THE SHORT VERDICT:

As warm and feel-good as it is poignant and heart-tugging, Twinkling Watermelon is a show where its sum is definitely greater than its parts.

We’ve got lovable characters, endearing relationships, relatable angst, and vicarious joy, all packaged into one little drama world, and we even get a blithely breezy soundtrack, to score it all.

Show’s greatest strength, is how it consistently serves up all of the warm, fuzzy feels, while expertly getting us to care about these characters.

An underrated gem.

THE LONG VERDICT:

I really think of this show as the little drama that could.

In a drama landscape where so many bigger budgeted, glossier shows with much more high profile casts and marketing, are turning out to be on the underwhelming side of things, this show, with its obviously more modest budget and greener cast, managed to do what so many other shows failed to do.

It grabbed my heart and didn’t let go, through its entire 16-episode run.

I came away from each episode in a cloud of warm, happy feels, and that is rare and precious indeed. 🥰

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

The music in this show was a definite highlight of my watch. From boppy tunes, to plaintive wistful ballads, to breezy happy numbers, everything just came together to amplify the watch experience, for me.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I really do enjoy the breezy-happy vibe of Track 4 – Tomorrow.

Here it is as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, in a pretty macro sort of fashion, followed by a section where I’ll put the spotlight on selected characters and relationships.

Of course, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on the ending.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or in all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. This isn’t a true time-travel drama

What I mean is, yes, our characters do time travel, but the whys and hows are not on Show’s priority list to explore.

Show’s focus is more on the personal journeys of our characters, and the development of our characters’ relationships, so adjusting your expectations around this, helps.

2. This isn’t primarily a romance

Although there are lovelines in this story, I would say that the romantic relationships still take a more supporting role, with the familial relationships taking centerstage.

I really liked this about Show’s approach, actually, so as long as you temper your expectations around how much Show will focus on romance, you should be all good.

3. Some suspension of disbelief is required

There is a bit of logic stretching at play within our story, so I think adjusting your analytical lens to a blurry setting, is the better way to go.

A lighthearted manhwa lens totally helps, coz with that on, not everything needs to make sense. 😁

STUFF I LIKED

The way Show gets me to care

One of the things that I feel Show does very well, is get me to care about these characters.

It was because I cared about these characters, that I got so invested in this show.

It’s partly in how the characters are written to have sympathetic backstories, and it’s partly in how these characters are delivered by our cast, so that I can’t help but want to root for them.

Here’s a quickish spotlight on some of the set-up that Show does in our initial episodes, which I found really effective; by the time I got to the end of episode 2, I was fully invested.

Also, shout-out to Jung Hyun Joon, who plays young Eun Gyeol, and does a really nice job of it.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Right away, I find myself feeling a lot of sympathy for our protagonist Eun Gyeol.

At first, I was thinking that he was so fortunate and blessed, to have both the ability to speak and to hear, in a family where every other family member is unable to do both.

But, Show demonstrates soon enough, that this blessing is also very much a burden to Eun Gyeol, and it just makes it all the more heartachey, that this burden makes itself felt so early in Eun Gyeol’s life, from his childhood.

Even though Eun Gyeol is clearly grateful for his family, and even though the family is very sweet and loving, the burden on Eun Gyeol is very clear.

It’s on him, to protect and look out for everyone; it’s on him, to speak and hear for everyone; it’s on him, to connect his family to the rest of the world.

What a huge burden, that’s been laid on him, basically from the time he was able to speak.

It really gets to my heart, that Eun Gyeol is such an earnest, goodhearted, valiant little kid.

I mean, yes, he does eventually chafe at the responsibility that fences him in, but for literal years, he does his best to live up to the expectations that his parents have laid on him, and with a smile, at that.

Just this one thing, is enough to put me in Eun Gyeol’s corner, rooting and cheering for him, to find the delicate balance that would allow him to live his best life and be true to himself, while still caring for and looking out for his family.

That extended flashback was not the easiest to watch, because it was quite saddening, to see how much the otherwise happy, loving family suffered, for being discriminated against, and how much Eun Gyeol had to deal with, being the spokesperson for the family.

At this point, he’s just about 11 or so, based on my calculations, and that’s just a lot for a kid of his age to bear.

He’s the baby of the family, but he’s functioning as the eldest of the family, for all intents and purposes.

And it makes my heart warm to Eun Gyeol, so much, that he takes on all of this without any sense of discontent.

I’m glad that as a silver lining to all this, Eun Gyeol finds a friend in the music shop ahjusshi, and solace in learning to play the guitar.

What an unexpected dilemma though, to Eun Gyeol’s newfound talent in music; that he feels that he has to keep this to himself, because his family doesn’t have the same capacity to learn music the way he is. 😢

And then, how tragic, that because of his excitement over music, he ends up sneaking out of the house when he was supposed to be watching over his sick brother – which is exactly when that fire breaks out (thanks to Byung Ho’s (Kim Ha Eon) rash behavior, again).

It must have been so frightening to Eun Gyeol, that his choice to leave the house, had almost cost Dad his life, because Dad had rushed into the fire, to try to find Eun Gyeol.

Also, what a terrible extra punch to the gut, that music store ahjusshi ends up passing away, just as all this is happening.

It’s like every bad thing that could happen to Eun Gyeol, is happening, all at once.

It’s no wonder Eun Gyeol continues to carry that guilt with him for all the years that pass afterwards, and it’s no wonder that Eun Gyeol actually feels that he has a duty to quit music, even though he enjoys it so much. 😢

I’m actually glad to see that, even while preparing for medical school, Eun Gyeol still takes time out to perform on his guitar on the streets, where he’s actually amassed a loyal following.

I don’t like that he feels so guilty about it, but I like that he still does play, and that playing still brings him so much solace and joy.

I was also really glad that Eun Gyeol meets music store ahjusshi’s daughter, and receives not only that special guitar that ahjusshi had once promised him, but even more importantly, ahjusshi’s last message for him; that Eun Gyeol is the most gifted guitarist that ahjusshi’s ever met.

Wow. That is so precious, truly. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

The handling of our opening episodes [SPOILERS]

I actually really like the way Show handles the reveal, in our initial set of episodes, that our story takes place in two timelines, not one.

Because Show had already spelled out in its trailers that Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) is Eun Gyeol’s (Ryeoun) father, thanks to Eun Gyeol somehow time traveling, I knew, the minute Yi Chan appeared on my screen, that this was Dad in his youth.

HOWEVER. If I hadn’t known anything about Show going in, then this would’ve been an excellent twist, that all the scenes that we saw Yi Chan in, were happening in a completely different timeline.

It feels like a huge waste, actually, that Show would go to all this trouble to set up this reveal, after having already given us the punchline, in its trailers.

(Honestly, this kinda feels like what A Time Called You (review here!) did, with the ineffectual reveal in episode 1, thanks to its trailers containing way too much information.)

And so, I envy anyone who went into this show without actually watching the trailers, because, in execution, Show does a really great job of the reveal, when, at the end of episode 2, it finally becomes overtly clear, that Yi Chan exists in 1995, and not in the present.

I love how Show had it set up, that we’d know of the existence of the band First Love Memory Manipulators, and  how they’d met each other – and now, it’s filling in the blanks, that not only was Yi Chan part of that band, but now, Eun Gyeol’s going to be a part of the band too. 😁

The way Show balances its varying tones

There’s a good amount of humor, and a good amount of poignance, in our story, and I really like how Show manages to balance both of these very different tones.

The funny is often threaded through with poignance, and the poignance is often spotted with touches of humor, and I found that this worked really well for me.

