This review may contain spoilers
It wasn't what I was hoping for
I guess I should be blaming myself for this, but after watching the first two episodes of Twinkling Watermelon, I was VERY interested in what could happen to Eun Gyeol after traveling back to 1995. The premise of the story also made me wonder how would the plot unfold, and what would be the overall message and the ending. My problem with this drama is that, unfortunately, even now that I'm done watching all the episodes I'm still wondering what were they supposed to be.The beginning of the story introduces us to Eun Gyeol and his life as a CODA: the way he had to grow up and be mature at a young age, the responsibilities and burdens he felt on his shoulders throughout his childhood and his teenage years, and the way he felt guilty whenever he tried to actually live his youth.
As he went back in time, I thought to myself: "okay, so I guess that this time-travel will teach him to actually live his own life and stop looking after others and sacrificing himself for them, right?"
...except that Eun Gyeol does the exact opposite for the entire drama. He looks after his parents, works as hard as possible to fix their problems and make them happy, even puts himself in danger for their sake. The theme of living his own life and letting others live theirs is barely hinted at until the very last episode, where it's exposed like some sort of lecture rather than something Eun Gyeol has actually internalized and made his own. It also goes against the entire plot, because Eun Gyeol changed the lives of both his parents for the better, which actually ended up influencing the future of many people for the better as well. It felt more like Eun Gyeol was truly supposed to take care of his parents after all.
I also wondered if this time-travel was about him learning that his parents had to struggle in life, and that he wasn't the only one who had to suffer, but I really hope not because that would be a horrible theme. His life as a CODA and the struggles he had to face in his youth are not magically erased just because he finds out that Yi Chan and Cheong Ah suffered as well. Especially with the ending, I felt like Eun Gyeol's hardships were just swept under the rug and there was no actual communication between him and his family, which was truly a shame.
Something else that I couldn't understand at all was On Eun Yu's presence in the story. I might be biased here since I didn't like her character at all (and as much as I like Seol In Ah, I don't believe she was a good casting choice for a teenage character), but I seriously believe her presence was useless for the sake of the main plot. Even her "plan" didn't make any logic sense and felt like a huge waste of time. The screentime spent for her story could have been used to better explore Yi Chan and Cheong Ah's characters, or even better: it could have been used to create a more complete and satisfying ending. It really felt like the writers wanted to give Eun Gyeol a love interest at all costs, which was frustrating to see.
I can't say that I hated the story. It has a very interesting premise, most of the characters are loveable and it's a drama that makes one want to binge-watch everything in a day. I laughed, giggled, kicked my feet, got angry and cried with the characters, which is always great. There were multiple plot holes, but for the most part they were easy to ignore. I just had bigger expectations from it.
The production overall seemed good to me, but I wish they showed the characters better when they spoke in sign language, and I also wish they didn't use voice-overs whenever someone signed. The acting was also great, I especially loved Shin Eun Soo's performance as Yoon Cheong Ah and Choi Hyun Wook as Ha Yi Chan (and their moments together! So adorable!). The pacing is perfect in the first 10 episodes or so, then it started to feel a little draggy, but it wasn't too bad overall. The music is pretty good, I really liked the song choices for the different performances both in the past and in the present.
Overall I can say I had fun, so maybe give it a try for yourself! I can recommend it if you're looking for something that is both fun and tear-jerking.
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Charming Characters with Frustrating Storyline
Recently, I have a bad experience with all these new dramas with an overwhelmingly positive reviews and ratings. So, I went on with the intention of changing my opinion on this one, but sadly, that didn't happen.I have watched enough dreams to distinguish what the writers main focus is on, which definitely not the story in this one. Their main focus was just to capture the attention of the audience by charming and endearing characters when they couldn't make up for the lose and boring storyline.
1st episode after the second one, it started to get boring. I get it that every drama has a boring phase but this one just didn't get better. Boring, dragging and remains always the same. Everything that happens seems like a straightforward continuation of what was previously established. When it comes to the characters they have a mindset of a 10yo. No one was willing to give up anything in order to get what they want and in the end there were no negative consequences , only the positive ones.
