Twinkling Watermelon: Episodes 13-14
by Dramaddictally
Our penultimate week is on a mission for feels — from a chest-clutching love story to a tear-filled rescue. Plus, our time-traveling hero is about to discover he’s not alone on his trek to the past. And the person who’s sharing his journey is exactly the one he wants by his side.
EPISODES 13-14
These episodes belong to Chung-ah and Yi-chan and man were they worth the wait. We finally get a clearer picture of Chung-ah’s backstory and also witness the unfolding love between her and her future husband. Not to bash Eun-gyeol and Eun-yoo (I love you guys!), but their cutesy affection is overshadowed this week by Yi-chan and Chung-ah’s deep feelings. I’m starting with their story because we’ve waited long enough to have them in the spotlight.
For a few weeks, Chung-ah’s life struggles have started to resemble a Cinderella tale. Her mother is gone. Her father is away on business most of the time. And she’s left in the house to be abused and locked in the attic by her “teacher,” the Evil Chairwoman, who tries to force her to speak.
We see a flashback of Chung-ah as a child attempting to escape. She runs to her father, where she’s able to call out, “Dad!” But rather than leading to a rescue, the display only backs up the Evil Chairwoman’s case that Chung-ah is making progress on her speaking lessons. Chung-ah is sobbing, but Chairman Yoon doesn’t intervene. From what we’ve seen, he has no idea about the abuse and he really loves his daughter and wants her to succeed. Still, he’s not there to protect her.
So when we get into the love story between Chung-ah and Yi-chan, it makes a lot of sense that this girl who’s never seen love before has such a strong reaction to it. We open on Yi-chan as he pouts about Chung-ah’s refusal to see him. By the time Eun-yoo comes around, apologizing for leaving the festival and admitting that she likes Eun-gyeol, he’s already over it. He thanks her for the good times, but we can see his heart has moved on.
Then, there’s a string of precious moments as he follows Chung-ah around with googly eyes. When he sees her feeding a stray cat and signing to it, you can literally see his heart melt. His expression is slight, but Choi Hyun-wook nails it.
After all the longing looks, there’s a scene that’s not cute at all (and very anger-inducing), when Chung-ah is being bullied in the street by two boys. Yi-chan appears, grabs both boys by the ears, and yanks them away from her. When they don’t stop mocking her, he lays a punch on one of them and they all wind up at the police station. Halmeoni comes to the rescue, defending Yi-chan because she knows he wouldn’t fight for no reason, and she can tell he likes Chung-ah.
By this point, Chung-ah is starting to question her own noble idiocy (she rejected him so he could be with Se-kyung). But before she gets the nerve to fess up, he calls her to the band practice room to be clear about his feelings. He’s prepared notecards, that he flips one by one, as she reads what he has to say, which is along the lines of: You liked me first — how can you make my heart flutter and then just ditch me?
He reveals that he wanted to sing for her at the festival, but since she wasn’t there, he’ll have to do it now instead. He’s got a song just for her, about facing hardship and being there for her, and he sings and signs the lyrics. Tears stream down her face, and as he nears the end, flipping through his dictionary to remember the signs, she walks over and hugs him tight, crying harder and not letting go.
Later, when the band goes on a camping trip and Chung-ah and Eun-yoo come along, Chung-ah tells Yi-chan about “face names.” These are name signs given to an individual, because it’s cumbersome to spell out birth names in sign language. The name sign her mother gave to her is “Clear Sound” and she thinks Yi-chan should be “Shiny Voice.” She can’t hear his voice, but she can see and feel it. He’s so moved, he kisses her. And there’s something breathtakingly pretty about the way he takes her hand during it.
The love she’s receiving from Yi-chan, as well as the attention she gets from Eun-gyeol and the band, give Chung-ah the strength she needs to fight back at home. After the camping trip, Chung-ah gets whacked across the face for skipping lessons — and for using sign language “where the whole neighborhood can see.” The Evil Chairwoman is yelling, as if Chung-ah can understand, and Chung-ah starts signing: “I’m not alone anymore. You’re the queen of this house. But there’s another world out there.”
This gets her slapped again, but this time, she hits back. She runs upstairs and tries to send a message to Yi-chan, but it’s intercepted and the fax machine is smashed. She gets locked in the attic again, and she’s so conditioned to be afraid that the Evil Chairwoman doesn’t even bother to tie her hands because she’s already cowering on the floor.
Eun-gyeol arrives to the Jinsung house and finds the broken fax machine. He then threatens a housekeeper into telling him where Chung-ah is. When he opens the attic door, he understands immediately that this is a habitual thing, and he cries. She signs, “You found me. The hide and seek is over after 12 years.” And it’s clear no one has ever bothered to look for her before. They sob and he hugs her, and then he grabs his mom’s hand and takes her out of there.
They’re stopped before they make it through the front gate, but Eun-gyeol has no fear. He’ll tell the world about the child abuser in the famous Jinsung family. The Evil Chairwoman says they’ll regret it if they leave. They go anyway, but as they do, she says she tried to warn them — and I think we are in for some major melodrama next week.
Eun-gyeol takes Chung-ah to the boarding house, where Halmeoni is understanding and outraged. She says Chung-ah can stay there. Yi-chan is so angry that he wants to go over to Chung-ah’s house and stir up more trouble. But Eun-gyeol says Chairman Yoon isn’t home and they should wait until he returns. Eun-gyeol trusts the chairman will do the right thing once he’s aware.
But Halmeoni and Yi-chan aren’t so easily won. Halmeoni says it’s up to Chung-ah if she wants to forgive her “ignorant father.” And Yi-chan makes it clear that her dad is complicit by not paying attention. Yi-chan is yelling and can’t be calmed down — and it’s obvious he’s also talking about his own father, who abandoned him long ago. “They never asked us if we wanted to be born. They can’t abandon us after they have us.” The pain is real and this scene totally demolished me.
At the same time, Halmeoni tries to comfort Chung-ah who breaks down into horrible sobs. Halmeoni hugs her and Yi-chan says he was able to endure because of his grandmother, but Chung-ah had no one by her side. He wonders how she’s able to show him such care if she’s never had it herself. And then he expresses his fears of ever getting married, unsure if he can love properly if he never had parental love.
Wow, those were some heavy sequences. Let’s move on to our other couple because they’re cute as ever this week too. We come back to the rain scene at the airport where we left off last time. Eun-gyeol has just asked Eun-yoo to stay with him and she responds by asking him to take her home (so, that’s a yes). At her house, they have a mini heart-to-heart when she learns that he’s a child of deaf adults (CODA) and we see them connecting and getting closer — literally, when the lights flicker and she winds up shivering next to him in the dark.
Eun-gyeol has promised to help her get where she’s going, but she says that if she goes, she’ll never come back. Well, in that case, he’ll delay it as much as possible so he can be with her for a long time. At this, she’s totally swooning, and the room goes black. The next thing you know, he’s skipping down the street with joy and then they’re both showering in their respective houses. What happened?! Confusing signals, Drama!
