Wow.

I've been watching dramas for a very long time. And I've had a lot of experiences with these types of stories. But never in my life have I seen a cast that has just been so unlikeable from the very start of the show.

The female lead is an absolute doormat who can't stay away from the male lead to save her life even though she wants him to stay away from her? She is introduced as a bad person, she's incapable of giving affection to anyone aside from her crush but yet she continues to date people regardless. She plays with people's feelings and we're expected to feel bad for her? Why would I care about someone who repeatedly continues to step on other peoples feelings. Her drunkenly calling the male leads number is not cute... Its JANK af.

And the male lead has emotional issues
(cuz of his weird ass parents that I can't even begin to understand? The "trauma" that he has due to them just seems STUPID, with the way he was acting I thought he was abused or something?)

but instead of confronting them, he continues to play games with a female leads feelings? He's a narcissist and he is freaking annoying and I'm tired of the misunderstood jerk trope. He manipulates her heart strings like some Machiavellian villain controlling with his favorite puppet. He rejects her over and over and she STILL can't get a damn clue? She tells him to leave her alone but he forcibly invades her life like some sort of chronic disease. Even when she makes it clear she does not want to see him at ALL, He forces her to see him anyway and interact with him even when she's making the effort to try an get over him( good for her). He starts liking her magically when she starts giving the 2nd ML the time of day. His ego won't allow her to forget him and cease being a source of amusement for him. I honestly found myself wondering if he even thought of her as a person?

Women chasing men who don't want they ass is so tired and played out. We need to move on from that y'all, its 2020.

Aside from the second male lead none of the main characters are likeable. The idea of them having a relationship built on desperation and pathetic schoolgirl crush syndrome is honestly kind of disgusting, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ML HAS NO RESPECT FOR HER WHATSOEVER.

This drama is a Trainwreck but I will finish it. I must. Hopefully it'll get better.

Edit: Alright. Someone took a fat dump inside of a side characters car. I hate it here and I want to go home.

Final thoughts: the drama put me to sleep on more than one occasion. I loathe the progression of their relationship. Not to mention the needless pushing and pulling... This drama itself is a cliché and I'm tired of this. This drama gets a fat juicy F.

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One of the best of 2023

There are so many dramas that get made with the intention of communicating some grand message about some societal problem or depict something particularly provoking in the hopes of making ground breaking commentary that sticks in viewers minds for years. I feel that in the hopes of achieving this goal a lot of dramas fail to tell a good story. I think that writers and directors often forget that in telling a great, entertaining and memorable story they will usually end up fulfilling the goal of sending a message that sticks in people's memories for years to come. Twinkling Watermelon is one of those dramas. This drama and My Dearest were the only two truly great Korean dramas I watched in 2023.

I HATE teen and music dramas. This was amazing enough to make me sit through a combo of both.

TW is a typical supernatural time travel, music drama that revels in many of the drama tropes that we are used to. At the same time it has a new and fresh energy from mixing genres, inspiring nostalgia, and introducing less well known actors to us. I usually can not stand to sit through music/band dramas but TW just grips you and does not let go. It's funny and heart breaking and joy inducing all at once. It does all of this while bringing awareness to the plight and strength of the hearing impaired, while tastefully depicting the ignorance and lack of consideration that they have to endure.

I think that the drama does a great job of showing a viewer how they can better themselves and their relationship with other people and easily be more considerate of the hearing impaired.

I love the ending. It's such an amazing surprise.

It's honestly almost perfect. That's it.

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I'm going to be that person.

Lemme give this drama the review it truly deserves...

I want to say that a good looking face is not what makes a drama good... If you think that the FL is annoying because she is badly written... then great! I agree. If you think she is "not good enough." for the so called perfect ML then please reply to me so we can fight... A metric ton of these reviews REEK of misogyny. I don't understand how people can continuously dunk on the FL while praising the ML to death. BOTH are shallow and underdeveloped and still continue to be as of the most recent episodes...