In conclusion mostly teenagers and new audience are the watchers for this show who calls everything they watch a masterpiece. Hope soon mature audiences will pick up the show and the ratings will got down a bit. The storyline remains unfinished in the end and the fate of several characters remains undecided.
Final Note: Don't trust MDL ratings and waste your time on this one there are many drama's better than this one.
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Cute, fun, & interesting, but...
I definitely enjoyed this drama. It had me coming back for more all the way until the end. Unfortunately the ending itself felt rushed and incomplete. There was so much about the after that we didn't get to know about, and even the last moment was too quick imo.I really wish there had been more expansion into after the return and how everything that was left behind unfolded to become how it was when they made it back.
I liked how their connection was consistent the whole time, but it still felt somewhat incomplete and rushed etc. I think he deserved his own explanation in the "after" - and more about their family relationships with him!
Very enjoyable, but not without it's many many plot holes.
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Encantadora pero poco arriesgada.
Absolutamente encantadora, con personajes que te atrapan y se ganan el cariño del publico, pero la historia se queda a medias, no parece tomar ningún riesgo y todo lo que ocurre parece un simple tramite de lo que ya estaba establecido, de igual manera se disfruta muchisimo, aunque por momentos se siente que se puede explotar algunos personajes que parecen interesantes y solamente divagan en lo superficial.El final me parece poco arriesgado, no hay consecuencias negativas, solo positivas, nadie sacrifica nada para obtener algo, y hay arcos que no se terminan por concluir. Pudo ser mejor pero se disfrutó muchisimo.
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This review may contain spoilers
A fun youth story about family and responsibility but poor writing detracts from the experience.
Twinkling Watermelon is an enjoyable watch with an intriguing premise. While it had a warm, cheerful atmosphere, when emotional moments struck, it had me crying. The strength of this drama was the relationship between Eun Gyeol and his family, not the plot, nor romance, and most certainly not the logic. I also loved all their individual backstories; it was both relatable and emotional.Eun Gyeol is a CODA (Child Of Deaf Adults) which shaped him into who he is. He puts his own happiness aside to ensure his family’s. He time travels back to when his parents were in high school and is on a mission to bring his parents together and protect them from what troubles them in the present. Time travel is a device, not the theme, for him to learn about his parents and how he isn't solely responsible for their happiness.
It started off strong, setting up the present perfectly to refer back to after time traveling, but then it devolved into one of those shows where I need to turn my brain off. Both Eun Yu and Eun Gyeol handled the time travel frustratingly. I would understand if this had something to do with their growth as characters, but it's dumb decisions that could have been written better.
Eun Gyeol states that he cannot find his mom and is breaking down because of it, but he never looked for her. He should have been asking schools if they've heard of the name Cheong Ah or literally anything.
Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu are terrible at keeping their time travel secret. He explains to Eun Yu that he wants to act as if they're from 1995 because he doesn't want to mess things up. Yet, he's been telling Yi Chan multiple times that he is his father and then taking it back over and over. When he should be hiding it, he's so bad at it as if he doesn't know how to come up with a better excuse. As for Eun Yu, sharing the same face, taking the same name, and acting absolutely nothing like Se Kyeong shouldn't have worked as well as it had. She's obviously not who she poses as when she's giving so little effort.
Eun Yu’s goal didn't make sense. She wants to romance her mother's first love to hook them up to avoid being born, but I don't see how she could date someone and then effectively pass that date. Se Kyeong would steer clear of someone who acts as if they know her, like how she was disturbed by Eun Gyeol who knew more than he should have about her. Not to mention, this first love would fall in love with Eun Yu’s personality and not Se Kyeong’s because she acts nothing like her.
The way that Eun Gyeol treated Eun Yu was unfair and overlooked. Eun Gyeol should have put more focus into finding and uplifting his mom into his dad's heart instead of focusing on destroying Yi Chan’s relationship with Se Kyeong and Eun Yu. It made him come across as unlikable and immature for me. Yes, he's acting as a caring friend and son since Se Kyeong had been lying and leading Yi Chan on, so Eun Yu picking up after Se Kyeong doesn't leave her with a good impression. But for all Eun Gyeol knows, Se Kyeong (Eun Yu) is an actively changed person apologizing and trying to make it up to Yi Chan by giving him a fair chance, and Eun Gyeol is trying to rid them of Se Kyeong (Eun Yu) when he has no right in policing Yi Chan’s relationships. Of course I know that Eun Yu has ulterior motives, so we as the audience overlook Eun Gyeol's actions, but that doesn't make it right.
