Twinkling Watermelon

Twinkling Watermelon
File:Twinkling Watermelon.jpg Promotional poster
Hangul	반짝이는 워터멜론
Literal meaning	Sparkling Watermelon
Revised Romanization	Banjjag-ineun Woteomellon
McCune–Reischauer	Pantchaginŭn Wŏt'ŏmellon
Genre	Fantasy Romance Coming-of-age Time travel
Developed by	Studio Dragon (planning)
Written by	Jin Soo-wan
Directed by	Son Jeong-hyeon Yoo Beom-sang
Starring	Ryeoun Choi Hyun-wook Seol In-ah Shin Eun-soo
Music by	Fara Effect
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language(s)	Korean
No. of episodes	16 (as of November 14, 2023 (2023-11-14))
Production
Executive producer(s)	Lee Hye-young (CP)
Producer(s)	Yoo Beom-sang Park Hae-min
Running time	70 minutes
Production company(s)	Pan Entertainment
Budget	₩15.6 billion
Release
Original network	tvN
Original release	September 25 (2023-09-25) – November 14, 2023 (2023-11-14)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Twinkling Watermelon (Hangul: 반짝이는 워터멜론) is a 2023 South Korean television series directed by Son Jong-hyun, and starring Ryeoun, Choi Hyun-wook, Seol In-ah and Shin Eun-soo. It aired on tvN from September 25 to November 14, 2023, every Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 (KST) for 16 episodes. It is also available for streaming on Viu and Viki in selected regions.

Synopsis

Twinkling Watermelon tells the story of a CODA boy with a natural talent for music, who travels back in time to 1995. He joins a band with his childhood father and forms a band called Watermelon Sugar with the suspicious youths he meets there, and communicates with them through music.

Cast

Main

• Ryeoun as Ha Eun-gyeol
  • Jung Hyeon-jun as young Eun-gyeol

The only hearing person (CODA) in a family of deaf people. Eun-gyeol is a model student by day, but at night he leads a double life as a guitarist in a band. After having an argument with his father, where his father learned of his musical interest, he time slips to 1995 and meets his parents when they were younger. He strives to know more about his parents' youths and make his parents' lives shine brighter.

• Choi Hyun-wook as Ha Yi-chan
  • Choi Won-young as 46 years old Yi-chan

A hot-blooded man who seems to have jumped out of a cheerful cartoon. He lives with his grandmother who owned an accommodation house named Snail House. In the present, he is Eun-gyeol and Eun-ho's father, who can no longer speak nor hear. He is proud of Eun-gyeol's achievements as a model student at school who he hopes will become a doctor.

• Seol In-ah as Choi Se-kyung / On Eun-yoo
  • Lee So-yeon as 46 year-old Choi Se-kyung

1. Choi Se-kyung: The cello goddess of Seowon Arts High School. Se-kyung was a person considered to be everyone's muse with her innocent beauty and elegant aura reminiscent of a scene in a movie. She was idolized by many boys either from her school and neighboring schools. She is the daughter of the owner of Viva Music, a store that existed during Eun-gyeol's childhood. In the present, she has inherited the Viva Music store which has been redeveloped into a luxurious home. She keeps her father's handmade guitar, which she gives to Eun-gyeol as her father had wished.
2. On Eun-yoo: Se-kyung's daughter who looks exactly like her during her youth. Her mother dolls her up and forces to become a cellist to follow in her footsteps. She lives in a disharmonious family until she is 18 years old, when her parents divorce. Upset with her mother's controlling behavior and her drinking habit, and after finding out that her father has remarried, she time slips to 1995 so that she can find her mother's first love, and cease her existence.

• Shin Eun-soo as Yoon Cheong-ah
  • Seo Young-hee as 46 years old Yoon Cheong-ah

As a young person, a cold and isolated person, who is born deaf. She dreams of a sparkling life like the great Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She is highly aloof toward others except to Choi Se-kyung, who is much friendlier toward her. In the present, she is the mother of Eun-gyeol and Eun-ho and owns a chicken restaurant. Unlike her teenage personality, she has overcome her disability to become a bright and loving wife and mother.

Supporting

Watermelon Sugar Band Members

• Ahn Do-gyu as Oh Ma-ju
  • Kim Hyeong-beom as adult Oh Ma-ju (2023)

A band manager and Yi Chan's childhood friend. He is highly knowledgeable and resourceful. In 2023, he owns MJ Entertainment who manages a famous rockstar Yoon Dong-jin.

• Yoon Jae-chan as Kang Hyeon-yul
  • Song Chang-eui as adult Kang Hyeon-yul (2023)

A genius bassist. He was a former member of gangster and bullies called Jindo Dog. After meeting Choi Hyeon owner of Baekya Music Store, he changed his life and started focusing on music.

• Lee Ha-min as Lee Si-guk
  • Ryu Soo-young as adult Lee Si-guk (2023)

A drummer from the church band. He is very short tempered especially toward Yi-chan's antics.

