Uhm...
It's currently 1 AM and I'm on episode 10 of Twinkling Watermelon, and I'm considering dropping it. I started watching this drama with high expectations(my mistake), because the kdrama enthusiasts I follow seemed to love it, and it fell short.I feel like the storyline or the plot is going in circles and it's going nowhere fast. I mean I am halfway through episode 10 and there seems to be no progress and it's really frustrating me. I don't think the storyline is bad per se, but I do feel like it's stretched out and it could have been a couple of episodes shorter(maybe 12 instead of 16). Or maybe it's just not my cup of tea? Which makes me sad because I was so excited for this drama. I was so confident that I was going to like it but I just want it to end so that I can continue with my life.
Would I recommend this series? Yes, it's not bad I just wish there weren't so many filler episodes. The actors were amazing, honestly, they were a 10/10 for me I feel like the portrayed the characters amazingly(which is another reason to watch this series). The music is also another reason to watch this drama.
I don't know if I'm going to finish this drama. I'm seriously considering dropping it especially after I accidentally saw a HUGE spoiler(the person did not flag it for spoilers, which is annoying). I am so sad I really wanted to enjoy this and it's also discouraging me from watching the other dramas I was excited for(i.e The Demon). I think I'm going to rewatch one/some of my series to get back my MOJO.
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This review may contain spoilers
Will Definitely Be Added To My ‘Favorites’ Box!
SPOILER:99% of the time, I only watch K, J and C dramas. I can’t remember when last I watched anything from Hollywood.
My criteria are that all episodes must already available AND already subtitled, plus it must be romantic with a happy ending. So, now you know something of why I put a spoiler alert.
Because you’re probably unfamiliar with the cast, I’ll try and make them memorable.
Eun Gyeol ( Ryeoun) Guitar Man ML1
Ha Yi-chan ( Choi Hyun-wook) ML2 Guitar Man’s Dad
Cheong-ah (Sin Eun-soo) FL1 Cello Girl
Se-kyung (Seol In-ah) FL2 Deaf Artistic Girl and ML1’s Mom
Along with other delightful and some scary characters. In fact, one of the really good looking 1995 band members has his bad past create quite a bit of havoc.
This is not a light-hearted rom-com, though many parts had me laughing so much my stomach hurt. I got swept away on a roller coaster of emotions, and cried my eyes out in parts, too. In fact, I cried so much cos at one stage it seemed hopeless, soI went back to check again if it DID actually have a happy ending! Some of it was chilling, where the headmistress plays her part-( in abusing Deaf Artistic Girl)- so convincingly you can’t help be appalled, and end up hating her (headmistress.)
Guitar Man is the CODA- Child Of Deaf Adults to his parents and also a a deaf brother. He tries really hard to be selfless and to subjugate his guilty passion for music and guitar playing. He isn’t successful so plays anonymously initially. I think this is clever, to make his passion music and to bring in the musical CODA.( In sheet music it signifies that the musical composition is nearing completion. Guitar Man was taught that by the grandfather of Cello Girl when the grandfather was teaching him to play the guitar. This is how all the lives in a drama series entangle.)
Most of the time Guitar Man succeeds in being the obedient child who strives to excel academically,and in all other areas, where he can be seen as an asset, and good example, so his parents can bask in the reflected glory. His parents aren’t knowingly bad in this respect, it’s almost an unconscious pressure they exert.
When Guitar Man’s Dad discovers his son’s secret passion, they clash, and Guitar Man rebels, and lands up at the time travel musical shop. Once he travels back in time he meets his charismatic, often hot-headed, but always well-meaning 1995 Dad. Cello Girl also travels back in time via the same music shop. She’s had enough of her home-life/situation, too. The younger version of his Mom, Deaf Artistic Girl is , of course, already there , and also enters the picture. So their lives, Drama-land style, intertwine.
Guitar Man and Cello Girl are unaware that both are time travellers until nearly the end. She tries to help Guitar Man prevent any disaster which might be the reason for Guitar Man’s 1995 Dad going deaf.