Eun Gyeol was hypocritical when he got angry at Eun Yu who's now responsible for Se Kyeong’s action of leading Yi Chan on, but then he did the same by lying about his love for Se Kyeong (Eun Yu) to string her along and away from Yi Chan. I can understand why both Eun Gyeol and Se Kyeong did this. Yi Chan wouldn't take no for an answer and Eun Yu was disrupting Eun Gyeol's plans, but it does decrease their likability since they never suffer the consequences or apologize for it.
The romance between Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu was baseless at first. They had no reason to like each other. Eun Gyeol was constantly trying to get Eun Yu out of their lives yet he made her heart flutter? Eun Yu has been nothing but an obstacle with a bad impression for Eun Gyeol, but he is developing feelings for her? I only started to like their romance when they began to have a reason for liking each other. Like when Eun Gyeol began to show worry for her, and when Eun Yu would help Eun Gyeol out with his problem despite being ignorant of it.
I love Se Kyeong’s storyline, but it was disconnected and a waste of potential. I found it tragic that no one truly suspected that Se Kyeong was no longer Se Kyeong. All everyone knows about Se Kyeong is “I take cello seriously.” This should have been explored more to make her more connected to the plot. She's a main character that was cut off and comes back for one or two scenes at the end. To make her storyline less disconnected, she should have been more involved. It would have been more impactful if the catalyst for her to rebel from being her mother's jewel and to become her own person was if she got to know Eun Yu and found out that everyone wasn't able to distinguish who's the real Se Kyeong.
Se Kyeong, Eun Yu, and Cheong Ah’s relationship should've had more tension or at least acknowledgement. Se Kyeong is friends with Cheong Ah, knows her crush, told her that she did not like Yi Chan, and that he's all hers. Se Kyeong (Eun Yu) actively pursues Yi Chan, yet Cheong Ah doesn't show any acknowledgement or conflict toward Se Kyeong (Eun Yu) who went back on her word. There's also that time when Se Kyeong openly showed enjoyment about leading Yi Chan on, yet Cheong Ah only showed dislike toward Eun Gyeol when he wronged Yi Chan. I couldn't tell where the relationship stands a lot of the time.
The ending was rushed and did give the bare minimum to infer. For some reason, the Watermelon Sugar members didn't realize that 2023 Eun Gyeol looks exactly like 1995 Eun Gyeol, but we know they should since Yi Chan was hinted to have connected they're the same person. It's only a matter of time before they discuss the past. Did things change between Se Kyeong and Eun Yu? Eun Yu’s hair length represents her freedom. In the ending, she had short hair that was slightly longer than in 1995. This signifies that things did change and that she didn't just keep her hair length after time traveling. Se Kyeong was always meant to go back to Korea and meet her real father, and might have always meant to break the furniture as a small act of rebellion before going back to how things were. I don't see how Se Kyeong could’ve changed when she was disconnected from all the changes in the past. That leads me to assume that when Se Kyeong came back to Korea, all the connections Eun Yu made transferred to her, giving her true friends that she didn't have previously which instigates positive change. Perhaps Eun Yu’s goal to transfer a romantic relationship to her mother wasn't so far-fetched after all, to a certain extent.
Even though I had a lot of problems with Twinkling Watermelon, the characters, the relationships between them, the theme of responsibility, and the way the story made me feel for it made it worth it.
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Refreshing like a watermelon
I have no words to express how much I loved this drama. This was like a breath of fresh air for me. The characters are well-written, and the story is so emotional and enjoyable and has so many lessons and emotions carved into it. At the beginning of the last episode, I was destroyed emotionally and cried a lot, but the ending made me so happy T^T.My only complaint, and also the reason I don't give this drama a 10, is that I would have liked to see more of their lives in the future, both Eun Gyeol with his family and Eun Yu with her mom. Also, Eun Gyeol and his father playing the song they wrote together would have been nice.
