[Drama 2023] Twinkling Watermelon, 반짝이는 워터멜론

[frozentundra]

I wish this show was getting more attention. It's one of the best of 2023. SO GOOD. Watch it!

[backstreetboysfan]

Here are ratings for Episode 16 *Last episode*! .

 

“Twinkling Watermelon” Ends On High Note As It Approaches Personal Best Rating For Finale

tvN’s “Twinkling Watermelon” has come to a shining close!

 

According to Nielsen Korea, the November 14 broadcast of the final episode of “Twinkling Watermelon” garnered an average nationwide viewership rating of 4.46 percent, approaching its personal best record of 4.69 percent achieved by the October 3 broadcast.

 

Starring Ryeoun, Choi Hyun Wook, Seol In Ah, and Shin Eun Soo, “Twinkling Watermelon” is a fantasy coming-of-age drama in which a CODA (child of deaf adult) student born with a gift for music accidentally travels back in time to 1995 through a suspicious music shop. There, he forms the band Watermelon Sugar with other mysterious youths.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1626512wpp/twinkling-watermelon-ends-on-high-note-as-it-approaches-personal-best-rating-for-finale

[larus]

tvN's Twinkling Watermelon maintains its streak of 3% ratings. The K-drama achieved 3.49% for episode 15, a slight decline from its previous episode's rating of 3.59%. Nevertheless, it remained the most-watched in its time slot. The K-drama now has its finale left to air. 

 

 

When and where to watch the K-drama Twinkling Watermelon?

Episode 16 of Twinkling Watermelon will air on November 14 (Tuesday). The K-drama is available to stream on Viki. 

 

https://mydramalist.com/article/the-matchmakers-hits-lowest-rating-evilive-concludes-with-decent-viewership

[larus]

Twinkling Watermelon: Episodes 15-16 (Final)

by Dramaddictally

It’s time to wave goodbye to 1995 and get back home to 2023. But tell that to our perfectionist hero. Time travel is easy; convincing him to go is not. Until justice is served and everyone’s fates have changed, he’ll sacrifice himself for his family — making me wonder just how much he’s learned on this journey.

 

EPISODES 15-16

 

My pleas for answered questions did not go through and I have more questions now than I did last week. But while I’m not the biggest fan of where the story went — or rather, where it didn’t go — these episodes are packed full of lovely moments.

We open with a flashback of Eun-ho and Eun-yoo at the hospital together in 2022. He’s recounting the story of Yi-chan’s accident back in 1995 and we learn what happened in the original timeline. Essentially, Hyun-yool (the ex-gang member/bassist) was the one injured by the falling stage lights during rehearsal and the band broke up after that. Yi-chan’s accident is entirely separate, when he’s hit by a drunk driver.

Then we jump back to where we left off last week with Eun-yoo telling Eun-gyeol the news that he didn’t actually save his dad yet. The real life-altering accident is going to happen tomorrow, so these two buddy up and make a plan to stop it. They realize that Yi-chan gets hit when he’s leaving Harabeoji’s music store. So, if he never goes there to show him his demo tape, he’ll never lose his hearing, right?

Wrong. What the drama has showed us more than once is that even when details change, certain big events have a way of correcting themselves toward the fated order. For example, Yoon Dong-jin is still going to be a famous rocker with Ma-joo as his manager, even though Eun-gyeol replaced him in the 1995 band. And we’re about to see that it’s the same for Yi-chan’s hearing loss.

 

But before their plan goes awry and the drama starts with the endless tugs at our tears, we get one of the most satisfying scenes of self-served justice that I can recall in recent history. Remember last week when Eun-gyeol rode in like a prince and rescued Chung-ah from her locked tower? Well, this week he rides in like a gangster and takes down the whole house.

 

It starts when he’s nabbed by some thugs that the chairwoman hired to ship him off somewhere. They force him to sign a confession that says he kidnapped Chung-ah, and it seems like they’ll get away with it until Chairman Yoon comes home. It’s clear the chairman knows about Chung-ah’s abuse and he’s on a rampage for evidence. Once he gets the key to the attic — which has been wallpapered to cover over twelve years of Chung-ah’s wall drawings — he tears the place apart.

