Twinkling Watermelon

Make your life twinkle!!

Twinkling watermelon is one of the first k-dramas I've watched and I have to say it left a very big impression on me. I've seen like 4 other k-dramas and they were all very good. What makes this k-drama diffrent tho, isn't just the amazing and creative story it has, I can really feel a connection with the characters of the show.

One by one you get to know them. You get to know their motives, their past and what made them the way they are. By the 8th episode, I hade already fallen in love with all 4 mc's. They're all so diffrent but match very well with eachother which makes seeing them interact with one another and become closer, even more satisfying and fun. Despite their obvious persoanlity traits, they also have a more coplex side to them that you wouldn't be able to see without looking closely. Understanding the characters made the show feel so much more alive and enjoyable.

Besides the great characters, I think the show has some great lessons for us. We not only learn that we should not do anything eun gyeol does if we ever happened to be stuck in 1995 (cause he coulda handled it a lot better imo), but so does it teach us that we should do what we can to make the best out of our lives, no matter what obstacles we might face. We should make our lives "twinkle".

Overall I don't have any complants about the show at all. I did hear some people say it had pacing issues tho. I myself didn't feel that because I started watching right after all episodes had aired. I feel bad for the people that had to wait a whole week after every episode that always ends on some crazy cliffhanger. I would've loved to see more of Yi chan's life after the accident happened tho. THe ending might've been a little rushed but there isn't much the creators could do about that. The ending was great either way.

Overall I'd say this was the most enjoyable k-drama I've ever seen. It was fun to make tour own theories about the story while slowly getting the answers you've been pondering. I've enjoyed the acting and the storytelling a lot and it will definitely have a special place among the list of many k-dramas I'll be watching from now on.

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just watch it

Twinkling Watermelon is a heartwarming and emotionally rich K-drama that masterfully blends time travel, music, and family dynamics. Directed by Son Jung Hyun, this drama aired in 2023 and quickly captured the hearts of viewers with its unique storyline, nostalgic 90s setting, and strong character development.

The story follows Ha Eun Gyeol (played by Ryeoun), a high school student who is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). Despite growing up in a deaf family, he has a deep passion for music, especially playing the guitar. His life takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles upon a mysterious music shop and is transported back in time to 1995. There, he meets his teenage father, Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook), a free-spirited and enthusiastic student who dreams of becoming a rock star. Eun Gyeol decides to form a band with his young father and names it "Watermelon Sugar," hoping to guide him toward a better future. However, he soon realizes that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Twinkling Watermelon is its ability to balance multiple themes. At its core, the drama is about family, love, and sacrifice. It highlights the struggles and misunderstandings between generations, especially between a hearing son and his deaf parents. Eun Gyeol's emotional journey of understanding and appreciating his family is deeply touching. The drama also explores the beauty of music as a universal language that connects people beyond barriers.

The performances in this drama are exceptional. Ryeoun delivers a heartfelt portrayal of Eun Gyeol, making the audience deeply connect with his struggles and emotions. Choi Hyun Wook brings charm and energy to his role as Yi Chan, capturing the carefree yet passionate nature of a 90s teenager. Seol In Ah and Shin Eun Soo also shine as the female leads, adding depth to the romantic and friendship aspects of the story. The chemistry between the characters feels natural, making their interactions even more engaging.

The time-travel element is handled well, creating an intriguing mix of past and present. Unlike many dramas where time travel is overly complicated, Twinkling Watermelon keeps it simple and meaningful. It allows viewers to reflect on how small choices can shape the future. The nostalgic 90s setting, with its vintage aesthetics and classic rock music, adds to the drama’s charm. The soundtrack is another highlight, featuring both original songs

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GREAT CASTING

I really LOVED the acting!! The cast either made you really hate them, or really love them, which shows that they did their job in playing their roles. I thought the storyline was there, but it ended up missing quite a bit to it. I didn't quite understand the whole mystery shop guy turning into Eun-gyeol's mentor at the end, and the ending was also really rushed. A little disappointed that being in the past changed how their lives were in the future. It was kind of like they were saying they weren't happy with their middle-class life in a way?? Either way, my FAVORITE and I mean FAVORITE part of this series was Yi-chan and Cheong-ah's younger storyline. The actors were adorable, played their parts super well, and they were just eye grabbing ♡ I couldn't stand Se-kyung's daughter though. It seemed like they just added her for a love story with Eun-gyeol! Overall I rate this a stretched 8.5! I'd like to put it lower, but it's definitely rewatchable, thinking about all the great parts to this series.