I got a bit lost with Cello Girl’s back story, as I thought she was the adopted child who was supposed to replace a child who died. That she was the adopted child who took up the cello in a desperate bid to try and gain her alcoholic Mom’s attention. How is she then a carbon copy of her 1995 “Mom” then? Confusing, or maybe it’s just me that is confused.. I never had time to go over earlier episodes to see how I missed some of that story so I will definitely need to watch it again. But even if I weren’t confused, I will watch it again, sometime in the future.
Both time travellers leave the only chance that they can, when the two moons appear in the sky. Guitar Man, who left 1995 feeling like a devastated failure re-enters a very different 2023 . Him and Cello Girl meet up again.
The ending satisfied my romantic bent. A lovely and very romantic kiss between our leads. It seems to me that the female leads in most dramas generally aren’t allowed to kiss so much as just be the recipient, so it is almost always up to the man to make it convincing, but Shin Eun-soo participated nicely. Ryeoun put his heart and soul into this series. Love his acting...loved the guitar playing parts (of both the men.) Many actors can’t cry convincingly- he acts very well generally -and cries absolutely convincingly.
The second leads were captivating and adorable. Again. Choi Hyun-Wook kisses beautifully (and cries convincingly). So nice for us, their audience, as often, though the second leads are shown to be romantically together, you hardly ever have a really breath-taking romantic moment/ satisfying kiss between them. This series was refreshingly different. .There’s a lot of gaps in this series. We learn that the Dad of Deaf Artistic Girl was hell-bent on hustling her away abroad to study poste-haste. How did Guitar Man’s parents then meet up again? What happened to them, and to other characters, in the years from 1995 ? Surely an 8 part side series could be made here?
To conclude: if you like the romantic, coming- of age time- travel genre that has some depth, it is well worth watching.
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Loved it but something was missing
I honestly loved the story. I liked how it was going but the ending felt a little off? I felt like there could be more to the ending. Like how Chung Ah reacted to Yichan's hearing loss, how they overcame the struggle. Or something like how Eun yu:'s family ended up in 2023, though there were not any changes but yk Eunyu met Sekyung in 1995. I felt like in the ending it was more focused on Eun gyeol and Eun yu and they didn't show much of the struggle of Yichan and Chung Ah. But otherwise i absolutely loved the story . I loved how well written the characters were. I loved Chung Ah's father's character development, how he tried to rebuild his relation with his daughter. And I'll be honest I was more interested in Chung Ah and Yi chan than the main couple ??️ idk but they seemed wayy too cute ?Was this review helpful to you?
VIVA LA VIDA ???????
Hands down best kdrama of 2023 or to say best of all time (atleast in my opinion), It is an all-round show, telling us the story of a CODA (Child of deaf adults), which will make you laugh, cry, happy and sad all at their BEST. A show about a family, love, dream, passion, child-parents relation and those fluttering hearts at the age of 18 (With the addition of TIME-TRAVEL). All four main leads RyeoUn, Choi Hyunwook, Shin Eunsoo and Seol Inah were amazing in portraying the details of their characters.PS : Twinkling Watermelon ✨️? has one of the most beautiful and pure love story with a historic confession, Most favourite CHAOTIC father-son duo, CALM-BEAUTIFUL mother-son duo in the world of kdramas!!!
HOPE this show reaches to larger audience so all can feel the joy and beautiful emotions with it ?
VIVA LA VIDA!!! WATERMELON SUGAR!!!
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back to the future in korea
everything is in the title, really. I loved back to the future, and I loved this remake. of course, so many things are different because it's in Korea, but there are a lot of similarities in the main lines. this being said, the last episode was rushed and it felt lacking. that was frustrating because all the drama is so well done it's a shame they didn't CODA it (wrap it beautifully). but it's a wonderful drama, just dive in!when to watch? when you need some comfort story.
audience; anyone, it's a family friendly story.
have fun!
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This review may contain spoilers
Twinkling Watermelon is like the Umbrella when the Sun rays burn you, a comforting feeling.
