#but eun gyeol gives that back to her

[whenthegoldrays]

🍉

[sab-teraa]

Thoughts on ep 1-9

With all due respect, I know that kdramas usually have two storylines going on at the same time … but I’m begging Twinkling Watermelon to wrap up this ANNOYING Yi Chan x Se-kyung x Eun-gyeol “love triangle” 😩

If I’m being complete honest, I HATE the Se-kyung x Eun-yoo storyline as a whole 🤷🏽‍♀️ the writers + editors are doing an extremely bad job at showing us what exactly Eun-yoo role is … beside being the typical independent and loud girl boss 🫠 Sure, they gave us hints about her life and how much her parents/childhood sucked … but it was all so superficial (in terms of writing + portrayal … the issue itself is serious) and we rarely go back to it.

Other than this so called backstory + finding out who the first love is … this entire storyline is giving ZERO. Like????? How is this going to work?? She has not found her mum or her dad!! And finding the crush does what?? When her mum is halfway across the world??

I’m also not convinced by EunEun couple storyline either … I know it’s still early days … but since I find her character boring and super annoying, this couple is automatically boring too (I’m sorry pls don’t hate me lol) 😭😭

The show has so much potential. Specifically with Cheong-ahs storyline 🥹, which sadly, gets zero screen time 🙃 beyond the love story, the character is intriguing because we see her struggles, goals, home life etc.

I think the story would flow much better without another time traveler … and if it focused more on Cheong-ah and her friendship with Se-kyung + Eun-gyeols attempt at getting his parents together + spending time with his dad.

But yeah …

[kitemist]

Thoughts on twinkling watermelon (kdrama 2023)

I know I barely post here anymore but I finished a kdrama and I don't know who else to talk to about it.

Spoilers for the everything

I haven't watched a single k drama since attorney woo and I found this on tiktok after seeing an edit of it and it has been a while since I watched anything with deaf themes.

Synopsis: A CODA struggles with his passion for music when his father opposes him being in a band, and is suddenly zapped back to 1995 and assigns himself the quest of pairing his teenage future parents together so that he can return back safely, but then runs into complications when his future dad has another crush instead of his future mom, dedicating an entire band of all things purely to win her heart.

Throughout the series it shows quite a bit of life in 1995, and Eun Gyeol slowly learns the past of his parents that he has never told them when they were children, such as how his dad did not have his mom as his first love, or that he was actually born hearing and lost his hearing later in life. Later he meets his mom, a deaf girl going to a different high school for the arts, and his main obstacle that turns out to be a friend, Se Gyeong. From trying to investigate what happened on both sides and being victim of an accident, he ends up in his future mom's house and finds that she is being abused by her adoptive mother and stepsisters, all without the father's knowledge because he is constantly overseas for his instrument business. He promises her father to make her smile, and teaches her sign language as her tutor, the same sign language he had learned from her as a child. I thought that was a beautiful yet tragic way of paying it back.

Se Gyeong is actually Eun Yu, another time traveller from the present day who went back in time to masquerade as her mother, and prevent her parents from meeting so that she didn't have to be born, after her present day life from a father that abandoned her, a mother that tries to live through her, and a second father that moved on so easily after moving overseas all wanted nothing to do with her or her achievements as her own person. She is very much a tsundere and plays around without any regard for people's feelings or any real risks, but ends up attached to Eun Gyeol. They end up having a love hate relationship with each other but then end up falling in love for real after the trials of the band.

Some things are just never explained, such as why the master offers time travelling to the both of them, even though he is revealed to Mr. Viva by the end, the intentions of the time travel are never revealed, even though Eun Gyeol was also wondering as much as well. Why did Chung ah's mother abandon her, where did she go, and the only thing that was revealed was that her moving away was not her choice? And how did the adoptive mother get hired in the first place? Was she a babysitter? She tells Chung ah that from then on she would be her new mother, but from simply being FIRED it was enough to eject her and her kids. Also I felt like Eun Ho, the deaf brother, was not fleshed out enough as a character until somewhat at the very end when Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu are trying to figure out the accident only for it to happen anyway. It almost came off like Viva la Music gives this time traveling trip as a service from how the master was cryptic and worded things, but then it just was for those two in the end. Was it his way of paying things back to them when he couldn't do it in his own lifetime? Wait, wow, that just already explained that. Huh.

Also there are some times where Eun Gyeol is just a huge idiot and never learns until it is actually too late and that's when I felt that the show was much longer than it should be, or at least felt longer. Like he already knows his parent's names but then still calls them dad and mom even though they are the same age as him in 1995. When Eun Yu lets it slip that she's a time traveller, three times in the same episode, he doesn't catch onto any of it until they are on the same train with a smartphone in hand? He also doesn't know how to come off as protective to Yi Chan, without just seeming gay. As funny as that is as a gag it ends up being overused because for some reason Eun Gyeol doesn't know any other way to be protective of him.

It also bothered me greatly that Eun Gyeol also assigns himself the mission of preventing the accident from happening to his father, because it was the reason he became deaf. Like firstoff the mission was to pair them together so that he could be born and return to the present day safely, and secondly, it's like he doesn't want him to be deaf even though he knows it's not always a bad thing. It also seemed to be written last second that Eun Yu would help him with this mission as well, only for it to happen anyway.

The way that Eun Gyeol ended up so interconnected with Eun Yu has got to be one of my favorite parts of the writing. And how the alternative series of events in 1995 flow together, like how Chung ah's brother comes back as an alternate way for the accident to happen, and how music became both of their passions only to sour into a source of grief because of familial expectations.

Eun Gyeol and Yi Chan did have a quality relationship once the latter finally learned to not be such a prick. They quite literally did everything they could for each other, ultimately. If it wasn't time travel, they could have been lifelong friends.

Eun Yu's past of being with a club of similarly high expectations well off children was well written even though briefly shown. It was enough to show the start of her slippery slope into grief, which ultimately made her do stupid shit to try and get attention to her as a person instead of her talents or image of her mother, but I still considered her annoying most of the time. Only when she cooperated with Eun Gyeol, or actually did her job when she was asked, or knew well how to manipulate Watermelon Sugar was when she was a neat character.

Going back to the future and ending up in a better future than where he came from was really nice, he positively impacted the right people who provided everything for his parents. But I wish there were more moments between Eun Gyeol and Chung ah, and ultimately Yi Chan and Chung ah. For being the main couple that has to get together, they didn't share that many moments together, even though that sign language song concert was very sweet. Yi Chan is very strong hearted, and it's his strength with Chung ah but easily his biggest weakness with Se Gyeong, expecting his bandmates to be the same as him even though everyone knows that he only made the band for the sake of a girl so what professionalism is there to be had. In the end, Yi Chan ended up being just a good kid. Ma Joo however was annoying when it came to showing the tape that Yi Chan promised to not show anyone. That's when he actually cares about the band as someone who is only an assistant to it, at the cost of the frontman.

