Twinkling Watermelon

I might collect pointers of my previous comments and write a better review tomorrow (said 8 months ago)


this filled my days with sparkle when i needed it the most, thank you writernim for not creating another repetitive, i mean, thank you for creating a beautiful experience and remind me of the reason i love kdramas

It’s heartbreaking , I need to continue in a world without anymore watermelon sugar
This was like a healing medicine in my worst times this year, 16 days of a beautiful warm hug

I’m always disappointed in dramas I look forward to but I’m always pleasantly surprised by dramas I’m not looking forward to
Easily num1 drama of 2023 for me and will definitely be in my ult tops along with their characters

I would say the perfectness of it all, is too much
Their sadness and life made them who they were, eungyeol was so empathetic and in tune to people’s emotions cuz of his upbringing
Though yes, he suffered and carried too much burden but he grew into an amazing person

But then again, life sucks so might as well get a beautifully wrapped up drama, and yes I hate sad endings so give me all the rainbow sugar and twinkles of the world in my drama, happy happy happy

I’d like eungyeol to “remember” his new life, I’d also like to see how eunyo’s changed and I’d love to see those 28 years of growth and hard work
And I’d want to see their reunion
Yechan went to the same university, so I’d guess after highscool ended cheongah or even her dad, brought yechan to the same university
All in all, life’s a journey, everyone has their own and everyone has the same “weight”, my life isn’t harder than yours, it’s not a competition. Every hardship has the same equal effect and one must understand how others are going through the same
Burdening oneself with other’s hardships isn’t the answer but not acknowledging them is as bad


I'll add the rest as ep reviews

Read More

very greatful to have watched this

tears, laughter, happiness, annoyance, joy, love, and definitely one of the greatest stories in kdrama. greatly written, full of lessons about family, friends, love and life. highly recommend!♡

Read More

Cheong Ah and Yi Chan steal the show

A heart warming drama full of cute, fluffy, comedic, chaotic and emotional moments. You will feel butterflies for the cute romance that brews, get teary eyed during the emotional moments of the characters and hate the guts off the evil ones. The entire cast be it the leads or the supporting ones nailed their roles.

The star of the show would be Eun Soo as her acting of a deaf and mute Cheong Ah touched hearts. She was phenomenal not just with the sign language but with emotions she showed through her eyes of a girl who is only looking for some affection which she never got. Girl didn't even have to say a word to bring tears to the eyes of the viewers.

Hyun Wook as the chaotic and dramatic Yi Chan started off as annoying brat whose only goal is to impress his crush grew on to become the greenest flag. A boy who became the light in the dark world of a poor traumatized girl and changed it to something beautiful, bright and vibrant world. Be it his comedic timings or his cute fluffy chemistry with Eun Soo or his loud and chaotic yet sweet relationship with Ryeoun, everything was done extremely well.

Ryeoun certainly knows how to pull off both comedic and emotional moments extremely well. His emotional confrontation with his father in E1 or meeting and saving his mom in the past, these moments were enough to get eyes teary. Seol In Ah was charming as ever, she still looks like a teenager in a uniform.

I would say the show is a must watch if you want to go for some 90s themed cute high school kdrama.

Read More

Crying 15 different emotions

Usually i wait a little before posting a review to let the story settle but this time i just couldn’t. I’m no writer so i have trouble with portraying just how much this drama meant to me.

I originally wasn’t too into the title or the storyline, i mean how interesting could it be to watch someone meet their parents when they were young. Also took a few episodes to really hook me in. I’m usually also not too fond of unrealistic plotlines. How wrong have i been.

When i say this got me deeply, i mean it took an arrow and it went straight in. As someone that has had to deal with loss and many family related emotions, the drama hit me hard and made me wonder. And not necessarily in a negative way either. Watching Eun Gyeol follow the footsteps of his parents, figuring them out and trying to understand - isn’t it something many of us often fail (or forget) to do. There were countless of good lines, thankfully i found a past review listing some of them.