That night, Eun-gyeol receives a call from the Time Master and learns that his trip will end soon. The time portal opens when two moons appear. It’ll happen soon, but he won’t say when. The problem is, now that Eun-gyeol has feelings for Eun-yoo, he’s not so psyched to leave 1995.
We learn a little more about Eun-yoo’s backstory when she and Eun-gyeol are on a proper date at a carnival. She opens up about why she’s scared to play cello and why she’s running away. We learned earlier that her friend, the number one cellist in the country, killed herself, and Eun-yoo was tossed into first place. While Eun-yoo is in mourning, her mother tells her to use her sadness to fuel her music. I mean, no wonder she can’t play. She’s been conditioned to think of her friend’s death every time she touches her cello.
We see Eun-yoo on stage at a performance, where she flubs and then screams that she can’t hear. Later, the doctors find nothing wrong with her and assume it’s psychosomatic. She’s hospitalized and, much later, we’ll learn that this is how she met Eun-gyeol’s brother, Eun-ho. He taught her sign language at the hospital.
After telling her story, Eun-yoo feels comforted by Eun-gyeol’s response, and no longer feels like giving up on life. She agrees that they should delay her return as long as possible and wants to try living and having fun.
These two discover each other’s time-travel secret when the gang is on a train to the countryside for that camping trip. They each get a call from the Time Master on their cell phones, and then see each other wandering around with phones in hand. Shocked, they get off the train together (leaving the rest of the band to go on) and reveal the details of their identities.
As they discuss what they’ve been doing in 1995, they realize they had opposite goals: couple-making and couple-breaking. Eun-gyeol wanted to get his parents together so he could be born, and Eun-yoo wanted to break her parents up so she wouldn’t be. He tells her that he stopped Yi-chan’s accident from happening and he thinks that’s why he was sent back in time. But she’s not so sure. If that were true, why would she be sent back then? “There must be a connection between us.”
Harabeoji picks them up on his way to the cabin where the rest of the band is camping — and it looks like he might be the missing link. We learn that Harabeoji was once the front man of a famous band, but a scandal collapsed his career. He fell in love with a rookie actress and got her pregnant, which drove away his female fanbase and tanked their record sales.
Eun-yoo, upon hearing this story, digs a little deeper and realizes that Se-kyung is the baby Harabeoji gave up for adoption. Once they return from the countryside, she goes to see him (posing as Se-kyung), and says she wants to know about her mom. We don’t hear what he tells her, but she leaves extremely distressed. She calls Eun-gyeol, saying she’s homesick.
When they meet up, Eun-gyeol tells her Chung-ah’s harrowing story and she decides not to say anything about Harabeoji. But in the conversation, it comes out that Eun-yoo knows Eun-ho — and Eun-gyeol realizes she’s the girl his brother likes. Then, she drops this information: Eun-ho told her the date of his father’s accident and it hasn’t happened yet. Eun-gyeol didn’t prevent anything. And that’s where they leave us until next week.
Oh, the amount of questions still lingering in the air. First and foremost, Eun-ho told Eun-yoo the precise date of Yi-chan’s accident but he’s never told his own brother? Sounds suspicious. My bigger questions remain. Why did these two go back to 1995? Will we find out who the Master is and how he’s able to operate outside of time? Wasn’t the point of the story for our leads to learn how to be carefree kids? If so, why are we still focused on saving the parents? I feel like Yi-chan’s accident is the last thing I want to focus on next week. We spent a long time watching Eun-gyeol try to protect his dad; I hope we don’t have another round of that coming up.
My favorite scene this week (maybe in the whole drama) is where Yi-chan breaks down and yells about his and Chung-ah’s parents. He says they didn’t ask to be born — and we know Eun-yoo has felt that way too. But Eun-gyeol is different than the rest. He’s spending all his energy on his parents’ love affair because he wants to be born. It’s a testament to Yi-chan and Chung-ah as parents, and I find something fundamentally touching about it.
Since this drama has not disappointed me yet, I’ll continue my sky-high hopes for the finale. Come on, Show! You can do it! Let’s get all the questions answered and put everything in its place so our leads can get back to the future.
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Tags: Choi Hyun-wook, Ryeoun, Seol In-ah, Shin Eun-soo, Twinkling Watermelon
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1 Kurama
November 9, 2023 at 5:15 AM
The drama is the best when it focused on Chung-Ah and Yi-Chan! So I was really happy with their scenes this week!
The scene of Chung-Ah and Yi-Chan in the band room didn't make squeeze so much because it felt a lot like a mix of Love Actually and La Famille Bélier but the rest was great. I like she gave him a name and let him know that she' ok with his singing and it doesn't make her feel lonely.
The band members are super cute! I really love their positive attitude.
I'm not concerned by the other couple, Eun-yoo and Eun-gyeol, and their time travelling's issues.
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2 Lonestar Girl
November 9, 2023 at 5:33 AM
I was simultaneously crying and smiling during Yi-chain’s confession in the band room. It’s one of the most touching confessions I’ve ever seen. There’s many things I love about this drama, but Yi-chan and Chung-ah’s romance takes center stage for me. It’s beautiful to see Chung-ah bloom with the love and friendship Yi-chan and the gang gives her. I have been souring on dramas lately, but this drama reminded me why I love them. 🍉💕
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3 Britney
November 9, 2023 at 6:11 AM
Yi Chan's confession was the sweetest, most wholesome confession I've ever seen and I thought maybe I was exaggerating how good it was but nope! I really think it should go down on "top kdrama confessions" type lists. I think this show is underrated and I don't know why more people aren't watching it or into it. Is it because the show isn't full of top stars?
Every single time the stepmother abuses/mistreats Cheong Ah, I feel like rewatching Squid Game to see her fall off the glass bridge to her death again. Getting hit in the face with a frying pan isn't good enough for her.
I don't know why the show had to have Cheong Ah speak if it was already stated that she's deaf and mute. That seriously undermines the legitimacy of her disability (or at least I think it does. I'm not knowledgable or articulate as others). But to me, it seems like once again there's this belief of just willing disability away or "working hard" and you'll see results (like in The [Good] Bad Mother).
I don't know what to think about Cheong Ah's father. He wants his daughter to smile at him but he doesn't do anything to show he's on her side or that he cares about her. Yeah, he got the fax machine but why did he never once consider she would need that as a means of communication in the first place? Why when she ran to him terrified was he so blinded by the fact that she spoke, he just walked away and continued to turn his back on her? I just can't forgive this guy. I was thinking maybe they should reconcile for Cheong Ah and her kids' future but seriously, these people could go to hell. Let Cheong Ah, Yi Chan, and their family continue to just have their average, normal happy life even with its hardships. The only change I'm hoping happens is Yi Chan maintaining his friendship with the band guys and Ma Ju (though I can see how they may have grown apart following Yi Chan's accident. We'll see how that plays out).
I find it funny the show acknowledges that Eun Gyeol's journey to the past works/makes sense and Eun Yu's doesn't. She really worked best as a chaotic foil to Eun Gyeol though I do like her as part of the group because she actually adds something as part of the team. She also helped to expand Cheong Ah's social circle.