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Looking To The Past

The story is about a man who is a CODA (Child of a deaf adult). He must survive in a world where their parent and brother are deaf. He's the only one who can hear in the family as a bridge for communication with the external environment. One day, He's involved in one of the band and become a member but doesn't want to be known by his family. Then his father saw him and was very angry because He didn't tell him first. On the night of that day, He find that there is something wrong with the moon and there is one of the strange shop that appears from nowhere. That's how his journey begins by traveling into the past to find out the truth about what's happening with his parent.

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Well written coming of age, time travel, romance that is heartwarming

9.5/10 is my rating. This is 2023 South Korean Coming of Age, Time Travel, Fantasy romance.  It has 16, 59-73 minute episodes.

 

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

 
Synopsis



Han Eun Gyeol (Reyoun, Go Yoon-hwan) grew up in a household where the other family members, his dad, mom and older brother were all deaf and he acted as the interpreter and spokesperson for his entire family.  It was a large burden for a young person, so he found refuge in the company of a grandfather figure who taught him to pay guitar at a local music shop.  Growing up, he continues to pursue guitar but keeps it a secret as his father, Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) is determined his son become a doctor, or something else, to elevate the status of the family.  Just when Eun Gyeol’s secret is discovered by his father, and they are amid a huge falling out, Eun Gyeol is transported back in time to 1995. A magical music store appears, because it has musical instruments he goes in, sells one of his guitars, then he steps out back in time.  In the past, he encounters the younger version of his father, who is forming a band but is also very interested in a beautiful but icy cellist, Se Keyong (Seol In Ah) who is problematically not Eun Gyeol’s mother.  To get his mother, Cheong Ah (Shin Eun Soo) and father together Eun Gyeol he has to join his father’s band and make it successful.  Will he succeed in uniting his parents in this new past and can he return to his own timeline?

 

Review

I did not fully read the description before starting this series, so I was surprised it turned into a time travel show.  I thought the main element was just going to be a family where most of the members were deaf.  That would have been enough to write a compelling story, so when it switched to time travel, I was surprised.  The switch from a family centered drama to a time traveling drama, would have been okay, but I did not feel they did it well.  It was confusing a lot of times.  The switches back in forth in time were not very clear at times. But then it got really good. It had a bit of a rough start, but the latter half of the series was very good. There were a few, relatively minor, issues in terms of time travel concepts. I liked it a lot and I am not a huge fan of time travel. The romance was not completely central to the story, it was more focused on the family relationships. But there were two very heartwarming romances. I liked this a lot, would definitely rewatch it and recommend it to anyone that likes time travel, romance, stories about musicians, magical content, or are fans of any of the actors.

 

Spoilers

 

I am not a fan of time travel series.  I like things to happen in the order they occur.  Switching back and forth between timelines can be confusing and I felt like this story suffered a lot in that process.  For instance, when the younger version of the dad was first introduced, we were simultaneously following the main guy in the current time and I kept wondering who that character was and how they fit into the story.  We hadn’t yet been introduced to the time travel so I was not considering the possibility it could be a younger version of one of the characters.  After the big reveal on time travel, and I realized that was the younger version of the father, I had to mentally review what happened with that character.  There were times when, rather than just abruptly change the scene to something that transpired earlier, they could have had a character reflect back so it was clearer the events happened in the past.  Instead they just throw a scene in with past events and you wonder if that is present or past. 

 
I found it annoying how oblivious the main character was to the fact that the people, in the past version of themselves, would not know who he was.  I get it would be exciting to come across a young version of a parent, other relative, or close friend but you would have to temper that with the knowledge they haven’t lived the future yet.  If they were time travelers too, sure call someone “dad” or “ajumma” but if you call someone that, who you are a stranger to, they will think you are crazy.  And he didn’t just call them like that once, realize his error, and act like you would towards someone you just met, he continued to call them familiar titles. He persisted even when the person would say I don’t know you or why are you calling me that.   I’m like dude they don’t know who you are.  No wonder he is running from you, you seem crazy.