Anyways....

Going off of the summary I thought I'd be getting an intelligent melodrama that touches on the struggles of fame, parasocial relationships and the viciousness of depression... maybe a little commentary on living with disabilities (since Sol was not disabled in the original story) but since EP 3 It's turned into a generic rom com with ANOTHER serial killer subplot that comes out of nowhere and Sol's disability has become non-existent. Yay proper representation and social commentary!

I really dislike Sol's lack of regard for anyone aside from the ML... She doesn't care or pay attention to her grandma or mother. I could almost imagine a better drama having the female lead taking the time to slow down and enjoy the company of her grandmother before she gets dementia in the future. A subtle reminder to the audience to appreciate the people currently in their lives while they can. But because the female lead is only focused on the male lead we never see anything like this, Im Sol's family and friends are accessories or props that are never fleshed out enough to actually feel like any of them are real people. Im Sol's mom being sick is so dumb too because it doesn't really matter, it has no bearing on the story, and it's resolved in 10 mintues and Sol does not change her behavior at all after learning the news... Instead of humanizing the mother her sickness is used as a cheap accelerant, she gets sick so the writer has a reason to cause a misunderstanding between the leads and later justify how Sol gets kidnapped.

Also the writers have made Im Sol annoying, unserious and illogical when it comes to her "goal". On the other hand Ryu Sun Jae is a boring paper cutout who also never feels like a real person. His existence revolves around the FL, every action he takes is in response to her and her feelings and he never manages to develop a solid character of his own. Swimming was Ryu Sunjae's whole life but he got over not being able to do it anymore super quick? Why? because he likes Im Sol? Once again I could imagine a better show showing the ML struggling under the weight of possibly being a disappointment or just dealing with pressure at a very young age , which could have naturally led into exploring his depression.


I want to point out that Im Sol's love for the ML is understandable because we see hints of his personality in the 1st episode... He's a caring person who would say kind words to a stranger to give them hope.... he changes Im Sol's outlook on life and gives her the push she needs to live her life again despite her new disabilities. Her caring about and supporting him as a fan is not a toxic parasocial connection because we're shown how great of a guy he is, and THIS is what makes his suicide really hit hard.... But once you learn that he's liked her thats all that he becomes... all nuance is lost. Im Sol goes from relatable fan to goofy weirdo which is still So disappointing especially because we have no idea why the ML likes the FL?

Kim Taesung could have had an intresting side story about his family and his own form of depression that he uses acting out to deal with, but... it never happens... He's easliy the most compelling character but he too is overlooked and underutilized. Instead dumb jokes and gags are prioritized over what could have been a great story for the second male lead. Also theres this weird Exposition character that shows up pretty early on that hangs around him.... this man was only there so say the most obvious nonsense for the sake of the audience for like 2-3 episodes... The show presents him as if he is the 2nd ML'sbest friend but then he disappears Into thin air after just a couple episodes. That was so weird and unnecessary, how about you just show us what's going on instead of inventing a new character to tell us instead.... it's like the writer and director think we need our hands to be held to watch this stupid rom-com.

I can not stress enough that having Sunjae like Sol all of a sudden was a terrible idea. The extent of their past connection should have been him helping her in the accident that made her disabled. He should have fallen in love with her naturally while she took steps to save his life....
Her effort and care could have been rewarded with affection and loyalty in turn... Because you ALREADY know they like each other, theres no tension or excitement. I never laugh or cry...

I don't feel anything because nothing feels earned... I need more than pretty faces for a drama to be a 10/10. The amount of people who are saying this show is PERFECT makes me feel like I'm in the twilight zone. It's not as bad as More than Friends but this is not going to be a memorable masterpiece like last year's Twinkling Watermelon or My Dearest.

It's trying so hard to be Twinkling Watermelon without attempting to do any of the heavy lifting.