Speaking of Eun Yu's journey to the past, what even was that reveal of Se Kyung's bio dad? Did I miss something? How did she figure out he was her grandfather? Just because he was always looking at her or gave her extra meat?
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Jingbee
November 9, 2023 at 6:18 AM
She learned about her band, she got curious, found the articles and photos about the scandal and saw her grandmother's photo, and her name as the rumored girlfriend. Thus put 2 and 2 together. It was mentioned in passing in ep 1 that Se Kyong's mom is a former actress.
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Jingbee
November 9, 2023 at 6:22 AM
* his band.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 8:59 AM
The fact that the Chairman focused on his kid speaking instead of WHY and HOW she was speaking pissed me off.
Instead of thinking "how terrified my girl most be", he was like "Idc what you doing to her, woman. But just keep doing it".
Like Yi Chan said, he's worse than the stepmom.
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Britney
November 9, 2023 at 9:18 AM
My concern was the stepmother saying that Eun Gyeol was kidnapping Cheong Ah. If she had made that claim, there's nothing that would/could be done to help Eun Gyeol or Cheong Ah.
I'm wondering why Eun Gyeol wasn't given a number or means of contacting the chairman while he was away. See, more reasons I can't get behind the Chairman! So now, would he be at a disadvantage because the stepmother can give her spin on the situation first and everyone in the house will go along with it because she is responsible for their livlihoods.
Also when he first met Eun Gyeol, it was while he yelling and threatening to tell people about the abuse in the household so how could the chairman possibly not know anything? He's being willfully ignorant and yet when he caught the stepmother trying to intimidate & kick Eun Gyeol out, he shut her down and put her in her place? I'm just so confused.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 10:24 AM
I wasn't concerned about anything she said.
1. The family is hiding the fact that Cheong Ha is deaf. AND she's hiding her abuse.
I'm pretty sure she'll think twice before calling the police.
2. No way she's gonna say Cheong Had got kidnap and the father won't hear about it. He trusts Eun Gyeol. So he will listen to what the kid has to say.
3. Eun Gyeol and Cheong Ha can come up with a ridiculous excuse. If their stories match, the police can't do much about it.
I don't understand the Chairman either. Well, I don't want to understand him. Hahaha.
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iwin60606
November 9, 2023 at 4:42 PM
she found an old article about the scandal and saw that the actress looked exactly like the present day version of her mom
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GySgt213
November 11, 2023 at 5:42 AM
I would not mind a scene where that stepmother falls off a glass bridge again gets sucked back up all bloody and falls off again. And how the Chairman is that damn clueless about the obvious abuse of his daughter is very frustrating.
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4 Jingbee
November 9, 2023 at 6:12 AM
The romantic scenes (both) are cute, but I think what hit me the hardest was Eun Gyeol's tears after realizing that his parents went through so much hardship and challenges and yet they overcame them and became the loving parents that they are in the present.
Eun gyeol is lucky that he got the chance to see what his parents were like and what they went through to be together in the end.
It is probably Eun Yo's journey too, this time, learning about her mother and becoming acquainted with a grandfather he never got to know.
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Jingbee
November 9, 2023 at 6:13 AM
*she never got to know
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Kurama
November 9, 2023 at 6:17 AM
In the same time, I'm curious how Chung-Ah did without the changes her son did in her life. She was lovely as an adult.
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Peridot
November 9, 2023 at 6:33 AM
I get the feeling that as soon as she was old enough, she cut ties with her family.
She eventually went to school to learn sign language where she met Yi-chan.
But the in between leaving her family and meeting Yi-chan would be interesting to know. Did she get a job and then go back to school? It would be nice to know her story in the original timeline.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 9:08 AM
I'm actually really curious about why Eun Gyeol knows NOTHING about his parents? We know the mom didn't want to talk about her painful past, and that's totally valid.
But what about the rest?
Why Eun Ho knows about his dad's accident but Eun Gyeol doesn't? It doesn't seem to be a secret since the dad mentioned it and Eun Ho told Eun Yu.
The kid didn't even know how his parents looked like in the past. Apparently the mom didn't took pictures of herself ever, even after getting out of that house?
It totally made me uncomfortable when Eun Yu told him about the accident. He seriously has to get information about his family from someone that has zero connections to them? What would've happened if this kid didn't travel in time? LOL
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Britney
November 9, 2023 at 9:29 AM
I don't find it so weird or odd that Eun Gyeol doesn't know things about his parents especially if it's things they don't want or need to talk about and he never considered asking about. So far we have no information about why Eun Ho knew about the accident and Eun Gyeol didn't so I'm not thinking on it too much. It's probably simply Eun Ho asked more about his accident or the dad elaborated on it when Eun Gyeol wasn't around and for whatever reason Eun Ho shared it during a conversation Eun Yu. No big deal.
The lack of pictures is interesting now that you mention it. At least on Yi Chan's side cause he did have a pretty happy home and social life. Maybe he got rid of the pictures from his youth as a "starting over" type of thing. I mean he didn't even mention he used to have his hearing or that he knew (now) famous people.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 10:43 AM
Like you said, I was watching the show thinking "maybe some kids don't know anything about their parents". It's understandable. But what shocked me was him getting information of his family from a totally random person. A kid that doesn't have a relationship with his parents.
Like Eun Gyeol knows 0 things about them, while a stranger knows 1.
That just felt super awkward to me. But yeah, I guess that's possible too. It's just weird from my POV.
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ar_arguably romantic
November 9, 2023 at 5:13 PM
Maybe that housefire in the first episode happened to burn the photos and he didn't remember what his parents looked like in those photos? Eun-gyeol is probably not going to remember a face he saw in a pic when he was like 9.
I know more family stuff than my brother just because my mom and I talk more (or she likes talking at me more). And I feel like Eun-ho is the chattier sibling. He probably gets the girls because he's so open with everything and creates a feeling of intimacy. Even among friends and coworkers, I have people who talk more about their families than others.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
November 9, 2023 at 1:57 PM
We know that Yichan told the boys about the accident in the sauna when they were young but the steam stopped Eungyeol seeing the signing but Eunho was closer to the dad so may have seen it and assumed that Eungyeol saw it too.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 2:37 PM
But Eun Yu seems to know the actual date of the accident and how it happened. So I'm guessing there was a second conversation about it.
But knowing how chill Eun Ho is and how Eun Gyeol spent his time studying or playing guitar in secret, maybe Eun Ho just asked his dad one day Eun Gyeol wasn't at home. And just forgot to gossip about it to his dongsaeng.
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ar_arguably romantic
November 9, 2023 at 5:25 PM
I wonder if the date happened to be the same date as something also significant, so it's memorable.
Like if someone said to me, oh I got hit by a car the day right before Prince's halftime show at the superbowl and then I wasn't able to go. I would be like "oh that sucks to have missed a legendary performance" and could surmise it was end of January/early February of some year when he was alive.
