I’m sure I won’t say anything that hasn’t already been said, but I had a blast watching Twinkling Watermelon. Between this show and Weak Hero Class, Choi Hyun-wook has become a must-watch actor for me and I think his character is the highlight of this show.

The time travel plot is nothing new, but what really made this show work were the characters. Eun-gyeol is possibly the least chill time traveller there has ever been but it was hilarious to just see him calling other high schoolers mom and dad immediately. His dynamic with both of his young parents was so good. The relationship between his young parents was my favorite part and I wanted so many more scenes of young Yi-Chan and Chung-ah. The friendships between all of the characters were so much fun and I loved the nineties setting.

This drama almost made it into my top five ranking, but I did have some issues with the plot. The first couple of episodes were hard for me to get into and I think all the scenes taking place in 2023 just were so much less interesting than the ones in the past. While the adult versions of his parents were fine, they were not the beloved young versions that we got from the past. Especially for his dad, I think it was very hard to see him as the same person as young Yi-Chan, even after everything he had been through. The pacing also felt pretty off, with a lot of the mysteries or secrets being drawn out really far and then the show not really having time to resolve them effectively. The show could’ve either tried to make some of the plot points less drawn out or it could’ve used a couple extra episodes. The last episode felt way too rushed as the show tried to wrap up all of the loose ends.

The characters in Twinkling Watermelon became so dear to me by the end of the show that it really did make up for most of my issues with the plot. The show is worth watching for Choi Hyun-wook’s performance alone.

Leia Mais

Fangirling Over Ryan Gold

I had gotten very tired of hyped rom-coms that had leads in their late twenties or thirties acting like teens and dead fish kissing scenes. I heard this was a more mature romance and I was not disappointed.
Park Min-Young seems to have amazing chemistry with every actor she’s paired with, but her chemistry with Kim Jae-wook was really next level. The chemistry between the two of them paired with a fake dating trope? Forget it, I’m in.
The absolute main reason to watch this show is because of the male lead, Ryan Gold. Ryan was such a green flag and he was written in a way that went against so many drama stereotypes. There were many times where I expected him to get angry about a situation, and if it had been any other kdrama, it would have led to a miscommunication that lasted multiple episodes and probably also an unnecessary breakup. Instead, Ryan and Deok-mi communicated so beautifully with each other. The fights they did have were portrayed in such a healthy way and ended with them laughing and/or kissing. I think miscommunication is such an overplayed and boring trope a lot of the time and I loved seeing this show do things so differently.
I loved Kim Jae-wook’s portrayal as Ryan. He was so attractive and I loved that from the very beginning he was protective of Deok-mi, even if he had a completely wrong read of the situation. The way he was delighted by her fangirling and impressed by pretty much everything about her was so cute. The real first kiss scene was one of the best I have seen and they had many others that were just as good! I loved that the main couple was so playful and affectionate. I think the show did a great job portraying a realistic relationship for people in their thirties.
I think Shi-Ahn was actually adorable. I saw the twist coming, but I do wish that they had built it up a little better.
This show was well on its way to being in my top ten based on the main couple, but I did end up having a couple of gripes with it. I think basically everything with Eun-gi was poorly done. I hate a love triangle where one person has just no shot but tries to force it anyway. I think it was weird that he had those feelings in the first place, but I think that he definitely should’ve kept them to himself. I did really appreciate how unbothered Ryan was by their relationship and fully trusted Deok-mi, but I just think that whole plot was not needed. The big reveal at the end of what had happened to Ryan and his connection to Deok-mi was also a major weak spot in the series. It didn’t make much sense and also added a layer of drama and mystery that this show really didn’t need. The show also really took it easy on some of the darker aspects of fan culture. Deok-mi being so understanding of the people who stalked, assaulted, and doxxed her felt really unrealistic.
All that being said, I had so much fun with this drama. The leads had me giggling and kicking my feet. I want to see Kim Jae-wook in more rom coms for sure.

Leia Mais