When he discovers his daughter’s wall art (so recent there’s one of Watermelon Sugar), he decks the chairwoman across the face and fires the entire staff for keeping it a secret. Whoa. On one hand, it’s over the top, but on the other, I can’t feel bad for this lady after what we saw her do to Chung-ah.

Then comes our hero Eun-gyeol throwing open the living room doors and strutting through in slow motion. He faxed the chairman the info about Chung-ah, but that’s not all. He was rescued from the thugs by the family secretary — who now has evidence that the chairwoman was trying to do away with Eun-gyeol — and they have a slew of dirt on her from tax crimes to misappropriated funds. The chairman says she and her two kids are off the family registry and she’s fired too. Kapow! When Eun-gyeol says he’ll serve justice, the gloves comes off.

more https://www.dramabeans.com/2023/11/twinkling-watermelon-episodes-15-16-final/

 

 

 

[frozentundra]

Saw this on Facebook, from user Noona Chronicles, and it was too good not to share

 

Spoiler

Update on the SPINE9 guitarist scandal. Oh Ma Joo, Director of MJ Entertainment has confirmed that Ha Eungyeol is indeed dating cellist On Eunyu. In fact, they've been together since 1995.  

 

 

Original story: Dispatch reports a SPINE9 guitarist dating a cello player. The band's agency, MJ Entertainment, haven't responded to the rumor yet.

 

 

 

Direct link to post:

Spoiler

 https://www.facebook.com/NoonaChronicles/posts/pfbid02Tnst4QDA2SmZt4XvaFxQeoFXrrbDR9GNsJ93WQWKEyccDhS2TH1NXUWZ6zWGgQgHl?__cft__[0]=AZV_4jephPALcaGKrVyiuaKUBzH5puW4Qgz4tlVEcQ_yff8ID4KI9XuqV6ObA4p4wmHTzl9Ghjt2WWv7XET6iNsGmUvrzV3pujVbJ0Cglh4SixrZS6sYz23Y3bD7JvwIzEa56Ae5TqvWSzKNsC6Fk-VT1WK9nctgRUB3Hfbn2cBVEqZ6etoa9omXGqqdoHlpqlGBuTl24EEbB1r555O1pgju&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

 

 

[partyon]

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[larus]

“Twinkling Watermelon” Sweeps Viki Rankings Around The World

TV/Film

Nov 22, 2023

by S. Nam

 

“Twinkling Watermelon” continues to be a hit with viewers around the globe!

According to global OTT (over-the-top) platform Rakuten Viki, “Twinkling Watermelon” ranked No. 1 in viewership in 12 regions including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and more in the week the drama’s finale was released. Furthermore, “Twinkling Watermelon” charted in the top five in 64 countries.

Starring Ryeoun, Choi Hyun Wook, Seol In Ah, and Shin Eun Soo, “Twinkling Watermelon” is a fantasy coming-of-age drama in which a CODA (child of deaf adult) student born with a gift for music accidentally travels back in time to 1995 through a suspicious music shop. There, he forms the band Watermelon Sugar with other mysterious youths.

The drama recently ended on a high note, approaching its personal best rating for the finale and ranking high on the list for buzzworthy dramas.

Rakuten Viki is a global OTT platform that provides video streaming services for Asian dramas and films in more than 190 countries around the world.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1627856wpp/twinkling-watermelon-sweeps-viki-rankings-around-the-world

[ferily]

On 11/14/2023 at 5:02 PM, frozentundra said:

I wish this show was getting more attention. It's one of the best of 2023. SO GOOD. Watch it!

Agreed! So good 

[larus]

It was a very good show. I was attracted to the plot and I wanted to watch even if I'm not always/usually interested in youth dramas. I was curious who us the writer because I wanted to watch her future dramas. She wrote 4 dramas I watched and liked : Capital Scandal, Moon Embracing the Sun, Chicago Typewriter and  now Twinkling Watermelon. I definitely will watch writer Jin Soo Wan`s next project. I like her style of writing and I am sure I will like her drama.