To me, it felt like the poignance helped to keep things grounded, while the levity helped to keep things breezy.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I really like the comedy is balanced with poignance, from how Eun Gyeol ends up sleeping on the streets with homeless folks, to how he muses with regret, how he doesn’t actually know anything about Mom, because she hadn’t told him anything about her growing up years, aside from vague general statements that she’d practically grown up an orphan.

And of course, there’s also the poignance that that brings us as viewers, because this tells us something important about how isolated Chung Ah must feel, even though she retains that sense of stoicism as she goes about her life.

E5-6. While watching this pair of episodes, I mostly felt very sorry for Eun Gyeol.

Because, Eun Gyeol never asked to time travel, and yet, here he is, trying his darndest to get Yi Chan to cooperate with him so that Yi Chan might be able to avoid that big accident and thus not have to lose his hearing, but it’s so much like trying to get an adolescent cat to learn tricks, when said adolescent cat, like other adolescents AND other cats (so double the stubbornness here), just wants to do whatever he wants to do, in the moment. 😅

AND, to top it all off, now it turns out that if Eun Gyeol messes up this mission that he never asked for, he might find himself without a future to go back to, because he might have meddled himself out of existence – oops. 🙊

It’s such a conundrum, and Show explores it all so blithely, that I find myself enjoying everything like I’m bopping along to a nostalgic and fun oldies tune, even as I feel bad for Eun Gyeol, all the way through. 😅

It’s a slightly confusing – though still positive! – experience, overall.

[END SPOILER]

Show’s brand of rollercoaster

Our story can be a bit of a rollercoaster at times, and I just wanted to say that I really liked Show’s brand of rollercoaster.

What I mean is, because of this show’s wholesome vibe, where I am 99% certain that Show is going to give us a happy ending, this feels akin to taking a great rollercoaster ride – at Disney – where you’re not only assured of a safe landing, but you’re pretty sure that there’ll be wholesome feels waiting for you, at the finish line.

And so, I didn’t feel overly worried, even when Show had me on the edge of my seat at points.

Nicely done on both counts, Show, because I think it’s great to be kept on the edge of my seat, but also, I care about these characters, and I liked the sense of assurance we’d get a happy, wholesome outcome at the end of the day – somehow, even though I had no idea how. 😅

Show’s general sense of funny

I’m pleased to say that Show’s humor worked for me more often than it didn’t, which is a rare thing for me, since kdramas’ idea of funny often doesn’t align with my idea of funny.

And so, it was a very pleasant thing, to feel like I was (mostly) on the same page as Show, in terms of what was amusing.

Mostly, I found myself chuckling at the conceptual ideas that Show was working with, but sometimes, I also found myself giggling at our actors’ funny expressions.

Here are a couple of examples of when I found myself laughing at my screen, just to give you a flavor for what brand of funny we’re talking about here.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I’m pretty tickled at the backstory that explains how and why Yi Chan and Ma Joo were looking for someone holding the school newspaper at that street corner, and how that person ended up being Eun Gyeol instead of the real Yoon Dong Jin.

E3-4. I was low-key amused by Eun Gyeol’s efforts to find his way back to the present, like the way he goes back to the bookstore and gingerly makes that dramatic exit through the door, only to be completely foiled when he steps through it, only to still find himself in 1995. 😁

His frantic attempts to call the music store are pretty funny too, and I’m coming to the conclusion that Ryeoun’s pretty good at physical comedy.

I also appreciate that sometimes the funny’s in the details, like when Eun Gyeol realizes that he can’t use all the money he’s got with him, and ends up sorting through his change, to look for coins that were issued before 1995, in order to buy that bowl of instant ramyun.

I am somehow very appreciative of this detail. 😁

E9-10. There’s something very youthfully dorky about the full-on brawl that our young people get into, and I feel like this is the kind of chaotic energy that dominates, in episode 9 especially.

And I just want to say that this chaotic dorky silliness fits these boys perfectly, in my opinion. I basically rolled my eyes and laughed, each time they got into this puppy-beastly territorial mode. 😁

Of course, the boys getting into beastly territorial mode so often, is all about “Se Gyeong,” and it’s kinda hilarious that Yi Chan gets all upset all the time, and Eun Gyeol tries so hard to keep Yi Chan away from “Se Gyeong,” when this really isn’t Se Gyeong at all.

[END SPOILER]

The attention to detail

Specifically, I’m referring to two main things: how authentically it looks like our characters are playing their instruments, and how authentically our actors communicate with sign language.

In terms of the guitar-playing, to my eyes (my own guitaring skills are pretty basic, at best) Ryeoun really looks like he’s playing the guitar for real, and I’m impressed.

As in, I’ve read that whatever he actually played, he learned for the part, and given the various full body shots that we get, I thought he did a very credible job, even if there was very likely a body double in the close-up shots.

As for the sign language, it’s clear that many of our actors put in a lot of time and effort to learn how to sign, for this show.

I was particularly impressed that characters who were supposed to be very experienced with sign language, came across as credibly smooth and fluent.

Very nicely done, all-around.

Show’s big twist [SPOILERS]

In episode 7, Show reveals that “Se Gyeong” isn’t really Se Gyeong, but Eun Yu, and overall, I did like this twist very much.

I have to admit that for a while, Show had my brain in what felt like literal knots, as I tried to simultaneously watch the episode, and figure out the implications of the reveal, that the Se Gyeong whom we’ve been watching, hasn’t actually been Se Gyeong, since her supposed return from the US.

I really had to put effort into remembering exactly what actions and behavior we could attribute to the real Se Gyeong, and what was really done by Eun Yu, who’s Se Gyeong’s daughter, here on a time travel trip, much like Eun Gyeol.

I honestly had NOT seen this twist coming, and for a while, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, because it was very effortful, trying to figure out who really was who, and what really was what.

But, after a while, once my brain felt less dizzy and perplexed, I found myself thinking that this was actually a pretty fun and interesting way to shake up our drama world.

Of course, it’s quite ironic that Eun Yu’s grown up in the exact same claustrophobic, suffocating, high-expectations environment that Se Gyeong herself grew up in, which had, as we’ve seen, made Se Gyeong herself very miserable.

But.. I’m trying to apply the idea that it’s not uncommon for people who were abused, to actually abuse others, later in life. I think it has something to do with the messed up conditioning that they experience, which affects how they treat others?

Also, there’s very possibly the kind of “I paid my dues by suffering the same way when I was your age / in your position, so it’s only right that you pay your dues too” thinking at work, that many bullies operate on.

I can believe that with the way her life had become so miserable, and after many years of struggling to win her mother’s approval, realizing that she didn’t have a safe haven after all, with her father, that Eun Yu might entertain thoughts of suicide.

..Which is when she finds herself time-traveling to 1995, to shake up our story world.

STUFF THAT WAS OK

The way Show teases us [SPOILER]

Show teases us, in a consistent and rather drawn-out manner, about whether Yi Chan’s going to lose his hearing, and I didn’t love this, but I also understood that this was Show’s way of maintaining narrative tension.

This created an undercurrent of foreboding in our story, which was effective in maintaining stakes that I cared about.

I just didn’t love how long Show carried on the tease, which is why this is in the neutral zone, for me, at the end of the day.

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

Logic stretches

Although I mentioned upfront, that it’s best to expect logic stretches in this story world, and not fuss about them too much, I thought I’d highlight a couple of these logic stretches, just to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E7-8. Even though Eun Yu (Seol In Ah) blames Eun Gyeol for being the one to address her as Se Gyeong first, thus beginning her journey of fraud, it’s really not Eun Gyeol who first addresses her as Se Gyeong.