 
The main character, who is supposed to be super smart, not only didn’t realize people in the past wouldn’t know him, he was also really frustrating in getting practically any point across.  Like when he is trying to convince the younger version of his dad he can play guitar, he doesn’t say let me play guitar and show you.  So, they would be arguing about whether or not he is telling the truth about his musical abilities and there would be a guitar right there.  I am like grab the guitar, and do a riff, that would convince your “dad” way more than any verbal argument.  But they tease that through scene after scene until they finally have him playing and the dad hears him from a distance.  There was the same frustrating situation with the past version of his mom.  She is deaf, and the dad keeps misunderstanding her because he doesn’t know she is deaf, it has to be apparent to her that is going on yet she never grabs something and writes “I am deaf.” In both situations the situation could have been resolved quickly. And I get it is entertaining to have that carrot move as you are just about to grab it, but if you do that too much it quits being amusing and just becomes frustrating. And both were such smart people, it is not credible within each character that they would fail to think of something so obvious.   

A “hole” in the time travel concept was when one of the main female leads traveled back in time and people mistook her for her mother, she let them think she was her. The grand plan was, she wanted her mom not to fall in love with her dad but with someone else. She was suicidal and figured if her “mom” fell for someone else, then she would never be born. But, the problem with that was, people thought she was her mom, but she wasn’t really her mom. Her mom was studying abroad. They never explained how her getting someone else to fall in love with her would have any impact on her mom’s future. So that was an inconsistency, to me, with the theories around time travel.


#TwinklingWatermelon  #Ryeon  #GoYoonHwan  #JungHeyonJun   #ChoiHyunWook  #ChoiWonYoung   #SeolInAh  #LeeSoYeon  #ShinEunSoo  #SeoYoonHee 

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Very Good Indeed!

This is honestly such a good coming-of-age Kdrama. Firstly, the acting was very stellar, I was especially impressed by Ryeouns performance here. The show also blends romance, comedy and drama in a very good and natural way. I was invested in both romances even though the parents love story hit a bit different. Honestly its difficult to point out all the good things about this drama because most things just work and tugs on your heartstrings. I even shed a tear or two watching it. Lastly, the soundtrack is just *chef´s kiss*. That being said, it does have a few flaws in my opinion which takes it down a bit.

What did not work as well imo:
- The first 2 episodes did not grab my attention, I was genuinely considering watching something else instead, happy I didn´t though.
- The show was a bit frustrating at times, with all the misunderstandings etc.
- I honestly wish they had ended it in a different way. It´s supposed to be a happy ending but I honestly felt a bit sad (not in a bittersweet way), because like...Eun Gyeol kinda missed out on his entire childhood? All his childhood memories didn´t matter in the end. Also I think it kinda went against the ethos of the drama. Because they had a happy life despite all the struggles, but now they ended up basically in the same way but rich? I think the ending would have been a lot more impactful if nothing had changed, just that the Eun gyeol now feels more connected to his parents and is able to follow his dreams. This was also how I predicted the show to end, because it kinda pointed in that direction, but I was wrong.

Overall, I totally understand the people who give this drama a 10/10. I just had a few issues with it that I couldn´t look past. I can imagine that this drama will grow on me as time goes by, but right now it´s a very respectable 8.5/10.

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Started with 0 expectations and fell in love

I don’t even know where to start from. I believe the cast is what gives justice to this drama more than anything else. I fell in love with Ryeoun, although I've watched him in Adult Trainee I freaking DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM. The story is a little confusing when it comes to time traveling because it leaves some unanswerable questions, like what happens to the present until Eun Gyeol comes back? How did everything change and how did this affect the others? I have many questions, plus the ending seemed a little rushed. I would LOVE a scene where Yi Chan recognized Eun Gyeol as his past friend. Of course there would be some flaws but I think the drama is very close to being perfect. Seorina, Choi Hyun Wook and Eun Soo were soooo good, this genre gives justice to Hyun Wook's acting. The best part is the sign language and deaf people recognition, I think many people got interested in learning sign language after watching TW, including myself. I hope we see more dramas like this in the future ☺️

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VIVA LA VIDA~ Long live Life!

Let me start by saying. I adored it. I resented it. I also found myself going back to it, squinting my eyes and looking between the lines. The layers are just folded so perfectly. Twinkling Watermelon is cute, heartwarming, a bit heartbreaking, and relentless.