Twinkling Watermelon is one of my favourites this year. Underrated in my opinion, it deserves so much more love. The casting and their acting is phenomenal starting for minor character to major ones. We were foreshadowed how Yi Chan's youth was his last chance to shine and Eun Gyeol despite his efforts couldn't undo the accident but through his trial and errors we navigate through the lives and struggles faced by our parents which are very similar to our own but due to the gap in terms of age and communication we feel like our problems are greater, beyond repair and hurt the feeling of our parents. Just like Eun gyeol and Eun yu we get a glimpse of life and see it in a brighter lens, relationships may sour over time if we can't communicate better and They sure teach us how to do that.The best dad and son awards of the year goes to YI CHAN & EUN GYEOL.
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Viva la vida -- Long live life
Just when I thought I am getting into a fatigue of watching Kdramas, here comes a drama that makes me laugh, cry, gives me goosebumps and makes me realize life is beautiful. This drama made me understand my parents better!!! It's the best drama for 2023. Even though there is time travel involved, the story is more about parents and children understanding each other and having a healthy and loving relationship.My heart is so full after watching this film. I recommend this drama to anyone who is interested in watching the relationship of family, friends, lovers, youth, dreams, and fantasy.
First of all thank you to the writer for creating such an amazing masterpiece (though I've been frustrated because of the story line). I really loved the flow of the drama. Thank you for choosing these amazing actors for this drama. I can really feel that the actors had become one with the character and they portrayed their emotions and feelings in such a beautiful and realistic way. Special thanks to for this amazing work.
This drama is very beautiful and I would recommend it to anyone who loves to watch a youth drama, which includes the amazing experience and emotions we go through during our youth days.
PS : Twinkling Watermelon ✨️? has one of the most beautiful and pure love story with a historic confession, Most favourite CHAOTIC father-son duo, CALM-BEAUTIFUL mother-son duo in the world of kdramas!!!
HOPE this show reaches to larger audience so all can feel the joy and beautiful emotions with it ??
VIVA LA VIDA!!! WATERMELON SUGAR!!!
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Milk & honey, the combination that can never go wrong.
From production, casting, storyline, and even music, nothing is disappointing except the fact that this series has come to an end. Watching this was like feeling a breeze of warm and cold while drinking milk with honey, remembering when I used to do the same in my grandparent's house. Watching this series has brought comfort in a way I can't explain. This series has taught that everyone has the right to feel wronged as in a way we all have been wronged. This gives the vibe of a dark rainy day as well as ice cream in sea, the ratio of the happiness and sadness done right in a very comforting way. I can't even explain why I like this series, all I can say is I just do.Was this review helpful to you?
a comforting k-drama
i literally fell inlove with all the characters and the whole story itself.I don't usually like the sci-fi/back to the past genre and I was very surprised to find myself really loving it in this series.
(It's funny because I actually started this series because of an edit of choi hyun wook and didn't expact to like this series at all).
.............................................................................................................................................................
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This review may contain spoilers
Who is cutting onions right now?
PLEASE STOP CUTTING ONIONS.....It officially ends now!! I just cannot stop crying.
I just want to thank the writer for the good plot, amazing story, well-builded characterization, and wonderful cinematography. And thank the superb cast & crew of this kdrama.
Seriously though thank you so much for the past 8 weeks, for being one of my comfort dramas this year and for being the reason i really looked forward to mondays and tuesdays. I am going to miss yall sooo much.
Thank you for surviving, cheongah and yichan. You guys were always the best parents to your children.
A goodbye will always be hard but it was reaaalllyy so nice to meet you all.
Byeeee T_T
“Viva La Vida. Long Live Life.”
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Learning to Shine as Ourselves
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.A charming drama with a great message. I'm so glad I didn't pass this one up.
