Twinkling Watermelon

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Synopsis

Eun Gyeol is a high school student who has a real gift for music despite coming from a family with hearing impairment. One day, he visits a mysterious instruments store and goes back to 1995. There, he meets his father Yi Chan, his mother Chung Ah and Se Gyeong who’s his father’s crush. Will he be able to change the past?

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Twinkling Watermelon is one of my favorite dramas of 2023! The plot, the acting performance and the life lessons scattered through the episodes are all beautiful. The drama is a roller coaster of emotions that made me cry and laugh, feel nostalgic and even determined to fulfill my dreams. It’s an ode to life, to youth, people and music. The values (determination, perseverance,…) present in the story are supported by heartwarming relationships rendered even stronger by the time travel. What I loved the most is the attention to details in the script. Even the slightest sentence bears meaning and is linked with characters’ transformation as they grow up (remember they’re teenagers), become wiser and more mature. Even the music is a pleasure to the ears and I would definitely buy the album if the band was a real one. 100% recommended, do not miss this gem!

Analysis

• Characters
  Ha Eun Gyeol
  Choi Se Gyeong and On Eun Yu
  Ha Yi Chan
  Yoon Chung Ah
• Parenthood
  Ha Eun Gyeol and his father
  On Eun Yu and her mother
  Choi Se Gyeong and her father
  Yoon Chung Ah and her father
  Ha Yi Chan and his grandmother
• Disability
• Viva La Vida – Long Live Life
• Twinkling Watermelon, title explained
• Valuable life lessons
• The romance
  The star-crossed lovers
  The adorable lovers
• Music, what brings people together
• The ending
• Acting performance and atmosphere

Characters: Twinkling Watermelon displays a quartet of heartwarming characters who are quite complementary in their personalities.

Ha Eun Gyeol: Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeo Un) is a CODA which means ‘Child of Deaf Adult’. Both his parents and his older brother are deaf. That’s why, Eun Gyeol has always taken it upon himself to support his family. He’s always been there to connect his family members to the rest of the world, becoming the main translator and interpreter in case of conflicts and/or misunderstandings. Eun Gyeol assumed this heavy burden early on in life to the point that he never really lived for himself. Instead, he spent his time trying to make his parents’ and brother’s lives better, sometimes at his expense. Over the year, the main protagonist has turned into a dutiful son, always respectful towards his father, and into an amazing son and brother. However, this special status also created a wedge between him and the rest of the family, as he often felt misunderstood and alone, unable to communicate what he feels deep inside. Out of love and affection, he’s never openly expressed his desires nor shared his dreams to anyone.

Choi Se Gyeong and On Eun Yu: Choi Se Gyeong (Seol In Ah) is the most popular girl of the school. She’s rich, beautiful and a skilled cellist. Despite her perfect image on the outside, Se Gyeong is going through a lot behind closed doors. She was adopted as a child by a wealthy couple who never hid the fact that they wanted her to replace their lost daughter Ha Na. Se Gyeong had a strict education and grew up under the pressure of being perfect. Her mother controlled her life and made all the decisions for her. Meanwhile, Se Gyeong always wondered why her birth parents had abandoned her without really finding the answer. In 1995, she emigrated to the US and never came back to Korea until the death of her biological father in the 2000s. Later on, we discover that Se Gyeong has a daughter On Eun Yu (also played by Seol In Ah). She looks exactly like her mother, but has a more rebellious spirit. She dreams of freedom and independence from her mother, who puts her through the same ordeal she went through herself. The need to control her daughter’s life also separated Eun Yu’s parents who divorced after years of fighting. Lost, Eun Yu runs away from her life in the US. By the time she goes back to 1995, Eun Yu is at the edge of a cliff, assailed by suicidal thoughts.

Ha Yi Chan: In 1995, Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) is a bright teenager. He was raised by his grandmother (Ko Du Shim) after the loss of his parents. He’s not a good student and gets himself into trouble quite often, but he’s passionate about life. He’s a perseverant, resilient, strong-minded, though sometimes goofy young man, who goes through hoops to fulfill his dreams. His life motto is simple: He wants to twinkle and shine whilst he still can, before reality and adult life hit. In a word: He wishes to enjoy his youth as much as possible. That’s the reason why he so keen on conquering Se Gyeong’s heart in the first place. Indeed, Yi Chan fell head over heels for the school’s Princess. He’s ready to endure everything to have his chance, even if it means forming a band and learning how to play the guitar. When Eun Gyeol meets his young father for the first time, he’s really taken-aback. First, he can hear and speak. Second, he’s a driven and reckless man who’s got nothing to do with the adult version he knows. Third, he loves music. This makes Eun Gyeol realize how little he actually knows his father and his youthful days.