The story. It is the story of many people and many communities, that are shaped by way too many events. First is the story of Eun Gyeol, the body who feels pressure and burden from being the only "hearing" member of his family. He made mistakes that made his love for music hard and he always feels guilty. Guilty for not being part of his family and guilty for not wanting to be defined/weighed down by this while wrestling with his love for them. We also have the story of Eun Yu. The drama just does a great job of weaving between them while presenting to us the idea that everyone was someone before they are placed into the roles of "mom" and "dad", "son" and "daughter."
The time travel was a brilliant way of giving these two their youth and a place to be themselves as well as understand the people they had such strong feelings towards in their own time. It also helped them see who those people were and what experiences they went through. I also liked that it wasn't some guilt trip, treat your parents better but more of a rediscovery of their parents that they clearly loved and wanted to understand more. That it became a means of courage to face them in the future.
I - mmy heart. I know going into the past means things change. I also know it was on purpose, but the one thing I wanted to change, didn't change. It was heart wrenching, but I also knew it was the pivotal lesson they wanted to teach beyond all this. It is that this experience is supposed to fuel one with the courage and insight to look forward into the future rather than trap yourself into the what ifs of the past. They weren't going there to save their parents but give them the validation and courage to become a better version of themselves in the future. As much as I hated it, I loved that the accident was something that was meant to be. As it really shows that changing a pivotal life event and running away from the reality of having to convince your deaf parent of your love for music is not the solution to the problems he faces. It also means we shouldn't run from the problems we face either and tackling the problem instead. That mindset is huge for me. The idea that we should use what we have been given to its fullest and let the disadvantages act as a driving force .
There were just so many people that I cared about, that played a role in things, that I was so happy to see again as time went by.

It was a huge moment of reflection for me. What things am I running away from? What things do I wish I could change if given the change?

If I am going to be honest, I watched this because I am a huge fan of our actors Choi Won Young and Choi Hyun Wook. I also wanted to see Seol In Ah again but the cast really grew on me. They all suited their characters and there were so many scenes where the acting really swept me off my feet. It was just so cuteeee.

I honestly don't remember much of the music while watching but I enjoyed a bunch of it while studying. The opening though is a banger.

As it is a big life lesson one, I think the rewatch value is endless. I will also be replaying Cheong Ah smiling clips forever and maybe learn some ASL as well.

The pacing towards the middle can be a bit slow for the people wanting to move the story but I loved it as it really showed the lives of the people in the past (they had regrets too). It was the whole reason they went back in time after all. Give it a try :) I'm sure something will get you to stay. If you do, I hope the lessons, feelings, and experience you get from it sticks and you are able to carry it into some aspect of your life. :)

Have a nice life everyone! You are your own person and while you don't need to life for someone else and can try living through someone else, no one can live your life the same way you do. It might not garner the same results but it will definitely be fulfilling. I hope you take a moment and embrace the youth you can experience now before you have to become a "mom", "dad", "aunt" or "uncle" for someone else. VIVA LA VIDA~ Long live Life!

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Starts off slow and builds into an amazing story

I wasn't sold on the first two episodes like many people seem to be. But I stuck it out, and I'm so glad I did because this is such a beautiful story, and honestly is probably close to the top of my list of favorite kdramas.

This show made me cry a lot, and I honestly love when that happens. The cast did such a great job in each of their roles, and I believed every emotion they were trying to convey, even from the children. It usually takes me a long time to get through dramas because my attention span isn't that great, but I got through this whole series in just two weeks, which is the fastest I've ever watched anything because I just couldn't stop thinking about this show and I wanted to do nothing but watch it as soon as I was home and able to. I already want to go back and rewatch it

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Very fun and emotional drama about strong love and vulnerability

I loved watching this drama so much. First of all the story was really original, the concept is around the deaf community and the kind of hardships they face and I learned a lot while watching this drama. It's a story about an unbreakable bond between a father and a son that goes through a bumpy patch but comes out stronger than ever. It's also got the cutest romance stories. The friendships of the leads was honestly so admirable and the drama is FULL of laughter from both the characters on screen and the audience off screen. While there were also emotional scenes that made characters in and off screen cry. It was an all round, entertaining drama. The acting of the cast is just amazing and crew have put together a truly miraculous piece. The music was absolutely perfect and full of every emotion portrayed. Overall, this an incredibly entertaining drama that was full of emotion and fun while portraying the strong bond between family and the true bond between friends (and ofcourse the insane romance between lovers). 🍉✨👩🏻‍🎨🧑🏻‍🎤✨👨‍👦🧒🏻🎸🌕🎻👧🏻✨🍉

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