Right away, at the airport, which is where Eun Yu arrives, in 1995, she runs into an old friend from elementary school, who addresses her as Se Gyeong.

Is this an oversight on Show’s part, or is Show making Eun Yu out to be a finger-pointer who’s trying to assign blame, in order to absolve herself of responsibility? Hrm. 🤔

E7-8. While I get that Eun Yu’s trying to change the course of her mother’s life, so that Mom would be happier – and also, Eun Yu herself wouldn’t have to be born, I can’t figure out how this is supposed to work?

I mean, right now, in 1995, it’s true that Eun Yu is Se Gyeong, as far as everyone else around her is concerned.

However, it’s also true that she isn’t actually Se Gyeong, so how is any of this supposed to change the course of Se Gyeong’s life?

After all, even as Eun Yu’s doing her thing right now in Korea, Se Gyeong’s still living her life in the US, just as she had, before?

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS

This isn’t an exhaustive list of characters and relationships; we’ve got quite a large cast of characters, so I’m just picking out some key ones to feature in this section.

Ryeoun as Eun Gyeol

I will say upfront, that Ryeoun isn’t the strongest nor most experienced actor out there, so there are points where I did feel like his delivery was a bit of a weak spot in a scene.

That said, whatever Ryeoun might be missing in terms of skills, he more than makes up for, with how much heart he puts into his delivery of Eun Gyeol.

Overall, I found Eun Gyeol a likable character who was very easy to root for.

I will talk more about Eun Gyeol in the sections where I discuss his relationship with Yi Chan, as well as his loveline.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. I felt so bad for Eun Gyeol in that flashback, where, as a young kid, he’s struggling in the water and screaming for help, but his entire family can’t hear him, even though they’re just nearby.

It’s awful how he literally starts drowning for real, and it’s only then, that Dad realizes that he’s in trouble, and dives into the water so save him.

That makes his eventual question – of whom Dad would save first, if he and Eun Ho were to fall into the water – land completely differently.

Now we know that there’s actual trauma behind that question, and I feel terrible for Eun Gyeol, that he’d had that near-death experience – as such a young kid, no less – all because his family members are unable to hear.

This definitely adds a thick layer of poignance to Eun Gyeol’s desire to prevent the accident from happening, so that Dad doesn’t end up losing his hearing.

It’s as much for Dad, as it is for himself, I think, because I feel that if Dad had had his hearing, then Eun Gyeol would have had a much more carefree childhood.

With that as context, I can see why Eun Gyeol is so determined – often to a cartoonish extent – to keep Yi Chan safe, even if it’s against Yi Chan’s will. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Choi Hyun Wook as Yi Chan

Even though we experience this story mostly from Eun Gyeol’s point of view, it’s Yi Chan whom I think of as this story heart and soul. 🥲

Choi Hyun Wook is pitch perfect as Yi Chan, all unbridled enthusiasm, youthful dorkiness, and can’t-get-me-down earnestness.

He’s completely irrepressible in his blithe, slightly dim way, and I couldn’t help but love him. 🥰

I will talk more about Yi Chan, in the sections where I discuss his relationships with Eun Gyeol, Chung Ah and Gran.

[MINOR SPOILER]

I mean, yes, it’s kinda hard to imagine that Dad, who’s so grounded in the present, could have ever been slightly dim, but I guess that’s what you call growth, eh?

It’s actually quite heartening to think that even a kid who has no interest in continuing his studies, and who’s just kinda all over the place, could grow up to become a grounded, responsible father. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Shin Eun Soo as Chung Ah

I have to say, I feel Shin Eun Soo does a great job bringing Chung Ah to life as a character, particularly given the fact that Chung Ah, as a non-verbal character who doesn’t even know sign language for a good chunk of our story, has very limited means of communicating.

And yet, I felt like I could understand Chung Ah’s emotions, and her struggles, and her pain.

I really rooted for Chung Ah, and was so glad to see her become a stronger, more confident person, by the end of our story. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. I feel terrible for what Chung Ah’s gone through, which we see in that flashback, in episode 6.

I don’t understand why Chung Ah’s mother would be taken away from her, and why Chung Ah would be left behind.

I mean, if Dad had been the kind of person to get rid of Mom for whatever reason, then why would he have kept Chung Ah around, as a deaf child?

If Dad had felt no need to keep Mom around, then I don’t see why he would have decided to keep Chung Ah around, since Chung Ah would only prove to be a burden, as a deaf child.

Like, why keep her around, only to lock her up all the time? This doesn’t make sense to me.

But ok, I guess Show was just looking for a way to make Chung Ah extra pitiful to us as an audience?

E7-8. Even though I’m not sure I buy all the logic around Eun Gyeol ending up at Chung Ah’s house, I’m just glad that this means that Eun Gyeol gets to stay on in that household, and teach Chung Ah sign language, and even accompany her to school in order to teach her and help her, at least for a while.

I’m so glad that Chung Ah finally has someone in her corner now, advocating for her, and helping her, and being kind to her, and I honestly don’t really want this to end. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Seol In Ah as Se Gyeong

Even though I have affection for Seol In Ah as an actress, I felt that her outing in this show was a little underwhelming.

Maybe it was by design, but I found that I didn’t truly grow affectionate of her character, over the course of my watch.

I just found her character a touch.. detached, somehow?

I liked her reasonably well, but I did not feel as affectionately towards her, as I did our other characters.

[SPOILER ALERT]

If you’ve watched the show, then let me clarify that I’m talking about both her characters, which.. I didn’t want to spoil in the title of this section, nor in the non-spoiler section above. 😅

To be fair to Seol In Ah, I did appreciate that she made the two characters feel like different people.

Here are some of my thoughts around Se Gyeong as a character, followed by thoughts around Eun Yu, when I still believed that she was Se Gyeong. I find that even after the reveal, these remarks still stand, so I’m sharing them here.

I do also talk more about Eun Yu in the section where I talk about her loveline with Eun Gyeol.

Se Gyeong

E3-4. I like that, at the beginning of episode 4, we get some important context for Se Gyeong.

It’s so sad, really, that she was adopted as a consolation prize of sorts, for her mother (Oh Hyun Kyung), who was grieving the loss of her own daughter.

Oof. That’s a losing battle, right from the get-go, because how could Se Gyeong ever make up for the loss of Mom’s daughter, no matter what she does, right?

As long as Mom thinks of her as a poor replacement for her own daughter, instead of as a bonus child to love, Se Gyeong’s never going to be good enough for her.

And it’s sad to see how, as a child, Se Gyeong makes deliberate adjustments to her personality, and her likes and dislikes, in order to win as much favor from Mom as possible.

It’s why she stopped pursuing acting and dancing and anything to do with popular culture, and it’s why she asked to learn how to play the cello, and then worked so hard to excel at it; she just wanted Mom’s approval, in the end.

And despite all of her efforts, the sense that I get, is that she’s still not quite good enough, in Mom’s eyes, because at the heart of it, Mom still sees her as a poor replacement. 💔

With that context set up, I can understand Se Gyeong’s personality a lot better, I feel.

I can understand why she’d be snippy and discontent, when anything crosses her path to annoy her. How could you not be, if you’ve been failing to win your mother’s affection your whole life?

Like Eun Gyeol coming along and blithely addressing her as “ahjumma” because he’d met her in the present timeline.

“Se Gyeong”

E5-6. I have to say, I had very mixed feelings watching Se Gyeong, this pair of episodes.

On the one hand, I found her very flippant and annoying, particularly in the way she interacts with Eun Gyeol.

I know that she’s also reacting to his admittedly rather unusual behavior, and that’s why she’s extra prickly and smart-alecky with him, but because I know why Eun Gyeol’s being so intense about protecting Yi Chan, I find myself siding with Eun Gyeol and feeling not-so-positive feelings towards Se Gyeong.

