A masterpiece of a drama
Everything was done perfectly in this drama. This is the first time I'm not writing any negatives for a drama.I usually steer away from school dramas and time travel since the former is always cheesy for me and the latter is usually full of angst. But this show had the perfect harmony of warm, angsty, cute, romantic and mystey vibes. The writer needs a standing ovation for making such a brilliant story. No! All the crew members and actors need a standing ovation for this.
Everything in this show was perfect. The story, world building, casting of the actors, character growth...... everything was perfect. Special mention to the actors who showed wonderful acting. Seeing them made me emotional and after finishing this show the vibes still lingered which is what you want from a good show. The chemistry between the characters were great and it was just so great to see disability representation done carefully and with appreciation.
Nothing can stop me from praising this show. If I'm allowed to be selfish, I just wanted another episode for the epilogue or an extended ending to see everyone's life in 2023. But still nothing to complain. But I wonder why this show isn't mentioned much in korea ? I mean, i regularly watch K-shows and it seems like this drama didn't trend among koreans like it was with international fans. If it's true, then koreans really missed out on such a hidden gem. This needs more recognition.
Overall, a wonderful example of what makes a drama a great show. Nothing but respect for the people who worked on this. 10/10.
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A little Treasure
Anyone who sees the 10 stars I gave might think that I am biased or that I may be a fan of one of the actors (which I am now after watching this). and maybe I am high on my emotions after just finishing this drama. Who knows.
I knew this drama was going to be special from the first couple of minutes of the first episode. I can't even make a proper review due to how much this drama means to me.
Some things come to you at the right time and heal your soul. It's so beautiful and full of hope and love. It made me reflect on my own life.
From the casting to the story and the music, everything was done with so much care. You can tell everyone involved in the production did their best to make this special.
I like many genres but somehow my favorite dramas always end up being stories about families, friendships, and people trying and chasing their dreams. And this one had all the above along with romance but romance wasn't the main point of the show. I think what this comes down to is a story about a father and a son. And it was so lovely to watch.
I cried and laughed a lot while watching it . I loved every moment. This drama is my little treasure that I found this year and I love it dearly.
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This review may contain spoilers
Refreshing yet frustrating one-time watch
Well-executed timelapse, family trauma, okay-ish romance, great banter between ML and FL.Great acting. Music not to my taste. Refreshing friendship. It was nice to watch a youth drama for a change, but the slow pacing tested my patience. Well-rounded female lead, but it also had me enraged over everything she had to endure growing up. Her struggles were hard to watch at times, and I couldn’t help but be frustrated. The emotional weight made it a bit too much for a rewatch, and once you know the plot, there’s little left to revisit. That said, as a one-time watch, it’s definitely worth experiencing. Most imp- Happy ending.
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A must watch kdrama with a lot of depth
As soon as I saw the trailer for this kdrama I knew I would be a big fan of it.But ngl, after starting the first episode I thought it was a bit slow. That was until the show picked up. Then on it was a weekly painful wait for this show to release as I loved every bit off it.
This drama had a lot of big strengths, one of them being the extremely strong cast. Usually in some dramas I tend to forget about the side characters but particularly in this drama all of them have Soo much depth, that I loved every bit off it. Must I add more about the chemistry between the main leads ( all of them ) and their acting. Perfect in all sense.
The ost in this drama was amazing too. All of the different songs in the drama were very vibey and I thought it fit perfectly with the premise. The sets of the drama along with the funny moments just added even more to such an amazing drama.
My only wish was that the final episode was longer and explored a bit more. But apart from that such a big fan of the drama and cannot recommend it more.
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The Best Coming of Age Drama I've Seen In Ages
**This is just my opinion. I truly appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the production of this drama. Thank you.**To be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot when I started watching this series. I wasn't familiar with the actors and I'm not a fan of time travel in stories. I decided to watch it because I was curious about Eun Gyeol's story. I'm very glad that I did and couldn't recommend it more highly.
It has a phenomenal cast, is very well written and has a beautiful soundtrack. It is heartwarming, funny, sad, suspenseful and ultimately satisfying. I laughed out loud and was moved to actual tears several times, a rarity for me. Viki has the lyrics to the songs translated as well so those of us who don't speak Korean are able to better appreciate the music. If you're interested in knowing them, as I am, I'd recommend watching it on there.
There are already reviews that are very detailed about the plot and characters and I've no desire to ruin it for anyone. If I were to change one thing about the drama, I would simply ask that there be more of it. Especially the ending which felt a little rushed.
