Ahhh, I can’t even begin to describe how much I’ve fallen in love with this drama. This was one of those shows I kept putting off for ages, but once you get past the first episode, it’s so worth it.
A heartfelt slice-of-life story with time travel and romance – you definitely won’t regret watching it.
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What is Twinkling Watermelon about?
Twinkling Watermelon aired back in 2023 and follows the lives of four 18-year-olds.
Our main character is Ha Eun-gyeol, a musically gifted high school student and the son of deaf parents (a CODA – Child of Deaf Adults). One day, he mysteriously travels back to 1995, where he meets his father, Ha Yi-chan, who is now the same age as him, and tries to prevent the accident that causes him to lose his hearing.
As a young boy, Eun-Gyeol didn’t have many friends in school, but he cherishes his family very much – his parents and his brother. His dad has been overly protective of him – including almost sacrificing himself in a dangerous situation to protect him.
Eun-gyeol eventually discovers his passion for playing the guitar, thanks to his mentor, Choi Hyun (also known as Grandpa Viva), whom he one day befriended.
But his life isn’t easy.
He carries guilt, knowing that his parents can’t hear the music he loves so much. He often feels like a “trophy child” to his father, whose life has turned out less than ideal.
When Eun-Gyeol joins an up-and-coming band called Spine9, it leads to tension between him and his father and a fiery confrontation that changes both their lives.
Elsewhere in Eun-Gyeol’s life, he has an older brother named Eun-ho, who is deaf and dreams of becoming a national Paralympic taekwondo athlete. He’s strong, determined, and has a loving relationship with his girlfriend, On Eun-yoo, a talented but troubled cellist.
When he travels back in time, the teenager is surprised by two things: that his dad is in a band and that his first love wasn’t his mother.
All about On Eun-yoo
On Eun-yoo is the daughter of Choi Se-kyung, a famous cellist who forces her to follow the same path.
Resentful of her mother’s controlling nature and drinking problem, and devastated by her parents’ divorce, Eun-yoo yearns to change her fate. When she learns that her father has remarried, she time-slips to 1995 to meet her mother’s first love – hoping to rewrite the past and, in doing so, erase her own pain.
The cast of Twinkling Watermelon includes Ryeoun, who plays Ha Eun-gyeol; Choi Hyun-wook portrays Ha Yi-chan; Seol In-ah plays Choi Se-kyung; and Shin Eun-soo portrays Yoon Chung-ah, a deaf girl who later becomes Eun-gyeol’s mother.
The plot
I’m a huge fan of anything with a time-traveling concept, whether in film or TV shows. I find it so thrilling, and you can never really predict what will go wrong along the way – despite sometimes being able to guess the ending. I felt like it was a love letter to Back to the Future and Lovely Runner. There were so many times that I felt like I was having mini heart attacks when something was about to go wrong, or even when things were going right, because you can’t anticipate anything. Also, the plot twists in this drama were incredible.
Characters
This is a show that, for the first time, I actually enjoyed watching all the characters and didn’t get annoyed. Eun-Gyeol is smart, caring, and wise beyond his years; his brother Eun-ho is encouraging and kind-hearted; a young Ha Yi-chan is the type of person who can make anyone’s day ten times better; while On Eun-yoo eventually grows on you – no longer the bratty girl she was at the beginning, but someone who has led a complicated life filled with self-hatred.
Even Yi-Chan’s friendship group was the best. The way they were also so welcoming to Eun-Gyeol, despite not knowing much about him. And I found it all so adorable that they learnt sign language to communicate with Chung-ah after she momentarily joined their band to help with their promotional materials.
The Friendships
You can’t even get me started on the friendships in Twinkling Watermelon. These are the kind of friends who will always be there for you, lifting you up during your lowest moments and celebrating with you during your highs. The way the series portrays their loyalty, support, and genuine care for one another makes the friendships feel incredibly real and heartfelt.
Final Thoughts
I couldn’t help but become emotional during several scenes in Twinkling Watermelon.
What really hit me about this series was how beautifully it showcased the sacrifices people make for the ones they love, and the true importance of family – especially when that love comes from a place of genuine care. The bond between parents and children here isn’t perfect, but it’s the kind of love that endures: strong, forgiving, and deeply compassionate, even when both sides are flawed.
The only way I could describe Twinkling Watermelon is that it is a ray of sunshine.
From the catchy songs to the upbeat characters and the romances, it feels like a love letter to youth.
We can’t skip over the expational acting skills from the cast Ryeoun is exceptional in Twinkling Watermelon. His acting ranges from heart-wrenching moments of overly emotional to lighthearted and goofy scenes. The same can be said for Choi Hyun-wook as Yi-chan, who moves effortlessly from being larger-than-life to utterly broken after a pivotal event in the story.
Similarly, the character development of On Eun-yoo is praiseworthy (and that plot twist!). Her transformation – from a distant, detached teen to someone who begins opening up to life’s challenges and joys – is beautifully portrayed thanks to Seol In-ah’s outstanding performance.
There are countless scenes that could be my favorite, but what truly stands out is the youthful love, the friendship, and the characters’ journey toward peace and happiness as they let their teenage years twinkle, as Yi-chan would say. And ladies – if the guy you like isn’t brave enough to learn sign language for you, like Yi-chan did for Yoon Chung-ah, he’s not the one.
Twinkling Watermelon is available on Netflix on November 14.