Yoon Chung Ah: Yoon Chung Ah (Shin Eun Soo) is deaf by birth. She lives with her father, her teacher and the teacher’s daughter, after her mother was thrown out of the house years earlier. For years, Chung Ah suffered under her teacher’s (Kim Joo Ryung) yoke. Im Ji Mi, who’s also the school director, is a bully and child abuser. She took advantage of the absence of Chung Ah’s father to go on power trips with the helpless child incapable of defending herself. In this house, Chung Ah is not allowed to use sign language which basically deprives her of her only way to communicate with others. She used to be locked up in a dark room when she misbehaved and beaten if she showed any signs of rebellion. Alone and isolated, she had no other choice but to close in on herself and take refuge in drawing. The least we can say is that Chung Ah’s childhood has not been a walk in the park. Despite all that, she remained kind and gentle. She’s only wished but for one thing: To live freely without fearing retaliation. Though she’s quite shy, her feelings for Yi Chan are pure and genuine. This also explains why Eun Gyeol’s parents are so close to each other even years after.

Parenthood: The drama displays many family configurations at play that all have common point: In all parent-child relationships, the dialogue is broken. Both parties can’t seem to communicate properly. Parents and children are at odds, unable to understand the other’s perspective and desires. Time travel appears to be the perfect solution to fix what’s broken by confronting 2023 children with their parents’ past, and by having them engage in reconciliation.

Ha Eun Gyeol and his father: Shortly before Eun Gyeol is catapulted to 1995, he’s had an argument with his father. The latter wants him to be a doctor, so he can enjoy a stable and comfortable life. He’s unaware that his son has a passion for music, and dreams of being part of a band. When his father uncovers the masquerade by seeing his son on stage, he’s in shock. He immediately pushes away the idea that his son could follow a career in music. He gets mad, but Eun Gyeol defends himself and his choices. He reveals the truth to his father – that he’s been secretly playing the guitar and wishing to become an artist – and accuses him of trying to control his life. On top of that, he blames him for being deaf and not being able to understand what music sounds like. This conversation is a breaking point in the father-son relationship. Eun Gyeol has revealed all the resentment he’s been bearing all his life, while his father learns that he actually knows little about his son. On the verge of giving up his dreams, Eun Gyeol time travels. He meets his young father Yi Chan, but he’s nothing like he would’ve imagined. Bright, bubbly, goofy, but above all determined to form a band and capable of hearing. This twist allows Eun Gyeol to see his father in a new light and better understand the reasons behind his reluctance. From then on Eun Gyeol is keen on fulfilling his father’s shattered dream and making him overcome the trauma he suffered from in the past.

On Eun Yu and her mother: There is a clear disconnect between Eun Yu and her mother. The more glimpses of Eun Yu’s relationship with her mother we see, the more visible the gap between them. Just like her own mother, Se Gyeong is trying to control her daughter’s life in spite of the latter’s desires. Eun Yu suffocates and rebels by leaving her. Though she expects to find comfort at her father’s home, she rapidly gets that he’s moved on with someone else. Abandoned and alone, On Eun Yu ends up time traveling. She then goes on a quest to find her mother’s high school crush in an attempt to change her ‘miserable’ existence. Little by little Eun Yu stumbles upon hints pointing out at her father as the mystery crush she’s been looking for. In parallel to that, Se Gyeong’s daughter also finds out about her mother’s strict upbringing. She empathizes with her, and realizes that life may have not been that easy for her mother. Not to mention that Se Gyeong was adopted and never solved the mystery behind her parents’ abandonment. As a reconciliation gift, Eun Yu has a brief, but heartfelt conversation with her 18-year old mother. She tells her to question her biological father about his motives, and to free herself from her golden cage.