Fight me if you like, I know I'm right tho. 🎤⤵

Final thoughts: 3.5 ->4.0
Imma add half a point cuz I liked that Im Sol finally had a heart to heart with her Grandma, and Kim Tae Sung (who is in FACT the best character) had his own fufilling emotional moment with his Father. I also liked the actual proposal scene.

On the other hand I dont like that in ep 15 the ML lies to the FL so he can keep her in his house even though she wanted to leave... I hated that this show STILL couldn't put the gags away so the proposal could happen on time and the audience can get a proper wedding scene. The serial killer (who drives 95% of the conflict) was taken care of in such an unceremonious way in ep 15 and we STILL didn't get a wedding in the last episode. Hooray!





_____________________________________________________________
Also as a note to that one person in the comments who believes that we should give out participation trophies to every single piece of media. Cuz nothing deserves less than a 5 >< LOL.

Lemme paint a picture.

Let's say your next door neighbor was a farmer. You see him toiling away in his Fields all day. You watch from the window, witnessing as he shovels something into his wagon. The farmer is sweating, but diligently working hard in shoveling. So you think "Wow, that man is so hard working." You find yourself being excited and finding out what he's been working on. Soon you see that the farmer is done with his shoveling and he has started making his way over to your home with his wagon....

You're surprised that he's coming to you but you're also delighted in finding out what he could be offering. So you wait by your door, the anticipation starting to get to you. Finally you hear a knock, and as you open your door you find the farmer standing there with his wheelbarrow full of manure. Dudes standing on ur porch with a wagon full of poop and then he procedes to dump it. Right onto your feet.

There you are standing in doo doo, that the farmer worked soooo hard to gather for you. He put his everything into gathering that brownie pile thats decorating your feet. Do you still tell the farmer good job even though you don't enjoy his work? And when you do and he continues to shovel manure onto you will you be happy then???

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Naw

Ok so everyone loves this drama but I actually depise it... It makes me so angry. With the discussion of mental health being so stigmatized in South Korea, I understand that the drama tries to normalize conversations about Mental Health, illnesses, and other disorders. Its right in the name. " it's okay to not be okay." I understand.

All of that goes right out of the window when you realize that NONE of the main characters take the step to see a mental health professional. Treatment is reserved only for zany Side characters who are used as cardboard cutouts to move the plot along.

The FL does things that would either put regular people in jail or in a madhouse.... but the show brushes off her behavior? I've seen so many people gushing over the locker room scene but that was NOT COOL. If the sexes had been reversed I wonder what everyone would be saying.

All three of the leads have SERIOUS issues and none of them ever really do anything about it. Yeah your mental anguish makes you interesting so don't do anything about it!

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A little weak compared to part 1

This was a big budget drama that borrowed a lot from Wuxia dramas and it's super obvious when you start watching. Personally I loved the effect and was immediately pulled into the story. The costumes, sets, effects and music were all on point and amazing. The amount of care and effort is so visible in every frame. This drama has a very typical underdog story that is also propped up by an underlying mystery which takes 30 episodes to fully unravel. I feel that the first season was fine for the most part and had a lot of satisfying “anime-like” moments that pulled you deeper and deeper into the world. The problems start becoming more apparent when you consider the romantic aspects of this show and it falls a little flat. The acting in this show is phenomenal from everyone involved when you set aside the romantic parts. In the first season I couldn’t help feel a distinct lack of chemistry from the leads… The secondary couples are not not even worth mentioning at all. The chemistry between the main couple does manage to improve in the second part due a major change in the depiction of the characters. Despite the fact that the romance manages to improve in the second part, the characters all get REALLY dumb. They also start saying and doing the dumbest stuff to move the plot along and some of the retcons (pertaining to reincarnation) were too much to be acceptable. All in all its a pretty good show but it wasn’t tied up well enough to be truly great, memorable or rewatchable.

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This PROVES ya'll will do anything for a check.

I have so many issues with this show, but its not the worst thing ever.

Main couple had no real chemistry, and I keep wondering if PHJ is even really suited to these regular romcoms.