This is my first time doing a review, and I'm glad it's about this story. I'm so grateful to have watched such a great drama. It was just perfect. I'll miss them so much T^T.
Twinkling watermelon will always have a special place in my heart.♡
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This review may contain spoilers
"Maybe a little more to the ending?"
"Twinkling Watermelon" started as a time-filler, but it ended up tugging at my heart. Viva teaching Eun Yul guitar was sweet, and the drama between the father and son had me on edge. The "Master" twist and the 19s lifestyle kept things interesting. Ha Yi Chan's romantic story was a highlight.But, man, the feels hit hard when Eun Yul couldn't dodge the accident, and Yi Chan lost his hearing. Why didn't they spill the tea on Choi Se Keoung and her dad's story? Yoon Cheung Ah's happy ending was a win, but I needed more deets in the finale. Overall, emotional ride, but give me a fuller ending, please!
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Too many plots
First of all the things I liked about this drama:◇the Ha family before the time-travel
◇portrayal of deaf people and their struggles
◇Cheong-Ah as a character
◇Eun Gyeol as a child and teen
◇the relationship between Eun Gyeol and Choi Hyun before the time-travel
Now to the things I did not like. They tried to put in as much plots, subplots and storylines as possible to make it shiny, the problem was though, that the quality dropped because of it. It's like trying to learn 5 languages... you will be mediocre at all of them instead of choosing one and using it perfectly instead. So what was this drama trying to be? A story about a boy who is a CODA? A story about music, passion, teenage dreams? A time-travel story?
After choosing that, they again had to choose on which character they wanted to go with. Eun Gyeol? Lee Chan? Cheong-Ah or even Eun Yoo? It was all over the place and like that, the story was half-heartedly executed. And even with all those plots, subplots and storylines... it was still boring. It was predictable and not a special drama to remember in the future.
There were characters without a real purpose and who did not even get introduced properly, like the people who would dine at grandmas. And then there was Eun Gyeol who I felt like was carrying the whole drama. The screenwriters must have realized this too because in the last 2 episodes, his character got cheesier and out of character lines.
The characterization of Lee Chan was not the best either and he was one of the main leads. In his old form, he is way different character-wise and this is not something that can be explained with age or trauma. Old and young Lee Chan were 2 completely different people and I couldn't put them together. Also the casting of Choi Hyun/master. All 3 actors were so different from eachother... it was just not good.
The ending was not executed well either. Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu arrived in the present and it had no consequences. The parents didn't recognize Eun Gyeol and Eun Gyeol himself got all his memories from his first life. It just felt like lazy writing.
I was trying to find reasons to love this more, but sadly I couldn't.
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Fun but NOT complete
A good way to waste time, without realizing your wasting time. Yes, it's that fun to watch. There are a lot of funny moments and the bromance is spot on and it makes you cheer for the family.However, there could have been thinks that were done better. For example, it took way to long for both of the main characters to realize that they were both from the past (around episode 13 or 14). The ending also feel rushed and we didn't get to see a lot of time in the future. It would have been better to see how Yi Chan and Ah Chung went through and not just the main characters coming back to the future, and boom everything is fine and they are rich(?).
One thing that really bothered me is how they protrayed Yi Chan as deaf. Just because he is DEAF, does NOT MEAN he CAN'T SPEAK! Especially since he was not born deaf. I have a deaf friend, that can read lips and speak fine. So, it was annoying to see that being glossed over.
Reccommendated if you want to see something light-hearted with, just a bit of a plot and not just fluffyness. The acting was good. Ah Chung, really made an impact and how she expressed her self through her eyes!.
The female character (from the future) was annoying because she kept trying to mess things up for Eun Gyeol unintentionally. Also, the solution she had to solve her problem was so stupid. She cannot live her life for her mom, so how is finding her first love and setting her up going to do anything...?
Overally, recommend for something light-heart. It's NOT perfect, but it a good watch.