I love the lessons learned. Having read some reviews i saw many mentioning how they didn’t like the ending but i disagree (other than the ones saying it would have benefited with a couple of more episodes). Life is filled with both happy and sad moments, both carry great importance in making people the way they are. It’s important to note that even if you could change somethings from happening, in life, everything doesn’t always go the way you planned. Accidents do happen. And however affected it leaves you, you need to face it and find your own solutions - it’s better to learn to live than wonder what could’ve been. Which is exactly why i found the way they left things so important.

Now what comes to the characters.. I usually love romance in dramas. So this is a first where that part really didn’t interest me at all. The bond between Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol - why was it so dear and wonderful? It made me the happiest as well as broke my heart, then fixed it again. It’s been a while since i loved a character as much as i did Yi Chan. Who are you Choi Hyon Wook? I really need to watch everything with him in it.

Skipping now to the ending.. I do understand the reviews stating the end felt adrupt. I was mainly satisfied with the way they tied things up. But then again.. No one remembered Eun Gyeol? Yi Chan really was so taken by him, then never realizes it’s really his son? And the friend group as well.

I get Yi Chan didn’t really believe it but as his son grows up and resembes the past Eun Gyeol more and more? Didn’t they take many pictures as well, he never noticed? He even named him Eun Gyeol? This left me a bit uncertain ngl. At least Yi Chan did understand it in the end, maybe i just wanted them to tie loose ends just a bit more securely.

Anyhow, i will 100% be watching this again. I will propably cry just as hard the second time around but hopefully laugh just as hard as well. Now i’m left feeling really complicated and wonder how i’ll get over this drama and the made up family.

Read More

this drama means everything to me.

put your hand up if your the best kdrama to come out of 2023:

twm: 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

Read More

Heartwarming, tear-jerking and hilarious

One of the best kdramas I've watched in a long time. Everything from the acting, the chemistry between all the actors and the humor was so good. I basically never cry but this managed to get some tears out of me. Of course, I didn't give it full scores as there were some questions left unanswered, such as CA moving abroad and how YC managed to marry her or how everyone reacted after EG left, and other small things ... but its mainly just nitpicking, fate always has a way and not everything needs to be shown. I genuinely fell in love with all the characters and I'm sad that the series had to end, and what a beautiful ending it was. You won't regret watching this, I promise.

Long live Life - Viva La Vida

Read More

He Saved Everyone, But Who Saves Him?

Twinkling Watermelon begins with a premise that already sounds like a recipe for emotional chaos in the best possible way. In 2023, high school student Ha Eun Gyeol lives a double life. By day he is the perfect model student, but by night he secretly plays guitar and pursues his love for music. As a CODA, a child of deaf adults, Eun Gyeol grows up in a family where both his parents and his older brother cannot hear. He becomes the bridge between their silent world and the noisy outside world.

One day, after discovering a mysterious music store, Eun Gyeol is suddenly transported back to 1995. There he meets his father, Ha Yi Chan, who is still a lively high school student. The problem is that Yi Chan does not recognize him and is currently infatuated with a cellist named Choi Se Gyeong instead of Eun Gyeol’s future mother, Yun Cheong A. Determined to restore the timeline and bring his parents together, Eun Gyeol joins Yi Chan’s band while trying to guide fate back onto its original path.

One of the things that touched me the most about this drama is Eun Gyeol himself. He is not just a good son. He is genuinely a good person. Growing up with deaf parents and a deaf older brother never made him resent the world or feel like his life was unfair. Instead, he accepts it with a maturity that is honestly heartbreaking at times. There is a moment where he says that if he does something wrong, people will criticize his parents twice as harshly. That line alone shows the weight he carries on his shoulders. Being the only hearing person in his family means he constantly connects their quiet world with the loud outside one. He translates conversations, helps his brother with Taekwondo practice, and quietly takes on responsibilities most kids his age would never imagine.

