This review may contain spoilers
If Back to the Future Was Made in Korea...
I know Twinkling Watermelon is a highly rated K-drama. It's even branded as one of the best K-dramas ever made. But frankly, I think it's just above-average good. Probably one of the better ones out there but definitely not flawless or even close to being up there with the best, imho. It's still pretty good and worth the watch, though.
First off, this is a Koreanized version of Back to the Future. Yes, yes, they are not completely the same. I'm not saying it's a Korean remake of this Hollywood classic nor do I think it's a copycat. But they did take the plot of the first Back to the Future film, tweaked it, mixed in some undeniable Korean flavors (gochujang and sesame oil and everything), and then added a social commentary about physical disabilities to make a family oriented drama that's moving and heartwarming with memorable characters and wonderful life lessons. Yes, I did like this drama to an extent. But it was more because of the characters. Despite its flaws, it was an entertaining watch.
Let's talk about the things I disliked first. If you've seen the Back to the Future films, you'd recognize the similarities, from the time travel aspect (the main character meeting his parents and getting them to date because he messed things up) to literally changing their lives for the better. There's also a Doc Brown character who takes him back to the past and becomes his mentor. Plus, he happens to be a talented guitarist like Marty McFly and also plays rock 'n roll music that sounds either like the 1950's-60's classic rock featured in BTTF or modern-day K-pop, which sucks because this was set in 1995 when alternative music ruled the airwaves. Sure, they did mention Kurt Cobain, made references to Nirvana, and showed posters of Bon Jovi and album covers of Radiohead's Pablo Honey. But they're no more than just cosmetic add-ons to remind people that the drama is set in the 90's. It doesn't really feel authentic, though. Apart from the pagers, cassette tapes, and vintage computers, it felt like any other K-drama set in the present. I thought maybe they just wrote a script and had to pick a timeline based on the ages of the main characters and their parents when they were teens. Nothing about the plot screamed original to me and I felt that little to no research was done about that era because none of the music they chose for this drama fit the setting. Not to mention they kept talking about Kurt Cobain as if he was still alive. He committed suicide in 1994 due to depression, and he was even rumored to have been murdered by his own wife. So for them to say that they want to be like Kurt who can get all the pretty girls was downright insensitive and ignorant. Also, by 1995, the bands that were making waves worldwide were Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. Kurt's death ended the grunge era and made way to alternative and post-grunge music. I know because I lived through this era. I'm the same age as the parents in this drama and I was a huge rock fan back in the day. So the musical aspect and overall atmosphere really disappointed me because the setting just felt like a studio instead of an actual place, and the vibe just didn't feel like the 90's at all. I also wished they had made Eun Gyeol more skilled at playing the guitar because for a supposed musical genius, his skills weren't very extraordinary. For someone who started playing the guitar at a young age and continued to improve over the years, he should've sounded way better.
Another thing I disliked is the way they handled the time travel. In theory, you can't alter your past by traveling through time and go back to a changed present, rather you'll end up creating an alternate timeline or a different dimension. But since they borrowed the concept from BTTF, the main character ends up changing the past and creating a new future for himself and his loved ones. I don't mind this as much. But they should've corrected what BTTF got wrong, which is making the parents remember Eun Gyeol and putting two and two together. After all, they spent a good amount of time with him, even had pictures of him lying around. They should've seen the resemblance between their son and the guy they used to know, and how they're so alike in personality. That's the part where I had to try hard to suspend my disbelief. Unlike Marty who only spent a few days with his parents, Eun Gyeol actually lived with them, bonded with them, and played a huge part in their lives. He formed a band with his own dad and his friends, and became his mom's savior. How could they have forgotten him? None of them even looked for him when he left? Not even one mention of the Eun Gyeol they knew as teens.
I also think the drama could've been shorter. There were far too many unnecessary scenes and music video-ish montages that are very typical of K-dramas. This is the biggest downside of implementing hour-long 16-episode dramas instead of just choosing the optimum length for a drama depending on the story content. I'm glad that other dramas are dropping this format and going for shorter episodes and run time, it makes the drama more compact and the pacing faster.
But those are the only ones I have complaints about, the rest I actually really enjoyed. The cast, for the most part, are excellent. They played their roles to a tee. Although I thought Choi Hyun Wook as Yi Chan was a bit too extra. I mean, I think he acted great in this but did he have to shout all the time? It was driving me nuts! lol My favorite was the ex-gang member bass player, though. I actually loved the side characters, they were so much fun! And the kid who played young Eun Gyeol really stood out to me. When he cried, I cried. Really good child actor! I hope to see him in future projects.
Even though the story closely resembles that of BTTF, I like that they put their own spin on it and made it obviously Korean. I also appreciate the fact that they pushed the social commentary about prejudism against people with disabilities. I don't think any K-drama has tackled that issue before, so I'm glad they made it an integral part of the plot. We need more social awareness for these kinds of topics. I wasn't too fond of the romance but that's just me. Romance is just not my thing. But I did find myself wanting to watch one episode after another. If I wasn't so busy with work that I only had time to watch a couple of episodes before bed time, I would've binged the whole thing. All in all, this was an enjoyable drama that left me feeling great after completing it. It's a great feel-good family oriented drama that can bring you to tears, but also make you laugh and take you back to a more carefree time.