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Watermelon on a sunny day vibes
Nov. 14, 2023Twinkling Watermelon is the best KDRAMA of this quarter for 2023. Everything for me was just perfect. The writing, the dialogue, the execution of the scenes, the pace, and the ending. It was so well-done.
I genuinely haven’t felt this type of emotion within the past few years, but this KDRAMA gave me all the feelings that I need. There wasn’t any unnecessary filler and sub-plots. All the things that were presented, were in tied and put well together. There is nothing I can even say that is incoherently bad about Twinkling Watermelon. There is so much life lessons that were shown here like living for yourself and not for your parents. Live the life that you want. It is such a heart warming KDRAMA. I have definitely can say that this is an S-TIER KDRAMA.
It deserves the hype and the love that it is getting right now. Twinkling Watermelon has given me so much comfort that I know that I will be rewatching this again and again. I love how the youthfulness was shown. The fantasy aspect was amazing and I really feel that inner child of mine being healed in a sense.
The cast is amazing from the current time period to the past time period. They all executed their roles well and I cannot believe I am saying good bye to them. My Mondays and Tuesdays will now be feeling more hollow and the joy that this series have given me was truly just spectacular.
To Yi Chan and Cheong Ah: I truly believe that you guys are such important figures in terms of showcasing that you really gotta fight and push through with life. No matter how things can get rough and challenging. Seeing them push through and over coming their challenges is definitely a life lesson that I will be keeping in my mind. As I also flourish with age, and my youth will slowly disappear. I wish I can age and find a love that they have to each other.
To Eun-Gyeol and Eun-Yoo: I heavily relate with you guys. Having that expectations from my own parents definitely have made me feel super pressured and it did boggle with my mental health. I think your scenes have definitely triggered some of my own hidden emotions that I have been running away from as well. I guess a letter to myself is that like how you two were able to succeed and fight through the course of life. I will be able to tackle my problems head on too. And I will not have to resort to just running away from it.
I truly felt the roller coaster ride type of emotions while watching Twinkling Watermelon. I do find myself having comfort with the cast and the series. I wish you guys can give this show the love that it deserves. This show has definitely jumped into my top 5 Kdrama series for sure.
Viva la vida !
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This review may contain spoilers
It's really a ✨twinkling✨drama!!
This is one of the best kdrama i have ever watched. I regret watching it so late but anyways deciding to watch it was the best decision of my life lmao. The story was so amazing and i could really feel the emotions through the whole drama!! I cried in the last two episodes because the acting was done so deeply that it touched my heart, i could feel the emotions of characters lol.I literally loved ha yi chan's cheerfulness. The bond between ha yi chan and eun gyeol made it perfect, the little fun, teasing among them just like best friends was a chef's kiss in order to show the fun have in youth. I loved the band members so muchh viva la vida~😭✋🏻
If there's a good side then there's also a bad side...but I won't say it bad but it could have been better when i talk about the last episode, it was good, but it was little rushed. We could have get some scenes of how ha yi chan moved on from the accident and how cheung Ah was able to meet yi chan back after her father was making her study abroad.
But overall, it's definitely give it a try, i literally loved this dramaaa so muchhhhh!!!! It has all the things a drama should have imo, a bit of perfect humour, funny support characters like bal san 😭, and most importantly emotions that can touch your heart and make you enjoy the drama even more. Everything is perfect here. Those who are still waiting to watch, just give it a try it's really amazing. Have a good binge watching. <33
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Every imperfection is an opportunity for a new perfection in life!