I was happy that the writers, cast and production people made a series about a CODA student and his family in such a respectful, yet natural way. It was very well done.
All of the cast did an absolutely fantastic job, especially Ryeoun, who played Ha Eun Gyeoul, Choi Hyun Wook, who played Ha Lee Chan, Shin Eun Soo, who played Yoon Cheong Ah, and Seoul In Ah, who played Choi Se Kyeong. Jung Hyun Joon, who played Ha Eun Gyeoul as a child, and Choi Won Young, who played the older Lee Chan, were amazing as well.
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A beautiful story
Honestly, I'd put off watching this. Not because I thought I wasn't going to like it, because I knew I would, which is why I left it for a year on my to watch list. I wanted a time to savor it. Stupid me though decided to binge it during high stress this week though.So first, take my advice and savor this if you haven't watched it yet, because it deserves full appreciation.
Now onto the spoiler review.
Cast:
Well done. Honestly, I'd only recently started to get into Ryeoun (Adult Trainee ep 3-5 is amazing), and I'd been a fan of Choi Hyun Wook since 2521. I knew they were going to give me stellar performances. And they delivered. They played the father-son/bromance so well. They had such beautiful vulnerable moments that left me gasping. They played amazing as leads. But I think the star of this show, for me, was Shin Eun Soo. She conveyed so much with her expressions. I was always waiting for more scenes with her. As a cast, they all did phenomenally well. I loved the band, who gave so much camaraderie and youthfulness to the show and the grandmother who supported them. They all complimented each other very well. The chemistry was wonderful.
Story:
The show is about living and shining in your youth, and how you overcome your obstacles. But it's also about having a fulfilling adulthood - your life isn't over after highschool, and I think the end really emphasizes that. HEG's parents still existed in the present, and they still shined brightly.
The story starts by showing us HEG's struggle throughout his childhood as he was his parents interpreter and their only link to the outside. It's a heavy burden to put on a child's shoulders, and you can tell that it isn't one intentionally done. Largely it's because of the lack of support, the feeling of being ostracized when you are disabled, and the lack of resources when you are poor (which, unless you are a wealthy heir, is very hard to overcome when you are disabled). It is clear that HEG feels burdened and doesn't want to - he loves his family. And it is also clear that he is unable to communicate with them despite being their only link to communicate. We know as an audience that if he expressed himself, his family would be understanding and supportive, but to him, it's almost insurmountable to actually be selfish.
HEG's chance to go back in time allows him to connect with his parents for the first time, and really speak to them and learn about them. He gets the opportunity to express himself and be accepted, and to right the wrongs in his parents past, saving them and himself.
I love that the story makes HYC's accident a fixed point. I think that it's important to show that it wasn't something in his destiny that needed fixing.
Music:
Very 90s with a hint of modern. I was a big fan. And you can see that they had great stage presence during their shows. I loved HEG busking on the street in the first episode and I think their charisma was very well done to portray them as musicians.
Cinematography
Very bright and youthful, even in the moments that were sad. There was always the draw to the light.
Rewatch value:
First I'm going to watch all the fan edits, then I'll rewatch.
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A high school rom-com with a lot of music, '90s style, and very charming characters.
This show is the GOAT of all dramas, so you should definitely watch it! The plot is about an 18-year-old guitarist who goes back to 1995 after fighting with his father. And the first person he meets—guess who? Yes, it's his father, but the same age as him!I won't dwell on the events that take place because it's best to discover them by watching; and although some of them may be predictable, they're still quite enjoyable. Also, the soundtrack is amazing, so you can look forward to it! The actors and actresses did a wonderful job—so much so that I fell in love with On Eun Yu (Seol In Ah) and I wish she were real, lmao.
Hope you like it!
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Best Drama I've seen in a very long time.
The last time I was this attached to a show's characters was reply 1988. Everything from the story progression, to the music, cinematography, emotional depth was on point.This story took us on a journey of knowing what is really worth in life, and that sometimes you just have to live in the moment and do what you can.
All the actors did an amazing job. The chemistry between everyone was on point, especially between Lee Chan and Eun Gyeol. I love that the ending was picture perfect and exactly what everyone deserved.
The comedic timings of all the characters especially Lee Chan were fantastic.
I can keep going on and on about this show, but most importantly, this shows puts things into perspective for everyone and is relatable no matter who you are. If you are looking for a little slice of life, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.
