I wish this was a normal drama
I just watched it and i wish this was a normal drama. This story was great, but the time was to short to bring it to full potential. Though i hate the short format, i enjoyed this.The visuals were good and the music very beautiful.
If they would release this as a normal length drama with the full story well worked out and with the same actors, it would be an amazing good drama.
The acting was also great and the mains had good chemistry. The kisses were good too.
I don't think i will rewatch this. Just because of the sort format.
But i do recommend watching it, it's one of the few good shorts.
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This review may contain spoilers
A beautiful high school love story.
(Note: I have NOT watched the 2022 japanese version)HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD:
Absolutely loved the film. The couple was super cute, the friendships were super cute, and the ending was sad yet beautiful. Acting was excellent from everyone and it was great to see Shin Si-a in a lead role, she's a really underrated actor, loved her in Resident Playbook!
Also, I REALLY thought I could hold it in this time, but no, in the last 15minutes the film managed to make me cry, and a lot!
One criticism I have, is that Jae-won's "heart disease" and his eventual death wasn't built as well as it should have been. It came a bit out of nowhere, even if I knew about it beforehand because of the description in MyDramaList. The Netflix description on the other hand says nothing about it which is... interesting. This didn't bother me too much and I loved the movie regardless, even though it clearly is a noticeable writing issue.
Really glad I watched this!
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A Masterclass in Heart and Harmony: Why "Twinkling Watermelon" is a Perfect 9.5/10
1. A Script with SubstanceUnlike dramas that rely on frustrating silence, this script thrives on communication and connection. The time-travel element isn't just a gimmick; it is a tool used to explore the "what ifs" of our parents' youth. The pacing is tight, the stakes feel real, and every episode moves the story forward with purpose. There is no "filler" here—only heart.
2. Characters You Actually Root For
The characters in this show are incredibly well-developed.
Eun-gyeol: A brilliant protagonist who is smart, empathetic, and proactive.
Yi-chan: Instead of a typical "annoying" lead, he is a ball of pure energy and sincerity.
The Dynamic: The bond between the father and son (across different timelines) is the soul of the show. Their interactions are often hilarious but deeply moving, avoiding the tired tropes of unnecessary drama.
3. Phenomenal Acting
The young cast delivers "expert-level" performances. They don't just act; they embody the spirit of youth. The portrayal of the CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) experience is handled with immense grace and sensitivity, making the emotional beats hit much harder than your average melodrama.
4. Music as a Language
The soundtrack and the band sequences are not just background noise; they are integral to the plot. The passion for music is infectious, adding a layer of joy that balances out the more somber, emotional moments.
Final Verdict: 9.5/10
"Twinkling Watermelon" is everything a drama should be: smart, sincere, and beautifully executed. It proves that you don't need "toxic" conflict or "frustrating" leads to create a compelling story. It is a vibrant, "twinkling" reminder of why we love K-dramas in the first place.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fish Upon the Sky starts really strong, especially because of Pi’s character. His struggles with insecurity, bullying, and feeling unlovable feel very real and easy to relate to. His change in appearance is not just about looks, but also about wanting to be accepted, which the show handles really well in the beginning.But as the story moves forward, things start to feel off. Mork’s character, in particular, feels a bit unsettling at times. Even though he is charming and good-looking, he often ignores Pi’s boundaries. He keeps pushing Pi about his feelings and doesn’t respect his wish to keep things private. Because of this, some of his actions feel more forceful than caring, even if his intentions are good.
The whole social media shipping part also feels uncomfortable. Pi clearly says he doesn’t like it, yet it continues and Mork even feeds to their delusions, and his fears about being judged and criticized are proven right towards the end.
The biggest problem is the ending. Important issues like Pi’s insecurity and the hurt caused to him are solved too quickly. It feels rushed and unrealistic. Pi doesn’t really get the proper growth or healing that his character needed, and everything just wraps up too easily.
Overall, the drama had a great start and a very relatable main character, but the story didn’t handle things well in the end and feels incomplete
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Still Suffering: A Warning for Park Jin-young Fans
If you’re considering watching "Still Shining", DON'T. Unless you are here solely to watch Park Jin-young carry a sinking ship, this drama is a total waste of time.The Script is Trash: What was marketed as a "slow-burn" is actually just stagnant. The plot relies entirely on the "non-communication" trope, where problems could be solved in seconds if characters just spoke. It’s 10 hours of whispering and staring with zero payoff.
