Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Two words... Youthful and Amazing.

I think I have found my favorite k-drama so far, it will most likely enter my top 5 and will stay there. I have so many things to say about Twinkling Watermelon, it combines precisely many of the things that I like and love to see in kdramas (music, youthful plots, romance, comedy, heart touching, lovely characters, time travel and more).
This story so beautifully uses the element of music as an escape and as a form of genuine expression, it shows how difficult it is to grow up and how traumas and dysfunctional families affect our lives, it also portrays how beautiful it is to have a family and I'm not just talking about the one we are related to by blood. Likewise, it portrays youthful romance in such a charming way. Without a doubt, there are too many things that I highlight about this wonderful k-drama, which is worth watching, so I will mention a few:

- I loved the way the story is constructed, from the beginning it is intriguing and makes you want to continue watching chapters even if you need to sleep early, time traveling plot has caught my attention lately and I thought its execution was perfect in Twinkling Watermelon.
- I found the story very moving, it made me put myself in the shoes of all the characters, in the past and present. It made me cry so many times and also think about so many things, especially about my parents life.
- Each character is necessary and adds to the story, I loved the relationship of the boys in the band and I loved each one of them, seeing their interactions and how with the small intervention of Eun Gyeol they managed to build such a beautiful friendship and brotherhood made me want have friends like them.
- The comedy is so good and gives it a special touch. It made me laugh even when I had just cried because something touching had happened.
- I found the romance between the two couples cute, without being rushed and just how love arises in adolescence. (It also made me cry wishing someone loved me in such a way).
- YiChan's character is so cool, lovely, and funny and with Eun Gyeol, his dearly son, they make the perfect duo. I definitely love both of them.

I could go on saying many more things, but my final opinion is that this drama is very heart touching, with a well-constructed story, with characters very well created and executed by the actors exceptionally (I applaud the cast), and without a doubt with many lessons. In life there are many things that are out of our control and no matter how much we try to avoid them, they will happen, but we can always take advantage and overcome adversity, youth is a charming and very painful stage but those friends that we make genuinely and the family we created it can make it easier. I would recommend this drama without hesitation. I loved it from beginning to end and if I see her again I know I will feel the same. (Although I would have liked to see a little more of the new future and how things happened, especially Eunyu's future). No matter what, in my opinion it's a solid 10.

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THE BEST YOUTH DRAMA EVER!!!

This was definitely one of the best youth dramas I've watched. It made me laugh so hard, cry so much, warmed up my heart and brought me so much comfort. This had the best squad, family & the most precious couples!!

I loved the way they wrapped up the story. They showed how a person can make their life twinkle so brightly despite the hardships we face. With our passion, efforts & along with our loved ones we can overcome anything. This whole drama and the characters were such an inspiration.

I fell in love with every character and all the actors did an amazing job. The casting was literally PERFECTION!! Ryeoun did a flawless job as Ha Eungyeol, Hyunwook was the perfect casting for Yichan, he just made me fall hard for Yichan so bad, Eunsoo nailed the role of Cheongah & won over everyone even without talking at all, she did a great job portraying such a hard character & In Ah also did so well with acting 2 different characters though I felt like it could've been a bit better

The story did have flaws from here and there but regardless of that it was such an enjoyable drama. If you watch it without complicating it too much, anyone would definitely enjoy it because it just brings you so much joy. You can simply have fun watching it though the last eps were so painful and made me cry a whole river but the ending so good that it felt like all that pain was worth it ♡

DEFINITELY ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE DRAMAS!!!!

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THIS IS THE BEST DRAMA OF ALL TIME…AT LEAST FOR ME.

Twinkling Watermelon will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. A perfect blend of romance, comedy, and drama. One moment you’re laughing, then you’re bawling your eyes out a few minutes later, then you’ll find yourself smiling from ear to ear as you feel butterflies in your stomach. It’s very well written from start to finish—truly a masterpiece.

Saying that the cast did their job very well is an understatement like you’ll literally be blown out of your mind. All of them did a perfect portrayal of their characters especially the four main leads—Ryoeun, Seol In Ah, Choi Yun Wook, and Shin Eun Soo.

Ryoeun showcased his versatility in acting. He never failed to deliver, be it comedy, drama, or romance, he nailed them all. Seol In Ah’s character here might be frustrating to some as she was getting in the way of the CheongChan ship, but she did very well especially as her character was like an icebreaker to the 1995 time slip era. She really excels in romantic-comedy dramas. Choi Yun Wook’s acting here could catapult him to a rising star status, if not already. It’s like you’re feeling all his character’s emotions first-hand with his acting, especially in his tear-jerking scenes. Meanwhile, Shin Eun Soo might have the least screen time out of the main leads, but boy, oh boy, those facial expressions were the best. She roughly had no dialogues because her character was deaf and couldn’t speak properly, and all she had were voiceovers of her thoughts. But her eyes tell a thousand words. I think she is the most impressive in this drama.