Choi Se Gyeong and her father: Choi Se Gyeong’s relationship with her father is built on silence, misunderstandings and unsaid things. Eun Yu’s intervention is the key to breaking the silence. Right before she leaves, Eun Yu confronts her grandfather and asks him why he never sought after his daughter. Ashamed, he answers that he believed his daughter was happier in this family than she ever could’ve been with him. As he didn’t want to disrupt her blissful life, he didn’t dare to intervene. Meanwhile, Eun Yu reveals that her mother’s life with her adopted family was far from happy. She’s always felt like she was not good enough, that she didn’t deserve to be loved. By talking, Eun Yu allowed buried feelings to explode and the truth to come to light.

Yoon Chung Ah and her father: Out of all the parent-child relationships of the drama, this is one is by far my favorite because its evolution is simply heartwarming. Yoon Chung Ah is deaf, unable to communicate with people, and harassed by her crazy teacher. Her mother was ousted out of the house (so it seems), and her father was rather unequipped to deal with her. He put his trust in Chung Ah’s teacher, believing that she would be able to make his daughter speak. He then turned a blind eye, on the grounds that short-term suffering would lead to long-term results. He was of course mistaken in his belief. Instead of protecting his child, like a parent should do, he abandoned her to fend for herself. Yoon Chung Ah shut herself from the world, and grew distant from the parent who didn’t rescue her. I believe that Chung Ah’s father was actually clueless about Chung Ah’s condition. He was afraid to confront his child, and did not know where to start. That’s why, Eun Gyeol’s arrival in his house is the trigger to him wanting to find a way back to his daughter. Thanks to Eun Gyeol’s teachings, Chung Ah’s father learns the way to his daughter’s heart. In the end, he assumes his responsibilities as a parent and protector by throwing the crazy teacher out of his home. Shortly after, he makes the first move by asking Chung Ah to teach him sign language. Chung Ah forgives him and accepts reconciliation by offering her father the only thing he wished for: A heartfelt smile. The family portrait back in 2023 is proof that father and daughter reconnected and mended their relationship.

Ha Yi Chan and his grandmother: The only relationship that differs from all others in the drama is that between Ha Yi Chan and his grandmother. There’s only love, affection and care between these two despite the generational gap. Indeed, Yi Chan became an orphan early on in life, but was pampered and sheltered by his grandmother. She assumed the role of the mother, the father and grandmother by herself, and made sure her grandson would never feel alone. The scene when she discovers he’s become deaf was heartbreaking, as I could sense her despair. After all the efforts she made to protect him, life stabbed her in the back.

Disability: One of the many strengths of Twinkling Watermelon is its capacity to portray hearing impairment with a lot of respect and tolerance. Though it is difficult for deaf people and their family members, the story rather focuses on the connection characters form to overcome this obstacle. Sign language becomes the main means of communication that bonds lovers, friends, and families. Indeed, Yi Chan learns sign language to get closer to Chung Ah; the teenager’s own father finds in these new gestures an ally to reach out to his estranged daughter; Eun Gyeol resorts to sign language to help his mother fit into the world again. Disability in the drama may be a weakness at first, but characters like Yi Chan learn how to cultivate it to become unique and use it as a strength.

Viva La Vida – Long Live Life: Viva la Vida is by far the motto of the drama! And what better way to prove it than to use time travel and shed light on the importance of enjoying life whilst you can. Life is indeed worth living, but more importantly it should be lived by you. You shouldn’t let anyone else control it whether it’d be your parents or even what you believe they want for you. This is exactly what Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu discover thanks to their journey in 1995. Ha Eun Gyeol is allowed to better understand his parents, and to learn how to let go by doing so. He can’t be responsible for everything and for everyone; he also needs to live his life and follow his desires. As for Eun Yu, she gets to know more about her mother’s strict education and thus frees herself (and her mother) from this mindset. She can’t always be perfect, but it’s fine. Long live life is not a saying that concerns characters, but also viewers. It encourages us to enjoy the bright moments (especially those of our youth), because once they’re gone they won’t be coming back.