Annoying Female Main-Character: The protagonist, Eun-ah, is incredibly frustrating. Her decisions are illogical, and her "drama" feels forced and tiresome rather than deep or healing.
The Jinyoung Carry: Park Jin-young is the only reason this show is watchable. His elite acting and visuals are the only "shining" parts. Without him, most viewers would have dropped this by Episode 4.
The 10-Episode Mercy: Thank goodness this wasn't 16 episodes. The pacing is so glacial that stretching it any further would have been a crime.
Final Verdict: 3/10
Beautiful cinematography and top-tier acting from Jinyoung, but trapped in a hollow, annoying story. Save your time and skip it.
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Eyes Filled with Pain and Determination
This is a dark, tense, and truly harrowing story—about the price of silence, about trauma, and about how far a person is willing to go to protect those they love.The plot never lets you relax and can be quite brutal at times. Neither skills nor truth can save you when the other side has more power, money, and influence. If it weren’t for the "safety net" in the form of Mr. Jang, the ending for the heroines would have been far more tragic. Yet it’s precisely within this sense of hopelessness that the theme of female friendship truly unfolds: the women hold on to each other, showing resilience, resourcefulness, and a willingness to sacrifice themselves.
The acting is a standout strength. The lead actress doesn’t just play her role—she lives it. You can see pain, fear, and resolve all at once in her eyes, making you believe in her until the very end. The antagonists are also remarkably well-developed, their hypocrisy is so vivid it triggers an almost physical revulsion.
But there are some pretty questionable moments: the plotline with the double feels like something out of a sci-fi movie and sticks out from the overall realistic tone. In real life, something like that wouldn’t work. In situations like these, the fewer people "in the know," the lower the chances of getting caught. And some plot details, especially those related to the consequences and punishment, raise questions. I still don’t understand how long they served? In South Korea, crimes like these usually carry sentences of at least five years, yet it seems the heroines served much less time.
Even so, the series leaves a strong impression—thanks to its emotional depth, tension, and that harsh truth you simply can’t ignore.
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An allegorical love story in a didactic fable format
I simply adored this series! It is so allegorical and deeply intriguing. All the characters are emblematic. This is a thoughtful and insightful delve into an intense psychodrama. Do not get sidetracked by the ornaments and trimmings around the superfluousness of its mundane filming technique. They are distractions. Its aim is simply trying to answer the proverbial expression: Can love conquer all? Unquestionably and brilliantly, I might add, this sequence displays that answer. Perhaps darkly and broodingly and in a quirky fashion, but romantically at the end, if you keep an open mind to the journey. This is an astonishingly disturbing and psychologically distressful as well as a painfully real portrayal of the reality of two men who are both aberrant. This is not a BL obviously but a story of love, certainly not in a traditional sense but nonetheless just as real. Their romance was displayed in a different format. Unconventional for sure but a love that is deeper than any of the loves that are portrayed in the so-called world of BL. For this one dealt with painful realities, psychological traumas, and a love based SOLELY on accepting the other for who and what they are. Is that not the truest form of love? So many missed this beautiful point. It is the strongest form of love between two men I have seen. So many missed the point.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Fantasy drama with a fresh feel and romance/chemistry that pulls you in
I have seen 19 episodes up to this point. I would highly recommend watching this drama despite its flaws. The biggest flaw was the illusion/star stone arc for me. The stakes weren't high enough and story/characters in it not engaging enough. Although this side plot ties into the overall plot, it feels unnecessary to stretch it out over 6 episodes. I was itching to fast forward, but didn't. I think it should've been 3 episodes at most.Other than that, I gave 9/10 for the cast because I seriously cannot understand how Joseph Zeng has landed this role. He has his moments, but he cannot act and should get some training. However, his character works for the story and is interesting enough.
