In the vast, ever-expanding universe of Korean entertainment, certain dramas arrive with a deafening roar of marketing, only to fade into obscurity. Others arrive quietly, carried by word-of-mouth, and leave an indelible mark on the hearts of their viewers. "Twinkling Watermelon" (2023) belongs firmly in the latter category.
Eun-gyeol’s interaction with his father forms the emotional backbone of the series. He realizes that the tragic accident that caused his father’s deafness is imminent. Thus, his goal is clear: save his father’s hearing, and perhaps, save his family from the hardships they face in the future. However, time travel is never simple. Eun-gyeol’s interference creates a ripple effect in his parents' love story. In the original timeline, his father fell in love with Yoon Chung-ah (Shin Eun-soo), a cellist who is deaf. But in 1995, Yi-chan has a massive crush on the "first love" of the school, Choi Se-kyung (Seol In-ah). Twinkling Watermelon
This is the drama’s first great revelation: parents were once young, stupid, and full of dreams, too. However, time travel is never simple
Furthermore, the use of music is transcendental. As a drama centered around a band, the soundtrack is not just background noise; it is a narrative device. From classic 90s hits to the original song "Starry Night," the music bridges the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds. The drama invites the audience to experience music the way Eun-gyeol does—not just as sound, but as feeling. In one particularly moving sequence, Eun-gyeol visualizes music through lights and colors, allowing his deaf father to "see" the song. It is a scene that encapsulates the show’s empathy and creativity. While the romance and the time is not the solemn
At first glance, the title seems whimsical, perhaps even nonsensical. But for those who have walked the path of Ha Eun-gyeol, the show reveals itself to be a poignant exploration of identity, disability, family, and the bittersweet ache of first love. It is a time-slip drama that manages to feel fresh in a genre saturated by tropes, delivering a narrative that is as much about healing generational trauma as it is about rewriting history. "Twinkling Watermelon" introduces us to Ha Eun-gyeol (Ryeoun), a high school student living a double life. By day, he is the perfect son and model student; by night, he is a dedicated guitarist in a band. This secret life is necessary because Eun-gyeol is the only hearing member of a family that is deaf. His parents, Ha Yi-chan (Choi Won-young) and Yoon Chung-ah (Seo Young-hee), run a restaurant, and Eun-gyeol has spent his life acting as their ears and voice, effectively functioning as a "Codfish"—a child who feels out of place in his own home.
The weight of this responsibility is immense. Eun-gyeol loves his family deeply, but he yearns for a life defined by his own passions—specifically music—rather than his utility to others. When a tragic misunderstanding leads to a desperate moment, Eun-gyeol finds himself transported back in time to the year 1995. The core brilliance of "Twinkling Watermelon" lies in its execution of the time-travel premise. Unlike other dramas where the protagonist saves the world from a dystopian future, Eun-gyeol’s mission is intimately personal. He arrives in 1995 and discovers that his father, Yi-chan, is not the solemn, hardworking man he knows. Instead, the teenage Yi-chan (played with explosive charisma by Choi Hyun-wook) is a loud, energetic, planning-obsessed boy who dreams of a band called "Watermelon Sugar."