The end of the first episode introduces young Yi Chan, played by Choi Hyun Wook, and even though I already saw clips of the drama before watching it, that moment still made me excited to see where the story would go. Choi Hyun Wook did such a charming and entertaining performance as young Yi Chan. As expected, Choi Hyun Wook is able to bring out Yi Chan’s lively, fun, and kind side.

Of course, not everything is perfect. Episode four had a small logic slip that made me pause. Eun Gyeol has lived his entire life with a deaf family, yet when he wakes up at the guesthouse in 1995 he casually mumbles “Mom, give me water.” Realistically, that kind of habit should not exist because his mother would not hear him anyway. It is a tiny moment, but it felt like clumsy writing in an otherwise thoughtful show.

As the story moves forward, the time travel shenanigans get more interesting. When Eun Gyeol first meets Se Gyeong, the slow motion moment made me worried the drama was about to throw a love triangle at us. Thankfully, the story quickly reveals a twist. The short haired “Se Gyeong” is actually On Eun Yu, Se Gyeong’s daughter from 2023 who also time travels back to 1995. I suspected this early on because the real Se Gyeong’s daughter in the present timeline was never shown. Same face, totally different personality, and the way she knew the house so well were all big hints.

The show also uses a fun narrative technique where several episodes begin with different characters narrating their own stories. We hear from Eun Gyeol, Yi Chan, Se Gyeong, Cheong A, and later Eun Yu. These narrations help us understand each character from their own perspective rather than through someone else’s interpretation.

Musically, the drama has its charming moments too. I loved that the show used Ditto by NewJeans to symbolize Eun Gyeol’s connection to the present day. As a Bunny myself, hearing that song appear made me ridiculously happy.

The emotional core of the drama, however, always circles back to Eun Gyeol. The more episodes I watched, the more sympathy I felt for him. Ryeo Un delivers such a heartfelt performance that it is impossible not to feel for this character. Acting emotional scenes is already difficult, but doing it while also performing sign language convincingly adds another layer of complexity. He absolutely nailed it.

One of the most powerful moments happens in episode eleven when Eun Gyeol finally tells Yi Chan that he is from the future. For the first time, he admits how lonely he feels. All his life he has tried to be the cheerful son who takes care of everyone, but underneath that smile is a boy who feels isolated in a world his family cannot hear. When he hugs Yi Chan and cries, I cried with him. That scene felt like years of suppressed emotions finally spilling out.

Another relationship that I loved is between Cheong A and her father. Their bond is not perfect, but it is sincere. Watching him try to connect with his daughter by hiring Eun Gyeol to teach her sign language was incredibly sweet. The way his expression softens whenever Cheong A smiles at him is one of those small details that quietly warms your heart.

Episode fourteen might be the most emotional episode of the series. The scene where Cheong A teaches Yi Chan how to say names in sign language is beautifully filmed, with soft lighting that makes her look almost like a portrait. Yi Chan looking at her with those gentle eyes before kissing her is innocent and sweet. But the episode also delivers heartbreaking moments, especially when Eun Gyeol finds his mother locked in a room by her cruel stepmother. Watching him realize how much pain his parents went through when they were young is devastating. Sometimes as children we think our struggles are the hardest, only to realize later that our parents carried burdens we never saw.

Episode fifteen breaks the heart once again. Despite all his efforts, Eun Gyeol cannot prevent the accident that causes Yi Chan to lose his hearing. What makes it even more painful is that Yi Chan gets injured while saving Eun Gyeol. Fate can be brutally ironic. The moment when Yi Chan said that Eun Gyeol is like the father he never had almost brought me to tears. When he says that in the next life he hopes to be Eun Gyeol’s dad, it hits right in the heart.

In the final episode, when Eun Gyeol eventually speaks to Yi Chan in sign language, the moment carries a strange emotional weight. No matter how much he tried to change fate, the story still circles back to that connection between father and son.