This drama got me hooked from the first episode, and up until the very last second of the finale. For me, there were no dull or boring moments that you would want to skip. Not to mention all the cliffhangers every episode, it would only make you look forward to the next episode.

The romance here may be a slow burn but it made the story a whole lot more exciting for me as the moment when the leads were finally together, it was sweeter and more heartfelt.

The best parts for me were the endless banter of our Ahjumma-Ahjussi couple, the CheongChan sweet interactions, the Watermelon Sugar band friendship moments, and our Best Grandma scenes. Everything was perfect.

With regards to the ending, it kind of felt like it needed one more episode to explain some things but I guess that was how they wanted the drama to wrap up as they seemed to add an element of surprise for the ending scenes. They kept things to viewers’ creative imagination. Nevertheless, it didn’t make it less impressive for me. All I can say is that everyone should watch this god-tier drama and enjoy it as much as we did.

Story: 100/10
Acting/Cast: 200/10
Music: 100/10
Rewatch value: 100/10
Overall: 1000/10

Disclaimer: I'm a sucker for RomComs and my Top 10 were all that so I may be a bit biased here. So for non-romcom fans, take this with a grain of salt.

VIVA LA VIDA!!

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ALMOST perfect but too good not to have a 10/10

I really enjoyed this drama for many reasons. Whilst I think their portrayal of deaf people could have been better (e.g. usually deaf people still make sounds and especially someone that lost their hearing later in life could still speak on occasion) I do agree they went with the most respectful route. Had they tried to imitate the way deaf people speak, I feel that it may have come across as offensive as the actors are not actually deaf.

I also think the ending was rushed. I was excited when it was mentioned in ep 14 that they would be returning to 2023 soon becuase i thought that would mean we would get at least a full episode of when they're thrown back into their new timeline. But alas, we got maybe 20 minutes where they rushed going through how the world looks now. What I think could have made this new timeline so much more impactful is if they showed a little memory flash of Eun Gyeol's new memories from this new timeline so he knew what had changed.

The ending was just very open and I would have preferred for it to have come together more clearly.

That being said, this was amazing. The characters, their struggles, their relationships... It was so special and I cried a lot in the last ep. And because of that, I can't not give it a 10/10.

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I have a few doubts..

Starting off with saying, TV SHOWS CAN NEVER GET BETTER THAN TWINKLING WATERMELON ✨ ?
This show was like a breath of frest air, definitely added to the list of my top 5 favourite TV shows ever
We could have never gotten a better ending than this and i thank the actors, directors, writers for healing me <3

Now the reason I am writing this review is to ask something,
Wait did they explain where and why cheong ah's mother was sent away when she was a child and why this tutor was here in her place instead? Am I stupid?
Also, if now that eun gyeol had changed yi chan and cheong ah's future and now that they are rich, who did eungyeol learn the guitar from? And did eungyeol ever meet Mr Viva as a child in the changed future? Because they are rich in the new future, they would never have had to move into that shitty basement apartment and eungyeol would have never met the son of that landlady, and if he wasn't bullied by him, how did he meet Mr Viva and learn the guitar from him as a child??

They really did not explain so many things lol but I love the show anyway
VIVA LA VIDA!! LONG LIVE LIFE <33

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An amazing drama from first episode to last episode!

A Total Masterpiece!

I'm not describing the story cause I'm not good at writing review, just wanna share my feelings after finishing it.
I fell in love with Ryeoun after seeing his acting, he's so charming and I was already familiar with Choi Hyunwook and Shin Eunsoo so it's not a surprise for me that they were also perfect.
I'm happy with the ending but deep down inside I wish there was more of their interaction shown in the present. But A drama can't go on forever as I wish haha! ?❤️ Thanks to everyone who contributed in this drama and obviously the actors and actresses for their amazing acting!

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I WANT TO TWINKLE!!

its always choi hyun wook thats getting hurt and making men cry. AND THEN I CRY!! 

