I was so invested in the Korean drama Twinkling Watermelon that I felt trepidation in all the episodes in the later half of the series as I was worried whether Yi Chan would go deaf or not.
Twinkling Watermelon doesn't boast a star-studded cast however it is a gem of a drama that has themes of friendship, dreams, romance, kinship and the overcoming of hardships that leaves me with warm fuzzy feelings after completing it.
Doesn't just seeing the group photo make you feel young?
Helmed by Ryeoun, Choi Hyun Wook, Seol In Ah and Shin Eun Soo, Twinkling Watermelon is about a talented musician Ha Eun Gyeol who fell out with his father after he was discovered to play in a band instead of focusing on his studies to become a doctor. Born to deaf parents, Ha Eun Gyeol has always felt burdened by the responsibility of being the voice for his deaf family members. One day he time slips back in time and formed a band with his father's younger self who was not deaf then. He tries all he can to prevent his father from becoming deaf and goes about playing cupid for his future mum and dad to change the future.
A Great Male Lead Who Makes You Root For Him
I have no idea who Choi Hyun Wook was before starting the drama and I wasn't really charmed by his character Ha Yi Chan (Ha Eun Gyeol's father) initially as he seemed quite silly, immature and frivolous. However his character really grew on me and I really enjoyed Choi Hyun Wook's portrayal of him as he made this role believable and natural.
In the end, I was really fond of this kind-hearted guy who is always friendly and sincere to others in spite of his bumbling silly exterior. As such it was really nerve-wrecking for me as I kept wondering if his son would be able to succeed in preventing him from going deaf especially after I saw his talent in music. It is just so heartbreaking that a talented musician would end up going deaf and mute when he did nothing to deserve this.
On a side note, Choi Hyun Wook's looks reminded me of Park Seo Jun and I see great potential in him.
A Heartwarming Drama About Friendships and Romance
I feel that the characterization in Twinkling Watermelon is done well and I grew fond of all the characters in the drama. Twinkling Watermelon is a really nice watch in the sense that it made me believe in the good in people and miss the pure friendships in school days.
In fact I feel that I can't go back to watching my favorite genre of revenge-themed heavy dramas for a while after such a positive healing drama. I agree with the dream of having a "twinkling" youth as wished by Yi Chan in Twinkling Watermelon, and it made me also nostalgic about my youth which doesn't seem so "twinkling" in comparison.
I also really enjoyed the interactions and chemistry between the father and son duo. It is quite touching to see a reciprocal friendship and love between Ha Eun Gyeol and Ha Yi Chan, especially since Ha Yi Chan is not aware that this "new friend" of his is in fact his future son who naturally love and wants the best for him. It was especially touching when Yi Chan, who has never known a father's love, confessed that Eun Gyeol's care for him made him feel that this might be what it is like to be loved by a father.
Not the Most Perfect EnDing BUt the Most Befitting One
*Spoilers ahead*
After my incessant worrying and praying, Ha Eun Gyeol still did not manage to change the fate of his father's deafness as Ha Yi Chan got hit by a car when pushing him out of harm's way. As such, Twinkling Watermelon did not get the "perfect ending" I was desperately hoping for.
Yet, it was a really befitting and even more empowering ending because in the new rewritten history, Ha Yi Chan managed to bounce back from the deaf setback and still grew to become a confident man doing a music-related job as the management of a guitar company. This is already a big improvement from his original life where he grew despondent about his deafness, avoided his friends, and could only boost his self-esteem with a trophy son.
All in all, I really recommend Twinkling Watermelon if you are in the mood for some positive good vibes. It is a little slower in the first few episodes as it is still setting up the stage and introducing the characters, however the time travel storyline really wrap up all the loose ends well. Also all characters are written well and beautifully acted by the young actors.
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