The ending is technically a happy one, but to me it feels more bittersweet. Many characters receive better futures, but Eun Gyeol is the only one who remembers everything that happened. All the loneliness, sacrifices, and emotional weight remain with him. The weight he carried was too heavy that it leaves a dent even after it has been lifted off. Everyone else gets a clean slate, while he carries the memories of both timelines. His expression when he returns to 2023 feels more like relief than pure happiness.

There are also a few unanswered questions. The show does not clearly explain how Yi Chan and Cheong A reunited after she was sent abroad. We also do not see much about Eun Gyeol’s brother’s future or what Eun Yu’s life looks like after returning to the present. The final episode moves quickly to wrap things up, which makes the ending feel slightly rushed.

Still, despite those small gaps, Twinkling Watermelon remains an incredibly heartfelt coming of age story about family, sacrifice, and the complicated ways love shapes our lives. It mixes music, time travel, humor, and emotional storytelling into something that feels both nostalgic and deeply moving.

By the end of the journey, I was happy for the Ha family, but my heart still felt heavy for Eun Gyeol. Sometimes the person who saves everyone else ends up carrying the heaviest memories of all.

Read More

some burdens are not yours to carry

very heartwarming and emotional! given how comedic this drama and its characters are, i didn't expect to cry so much watching it.

everyone's acting was amazing, especially (but not limited to) the main four actors. there is so much emotion conveyed even without the use of words, and i think they're amazing for that!!! all the characters, future and past, the friend group, the grandma, even the students of snail boarding house—everyone was so loveable.

i also love this story's approach to portraying deaf people (and those who use sign language). it's not often that this sort of representation is there, and i think twinkling watermelon did it so beautifully and thoughtfully.

i also think the core message of this was so important. not just for eungyeol and eunyoo, but for the viewers as well. sometimes, things are inevitable no matter how hard you try. it is important we don't carry guilt for things out of our hands, and learn to embrace the future. this drama touched my heart ❤️

the soundtrack was amazing!!! as expected for a show cented around a band and i-chan/eungyeol's love for music. i was also delightfully surprised to see ikon's ju-ne show up here, haha. the guitarist grandpa's comment about speaking to an instrument and it responding back to you will stick with me forever 🥺

all in all, a very solid drama. it will give you laughs and tears and everything in between 💕

Read More

A good watch

These days, it often feels like writers have enough story for six episodes but stretch it out to sixteen, leading to a lot of dragging. However, "Twinkling Watermelon" stands out because it delivers a genuinely good story with hardly any filler episodes. The narrative is well-written and sensible, avoiding unnecessary padding.

I respect that the show doesn't rely heavily on typical K-drama tropes. Every plot point is justified, making the story feel fresh and engaging. While there were moments when the acting and pacing were a bit off, the solid storyline more than makes up for these minor flaws.

If you enjoyed a drama like "Go Back Couple," you will definitely appreciate "Twinkling Watermelon." It captures a similar charm and emotional depth, making it a must-watch for fans of well-crafted dramas. The character development is strong, and the relationships feel authentic, adding to the overall enjoyment of the series.

Overall, "Twinkling Watermelon" is a refreshing change from the norm, offering a well-paced, meaningful story that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Read More

(Be prepared to be rolling on the floor from laughter and also having your eyes bawling out…!)

I love how the series conveys many emotions and realistic situations although it’s about a time travel ! I would recommend it even if you are not a big fan of these type of plots because it deals MANY topics like child abuse, ableism and even depicts CODAs in a right way !
Honestly the whole series was just incredible. The beggining of the time travel was slightly confusing but things quickly gets untangled so just trust the process !
The last episodes (13-16) were really everything for me ! Everything started to be untangled and on top of that I was crying non stop…???
The last episode was THE BEST and got me sobbing, devastated then just purely happy for every single character ! This series is really the best I’ve ever seen until now (then come Vincenzo, Squid game, The Penthouse and Revenge Note !) and had the best ending you could ever have dreamt of for a series ! I really recommend it.

Now let me break down how I felt and on specific points but honnestly just overlook those negative details !

