Reviews

lovely drama!!

the gumiho trop is nothing new but this love story was really sweet, well portrait and funny.

the main male lead is gumiho who has reached his 999th years of age. he has left just a year to become a human or he'd disappear from the earth.

the male female lead is a young history Student who accidentally bumps into our gumiho and shallows the gumiho marble, which he needs to gain energy.

they both agree to live together in order to take the marble out of her body and save her from death.

this forced living situation leads to a romantic relationship.

that's the basic premise of the story, but the real force of this drama is in the chemistry between the actors. the drama is full of sweet moment that really warm the heart. despite the "age gap" they are able to adjust to one another and grow together.

they are both likable in different ways. the gumiho may seem cold hearted but is really affectionate in his own way. he is charming and naive and the same time. the main female character is strong, unapologetic and isn't afraid to be her true self.


the side characters are nice and not shallow as they usually are. especially the other couple of this drama give us funny and sweet moments.

overall this is a story about overcoming struggles and give all our selves for the one we love.

the drama is full of romantic but also funny moments.
highly recommended

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Time solved everything

I started to watch this drama because of Krist, but in the end, I fell for Gawin. In 2023, GMMTV had many BL dramas, and I watched everything. And this is one of the best dramas on GMMTV. At the very beginning of the trailer, I was excited because it's a fresh plot and a new pairing. But the production changed Mike to Gawin, and I was disappointed. The other thing was that, though it's a new pairing, I was loyal to Singto and Kris, though there is no future for this pairing.But after watching the first episode, I was ecstatic because it was not the same copy-and-paste plot and time travel, which is brand new. And the new pairing was awesome. They had the chemistry, good acting, and body language that made me sit through illogical plots and make the drama even more addicting. As a couple, they brought out their understanding of each other so well. I could describe their relationship as comic, inevitable, fiery, jeoulous, and mature. All their scenes together highlighted their amazing chemistry. They complimented each other perfectly, whether they were in love or fighting with each other.The character Kawi, on the other hand, was annoying. I was wondering why he cannot see or feel the feelings of Pisaeng, and the obvious answer is that writers want the Kawi to grow throughout the drama. Typically, this means moving from a worse person to a better person. Meanwhile, Pisaeng delivered an emotional roller coaster, which made me fall head over heels for Gawin. But in the end, he gave up and left Kawi.Though I never believed "time will solve everything," it did. This story path is not a flower road. There are many obstacles that test their love and affection, and it was heartbreaking to see fate testing their love for each other. "As time goes on, you'll understand. What lasts, lasts; what doesn't, doesn't. Time solves most things, and what most time can't solve, you have  to."Time solved everything.The writer used each and every character to develop main characters, and each minor character had an ending without vanishing into the air after building a happy ending for Pisaeng and Kawi.Actually, I'm so glad that this drama is not only focused on romance. Recently, I learned many life lessons from this drama. Mainly, it addresses common insecurities, overthinking, and different aspects regarding the LGBTQ community. Not only was it a drama, but it also taught me many life lessons.

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Story
My younger self enjoyed this drama but not the part when everyone hurts Joy. There were heart fluttering moments that my younger self would love to enjoy those moments. Joy is a ray of sunshine. Her smile is lovely and contagious. That's all I can remember cos I watched this years back.

Acting/Cast
Visual casts! Everyone were cute except Lee Seo Won.
Joy did well for her first drama. Lee Hyunwoo is a cutie pie! I remember having a huge crush on him. My first time seeing Song Kang lol.

Music
THIS IS WHAT IM HERE FOR!!! JOY'S ANGELIC VOICE! The scene when Han gyeol fell in love and was obsessed with Soo rim's voice. FELT!

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Giving Low Quality

I am actually sorry to the people who watched this and enjoyed it but this was a hard no from me. I skipped through a lot of scenes because most just felt unnecessary. The acting wasn’t completely bad but it was far from good. The dialogue was not that good and do not even get me on the shots. I can not stand whenever I’m watching a show and the cuts and shots were done so poorly. Anyways I genuinely feel like this show was a waste of my time and never would mention this show to anyone. And don’t even get me started on the kiss scenes. Found out that Ping is HELLA YOUNG TT.

