Cute, fun, & interesting, but...
I definitely enjoyed this drama. It had me coming back for more all the way until the end. Unfortunately the ending itself felt rushed and incomplete. There was so much about the after that we didn't get to know about, and even the last moment was too quick imo.I really wish there had been more expansion into after the return and how everything that was left behind unfolded to become how it was when they made it back.
I liked how their connection was consistent the whole time, but it still felt somewhat incomplete and rushed etc. I think he deserved his own explanation in the "after" - and more about their family relationships with him!
Very enjoyable, but not without it's many many plot holes.
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Charming Characters with Frustrating Storyline
Recently, I have a bad experience with all these new dramas with an overwhelmingly positive reviews and ratings. So, I went on with the intention of changing my opinion on this one, but sadly, that didn't happen.I have watched enough dreams to distinguish what the writers main focus is on, which definitely not the story in this one. Their main focus was just to capture the attention of the audience by charming and endearing characters when they couldn't make up for the lose and boring storyline.
1st episode after the second one, it started to get boring. I get it that every drama has a boring phase but this one just didn't get better. Boring, dragging and remains always the same. Everything that happens seems like a straightforward continuation of what was previously established. When it comes to the characters they have a mindset of a 10yo. No one was willing to give up anything in order to get what they want and in the end there were no negative consequences , only the positive ones.
In conclusion mostly teenagers and new audience are the watchers for this show who calls everything they watch a masterpiece. Hope soon mature audiences will pick up the show and the ratings will got down a bit. The storyline remains unfinished in the end and the fate of several characters remains undecided.
Final Note: Don't trust MDL ratings and waste your time on this one there are many drama's better than this one.
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Encantadora pero poco arriesgada.
Absolutamente encantadora, con personajes que te atrapan y se ganan el cariño del publico, pero la historia se queda a medias, no parece tomar ningún riesgo y todo lo que ocurre parece un simple tramite de lo que ya estaba establecido, de igual manera se disfruta muchisimo, aunque por momentos se siente que se puede explotar algunos personajes que parecen interesantes y solamente divagan en lo superficial.El final me parece poco arriesgado, no hay consecuencias negativas, solo positivas, nadie sacrifica nada para obtener algo, y hay arcos que no se terminan por concluir. Pudo ser mejor pero se disfrutó muchisimo.
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Overall, good but not great. Long live the bromance and friendship!^^
Eun Gyeol is the only one who is hearing among his deaf family, he loves his family and has a passion & talent for music. One day he goes back in time to 1995 where he met his young father who is still hearing, so he wants to change the future. Will Eun Gyeol succeed and can he get back to the present?This drama was love at my first-sight until ep 6. The story within those episodes give me a lot of typical sweet kdrama moments that first got me like first-watching kdramas. I appreciate the heartwarming family, as they have been underrepresented in recent dramas. Each character is given a strong personality that make me root for them. All-round very very good acting! Their expressions seep off of the screen and pulled my heartstring instantly. The young cast, they are so cute and perfect together. Also the emotional moments are so heartbreaking, I could cry any moment thinking about them. Everyone so good in doing sign languages, but my favorite is Bong Jae Hyun who plays the brother, the way he’s doing sign language is so cute especially when he’s angry XD
The film-editing is on-point: the band, the musical world in Eun Gyeol perspective and such... all fit perfectly with the context. The music is nostalgic and few gives 80's vibes. Storyline is easy to follow but the plot is not-so-simple; different threads and relationships are going on without them being confusing. Honestly, I didn’t know this is a timeslip show until I reached ep 2. What can be either a con or a pro, depending on your own taste, is the drama constantly being very plot-driven, that a lot of things are happening around characters and they don't have enough chances to drive the plot through their decisions.
…this part has spoilers:
So after ep 6, it fell a little flat. Even though there's no slump, the concept of wanting to change the future feels out-of-the-blue, they don’t say anything convincing that take me to be on board with this mission. How much time pass in present day while being in the past is not clear as well. They spent many episodes on lovey-dovey moments, which was sweet, but not as impactful. However, I really like how they develop Chung Ah’s character, that part makes me want to learn sign language now...
Also, the foreshadowing incident that is discussed throughout the drama is teased to our faces with a typical high-school trope, which is serviceable, but doesn’t sit very well with me personally, especially due to what really happened to close this incident arc has nothing to do with this. Another thing I was hoping to see is the conflict resolution between Eun Gyeol and present-day father in the early episodes about schooling vs music… I was curious how they handled this and we get practically nothing, so I'm a bit salty on that. The ending is good but also not explainable, it sooths our souls with happy moments but it could have been a lot more interesting had it be a bit more consistent with the premise.