On the other hand, I remind myself that Se Gyeong’s behavior is her way of masking her pain; that she’s literally contemplating suicide, as we see from the noose that she’s prepared for herself, in her bedroom.

It feels like she’s put it there, so that it’s ready for her, any time she makes the decision to die; that she won’t have to wait, nor will she have time to change her mind.

Keeping that in mind does help to take the edge off my negative feelings towards Se Gyeong, but I have to admit that I felt a new tinge of annoyance each time she acted in a way that I found flippant.

[END SPOILER]

Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol

In my eyes, Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol are the true OTP of this story, and I honestly wouldn’t have minded in the least, if there had been no romantic pairings in this story at all, and all we’d done was spend time with this adorable father and son pair. 🥰

I loved seeing these two together, and I consistently rooted for their bond to grow stronger, because I found the idea of their friendship so heartwarming.

Every time we got an indication that Yi Chan welcomed Eun Gyeol’s concern, I squeed on the inside. 🥰

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. The most poignant thing for me, is that, in this moment, with the big realization that he’s arrived in 1995, all Eun Gyeol can register in his head as he stands face to face with Yi Chan, is that the young man standing before him, is Dad – and at this time, Dad can speak.

There’s his heart, right there. 🥲

E3-4. I’m duly tickled at how Eun Gyeol’s decidedly weird because he’s from the future and keeps addressing Yi Chan as “Dad,” while Yi Chan’s all weirded out by Eun Gyeol and literally runs away from him, lol.

E3-4. It’s so cute that we see Eun Gyeol acting like Yi Chan’s father, nagging him about his studies, and watching over him like a hawk at school, so that Yi Chan doesn’t skip out on lessons.

Given that we’ve seen Dad be such a responsible person in the present, and given that we know that Eun Gyeol’s the son here, and not Yi Chan, this just lands as very amusing to me. 😁

E3-4. I love when we get to finally see Eun Gyeol and Yi Chan on stage and making music together.

Yes, there’s the thrill from Yi Chan being blown away by Eun Gyeol’s guitar-playing ability, which he’d completely doubted before.

But beyond that, there’s so much joy and happy abandonment in the moment, as Yi Chan sings Gran’s favorite song, on stage, in front of that cheering audience. I love how happy he looks.

And, even more, I love how happy Eun Gyeol is, too, because in this moment, he’s soaking in the wonderment of Dad – whose voice he’d never heard growing up – singing on that stage with him.

In this moment, Dad can hear him, and Eun Gyeol can hear Dad, and it’s just the most beautiful, mindblowing thing, for Eun Gyeol, and I love how cognizant he is, of the wondrousness of it all. 🥲

I would’ve been perfectly content if we’d ended the episode right here, because, man, what a wonderful emotional high, y’know?

But I very much appreciate the conversation that Eun Gyeol and Yi Chan have afterwards, where Yi Chan explains why he’s doing all this.

In the context of his plan to start earning money right away after high school, to get back the restaurant for Gran that his own dad had caused her to lose, and with the idea that this is his last hurrah, where he wants his life to shine its brightest, everything suddenly feels so much more poignant.

This isn’t just a childish whim of Yi Chan’s, where he’s making a band in order to win over Se Gyeong’s heart; this is Yi Chan, taking his shot, and living his best life while he can, because he sees this as his last chance to do so. 🥹

That makes everything land differently, and I’m so glad that Eun Gyeol now understands Yi Chan better too.

And, now, as Eun Gyeol suddenly remembers Dad’s scar and the big accident that he’d experienced, my spine is suddenly tingling with possibilities.

Yes, I very much am behind Eun Gyeol’s decision to protect Dad and prevent the accident.

E5-6. Of course Yi Chan doesn’t understand at all, why Eun Gyeol’s fussing over him so much, and I can see why Yi Chan would find Eun Gyeol overbearing and suffocating, and I can see why Yi Chan would act out against Eun Gyeol the way he does.

As far as Yi Chan can see, Eun Gyeol’s being perplexingly unreasonable, and constantly raining on his parade, and without any real reason that Yi Chan see, at that.

It’s no wonder that they eventually fall out.

Of course, the steps forward that we do see, with Eun Gyeol winning that guitar battle, and helping Yi Chan to establish the band, and then helping Yi Chan to become the band’s frontman, by teaching him how to play guitar, all while tutoring Yi Chan in his studies, are really gratifying to see.

I mean, I feel like I’m feeling Gran’s pride and hope, as she tearfully witnesses Yi Chan actually studying seriously for the first time. 🥲

Plus, it’s honestly really cute to see how similar Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol are, in the little things, like how they both pick out the beans from their food, and all the other little quirks that a son might take after his father. 🥲

E7-8. I was glad that Bal San (Lee Suk Hyeong) tells Yi Chan about how Eun Gyeol’s been so dedicated to doing all kinds of odd jobs, because he’d wanted to buy Yi Chan a guitar, and help him to shine, not only on the stage, but also in life.

Sniffle. 🥲 That is very touching indeed, and I’m so glad that Yi Chan is quick to put aside all his grouses, and miss Eun Gyeol unreservedly, so much so that he starts actively searching for him, instead of just hoping that Eun Gyeol will come back to the guesthouse.

E9-10. My favorite moments, of course, are the quieter, more poignant moments, in between the boisterous ones.

Like when Yi Chan listens in soberly to Gran’s conversation with Eun Gyeol, when Eun Gyeol tells Gran that the thing that he needs to do in his current place of employment, is for Yi Chan’s sake.

And when Eun Gyeol muses to himself, just as soberly, that Yi Chan had gotten hurt because of him.

Aw. These two care about each other so much; they should really stop fighting with each other and hug it all out. 😁

E11-12. In a way, I thought it was kinda OTT that Eun Gyeol tricks Yi Chan to trap him on the island, so that Yi Chan has no way of getting to the rehearsal, which is when things had gone awry, according to Yoon Dong Jin’s account, but at the same time, it made a lot of sense, because Yi Chan is so on fire for the festival, that there’s no way he would’ve agreed to not attend the rehearsal.

I could see that Eun Gyeol felt that he had no other way of protecting Yi Chan.

And I’m glad that Eun Gyeol went to the island too, to explain things to Yi Chan, rather than just let him wait there for “Se Gyeong,” who wasn’t actually going to come.

I found this scene quite affecting; more so than I’d imagined, honestly.

The desperation in Eun Gyeol’s entire manner; his attempt to tell Yi Chan the truth; the way he opens up about his feelings of loneliness growing up; the way he talks about he longs for a different reality, where he’d be able to share music with his dad; it’s all very heartfelt and stirring. 🥹

Of course, it just sounds bonkers to Yi Chan, and I gasped out loud, when Eun Gyeol literally jumps off the cliff, in a bid to prove to Yi Chan, that he’s being serious. Ack. How dangerous! 😱

Also, what a great mirroring / callback moment, when we see Yi Chan diving in after Eun Gyeol, and saving him, just like we saw Dad do, back when Eun Gyeol had been a kid.

I loved that moment and how it’s played; the way Show intersplices the two scenes, and allows us to see that now, in the scene where Dad’s saving young Eun Gyeol, Dad no longer has that scar on his shoulder.

I don’t know for certain if this is just Show taking artistic license with the shot, and Yi Chan’s fate hasn’t been changed, or if Show is giving us confirmation through this shot, that the course of Yi Chan’s life has now been altered, thanks to Eun Gyeol’s intervention.