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While retaining the poetic beauty of the original, this second half is a painful epilogue . . .

At this point, I'm convinced the writers are sadists, and I can't stand to watch anymore just to see it all come to a bad end one last time. In sum, the random twists and turns that started cropping up in the last episodes of the first season, multiply in the second half. Hurdle, after hurdle, after hurdle. Just nonsensically raising hopes and dashing them. Will there be scenes that stick with me? Yes. Did I vow to stop watch multiple times? Also yes.

The acting, production values, cinematography, and some key pieces of dialogue are excellent. There are some powerful scenes that will linger on - but we're talking all of 10-15 minutes in 8 hrs of viewing. The key theme of the show is to always persist and survive as there could be the best moments of your life just around the corner.

I feel vaguely guilty, therefore, of not persisting to the end of this one, but frustration and dread was growing with every episode, and life is too short. I ended it at a high point, and I don't have strength to see if things fall apart once again. I would still highly recommend watching the first half/season 1 - it stands on its own and is a true gem of a K -Drama.

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Emotional well-acted roller-coaster romance during the Qing invasion of Joseon Dynasty

This historical drama take place in the Joseon Dynasty, in the 1600s, during the Qing invasion. The invasion aspect is the one that intrigued me the most with some pretty interesting political aspects. The war is quite gutwrenching to follow as it impacts a lot characters you appreciate more and more.

This story is quite melodramatic with a romance that I think is quite nice and with a lot of emotional stakes...The romance is not my favorite part of the drama as it is truly a series of misfortunes and heartbrakes. It for sure take a lot of resilience for the heart of the viewer if you are rooting for some of the couples...

Production and acting-wise, it is very good...The soundtrack is nice with very melancholic balads perfectly fitting for the story but are not necessarily songs that I will keep on listening very often contrarily to some other shows. There are a lot of action sequences that are well executed and the crying/sentimental scenes are very well done as well.

The actors and actresses are very well casted and you found yourself very invested in their characters survivals. Ahn Eun Jin is brilliant as the brave and strong female lead with a super attaching cunning side. Namkoong Min is excellent as the flawed but super intelligent and tactical hero. I love them as individuals but I am less invested in their relationship as it is sometimes difficult for me to understand why they should/need to be together. They have a nice chemistry together but it is not the most sizlling one and I hope to be more invested in the romance in Part 2 of the series. I'm also truly wondering if I'm not protecting my heart by trying to not be too invested in the romance...

I would recommend this to people looking for a very good historical drama with good acting and set during an interesting period of time. If you do not enjoy melodramatic moments and just want a cute / fluffy romance, this is not the drama to watch as it is pretty rough for the heart.

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By far, the best "Fated to Love You" remake version out there! Although this drama keeps the farce comedic genre, it is toned down compared to the original Taiwanese version making the drama better balanced between the comedy and romance. This version also has a unique storyline for the male lead but the overall plot follows the original story. The tear jerking moments are heart tugging and memorable. There is a fantastic gradual and consistent character growth for the leading couple who has great chemistry and did a phenomenal job bringing their characters to life. Although Lee Gun's laugh is annoying sometimes, I really like how he performed his character on this version. Jang Na Ra was perfect as Kim Mi Young. Enjoy it!

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One of the best kdrama !!

