An absolute must watch for everyone, everywhere.

정신병동에도 아침이와요.

Wow. One word, no, actually two, no actually four: pure, but raw healing.

That's how I summarise this drama. The directors and writers knew exactly how delicate the subject they were dealing with was, and I am in absolute awe of the gentleness with which they broached the oh so vast, but oh so fragile concept - mental illness.

This drama is a journey, and the concept of transitioning a third-person experience to the first-person, using the most common of the illness' forms (depression), was an absolute master stroke. We're watching as an outsider one moment, and suddenly, we're facing our own demons.

I'm not going to go in too much depth around the plot line; as you can tell it's the content that's the winner here - but can I just say that this was again one of the gems that was perfectly paced (a rare item these days in k-drama world).

The drama questions all the aspects of this topic that not everyone wants to talk about, the bad, the ugly, and the worst: the stigma around mental illness and how it's bloody real.

It makes us question our own well-being and makes watching the drama therapeutic in its own way. We were hit hard by the moments that are intense, and we soften during the moments that are vulnerable. I haven't watched a lot of dramas dealing with the topic, but this is one of the (I imagine) select few that actually explores the impact of mental illness on all around it: the patients, the givers, the families and the fact that we may tip into any of these categories at any given point of time without warning.

All in all, every element of this drama was perfectly measured: the despair, the relief, the anguish, the love, the hate, the acknowledgement, and the acceptance. The end of the series doesn't leave you with any over-measured emotions because it acknowledges that were all standing on some sort of border in life and, in consequence, the ending leaves us with a sense of calm.

The only missing piece for me was an OST, so the avid watcher for me is giving this one a 9.5. Otherwise, if OSTs weren't a thing, this series was nothing short of a 10.

An absolute must watch for everyone, everywhere.

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A timeless masterpiece that transcends time

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TLDR: stop reading this and go watch, now.

Oh My goodness, this series has left me absolutely speechless and how.

I honestly don't think I can form the words to explain how much I loved this drama, but I will try because I am so glad that I gave it a chance. Each character was written exceptionally, and every actor did full justice to the assignment they received.

But the absolute stars of the show are without any doubts Ryeoun and Choi Hyun Wook, who play Eun Gyeol and Lee Chan as though that's who they actually are. I definitely was looking forward to see Choi Hyun-Wook's work after 25-21, but this kid has outdone himself. His character was so lovable and admirable in being enduring, charming, mature and youthful all at the same time! This was the first time I've seen any of Ryeoun's work and I am impressed. He was the worshipping son of Lee Chan through and through, who only wants the best for his mum and dad, and rightfully so.

What amazed me the most, though, was how three young characters still managed to strike off a parent and child chemistry?!?! It was probably a combination of marvel acting and character descriptions written with absolute perfection.

It very rarely happens that a drama doesn't have a single dull moment, and this show was one of those epic gems. I did not lose grip of the story for a single second. The actual premise of the plot is probably what did it for me - it was so beautiful: children often lose perspective of the fact that their parents were young once too and had their own hopes and dreams. The ability for us to see that perspective through the eyes of a child in this drama is beyond astounding.

The musical backdrop of the show only adds to the beauty and charm of it, and this one has made it to my all time favourite dramas up there with the likes of Reply 1988 and My beloved summer.

What left me gobsmacked about the drama was that it left us with the same desperation as Eun Gyeol to turn everything right for his parents, and I'd be surprised if there was a single person who didn't shed a shed a tear at the end of episode 15 - I was absolutely devastated 💔

But at the end of the day the narrative tied back to the reality that it often isn't the big things in life that change the course of our path, but rather the smallest of things that can completely alter our tracks.

This show will forever have a high rewatch value for me: with characters you will fall in love with, an OST that translates all emotions felt throughout the story into melody eloquently, and a plot that will leave you as immersed as the characters on screen, Twinkling Watermelon is without a doubt, a solid 10 for me. ✨️🫰🏼🍉💙

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