In Yi-chan's case, he had to go deaf by the time he's 20. So that window of time is also limited.
5 Bunny Sonaki
November 9, 2023 at 6:13 AM
I loved how they gave focus for Lee-chan and Chung-ah this week. The song, the hug, the kiss and jealous Lee-chan had me swooning.
But the ending got me disapponted. Why are we getting a third accident? I know it is a major plot point but it got more than enough screen time. And we have a lot of plot points to cover like Chung-ah getting out of this messy family, lee-chan going to college and healing, the real Se-kyung's return and only one week left. So, why add yet unnecessary plot twist?
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Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
November 9, 2023 at 6:53 AM
I think that plot point of Lee-Chan loosing his hearing MUST happen. History shouldn’t be changed. I think Eun Gyeol needs to come to the realization that his purpose of time traveling isn’t to stop his father’s hearing loss. His purpose is to gain a better understanding of his parents so that he can rekindle his fathers love of music in the modern timeline.
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pliplipli
November 9, 2023 at 7:05 AM
I totally agree. one thing that shouldnt change is his dad losing his hearing, not because we want to see him suffer, but to show that he can still be happy despite what happened bcs of the people around him.
however, I wished they didn't have the accident while eungyeol is still in 1995. I would like if eungyeol went back to the future but met his dad deaf and learned that after he left, the accident still happened. idk maybe it would be more painful and he wouldn't get closure, but I think two episodes left and having this whole rollercoaster of emotions with another accident wont have time to properly be executed
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Britney
November 9, 2023 at 7:06 AM
I wouldn't phrase it as rekindle his love of music but that Eun Gyeol realizes that he can still share that with his parents, especially his father, even if they can't hear it.
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Jingbee
November 9, 2023 at 3:23 PM
I think so too, it must happen. As clearly, saving his Dad from this accident was never his mission. If the show is telegraphing that not being deaf is the happy ending then Id be really really disappointed. Yes, it is tragic but Yichan as an adult is a good person and an even greater parent, and being deaf did not change that. To me, Eun Gyeol's mission is to accept that being CODA should not prevent him from living and enjoying his own life, too, and as an example he does not have to hide his love for music.
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Bunny Sonaki
November 9, 2023 at 9:24 PM
I see where you all are coming from. But I beg to differ. If Eun-gyeol return back to the future with the accident still happening, he will be devastated. It hurts a lot more when you believe you can get a different ending. Also, other from understanding the parents, there were hints about the future changing because of the trip. So, if we return back to the same point after this whole trip, it will be frustrating.
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6 Peridot
November 9, 2023 at 6:51 AM
I've been wondering about the whole time travelling aspect of this show. Do you think that Eun-gyeol and Eun-yoo actually traveled to the past? Or have they just been provided a window into their parents' lives? Will the changes they made and continue to make really have an effect on the future or is the whole experience a way for them to gain new insights?
Side note: I don't really think most kdramas properly deal with time travel and it's potential effects. For example, in the drama My Perfect Stranger, I was expecting the memories of the leads to change as a result of their continual interfering with the past. Instead, they retained their memories of the original timeline while being aware that they were changing the future. Their old memories were not replaced with new 'old' memories. The same changes regarding memories and experiences should happening to our two time travelers in Twinkling Watermelon, but they are not. In both My Perfect Stranger and Twinkling Watermelon, I get the following feeling: "let's make a bunch of changes to the past and find out how those changes have affected our futures once we go back. In the meantime, we have no clue." Memories are not being changed in real time whenever events are changed, modified, or prevented.
Even though our mystery man told Eung-yeol early on that his actions have started to affect the future, I don't know if I'm convinced.
In short: is this actually time travel or some weird/magical experience? I feel that the later would make more sense.
I'm not sure if I am articulating this well.
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pliplipli
November 9, 2023 at 7:17 AM
I have similar doubts about this drama. I guess we will only know when eungyeol is back in 2023, whatever the way lol the drama has been kinda loose with its warnings about changing things. it says, but then our two time travellers keep interfering. I always put this on them being real teenagers and being led by emotions of their parents' past. they know they shouldn't do this, but they go and do it anyway. and also.. they never got a clear explanation about why they were doing that. none of them wished they could go back to change things, they were kinda forced into this time travel thing. the drama has this Disney-ish magic that can make you think none of this is happening lol
this drama is more like magical realism. you have a random occurrence like going to the past but the hows and whys are not that important. as someone who likes time travel stories a lot, I could feel betrayed by it lol but I came to love these characters so I'm still watching it
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 9:22 AM
I think of the show for magical experience.
For me, the kids never had a real reason to time travel and they never did something that could make them go back in time. Just some random fairy-ahjussi appeared and decided that they have to go back in time to truly enjoy their youth and fix their family problems.
The kid's totally messed with the timeline, but like you said, no changes. And do you remember Eun Yu's joke? "Maybe you'll born faster she said to Eun Gyeol. Since things actually started to move faster the chances of Eun Gyeol (and Eun Ho) being deleted from existence are extremely high. Their kids could/should totally change.
So yeah, I vote for some random magic.
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Peridot
November 9, 2023 at 2:23 PM
"Since things actually started to move faster the chances of Eun Gyeol (and Eun Ho) being deleted from existence are extremely high. Their kids could/should totally change."
Exactly!
I honestly think the magical experience would make more sense at this point.
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7 Emily Hewett
November 9, 2023 at 6:57 AM
Yi Chan's accident arc? Not again!! Maybe the show is signaling that it's unavoidable? Cause if it doesn't happen, things will be VERY different in the present. I get it all, but I don't think I can handle it.
This week's episodes were heartachingly beautiful. From Yi Chan & Chung Ah's heart fluttering romance to Eun gyeol's finding out about his parents' sufferings, the show just keeps getting better and better.
There are actually a lot of questions regarding their going back to the present. When they'll suddenly disappear, how would the others feel? For the parents in the present, they met the 18 y/o version of their son already, how would this play out? If they prevent Yi Chan from going deaf, how the family dynamic would be? I don't know how they plan to cover all these but I do hope they do it in a decent way. The show has exceeded my expectations in many ways, so I hope it does with the finale, too. It's so close to being my favourite show of 2023, so please don't disappoint me. C'mon show, you can do it!
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8 pliplipli
November 9, 2023 at 6:59 AM
these are probably my favorite episodes.
the drama really went to the direction I always liked it more, giving us yichan and chungah blossoming love story and showing us more of her with eungyeol.
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9 Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
November 9, 2023 at 7:07 AM
Last week a bunch of us wanted a lot more Chung-Ah and writer nim listened! They must read Dramabeans 🤣 cause we got a whole lot more Chung-Ah and Yi-Chan. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
The confession scene was well done. Yi-Chan’s “switch” from Se-Kyung to Chung-Ah was a bit sudden but that’s a minor gripe.
I continue to love this show and I appreciate all the beanie chatter that got me started on Twinkling Watermelon. Thank you Beanies!
This show did get me thinking though. I know so little about my parents life before I was born. Their struggles, their passions, their youth…I know nothing. Twinkling Watermelon Is making me change my perspective on real life. Ahhh, the power of Kdramas.