First off, this is a Koreanized version of Back to the Future. Yes, yes, they are not completely the same. I'm not saying it's a Korean remake of this Hollywood classic nor do I think it's a copycat. But they did take the plot of the first Back to the Future film, tweaked it, mixed in some undeniable Korean flavors (gochujang and sesame oil and everything), and then added a social commentary about physical disabilities to make a family oriented drama that's moving and heartwarming with memorable characters and wonderful life lessons. Yes, I did like this drama to an extent. But it was more because of the characters. Despite its flaws, it was an entertaining watch.
Let's talk about the things I disliked first. If you've seen the Back to the Future films, you'd recognize the similarities, from the time travel aspect (the main character meeting his parents and getting them to date because he messed things up) to literally changing their lives for the better. There's also a Doc Brown character who takes him back to the past and becomes his mentor. Plus, he happens to be a talented guitarist like Marty McFly and also plays rock 'n roll music that sounds either like the 1950's-60's classic rock featured in BTTF or modern-day K-pop, which sucks because this was set in 1995 when alternative music ruled the airwaves. Sure, they did mention Kurt Cobain, made references to Nirvana, and showed posters of Bon Jovi and album covers of Radiohead's Pablo Honey. But they're no more than just cosmetic add-ons to remind people that the drama is set in the 90's. It doesn't really feel authentic, though. Apart from the pagers, cassette tapes, and vintage computers, it felt like any other K-drama set in the present. I thought maybe they just wrote a script and had to pick a timeline based on the ages of the main characters and their parents when they were teens. Nothing about the plot screamed original to me and I felt that little to no research was done about that era because none of the music they chose for this drama fit the setting. Not to mention they kept talking about Kurt Cobain as if he was still alive. He committed suicide in 1994 due to depression, and he was even rumored to have been murdered by his own wife. So for them to say that they want to be like Kurt who can get all the pretty girls was downright insensitive and ignorant. Also, by 1995, the bands that were making waves worldwide were Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. Kurt's death ended the grunge era and made way to alternative and post-grunge music. I know because I lived through this era. I'm the same age as the parents in this drama and I was a huge rock fan back in the day. So the musical aspect and overall atmosphere really disappointed me because the setting just felt like a studio instead of an actual place, and the vibe just didn't feel like the 90's at all. I also wished they had made Eun Gyeol more skilled at playing the guitar because for a supposed musical genius, his skills weren't very extraordinary. For someone who started playing the guitar at a young age and continued to improve over the years, he should've sounded way better.
Another thing I disliked is the way they handled the time travel. In theory, you can't alter your past by traveling through time and go back to a changed present, rather you'll end up creating an alternate timeline or a different dimension. But since they borrowed the concept from BTTF, the main character ends up changing the past and creating a new future for himself and his loved ones. I don't mind this as much. But they should've corrected what BTTF got wrong, which is making the parents remember Eun Gyeol and putting two and two together. After all, they spent a good amount of time with him, even had pictures of him lying around. They should've seen the resemblance between their son and the guy they used to know, and how they're so alike in personality. That's the part where I had to try hard to suspend my disbelief. Unlike Marty who only spent a few days with his parents, Eun Gyeol actually lived with them, bonded with them, and played a huge part in their lives. He formed a band with his own dad and his friends, and became his mom's savior. How could they have forgotten him? None of them even looked for him when he left? Not even one mention of the Eun Gyeol they knew as teens.
I also think the drama could've been shorter. There were far too many unnecessary scenes and music video-ish montages that are very typical of K-dramas. This is the biggest downside of implementing hour-long 16-episode dramas instead of just choosing the optimum length for a drama depending on the story content. I'm glad that other dramas are dropping this format and going for shorter episodes and run time, it makes the drama more compact and the pacing faster.
But those are the only ones I have complaints about, the rest I actually really enjoyed. The cast, for the most part, are excellent. They played their roles to a tee. Although I thought Choi Hyun Wook as Yi Chan was a bit too extra. I mean, I think he acted great in this but did he have to shout all the time? It was driving me nuts! lol My favorite was the ex-gang member bass player, though. I actually loved the side characters, they were so much fun! And the kid who played young Eun Gyeol really stood out to me. When he cried, I cried. Really good child actor! I hope to see him in future projects.
Even though the story closely resembles that of BTTF, I like that they put their own spin on it and made it obviously Korean. I also appreciate the fact that they pushed the social commentary about prejudism against people with disabilities. I don't think any K-drama has tackled that issue before, so I'm glad they made it an integral part of the plot. We need more social awareness for these kinds of topics. I wasn't too fond of the romance but that's just me. Romance is just not my thing. But I did find myself wanting to watch one episode after another. If I wasn't so busy with work that I only had time to watch a couple of episodes before bed time, I would've binged the whole thing. All in all, this was an enjoyable drama that left me feeling great after completing it. It's a great feel-good family oriented drama that can bring you to tears, but also make you laugh and take you back to a more carefree time.
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