The sign language parts of the drama were not much, but it was so heartwarming when everyone in the band learned some sign for her, and that Eun Gyeol gave the same book to her father. I appreciate the dedication to all the signing being correct, but I wish that the deaf parts were also given to deaf actors. Could just be me watching Switched at Birth so much and seeing that it's a well loved thing in the US to have that though. And the connection between Chung ah and Frida Kahlo, I thought would be much more because it was in the opening and it was the painting that got them to say Viva la Vida. They did talk about her life and how she was strong from how she grew from everything that happened to her, and some parts of her life may be inappropriate for the age rating(?), but there could have been more to show, like other works she had done. Also. Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu deserved sign names. Actually, everyone does.

Overall, I liked the drama, but I cannot recommend it because it felt longer than it should have been, when the characters are annoying it's painful levels of annoying, and Eun Gyeol ultimately not learning much even though the time called for it, only in the end part does it finally cultivate.

9/10 though. I love Chung ah.

[taysbrainvomit]

Twinkling Watermelon Finale

I loved the show, i really did, it was one of the first shows I've watched without over analyzing things or trying to type characters on their MBTI with their cognitive functions. I also don't tend to enjoy kdramas with high schoolers but this was nice, plus slice of life is my jam, i seriously love the genre. The ending of the show was in my opinion not amazing, it felt rushed, i also thought the whole point of everything happening regardless of eun gyeol trying to stop it was so that he could learn to accept it as is and then make an effort with his family and have better communication while expressing himself. I understand that because of his interference in the past certain things like his maternal grandfather being present would make sense, but it was an extremely big jump from the 2023 he left. Not only that but if all these changes occurred then shouldn't eun gyeol's past have changed, his memories, the way he grew up all of that would be affected. Idk if im putting too much thought into it but it felt like that. They didnt give any insight on eun yu's parents after her trip back, like zero zilch. I just think it was too much of a change from the 2023 life he left behind to the 2023 life he entered

[withlove-toyou]

A Long Forgotten Feeling You Want to Go Back To

~ My love letter to "Twinkling Watermelon"

Twinkling Watermelon, a 2023 South Korean drama series directed by Son Jung Hyun and written by Jin Soo Wan, is like a dream image of a fleeting youth that you wish you could experience. I dare compare it to the feeling of sunlight on your face or warm raindrops dancing on your skin. It’s like hugging your favorite person and feeling your heart skip a beat. 

I have been an avid fan of Korean cinema for some time now, and I have watched a fair share of drama series. With this one, I dove in without any expectations. In fact, I wasn’t particularly interested in this drama when I first heard about it. However, once I started watching, I realised why there was so much buzz about this show. Discovering Twinkling Watermelon is like discovering a rare gem. It is fresh, authentic, and just so mesmerizingly heartfelt and wonderful. If you haven’t seen it, you are missing out.

In the opening scene, we see two teenage boys. They are in a coffee shop, and with their focused faces, it looks like they are having trouble ordering. The barista tries to speak to them in Korean but gets no response, so she calls her coworker who speaks English. When attempting to communicate in English also fails, they call for a coworker who speaks Japanese, which once again leads them nowhere. Suddenly the two boys start signing to each other, and then one of them turns to the counter and manages to recite a very detailed order. The baristas look stunned, and after a few long seconds, they finally snap out of it and take their order. This scene shows a light and subtle sense of humor that can also be spotted in later episodes. It’s a breath of fresh air, as most comedies these days (looking at you, Hollywood) are rather crude and very ‘in your face’. Even at the very beginning of the drama, it distinguishes itself from other shows; or at least it distinguishes itself in my eyes.

As the story progresses, we learn that the main character, Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun), is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) and the only one in his household who can hear and speak. First, we get a glimpse of his childhood. Together with his parents and brother, they share a tiny space that they call home, and what they lack in money, they compensate in love. They seem happy despite the obstacles life throws their way. One of the scenes that captivated me the most was when his mother asks him what falling snow sounds like. It’s the middle of the night, and little star-shaped lights light up the room giving it a soft, cozy feel. The two of them are standing by the window when the boy answers “A sound that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling, like the laundry you dry in the sun.” I believe this quote is perfect in describing the cinematic experience that Twinkling Watermelon gives its viewers. In the same episode, there is a scene where the four of them are playing outside in the snow. Eun Gyeol hears a screeching noise from a construction site nearby and sees his brother playing right underneath falling pipes. He tries to reach him but falls and hurts his knee. He screams for his parents and tries in vain to alarm them. Thankfully, seconds before what could have been a tragedy, his father notices and manages to get his son out of harm's way. You can feel the desperation and helplessness of young Eun Gyeol when he realizes the weight of responsibility he has to carry on his shoulders, all alone. Even as a little boy, he played the role of a bridge between the silent world and the hearing world. Being the ears and the voice of his family, led him to take on the role of a reliable guardian. As a result, he had to grow up faster than he should have, and became a teenager too serious for his age.

Fast forward, it’s the year 2023 and Eun Gyeol is a senior in high school. He studies hard to become a doctor, as per his father’s wish. But the boy has a deep-rooted love for music in his heart that his parents are not aware of. He occasionally performs as a street musician, and with time, gains many fans. Eventually, he is scouted by a band looking for a guitarist and decides to join them. Everything goes well until one day he is caught in the act by his dad, Ha Yi Chan (Choi Won Young), and the two get into a fight where Eun Gyeol ends up expressing his true feelings and frustrations. Next thing we know/he knows, he runs away and stumbles upon a mysterious, strangely alluring music store called “La Vida Music” with an equally eccentric owner. He sells his favorite guitar and leaves the store only to find himself in the year 1995. Now, I’m not gonna lie. I came into this drama knowing nothing about it, so the sudden time travel caught me off guard. But this is where the actual story begins. Eun Gyeol is stuck in the 90s with no money and no modern technology, and the first person he meets is a teenage version of his father. Not only does he struggle with finding himself in this new reality but he also soon discovers that there is a lot about his parents that he didn’t know. It turns out that his dad was not always deaf and his mother wasn’t his first love after all. Our main character joins a band that young Yi Chan started to pursue the popular girl, Choi Se Kyeong (Seol In Ah). Eun Gyeol makes it his mission to find his mom, Yoon Cheong Ah (Shin Eun Soo), and play Cupid. At the same time, he tries to figure out how to get back to the future.  

Music is a big theme in the show and it highlights different ways to experience it. For Eun Gyeol, it’s his passion and true calling. He loves to perform, especially with a guitar in his hand as he has an exceptional talent for it. But you don’t need to be able to hear music to enjoy it. In one scene Yi Chan tells Cheong Ah “Music isn’t something you listen to just by ear. Music is something you can feel with your eyes, mind, and heart”. In another episode, Cheong Ah says to him almost as a response “I came up with a name for you. (…) ‘Shining Voice’. I can’t hear it, but I can feel it, I can see it. You shine the brightest when you’re doing music. It’s when you look the coolest.” And so Twinkling Watermelon shines just as brightly as its characters. 