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA RAAAA RAAADJAKDJAKSJAKSKAMAJDKALDJAKDIALXJAJSKSXJKDAJK. this is what happiness as a women feels like!!! IM A GIRL AND IM HAPPY!!!! oh boy do i feel slow mo running on a beach!! there must be something laced in choi hyun wook dramas because every single one is MAGICAL BITCH THIS WAS TOOOO CUTE!!! started it when like 2 ep were out and have been keeping up every week and theres jusg something about watching a kdrama every week, keeping up with the cast, and guessing plot twist that jusg make me oh so so happy. and that mixed with the fact that this has gotta be one of the best dramas out this year. EEK! everything was such a ten out of ten. no bad ep, no boring charsacters, no drawn out plot lines, best cast ever like you cant find something as perfect as this. unfortunately  it would get to the point where i saved up episodes because i didnt want to have to go a week without it….and then i would somehow get spoiled BUT I DONT CARE!!!! 

thisll be one for the generations and if i ever have kids this will be there cocomelon. ive added the ost to spotify playlists. ive made the pinterest boards. bitch its even infultraded my wallpaper. i see eun gyeols smile in my dreams. i hear chung ahs voice AND SHE DOESNT EVEN SOEAK. ive lost it.

also bitch that last episode. constantly crying. i’m so tired after watching it was like 45 min of pure sadness and then all the sudden i was happy crying for the last 30. it wrapped up so so perfectly. and the parts of the “kid” actors coming back in KILLED ME BITCH. 

idk just might be the best thing ever idk idk idk im gonna go sleep for a very very long time i just cried my eyes out i’m so tired. 

also yoon cheong ah is such a cutie patootie like that’s gf right there!!!! and this made me have like a two week insane obsession with ryeoun….lots of pinterest searches were made. i’ve never ended my choi hyun wook obsession and let’s just say business proposal got watched many many times during the span of this thanks to seol in ah. idk just maybe the best cast ever!!!!!!! 

viva la vidaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????

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viva la vida !!?

let me tell you it was perfect . I’ve been here months before it’s started and hyped the comments up , since September 25th first episode I was hooked .
I can’t believe it’s over and now my Monday Tuesday will not be the same anymore .

I think it’s the best 2023 drama for me , the story was so touching you will get attached so fast . the story is so moving , fun to watch , the friendship , the music and the band , the father and son relationship the mother and son relationship , the parents loveeee story just beautiful in every aspect . the acting was AMAZING . all the leads did an incredible performance . all the characters were written so beautifully

ha yi Chan was definitely a favorite here , such a light sunshine character , you will smile without even notice . I wished by the end the accident didn’t happened but after the last episode I’ve realized it’s the best ending still . the last episode was incredible , the hospital scene between ha yi Chan and his grandma was heartbreaking I cried so hard . Choi hyun wook was amazing I can’t express the way I loved his acting and his character , he is just the perfect fit to play ha yi Chan .

YOON CHEONG AH I wished we’d had more scenes of her butt even with the screen time she got , she was one of the most interesting characters and powerful ones , I loved her deeply , I wanted her to be happy and at the end she got her happy ending and that’s what matters . her and ha yi Chan?????
eun soo and hyun wook chemistry oh my god .

now for eun gyeol , so many times that he made me cry I’ve lost count . ryeoun is an amazing actor I was speechless some scenes . eun gyeol never failed to amaze me , the way he didn’t give up and help his parents until the end . and at the end he really did make his parents life better and his own which made me the happiest .

and eun yu for sure made me mad sometimes like her mother at the start , but she’s such a fun character and she made me laugh so many times and her and eun gyeol ?????? I was so happy at the last scene of episode 16 I was so scared he will not meet her


another amazing drama had come to an end , I’m so so so happy I’ve watched this one , I’ll recommend this forever , one of my favorite dramas of all time , the bestttt time travel drama to exist .

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if you love someone, you will always find a way to communicate with them!