Before we get down to this, I want to say thank you to the writers because they made me like se kyeong again in the last episodes !


The OST are just incredible. I keep listening to them. I also love the fact they play iconic songs like "tears in heaven" by eric clapton or even "Sunset Glow" by BigBang.

The series is really realistic in the way it's told though there were some anachronisms but who cares right! Overall, they really respected timelines and even for small references like the calgary jersey yi chan wore or the airports name !

The cast did so good with the Sign Language ! I love how natural they looked like. Then they embodied so well their characters especially Ryeoun and choi hyun wook <333. I've always loved the latter and got to discover more of him and ryeon and I'm definitely not gonna stop looking for their future projects. Btw, I'm still waiting for Weak Hero 2 lol ! I can't forget about it ofc.

The only bad things in this series (and these just small details here) would be the way writers forced too much the romance between se-kyeong's daughter and ryeoun... Like they don't have the chemistry, she is so annoying (btw I had to take a break of one month from the series at episode 7 because of her, she was being SO annoying but with her background being unveiled afterwards, I got to hate her less lol -I still hate her tho-). At this point, eun gyeol had more chemistry with everyone except her.

EDIT : AS I SAID IN THE BEGGINING,I GOT TO LIKE HER AGAIN AFTERWARDS. SHE GAINED MY HEART BACK BECAUSE IN THE FIRST EPISODES SHE WAS ONE OF THE BEST CHARACTERS OF THE SERIES ! Now she has gained back that place !

A quick shoutout to how open-minded the kids were for that period (1995) even assuming and joking on the fact he might be gay and/or having a crush on Lee Chan.

Now I gotta say this, we need a BL with Ryeoun and Choi Hyun Wook because they have THE chemistry we don't have in every BL ! But in this series I could definetely not imagine a relationship between them because of their situation cuz we're not seeking for a sweet home alabama series yk. Tbh Se-kyeong and Cheong-ah had SO much chemistry until writers f*cked se-kyeong's character (not gonna spoil so I'mma stop here lol).

As I went through the whole series,I also hated three things :
- How dumb se kyeong and eun-gyeol were when they wanted to because how come things didn’t click when he wore a squid game outfit and she mentionned the series ?? Other things like this continue but they continued to ignore all this and writers stretched that ep13..
- Why did writers made cheong ah character only centered around her romance with lee chan at some point (for 2-3eps)? To the point she would only talk about sekyeong’s choice btw Lee chan and eun gyeol with her ? when she meets her eventhough she could have spoken with her much more and deepen their friendship since sekyeong (I knew it’s not really her but no spoil !) knew sign language.
EDIT : Fortunately, she stopped that at ep14 and was genuinely sekyeong’s friend from then on !

- Then once again ! The romance between sekyeong and eun-gyeol sucks and was boring asf. The worse was that because of their unwanted romance, sometimes (especially starting at ep11) the plot was stretched out just to see them whimpering over each other and their lives ?This could be what really dropped the rate a little imo.

But don’t get pushed away from the series by the beggining of my review because it was really incredible. The cast and the acting was sensationnal,emotions were perfectly delivered, the cliffhangers were just on point. I went through so many emotions : from joy, thrill to sadness, empathy. Lee Chan is definetely the best character ever because he is very complex. Cheong ah as well and her background is really heartbreaking…
Afterwards both couples were funny to watch but still main couple had chemistry, what eun gyeol and se-kyeong still didn’t have.

This series will and has to become a classic !

SHOUTOUT TO THE BAND MEMBERS. They were gorgeous, funny and so kind❤️. Hope to see more of the cast ! Halmeoni/Grandma is so precious as well❤️ !

ANOTHER SHOUTOUT TO CHEONG AH’S FATHER ?❤️. Eventhough he wasn’t there for her when she needed it the most, when the time came he started to redeem himself. You could also see how caring he was. Glad he made the step-family stop the abuse! That witch step mother really was annoying and ableist at that…

Read More