The show is a fun watch, as we observe the peculiar dynamic between the boy and his father, who upon their first encounter believes Eun Gyeol is a total nutjob. Throughout the 16 episodes they bicker a lot, fight, but also become genuine friends. Moreover, there is an interesting shift between them as Eun Gyeol becomes sort of a fatherly figure to his carefree and somewhat irresponsible teenage dad. In a way, Yi Chan is the perfect image of youth, lively and stupid (I mean that in a loving way) but at the same time beautiful. The kind of youth that the main character has been robbed of and finally has the chance to experience alongside his dad. All the characters seem fleshed out, complex, and alive, each with a story to tell. And the drama does just that, with all its layers and brilliant storytelling.

The main cast, Ryeon, Hyun Woo, Seol In Ah, and Shin Eun Soo, give stellar performances. Despite some of them being still relatively new to the acting scene, their skills are impressive and I see a great future ahead for them. I am most familiar with Hyun Woo’s work because I have seen some of his other dramas. He is often cast in coming-of-age dramas, such as “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” and “Week Hero Class” and I have to admit - roles like that suit him well and he embodies his characters. As for the lead actor, Ryeon, this is my first encounter with him but I will be sure to keep an eye out for him in future projects.  

Twinkling Watermelon masterfully and tastefully combines comedic scenes with serious themes and heartfelt portrayals. It touches upon issues such as ableism, arrogance, societal pressures, abuse, and depression; without making the show feel “too heavy” and difficult to digest, but also without shying away from them.

It may not be the first coming-of-age time-travel show, but it certainly outshines many others. The nostalgic world of 1995’s Seoul completely consumes you and the many twists and turns keep you engaged and curious. I devoured the show with its sixteen one-hour-long episodes in three days, and would probably have finished it sooner had I not been busy. It’s just that good! It pulls you in and won’t let go, but you don’t really want to let go of it either.  

Twinkling Watermelon is a story of tender love that transcends time, unlikely friendships, and youth that is both sweet and bitter. It’s a warm-hearted tale of finding yourself and finding others; of being young and foolish and following your dream when the world is at your feet. Adventure. Sorrow. First tentative love. The fragility that comes with youth. And a family of your own making. Twinkling Watermelon has it all, and it has my heart, too.

With love, Zuzanna.

[feuqueerfire]

Twinkling Watermelon Live Blogging

Came across some Tiktoks (I think the first one showed up on my FYP on my phone) about a deaf girl in school being tripped by a group of girls and a girl being nice to her and with a guy who's yelling at her for making fun of him but her not understand but then !! I found this Tiktok in the tags which has characters from this series and My Perfect Stranger who time travelled back in time to when their parents were teens! Not only that, the main guy in this is the son from 18 Again (aside: I've been Obsessed with this OST again for the past week this January), which this show kinda reminds me of even though that one had the parent turning young in current timeline rather than time travel. Then I realized that it's actually a really hyped show that everybody seems to be watching.

Anyway, been a long time since I watched a full-length kdrama that's not a rewatch (From Now On, Showtime! in June 2023), so I hope I love it. Again, bad timing because busy with school but the thing is, it's nearly always bad timing, so here it goes I guess.

Episode 1 (Jan 19, 2024)

It's 1:30AM and I'm starting this lol, I'm gonna just watch 15 mins and go to sleep so that I have something to look forward to/be excited about when waking up tomorrow

Do all these shows always start with something bad/scary happening so that it's used as a hook? I'm just remembering Psychopath Diary starting with this guy's worst day of ever which made me stop watching lol The events with this ingredient man seem like it'll turn sour

you're not gonna show me what the father answered smh will it be revealed at a critical, heart-wrenching moment in the future?

ahhh the fuckass landlady and her fuckass child i can’t believe the kid is threatening him with eviction if they do t cheat So did Eun Gyeol erase and put his own name again afterwards? idgi

From what I know about this show, Eun Gyeol goes back in time + makes some sort of music band? So I’m gonna assume his dad actually wrote this song or smth (turning his “I feel sorry that only I can play songs like this” untrue) and he used to be able to hear?

My current bad habit is wishing we could go back to grownup Eun Gyeol so that I could look at his pretty nice face. Like brooo pause on being someone who loves to look at pretty boys and focus on the story at hand

Girl we once again have: worst day of ever. house on fire, grandpa dead/injured, flashback to when his dad said he’ll save Eun Gyeol first to help save the others

I hate this girl’s guitare case so bad idk why the shape of it gives me the ick - anyway is she the girl who saw him crying in front of grandfather’s store? and is she gonna be his love interest?

oh it’s a cello case + it’s the brother’s gf (Eun Gyeol wouldn’t steal his brothers gf right?)

wait lol what’s happening i got so confused. + the weak hero class guy intro (not park jihoon), is he the landlady's kid all grown up?

oh lol anonymous busking

Well the random watching 15 mins and go to bed didn’t quite work out bc i did go to bed but finished the ep on my ipad instead of sleeping lol it’s like 3AM now rip

As I was watching, occasionally, I’d be like Oh that’s Shinwoo from 18 Again. Slightly wrong, the name was Shi Woo, but why do I remember even that fr?

No time travelling yet but a good start.

Was looking at the r/kdrama On-Air posts and it started off with posts w 100+ comments, then 200+, then 300+, and the final one has 800+ comments lol, did it blow up after the show finished airing or was almost at the end?

Episode 2 (Jan 19)

The secondary guy and the cello girl are both annoying right now but I assume they'll both grow, get better, etc. like firstly my guy why are you following around and stalking this girl T.T if he wasn't so overwhelmingly charming/endearing and we weren't seeing his side, it'd come off much creepier. and she's obviously like being forced to be in a strict schedule because of her family or whatever (wearing the pink dress while longingly looking at the black one lol) and she'll stop being the "ice queen" as time goes on, but idk I feel like there are characters who are kinda snobby but makes you like them regardless, whereas she's not quite hitting that for me

but him getting embarrassed about his open pants zipper and running away while covering his face was cute tho

hmm this older man (Yoon Dong Jin) was in a band in high school and he's the only one of the members who still does music... was Eun Gyeol's dad in this band perhaps? and was he the one who had the big accident to make him deaf?

