After watching “18 Again,” Ryeo-un inspired me to start watching Twinkling Watermelon K-drama. However, the plot surprised me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. This K-drama falls under the musical, youthful, and time travel genres. Before we dive into the show, let me ask you a few questions:
Have you ever gone through a phase when you felt that your parents didn’t understand your talents or struggles? Have you ever thought about leaving everything behind to run away from home? Do you feel you are the only one responsible for keeping your family together? Or perhaps you haven’t enjoyed your youth?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, “Twinkling Watermelon” is the one for you.
Once again, let me give you a spoiler alert. Because we’re gonna dive deeper here, too.
Ryeoun, Choi Hyun-Wook, Shin Eun-soo, and Seol In-ah are the stars of the series. The team has beautifully portrayed the characters’ emotional depth along with comedy, which will keep your cheeks stretched throughout.
It’s a TMI, but I cried in two episodes of this series. The second and the second last. In the second episode, the silent argument between father and son touched my heart, and my tears started flowing. For the second-last episode, let’s keep the suspense for you all to explore.
Storyline
The story of Sparkling Watermelon (Twinkling Matermelon k-drama) is about Ha Eun Gyeol, a 17-year-old boy who lives a double life.
By day, he is a model student and dutiful son of deaf parents (CODA — Child of Deaf Adults), but by night, he plays guitar in a band because of his secret love for music. He learnt to play guitar and music from an old grandpa who lived in his neighbourhood when he was a kid.
Though his father is deaf, he disapproves of music due to a painful past connected to it. Despite this, Eun Gyeol inherits his father’s musical talent.
One day, he gets caught by his father while performing with his band members. He storms out of the cafe after a heated argument with his father about the issue.
Upset, he left from there and mysteriously encountered a music shop called “La Vida Music”, where Eun Gyeol sells his guitar and is transported back in time, to 1995.
There, he meets his father, Ha Yi-chan, as a teenager and realizes that the young version of his father was once full of passion, dreams, and music — a complete contrast to the man he knows today. The most shocking discovery for him was that his father was not deaf from birth. During this time, he could talk (talk a lot), listen, and sing.
Ha Eun-Gyeol gets involved with his father and forms a band. In the process, he also meets his mother, Yoon Chung Ah. Although she’s a chaebol’s daughter, her life was filled with abuse and solitude. Why? Because she couldn’t hear, by birth, and her father didn’t care for her.
Ha Eun-Gyeol intervened frequently, fearing his father might choose Choi Se Kyung, his first love, and change his life. And this changed his present, leaving him no option but to make things right before returning to 2023.
Ha Yi-chan, his bandmates, Yoon Chung Ah, and Choi Se Kyung worked hard for the school festival. They performed on stage as ‘Watermelon Sugar’.
Up until the festival, Ha Eun Gyeol believed his reason for travelling at this time was to save his father from the accident in which he lost his hearing. Which he believed he succeeded in. In this different timeline, Ha Yi Chan will not lose his hearing, go to college, complete his studies, and dream of a twinkling youth.
But he was wrong. The accident was yet to happen.
Twinkling Watermelon K Drama Cast
Choi Hyun-Wook as Ha Yi-Chan
Shin Eun-soo as Yoon Chung Ah
Ryeo-un as Ha Eun Gyeol
Seol In-ah as Choi Se Gyeong | On Eun Yu
Bong Jae Hyun as Ha Eun Ho
Is Twinkling Watermelon K Drama Worth Watching?
Absolutely, yes. Sparkling Watermelon k-drama is worth watching. Instead, you will love the drama so much that whenever you don’t have anything on the list, this kdrama will pop up first.
This isn’t just another teen drama—it’s a heartwarming, genre-blending gem that captures the essence of living your life to the fullest (viva la vida, anyone?).
The cast, tropes, cute comedy, and some serious scenes in between will keep you engaged. There are also some—no, many revelations that will keep you hooked for the next episodes.
Actors have done a splendid job portraying their characters. From the scenes, you can see they have enjoyed their roles, which enhances their performances greatly.
Regarding the backdrops, style, and visuals, even though the setting is in the late 90s, you won’t really notice it, except for the scenes featuring pagers, cars, and fax machines. These props are beautifully integrated into the scenes, enhancing the overall beauty of the drama.
In short, Twinkling Watermelon isn’t just a drama—it’s a feeling. And trust me, once you watch it, it’ll become your go-to comfort rewatch whenever your list feels empty.
Final Thoughts
Set against the charming backdrop of the late 90s, this show cleverly uses vintage props like pagers and fax machines—not as distractions, but as nostalgic anchors that enrich the storytelling.
The aesthetics? Absolutely stunning. The music? Soulful. The plot? Packed with drama, trauma, and a whole lot of emotional baggage that makes every twist more gripping than the last.
Twinkling Watermelon is a K-drama with 16 episodes. The message of this drama is to live life to the fullest, despite the hardships we face, as we never know what surprises the future may hold.
If we were to end this beautiful gift of life today, we might miss out on those surprises. Well— a bit sad but that’s the truth of life. Right?
It’s time for my favourite thing. Recommendations.
If you loved this drama, you will love Hospital Playlist, Business Proposal, My Dearest Nemesis, 18 Again, Extra-Ordinary You, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and Reply 1988.
Have fun and we’ll meet next week with something new.
Till then, take care and stay healthy.
You know, it’s all for my k-love💚