I felt nothing by the end but I didn't feel as if my time was completely wasted.

Whole thing REEKS of weekly production. Nothing feels linear or cohesive. Character plotlines are either nonexistant or get tied up SUPER quick. I kept thinking about little things. Hyejin's dynamic with her BF's mom would have been more intresting with earlier and frequent scenes. If she had been offending her BF's mom slowly and consistantly for the length of the show think of how much funnier it would have been.

Such an obvious lack of planning.

Does have a traditional HEA tho. Its alright. Won't ever watch it again tho.

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I'm being super generous.

This is a cohesive review for both parts of the show.

This show means business when it comes to tragedy, so watch out!

As some other people have pointed out this show is wayyyy better in the first half. I think the main issue that comes up in ep 10 onwards, is that the story relies on people making dumb choices for drama's sake. Characters that you've gotten to know will dead-ass look at the camera and make the dumbest choices you've ever seen.

Due to that there are a lot of scenes where I'm bored or angry. Not to mention how many coincidences there are to help the characters float along.

Despites the flaws this drama was still incredibly compelling. Every episode moved me or made me physically ill from the stress of watching. I thought the ending was pushing the limits of believability, BUT I was satisfied!

One of the best Korean dramas in YEARS!

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Good! but not "Great"

So after hearing that this drama would be comparable to "Strangers from Hell" I kinda went in with high expectations. I wanted it to be just as thrilling and moving and In a way I did get what I wanted but It just wasn't as striking.

I want to give the highest praise for the acting and production. Lee Seung Gi and P.O. in particular had me almost crying near the end. The editing, direction, and music were all great to experience.

I personally feel that the biggest disappointments of the show come from it's writing. There are multiple instances where I feel like the drama does not even attempt to respect the intelligence of its audience. There are so many fake outs and deliberate misdirections that aim to increase the longevity and the intensity of the show but end up working against it instead. When you do take the time to notice things and take note of certain clues and facts that you've been given, the drama never takes the time to vindicate a viewer's theory at any point in time until the end.

I think of Dr. Daniel in the amusement park and just Yohan in general. It was painfully obvious that he wasn't the Killer but the drama kept insisting on that which just made it more unsurprising when the real killer is revealed.

I feel like the highest priority of the show at any point in time was to cause as much discussion and controversy and surprise as possible. There is a philosophical side to its story and I think that it tries to make a statement but at the same time it kind of fails towards the end.

I still enjoyed it and would recommend it!

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Confusing and disappointing.

After waiting YEARS for this drama it finally came out and its... not the best. Despite the fact that the drama has been delayed for years and everyone has been expecting it. Absolutely everything looks unfinished unpolished and cheap. I'm not really sure what setting it's supposed to be in, and some of the costume choices are almost insulting to the eyes. Theres wayyyy too much plastic, fake fur, and feathers.

Some of the songs are bangers but everytime I hear an electronic pop song in the BG, my blood pressure rises. After starting off incredibly strong the quality starts to dip after episode 10 or so? I think that the show could have benefited from having it story simplified or a longer run time, so it could have an ending that actually makes sense and is capable of providing closure for a viewer.


The best thing about the show was the explosive chemistry between Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi. They were too hot for words. As an adult I'm glad the drama is not chaste, and showcases some passion.

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I'm biased, so Imma say its basically perfect.

Everything about this drama is on another level.
Writing, cinematography, costumes, plot, acting, action, and supporting characters?!?!
It was all so enjoyable. I inhaled the show like oxygen and finished 56 episode in 4 days.
For ONCE I didn't feel as if it were dragging and would have liked it to be longer so we could get more of a "fairy tale" ending, but its still fine.

The only bad points are repetitive plot points, and the show never really making you fear that anything bad will happen? Its hard to explain but when you see how the emperor acts youll know.

Its SO refreshing! Its also strange.

This couple and story has me in a chokehold and I don't wanna leave it behind.