This new band thing for Eun Gyeol happened so fast, tbh like no camaraderie? No getting to know the band members?

broo the landlady hit the dad's car? are we joking lmao

relying on a kid for interpreting serious matters is just So Much pls just write or text amongst adults

And also the father making his son say inflammatory stuff to the landlady (or the mother to that ingredient seller beforehand) instead of writing it on their own like cmon

okay at least they mentioned that there was a professional translator for the police convo, she was late but then again, c'mon let's use some writing utensils. they texted Byeong Ho when he was a kid

girl not this Mess in this band + the Eun Gyeol spilling his guilt and guts about the fire incident

The thing is I feel no desire to watch Eun Gyeol go back to this band. I want him to follow his dreams, do music, etc but not necessarily with these people - specifically that drummer guy agh

this fawking guitar T.T I knew Grandpa left it for Ha Eun Gyeol in his will

I knewwww I shouldn't have started this episode before finishing my important, pressing university lecture. Anyway I'm stopping at 42mins for now, hope I can do homework for an hour before coming back here lol. okay I did homework for an hour :)

Oh yeah, I forgot I thought the ice cream shop guy might've been grown up landlady's son but I don't think so anymore ig since when would he have hit the father with the car? + his name's Lee Chan (update: Yi Chan). I briefly thought he was the young father maybe but like him and Eun Gyeol are connected through the cello girl

oh wait, the tiktok I saw of the deaf girl falling and getting dirty water on some pretty, popular was in the current timeline? Idk why I thought maybe it was his mom in the previous timeline or smth

oh girl this girl gave the cello girl the shirt and then leaving, fuck don't say lesbians they're not lesbians you're just gonna get your heart broken but...

plsss not the rock band t-shirt making Yi Chan think she likes bands

oh does the deaf girl like Yi Chan or something? In the poster, Eun Gyeol and cello girl (Se Kyeong) are on one side while Yi Chan and newly introduced deaf girl are in the other side hmmm

okayyy the hyung is on Eun Gyeol's side

naurrrrr is this landlady gonna take a photo of Eun Gyeol holding a cigarette? my guy already drinks while underage, let's not get into this too

oh lol pls not a photo but thinking he's doing drugs with them

ahhh and then the landlady throwing it back in the father's face like okay okay some of these are correct (well he's playing at the club... but he does drink) but yikess

wait what happened to his mask?

oh fuck (father-son confrontation)

oh fuck again (when Eun Gyeol's saying he's not his father's trophy nor an interpreter nor an alarm nor an angel)

of fuck (not his father saying you should've told be more, should've convinced me but Eun Gyeol being like how? you can't even hear like D: girl)

oh fuck Eun Gyeol leaving without even saying sorry for the last part

I get him a little bit because it really is so suffocating to live under your parents' expectations and he had sooo much responsibility thrust onto him

he was about to smash the guitar?! girl

oh magic ooh~

girl he's selling the guitar? the grandfather's guitar? well i'm assuming it'll come back to him again but oh wow this really is a 16/17 year old (18 yo in Korean age)

Okayyyy so Yi Chan really is Eun Gyeol's father as a youngster? and the deaf girl is his mother? And the cello girl is maybe the woman who is the Viva Music grandfather's daughter? Because when we saw the woman move into the house with her cello daughter, we didn't see the daughter's face. So this Se Kyeong is actually the mother from when she was younger?

Yknow early in Ep 2 when it moved from Eun Gyeol leaving the band practice to Yi Chan asking his friend for Se Kyeong's contacts + the hijinks with the cello performance, it really did seem like we went to the past/another dimension but I was like hmm maybe not.

ahhh indeed musician Yoon Dong Jin's high school band Fake First Love Memory Makers included Ha Eun Gyeol's dad Ha Yi Chan. I'm guessing the

so he really didn't know his dad could hear and speak in the past. I thought they knew

Okay, I'm glad we moved to the past! I'm excited to see how this goes.

Let's see if I can finish up my homework and other stuff for the day before I end up picking up ep 3. Hopefully the reddit on-air commentary + searching for this show's first week gifs keeps me busy for I crave the next ep.

Episode 3 (Jan 20)

lmaoo the “phone cal to Dong Jin’s gyubgeon was funny”

so Eun Gyeol is gonna take over real life Yoon Dong Jin’s identity? how will this affect the future?

lol he was running bc he needed to go to the bathroom? i thought lat ep he was being chased or smth

cryingggg i love the hijinks that happen at first when the person who time traveled or whatever doesn’t yet realize they need to act normal and go wild with the first interactions like with 18 Again turning into a teenager but claiming to be aging Shia’s father

plss Eun Gyeol staring so intently at his father

lol okay i was glad that these guys were just exceptionally dumb and being fooled by eun gyeol into believing he’s Yoon Dong Jin and that he didn’t successfully somehow fool everybody ever

ahh so true Eun Gyeol is like wtf my dad joined a band not for the music but for a girl and that girl isn’t even my mother !

I hope Yoon Chung Ah (the mother) gets some proper story as a youngin because she wasn’t there much as an adult and even when she was, it was like she just wanted the dad to be happy hmm

I fucking wish they were lesbians talking about Frida Kahlo lesbians sharing headphones

plssss his dad had told them that Eun Gyeol’s mom was his first love??? Eun Gyeol finding out so much about his father

ahh the mother keeping everything from them about her life and saying it’s a secret till they’re older

ah, Eun Gyeol talking about how he stopped being curious about his parents lives because he thought he knew enough…

oh shit he’s homeless rn

waittt so Yoon Dong Jin’s life is now changed fr since he joined a diff band and not this one

TODO: change Lee Chan -> Yi Chan

auuauauah Se Kyeong giving a ticket for the band concert she’s going to Yoon Chung Ah

how bad is the bullying/fighting gonna be for the other girls against Chung Ah? i wasn’t prepared for super bad bullying

okay Yi Chan and Chung Ah met but also Eun Gyeol and Se Kyeong met and I’m hoping nothing romantic happens between them lol and also I don’t want him to get together with Se Kyeong’s daughter either as if through some sort of transitive property

Episode 4 (Jan 20)

ohhh Se Kyeong started doing cello to impress her mother and fill in the space of her dead daughter

ohh so that the Viva Music grandfather was her adoptive father

plsss not Eun Gyeol asking young Se Kyeong why her older self didn’t come to his concert nearly 3 decades in the future with her daughter

but wait her first love was also a “bandman” um so she ended up liking Yi Chan? maybe she meant her first love (Chung Ah) was a bandman lover

omg? Chung Ah’s flashback to some ripe strangling her or smth?

simultaneously thinking that Chung Ah and Yi Chan are cute while mourning Chung Ah and Se Kyeong. The girls won’t become enemies or something later, will they? Can’t handle another True Beauty tragedy

dang, somebody else trying to fuck with Se Kyeong so she thinks Eun Gyeol was sent by them?

ohhh her biological father…

but would he be the guitarist guy since the flower man already looks p old and like he had white hair when Se Kyeong was a teen?

pls Eun Gyeol hiding behind a tree is killing me so bad

lolll Yi Chan having to team up with Eun Gyeol to escape grandma’s wrath

lol getting tested by great grandmother on math. oh yeah i forgot he was doing reeeeally well at school and was supposed to be a doctor or whatever

wait wtf sudden realization that the hyung with the long hair and bad music and Yoon Dong Jin knower pretender is maybe Mr Viva Music grandpa? but he’s supposed to be at least a decade older than Eun Gyeol’s dad + he’s not Se Kyeong’s either dad so maybe not