[larus]

[2023 Year in Review] Side plots, supporting characters & spin-offs

by Unit

I’m somewhat of an Oliver Twist, so even after I spend 16 hours of my life on a drama, I sometimes still want more. But I’m not just pulling my greed out of nowhere. Some dramas are rich enough to have side plots that intrigue me enough to want to watch a fleshed-out version, while others are so bad that if they’d expounded on a portion of the plot and abandoned others, the drama would have been better for it.

 

Generally, I think a deeper insight or a fresh perspective on some of the side stories in dramas would be nice to explore — which leads me to my 2023 top six side plots that I’d totally watch a spin-off of. Although with dramaland’s track record of second seasons and spin-offs, I wonder if I’m jinxing these storylines by putting them out there…

 

CheongChan’s college life (Twinkling Watermelon)

When it comes to Twinkling Watermelon, there’s a clear separation of the timelines in my head. Adult Yi-chan and Cheong-ah are technically the same people as high school Yi-chan and Cheong-ah, but I see them as two different sets of individuals. And while I know marriage and kids were in their future, I think we deserved more moments with the young Cheongchan after they became canon.

I love the drama to pieces and there’s not much I can complain about. But I was a bit bummed that we didn’t get to see Yi-chan navigating his deafness, Cheong-ah as a support system for him, and both of them exploring college together. I see potential in the college arc because it was kinda like a thing in the drama already. When we met Yi-chan, he had no college plans. He only changed his mind towards the ending because of his grandmother and Eun-gyeol’s influence.

Then we saw from his resume in the changed present timeline that Yi-chan went to the same university as Cheong-ah. But last we saw of Cheong-ah in the past timeline, her dad said she wasn’t returning to Korea — and she didn’t even know that Yi-chan had lost his hearing. So now I wonder. How did she find out about his hearing loss? How did they end up going abroad together? What was their college life like? What was her dad’s reaction to all of this? So many questions that can only be answered by a spin-off — because this is not a story I want to piece together in my head as a theory, it’s something I want to see play out step by step.

 

 

https://www.dramabeans.com/2023/12/2023-year-in-review-side-plots-supporting-characters-spin-offs/

 

 

[2023 Year in Review] Serendipities of 2023

by mistyisles

“Life can’t always give you everything you want, but it sometimes hides small gifts here and there.”
–Twinkling Watermelon

If there’s one lesson K-dramas like to hammer in over and over, it’s to expect the unexpected. They just love to surprise us — but too often it seems those surprises are of the unwelcome variety. Like a serial killer invading your favorite fluffy rom-com. Or last-minute plot twists that overturn the show’s entire core message.

 

But in this post, I’ve decided to focus on the *positive* ways that dramaland surprised me this year. Because there are many reasons I keep coming back to K-dramas — even after an ending fizzles out here and a beloved character gets a personality transplant over there — and it’s not (only) for the eye candy!

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite surprises and discoveries from K-dramas in 2023.

 

Twinkling Watermelon

Twinkling Watermelon was an interesting show in that it was a lot of fun, but I consistently enjoyed it more when it was leaning emotional than when it was being funny. Part of that, I think, is that Eun-gyeol’s particular brand of fish-out-of-water didn’t quite land for me, but part of it was that the emotional storylines were just so good. I expected hijinks when Eun-gyeol traveled back in time to meet his parents as teenagers. But I didn’t expect to cry over him breaking Chung-ah out of her forced isolation.

And then there’s Yi-chan, whose character was lovable from the start but whose growth was even more lovely to watch. From the peculiar way he sometimes phrased his thoughts to the way he learned sign language for Chung-ah — even before he realized he liked her — he won my whole heart. If I was let down by the final episode, a big reason for that was because it robbed us of the chance to see more of Yi-chan’s growth and adjustment in the gap between past and (new) present.

 

https://www.dramabeans.com/2023/12/2023-year-in-review-serendipities-of-2023/

 

[larus]

How to Overcome a Drama Slump (2023 Version)

by Suzy, January 11, 2024

52 55

 

DRAMA SLUMP,  daunting term in the realm of drama-watching, signifies a phase where one struggles to engage with or complete dramas. While the rest of the world is busy watching dramas and discussing them, you would be left alone wondering what to do. 