I would say watch the drama for the plot, but I think you should watch this drama for the romance/chemistry of the two main couples. My personal favourite couple is Ji Ling/Lu Wu Yi with Ji Ling being my absolutely favourite character in the whole show. Tian Jia Rui shows a mesmerizing new side of his acting (similar to Cheng Lei in Shadow Love) and he knocks it out of the park. I am also positively surprised by Ju Jing Yi. Known for her bad acting in the past, she flips the table completely. It is like she has finally found her groove. So if you consider not watching it because of her - don't. It's worth it, I promise!
The music can sometimes be a bit over the top or too much, but it is overall a very good OST. But I think the people involved didn't know when to remove or tone down the music as it sometimes contrasted with the stillness of a scene. This is just a minor issue though that only pops up a handful of times and can be overlooked completely.
The story so far unfolds nicely with no noticeable plot holes to me, at least. But I'm not the best judge of that lol. However, the drama is as engaging as when I started it and I think the premise is holding up. It picks itself up again if you can struggle through the illusion arc and it is worth sticking with! I highly recommend this drama to anyone who likes tragic romances/characters and fantasy. The entertainment value remains high despite everything!
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Insanely High Rewatch Value
Happy to say I'm joining the many, many others who loved this drama. A fresh take on the realms of gods and immortals, a multi-layered story that rewards curious fans and anyone who pays close attention to these amazing performances. So many clues and bits of foreshadowing are expertly woven through the story, only to explode in a cataclysmic finish, expertly built upon by all the episodes that came before.This is an amazing exploration of a romance with a world-shakingly powerful being who also has a very human side, and struggles to reconcile the two. It's definitely a slowburn done well, in my opinion; the push and pull between the two leads is frustrating, heartbreaking, enthralling and ultimately so beautiful and tenderly sweet. So many tropes are flipped on their head with these two, I adored them. They're fun as schemers, partners and allies, friends, and lovers. They influence each other throughout the story, inspiring each other to change their views on life, and ultimately are a ride or die power couple, determined to stand by each other at the end of all things. (And that they get a happy ending is just the cherry on top!)
As a huge fan of ZLY, I knew I would adore her performance, and she dazzles in her role as Shen Li, Lord Bi Cang of the Immortal Realm. Wielding that spear with ruthless skill, graceful competence, and true power, it was immensely satisfying to watch her journey as she came into her own, learned her past, and became even more powerful through many trials and tribulations.
But everyone in this drama is well cast and wonderfully talented. There was not one character I didn't enjoy, and so many of them had arcs that intrigued me, sometimes even surprised me. Zeng Li was one of my favorites, playing Shen Mu Yue with intricate emotional depth, charisma, and cool swagger. Wang Yi Yiao and Li Jia Qi both delivered scene-stealing performances. And of course Xuan Lu and Xu Hai Qiao broke my heart into a million pieces! Kudos as well to Lu Xi Ran and Bian Jiang, who delivered amazing dubbing performances as the two leads, and to all the rest of the cast, who were wonderful.
There's so much to say about this show, and not enough room to say it. The original songs are all gorgeous and have become some of my favorites; the instrumental BGM has so many emotional, thrilling, powerful tracks to weave into the story. Each arc of this show develops the characters, delivering a truly impactful slowburn both in the romance and in the story itself. Each piece of worldbuilding is laid with care. The ending brings together dozens of plot threads and weaves them together for a finale you won't forget.
This show is definitely one of my favorite xianxia dramas ever! Fascinating worldbuilding, an intriguing story that patiently gives you each piece of the puzzle, provides plenty of clues to its mysteries, heartbreaking and heartwarming, poetic and funny, and beautifully filmed on top of all that. The many layers, parallels, and nuanced performances within the layers of the story make this drama one that only gets better on a rewatch. I can't recommend it enough!
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This is about Friendship, Betrayal, Defending , war and Love triangle.
The Drama is going to be interesting with those released episode is giving vibing .Like to say it ,when looking into the drama as a watcher not written ,I gonna say there is no more of scenes to show , because the why the episode is going on it look like it ending soon which is not , that make it to be hard to guess what is going to end or happen in the intermission of the drama .
I will give all the reviews when am through with the drama.
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A really good start ruined
All of you agree that the peak of this drama was the first 2 eps, then it went downhill from there.The cast and acting are amazing 9/10 but the story and the characters were pathetic and hard for us to watch.