Eun Gyeol watching his father and great grandmother sing and dance and remembering her and wondering about his joyous dad and crying ahhh family

they sleep the same way omg - Chung Ah’s stepmother chairwoman evil

not Chung Ah setting up her crush Yi Chan with Se Kyeong bc he likes her

I can’t believe Chung Ah’s ruining my lesbian ship dreams like this like Se Kyeong is literally waiting for you at the concert?!?!

bro Yi Chan is such a fucking menace why is he yelling Se Kyeong’s name in the middle of the street girl i’m embarrassed

no like I fully understand why Se Kyeong is mad as fuck even though in this instant it’s not Yi Chan’s fault that he’s there

not Eun Gyeol showing up to have his dad’s back about the band lol

So is Se Kyeong really not impressed by Yi Chan still? good I hope her “I hate band stuff” is real and true and that she and Chung Ah don’t like the same guy (ideally they’d like each other but)

ahhh Eun Gyeol has realized The Accident that his father was in hasn’t yet happened and will happen (this year)

Also, I really do wonder about Yoon Dong Jin like his band memory forgetter whatever disbanded because a member got into a big accident but he’s not even a member anymore

I guess now Eun Gyeol will be trying very hard to prevent his father's accident.

Fun Fact: I knew about 18 Again and Twinkling Watermelon sharing actors (and having kinda similar concepts) but apparently Youth of May also comes into play

Show: Father - Son

18 Again: Lee Dohyun (young ver.) - Shi Woo/Eun Gyeol actor

Twinkling Watermelon: Eun Gyeol's dad (adult Yi Chan) - Eun Gyeol actor

Youth of May: Eun Gyeol's dad (adult Yi Chan actor) - Lee Dohyun

Episode 5 (Jan 20)

Ahh Eun Gyeol previously being like fuck they remember that I wasn't there the day of the fire and couldn't help my brother and he also remembers that there was a time he was drowning and was yelling but his family couldn't hear

The dad has already hinted twice about having his voice taken away/losing sound in his life, how did Eun Gyeol not catch on?

I know people are often into bromance (people being me. I watch half these no-romance, intense bromance shows with either it being a BL in my mind or thinking one of them likes the other romantically) but are they into this bromance or are they put off by the incest? I don't really care this time, I'm more invested in the lesbians because Se Kyeong is literally in love with Chung Ah to me

I do love Yi Chan's pretty girl mannerisms, playing at being an innocent girl being perved on lmfao

Eun Gyeol talking about how the reason he travelled to 1995 is to stop the accident from happening to his dad and hmm I'm pretty sure that's not it. My guess/hope would be he doesn't change too much from the past, the accident still happens, things still happen mostly as they would've without him, but he gets to spend time with and see and understand his parents in a new way

I'm sorry I'm really supposed to believe what Se Kyeong feels for Chung Ah is not lesbianism? Miss girl doesn't give a fuck about saying bye to her bf, is thinking about how she's never coming back to Korea when her best friend asks but is searching for Chung Ah in the airport crowds hoping she shows up?

plss "How should I learn an instrument and sing in 3 octaves in 3 days? Should I give birth to a son and bring him somehow?" and Eun Gyeol just sipping his drink

and Oh Ma Joo inadvertently insulting Eun Gyeol by insulting Yi Chan by insulting his hypothetical son

aw grandma's dream being to see Yi Chan go to college

"Why are you being so nice to me/helping me out all the time?" "Well you saved me a few times in my previous life"

bro Se Kyeong is literally writing a letter to Chung Ah, how is this not gay? At least one sided?

Eun Gyeol's cheeks just going up every time he's complimented and unable to not smile - Gunwook core tbh

auuuu Eun Gyeol eats just like Yi Chan and has the same preferences and has grandmother being like ll y'all acting like you're related ahh reminds me of that ML with mother-in-law with the beef meal scene

oh, so the Se Kyeong coming back and being rebellious wasn't a dream. Was that also how it was in the present timeline and she was lying when she said she was there from 11th grade until her dad died? Because if not and she just randomly came back this time unlike the original time hmm I feel like Eun Gyeol's existence in this timeline hasn't influenced her enough to do all that

Anyway, she seems more fun and loose now, so does she actually like bands? she did a rock guitar motion in the middle there once... so does she actually end up liking Yi Chan? or would it be Eun Gyeol or smth

waittt this random guitar store called White Night's owner is Se Kyeong's biological father and will likely become Mr Viva Music grandpa okayyy bad casting but sure

ah, Se Kyeong caught on that Eun Gyeol very explicitly doesn't want her around Yi Chan

Girl, Se Kyeong's home life exploding rn?

I remember someone on a reddit on-air thread was like maybe Se Kyeong's daughter also came back in the timeline and just looks exactly like her mother and I was wondering if this did happen but hmm, doesn't quite seem like it because she already knows everything that Se Kyeong is supposed to

nooo I get why Yi Chan feels so wronged but don't yell at Chung Ah !!

Wait... his dad met his mom at 20 after going to a sign language class... I guess in the original timeline, Chung Ah just saw Yi Chan chasing Se Kyeong (while harbouring a crush from the bookstore incident) but Yi Chan didn't know her and this time because Yi Chan was escaping from Eun Gyeol, he ran into that other PE teacher who he had to run away from and thus ran into Chung Ah closet. And I guess if that didn't happen, Chung Ah wouldn't have given that concert ticket and that whole fiasco wouldn't have happened, neither with Yi Chan and Chung Ah nor with the jam session at the concert that Eun Gyeol stepped into.

Finally Eun Gyeol meeting his mom - Chung Ah!

not the meeting of all 4 of them in front of the ice cream shop

Insane ending, straight to ep 6 oof

Episode 6 (Jan 20)

damn, they sent Cheong Ah's mother away? D:

Her fuckass dad took her mom who knows where and brought in the stepmother fucking immediately? crazy

ah, her trying to teach Cheong Ah to speak (cruelly too) instead of teaching her sign language

and isolating her as punishment helllll

wait, so Cheong Ah doesn't properly know sign language because of this?

omgggg not the party where Se Kyeong played cello and Yi Chan had his zip open being in Cheong Ah's backyard where she's not allowed to attend

This would've happened regardless of Eun Gyeol interference right? So in original timeline, the mother must've liked the father for a longass time before properly meeting

omg Yi Chan making Se Kyeong wait to go apologize to Cheong Ah

but then being a dumbass bro what

the watermelon keychain + Viva La Vida belonging to Cheong Ah? girl everybody and everyone connected in this story fr lol

no she's fr playing with Yi Chan (convincing myself she's just going through it and doesn't like Yi Chan fr and there'll be no fight or sadness between her and Cheong Ah about liking him)

she doesn't remember how he knows her address?

ah fuck so scary, Se Kyeong really has a noose in her room

You know with the guitar playing and now skating, whenever it shows the bottom half of them doing the activity without their face in frame, I wonder if that's a stunt double or whatever?

fawk, if I wasn't rooting for Yi Chan + Cheong Ah out of principle and I didn't know that Se Kyeong is really fucking going through it and mostly just messing with Yi Chan, I would've really rooted for her and Yi Chan in its current form (her being bold as hell, showing up in a motorcycle and bringing tickets for a theme park date while Yi Chan is nervous and shy despite being a very boisterous boy with a very healthy dose of ego)

Eun Gyeol doing his best to 1) make sure his dad doesn't get into an accident and 2) ruin his dad's date with another girl

Eun Gyeol and Se Kyeong antagonisms are fun

How would you react to somebody thinking you have a crush on your real father lmfao anyway brings me back to what the BL fans are making of this relationship

personally not really into fictional character incest either but otherwise, I would've actually been really into the bromance, it's so funny Eun Gyeol speedily catching Yi Chan in his arms while pushing away Se Kyeong while all the other guys go to save Se Kyeong

pls they all think they're dating or smth

and now Se Kyeong being like oh do you like me actually?