TWINKLING WATERMELON is one of the best Kdramas of all time in every aspect. Well, this is my first time writing a review!! I've come across many beautiful dramas but this drama has my whole heart because it was so comforting. The way this drama portrayed each character and their emotions was just mind-blowing. From start to end, it got me on the edge of my seat, and the character development was just WOW. You will feel like you're a part of the drama where you giggle wholeheartedly, weep like a child, and feel sad and happy with every moment. I felt a mixture of emotions while watching this show but it felt comfortable, soothing, and warm inside. Kudos to the cast and crew for coming up with this beautiful drama. The screenplay and the narration of the story were just fantastic. Ryeoun (Eun-gyeol) carried the whole show to the next level with his natural and nuanced acting. He was soo cute in every way. I enjoyed Ryeon and Choi Hyun-Wook's screen time. This father-son chaotic duo made every episode funny and beautiful with their versatile acting. Choi Hyun-Wook (Ha Yi-chan) will be my favorite character of all time. He showed how to turn someone's shortcomings into something really beautiful with his outstanding delivery of emotions. I've never seen any of Shin Eun-soo (Cheong-ah) dramas, this is my first show and I was stunned to see her performance. Though she was deaf and dumb in the whole drama, her twinkling eyes spoke every emotion that can't be described with words. Whenever she smiles, you'll feel her joy, whenever she cries, you'll feel her sorrow and her silence will shatter your heart. Mother-son duo screen time will break and mend your heart at the same time for sure. The endearing love between Omma and appa, and Ajussi and ajumma will make your heart flutter. Seol In-ah's (Choi Se-kyung / On Eun-yoo) chemistry with Ryeoun was at top notch. Seol In-ah did a great job with her acting and showed that everyone has flaws and struggles in their life and that ending our life is not the only solution. Though the ending was bittersweet, it was the perfect ending that we all wanted. It ended with the note that everything happens for a reason, hold on there, and live your life to the fullest without pondering over the things.

? WATERMELON SUGAR....VIVA LA VIDA ?

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A good historical drama

I have watched many Chinese costume dramas, and this one is one of the most well-made dramas. The storyline is really good and the acting of FL makes it even better. Not only the FL, but the ML, side characters, all of them are so perfectly placed, it couldn't be any more perfect.
I usually pay a lot of attention to scripts. The dialogue and the way each character enters or contributes to the plot is very good. A lot of dramas as such have a very typical story, but this one is quite well-presented. I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone who is a fan of costume dramas.

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A GREAT, nice, funny series (TT & Romantic) with Xiao Zhan + friends & Zhao Lusi

EXCELLENT romantic series , Time Travel and fantasy, with Zhao Lusi, Xiao Zhan and his friends from X-nine, particulary Jason Gu (the ML).

PLOT: FL, a 21st century medical intern, is sent under a meteor shower to the Zodiac Kingdom. This kingdom is led by 12 Zodiac masters, including the emperor (the ML = Jason Gu), each one with a super power. Love triangles, rivalries at Court. The FL discovers that she is the Lady Star of the 13th sign, the Serpent, banished and whose members are forced to hide.

PROS:
+ Great great acting
+ Lively, dynamic production
+ Good quality CGI
+ awesome OSTs (mainly provided by X-Nine, Zhao Lusi & Xiao Zhan => Now on my playlist ╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡)

CONS:
- I don't know the budget, but the sets are a bit "cardboard"

=> The 20 episodes of 25 minutes go by too quickly and I'm HEADING towards season 2 (｡◕‿◕｡)
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EXCELLENTE série romantique - time travel et fantasy, avec Zhao Lusi, Xioa Zhan et ses potes de X-nine, en particulier Jason Gu (le ML).

PLOT : La FL, interne en médecine du XXIe siècle, est envoyée sous une pluie de météores, au Royaume du Zodiaque. Celui-ci est dirigé par 12 maitres du Zodiaque, dont l'empereur (le ML = Jason Gu), avec chacun un super pouvoir. Triangles amoureux, rivalités à la Cour. La FL découvre qu'elle est la Lady Star du 13e signe, le serpentaire, banni et dont les membres sont obligés de se cacher.
PROS :
+ Great great acting
+ Réalisation vive, dynamique
+ CGI de bonne qualité
+ OST géniales (assurés par X-Nine, Zhao Lusi & Xioa Zhan essentiellement => sur ma playlist ╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡)
CONS:
- je ne connais pas le budget, mais les décors font un peu "carton pâte"

=> Les 20 épisodes de 25 minutes, passent trop vite et je FONCE vers la saison 2 ( ｡◕‿◕｡ )

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A YOUTH DRAMA WE DIDN'T KNOW WE NEEDED

So what actually happens?
There is a guy named Ha Eun Gyeol, he's passionate about music but he is currently the trophy son to his deaf parents and the only person who can communicate with the outer world in his family. And boy got a deaf brother too (Ha eun ho) who does taekwondo... So dude gotta be responsible for all of them but his guitar keeps calling him and he's unsure if he should pursue music or not... One night magical shit happens and he lands in 1995 where his parents are now his age and he is now going to play cupid for his future parents as younger version of his father (Ha Yi Chan) is a lively youngster who is in a band, is chasing a popular girl, has no interest in studies or Eun Gyeol's future mother (Cheong Ah)

Twinkling watermelon is another sunshine kinda, wholesome, cute cum melodramatic sometimes yet funny and enjoyable youth drama that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

This show has a lot of music, dramatic comedy (often overdramatic with exaggerated expressions but trust me it will make you smile), two cute couples and a bunch of high schoolers who would apparently form a band and great friendships (usual to such youth dramas).