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Emily Hewett
November 9, 2023 at 8:52 AM
Well, his feelings for Chung Ah wasn't exactly sudden, he kept looking out for her for quite a long time. It's just that he became sure of it after Segyung got out of the picture. Segyung was more of a 'crush' , but you can feel the longing in his eyes when he looks at Chung Ah.
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ar_arguably romantic
November 9, 2023 at 5:34 PM
Also once Se-kyung returned as Eun-yoo, she lost a bit of that unattainable and cold goddess shine. Any of Eun-yoo's popularity at school is due to that goddess aura groundwork that Se-kyung laid. Eun-yoo is too approachable and Yi-chan-like for Yi-chan to really fall in love with.
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Britney
November 9, 2023 at 9:08 PM
Haha she's too Yi Chan like for Yi Chan to fall in love with haha
This made me laugh and then it made me wonder so what's the draw to Cheong Ah?
I think he was somewhat primed for "interest" in her due to Cheong Ah due to Eun Gyeol saying he was supposed to be in love with her (before he knew met her)
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 9:32 AM
I don't think the switch was sudden. Even Eun Yu asked him "did you ever like me?".
One of the reasons I didn't like Yi Chan for the first half of the show is because he never saw "Se Kyung" as a real person with feelings. He never really cared about what she had to say. I started to like him when he started to show his genuine feelings of love. And that only happened with Cheong Ha.
So for me it's just that he switched from "the idea of love/romance" to the real thing.
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10 pliplipli
November 9, 2023 at 7:25 AM
now projecting the final episodes like some other comments.... my guess is that the accident will happened and eungyeol wont be able to "protect" his dad. they will have a nice moment after he loses his hearing where eungyeol will realize that despite the heartbreak, his dad has good people around him and he will have a happy life from now on. eungyeol and eunyu will go back to the future after that and once we are in 2023 again, we will have a montage of how everyone is doing, with small changes like yichan still being friends with the band and their manager, but overall still having the same life he got before the time travel. same for chungah.. she might be still have a relationship with her dad, but I think overall yichan and chungah will still do the same things they did in the original timeline, having the same family and lifestyle. eunyu will probably have a funny scene with both brother in 2023 and she will have an emotional moment about her grandfather that she didn't have that much time to know about.
I think the drama will be as loose with the time travel explanation as it was with its rule throughout the run. a lot will be left to our imagination.
(a side note: I still think the grandfather knows something about the time travel)
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ar_arguably romantic
November 9, 2023 at 5:37 PM
I feel that the grandpa knows more than he lets on too. Even though Eun-yoo looks like Se-kyung, he's been around Se-kyung since she was a little girl, trying to watch over her. This Eun-yoo is too different than his daughter. So I think he knows Eun-yoo is his future granddaughter.
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11 Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
November 9, 2023 at 7:49 AM
Question:
They took a lot of pictures in 1995.
Band pics, beach pics etc.
In the present timeline- won’t someone notice Eun-Gyeol existed in 1995?
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Emily Hewett
November 9, 2023 at 8:57 AM
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Emily Hewett
November 9, 2023 at 9:00 AM
Oh I never thought of that!! That's a HUGE one!! Also , now that he's a part of their lives so closely, how would they think of his disappearance? I think 18 y/o Yichan will feel devastated :(
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 9:45 AM
They'll probably also remember the fact that he went around saying "I'M YOU'RE SON" to Yi Chan. Well, he told him the whole truth at the cliff.
He also called Cheong Ha "mom" in sign language.
The bandmates will probably remember Eun Yu singing all the Bangtan songs...
Oh, Eun Gyeol talking about "the accident" 24/7 and always asking Yi. Chan if he can hear probably doesn't help.
Tbh, I think it would be less weird for them to believe their son travelled in time. He did/said too much nonsense. It's impossible to forget/ignore.
I kinda feel bad for the dad tho. He'll think his kid traveled in time to prevent his accident because he's family is a mess. Well, after the conversation at the cliff, and the obsession with the accident that's what I would think.
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12 Britney
November 9, 2023 at 8:05 AM
I don't know how much time is supposed to have passed since Cheong Ah started learning and practicing sign language but she seems to be picking it up quite quickly. Signing whole rants and even teaching the others some signs.
I think the friendship developing amongst the band guys is really sweet and I like how Yi Chan taught them sign so Cheong Ah could be included. I liked that they actively tried to include her.
I like that there have a been a few times that it's shown that Yi Chan can be combative or angry but he holds himself back (such as with the muggers or with the teacher) but when he saw Cheong Ah being mistreated, he couldn't let that go.
"I told you not to cross the line but you moved the line" before he continues beating up the jerks again.
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Peridot
November 9, 2023 at 2:31 PM
"I don't know how much time is supposed to have passed since Cheong Ah started learning and practicing sign language but she seems to be picking it up quite quickly. Signing whole rants and even teaching the others some signs."
I know she is dedicated to learning sign now that a whole new world has opened up to her, but I do think we have to suspend our disbelief at certain points.
And what about Yi-chan? He seems to be a genius at everything. I thought, for example, that he did not have any real musical knowledge when we were first introduced to him, but he took to the guitar quickly. He can also read music and compose his own songs. And he has acquired a lot of signs in a short period of time. When does he have the time to learn everything? LOL
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ar_arguably romantic
November 9, 2023 at 5:54 PM
LOL! I wonder how his math, korean, history, etc. all secondary education subject area scores are going to be if he spent all his time doing everything else.
Kdrama characters and the infinite amount of time they have.
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13 hacja
November 9, 2023 at 8:17 AM
I'm very sympathetic to the comments lauding the sweet relationship between Yi-Chan and Chung-ah, and showing the way they both overcame hardship, and Chung-ah abuse, but I still find the story of Eun-gyeol and especially Eun-yoo slightly more interesting in this drama, because, beyond the "mission" of understanding their parents childhood, which presumably now has been accomplished, I'm not sure how their own circumstances will be resolved.
I have appreciated how the show has had Yi-chan mature, until these last episodes, where he really is now more "adult" than his son, and also, you get the proper sense that the love between he and Chung-ah is a lasting love and not a high school crush. But since I'm pretty confident that he's going to have hearing loss (even in a changed timeline), and marriage is definitely in the future for the couple, I'm not as curious about them.
For Eun-gyeol, though, I think he has always misunderstood his mission, and further, he's been fairly dense about it, in realizing that Eun-yoo is not her Mom. Also, I was disappointed that when Eun-yoo called him really upset, after finding out her Mother was illegitimate, he didn't press her to find out what she learned--he's so centered on himself and his own mission. And in a previous discussion, he readily agreed that he succeeded and Eun-yoo failed--failed, in other words in preventing her birth, without acknowledging again her sadness --he should have at least said that he was glad it failed.
So in my opinion, he still has a lot to understand. While I do think that will include that his Dad's hearing loss, that loss, while tragic, still allowed the whole family to live a happy life, I am hoping he can expand his horizons and understand how happy his family circumstances were in comparison to Eun-yoo's. But now I'm not sure that will be the case.