I actually really could be into Eun Gyeol and Se Kyeong too (have I said this about every single pair out of these 4 except Eu Gyeol and Cheong Ah?), they're funny in their antagonisms as I said

Also, she kinda reminds me of Beyond Evil Minjeong with this new personality

also I'm into noona romance lol but would def prefer that he's not in HIGH SCHOOL

damn, tough fight and Eun Gyeol leaving

Ah, as expected, if he goes back to 2023 now, it'd be to a very different time

oh I thought he was gonna get shocked from touching his electric guitar in the rain but mic works too

ah, so it has indeed been Se Kyeong's daughter? since the out of order phone rang? When Se Kyeong didn't know how Eun Gyeol knew her address, I was like hmmmmm but it seems too hard for her to know all the rest, so I thought no. I also thought she'd say I'm from the future when Eun Gyeol first confronted her about why she came back and he was like being like loll your reason can't be worse/weirder than mine

Episode 7 (Jan 21)

First thing in the morning, watching the next ep rip

Ah, people in the on-air thread were mentioning that the lugagge tag was Eun Yoo when she came from America in ep 3

Also, I wonder whether Eun Yoo knows that Eun Gyeol isn't supposed to be there? she's never properly met him in the present timeline. ig it'll be fun when they realize the other's from the future too? and then they'll fall in love, which is good bc I was afraid that Eun Gyeol was gonna fall for Se Kyeong here or smth and then settle for like lookalike daughter in the original present timeline who was obviously a different person

not Se Kyeong emulating her mother in a bad way toward her own daughter

hearing adult Se Kyeong talk about her first love being a bandman is so funny because like well first of all, you were in love with a girl: Chung Ah. also, it kinda makes me think that despite her saying her first love was a bandman who was bright as sunshine, cheerful, and manly, it's somehow not Yi Chan because like she mentioned the boy who started a band for her but didn't mention he's her first love. Makes me think it's Eun Gyeol or smth but they barely had any interactions fr and like I don't think adult Se Kyeong had met teenage Eun Gyeol

ah, she really is going back to stop them from getting married and getting together with somebody else instead (although... can't Se Kyeong just do the same stuff as original tl since she's in America? and even if not, her pretending to have a relationship with Yi Chan isn't gonna make it happen fr - although maybe she thinks that if she can get herself and Yi Chan in a relationship and bring Se Kyeong back, she'll get together with her first love easily)

loll the $1 bills never having been changed

okay indeed Se Kyeong's first love isn't Yi Chan

loll Eun Yoo's gonna think her first love was Eun Gyeol despite Eun Gyeol not having been there in Se Kyeong's original teenage timeline

omg Se Kyeong wrote the letter/note in the concert ticket envelope... do I go check to see what she wrote? Okay I rechecked and it's nothing super romantic, just saying she was surprised that "you" were into bands and an invitation to go to the concert with her. but guys my lesbian goggles are just...

Yi Chan and Chung Ah are really cute fr I'm like :] :D :) watching them

naurr Eun Gyeol leaving and not taking the guitar pick (do we think somebody else - Mr. Viva grandpa - gets it and gives him back to him as a child)

Se Kyeong never had a meal with Eun Gyeol or Cheong Ah, so her first love is neither of them - lesbian dreams crashing once again. but who knows, maybe there was an event at Cheong Ah's house where they snuck together to eat food

but also funny that Eun Gyeol doesn't even appear on Eun Yoo's list of who Se Kyeong liked - does she know Eun Gyeol is a future kid too?

oh lol she just thinks Eun Gyeol likes men but him liking men wouldn't mean Se Kyeong still couldn't like him.

Since they're father and son and we established they eat the same way, I'd assume Eun Gyeol can also handle spicy food since Yi Chan's eating it like it's nothing

All these fucking photos of Eun Gyeol staring at Yi Chan I'm crying, no wonder Eun Yoo is convinced that he likes him

Eun yoo saying Eun Gyeol makes her heart flutter somehow...

plss naught eun gyeol making money writing essays etc

auuuuu this is the part time to buy yi chan a guitar

oof yi chan realizing how he treated eun gyeol

naur Cheong Ah losing Yi Chan and Yi Chan getting beat up

ah, Cheong Ah and Eun Yoo meeting, in my head Eun Yoo will realize who Se Kyeong really loved is Cheong Ah

omg they really beat the shit outta Yi Chan and he's feeling so abandoned too

omg Ha Eun Gyeol going back to 2023 by trying to smash his guitar. I guess we'll see how his (+ Eun Yoo's) actions have affected the current timeline

They need to stop making the last scene of the episode sooo intriguing all the time smh I should really really really really do some homework and chores right now

Episode 8 (Jan 21)

aghhhh I'm starting ep 8 immediately, maybe I'll find some willpower in the middle there to pause and do some things I have to

Where's Eun Gyeol's bag? and he's also running away without his guitar

fuck kid don't be too happy, I don't think something good is awaiting you

oh waittt okay they're not too bad but I'm scared that the mother will not be Chung Ah...

but also in this universe, why does the dad not realize his son looks exactly like his teenage scam artist friend with the same name lmfao (ig he actually named baby Eun Gyeol after his friend who disappeared)

damn, he's even telling the story of his "dream" how is the father not being like haha. my son was my tutor back then. and is chill about it? how does he not remember?

okay I shouldn't think too much because how are Eun Gyeol and his brother born when their mother isn't the same - Se Kyeong instead of Chung Ah? And in that case, shouldn't Eun Yoo also exist?

okay, was that a dream and a glimpse into what it would be like but not fr what it's like? Anyway, does them getting married mean Yi Chan really was Se Kyeong's first love?

ohhh he's gonna meet Cheong Ah properly soon

ah Eun Yoo not remembering Cheong Ah

alskdfasl;kdfa;sdlkf jskldf ja;dklsf Cheong Ah seeing Se Kyeong-Eun Yoo be able ask for help and communicate with Yi Chan while she's not able to nooooooo

aksldjflksajflkasdfj passing by Cheong Ah and Eun Gyeol realizing just a bit too late and having guards stop him from following her as she calls her Mom