I experienced this in the year 2022. I was not able to watch or finish any dramas, mostly due to the fact that I was really busy and also most of the dramas that came out that year didn't impress me. But 2023 was a good year where I was able to come back to dramaland and finish dramas, so I would like to recommend some top picks that might get you back into dramaland like they did me. I did also sprinkle in some tips that helped me overcome the slump.

 

4. Twinkling Watermelon

Tip: Watch dramas that are uplifting and/or on the funny side, they will lift your mood and help you get through your boring day.

One of my top K-dramas and my favorite one of 2023, this is must watch from this list. Eun Gyeol, a talented CODA high-school student with hearing-impaired parents, who time-travels to 1995 and encounters his young father, Ha Yi Chan.  What is the reason behind this? What is he meant to do in the past? That will be answered in the drama. 

 

 

This show isn't just a series—it's like going on a journey with the characters. While watching, I realized how beautiful  life can be if you hang in there. The acting is amazing, and the squad goals vibe is a standout. The OST is a gem—every actor can sing, showing the crew's dedication in choosing the perfect cast. The tunes are still stuck in my head. The plot might seem basic at first, but it turns into one of the most beautiful stories I've seen. Give it a shot after the first episode, and you'll see what I mean. Trust me, you're about to embark on a rollercoaster.

 

https://mydramalist.com/article/how-to-overcome-a-drama-slump-2023-version

[partyon]

@agenth @WeunXK @confusedheart I watched the 3 first episodes, and I am totally hooked! This drama has it all: humor, sweetness, warmth and deepness. I love the way the writer conveys the characters' stories. Am so curious to find out how Ha Eun Gyeol's parents met and fell in love. Am also super curious to learn about his parents' backgrounds and what made them into the people they are in 2023. His dad seems like he's quite different from what he used to be. His mom's character is also quite the opposite....

 

And I really want to know how Eun Gyeol will be able to realize his dreams and become the person he always really was.

 

The music is amazing too!

 

@kokodus It's a real shame you aren't watching this drama. Just from the first 3 episodes, I can tell that this is the type of drama that you will love.

[confusedheart]

NEW EVENT!

 

Guess the K-Drama!

 

Hello future/ budding Sherlocks and Poirots!  

 

Get ready to put on your thinking caps for we, the EO Team is back with a new event!  

 

Guess the K-dramas from their brief plot outlines and find out how well you know your K-dramas! Are you just one step away from being the next 'Walking K-Drama Encyclopedia! 

 

 

re: Your friendly neighbourhood EO Team

 

@confusedheart @partyon @agenth and @Sleepy Owl

[Tebbie kdrama Fan]

On 11/14/2023 at 5:02 PM, frozentundra said:

I wish this show was getting more attention. It's one of the best of 2023. SO GOOD. Watch it!

It’s really good

[partyon]

@Sleepy Owl @larus @joccu @frozentundra @ferily @agenth @kokodus

 

I finished Twinkling Watermelon, and I absolutely adored it. I'm so glad I only watched it now, because it would have been difficult to wait each week for the next episodes! As expected, the Kill Me Heal Me writer delivered. Her script writing skills are superb!

 

Some thoughts. @kokodus @Sleepy Owl @agenth DON'T READ UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED THE DRAMA - SPOILER

 

Spoiler

• My favorite couple was mom and dad. Every time they came on screen, I was squealing like a fan girl - lol - HOW CUTE WERE THEY!??!?!?
  
• The son-dad combo and their journey together was deep, both maturing and learning from each other. Learning how to understand each other and the art of communication - honestly, it was so enjoyable. Choi Hyun Wook and Ryeoun complemented each other so well, and it felt like we were actually watching a son and a young dad.
• The actress playing the mom (Shin Eun Soo) was great at emoting and able to convey Cheong Ah's feelings 100%. I swear I cried the most when she was on screen (both in sad and in happy scenes). Imagine what a difficult life Cheong Ah had lead with no support from anybody, not being able to communicate. Yet, here she was, resilient as heck and in the end, even dared to open her heart to Yi Chan and make friends.
  Who would have guessed one Eun Gyeol's tasks was to save her too. I was overjoyed that her father also realized his mistakes and tried to make amends.
• Poor grandma - I felt so bad for her in the last episode when she broke down by Yi Chan's hospital bed.
  