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Cookie Cutter

Its the same story we've seen before but even LONGER and more boring. The entire time that I was watching the show I couldn't help but think that this story could have been told in half the run time. 30 episodes would have been MORE THAN ENOUGH. In order to further add to the unoriginality this drama takes several actors from both Love and Redemption and Ashes of Love.

Yang Zi is a grown woman of 30 years and still shes being forced into these cutsey roles where she has barely any agency. I feel like MY eyes will spit blood if I have to watch Cheng Yi do it one more time. Both leads are punching bags thoughout the whole thing.

Aside from them no one really matters? Cardboard cutouts that serve the plot when necessary. The candle holder cat faced lady was so obviously and laughably Evil that I could not keep a straight face anytime she came on screen. I couldn't help but wonder as she stood next to the emperor Ying Yuan, why he couldn't see that she was obviously evil? I also despise the fact that this drama pits sisters against each other, I understand that you need to have the evil lady but there is no need for that type of tension between both sisters. Is it that hard to imagine that women might possibly want to support and love each other? When will female camaraderie be celebrated?

The only enjoyable parts of this show are when they are in the mortal realm just solving mysteries and collecting loot. It was fun and way more intresting than the boring immortal realm stuff. If you ask me that should have been the show. Just a demon hunting guy meeting a "good" demon girl and solves mysteries with her and they fall in love. Sprinkle in some commentary about nature versus nurture, some tension with the guys sect and rivals. And BOOM a watchable drama in 30 episodes or less.

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Its pretty decent

QoT is a pretty good drama. I think that it starts off stronger than it ends… but it's still a great experience.

The best part of the show is of course the main leads. I really love that the lead characters complement each other so well. Hyun Woo's intelligence, gullibility, and caring nature fits so well with Hae In's hidden vulnerability, arrogance, and willpower. This is the couple who got the fairy tale ending and then lost the plot shortly afterwards. The main point of this story is getting this couple back to square one and I'm in support of using a progressive brain cancer to do so.

I'm in love with the writing, its very well put together with so many memorable and heavy lines that are buried in my head. It was always moving me every episode. The side characters were all so fleshed out and all of them got satisfying moments that made them seem like real people to me. They made mistakes, did hurtful things, and could be selfish and ignorant while doing so… but they didn't usually stay that way.

This show praises its characters for changing and punishes anyone who doesn't make and effort to be a better person… I like that… a lot.

On the other hand this show is REALLY overly dramatic sometimes and I'm not a total fan of the ending. It seems so lackluster compared to all the buildup.

Its still better than 90% of Rom coms this year, and it's definitely rewatchable.

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Going down roofie road.

After binging this drama in the span of less than a week. I have to make a formal apology to "From Now on Showtime!" because this show is basically the same thing but like wayyy worse in every aspect.

Its boring, predictable and cliché. The stalker serial killer, the b*tchy 2nd FML, the second lead not liking her until he's got competition... All of it made me wanna hurl. The show not being able to remember it's own lore about magic.

I don't mind dramas being commercials... But I still wanna be told a good story. I was totally on board for this show until the 5th episode? Once he drank that DAMN love potion it was OVER for me! Such a dumb decision! Speaking of dumb things.

I could not bring myself to believe that a woman willingly wrote this. Every single female character with 1 exception (and no, its not the FL) is a joke. An actual joke. The FL's only characteristics are her being "nice" and liking hot guys. Aside from her dad dying thats all we know about her. Everything else circles back to those two things. Oh? she's hardworking? YEA cuz she's "nice". Oh she's making dumb magical decisions? YEA it's cuz she likes hot guys. The script has her isolated from other people without really giving a valid reason. If she's so nice why does she get bullied and isolated everywhere she goes… I know it's Korean fiction but there's gotta be a reason for her lack of human connections. Even the biggest b*tches I know have a couple f*ckin friends??? (its me, I'm b*tches) Her superiors and coworkers are all disgusting shallow people who walk all over her, take advantage and so on. DESPITE THAT! The FL still wants to be friends with them?

