Melancia Cintilante (2023)

It wasn't what I was hoping for

I guess I should be blaming myself for this, but after watching the first two episodes of Twinkling Watermelon, I was VERY interested in what could happen to Eun Gyeol after traveling back to 1995. The premise of the story also made me wonder how would the plot unfold, and what would be the overall message and the ending. My problem with this drama is that, unfortunately, even now that I'm done watching all the episodes I'm still wondering what were they supposed to be.

The beginning of the story introduces us to Eun Gyeol and his life as a CODA: the way he had to grow up and be mature at a young age, the responsibilities and burdens he felt on his shoulders throughout his childhood and his teenage years, and the way he felt guilty whenever he tried to actually live his youth.
As he went back in time, I thought to myself: "okay, so I guess that this time-travel will teach him to actually live his own life and stop looking after others and sacrificing himself for them, right?"

...except that Eun Gyeol does the exact opposite for the entire drama. He looks after his parents, works as hard as possible to fix their problems and make them happy, even puts himself in danger for their sake. The theme of living his own life and letting others live theirs is barely hinted at until the very last episode, where it's exposed like some sort of lecture rather than something Eun Gyeol has actually internalized and made his own. It also goes against the entire plot, because Eun Gyeol changed the lives of both his parents for the better, which actually ended up influencing the future of many people for the better as well. It felt more like Eun Gyeol was truly supposed to take care of his parents after all.

I also wondered if this time-travel was about him learning that his parents had to struggle in life, and that he wasn't the only one who had to suffer, but I really hope not because that would be a horrible theme. His life as a CODA and the struggles he had to face in his youth are not magically erased just because he finds out that Yi Chan and Cheong Ah suffered as well. Especially with the ending, I felt like Eun Gyeol's hardships were just swept under the rug and there was no actual communication between him and his family, which was truly a shame.

Something else that I couldn't understand at all was On Eun Yu's presence in the story. I might be biased here since I didn't like her character at all (and as much as I like Seol In Ah, I don't believe she was a good casting choice for a teenage character), but I seriously believe her presence was useless for the sake of the main plot. Even her "plan" didn't make any logic sense and felt like a huge waste of time. The screentime spent for her story could have been used to better explore Yi Chan and Cheong Ah's characters, or even better: it could have been used to create a more complete and satisfying ending. It really felt like the writers wanted to give Eun Gyeol a love interest at all costs, which was frustrating to see.

I can't say that I hated the story. It has a very interesting premise, most of the characters are loveable and it's a drama that makes one want to binge-watch everything in a day. I laughed, giggled, kicked my feet, got angry and cried with the characters, which is always great. There were multiple plot holes, but for the most part they were easy to ignore. I just had bigger expectations from it.

The production overall seemed good to me, but I wish they showed the characters better when they spoke in sign language, and I also wish they didn't use voice-overs whenever someone signed. The acting was also great, I especially loved Shin Eun Soo's performance as Yoon Cheong Ah and Choi Hyun Wook as Ha Yi Chan (and their moments together! So adorable!). The pacing is perfect in the first 10 episodes or so, then it started to feel a little draggy, but it wasn't too bad overall. The music is pretty good, I really liked the song choices for the different performances both in the past and in the present.

Overall I can say I had fun, so maybe give it a try for yourself! I can recommend it if you're looking for something that is both fun and tear-jerking.

Leia Mais

This is a charming drama that is better than its title implies. Choi Hyun Wook steals every scene he is in. He’s also a pretty good singer (assuming that was really him singing in the drama). The drama has a Back To the Future vibe to it and it doesn’t quite stick the landing but it comes close enough.

One thing I always wonder when I see dramas where the protagonist time travels to the past then returns to a changed present is what supposedly happens to all of the memories the protagonist had from his life before he time traveled. As a result of the changes he made noone else in his present life would have those same memories, right? And he would have no memory of his revised past.

I need to know in case I ever time travel.

Leia Mais

Too Many Flaws To Overlook

Before started watching I have the feeling that this drama is overrated, but I wanted to give it a chance because of the premise. Unfortunately, Twinkling Watermelon was not up to the expectation thanks to several issues that I will explain later.

Overall, this drama was a mix of "good visual, make-believe, cute moments" with "draggy, non important, filler moments".