  I had really wanted to know how grandma got on after the accident, and if she was able to die peacefully. The drama didn't really give us an ending for halmeoni.
• I felt so bad that Yi Chan lost his hearing in the end, after all that Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu had done to prevent it. But I think the writer wanted to show that dad could still be happy after all, and that he had been able to overcome his pain and despair. Both him and Cheong Ah had a stronger, happier and more resilient and successful family and life after this. Being deaf didn't matter in the end.
• Overall, the acting in this drama was phenomenal - every actor delivered, young and old! The casting was just perfect (my only small gripe would be the Seol In Ah looked older than the rest of the leads, understandably so as she was up to 8 years older than the remaining leads - but I got used to it)
• I feel like the ending was a bit rushed. Some people (like grandma and grandpa and Cheong Ah's dad) should have gotten more screen time after Eun Gyeol went back.

 

This drama definitely has rewatch value! Despite me crying while watching EVERY single episode. I would have probably needed an IV at some point as I was just too dehydrated - lol.

 

@sweetroad @Lmangla I really really really really really really recommend this drama to you guys. Twinkling Watermelon and Weak Hero Class 1 are set to become new kdrama classics.

 

The common denominator? Choi Hyun Wook starred in both of them. This young man will go far, no doubt. He has the IT factor. A star has been born.

CTTO

[sweetroad]

22 minutes ago, partyon said:

I really really really really really really recommend this drama to you guys.

 

OK! Will put it on the list! What's it about again?

[partyon]

12 minutes ago, sweetroad said:

OK! Will put it on the list! What's it about again?

 

Here's the synopsis from Mydramalist, chingu:

 

In 2023, Eun Gyeol is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) high-school student, but he has a passion for music. During the day, he is a studious model pupil, but at night, he rocks out as a guitarist in a band.

 

But when he stumbles across a strange yet alluring music store, he goes hurtling back in time to 1995. Here, he comes face to face with his father, Ha Yi Chan – as a high schooler! Yi Chan takes Eun Gyeol for a lunatic when the latter calls him “dad”. Worse still, it looks like Yi Chan has a crush on an icy cellist named Se Kyeong – not his future mother, Cheong Ah!

 

In a bid to put things “right,” Eun Gyeol joins a band fronted by his future father. But will this be enough to help Eun Gyeol bring his future parents together... and will he ever get back to the 2020s?

 

 

Here's the trailer:

 

Available on Viki.

 

This drama is warm, funny, sad, deep, heartfelt, heartbreaking all at once. All characters are so interesting and the music is good!

[sweetroad]

On 6/11/2024 at 8:14 PM, partyon said:

ut when he stumbles across a strange yet alluring music store, he goes hurtling back in time to 1995. Here, he comes face to face with his father, Ha Yi Chan – as a high schooler! Yi Chan takes Eun Gyeol for a lunatic when the latter calls him “dad”. Worse still, it looks like Yi Chan has a crush on an icy cellist named Se Kyeong – not his future mother, Cheong Ah!

 

In a bid to put things “right,” Eun Gyeol joins a band fronted by his future father. But will this be enough to help Eun Gyeol bring his future parents together... and will he ever get back to the 2020s?

 

 

Interesting! Has a Back to the Future vibe, though BTTF doesn't have a deaf storyline. I gave up Viki a bit ago but I will ask for my friend's login info again.

[partyon]

43 minutes ago, sweetroad said:

Has a Back to the Future vibe,

 

When you watch it, make sure to keep your eyes out for the Back to the Future references. You'll see quite a few of them in the first half of the drama. hehe

 

 

[ferily]

@partyon I think the only con about this drama is the rushed ending, still loved the ending though! Glad you liked the drama because it’s definitely a 10/10 kdrama for me. Aside from the ending, anyone who tries to talk bad about Twinkling Watermelon, come fight me