Twinkling Watermelon, title explained: The title of the drama is deeply intertwined with its philosophy and the positive messages it conveys. Many times in the story, Eun Gyeol emphasizes the fact that he wishes for both his parents to ‘twinkle’, ‘to shine as much as possible’. In other words, he wants them live and enjoy, no matter the hardships that come their way. The ‘Watermelon’ part of the title has to do with the second main theme of the drama: Music and more specifically the band that connects all characters (past and present ones). After finally becoming a high school band, Yi Chan and the others gather to brainstorm group names. Each throws a random idea, until Yi Chan suggests a name in association with the watermelon. Why? I mean, it seems pretty random. Well, there are several explanations behind. First, the watermelon is intrinsically related to Chung Ah. The latter is indeed a huge fan of the world-famous artist Frida Kahlo. Shortly before dying she released a painting called ‘Viva La Vida’ representing watermelons (you see the link with the drama, right?). I really recommend you go take a look at the meaning of the painting, as it will open up your eyes on a myriad of small details in the drama related to that. In a nutshell, Frida Kahlo chose to display watermelons because they are tough on the outside, but very soft and sugary on the inside. That’s exactly how life is; harsh and full of challenges, but also warm and sweet. Coming back to the story now, it’s obvious that characters like Chung Ah and Yi Chan don’t have it easy. They struggle every day. Despite all that, they still enjoy blissful moments of love and friendship. In the end, the band opts for Watermelon Sugar, mixing the ingredients of the fruits, its meaning, and its connection to the life motto characters abide by.

Valuable life lessons: This coming-of-age drama is filled with valuable life lessons. By seeing characters evolve, viewers also learn a lot indirectly. Among these key takeaways, the following can be mentioned:
– Carpe Diem: Life is short, so you should enjoy every moment to its fullest. This is what Eun Gyeol learns by traveling to the past. Instead of worrying about others, like his father’s future after his accident, Eun Gyeol acquires a new view on life through this experience. He gradually accepts his life in the present, making good memories with his father’s younger self, his friends, and Eun Yu. This wouldn’t have been possible, if Yi Chan had not been the epitome of this Carpe Diem saying. Indeed, the teenager only thinks about today, as he knows how bleak his tomorrow will look like after graduating. In a way, father and son teach each other the exact opposite of how they currently live.
– Friendship: I will never say it enough, but having good friends does make a difference in life. When you are surrounded by people who care about you, you can be invincible. Through thick and thin, real true friends will support you, give a hand, and open your eyes on many situations. If you have this kind of people around you, you can overcome quite everything. That’s exactly what happened to Yi Chan after his accident. In the past, he abandoned his high school friends out of shame of being deaf. He cut ties with everyone and had to fend for himself. After Eun Gyeol’s intervention, Yi Chan has kept his friendships alive. At the end of the drama, they all reunite to witness the launch of Yi Chan’s new guitar brand. That final scene shows a parallel between past and present, as young and older characters chit chat at the event. This is proof that friendship has no boundaries, especially not time.
– The impact of others: We talked about friends, but there are sometimes people who just change your life though you don’t know them that well. In Eun Gyeol’s case, Se Gyeong’s father was this type of person. He taught him how to play the guitar and guided him down the music road. Even if their interaction was cut short, the impact Se Gyeong’s father had on Eun Gyeol was immense and changed his life forever. It’s a similar situation for Yi Chan. Eun Gyeol suddenly arrived in his life and made him feel cared for, as if he had a father to look after him. He even ended up calling him ‘Son’.
– Tolerance: This is probably one of the most beautiful messages of Twinkling Watermelon. The drama emphasizes on the importance of being open-minded. No matter the disability or the circumstances people are in, you should see them for who they are. It’s an ode to tolerance, showing that we’re all not so different. Chung Ah’s disability makes her unique, but all her friends manage to go beyond that trait and to love her for who she is.

The romance: Our main quartet is made up of 2 couples who find their way towards each other after a series of ups and downs.

The star-crossed lovers: I think there’s no doubt that Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu were meant to meet at some point. Throughout their lives, they crossed paths several times without necessarily realizing it. It all started when Eun Gyeol started taking guitar lessons with the owner of a music shop. Turns out this man is Eun Yu’s grandfather. As kids, both Eun Yu and Eun Gyeol saw each other when the owner died. After that, the couple time traveled at the same time and became each other’s helper. Although, they started off the wrong foot – Eun Gyeol mistook Eun Yu for her mother – they grew closer until they revealed their real identity. Even their parents’ lives were actually entangled. Eun Gyeol also found out that he had heard Eun Yu play the cello in Se Gyeong’s house when he visited her to retrieve his guitar. Last but not least, Eun Yu’s pseudo online is Metaphor On. She’s actually the girl Eun Ho (Eun Gyeol’s brother) met at the hospital. He taught her sign language and they became friends. All of these events could not be just coincidences. All along, it’s clear that both characters had to experience their parents’ past to acquire key information for their own present. So, they naturally reunite at the end.