With the long duration of each episode (to me 1 hour is long LOL), people tend to remember the former more than the latter, creating a wrong perception that it was a decent drama while it's actually not. Perhaps this drama could only be considered good after we remove all the unnecessary? Or maybe it will be good if the following issues can be handled better by the production team, and then only we can overlook the filler moments;

1. Failed to focus on small details
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This is the major issue in this drama. The writer was lazy to take care of the small details resulting in many afterthoughts writing "cover up". There were also some questionable illogical actions from the characters that felt unnatural throughout the drama. The representation of deaf people was more on the superficially dramatic side instead of the believable one.

2. Non consistency in main character
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The main character, Eun Gyeol sometimes was portrayed as smart, responsible, and genius. But at other times he was portrayed as plain stupid. Because of that we had to deal with unnecessarily TIRING misunderstanding between him and his teenage father, Yi Chan for like half of the duration of the drama in each episode. I understand the writer wanted to create the so called cute moments and pseudo bromance but it felt repetitive and too forceful (and tiring). His slow ability to read the clues left by Eun Yu was another example of his character stupidity, where the writer used this to drag out the plot to the max.

3. Disappointing music/band element
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The other major disappointment in Twinkling Watermelon is its music direction. Some may say this is not the main focus of the drama. But please remember that the whole thing start and end because of music. From the young Eun Gyeol learning the guitar until he joined SPINE9.

Firstly, they superficially made Eun Gyeol as the genius guitarist. However it wasn't clear what was his style of playing and what kind of music genre he was into. Showing some random guitar techniques and Canon Rock did not help.

Secondly, the whole band-forming arc in the 90's was a JOKE! They confused making a band with making a sport team, where you need to find the most powerful player...LOL. It would have been great if they could show what kind of music Yi Chan listened to, rather than randomly picked Nirvana but didn't show anything close to that genre/sound in the end.

Thirdly, the choices of music, sound, and styling for the band was not ROCK enough for a band that's formed in the 90's. Similarly the background music selection did not vibe the 90's. Considering good budget the Korean have for their drama it won't hurt paying royalty to appropriate western songs if needed.

Finally, the band members were shown as doing all sort of things except playing music. It was not until Ep10 that we see them play and practice together. Even so it was like magic that everyone could blend in so quickly and able to play like professional backup musician at one try.

4. Pseudo 90's portrayal
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I guess 90's era is one of the selling point of the drama but the writer and production failed to utilize it. I didn't get the nostalgic feeling even though I was there (not in Korea though LOL). Nothing portrayed in the drama was really a fair representation of the era except for maybe some posters and vinyl album covers at random places. The technology limitation did not play an important role to the plot at all. Instead, the writer chose to overuse PAGER as one size fits all solution for the writing, which is a bummer since it was not a must have device unlike smartphone of today.

5. Pacing
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Most people found this drama boring during the beginning right up to Ep4 before it turned into better. For me, Ep1 was okay but it started become draggy and overstretch right after that. Only the last 6 episodes were showing some progress, with the following breakdown:

Ep11 - Ep12: They show more of the band and its members in action
Ep13 - Ep14: They show more of the romance
Ep15 - Ep16: They show MC solve the mission and conclusion

Even though many found the ending rushed, I personally liked it because they didn't explain everything and left it for interpretation. It was an ideal ending for this kind of drama IMO, albeit typical and predictable. Or maybe I just wanted to finish the drama quickly IDK...LOL

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

I have so many emotions

I watched this show a while ago and after I finished it, I felt so empty because all the characters had grown on me so bad. I legit screamed when I saw one of the actors for a split second in another show.

Anyways. The plot is very easy to understand, but still intriquite with a lot of beautiful messages in it. I love the different types of characters you get to see, the different personalities and the different sceneries that other shows do not give you in the same way.

I also think all the romance in the show really felt true and not fabricated which I love because it can often feel very fake in kdramas.

The music! THE MUSIC! I friggin die for the music. The soundtrack can put me in a trance Istg. Like it's very thought through and fun when it needed to be. The music made the show much more lively and added a lot of emotion to the sadder scenes.

The show manages to be serious, sad, romantic and also friggin funny at the same time. I can't even count how many times I laughed during each episode because ir just felt like hanging out with your friends while watching.

I recommend very much! WATCH IT, Im holding you at gunpoint🫶

Leia Mais

Viva la Vida!

When this show was airing I did not watch it I just think that it might not be good. I am happy I did not watch this drama while it was airing it would be torture to wait on new eps. What I love about this drama was the 20th century theme as someone horned in the 21st century I loved it the music the friendship the characters had and what it taught me. Even though Eun Gyeol was not able to stop his father from becoming deaf he changed everyone’s life. This taught me that even though life is different from what we want it to be it is the people in it that makes it worth while. I loved the cast energy hope to see them again soon. Until then “Long live life!”. Viva la Vida, Watermelon Sugar!