Se Kyeong's friend is Cheong Ah's step sister and theoretically Eun Gyeol's aunt. Also, what's that mom doesn't like you see the brother with the Attorny man? Is he gay?

god the evil stepmother and daughter and useless+evil stepson

auuuuu Eun Gyeol is here and signing with Cheong Ah but she doesn't know sign T.T but she does know Eomma sign lol

The father also seems evil if this has been going on for like a decade or whatever...

also is Yi Chan gonna find Eun Gyeol's guitar pick by any chance in the hospital?

stop wasting time with Yi Chan's galavant tale of 10 v 1, let me go back to Cheong Ah and Eun Gyeol

plsss "Yoon Cheong Ah found you" "Your friend Yoon Chung Ah?" "My friend Yoon Chung Ah?!" and her being like hmmm yeah! so true! we got close because she's easy to talk to! and he's like huh? isn't she hearing impaired? and Eun Yoo being like she is?!

laskdjfkl;sdfj so true Eun Yoo's dad is her mother's boyfriend (to be?) and she's pretending to be her mother T.T

Are we not seeing the Cheong Ah's dad and Eun Gyeol convo right now...

hehehhe so fun to have Eun Yoo and Eun Gyeol both thinking like oh fuck is he my mom's first love and noooo she can't marry my dad and be my mom because they don't know the other is from their own timeline. i hope they figure it out before the end of the ep

pls Eun Gyeol falling for Eun Yoo thinking she's Se Kyeong - and Eun Yoo has also had slip ups thinking of liking Eun Gyeol

auuu not Eun Gyeol being mean to Eun Yoo so that Se Kyeong doesn't end up with Yi Chan but idk what being mean to her would even do, but rip Eun Yoo getting hurt because of it

They're both such rascals, it's fun

aghhhhh Yi Chan not getting to talk to Cheong Ah (was it true she said no or did the step mother just decide) and then missing Eun Gyeol as he goes to that same house...

so is Cheong Ah's father like lowkey not evil or what? giving Eun Gyeol room and board to teach Cheong Ah sign?

also does Cheong Ah remember Yi Chan asking her if she knows someone names Ha Eun Gyeol?

oh he's a jerk nevermind fucker

Adult Cheong Ah teaching baby Eun Gyeol sign and now teenage him teaching teenage her sign

ah fuck him crying like his mom taught it to him as a child but now seeing that she didn't know how to sign when she was his age and was being treated this way by her family

pls my parents are... in another world right now

ohh Eun Gyeol basically being Cheong Ah's interpreter right now

pls the way Se Kyeong and Cheong Ah both know where Eun Gyeol is and now he's also enrolled in the other high school but the band doesn't know rip

plss Eun Gyeol going heart eyes over Eun Yoo but acting cold and mean smhhhh asshold

plsss not the fucking school band performance from first love memory makers at Eun Gyeol-Cheong Ah-Se Kyeong's school

oh wow I wish Eun Gyeol and Yi Chan weren't father-son or that I wasn't so icked out by fictional parent/child incest because this fucking I love you Ha Eun Gyeol song is crazy, it's like a confession scene

also so funny that apparently nobody has caught on that Se Kyeong is right there

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

lmfao I'm dying now he's like yes I'll come back to the band but you can't date Choi Se Kyeong because EYE like her

Episode 9 (Jan 21)

I took like a 30 minute break from this show to do some stuff that needed to be done before coming back here lol

aiaksdlfjaskldfjskadlf Eun Gyeol getting punched by Yi Chan instead of getting chosen omgggg

omg Eun Gyeol landing a punch on Yi Chan as well?

girl this is too much excitement for me

plsss Eun Gyeol cooing over hurting Yi Chan

This show lovessss a hair clutching fight

not the parallel running away now with En Gyeol and Eun Yoo (as Se Kyeong)

Eun Gyeol about Eun Yoo as Se Kyeong when she goes on about him using her as a shield/beard so that he doesn't have to come out about liking Yi Chan: Ajhumma was ahead of her time

Does Eun Yoo think now that Eun Gyeol probably did fall in love with Se Kyeong at first sight and maybe had smth with her mom and her mom's first love fr and is why she's easily being like okay :)

her kabadoning him so true

so true, what does somebody even make of this situation - new guy who comes in to help Cheong Ah gets in a fight with another guy from a diff school over a girl and said girl is actually supposed to be in the US

This is so funny because he's probably like I'm doing aegyo to my mom :) in his head but it comes off maybe romantic and Eun Yoo (and me...) are like aww he's cute

not the physical punishment at school

ahh Eun Yoo not knowing whether she wants him to be able to eat the food or not bc she's conflicted about whether she wants him to be the first love or not, esp because he'd be with her mother

and Eun Gyeol asking about the answer to his confessions omg

serenading Se Kyeong? who is it if not Yi Chan?

poor Eun Gyeol "Why are mom and dad both doing this to me?"

lmao now they're gonna be competing about Se Kyeong on stage - meaning they'll both serenade her? lol

paused the show to go read the ep 7&8 on-air thread and somebody mentioned Yoon Dong Jin being a possible first love for Se Kyeong and it feels really possible since he was that band's original guitarist. Other people are saying it's probably actually still Ji H wan (her bf/ex-husband) and she's just reminiscing about what it used to be like and it'll be ironic that despite trying to search for a new guy and forge a new path for her mom, she's still looking for her dad.

The fact that Eun Gyeol still thinks of Eun Yoo as Se Kyeong as Ajhumma

lol idk why I'm so endeared by Eun Gyeol and Eun Yoo

Eun Yoo being like am I your two's toy? You can just decide whatever? at being told Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol aren't allowed to see her till the festival so true

Did Eun Yoo learning sign because of Eun Gyeol's hyung?

ah, Yi Chan saw Cheong Ah's drawing of him...

Eun Yoo is so real and true about "playing" with both Eun Gyeol and Yi Chan because they also keep playing with her

Also Eun Gyeol is kinda cruel fr for asking Eun Yoo to like him back/pass him the ball while he thinks she's Se Kyeong and as a ploy to get her away from Yi Chan. I know he likes her kinda a bit but still...

Are we supposed to think that they kissed? No right, because it wasn't even an angle kiss... Just that Eun Gyeol leaned in while Eun Yoo didn't?