honestly at first i thought i had started this kdrama too late (bc i was busy and i was already almost half of the series when i started) but i literally eat every single episode in two days, and i found myself for one month patiently waiting for the next episodes. i'm so grateful for the only existence of this serie bc it made me feel happy for monday and tuesday coming!!
genuinely i don't know how to start, the story, the time travel, the cast, the couples, the music, I LOVE EVERYTHING
I love the way they introduce us to the main story, with this kid called eungyeol who lives all her young life focus on make his parents proud instead of worrying about the things he loves, bc his family for him was always his priority
The part when eungyeol and his father argue in 2023 in sign language was one of the most painful and beautiful scenes i have seen in my life, and after that, this kid "magically" travel to 1995 and meet the young version of his father, I LOVE IT?!
the first thought it came to my mind in the middle of watching the series was "i hope they don't victimize his parents by proving them right about what they believed was best for their child" but we (eungyeol and us as spectators) discovered together how painful was his past (yichan) with his own family, and how awful was life for his mom, cheongah, and why yichan particularly didn't like the world of music his son wanted for his own life, It was a reminder of everything he lost.
The series develops in a good and fluid way, making me more excited every week for a new episode.
But when they introduces eunyu as her mom, i was worried for my beloved couple cheongchan and how painful it must have been for cheongah to feel like she lost the chance to be with yichan because of her return, but after they made things clear with each other (and each couple), it was easier for me to love her character.
If I have to say something about a character it is about how much I loved the character of Cheongah (played by Shin Eunsoo), her construction, her story, the way she saw the world, I felt that she was a very sad and lonely person behind that mask, but I am very grateful that Yichan has appeared in her life (because her son is right, her smile is very beautiful)
I firmly believe that her character is one of the reasons why the public in general loved the story, as it was well described, narrated and interpreted, at all times it was seen how capable she was as a human being, and even if her hearing disability prevented her from doing some things (like when she tried to ask for help for Yichan and couldn't, and then she left because she couldn't do anything else (I cried a lot)), It wasn't an impediment to interacting with the rest of the world bc the problem WAS NEVER HER, on the contrary, it was how the world reduced her to her disability (especially in her own home and how they mistreated her for the same thing???), causing her to decide to isolate herself from the rest.
but finally, he met sekyung, who was the first one who had a nice interaction within the school, later it was yichan, whom he constantly met, and when he discovered that she was deaf, the first thing he did was LEARN TO COMMUNICATE WITH HER the way she needed, not what made him feel comfortable (because he could perfectly write everything on paper) HE LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE (yichan the fucking standard!) and finally, when his son discovered that she was his young mother, he did everything possible to open the way for her to communicate and relate to the world, something that was prevented for 12 years of her life :( a fact that allowed her to communicate with many more people, eunyu, the band's friends, among others, they always saw her as an equal, adapting to what she needed <3
I think Cheongah is a very complex character and I feel that they handled it very well with the tools they had, both in narrative and acting, I hope that next year they give ALL the awards to Shin Eunsoo for her wonderful performance, no one could have done it better than her (actually rooting for her winning best new actress at baeksang awards 2024).
yichan, my beloved yichan, i'm so grateful it was played by choi hyunwook (aka my baby), he did it so well, his character is so silly (in a good way) but he had his own story too, and i love how they tell us about it, and why he protected cheongah so much!
even if i thought the ending could have been better (in terms of explaining some things, give us some scenes and not deleting cheongchan scenes to us :)), i love it so much, HIS FAMILY DESERVED THAT ENDING
there's a lot of things i want to say about this serie but i think it's enough

if you really want to watch a good youth show with a funny, sad but hopeful storyline, you are going to learn a lot watching twinkling watermelon! i hope you enjoy it as much as i did, best kdrama of 2023 so far!!

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The time travel logic may be shaky, but you won't care

TL;DR at the end with no spoilers.

I actually started writing this review half a year ago. I don't like the idea of leaving it unfinished, but I've already forgotten too much about the show so what you'll read below is my attempt at piecing together whatever I can remember. Let's get into it.

Maybe it's just me, but each time I watch a show where time travel is a plot device I give up a little more on trying to make logical sense of it. Having time travel live up to our standards of how it should work just sends you into an endless pursuit of causality that may not even benefit the story. Don't get me wrong: if the point of the plot is to explore the internal logic of time travel, by all means go for it; I'm not advocating uncritical thinking or brushing off blatant plot holes. It's just...you know, sometimes you're better off not aiming for realism. Settling instead for convenient magic with just enough common sense sprinkled on top allows the writer to focus on the message. It may pain you if you like hard sci-fi like I do, but I'm willing to concede that people can very much enjoy a story that isn't 100% scientifically accurate. There's enough proof out there.

Why am I saying all this? Because I'm not rationally on board with the plot conveniences. Even the characters openly call out how arbitrary time travel is, both in the timing and in the way it works. If you think hard enough about how the events play out, the cracks in causality start to appear. However, attempting to patch them would only add unnecessary complexity while probably making the ending less satisfying. This show is trying to make you feel something, and to achieve that it has decided to make sacrifices. Now, I'd be upset if it wasted the chance, but the show is great at getting you invested in the main characters and how they evolve. The ultimate inevitability of the event the ML desperately tries to prevent with his actions in the past, though sad, wraps it up nicely for the sci-fi elitist in me. If my vague memories of watching this are anything to go by, I feel like I successfully brainwashed myself into enjoying this more.

On a related note, going back in time and changing the past meant that the ML didn't solve the problems he originally ran away from—his family being poor and his father not approving of his music career: he just wiped that timeline out of existence. I guess it's okay because the good guys ended up better off, but I just wanted to point that out.

To conclude this review, I'll mention the clinginess of the ML towards the younger version of his father. I get wanting to prevent an incident with irreversible consequences—his father becoming permanently deaf—but the constant overprotective nagging and imposing on him is kind of irritating at times. For me, anyway.

TL;DR:

Just go watch it if you like the premise. I binged it in three days.

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