Acting/Cast: This drama has a great cast with acting that feels very natural. My favorite is probably Choi Hyun Wook (최현욱) and his portrayal of his character, Ha Yi Chan. I loved watching him on screen. He is such a strong and unique male lead - he's pure, joyful, passionate, tough, caring, and childlike. I keep thinking of that scene where he randomly starts spinning around and yells "TORNADO" for no reason. His character was such a breath of fresh air - no angst, all fun. His chemistry with Yoon Cheong Ah seemed so organic and the way his relationship with Ha Eun Gyeol developed felt realistic and heartwarming. I would say Choi Hyun Wook is this drama's MVP with Seol In Ah coming in at second. The entire cast just seemed like they were really enjoying their time while filming this drama and watching them have fun made it so much more fun for me. However, I would say the weakest link in this area would be Ryeoun (려운) who plays the male lead, Ha Eun Gyeol. While his character was written well, his acting was noticeably weaker than the other lead actors. He didn't have that effortless, natural feel to his acting that I felt while watching the others. Fortunately, this did not hurt his chemistry with Ha Yi Chan. 8/10
Writing: The characters are extremely well written and developed. The plot is interesting. Because it wasn’t predictable, it kept me engaged. I don’t think I’ve seen a drama with a plot and characters quite like this one. The story had a good progression of events and good pacing. There are only a couple issues I could point out in this area: One is towards the end of the drama - there is a scene that shows what had happened in the original timeline of events, but it feels a little jarring and I had no idea what was going on at first. I thought I had skipped an episode. The other issue is the ending itself – it went in a direction I did not expect, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I felt it was like an alternate or fake reality because it seemed like too much of a change and more on the unrealistic/idealistic side. 9/10
Direction/SFX/Music: This is definitely a well-produced drama. The special effects were good, the music was good, the art was good, the styling, even the name of the band. Like I mentioned above, there was a scene toward the end that felt jarring. I would have shot it differently, like with a filter and effects to indicate that it was a different timeline of events. There was also another scene toward the end that involved a bad case of staring that I felt didn’t fit or feel authentic to the situation. However, these are just minor gripes. 9.5/10
Entertainment Value: A binge-worthy drama for sure. The fantasy aspect gives it a bit of mystery and the characters are so well written and acted that I just wanted to keep watching them. The fun vibe of this drama also makes for a fairly stressless watch. The ending though, caught me off-guard (like I mentioned before) and caused me to feel some kind of disconnection with the story. 8/10
Overall, I gave this drama an 8.5/10 due to my issues with the acting of the main male lead and the ending. This drama has a wonderful message about family, friendship, life, and self-acceptance. It’s very encouraging and healing while being entertaining. Also, I love the sign language aspect of this drama and how integral it is to the plot. I really like the direction they went with it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Amazing youth drama that's worth to watch
Spoilers ahead.This is one of the best youth k drama I have ever watched in a while. It definitely made me cry multiple times and the interactions of the two couples were so sweet. The message this show was trying to deliver is meaningful and touching.
The problem that I also face when I watch this show is also the pacing issues. not everything was concluded in the last episode and left with a lot of plot holes. For example.
Revolving Eun Yu and Segyeong:
How is the real Choi Segyeong doing in the US when Oh Eun Yu was impersonating her in Korea? How did Choi Segyeong and her husband's life change in 2023? Did Segyeong and Eun Yu's perspective and misunderstandings resolve? How is Eun Yu's fear of playing the cello and being the trophy of her mother resolve? Did Segyeong reconcile with Mr.Jonathan? Did Segyeong come back from US earlier?
(Since the real Segyeong was pretty much not really involved during half of the story, I really wanted to know how her life and perspective was changed despite not seeing the main characters in Korea during 1995)
Mr Jonathan and Eun Gyeol:
Did Eun Gyeol see him in the present? Did he not commit suicide anymore? Did he reconcile with his daughter?
Eun Ho ( I was kinda hoping he was a main character since he connected some of the dots of the story and he seems interesting but oh well):
What happened to Eun Ho and Eun Yu's relationship in 2023 at the end? How was Eun Ho and Eun Yu's relationship before the time slip? Is he still doing taekwondo?
(I'm sorry if you got heartbroken Eun Ho :( )
Yi Chan and Cheong Ah:(also with the rest of the band)
What happened to them after Yi Chan lost his hearing? How did they grow after that? Did the band disband?
What happened to the contest? What happened to grandma?
That's all. Thanks for reading my review xoxo. :3
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