LADY PLEASE have some respect for yourself.

I really dislike when women in dramas can only think of men... you don't have any hopes? Dreams? Goals? Hobbies? The coworkers and 2nd FL have lives that only revolve around the males they drool over... So pathetic. Also the 2nd FL is a freaking delusional hypocrite that honestly made me head cannon that she was a stand in for someone that actually bullied the writer in real life, that way she can feel like she punished her bully through the show… All of this seems like bad fan fiction. The Mary Sue FL, the lack of romantic tension, and the one dimensional 2nd FL… it all reeks.

The male characters are basically pieces of paper. I don't know why the ML ended up liking the FL? He was so rude to her and then BOOM the worst decision of the show comes and all of a sudden he's all about her… The 2ND ML seemed like he might have something relatable and interesting going on… but it doesn't get enough development and he too also starts liking the FL for shallow reasons… I have nothing to say about either of the villains… Both were so boring. The mayor man…. allows his uneducated daughter to make political decisions for him because she's angry… What a whack politician…

The biggest issue is the FL making the conscious decision to trick a man into drinking a love potion that would FORCE that man to love her. This action is the biggest issue for me... Is her life so bad that she needs to essentially magically roofie a man? She's that desperate for love??? WHY??? So cuz her dad died she has the right to force men into a relationship even after being PREVIOUSLY REJECTED BY THE SAME MAN? I just can't wrap my head around this creative decision.... THIS and everything that results from it are tainted. If she gets into a relationship with that guy… then everything that takes place is r*pe… I don't understand how the writers missed that… The drama doesn't really make any effort to condemn her actions either, instead it's used as a comedic trampoline… All kinds of shenanigans take place after that…

The cinematography, music, and acting were all fine I guess.

I can confidently say this was my worst drama of 2023… too much of it rubbed me the wrong way. I would gladly watch King The Land 20x times more than ever watch this again. Just awful.

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Almost there.

The Double is a pretty good drama. For the first 15 episodes I would have said that this show was on its way to being as good as Love Like the Galaxy.

But it's not quite good enough to fill that LLTG Hole.

The positive things I have to say are endless, because this is an example of when you can feel every ounce of effort that was crammed into this show. The cinematography was amazing, there are so many shots that are screen saver worthy. The consistent use of flowing fabrics, wind and flower petals made my eyes pop open on more than one occasion. The fight choreography was on point too, it's almost comparable with Blood of Youth and fighting is the whole point of that show. The music also slapped. Be it a bgm or the featured artists it was always a pleasure to listen to whatever was coming out of my speakers. I did add more tracks to my playlist, and that's always the mark of great music.

I have the highest praise for the actors, there's not a single person in this show who was not giving a stellar performance as well, the direction and cast's chemistry was great! I feel like there are so many scenes where I can't imagine another actor replacing any of our main characters. This along with the initial writing in the first quarter of the show made the story so compelling! Everything just made sense, and I really liked that.

On the other hand it's hard to overlook the flaws of this drama. I think it can be overly dramatic and prioritize visuals over telling it's story in a more useful way at times. I also think that the pacing of the show could have been better. The 1st through 15th episodes are clearly aware that this story has a time limit and all the events flow evenly… But once we pass that halfway mark the plots take forever to resolve and get more and more choppy. I especially despise the final episode which unnecessarily kills off some characters in the dumbest and most abrupt ways. I didn't care for the drawn out reunion that we don't even really get to see. It's gore and murder and then a flower field and the FL looks into the camera and this hefty 40 episode monstrosity ends… Just. like. that…

I felt that there were so many moments where I wanted something more, something deeper, something intricate to happen and for the writing to be just a little smarter in how all of these characters related to each other.

I didn't care for it…
but the beginning was amazing so I can't rate it that low. I'd recommend it! But this is not on Love Like the Galaxy or Love and Redemption's level. Those stories kept you hooked until the very end and had very satisfying endings that didn't need unneeded shock value for its finale.

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