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Light and Shadow
“An artist should recognize a metaphor” a character tells the show’s protagonist towards the end. And like Jin Soo Wan’s earlier shows, this one uses metaphor (in this case the trope of time travel) to explore how pain can become the garden in which art and joy grow, how parents can fail and save their children, and how it is not luck or fame or fortune but love that keeps us rooted in this broken world.Most shows hesitate to mix comedy with serious themes, as if by merging the two, they’ll either destroy the lightness of the former or dilute the gravitas of the latter. Twinkling Watermelon explores child abuse, neglect, suicidal ideation, and discrimination against the deaf community, but it does so amidst a candy-colored swirl of music and unbridled teen exuberance. Its characters face real trauma, but they also laugh and flirt and rock out with their friends and wear their hearts on their sleeves for all to see. There are few dramas as unapologetic in their delight as this one, and even when plot points get messy or a random gang of thugs appears, the show’s warmth never falters. And in the end, it suggests that’s what truly matters both in art and life.
So to judge it by this criteria, does this show spark joy? Yes. So, so much. And its happy moments shine all the brighter for being set against the darkness.
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This review may contain spoilers
WATERMELON SUGAR!!! ?✨
Ah, I’m sad I finished this show… The characters were so fun, to see the band practices and the friendship tighten throughout the show was just so ???. Eun Gyeol’s unconditional love for his parents and how he tried so hard to make their lives brighter?. Personally, I think they focused too long on Yi Chan’s crush on “Se Kyeong” (even though eventually they strangely made it seem like he knew for a while that “Se Kyeong” actually liked Eun Gyeol – I wished we would have gotten more of Yi Chan and Cheong Ah). I also think that Eun Yu and Eun Gyeol should have found out about each other’s identities a little earlier. But overall, this show made me cry, laugh and was a lot of fun?.Was this review helpful to you?
Across the board, outstanding!
Time travel that works?Amazing music?
Brilliant cast?
Amazing story?
Great Humour?
Life lessons?
Not all in one drama at the same time, right? Yep!
Bottom line, ya just need to watch it, brilliant.
OK, Mr/Miss/Mrs Sceptic who is still here, why...
First up - time travel stories are hard to do well and this one nails it. It doesn't go overboard, and its respectful of the timeline. Is it perfect? No, because it's never going to be - time travel doesn't exist right? - but it feels right and not over done.
There's some great humour here, a towards the start (and a little again at the end) there's these fun little riffs on the Back to the Future sound track and some familiar facial expressions and reactions from Eun Gyeol that you might recognise from it too. But - true to everything else, they don't overdo it. Get it out of the way, have a quiet chuckle with the audience, and move on. This isn't back to the future, it has its own story to tell (probably a more meaningful one, if we're honest here - and I'm a BTTF fan).
The cast are utterly brilliant in every respect, different characters portrayed really well. I loved the deaf angle on this one, it makes it stand out - who'd have thought to make a heavily musical story, about musicians, and then make key characters deaf? Takes a bold team, and Jin Soo Wan (writer) and Son Jung Hyun (director) pulled it off.
The music, throughout, is fantastic. I'll be getting some of these on my spotify play list as soon as possible. Fun, upbeat, something to sway to.
Broadly, the main character is the only hearing-able person in his household and this weighs on him constantly, his passion is music but he's afraid to share it because it's something the others can't do themselves so it feels selfish. After his dad discovers him performing in a band and careless heated words are spoken in both directions, the main character finds himself wandering into a music store to sell is beloved guitar and give up on his dreams. The owner of the store takes the guitar and after they talk for a while, the main character leaves - and finds himself back in 1995, where he soon meets up with his younger father - who can hear just fine.
OK back to the waffle / gushing...
I really enjoyed the storyline elements involving Cheong-ah (main characters mother) and the journey that, in particular, her father took. There's a moment where the main character says to him something like "I really want you to see your daughter smile, she has the most beautiful smile" and later when he does see it, it pays off big time, Kim Tae Woo who plays her father nails the scene perfectly.
Our two main characters learn and grow through this journey in different ways, they each get different things out of this but they get what they need to put themselves back on the right track.
Enjoy it, the title is wacky, the drama is a bit wacky, the characters are completely wacky, the music is fabulous and the end result is one of the most fun dramas of the year in my view.
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A Time-Traveling Melody of Love and Nostalgia
oh my! "Twinkling Watermelon" is a time-travel love story that hit me right in the feels. Picture this: Eun Gyeol, a high school whiz by day and a guitar-wielding maestro by night, accidentally stumbles into a 90s time warp. Yes, you heard me right, time travel!Now, this isn't your average time-travel tale. It's a heartwarming blend of laughs, romance, and music. Eun Gyeol's meet-up with his young dad, Yi Chan, is like a comedy goldmine. Imagine trying to play matchmaker for your own parents while your future dad thinks you're a lunatic. Hilarious, right? But the twist? Yi Chan ends up falling for a cellist, not Eun Gyeol's future mom. Talk about turning the love story playbook upside down!
