“Life is filled with all kinds of metaphors. Interpretation is solely up to the receiver. There are no right answers.”- La Vida Store’s Master (Twinkling Watermelon)
Time affects everyone equally, but its impact during our youth is what shapes our lives and writes our stories — a truth demonstrated throughout in ‘Twinkling Watermelon’.
A model student by day and a guitarist by night, Ha Eun Gyeol (played by Ryeo Un) has his secret nightly ventures exposed one day by his deaf father. What ensues next is nothing short of a series of mysterious events. From the sudden appearance of a music store, a trade, and unexpected time travel. What could be the cost? Let’s say, his existence itself. Now lost and locked in the year 1995 instead of 2023, Eun Gyeol begins his adventure of finding what was hidden through song across the decades and a band filled with the flavour of youth.
Series: Twinkling Watermelon
Where to watch: TVING, Rakuten Viki
Cast: Ryeo Un, Choi Hyun Wook, Seol In Ah, Shin Eun Soo
Written by: Jin Soo Wan
Directed by: Son Jung Hyun
The Plot
Ha Eun Gyeol is a CODA — Child of Deaf Adults. His entire life has been a balance scale weighing his interests against prioritizing his family’s needs. Adding the societal and familial expectations, following his passion for singing and performing comes at the steep cost of lying, hiding, and secrecy.
When caught by his father during one of his usual night performances with his bandmates, he finds it hard, once again, to conform to his father’s expectations and be a model student. After a short altercation between the two, he leaves. Eventually, he wanders into a mysterious music store and trades his guitar, only to walk (literally) into a completely unfamiliar place in a completely different year. Through a twist of events, he ends up finding his father, who is now younger, livelier, and in good hearing. He decides to stick with him to find out the truth about how this outgoing and rambunctious teenager turned into his quiet, anxious, and deaf father.
Staying with his now 18-year-old father, living his youth in 1995, he experiences things unlike anything from his own youth in 2023. From discovering his father’s first love, a cello player (and ruining his plans to impress her), to helping his deaf and mistreated mother (and playing matchmaker for his parents), encountering his long-dead mentor, and forming a band, he begins to see life from a completely different perspective.
The Characters
Ha Eun Gyeol (played by Ryeo Un)
A talented and caring high schooler who dreams of being a musician, he lives a double life as a perfect, model student by day and a band guitarist by night. He is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), the only member of his family who can hear. He also knows sign language, which he uses to communicate with his family and other hearing-impaired individuals. After being transported to 1995, he poses as Yoon Dong Jin, a musical genius, to get to know his now 18-year-old father.
Ha Yi Chan (played by Choi Hyun Wook)
An active and lively 18-year-old high schooler in 1995 (aka Ha Eun Gyeol’s father), with a wild and carefree personality and a tendency to cause trouble, he often ends up in rather sticky situations. In a bid to live his youth as he approaches the end of his high school life, he (despite lacking any prior musical knowledge) decides to form a band. Aiming to impress and confess his feelings to his first love, On Eun Yu, a cello player from a neighbouring school, he asks Eun Gyeol to teach him how to play guitar and sing.
On Eun Yu (played by Seol In Ah)
Ha Yi Chan’s first love, she’s a cello player who has no interest in reciprocating Yi Chan’s advances. She is seen to have left the country to study abroad and pursue her career as a cello artist.
Choi Se Gyeong (played by Seol In Ah)
On Eun Yu’s daughter from the future (2023), she uses her mother’s identity to live a borrowed life in 1995. Choi Se Gyeong is another burnt-out 18-year-old facing similar circumstances as Eun Gyeol, unable to find her peace and her place under the weight of her mother’s never-ending expectations. She finds the same mysterious music store as Eun Gyeol and trades her cello for cash and a trip to the past.
Yun Cheong A (played by Shin Eun Soo)
A quiet, shy, and deaf high school student with a talent for drawing and painting (aka Eun Gyeol’s mother), she’s often mistreated and bullied due to her hearing disability, but it all changes when she meets and becomes friends with On Eun Yu (and subsequently Choi Se Gyeong), Ha Yi Chan, and Ha Eun Gyeol. The story shows a gradual and strong character development for her, endearing her character to many.
Why Should You Watch ‘Twinkling Watermelon’?
- Relatable characters: Many who’ve watched the series will agree that all the characters from both the past (1995) timeline and the present (2023) timeline of the story are relatable and raw in their portrayal of emotions and circumstances.
- Living vicariously: The story provides a reprieve from the hubbub of present-day, ultra-digital life and transports viewers to the past, when organic experiences made up the memories. It allows those who haven’t experienced, or want to experience, a different way of living or time period to live vicariously through the characters, their stories, and their experiences.
- Inspirational lessons: Although dramas and series are meant for entertainment, that doesn’t make them any less inspirational. Various quotes, actions, and situations shown during the course of the series impart many important messages about how life isn’t a linear path with a beginning and an end, but a journey to be enjoyed through different experiences and loved ones.
- Viva La Vida: ‘Long Live Life’, a quote which appears throughout the drama, showcases the importance of living a life worth celebrating despite all its ups and downs.
- Acceptance: The series touches on the sensitive topics of hearing-impaired individuals and the challenges they face in life. It shows how simply being accepting of them and their challenges can change their lives drastically. Instead of shunning them for something they don’t have control over, it emphasizes the value of having strong and supportive friends and family, allowing them to grow into their potential.
- Expressive and energetic music: The series revolves heavily around the themes of music and creativity. Hence, it’s not wrong to say that there are many beautiful and enjoyable music pieces, from OSTs to classic hits, making it a sweet treat for any music lover.
‘Twinkling Watermelon’ is a charming tale of the different forms of love and care that we, as humans, are capable of showing. From a parent’s care and worry for their children to a friend’s silent support in times of need, and a child’s love and desire to understand and help their parents, this show has it all. Adding in lighthearted themes of comedy, time travel, and the clumsiness that comes with being a teenager across time, it is a well-packaged drama to relive the past and present through a different lens.
With numerous life and moral lessons, ‘Twinkling Watermelon’ is a must-watch, 16-episode rollercoaster of emotions and beautiful cinematography.
Written by N.V.S. Akanksha
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