As for Eun-yoo, the resolution of her circumstances is what I'm most curious about since her alcoholic Mom treated her so badly, attempting to relive her own life through Eun-yoo. Will Eun-yoo be able to reach some sort of reconciliation with her Mom because of her new understanding? You'd assume so, but I'm not sure about that either.
As you can tell, I'm kind of dreading the last two episodes, as I always do with kdramas I like, because wrapping up fantasies is in my opinion a LOT harder than real life stories, and there have been very few shows this year that have done it to my satisfaction!
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hacja
November 9, 2023 at 8:45 AM
A couple of other really minor points that probably reflect my disappointment with Eun-gyeol's character: what happened to him as a guitar hero? Did he lose his virtuosity after being electrocuted?
And then the actor playing Eun-gyeol is really pretty physically awkward. His running style, which we've seen a lot of in this show as he sprints to help his Dad or Mom, is painful to watch--and the idea that he could dunk a basketball (that was 3 episodes ago) is ludicrous. We saw his awkwardness again when his character was chasing after Eun-yoo at the song writing camp, where she easily eluded him. Maybe the lessons of his time travel are that in the present day he should continue to practice his guitar and get a fitness coach!
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 9:55 AM
I have the complete opposite experience.
I'm less interested in Eun-Eun couple because I already know their problems can't be solved in 1995.
We have to wait for then to go back to 2023 and talk with their parents to see the real progress.
And Idk how will they handle Eun Yu's story, but Eun Gyeol has the most beautiful parents of the year. I know they'll figure it out.
But after going back to 2023 we will never see teen Cheong Ha and teen Yi Chan ever again. They won't show us what happened with them, we'll only see the consequences of their actions reflected in the 2023 timeline.
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hacja
November 9, 2023 at 10:01 AM
Yes, I know I am differing in my reaction to the show than the majority of viewers here. But, because of my perspective, I do think Eun Gyeol as a CODA is one of the major themes of the show--it is far more than a plot device. He has felt a responsibility to the family as the one hearing member--he has assumed the role as communicator to the hearing world, even helping his brother break up with all his girlfriends. What precipitated the conflict with the Dad that sent him back in time was not just his desire to go on tour, it was his feeling that he's had to give up a lot of his life for his family.
So while it could be the failure to entirely focus on Yi Chan and Cheong Ha is flaw in the show, for better or worse, Eun Geyeol as a CODA is the centerpiece of the story.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 10:34 AM
Hahaha. Yes, again, for me it's the opposite.
No matter what they do or say in the final episode. I won't stop feeling like they used Eun Gyeol being a CODA as a plot device.
The kid spent the whole show with his hearing dad trying to prevent him from the accident, yes, but that was it. It meant nothing to me.
I don't think Eun Gyeol can solve his problem about his parents being deaf and the pressure they put on them with a teenage dad that can hear. For me it doesn't make sense. Especially if they spend the whole time chasing a girl?
That's why in the first few weeks I complained about the time travel and Yi Chan's hearing.
Now I just separated both timelines as if they were totally unrelated shows. Hahaha.
I'm only ignoring the whole 2023 plotline, just like the writer of the show did.
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Kurama
November 9, 2023 at 10:54 AM
I don't think he help his brother to break up, he forced him to break up because it was a break to his athlete career.
He gave up a lot of things but nobody asked him, he just never communicaed with them.
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Lonestar Girl
November 10, 2023 at 8:31 AM
I think it's a sign of good writing when a show elicits multiple opinions and feelings from its viewers. That means the show, like real life, is multifaceted and not flat, and thus appeals to a larger audience.
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Kafiyah Bello
November 9, 2023 at 9:59 AM
LMAO, he runs like an idiot. Every single time he runs, it is Phoebe in friends. It is legitimately awful to watch.
That being said, his and Eun Yu's mission were to be teenagers. To enjoy life to the fullest in a way they believed they couldn't with their individual issues. Their mission has been accomplished, I think now they just have to realize it.
I am also betting Eun Gyeol will have to choose between saving his dad and leaving back to the future. Maybe then he will realize his dad not being able to hear is not even remotely a bad thing.
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14 Slice-of-Life Dramatics
November 9, 2023 at 8:41 AM
Grandpa seems to know that Eun-yoo isn't Se-kyung, even if she is pretending to be. I'm intrigued about that fact that he probably knows she time-travelled? And curious to know what Eun-yoo found out from him... So many questions to be wrapped up in the final 2 episodes, but I've been loving this little heartwarming drama since the start, and these 2 episodes especially, so I'll be sad when it ends next week.
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Emily Hewett
November 9, 2023 at 9:14 AM
Yup, he seems to know something ( well, cuz he seems to be an important plot point) . Also, in the first/2nd episode he gave Eun Gyeol a song to complete & never gave a clear idea about who the writer was. I thought it would turn out to be either written by Yi Chan or Eun Gyeol in the past.
I'll miss the drama hugely when it ends. It's been a while since I felt this empty after completing a show.
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15 tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 8:47 AM
Forget what I said two weeks ago. THESE TWO ARE MY FAVORITE EPISODES.
1. Why so cute?! Why so lovely?! I love all these kids. What if Eun-Eun couple gets trapped in 1995? I don't care. At least they'll enjoy more time with their friends!
When they come back they'll find that all their besties are their uncles/auntie. Oh, and Eun Gyeol has horrible bandmates waiting for him!
...Please give the kids more time in 1995. 😆
2. Beanies, we got WAY MORE CHEONG HA THIS WEEK!!!
No wait, who's editing this show?? We saw those teenagers harassing Cheong Ha and then they cut the scene out of nowhere to show us the Eun-Eun couple??? I'm sorry but I fast forward that conversation at the park because I needed to know what was going to happen to my girl and Yi Chan.
I think I did it twice.
Do they think we're gonna get bored if they don't show Eun-Eun every ten minutes? Sorry editor-nim, but you're wrong.
Anyway, THE SONG. I cried so much. Did anyone else noticed that the actor actually sang this time?? First time we hear him sing and it was just for this scene. 🥺 When I noticed it I started to cry more. LOL
That's my favorite scene in the whole show. Nothing can top that, imo. Not the kiss, not the cat. The song was EVERYTHING.
3. The bandmates are adorable. I enjoy their scenes so much.
The one where the members kept falling and standing up when the couples appeared, hahahaha. Super cute.
And the way they became so close to Cheong Ha that it even made Yi Chan jealous AWWWW.
In the future timeline we better get scenes of the boys visiting their house. If they don't become Eun Ho and Eun Gyeol's future uncles then what's the point??
4. Petition to delete Cheong Ha's stepmother from existence. PLEASE.
And that flashback... That guy seriously has the audacity to ask Eun Gyeol to make Cheong Ha smile at him? FO.
-Separates the kid from her mother.
-Doesn't let her express herself in her own way/rejects her identity.
-Ignores her literal scream for help??????????