Either way, I love the way Show mirrors the two scenes; it feels like such great confirmation, that Yi Chan will always save and protect Eun Gyeol, no matter what. 🥲

E11-12. The way Eun Gyeol yells bloody murder before tackling Yi Chan’s attacker to the ground; the way he blazes not to hurt Yi Chan; the way he cradles a fallen Yi Chan and shakily tries to check if Yi Chan is ok; it all had me holding my breath, while my heart rose up to my throat.

It’s so wholesome to see the boys all go to the public bath together after they clean up the performance hall, and joke around happily with one another.

They look so carefree and happy together; it feels like forever ago that they could barely stand to be around one another.

And, it’s also super cute, the way Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol are so in sync with their bath time routines; the genetic connection is strong with these two. 😁

I was honestly a little disappointed that when Yi Chan asks Eun Gyeol seriously about whether Eun Gyeol really is his son, that Eun Gyeol backs away from the truth, and fibs instead, that he’d made the whole thing up.

Darn. I’d hoped that we could get some real father-son times here, in 1995, but it looks like Show has other ideas.

I do concede, though, that it would probably be complicated, if Yi Chan knew that his son would time-travel to meet him, in the future. Still disappointed though. 🙃

[END SPOILER]

Chung Ah and Se Gyeong

I was rather surprised that a legit friendship forms between Se Gyeong and Chung Ah, and even though it doesn’t get a whole lot of screen time, I have to say that I found their connection quite touching, for what it was. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. Honestly, given Se Gyeong’s rich ice princess image, I was pretty surprised to see Se Gyeong being friendly with Chung Ah, and making efforts to connect with her and get to know her.

This, despite Chung Ah not being the most approachable person.

That definitely helped me to warm up to Se Gyeong, even though she’s decidedly cold towards both our boys, at various points in this pair of episodes.

I found it really heartwarming to see the little sparks of connection between Chung Ah and Se Gyeong, because not only is it something so unexpected, it’s also something that feels precious and rare, because Chung Ah is stoically on the fringe, with her classmates finding her a bother and thinking of her as less than.

E3-4. I feel like Se Gyeong’s personal secret could be a big reason why she feels drawn to Chung Ah; she probably feels a sense of solidarity, because both she and Chung Ah live with rejection, albeit in different forms.

[END SPOILER]

Yi Chan and Chung Ah

Between the two romantic lovelines in our story, this was the one which ended up capturing my heart. 🥲

I just loved the idea of these two people finding their way to each other, and I perked up at every little sign of these two growing closer, over the course of our story.

Such a poignantly sweet love story, I felt.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. Even though I said that I have more interest in the friendships in this drama world, I did definitely perk up at Yi Chan’s run-in with Chung Ah in the storeroom.

Well, there’s also the run-in at the bookstore where he’d heroically shielded her from that falling stack of books, of course.

I’m guessing that that’s where Chung Ah had first fallen for him, because he’d helped her in such a heroic sort of way, when most people in her life make it a norm to reject her.

And, after they run away from the storeroom, isn’t it endearingly heroic of Yi Chan, to offer to help Chung Ah, if she should need help? I thought this was cute.

I do think he means it too, because, as Yi Chan declares to Se Gyeong, he is a person who keeps his promises. I do feel that Yi Chan means to keep this promise to Chung Ah, even though it sounds so rashly made.

E5-6. I feel really bad for Chung Ah, with each of her interactions with Yi Chan, because he keeps yelling at her for not responding to him.

Ack, it’s all so unfortunate, because Yi Chan doesn’t realize for quite a while, that Chung Ah can’t hear, and in his rash teenager manner, keeps doing things to make her feel worse, like yelling at her, and then throwing that pebble(?) at her to get her attention, which hits her in the forehead.

I wanted to thwack Yi Chan upside the back of his head, for being so insensitive and daft in his interactions with Chung Ah, because that’s no way to treat someone, even if they were able to hear.

I’m glad, though, that Yi Chan eventually does seek out Chung Ah to return the keychain that she’d dropped, and apologize to her; that definitely feels like a step in the right direction, finally.

And, what a relief that Yi Chan’s right there, when Chung Ah collapses (although, would she even have been sick, if it hadn’t been for Yi Chan, eh?), because he’s able to take her to the emergency room right away.

In the moment, when Yi Chan’s got Chung Ah on his back, and is running all the way to the hospital, I can’t help but forgive Yi Chan for every moment he’s been mean to Chung Ah, because right now, he’s the one who’s saving her. 🥲

E7-8. I’m glad to see Yi Chan starting to connect with Chung Ah.

Right now, I’m convinced he doesn’t actually have any romantic feelings for Chung Ah, but it just feels like a solid start, that he would be earnest in wanting to communicate with her.

I also like that it’s Yi Chan’s hard-to-get-down attitude that enables him to get Chung Ah to sit down to a meal with him, even though she’d been trying to say no, to keep him at a distance.

I find it very endearing to see how Yi Chan does his best to be considerate of Chung Ah, and think of ways to connect with her, given his new knowledge, that she is unable to hear.

I really like how he writes notes to her, in that little notebook, and sometimes even prepares the notes ahead of time, to facilitate conversations with her.

His idea, of giving her the fax number of the guesthouse, so that she’d be able to send him a message if she needs him, is exactly him trying to do the better thing – without realizing that most people don’t have fax machines at home, heh.

It’s no wonder Chung Ah’s heart starts fluttering again, despite her determination to get over Yi Chan.

E7-8. I’m so relieved that Chung Ah cares enough to run after and search for Yi Chan when he runs past her with all that urgency, because she very likely saves his life.

At the same time, I really felt for Chung Ah, in that moment, because she becomes so acutely aware of how her inability to talk hampers her from helping Yi Chan the way a hearing person would.

It’s sad how she has to try so hard, and only be met with fear and confusion from so many people, before she comes upon Eun Yu, and drags Eun Yu to where Yi Chan’s collapsed.

I can see how this would discourage Chung Ah from wanting to connect more strongly with Yi Chan; this incident has caused her to see her limitations all over again, and it’s hard for her to not fixate on it. 💔

E7-8. I find it very endearing, that when Yi Chan hears from Eun Yu that it had been Chung Ah who’d saved him, he actually attempts to learn some phrases in sign language, because he wants to thank Chung Ah for saving him. Aw.

It’s just too bad that Yi Chan doesn’t get to see Chung Ah, to actually use those phrases, in the end.

E9-10. One of the things I’m really enjoying, is the growing connection between Yi Chan and Chung Ah.

This set of episodes, I’m glad that Eun Gyeol thinks to bring Chung Ah to help out with the band’s activities, because that is how Yi Chan accidentally finds out that Chung Ah likes him, when he sees her drawing of him in her notebook.

I do think that Shin Eun Soo, the actress playing Chung Ah, is pretty great.

She doesn’t have any lines of dialogue, and yet, her body language tells me how Chung Ah is feeling, in response to Yi Chan finding out about her secret; she’s mortified and embarrassed, but there’s also a streak of stubbornness in her, where she’s brave enough to own her feelings, and not shy away from them.

That series of drawings, where she says that she owns her own feelings while he owns his, and that they can be friends, is so sweetly courageous and vulnerable. I love her.

E9-10. I love the sight of Yi Chan and Chung Ah bonding over learning sign language, and I love that the most important thing isn’t the learning of sign language itself, but talking and communicating.

I also can’t help but notice that Yi Chan tries to communicate with his hands as much as possible, even when he doesn’t know how to say those things through sign language.

Somehow, this makes me feel like he’s trying harder? Like he really wants to communicate directly with Chung Ah, instead of relying on a pen and paper.