This is one drama that is really great among the few time travelers – dramas. First, I'll start with the story. The genre itself tells us the story, time travel, youth, friendship, first love, musical. But what separates this drama? What makes it special, different from the rest? First, the whole story is divided into sections (retrospect) through which we get to know the characters and their lives from different angles, their problems, and through them we arrive at the main plot. Something that underpins this drama is that we get to know the story through the main characters and their little prologues that are really emotional. Throughout the drama there were various emotions and feelings that were a major part of the story, and the characters conveyed all the emotions perfectly to me and the rest of the viewers. And in fact this story gives us a much deeper meaning, which is that life is perfect with our imperfections, and sometimes we have to learn to live without thinking about the past, because the future is in front of us. These are some of the best impressions this story has left on me, and certainly on anyone who has seen this great play. As far as the characters, as I mentioned to you, they did a great job. They conveyed every emotion so realistically, and in my opinion, the main characters did the best job, especially the ones who couldn't speak, because they fascinatingly introduced us to their personalities and conveyed each emotion in sign language. I liked that they actually handled the main characters' backstories very well, getting to know them better and getting us into the whole drama. I want to start with Ha Yi Chan, the one ML. His character was really dynamic and difficult, but still so interesting and funny to watch. His character was represented from two sides. One is from the perspective of the mature and experienced Yi Chan with his difficult life situation with his family, and the other is from the perspective of the first image we had of his character who is energetic, lively, cheerful, so carried away in his youth. We see the huge contrast between the two characters of him, but we actually see that they are very similar. They are content with what they have, they value their things as if they were most precious to them, and they live as if it were their last. Although his difficult story was told through both personalities, he managed to stay who he was and did not give up on his dreams. His character was the most interesting and also the hardest to watch, but both actors did a great job. And then there's Chong-ah. As I mentioned earlier, I'm fascinated by the grief of her character. We have the same case as Yi Chan. We see her character from two perspectives. But I would talk more on her character in her youth, because that's when we get to the heart of her story. I actually liked that at first she was portrayed as a shadowed person, but over time we realize and discover how combative, strong, and filled with grief and pain she is. Through love, she confronts herself and her problems and learns how to fight in life, and we see the same with Yi Chan. The other FL was also fantastic. As for her character, there was the most contrast between the two personalities of her character. We have a cold, insensitive girl versus a cheerful, playful, free-spirited girl, but both have experienced a lot of trauma and difficult situations. We see her way of wrestling with herself and with life. I liked that her character was included in the main plot because it all made sense in the end. And finally, we have the other ML. His character, like the others, is seen from two perspectives, but in a different way from the other characters. We've seen the whole story throughout his life, and that's why I think his role was really the most important. I liked that in the other characters the lives were presented as a flashback, but in his character it wasn't. We see his perseverance and great desire to improve the family, and to do something that will make everyone happy. I think that even though his character is seemingly portrayed as the most mature and self-aware, the main message of the drama is conveyed through his character, which is that no matter how hard we try sometimes we can't change some things and situations in life, but we can accept those things and use them as an opportunity for something new. Something better. All the characters are interconnected, and although they all have different problems, coming from different backgrounds, they find happiness in the darkness, and turn insecurities and imperfections into opportunities for struggle, for success, for life and happiness. Some may not want the ending because the second main couple in the drama didn't have the ending they imagined. But I think it's great that for them we're back in retrospect, but now with a new and better life for them as well as for all the other characters. It's this ending that suits the drama the most and makes it even better, and all the characters get what they really deserve. As for the OST, there really aren't any words here. Because it's a musical itself, the characters express all the feelings through songs, it's actually great that music is one of the main genres in this drama because it's the one that brings the characters together even though maybe not everyone can hear it, they can feel it. A lot of funny and interesting moments were told through it, but also the traumatic and bad things that the characters went through. Although the drama was filled with countless happenings and things, there was a flashback to time travel and multiple plots, it is still perfectly good and excellent, so I reckon everyone would have liked it. As you can see, this drama is one of the few that deserves a 10 for everything. Except for the value of re-watching. Yes, the drama is perfect, but one viewing is enough to grasp the point of the drama and the message it carries. I personally would watch it again, if only because of the wonderful songs that were part of the drama and the fantastic acting of the characters. All in all, my final rating is 9.5, for this masterpiece, which will definitely remain etched in the hearts of many viewers. Finally, I want to share my favorite message from this play, which has really taught me a lot. In fact, a person is like a fortress, which is built of a myriad of virtues, perfections, and beautiful traits, but there are also flaws, imperfections, scars, and whiteness that make that fortress even stronger and stronger. It is up to us whether in life we will fight and tear that fortress behind us or give up and tear down our personality (^o^)Was this review helpful to you?