-Makes ZERO efforts to improve/change his relationship with her + Makes nothing about that crazy witch.
And now he has the audacity to ask for smiles????? SMILES??
It even makes sense the staff members feel like they can't do much about Cheong Ha's situation. Not even her dad would do something about it!!!!
Okay, I'm getting angry again. I need to chill....
5. I have such complicated feelings about this show's ending.
Preventing the accident would feel wrong because making a deaf person not-deaf to give them "a happy ending" is like... ew. Not right, imo. Eun Gyeol's problem with his family didn't even had anything to do with his dad's accident or his parents being deaf itself. The pressure they were putting on him can be fixed in a million ways. They don't need to make the dad "hear".
BUT after watching Yi Chan, the boy with no dreams finding something he really loves and watching him be so good at it, I think it...
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 8:48 AM
BUT after watching Yi Chan, the boy with no dreams finding something he really loves and watching him be so good at it, I think it would be sad to see him lose that.
If I think of the present timeline I want the accident to happen but if I pretend that doesn't exists and only focus on 1995 Yi Chan, I just want him to do what he wants to do. And I want the band to become big!! I love Viva la Vida Watermelon Sugar.
This is the major problem I have with this show. They made Eun Gyeol a CODA but that has nothing to do with the actual story. It's just a plot device.
The characters/actors are hard carrying this show on their shoulders with their energy and charisma, because everything I think of the actual plot or logic of the show and how it is developing... it kinda stresses me out.
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Lonestar Girl
November 9, 2023 at 10:47 AM
I'm with you. It will be sad to see young Yi-chan lose his hearing. Because even though we know he ultimately has a wonderful life with Chung ah and his boys in the future, seeing the light go out in his eyes when he loses his hearing will be painful and difficult. One of my friends lost her sense of taste for two years after getting Covid, and she said it messes with you psychologically.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 11:02 AM
Exactly.
Yi Chan didn't have dreams or ambition. He thought he only had to make money and that was it. He talked about 1995 like it was the last year of happiness and freedom for him. That's why he got so obsessed with Se Kyeong.
We saw all his development, we saw how much the band meant for him. That was the first time he felt so much passion about something. So watching him lose that it's sad. I don't want him to lose his band.
But I kinda feel at peace since we already saw him as an adult. Even if the recovery/adaptation is hard we know he'll be fine.
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FormAnOrderlyQueue
November 9, 2023 at 6:50 PM
"The song was EVERYTHING" - absolutely this. My favourite part of it all. The effort and practice that went into it so that he could help her understand his heart - utterly beautiful in every sense.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 7:14 PM
I totally agree with you. 💯
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emsel
November 11, 2023 at 11:21 PM
Did anyone else noticed that the actor actually sang this time?? First time we hear him sing and it was just for this scene.
That was Choi Hyun Wook right? He definitely sang, right? I don't know if singers can mimick his gruff voice.
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 12, 2023 at 1:01 AM
He did!! This time it was him!! 😌☺️
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16 jillian
November 9, 2023 at 9:15 AM
Too many feels this week. Our lovely Chung Ah deserves all the love. Yi Chan "singing a song" only for our dear girl. Can he be anymore devoted? And that kiss! So happy for them!
Its also about time that our time travelling duo discover their real identities. How funny Eun Yu was singing BTS songs as her own and EG stopping her.
If there is only one thing that can change, I would like Chung Ah to have improved relationship with her father. Also I hope that evil chairwoman gets kicked out of the Jinsung household.
This show is just adorable as a button. I trust that the show will end all storylines neatly next week.
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17 Kafiyah Bello
November 9, 2023 at 10:01 AM
That confession was ADORABLE. Yi Chan and Chung Ah for life. They are just super cute. I was also so very very happy when Halmoni gave her a comforting hug, she needed that.
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18 imzadi
November 9, 2023 at 10:15 AM
Loved the episodes, but I was almost annoyed how many signs Eun-gyeol about Eun-yoo simply ignored. And sorry, I am still not interest in Eun-yoos storyline. I am already dreading that we will be leaving Yi-chan and Chung-ah back in 1995.
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19 Miss_elly
November 9, 2023 at 10:41 AM
I do t think his misión was to actually stop yo chans accident: I think his trip to the past was a way for him to actually get the chance to be a kid! And better understand his father/ parents and what they are the way they are. How many of us truly know who our parents were before having us? Even if the accident still happens the past has already changed with the festival performance so it may change his dad out look in the future. Music could have been a Hugh trama that’s what he hated it so much. He even said to Chang ah that you don’t just listen with your ears but all your senses. Same with Eun too She was alway a doll to her mom just me by to preform. When she was sent back i to time she also got to be a kid and have fun and also find out what her mom is that way also. The drama is healing to our leads from their childhood traumas.
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20 oosiee
November 9, 2023 at 11:05 AM
Yi-chan-"I won't get married ever."
Eungyeol-"Me..what about me then?"
🤣 Oh Eungyeol~ah!! You crack me up!
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21 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
November 9, 2023 at 1:46 PM
Thanks for the weecap @dramaddictally
I agree these episodes finally gave us what we have been waiting for having seen the wonderful love between Eungyeol’s parents as adults and the closeness of their family despite the hardships they faced and the isolation from extended family on both sides.
The questions for me was the lack of ability to contact the dad when he is travelling. Even if there was no way for Chungah to contact him prior to the fax machine they should have been communicating via the fax machine as soon as it was set up. In modern times there is no reason for parents not to have direct contact with their children when they are away from the home even if the parent also communicates with the carers to make sure their child is ok. Which parent thinks it’s ok to be kept away from their child while they are undergoing education lessons especially if they are not home often and they know the child finds it hard. On a basic level the parent would want to show interest in what the child is learning and encourage them to keep going. He is literally allowing the staff to be the child’s only contact with adults. Even parents who send their children to boarding schools want to check in with them to see that they are getting their monies worth in terms of their skill set.
I hate it when dramas have lots of happy elements and then randomly an evil person comes along to take the shine off especially when that person gets way too much screen time.
I think the band member who is now the music shop owner is the link between the Eungyeol and Eunyoo as she never met him as her mum stayed away from him and Eungyeol never knew why he wanted Eungyeol to have the old guitar and finish writing the unfinished song. This way Eungyeol will get to say goodbye before leaving and won’t regret his death so much.
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22 Britney
November 9, 2023 at 5:44 PM
I don't know many kpop songs but I did recognize the Fire title haha
I don't know who performs it but I think the dance is famous. It made me chuckle when Eun Yu was referencing current kpop songs and Eun Gyeol was freaking out about potential copyright infrigement and messing/revealing future events.
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ar_arguably romantic
November 9, 2023 at 6:05 PM
Eun-yoo pulls out the BTS songs! Fire, Dynamite, Not Today, and "Blood Sweat and Tears" (though Eun-gyeol tackled her before she could finish). Making those songs happen before their time - she could have ruined the biggest boy band ever (maybe besides The Beatles)! Maybe even wiped kpop from public consciousness in several countries!