And then, how great is it, that we see that Chairman Dad had taken Eun Gyeol’s suggestion to heart, and brought Chung Ah a fax machine as a gift??

Awww! I love how Chung Ah faxes Yi Chan immediately, and I also really love how Chairman Dad melts from afar, as he looks at the joy in Chung Ah’s smile. 🥰

E11-12. That scene where Chung Ah goes to Yi Chan’s school so that she can give him those customized guitar picks, is so poignant to me.

The way she can’t gets tears in her eyes, but still tries to smile for Yi Chan, as she gives him that gift, really tugs at my heartstrings.

Yi Chan doesn’t know this, but it’s clear for us to see that Chung Ah is treating this as her last goodbye to Yi Chan. That’s so sad. Sniffle. 🥺

It kinda bums me out that Yi Chan doesn’t seem to notice that Chung Ah’s not quite herself, but I suppose it’s because he’s so excited about the festival that he doesn’t have the mental bandwidth to notice anything else.

E11-12. It feels very significant, that while the rest of the boys (minus Eun Gyeol) are all blissfully unaware of Chung Ah’s absence, Yi Chan feels it acutely, and feels strongly about it, that he’d walk out on their celebratory dinner, so that he can seek out Chung Ah, at her home.

Aw. Poor baby looks so bewildered while Chung Ah’s trying to cut him out of her life. 🥺

I hope Yi Chan will be able to see through Chung Ah’s act, and realize that she doesn’t actually want to cut him out of her life; that she still likes him a lot.

Of course, it’d be even better if he realizes that he likes her too, but.. maybe it’s too early in our story for me to hope that. 😅

[END SPOILER]

The other loveline [SPOILERS]

I liked the idea of this loveline, particularly once it becomes clear to us, that Eun Yu is also a time traveler from 2023, because this means that there is a potential future to be had, for this would-be couple.

At the same time, I realize that, even though I enjoyed the various plot points supporting the development of this relationship, this pairing just never captured my heart the way the loveline between Yi Chan and Chung Ah did.

Still, I did feel reasonably well engaged by this loveline, overall, and here are some highlights from my watch.

Highlights

E7-8. I do kinda love the cliffhanger where we end the episode, because the great thing about Eun Gyeol’s big admission, that he likes “Se Gyeong,” is that we can tell it’s 100% true. 😁

He does like Eun Yu, in spite of himself, and we’ve also seen that Eun Yu’s found her heart wavering, because of him, by her own admission.

I’m actually kinda stoked at the possibility of a loveline between Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu, because there is an actual potential for a future for them, since they actually do come from the same time?

E9-10. I do enjoy the burgeoning connection between Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu, over the course of these episodes.

The hijinks, where Eun Yu’s chasing Eun Gyeol all over school, is quite silly, but I giggled anyway, because of how it must be boggling everyone else’s minds, that the most popular girl in school, is literally chasing the new guy everywhere. 😁

Yes, it’s mostly because Eun Yu finds Eun Gyeol’s active avoidance of her bizarre, and that’s why she’s running after him to corner him, but on top of that, we do get moments where we can totally see that Eun Yu’s starting to care about how Eun Gyeol behaves towards Chung Ah.

She totally gets that bummed out disappointed air, when she sees Eun Gyeol signing those very friendly messages to Chung Ah, not realizing that Eun Gyeol’s teaching Chung Ah, rather than saying those things to Chung Ah himself.

I can feel the burgeoning bond between Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu growing, bit by bit, particularly when Eun Gyeol chooses to try to understand her.

Like the way he stops resisting the spicy jokbal (it feels like he’s been resisting on principle, all this time), and says that he can understand that perhaps she has reasons that she is unable to talk about, and asks her how she’d like him to eat the spicy jokbal.

Aw. He looks so understanding and serious, that I can totally see how her heart would wobble in response.

It kinda cracks me up, that because of her growing attachment to Eun Gyeol, Eun Yu can’t decide whether she wants him to be her mom’s first love or not.

I’m taking this to mean that she can’t decide if she wants Mom to have him, or if she wants him for herself? Hee. 🤭

And then he turns serious again, when they’re stranded without any fuel for her scooter, and he asks her if she could throw the ball only to him, and that he’s confident that he’d be able to catch it well.

Honestly, every time he turns serious like this when he talks with Eun Yu, I find it quite melty, and therefore I completely understand why Eun Yu’s heart keeps wobbling in response.

On Eun Gyeol’s side, I can see why he’d be weirded out by the thought that he’s entertaining feelings for the ahjumma that he’d met in 2023; that thought weirds me out too. 😅

At the same time, I do like how Eun Gyeol’s starting to nudge himself to embrace the philosophy that Eun Ho’s tried to impart to him – that life doesn’t have to be perfect, in order to sparkle; that happiness is in the little moments – and allow himself to follow his heart, in the moment.

Which is when he leans in to kiss Eun Yu, ahhh! It’s all very sweet and melty, in that youthful, innocent sort of way. 🥰

For someone who has no romantic experience, Eun Gyeol sure can be pretty smooth when he wants to be, eh? 😁

I’m kind of bummed that Eun Yu jumps to the conclusion that the kiss was all a big mistake, and agrees to forget it ever happened, if Eun Gyeol stays at least 2 meters away from her.

Aw. Poor Eun Gyeol. Although, boy also seems quite flummoxed about what he would have said, if Eun Yu hadn’t kept cutting him off with her nervous blabbering. 😅

E9-10. I find it heartwarming to see Eun Gyeol encourage Eun Yu that she does have a bright future ahead of her; that continuing to live is already an admirable feat.

It feels like an important moment where he really sees her where she is, and I feel like this is going to draw them even closer together.

E11-12. In principle, I feel sorry for Eun Yu because she appears to feel so lost after realizing that the first love that Mom’s been talking about for so many years, had been none other than Dad himself.

But, I’m not sorry for the fact that her dad had been her mom’s first love, because that’s nice, and also, we don’t actually need more complications in our story at this point.

I’m relieved that Eun Gyeol overhears that Eun Yu’s gone to the airport, and manages to find her there.

It feels like he’s just the person she needs right now, because of every other person in the world, Eun Gyeol is the only person who could understand how lost and frustrated she feels right now, at not knowing how to get back to 2023.

I do love that Eun Gyeol’s so gentle and firm and.. assured, as he holds her by the hand, and tells her that he’ll help her find a way, and says that it doesn’t matter whether she’s an ahjumma or a zombie, and asks that they stay together.

Aw. Sweet. And also, nice meta reference to Gong Yoo‘s famous line from Coffee Prince. 🥲

[END SPOILERS]

Go Doo Shim as Gran

I love-love-loved Go Doo Shim as Gran. 😍

Gran just comes across as such a warm, kind person, who’s gruffly sweet with not just her own grandson, but every puppy who crosses her path.

I just loved how she seemed to think of every resident in the guesthouse, as her own. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. One of my favorite things, this pair of episodes, is when Eun Gyeol follows Yi Chan to the guesthouse and ends up actually being accepted as Yi Chan’s math tutor.

I love much Eun Gyeol takes to heart, the chance to see Gran, particularly in the context of how she’d taken care of him, when he was little.

That bit of context really got to me, not gonna lie.

I thought it was sweet yet all kinds of poignant, that Gran doted on him, and took so much comfort in the fact that he was able to hear and speak.

And then the fact that she’d passed away, soon after Eun Gyeol had reached the point where he could communicate with the adults around him, really points to the idea that she’d been holding on, just to make sure that the family would be ok. And with Eun Gyeol there to speak and hear for the family, she’d finally had the peace to let go. 🥹

That’s all so beautiful and sad at the same time, isn’t it?