What I loved the most in this drama is Yoon Cheong Ah, the bunny girl who is literally the word "cute". A deaf girl who has not received much warmth growing up but she isn't all weak and tries to protect herself in whatever ways possible. I love how they chose the right actress Shin Eun Soo for this role because her smile is honestly all pretty and as worthy as Eun Gyeol talks about in some scenes.

Younger Ha Yi Chan acted by Choi Hyun Wook was again a bonus because we know he's great at portraying this funky outgoing guy vibe. Chemistry of Ha Yi chan and Cheong Ah was also so mushy and natural that made me root for them all along... Ryeom and Seol in ah also did a convincing job at their roles... haven't seen Ryeom before but he was good at acting all those frustrating scenes when he had to face the mess of his time travel.

Also I don't think I need to mention this but you gotta love the father-son duo, be it 2023 or 1995, you'll love how they fight, bicker, protect or kick each other or have emotional conversations. They're simply adorable.

A noteworthy character here is Yi Chan's grandmother acted by Go Doo Shim. Loved her positive presence throughout the show... somehow this show is such a comfort watch thing and quite entertaining if you end up liking the characters. I watched it as it aired so I actually become reluctant towards the end that like "is it really ending tomorrow? I'll miss them"

You'll get the suspense of "if Ha Eun Gyeol can make things right" as a bonus. The ending might have raised questions but most of the major questions were answered in micro details while some mysteries like the time travel link, the shop Viva Music are better left unanswered (because I don't think a satisfying backstory or explanation can be built for that) so its better being left like that.

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Saved by the plot

I'd only ever heard of the KDrama remake and it was a first for me to see such a vast difference in ratings and views for a remake over the original. I thought of just going for the Korean one as it was more popular but I was just so curious to see why the Japanese didn't stand as high in regard.

The answer? The first episode.

MY. God.

Some could argue it was the acting, pace or characters and filming but none of that really bothered me so much compared to the quite messy starter. I only chose not to drop it because of the one thing it did triumphant in; plot.

The premise was far too interesting to drop it on the go just because of a bad start and an unappealing lead, I needed to see what would occur after the Repeat and this looming mystery of some sudden changes happening that didn't seem to make sense.

I will say what made watching it easier is that all it's flaws grew less and less. The acting improved, the characters got great substance and moments that made me root and feel for them then the overall grand reveal was satisfying and added up to everything lastly. A lot of people call the ending a cliffhanger but it's more of an open ending. Final word of advice; do not watch this if you expect a fairytale ending. It is very far from that but I wouldn't quite call it a tragedy either

Also, if you like a story getting to the point and giving you answers sooner than dragging out, a Japanese adaption is always the way to go. I am thinking of watching the Korean version next to see what they can bring to the table.

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Give this one a shot...

I ended up really liking this one - agreeing with others that there are parts and people you can fast forward through and not miss anything.

This is a multi-episode commercial for 7-Eleven with a story thrown in. My biggest surprise was seeing 7-Eleven avoiding offering a full on espresso selection along with their smoothie bar. This would truly make them a one stop shopping for quick needs both going to and leaving work.

A little grating from the Thai group - why do you feel it necessary to always make all the sons in the family gay? Why can't one brother be straight and the other not - and, as in all these - have everyone be okay with it. Anywho - small complaint.

Love Venus. Strong character who understandably is very guarded. At the very least - he knows he is being taken advantage of - work wise - and leaves. Through his brother's 7-Eleven ownership - he meets Sky - three years after being rejected by him. Sky, trying so hard to get back together with him keeps whitewashing the past and that makes Venus bothered even more. This is the strongest storyline in the whole series. The secondary storyline with the brother is badly done and usually ignored by the director and writers - it shows. The third storyline could have been left out completely - busy people not connecting and drifting apart. Yawn. Cute characters though - nice eye candy. LOL

I grew to really like Sky and Venus and really LOVED the behind the scenes stuff we saw between the episodes. So nice to see such good hearted people get the work and appreciate being in the series.

