantic bent. A lovely and very romantic kiss between our leads. It seems to me that the female leads in most dramas generally aren’t allowed to kiss so much as just be the recipient, so it is almost always up to the man to make it convincing, but Shin Eun-soo participated nicely. Ryeoun put his heart and soul into this series. Love his acting...loved the guitar playing parts (of both the men.) Many actors can’t cry convincingly- he acts very well generally -and cries absolutely convincingly.
The second leads were captivating and adorable. Again. Choi Hyun-Wook kisses beautifully (and cries convincingly). So nice for us, their audience, as often, though the second leads are shown to be romantically together, you hardly ever have a really breath-taking romantic moment/ satisfying kiss between them. This series was refreshingly different. .There’s a lot of gaps in this series. We learn that the Dad of Deaf Artistic Girl was hell-bent on hustling her away abroad to study poste-haste. How did Guitar Man’s parents then meet up again? What happened to them, and to other characters, in the years from 1995 ? Surely an 8 part side series could be made here?
To conclude: if you like the romantic, coming- of age time- travel genre that has some depth, it is well worth watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
Loved it but something was missing
I honestly loved the story. I liked how it was going but the ending felt a little off? I felt like there could be more to the ending. Like how Chung Ah reacted to Yichan's hearing loss, how they overcame the struggle. Or something like how Eun yu:'s family ended up in 2023, though there were not any changes but yk Eunyu met Sekyung in 1995. I felt like in the ending it was more focused on Eun gyeol and Eun yu and they didn't show much of the struggle of Yichan and Chung Ah. But otherwise i absolutely loved the story . I loved how well written the characters were. I loved Chung Ah's father's character development, how he tried to rebuild his relation with his daughter. And I'll be honest I was more interested in Chung Ah and Yi chan than the main couple 😶🌫️ idk but they seemed wayy too cute 🙈Was this review helpful to you?
VIVA LA VIDA ???????
Hands down best kdrama of 2023 or to say best of all time (atleast in my opinion), It is an all-round show, telling us the story of a CODA (Child of deaf adults), which will make you laugh, cry, happy and sad all at their BEST. A show about a family, love, dream, passion, child-parents relation and those fluttering hearts at the age of 18 (With the addition of TIME-TRAVEL). All four main leads RyeoUn, Choi Hyunwook, Shin Eunsoo and Seol Inah were amazing in portraying the details of their characters.PS : Twinkling Watermelon ✨️🍉 has one of the most beautiful and pure love story with a historic confession, Most favourite CHAOTIC father-son duo, CALM-BEAUTIFUL mother-son duo in the world of kdramas!!!
HOPE this show reaches to larger audience so all can feel the joy and beautiful emotions with it 💝
VIVA LA VIDA!!! WATERMELON SUGAR!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
The acting carried the whole show.
Overall the show was ok. In my opinion, unfortunately, completely overrated. I've never watched a show that made me not wanting to watch it but, at the same time, I couldn't stop watching it. But only because the acting was very good and the character building was excellent.The story was just bad though. I am generally not a fan of time travelling and this show didn't change that. Too many plot holes and the twist with the grandpa at the end was just unnecessary. I mean how the squirrel could they not remember Ha Eun Gyeol. He literally is the sole reason for their achievements. And this is only one part of the problem.
It also felt like they wanted to put everything in the show and that made it really overloaded. They should have focused on one or two things. The time travelling was definitely not necessary and caused more problem than it brought value to the show.
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back to the future in korea
everything is in the title, really. I loved back to the future, and I loved this remake. of course, so many things are different because it's in Korea, but there are a lot of similarities in the main lines. this being said, the last episode was rushed and it felt lacking. that was frustrating because all the drama is so well done it's a shame they didn't CODA it (wrap it beautifully). but it's a wonderful drama, just dive in!when to watch? when you need some comfort story.
audience; anyone, it's a family friendly story.
have fun!
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A super heartwarming story: perfect for summer!
This drama did a great job showcasing a beautiful relationship between characters with a beautiful plot and story. I loved most of allthe relationship between the band members and the way they’d always go along with the ML’s plan despite not agreeing with it all
the time: isn’t that what friends are for? Of course the romance was great too: a super cute and innocent high school romance. The whole drama made me feel nostalgic for my high school days! Also, for those sentimental
people out there (like me), there were a bunch of memorable quotes to remember! I’d highly recommend this, especially if you’re watching during the summer, as the vibes are perfect!!