• Lee Su-chan as Noh Se-beom
  • Jin Tae-hyun as adult Noh Se-beom (2023)

A talented keyboardist who majored in classical piano and studied abroad early.

Eun-gyeol's family

• Choi Won-young as Eun-gyeol's father
• Seo Young-hee as Eun-gyeol's mother
• Bong Jae-hyun as Eun-ho

Eun-gyeol's older brother who is born deaf. He dreams of becoming a national Paralympics taekwondo athlete. Due to his handsome appearance, he is highly popular on SNS, to which he has been addicted since childhood.

Snail Boarding House

• Go Doo-shim as Go Yang-hee

Yi-chan's grandmother and the owner of boarding house.

• Lee Seok-hyung as Jung Bal-san

A college student at a boarding house run by Yi-chan's grandmother.

Eun-gyeol and Eunyu's group

• Chun Ho-jin as Choi Hyeon or Grandpa Viva
  • Park Ho-san as younger Choi Hyeon

Owner of musical instrument store Baekya Music, later renamed as Viva Music. He was a famous rock star whose career declined after his girlfriend became pregnant. His girlfriend is actually Choi Se-gyeong's real mother. He is supportive of aspiring musicians who seek his advice about music even later in life, when he tutors Eun-gyeol on the guitar.

• Jung Sang-hoon as master

Master of the mysterious musical instrument store La Vida Music. Through the store, Eun-gyeol and Eun-yoo time travel to 1995. He keeps in touch with both time travelers through their dreams by calling them on phones, even broken ones.

• Woo Je-yeon as On Ji-hwan

A second-year student at Myeongsae University Medical School, vocalist and guitarist for the band 'Golden Mess'. He is Choi Se-gyeong's boyfriend and later her husband, and also Eun-yoo's father. However their marriage falls apart because of their different approaches to parenting.

People around Cheong-ah

• Kim Tae-woo as Yoon Geon-hyung

Cheong-ah's father who is the chairman of Jinseong Musical Instruments. As a businessman, he frequently travels so he has no idea how abusive Cheong-ah's step mother is.

• Kim Joo-ryoung as Lim Ji-mi

Cheong-ah's live in tutor and later stepmother who is the chairman of the Seowon Arts High School Foundation. She uses harsh methods to torture Cheong-ah, who will be the next chairwoman of Jinseong Group.

• Kwon Do-hyung as Yoon Joo-yeop

Lim Ji-mi's biological son and Cheong-ah's stepbrother.

• Lee Soo-min as Yoon Sang-ah

Lim Ji-mi's biological daughter and Cheong-ah's stepsister, who is an art student at Seowon Arts High School. She looks down on poor boys no matter how handsome they are.

Others

• Koo Jun-hoe as Goo Jun-hyung

Main vocalist of Spine 9. He sees and hears Eun-gyeol's musical talent and attempts to recruit him into his band.

• Yeon Oh as Jeong Ji-oh

Spine 9 bassist.

• Han Min as Bae Soo-tak

Spine 9 drummer.

• Kim Jun-hyung as Yoon Dong-jin
  • Yoon Do-hyun as Yoon Dong-jin (2023)

Chuncheon National University legendary guitarist.

• Kim Mi Hwa as the Landlady

Special appearance

• Kim Hae-jun as Choi Jun, the DJ of a tteokbokki restaurant.
• Heo Jung Min as staff in a cafe

Production

On September 5, 2023, production company Pan Entertainment announced that it has signed a production and supply contract with Studio Dragon for Twinkling Watermelon worth 15.6 billion won.

Viewership

Twinkling Watermelon was ranked number one in viewership in twelve regions including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and more in the week the drama's finale episode was released. Furthermore, it also charted in the top five in 64 countries.

Average TV viewership ratings

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)
		Nationwide	Seoul
1	September 25, 2023	3.144% (2nd)	3.503% (2nd)
2	September 26, 2023	3.311% (1st)	3.387% (2nd)
3	October 2, 2023	3.441% (1st)	3.726% (1st)
4	October 3, 2023	4.688% (1st)	4.805% (1st)
5	October 9, 2023	3.689% (1st)	4.393% (1st)
6	October 10, 2023	3.580% (1st)	4.106% (1st)
7	October 16, 2023	3.551% (1st)	4.042% (1st)
8	October 17, 2023	3.089% (1st)	2.922% (2nd)
9	October 23, 2023	3.718% (1st)	4.380% (1st)
10	October 24, 2023	3.512% (1st)	3.738% (1st)
11	October 30, 2023	3.264% (1st)	3 569% (1st)
12	October 31, 2023	3.790% (1st)	4.236% (1st)
13	November 6, 2023	3.689% (1st)	4.179% (1st)
14	November 7, 2023	3.593% (1st)	4.050% (1st)
15	November 13, 2023	3.494% (1st)	3.802% (1st)
16	November 14, 2023	4.460% (1st)	4.458% (1st)
Average		3.626%	3.957%
In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. This series airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).

External links

• Twinkling Watermelon at IMDb
• Twinkling Watermelon at HanCinema