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This is one of my favorite k-dramas out there
Twinkling Watermelon is one of my favorite K-dramas. I recently rewatched it for the first time, and it was just as amazing as I remembered.When I first heard about this drama, I didn’t plan to watch it while it was still ongoing because I usually avoid ongoing shows. However, the spoilers people were posting intrigued me so much that I gave in. I kept telling myself to wait until it finished airing, but every day, it felt like the wait would never end. By episode 10, I finally decided to start watching. The main reason I was drawn to it was its focus on the experiences of deaf individuals, which resonated with me because my uncle is also deaf. It’s rare to find a drama that explores such characters so well.
Episode 1 is crucial for any K-drama since it needs to hook the audience right away, and Twinkling Watermelon did exactly that. The background story of Eun-gyeol’s family was heartbreaking, and his personal struggles were deeply moving. He had to hide his love for music from his family because he was the only one who could hear and speak, and he felt the weight of their expectations. If he failed, people would blame his parents. He couldn’t afford to be a failure, and that pressure built up so much stress. Music became his escape.
One reason I fell in love with this drama is that I love bands. But I was so frustrated—why wasn’t there a Watermelon Sugar version of the songs?! Did the actors not sing? Or was the band not skilled enough with their instruments to release a proper version? I was really disappointed about that.
As for the characters, my favorite is definitely Yi-chan. Choi Hyun-wook did an amazing job portraying him—he’s so funny and relatable. As someone who is the same age as the characters in the drama, I really connected with Yi-chan’s desire to form a band and make his youth shine. (I just wish I were extroverted like him so I could "twinkle" too.) It’s also incredibly sad because when he tells Eun-gyeol about his dream, we as viewers already know his future—one where he loses his ability to speak and can’t continue making music. That made me so emotional.
Chung-ah’s voice was beautiful. It was so soft and soothing, and I loved listening to her. One of my favorite moments was when she told Yi-chan, "You own your feelings, and I own mine." That line really stuck with me.
One of the saddest scenes in the drama was Yi-chan’s dream of getting into college and graduating. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Overall, this was a fantastic drama. I absolutely loved it. I’d rate it a solid 9.5/10. However, there were quite a few plot holes and unresolved questions that left me frustrated.
Questions That Needed Answers
I feel like the ending was rushed. Eun-gyeol returned to the present in episode 16, but that was already halfway through the episode, leaving very little time to wrap things up properly. They should have added more minutes to explain everything more thoroughly.
Here are the questions I wish had been answered:
1. What happened to Eun-yu? What happened to her family? Did her parents still get divorced, or did they reconcile? The ending didn’t mention her at all, even though she played a huge role in helping Eun-gyeol.
2. Did Watermelon Sugar and Chung-ah recognize Eun-gyeol? This is a major plot hole for me. It seems impossible that they would forget him when he was such an important part of their lives. He was the band’s guitarist, the reason Yi-chan had his accident, the person who helped Chung-ah escape her abusive stepmother, and the one who taught her sign language. How could they not remember him?
3. Why did Viva become the master? And how did Eun-yu know that the master was her grandfather? Just how?
Despite these lingering questions, I truly loved the overall story. It beautifully captured the essence of youth, and as someone who is still young, I found it incredibly relatable.
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Arguably the best
This k-drama did (almost) everything perfect. The acting/cast was phenomenal. The main four actors are all such great actors (plus they’re all so attractive). The music fits perfectly with all the scenes, adding a powerful emotional element. The OST is also just so fun to listen to regularly. I definitely cried in the last episode. My only complaint is that the ending was a bit rushed but all the other amazing parts of the show make up for it. Overall, a very family-friendly, binge worthy show that I’d definitely rewatch several times. Candidate for best k-drama of 2023, if not all-time.Was this review helpful to you?
MUST WATCH
SOSOS GOOD this drama had me crying every single episode especially the last one 💔Twinkling watermelon got me out of my kdrama slump for sure. im gonna miss it so much. Every single character brought sm comfort & made watching sm fun even though the storyline is really sad.(The only thing i didn’t like was the ending bc it was a bit rushed but it was still good.) Definitely recommend watching this one even if you’re not into time traveling/fantasy like me i’m glad i gave this dramas a chance so you should too.
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well written and exciting plot
The kdrama's only flaw is the fact that it ended up leaving several gaps empty. I was hoping to see a little more of the protagonist when he returns to the current year, but I also think this could be a big wild card for a possible second season 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽. One of the best kdrama I've ever seen, I cried my eyes out in some episodes, it brought me an inner peace that made me become immersed and finish the entire series in one go. Very good, I will recommend it to everyone.Was this review helpful to you?