Viva la Vida!
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This review may contain spoilers
Twinkling Watermelon is like the Umbrella when the Sun rays burn you, a comforting feeling.
Twinkling Watermelon is one of my favourites this year. Underrated in my opinion, it deserves so much more love. The casting and their acting is phenomenal starting for minor character to major ones. We were foreshadowed how Yi Chan's youth was his last chance to shine and Eun Gyeol despite his efforts couldn't undo the accident but through his trial and errors we navigate through the lives and struggles faced by our parents which are very similar to our own but due to the gap in terms of age and communication we feel like our problems are greater, beyond repair and hurt the feeling of our parents. Just like Eun gyeol and Eun yu we get a glimpse of life and see it in a brighter lens, relationships may sour over time if we can't communicate better and They sure teach us how to do that.The best dad and son awards of the year goes to YI CHAN & EUN GYEOL.
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Twinkling Watermelon: A Beautiful Symphony of Youth, Family, and Love
Just when I thought I was getting drama fatigue, Twinkling Watermelon arrived like a gift. This show made me laugh, cry, feel goosebumps, and most importantly—it made me appreciate life and my parents even more deeply. It’s not just a drama about time travel or fantasy. At its heart, it’s about understanding between generations, healing family bonds, and cherishing the emotions that come with youth.The relationship between parents and children is the true soul of this story. Watching the main character journey through his father's youth and slowly understand him with fresh eyes was emotional and profound. It’s the kind of drama that stays with you long after the final episode.
The writing is beautiful—though there were moments where I felt frustrated with certain plot developments, it never took away from the emotional impact. The cast did a phenomenal job. Every actor felt deeply connected to their character. You could see and feel the sincerity in every scene. Special thanks to the team behind this for casting actors who truly brought this world to life.
This drama captures the magic of youth: first love, friendship, dreams, and the chaos and beauty of growing up. And the love stories? So pure, so tender, and so unique. There’s even a historic confession scene that will melt your heart. Add to that the unforgettable father-son duo full of chaos and laughter, and the mother-son duo that radiates calm and warmth—these bonds are what make this show shine.
Twinkling Watermelon is not just a drama, it’s an experience. One that fills your heart and makes you reflect on your own relationships.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves youth dramas with real depth, emotional storytelling, and a perfect mix of humor, warmth, and fantasy.
Viva la vida. Watermelon sugar forever. 🍉✨
Rating: 10/10
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Milk & honey, the combination that can never go wrong.
From production, casting, storyline, and even music, nothing is disappointing except the fact that this series has come to an end. Watching this was like feeling a breeze of warm and cold while drinking milk with honey, remembering when I used to do the same in my grandparent's house. Watching this series has brought comfort in a way I can't explain. This series has taught that everyone has the right to feel wronged as in a way we all have been wronged. This gives the vibe of a dark rainy day as well as ice cream in sea, the ratio of the happiness and sadness done right in a very comforting way. I can't even explain why I like this series, all I can say is I just do.Was this review helpful to you?
a comforting k-drama
i literally fell inlove with all the characters and the whole story itself.I don't usually like the sci-fi/back to the past genre and I was very surprised to find myself really loving it in this series.
(It's funny because I actually started this series because of an edit of choi hyun wook and didn't expact to like this series at all).
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Prime example of gripping storytelling (9.25)
Recently my anxiety had been making me see series in 1.5-2x speed whenever it was becoming slow (and I am not talking about average dramas, but even the good ones), cos I could wait for the 'High' scenes. But this series had such a good story and the way it was presented, that it kept me gripped throughout the series (especially in the later half).Many felt the last 2 episodes were rushed, but I prefer what the makers did, as compared to risking it to stretch it and milk it by making it 20 episodes long. I agree it had the potential, and perhaps one more episode could have been made without actually losing the quality of the drama, but honestly, it isn't a very big deal for me. They tried ending it on the high, and it kinda worked.
Otherthan that, I absolutely loved the series. The Songs, the story and omg the acting !!! I just loved them all ❤️
Highly recommended
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