With that context in place, it really is so poignantly, sweetly beautiful, that Eun Gyeol now has the chance to see his dad singing and dancing with his great grandma, and I love that Eun Gyeol is so acutely aware of how precious this moment is. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Watermelon Sugar

I just wanted to say that even though we don’t really spend a huge amount of time exploring the dynamics within the band, and most of the band members remain firmly in secondary character territory, I really did enjoy watching the band together, doing their thing onstage. 🤩

They really rock out and have a good time, and their energy is infectious, and I honestly  felt proud of them for coming so far, and sounding great, despite all the behind-the-scenes drama. 🥲

THEMES / IDEAS

1. How things can work out in unexpected ways

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I’m tickled by the idea that this well-known name of Yi Chan’s band (thanks to famous-in-the-present Oh Ma Joo (Kim Hyung Beom) mentioning it in interviews), is basically something that Yi Chan came up with, for the band that he’d promised to make on a whim, all thanks to his crush on Se Gyeong. 😁

I’m also very tickled by the idea that Oh Ma Joo, who’s the most famous of the band members in the present, didn’t actually want to be part of the band, and was unceremoniously christened the band’s manager by Yi Chan, almost like an afterthought.

Truly, so many things turn out so differently from what we might expect, when we’re there, in the moment, eh? 😁

[END SPOILER]

2. You don’t have to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders

3. The journey is important

– perhaps even more important than the destination

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE STRETCH: E13-14 [SPOILERS]

One of the things that’s really struck me about this show, is how I mostly come away from an episode feeling all happy and satisfied, after watching any episode.

And even when that is dampened somewhat because of necessary dramatic tension, I haven’t come away feeling disengaged or disgruntled.

That’s a huge deal, in my books.

Honestly, I came into this pair of episodes kinda bracing myself for things to go south, purely because 16-episode dramas tend to introduce obstacles and challenges to our main characters, at around this point in their run.

I feel like it’s almost a reflex for me by now, to brace myself for Bad Happenings, at around the episode 13-14 mark.

And so, I was kinda.. pleasantly bemused, when this pair of episodes was so sweet and fluffy, up to the middle of episode 14, which is when Show introduces a point of tension.

Honestly though, this was one of the most pleasant episode 13-14 stretches that I’ve personally come across, and well, I’ve come across many. 😅

We basically get a lot of scenes of our two young couples in these two episodes, and I liked that a lot.

I found it fun to watch Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu spend time together.

Sometimes, they’re silly and goofy together, which I found to be varying levels of cute; like, I wasn’t so hot on how Eun Yu teased Eun Gyeol by hogging the pancake that he’d cooked for the both of them, but I definitely enjoyed them being goofy-happy together, as they play on the day they skip school together.

Through it all, I appreciate that they’re getting to know each other better, like with how it comes out that Eun Gyeol’s a CODA, and Eun Yu takes it very much in stride – which I like, because I imagine that it would make Eun Gyeol feel accepted and normal?

And then, there’s also how Eun Yu tells Eun Gyeol honestly, about what it had been like, growing up under so much pressure, and why she’d ended up seeing a psychiatrist, and getting prescribed medicine.

I do like how Eun Gyeol is gentle and non-judgey about everything she says, and simply tells her that he’d like her to treat him as her best friend, sometimes, instead of the medicine.

Aw. That’s sweet, but also non-intrusive. Very nice.

Of course, there’s also how they’re becoming more romantically aware of each other, as they spend time together.

Like how Eun Yu’s heart wobbles, when Eun Gyeol tells her that he’ll help her find her way home – but will delay it for as long as possible, so that he’ll be able to spend more time with her.

I thought that was sweet, and romantic without being possessive or selfish.

Of course, there’s the tension introduced by Master’s phone call, where he informs Eun Gyeol that he will have to end his trip to 1995 soon, and that this exit will be his only chance.

I was definitely low-key concerned that the return date would be before Eun Gyeol would be able to complete everything that he feels that he needs to do.

But, I was able to push that thought aside sufficiently, to still enjoy the happy times that we do get, this pair of episodes.

AND, significantly, I really like that Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu finally figure out that they are on this time slip together. YESS.

I’ve been waiting for this for what feels like a really long time. 😅

I somehow really like the fact that they don’t spend much time at all freaking out about the fact that the other person is a time traveler just like themselves.

Instead, they get right into the meat of things, sharing information and filling out their mental pictures of what’s going on between the two of them, as far as the time travel goes, and what their individual missions are.

I don’t know why, but this efficiency and focused-ness really appeals to me.

It makes me feel like they’d make a strong team, and I feel like they’d need to be strong partners, in order to figure this whole time travel thing together, in the time that they have left, in 1995.

I also really, really glad that this romance between Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu, doesn’t get between Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol.

It’s sweet that both Eun Yu and Eun Gyeol make it a point to talk to Yi Chan about it, but the moment that got me right in the heart, was when Yi Chan grumbles that Eun Gyeol should stay out of his way for a while, and then when Eun Gyeol asks how long that should be, Yi Chan answers, “Three minutes.”

Ahhh! That is so cute! 🤩

Yi Chan’s not going to allow this to affect his relationship with Eun Gyeol.

Guh. I love the wholesome, good-natured feels of this, so much. 🥰

As for Yi Chan and Chung Ah, I’m really glad that Yi Chan manages to break through the whole “we’re from different worlds anyway” shield that Chung Ah had put up.

First of all, I love that Chung Ah’s starting to grow stronger, like with the way she declines Eun Gyeol’s help to make things work with Yi Chan, and insists that she’s perfectly capable of taking care of it on her own.

It sounds like she’s not giving up, and just wanting to do things her own way, and that’s definitely a big change from the Chung Ah we’d first met, at the beginning of our story.

She’s brighter and more hopeful now, and I do love that.

And then, I love that Yi Chan now clearly only has eyes for Chung Ah; I’ve been waiting for this, and it’s as cute as I’d imagined. 🤩

The way he watches her from afar, too afraid to approach her because she’d told him to leave her alone, is so plaintive and wistful.

And then, the way he doesn’t hesitate to step in to protect her when she’s being treated poorly by those boys on the street, is quite heroic.

On a side note, I just love Gran, for how she fibs so boldly at the police station, in order to get Yi Chan out of trouble, and then for how she tells Yi Chan, so wisely yet simply, that he shouldn’t give Chung Ah the wrong idea, if he isn’t serious about her, because that would end up hurting her even more.

It’s so great that Yi Chan then leans harder into pursuing Chung Ah, instead of backing away.

Ahhh! This just tells me that he really does like Chung Ah for real, and is very sure about his feelings.

It’s really so sweet, how he’s got his whole confession planned out, and even has that song prepared – in sign language, no less! – and the way he does it all, in such a heartfelt manner, is so endearing. 🥰

It’s also sweet to see them show up together as a couple, for the songwriting camp.

I felt extra happy for Chung Ah, because she’s liked Yi Chan in secret for so long, and had felt for so long, that he could never like her, because he liked Se Gyeong. It felt like this proved all her old insecurities wrong, and I loved that.

I also loved that Yi Chan brings her a kitten, so that she’ll have company while he does his music stuff during the song retreat, but I realize that the kitten doesn’t seem to follow her home. So.. the kitten was just borrowed..? 🤔

But anyway. The kitten is very cute, and Chung Ah’s happiness at interacting with the little munchkin, was lovely to see as well.

The loveliest thing, though, is the way Chung Ah assures Yi Chan that she isn’t bored, and that she’s perfectly happy to do her own thing, while he does the songwriting camp – and that he looks coolest, while doing music.