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"빛나게 해주고 싶어요. 일단은 무대 위에서. 그 다음은 인생에서."

Reenact Back To The Future, fall in love with the young version of your aunt, teach your nonchalant 18 y.o. dad guitar, try to prevent a major tragedy, play matchmaker for your future parents, take over the Jinsung empire, and accidentally become an international idol - be like Ha Eun Gyeol! The drama explores so many relatable themes, and it deserves way more than roughly 3% rating on Korean TV. Ryeo Woon and Choi Hyeon Wook have amazing chemistry, both humorous and dramatic, and their acting is outstanding till the end.

"이곳에 와서 알게 됐다. 내 아빠 엄마에게도 아픈 청춘이 있었다는 것을."

?Do you want to escape your problems somewhere far away where nobody would be able to find you..? For example, in the year 1995! You'd get to befriend your yet-young parents and hopefully find out why do they act so confusingly as adults. However, time traveling still won't provide you with a safe playground to explore the world because growing up has never been easy for anyone. And if it wasn't, why do adults forget about their own teenage experience while building a relationship with their teenage kid?

"나는 아주아주 반짝이게 빛나야 한다는 말이지. 할 수 있는 건 다 해볼 거다. 사랑이든 벤드든 내가 반짝일 수 있는 거라면 모두 다."

There aren't many thoughtful shows and movies that explore teenagers and their parents together as equal human beings. Twinkling Watermelon achieves this by literally putting them all side by side through time travel. Not only do the highschoolers start to understand their parents better, but the adults in the future change too. The way the drama was written, I was confident from the very beginning that all the characters and their lives are in the hands of a skilled screenwriter. The drama transitions between sentimental exploration and genuine humor so seamlessly that I simply cannot put an episode on pause. There is no intrigue who ends up with whom, and because everything is predetermined we get a chance to feel this fleeting moment of happiness and enjoy it while it lasts.

"내가 사는 세상엔 소리가 없어. 그래서 이렇게 눈을 감으면 세상이 사라져."

?I'm sure every viewer has caught on to a couple of KSL (Korean Sign Language) words just by watching this drama. It contributes well to the awareness of people with hearing impairments and subtly educates about the challenges they face in society. Deaf character Cheong Ah still enjoys listening to music vibrations, and many deaf people still enjoy going to loud energetic concerts. Moreover, there is a scene where Yi Chan interprets the legendary song '마법의 성' into KSL and performs it for Cheong Ah - this is what deaf performers do. I suggest you check out Justina Miles interpreting to ASL (American Sign Language) at Rihanna's Super Bowl show this year to get an idea of how you can communicate a song to those who can't hear it.

"수화야. 손으로 만들어내는 소리."

Sign language is an incredible dimension of human expression, and it's not hard to learn. It should be more widespread in today's society, and good thing someone is popularizing it. I personally started learning ASL and KSL, and even though there is no one around me to talk to, sign language has improved my acting (surprisingly!) and communication in general.

?Deaf experiences can vary. Some people are Deaf and mute like Cheong Ah, who lost the ability to hear before she learned to speak; some people are partially deaf, and others, like Yi Chan, lost their hearing later. In Yi Chan's case, he is probably mute by choice, either for Cheong Ah or to not give in to an ignorant society, since he could talk normally after getting the trauma.

"음악은 귀로만 듣는 게 아니야. 음악은 눈으로, 마음으로, 심장으로 느끼는 거야."

?Twinkling Watermelon is simply magical and now one of my top K-dramas. Its ethereal plot allows me to rediscover other aspects of life that we usually miss in today's hustle culture, like creating music, art together, building strong friendship - all those overlooked human expressions that are essential for human happiness, just like sign language. But overall, it's also a blissful reminder to stay strong and try living my only youth to the fullest. 나도 '반짝이는 워터멜론'처럼 반짝반짝하게 빛나고 싶다.

Learn sign language, you guys! Sign language changes the world. ✨

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