Girl was playing with fire there!
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tabong is ironing the crosswalk
November 9, 2023 at 6:30 PM
My first thought was "why would you give kpop songs to a rock band?", then I started to worry like Eun Gyeol. LOL
She also stared dancing BLACKPINK's Ddu du ddu du but the other boys weren't there.
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23 ar_arguably romantic
November 9, 2023 at 6:33 PM
THanks for the recap!!
I love this drama so much and love all these kids too - so cute and cringe and loud at the same time. I loved their weekend getaway and seeing the group pics!
Yi-chan and Chung-ah relationship is just everything! I loved how Yi-chan taught her how to reach him by phone. And I loved how Eun-gyeol saved his mom and how Yi-chan's grandma gave her some maternal love.
Yi-chan was right about how complicit Chung-ah's dad was. I've been surprised at how Eun-gyeol - with his modern-day sensibilities- wasn't thinking how effed up the Chairman is to have an inkling that Chung-ah was being mistreated (Eun-gyeol was pretty loud that day) and not do anything. Do what other rich people do and hire a maid on his side to investigate.
I'm so curious about what Eun-yoo found out about her mom or her grandma to make her homesick for her mom. Her relationship with Se-kyung is an interesting one since it's terrible (the alcoholism, holding her daughter emotionally hostage), but also not terrible at times (taking walks with her and talking about her first love). What is it that Se-kyung needs to hear in order to fix herself?
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24 Krispy Oz
November 9, 2023 at 10:09 PM
Be still, My Beating Heart ❤️ I smiled like the sun, laughed uncontrollably, blushed a little too much, struggled to breathe, and cried a river.
High school Kdramas aren't usually my thing, but Twinkling Watermelon continues to surprise and delight - completely ruin me at times, too!
Most impressive about this series is the shift away from romanticising toxic relationships - green flags everywhere, proving that Kdramas can be beautifully written and also draw an audience in without needing to glorify coercive, controlling, aggressive and explosive masculinity. Let's face it, toxic masculinity is NOT attractive.
Yi-Chan's earnest and heartfelt love confession was obviously a combination of a few well-known scenes, but the delivery from Choi Hyun-wook was still one of the most heart fluttering and sweetest in Kdrama history. Cheong-ah's reaction was also just chef's kiss. Not a single word uttered, yet so much conveyed. Again, I'm utterly smitten with Cheong-ah's character. Her interactions with, well, anyone really, even the felines, are the highlight of every episode. More please! Shin Eun-soo has been a revelation, really shines in this role, and I look forward to future projects.
Cheong-ah's evil stepmother is just the WORST. The "anything you can do, I can do, too" return slap to the face had me fist pumping the air. In stark contrast, Eun-gyeol's guttural reaction to finding Cheong-ah in the dungeon and Cheong-ah's words, "You finally found me. After 12 years, hide and seek is over", were a real sucker punch that left me wailing and struggling to breathe. Everything about Cheong-ah's storyline really hits you in the feels.
Hopefully the last two episode focus more on Cheong-ah and Yi-Chan and we see even less of Eun-gyeol and Eun-yu romance - I stopped caring about them as a couple at their first meeting. Not sorry.
As much as I love Twinkling Watermelon, there was plenty to gripe about with episodes 13 & 14. Eg. dumbest time traveller's ever who ignore the obvious clues OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Writer's romanticising pocketing someone else's prescription medication & replacing it with candy - just no, writer's! But my biggest gripe is with the director ruining my perfect Cheong-ah Yi-Chan slow burn with a dead fish first kiss. Every interaction between them leading up to that moment has been nigh on faultless, then the dreaded Kdrama dead fish kiss reared its ugly head. It's all kinds of wrong and really needs to go! Ruins everything for me. Every. Single. Time. Never cared it was a dead fish kiss between Eun-gyeol and Eun-yu because I have zero investment in their relationship, but when I'm fully invested, which I am in Cheong-ah and Yi-chan, I'll accept anything other than a dead fish kiss.
It's been a wee minute since I've been this invested in a Kdrama, I'll be sad Twinkling Watermelon is reaching its conclusion next week. Sigh.
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emsel
November 11, 2023 at 11:31 PM
Writer's romanticising pocketing someone else's prescription medication & replacing it with candy - just no, writer's!
Yes, someone needs to call out these terrible writing choices. Tapering off medication is a gradual process and with proper consultation from the doctor. It is not something to be done with the snap of a finger🙄
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25 emsel
November 11, 2023 at 11:50 PM
@dramaddictally Thank you for the recap.
Yi Chan and Chung Ah's love story was totally worth the wait. How romantic was his solo sign singing for her? ❤ Her subsequent understanding that music means a lot to him and informing him that his passion will not make her feel lonely, shows the compatibility between them.
I understand why the writers chose to reveal Chung Ah's story in bits and pieces because to pack them into one long sequence would have been a cascade of heart breaking emotions. "You found me. The hide and seek is over. After 12 years." Damn! That was impactful writing and performance. Other equally great scenes were Yi Chan's outburst at parental care and Eun Gyeol's understanding of parental scarifices.
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26 cjoyce17
November 13, 2023 at 10:04 PM
I haven't watched episode 15 yet and I just finished ep 14 last night. Am I the only one who thinks that even though yeah Yichan is slowly falling for Chung Ah, she is like a rebound/second option since Eunyoo/Segyeong rejected him. I can't help but feel that way whenever he looks at Eungyol and Eunyoo mostly on episode 14. That's why it's like bittersweet to me, Yichan and Chung Ah's love story.
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27 gadis
November 15, 2023 at 6:47 PM
Yi-chan and Chung-ah stole all my tears and heart this eps. Right when I thought I couldn't be more in love with this young couple, they continued to astonish me with everything they chose to do. Yi-chan's special rendition of "The Magic Castle" was one of the most beautiful, meaningful and touching performance of that song that I've heard. I think I've spent all my tears during that one scene that I have to keep rewatching it again and again. But the most beautiful thing? The way the band mates took it upon themselves to learn sign language so they can communicate directly with Chung-ah. I think it was there that I could see the twinkling brightness of youthful determination and bravery to think for themselves.
After a happy crying fest, it was a helpless rage and sorrow fest next as Eun-gyeol opened the dark room where The Witch kept Chung-ah punished for years. The moment he landed his eyes on a drawing of the Watermelon Sugar band that she made while waiting for someone to open the door, that sob sounded like it was ripped straight from the deepest part of his heart. I felt him so completely, but it was also that moment that brought the realization what a great people Chung-ah and Yi-chan were.
I never fully realized what an amazing feat Yi-chan and Chung-ah did as parents by raising their children as caring and loving people. By not perpetuating the traumatic childhood cycle that they found themselves in. It was so easy for them to slide back to what their childhood taught them, much like what happened between Se-kyung and Eun-yu. Instead, they managed to grow beyond that, to be wiser and truly letting the bad part of their childhood go. They were such strong and amazing people, and I could only hope that this time travel journey would bring them all another chance for a happy and fulfilling future together.
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