Let's talk tunes. Oh, the music! It's not just a soundtrack; it's a time-traveling jukebox of 90s hits and soul-soothing originals. Eun Gyeol rocks out with his dad's band, trying to play cupid through melodies. It's like a musical journey that transports you to the good old days.
The characters are the cherry on top. Eun Gyeol's struggle to keep his parents' love on track while navigating the awkwardness of time travel? It's relatable, and you can't help but root for the guy. The band members add spice to the mix, making you wish you had a gang like that in your own life.
Well, the pacing hits a few bumps, and some story bits could use a little more TLC. But who cares when you're swept up in a whirlwind of laughter, romance, and sweet tunes? This series hooked me with its charm and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
"Twinkling Watermelon" isn't just a show; it's a time-traveling symphony that'll make you laugh, cry, and maybe even dance a little. It's a sweet escape into nostalgia, exploring the messy business of changing destiny. Trust me, you're in for a treat – a watermelon-flavored treat that'll leave you smiling and maybe a little teary-eyed. ??❤️
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Viva La Vida..Just the Perfect Ending.
Just watched the last episode. Its a perfect ending for me.I thought its a sad ending lol based on episode 15. So happy it lives up to its hype.Easily one of the best kdrama of 2023.Definitely worth a rewatch.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Was this review helpful to you?
Refreshing like a watermelon
I have no words to express how much I loved this drama. This was like a breath of fresh air for me. The characters are well-written, and the story is so emotional and enjoyable and has so many lessons and emotions carved into it. At the beginning of the last episode, I was destroyed emotionally and cried a lot, but the ending made me so happy T^T.My only complaint, and also the reason I don't give this drama a 10, is that I would have liked to see more of their lives in the future, both Eun Gyeol with his family and Eun Yu with her mom. Also, Eun Gyeol and his father playing the song they wrote together would have been nice.
This is my first time doing a review, and I'm glad it's about this story. I'm so grateful to have watched such a great drama. It was just perfect. I'll miss them so much T^T.
Twinkling watermelon will always have a special place in my heart.♡
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This review may contain spoilers
"Maybe a little more to the ending?"
"Twinkling Watermelon" started as a time-filler, but it ended up tugging at my heart. Viva teaching Eun Yul guitar was sweet, and the drama between the father and son had me on edge. The "Master" twist and the 19s lifestyle kept things interesting. Ha Yi Chan's romantic story was a highlight.But, man, the feels hit hard when Eun Yul couldn't dodge the accident, and Yi Chan lost his hearing. Why didn't they spill the tea on Choi Se Keoung and her dad's story? Yoon Cheung Ah's happy ending was a win, but I needed more deets in the finale. Overall, emotional ride, but give me a fuller ending, please!
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A Refreshing Delight: Twinkling Watermelon Review
Twinkling Watermelon, the latest drama to hit screens in 2023, is a true gem that offers a refreshing and delightful viewing experience. The combination of a well-crafted dialogue, a compelling plot, and an exceptional portrayal of deaf characters sets this drama apart from the rest.One of the standout features of Twinkling Watermelon is the commendable representation of deaf characters. The depth and authenticity brought to these characters showcase not only the dedication of the actors but also the nuanced understanding of the writer and director. It's truly incredible to witness a drama that goes beyond the surface, capturing the essence of deaf culture with respect and accuracy.
The characters in Twinkling Watermelon are undeniably the heart of the drama. The chemistry among the cast members is palpable, creating a genuine and engaging atmosphere. Shin Eunsoo and Ryeoun's performances deserve special mention, as their acting prowess shines through, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. The cast as a whole delivers a fantastic performance, contributing to the overall success of the drama.
The music in Twinkling Watermelon deserves its own applause. The soundtrack complements the narrative beautifully, with each song leaving a lasting impact. The carefully chosen tracks not only enhance the emotional depth of the scenes but also succeed in creating a memorable musical backdrop for the entire drama. The incorporation of music adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the viewing experience.
However, no drama is without its flaws, and in the case of Twinkling Watermelon, the only drawback seems to be the ending, which some might find a bit rushed. While the overall pacing of the drama is well-maintained, a more gradual conclusion could have allowed for a more satisfying resolution. Nevertheless, this minor hiccup does little to diminish the overall quality of the drama.
In conclusion, Twinkling Watermelon is a standout drama of 2023 that effortlessly weaves together a compelling plot, well-developed characters, and a stellar musical score. The respectful portrayal of deaf characters sets a commendable standard for representation in the entertainment industry. Despite a slightly hurried ending, the drama remains a must-watch for its engaging storyline and exceptional performances. Twinkling Watermelon is, without a doubt, a delightful addition to the world of Korean dramas.
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