The ending is not what was expected at all, more like an open ending because we don't know what happened next or in the next few years. Open endings are good sometimes but in this drama we absolutely did not get any closure.
They should have made it a 12 or 16 eps instead of just 10.
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Even adorable baby could not save this drama
This drama is an example of love triangle done wrong. The story was engaging in its first episodes, featuring two in-laws hating each other in a forced cohabitation to take care of their nephew. However, instead of focusting on this storyline, the script devolved into an insufferable love triangle that made the second male lead the central figure of the romance...When the heroine is going into more dates over the course of the series with someone who is NOT the hero, you know that it is a disaster for any kind of proper romantic build up.The cast was a mixed bag. The adorable kid (Park Yu Ho) playing the role of baby U Ju was an incredible casting choice. Bae In Hyuk, as the male lead, was quite good but Roh Jeong Eui was insufferable as the female lead. None of her scenes touched me, and I got more and more annoyed with the character with every episode passing. Not all the blame can be put on the actress though, as the script was really not doing any favor to her character. Park Seo Ham, as the second male lead, felt also pretty mid but once again, it might be more due to the writing (forcefully pushing this secondary role instead of the male lead) that made him unlikeable.
In addition to the big disappointment that was the overall story, the production value felt in overall pretty low, even if the camera did a good job capturing baby U Ju cute moments.
I would not recommend this to people as it very much did not succeed in terms of rom-com nor family drama. The heroine growth was non existent and the overwhelming presence of the second male lead did not leave enough room for the male lead to shine much. The baby the leads had to care for became less and less central part of the plot, leaving the viewer with nothing much too look forward. Overall what's started as a cliche / full of well know tropes but quite nostalgic watch remindering of older Kdrama, devolved into a frustrating watch.
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Still Shining — More Pain Than Shine
Honestly… this might be one of the most depressing and emotionally exhausting dramas I’ve watched in a while. 😭I get it — the male lead has a lot on his plate, responsibilities, pressure, everything. But why make the female lead this confusing? The constant breakup → patch-up → breakup cycle had me questioning everything. Like guys… if you broke up once, maybe there’s a reason? 😅 Unless both people actually grow and accept each other fully (good and bad), what’s really changing?
At some point, it just started feeling frustrating instead of emotional. I kept thinking, “What exactly do you want from each other?”
This is definitely not your light, feel-good, shiny romance. The title says Still Shining, but emotionally… it’s more like Still Suffering. 😬 You’ll need a lot of patience to get through it — and trust me, mine was running out episode by episode.
That said, I’ve seen some people online appreciate its realistic take on complicated relationships and emotional baggage. So if you like messy, slow-burn, very human love stories, this might still work for you.
P.S. – This is one of those dramas where you don’t just watch… you survive it. 😅
P.P.S. – Male lead was really very sad in most of the drama 💔
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Agents have feelings too
Very nice spy action thriller. The highlights of the movie are the action sequences at the beginning and at the end. The rest of the film is a tense battle of wits, which is perfectly suitable for this kind of movie. I’m glad that the film doesn’t rely on action as its main focus, yet it still delivers the satisfying feel of a proper action movie.The drama is even better than the action. One reviewer here gave this movie a 1/10, describing it as a generic “brain-off” movie, which I strongly disagree with. Yes, the plot is somewhat straightforward, but that’s actually a strength — it keeps the movie from losing balance. I agree that the action follows a somewhat clichéd development, but the true strength of this film lies in the suppressed emotions of the agents. The actors were excellent at portraying the inner struggle between professional duty and personal feelings, and at trying to balance the two. In that sense, the beginning and the final scenes are superb. Not many people understand what it really takes to be an intelligence agent. For action movie lovers, Humint is a must-watch.
♫ Even if we part ways, don’t forget the days we loved... ♫
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Fantasy , Murder Mystery, Espionage & Comedy
I started watching this series because of the cast. I usually don't like fantasy series but I can make some exceptions when the story is captivating. This series has a mix of fantasy, espionage, murder mystery and some great comedy from one of the actors that makes it funny. The story is good if you explain it as political intrigue inside and outside a country.I did fast forward a lot of this series as it seems to be going on slow motion.
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