Awww. That is just the loveliest thing, and I can totally see why Yi Chan would inspired to kiss her, right there and then. Schweetness. 🥰

It’s too bad that our sweet couple time is interrupted by Show bringing Evil Stepmother back to the forefront, when they run into her as Yi Chan’s taking Chung Ah home.

I’m so glad that Eun Gyeol is so alert to the clues that something’s not right, in the house, and is persistent in his efforts to find out what’s going on, and where Chung Ah is.

That scene where he discovers Chung Ah locked in the attic, and rushes to hug her, while breaking down in tears, is really quite affecting, I have to say.

It feels like he’s understanding, for the first time, what his mom really went through, and his heart is breaking afresh, as he hugs her, and makes up his mind to protect her.

I feel like it’s a “Not on my watch” kind of approach that Eun Gyeol’s taking, and I am so in support of him, as he determinedly takes Chung Ah outta there, right to Gran’s guesthouse.

And I love-love-LOVE that Gran swears right away, that she’ll take care of Chung Ah and feed her, she’s so awesome. And I love too, that she’s so quickly affectionate and comforting towards Chung Ah, like Chung Ah’s her own grandchild.

The way Chung Ah cries in Gran’s arms, and the way Gran holds her and strokes her back, is just so beautifully poignant. It feels like Chung Ah’s finally receiving the motherly love that she’s always deserved, but had experienced so little of. 🥲

Also, I’m rather surprised at how passionately Yi Chan rants to Eun Gyeol about how Chung Ah’s absent father is basically just like his own absent father; that these parents need to know that this is not ok, and that they can’t get off easily just because they’re they’re parents.

Wow. This passionate outburst really makes me feel like Yi Chan identifies with Chung Ah in a very fundamental way, and I suddenly feel a burst of assurance, that their relationship really is well set up, for the long haul. 🥲

And thennn. Just as I feel like maybe our little crew has overcome the key things that they need to overcome, in their journey, we get the sudden reveal, that Yi Chan’s big accident hasn’t actually happened yet.

Egad. And here I was, feeling relieved that we’d finally gotten that behind us. 🙈

But y’know, if this was the price to pay for a really solid, affirming pair of episodes where we typically would be getting angst and noble idiocy, maybe it’s not so bad, after all..?

Assuming that Show resolves it by saving Yi Chan, and giving us an all-around happy ending, of course. 🤞🏻

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

I think it really says something about this show, that I dragged my feet to watch the final two episodes, even after taking a break of week or so, after watching the penultimate episodes.

I just.. didn’t want to have to say goodbye, y’know? 🥲

Does Show serve up a perfect finale?

Well, no. To be brutally honest, I did feel like some parts were a bit rushed, with what I felt were touches of makjang about them, that I didn’t love so much.

But, there were definitely some great moments in this finale stretch, and overall, I do feel satisfied with what Show gives us.

So, what did I find on the somewhat makjang side of things?

Mostly everything to do with Eun Gyeol getting abducted, and Chairman Dad showing up and confronting Evil Stepmom, and then Eun Gyeol striding in to join that confrontation.

All of it landed as pretty makjang to me, which was an odd departure from Show’s otherwise heartwarming and nostalgic vibe.

One of my personal highlights was definitely the scene where Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol work on that song together.

What a poignant reveal, that the song that Eun Gyeol had received as homework, once upon a time, from Music Shop Ahjusshi, had actually been written by Yi Chan.

Guh. No wonder the song had been unfinished; in our original timeline, Yi Chan had been unable to continue making music, after his accident.

It feels like such a gift, that Yi Chan is able to now finish his song, with the help of Eun Gyeol, his own son. 🥲

But then, I was gutted when Yi Chan gets into an accident all the same – and this time, it was to save Eun Gyeol from being hit by a car. 😭

It’s honestly really upsetting to think that this was a deliberate act of violence by Chung Ah’s stepbrother.

I hate that Yi Chan loses his hearing; it’s something that I’d been hoping against hope, all series long, that we’d be able to avoid.

And I was also upset that Chairman Dad decides to take Chung Ah out of Korea to pursue her studies abroad, without telling her.

But, I do like that Eun Yu gets a chance to guide Se Gyeong towards reconciling with her father, and also, towards making a stand for herself, instead of continually trying to fill someone else’s shoes.

And, I’m glad that Eun Gyeol realizes that Choi Hyun, the owner of the music shop in 1995, is none other than his Music Shop Ahjusshi.

It’s so precious, that he gets to talk to Music Shop Ahjusshi one last time. 🥲

And, I’m so, so glad that Eun Gyeol gets to listen to that message that Yi Chan had recorded for him, before the accident had happened.

“Thanks to you, I was able to complete this song. Looking back, I realized… that this song wasn’t the only thing you helped me complete.

When I wanted something, when I felt like I lacked something, when I was in despair… And even at my most radiant moments, you were always there with me.

You lied to me that you were my son. But you know what? For some reason, I felt as though you were like my father. Even though I have never experienced a father’s love, I got to experience something similar thanks to you.

Son, thank you. But… in my next life, I’ll be born as your father.”

Glug. This is so poignant and beautiful, seriously. 😭

And then Show had me legit crying at the scene where Eun Gyeol goes to see Yi Chan at the hospital, and says goodbye.

I was sad that Yi Chan couldn’t hear Eun Gyeol’s final words to him, but it was also so very touching, that Yi Chan could tell that Eun Gyeol had listened to the message, and embraces him, telling him that the accident wasn’t his fault, and that it’s ok for him to go.

GLUG. I’m drowning in my tears, y’all. 😭😭

It’s true that Eun Gyeol’s time runs out before everything is properly sorted out in 1995, but thematically, I think it’s works well, because one of the important lessons that Eun Gyeol needs to learn, is that he doesn’t carry the whole world on his shoulders; that it’s ok to trust others – in this case, Yi Chan and Chung Ah – to do what is needful. 🥲

And just like Eun Yu tells Eun Gyeol, his trip to 1995 wasn’t for naught; he did accomplish some important things, and that’s why the future that he returns to, is a different one from which he’d come.

It’s honestly pretty great to see Yi Chan and Chung Ah in 2023, so happy and contented, and successful, on top of that.

It makes narrative sense, because, thanks to Eun Gyeol, things have changed, for Chung Ah and Chairman Dad – and therefore, her relationship with Yi Chan as well, I’m sure. 🥲

I love that moment when Eun Gyeol meets Dad again – but first sees Yi Chan, as he’d been, in 1995, like not a moment had passed.

And I do love that detail, that Dad picks up the cassette that Eun Gyeol drops – and seems to realize that the friend whom he remembers from 1995, had been his own son. 🥲

Of course, we do also get a reunion between Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu in 2023 too, which, even though this loveline wasn’t something I was hugely invested in, I was glad to see.

All in all, even though Eun Gyeol wasn’t able to accomplish everything that he’d hoped to, in 1995, just the fact that he was there, and was able to have all these amazing experiences, and make these memories, with Yi Chan, made it more than worthwhile. 🥰🥲

Viva la vida, boys. Viva la vida. 🥲❤️

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Warm and hopeful, and so, so heartfelt, amid the lashings of poignance.

FINAL GRADE: A-

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’ll be covering on Patreon, in place of Twinkling Watermelon, is Marry My Husband [Korea]. I’ve taken an initial look at Marry My Husband and I’m happy to say that I am enjoying it pretty well, so far.

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on Marry My Husband on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment tidbits + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

+ Bonus show: I Know I Love You [China]

Early Access (US$5): +The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Perfect Marriage Revenge [Korea]

VIP (US$15): +Marry My Husband [Korea]

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