Leia Mais

Viva la vida -- Long live life!

This Korean drama is at turns delightfully light and emotional. The music is superb. The actors are adorable. There are elements of coming-of-age, rom-com, and fantasy time travel. But, foremost, it embodies a celebration of life -- especially of aspects that are sweet and sparkly like the title, Twinkling Watermelon.

The emotional core involves the enduring dilemma faced by young people: whether to live a life that makes their heart beat or follow the lead of their parents. The main character Ha Eun-gyeol, a CODA (child of deaf adult) youth, grapples between following his passions and serving the needs of his family, when he is presented with an opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives by slipping back in time when his parents were his age. We're also presented with the question, would life really be better if the past changed to our liking?

As the story transpires, we see some of the joys and sparks of youth, its conflicts and uncertainties. It delves into teenage anxiety and mental health issues and the pressures from parents and society. The show also portrays beautiful friendships and loving, albeit sometimes misunderstood, family relationships. The deaf character portrayed by Shin Eun-soo is a gem. And Choi Hyun-wook is a master at capturing the spirit and zest of youth.

In a way, the show follows some of the winning formulae of other recent successes. As in the movie CODA, it peers into the lives of the deaf who face many challenges but lead meaningful lives. As in Someday or One Day, it makes you dream about rewriting the past, preventing accidents, and letting go of guilt and resentment. As in 2521 and the Reply series, it taps into 90s nostalgia, when times were simpler, when you had to run to a pay phone to answer urgent beeper messages and could drop by your friend's home anytime. So, in a way, it is not groundbreaking but a good story nonetheless.

If splitting hairs, the series is not without imperfections. Time travel presents logic problems. It's apparent from the proficiency of signing that the actors are not deaf themselves. And there is a reliance on common tropes to create obstacles for the characters. But I recommend you watch this for its emotional journey and uplifting message.

The main character's parents are deaf, but they are 'cheerful, healthy, and happy because they could communicate with their eyes, their hearts, and their hands.' We all have problems, but we can also grow, adapt, and have fun. The show promotes embracing music and loved ones: Seize the day, its joys and opportunities! ¡Viva la vida!

Leia Mais

Good time-travel drama in a while but

The story, cast , music everything was perfect until last episode, the ending felt too rushed, that many important points that connect past to present were missed.
I wanted to know how Eun gyeol life changed in terms of wealth and family relations, did Yi Chan and Chung Ah meet again in US, what about the story that was present before Eun Gyeol time travelled and they didn't show anything about Eun Yu's & Se Gyeong story. I think a special episode where all the missed story should be aired to answer most of my questions.
Overall the drama was pretty good. Had many emotional scenes that had me in tears, osts are also pretty good. Do give it a watch. The idols have also acted well memorising the sign language.

Leia Mais

love it!!?

I don't have any words left to describe how beautiful this drama is. Apart from the storyline, the production crew also made sure that the songs included in this drama were all amazing and meaningfully beautiful.
Hats off to the story writer and the fantastic production crew. Also, a big round of applause was given to the actors who portrayed their roles perfectly. While watching the drama, you can see and feel that the actors became one with their respective characters
I think that this was by far the best drama released in 2023!

I'll be waiting for season 2 desperately!
🥰I didn’t want it to finish; I wanted more. It's such a refreshing story. It's one of my favorite ones.

I'm just amazed by this perfect drama💫

Leia Mais

Loved it!

I decided to just check the show out, thinking that I would probably not watch it. Boy was I wrong. I was hooked in just the first half hour. The show is such a rollercoaster ride of emotions that I did not like waiting for episodes to come out. It was one of those shows I had to watch as soon a I knew a new episode was out.

The generally premise of the show seems so generic, time travel, but the execution is unique and heartwarming. So many in this genre are about going back to stop a murder. How many of those have we seen. But this one is different. At first there is no clear reason for the main character to have been sent back. He has to figure that one out himself. And I like how each thing he does seems to make things worse at first. I enjoyed the plot twists and added tension, as new goals were added. And I think the ending provided a very enjoyable solution.

I think all of the actors did a good job, but in my view, Choi Hyun Wook stole the show. Don't get me wrong, Ryeoun was very good too, but Choi Hyun Wook's energy and humor made me look forward to each of his scenes.

Give it a try! You will know very quickly if you are going to enjoy the show or not.

Leia Mais