Time-Travel Story About Family and Choice
Twinkling Watermelon (2023) blends coming of age, time travel, and romance in a way that feels heartfelt rather than flashy. At its core is a CODA storyline that explores the tension between personal dreams and family responsibility, layered with the familiar grandfather paradox. The romance is not linear, which makes it feel more natural and emotionally grounded.
What stands out most are the characters. They are easy to care about and thoughtfully written. I did spoil myself slightly by checking the cast list on Wikipedia, but it did not affect my enjoyment since the series does not rely on shocking twists.
As someone who enjoys time travel stories, I appreciated the ambition behind the narrative, even if it did not fully reach its potential. The ending feels like it needed more time to breathe. A longer run, perhaps twenty episodes, might have helped resolve some loose ends. Still, not everything needs a clear explanation. Much like Goblin (2016), some elements are simply meant to exist as magic.
In the end, Twinkling Watermelon lingers not because of its plot mechanics, but because of its themes. It reflects on why we live, family and parent child relationships, and the quiet reminder that choosing kindness always matters.
What stands out most are the characters. They are easy to care about and thoughtfully written. I did spoil myself slightly by checking the cast list on Wikipedia, but it did not affect my enjoyment since the series does not rely on shocking twists.
As someone who enjoys time travel stories, I appreciated the ambition behind the narrative, even if it did not fully reach its potential. The ending feels like it needed more time to breathe. A longer run, perhaps twenty episodes, might have helped resolve some loose ends. Still, not everything needs a clear explanation. Much like Goblin (2016), some elements are simply meant to exist as magic.
In the end, Twinkling Watermelon lingers not because of its plot mechanics, but because of its themes. It reflects on why we live, family and parent child relationships, and the quiet reminder that choosing kindness always matters.
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