The adorable lovers: Yi Chan took his sweet time before realizing that Chung Ah was the one for him. He was initially set on dating Se Gyeong – and thus Eun Yu. However, he warmed up to Chung Ah little by little. Her genuine feelings, her kindness, and her story didn’t leave him totally indifferent. He felt the need to be with her, to protect her, and thus reciprocated her feelings in the end. Their love story is as heartwarming and tender as it can be. Yi Chan goes above and beyond to be part of Chung Ah’s world – starting with learning sign language and writing her a song. They are simply adorable in my opinion, and the perfect example that love knows no boundaries.

Music, what brings people together: The playlist of this drama is just amazing! The OSTs are all perfect, and fit beautifully with the plot. The cast also has amazing chemistry. They really made me feel like I was watching a real band, as they played and sang together. All in all, music is showed as a way to bring characters together. It unites friends towards the same goal (creating a band, participating in a contest). It serves as bridge between worlds, as it is the case for Yi Chan and Chung Ah. Music allows you to put your heart on a plate, as Eun Gyeol does when he serenades Eun Yu. It gives you a reason to live, a purpose, it is the case for Eun Gyeol when he touches a guitar for the first time. It’s a perfect escape when life becomes hard to handle and can bring comfort (Eun Gyeol plays the guitar when he feels bad). It can be what ties families together – Eun Gyeol’s family have a business in guitar; Se Gyeong and Eun Yu both play the cello.

The ending: Despite his efforts to save his father from the accident that deprived him from his hearing, Eun Gyeol accepts that there are some events in one’s life that can’t be changed. However, he gives strength to his father to turn this weakness into an advantage and to embrace his difference. After a final hug, Eun Gyeol goes back to his timeline. He discovers that his presence in the past played an immense role in building his parents’ new future. Chung Ah mended her relationship with her father, and together with Yi Chan and their sons they form a united family, as shown in the family portrait hanging on the wall. Ha Yi Chan also succeeded in life. He pursued his passion for music by creating guitars, and didn’t let his disability disconnect him from his friends and the world. As he doesn’t regret his past decisions, he’s accepted his son’s love for music and supports him on this path. The final reunion displays the group of friend all together assisting to Eun Gyeol’s performance on stage. Of course, the ending wouldn’t be complete if Eun Yu had not been part of the picture as well. After she almost missed her timing, she successfully goes back to her time. Eun Yu healed her wounds too, and thus goes back to Eun Gyeol. They meet again on the day of Eun Gyeol’s performance. In my opinion, the most interesting part of the ending is that events from the past have remained exactly the same as before. What has really shifted is characters’ perspective on life and their choices. Ha Yi Chan for example is still deaf. However, his take on how to deal with it has completely changed. He accepted his difference and got the best out of it. That’s why, his choices were different as well as the outcome of his future. Same for Chung Ah. She chose to stand up for herself and start anew with her father. This led to her being able to be part of the world and keep in touch with her friends. The ending is a great lesson, like the rest of the drama. There are some life-changing events that will always take place and on which you have no control whatsoever. But the way you decide to deal with them and what you do next is entirely up to you. And the outcome can be radically different, depends on whether you see the glass half full or half empty.

Acting performance and atmosphere: There’s no word to describe how credible the cast of this drama was. Choi Hyun Wook, Ryeo Un, Seol In Ah and Shin Eun Soo were simply amazing. I also can’t imagine how tough it must have been to learn sign language and guitar and act in the meantime, but they successfully did it. The drama is a roller coaster of emotions, with a mix of laughter (Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol’s bicker) and tears (Chung Ah’s domestic abuse). I was fully immersed in the universe and believed every emotion the cast conveyed. To me Shin Eun Soo shone the most in the story, as she was capable of making me feel emotions for her character without having to pronounce a single word. Good job young lady! Last but not least, I think the 90s vibe brought a lot to the whole atmosphere. There is this sort of nostalgic vibe, but also hopeful feeling that you can make things right this time.