Episode 10 (Jan 21)

Menace Eun Gyeol breaking up with his brother's GF and making it worse T.T

waitttt Eun Gyeol was breaking off with 4 of 5 of his hyung's GFs? girl mans is too much 5???

plsss not the "you grew up well" flashback just as they were gonna kiss

oh we really did get a kiss (even if it's close lipped and stiff)

al;skdfj;askdf not only did Yi Chan ask whether Chung Ah likes him but Chung Ah answered truthfully

oh Eun Gyeol's gonna think Yi Chan said both what he said and what Se Kyeong said... I guess that's okay? idk

The Chainwoman stepmother is just too much

I need Eun Gyeol and Eun Yoo to find out that they're from the future soon pls

oh fuck Eun Yoo's friend committed suicide... why did Se Kyeong become SUCHHH a bad mother though tf telling her "don't let ppl say you became #1 because your friend committed suicide"

Ahh Eun Yoo really is in a very bad mental space

aw Chung Ah being like it's fine ik you like Se Kyeong, we can still be friends

Grandpa Choi isn't the one who's the helper that the guy sent you but he's literally Mr. Viva Music Grandpa

Dying at Eun Gyeol being alert at every mention of Helper now

alskdfj Yoon Dong Jin so funny

Oh Ma Joo the only person with braincells cuz I was like why are they running away T.T

Them getting beat up by the other band members for the 2nd time bc of Yoon Dong Jin, so funny

plsss soooo close to finding out that Eun Yoo sold the guitar to La Vida fuckkk he was even like oh could she be my helper??? aksdflaksdfj lkEun Yoo you should've saiddddd

Oh, Cheong Ah's Viva La Vida watermelon keychain comes from the painting by Frida Kahlo but I wonder how it relates to Viva and La Vida music stores

ah Yi Chan and Chung Ah so cute

ah fuck Eun Gyeol literally saying he's from the future and saying Se Kyeong's future to Eun Yoo, they musttt be getting closer to finding out about the other, right?

ahh Viva La Vida being told to Eun Gyeol by Yi Chan (adult) who was told about it by Chung Ah

It's sooo funny that Eun Gyeol approves so quick whenever Yi Chan does something for/gets something from Chung Ah. Like changing the band name and designs because Yi Chan said Chung Ah can design it. And now agreeing to watermelon stuff because he realizes Chung Ah taught Yi Chan about Viva La Vida

omg??? wait so okay the accident happened before the band festival... and the band also didn't go to the festival (meaning Se Kyeong's first love is someone else. and since Yoon Dong Jin also didn't go... probably just her Ji Hwan fr lol or she's making it up like some comments suggest)

The watermelon painting by Frida Kahlo is reminding me of Palestinian resistance as well.

Episode 11 (Jan 21)

I can seriously barely wait between watching episodes aghh

oh Kang Hyeon Yool beat up the gangsters for beating up Yi Chan, so that's how he ended up being injured too at the hospital

but what's this about Do Jin coming back... and maybe being stabbed in the back...

ohh Jindo dogs means gang members lol I thought it was a joke about him fighting with some real dogs when in fact he got beat up randomly or smth

oh damn, are these gangsters gonna try to get Yi Chan to get at Hyeon Yool('s weakness)? I'm gonna assume it wouldn't really work because it feels like it should be more ironic of an injury or smth

Not the girls urging Eun Yoo to keep Ha Eun Gyeol as a public option, as a humanitarian action lmao

plss every boy and girl falling over themselves for the same student is so silly but Eun Yoo and Eun Gyeol being those said students and dating would be a slay

lolol Eun Yoo being jealous about Eun Gyeol readily receiving the flirting/compliments/gifts with a smile and threatening him for it

ooh Eun Gyeol can't handle spice

okayyy I was wondering if Eun Yoo was also like "Eun Gyeol's an old man. An ajumma. not my first love, my mother's" the way Eun Gyeol was thinking Ajhumma about Eun Yoo as Se Kyeong

Maybe the accident isn't actually related to Yi Chan? But Kang Hyeon Yool and the Jindo dogs gang? Because of the way this info is being framed

Aw fuck, Eun Gyeol trying to stop Yi Chan going to the rehearsal which is obviously sounding ridiculous to him as expected but also Yichan saying despite Eun Gyeol pretending to have been innocent, he can sense something impure going on with him... crazy

plsss Eun Yoo convincing heself Eun Gyeol is ugly and old now and being like "Reality hit I'm so put off now" but immediately rushing to get dolled up when Eun Gyeol comes

dying, they sent Yi Chan to some fucking mountain island while they'll go on a date to the movies afterwards, menaces frrrr T.T

but also can you just figure out the future 2023 thing rn pls like quickly

mourning my Se Kyeong liking Chung Ah theories while seeing Eun Yoo and Chung Ah conversing

lmaoo Chung Ah menace as well, saying it looked like Eun Yoo liked Eun Gyeol more before going abroad

Anyway, crazy that Eun Gyeol was like ah yes, to protect my father, I will send him to a high up rocky mountain surrounded by water wtf

ah shit Eun Gyeol straight up just saying the future stuff to Yi Chan, woah

but ofc Yi Chan wouldn't believe him but maybe after something happens to Kang Hyeon Yool during the rehearsal?

girl wtf what if your father didn't know how to swim yet???? or couldn't help you by fucking jumping from a mountain be fr like why are you causing accident-prone situations to prevent accidents I'm crying. It makes me nervous that indeed it will be because of Eun Gyeol that an accident will happen that makes Yi Chan lose his hearing

oh fuck the way the lights fell on the stage and nobody got hurt... does that mean Yi Chan would've been injured or somebody else would've been but since Eun Gyeol made them come down to hear Oh Ma Joo, that other person was spared too

T.T Eun Gyeol just hugging and clutching Yi Chan while crying

Anyway, I need somebody to call Yi Chan and tell him about the incident or to see them tell him and have him realize that maybe Eun Gyeol is telling the truth

ayo why didn't they tell him about the incident at school with the lights falling on stage bruh

Eun Gyeol and Eun Yoo are just cute man

ohh I'm scared that they're legit having a rehearsal still

girl a fucking Squid Game reference and he's like hmmm ? and that's it?

girl, nawt Eun Gyeol fucking getting into a car accident on the way there tf

and yet he's still there to beat the shit out of that guy lol gj

ah fuck he thinks he prevented his dad losing his hearing but hmmmmm hm hm hm

Okay I should... finish up my 20 minute task for the day and then go to sleep. will that happen? I guess this document in the future knows better than I do right now.

Episode 12 (Jan 21)

Oof, ended up being like 40 minutes and now it's 12am but I'm a dumbass, so I'm starting next episode.

Awoo Eun Yoo waiting for Eun Gyeol but rip, can't blame him for running and not contacting her, mans got kinda run over by a car and still made it there for his father

Not only do they eat the same, they also dry themselves after bath the same

pls Eun Gyeol going back on the future thing with an excuse

I know we're supposed to be happy that the evil stepmother is being thwarted by the father but the way he treats his supposed wife is gross ew head of house blagh

oof, Eun Yoo's aversion to being a trophy and her being like you (and Yi Chan) are "hunting" and competing for me like ahhh so true, that's what I said

girl the way literally nobody wants Eun Yoo to choose Yi Chan for this contest, including Yi Chan himself even if he doesn't know it

Chung Ah's little gift ow

I can't believe Yi Chan's dream where he and Eun Yoo have a beautiful conversation while his son Eun Gyeol is ignored and pushed around is coming true lmfao

ah, so indeed it was her father who was her mom's first love

ah man Eun Yoo being mistaken as Viva Grandpa's daughter Se Kyeong and her not recognizing him...

Yi Chan changing the fucking song at the last minute I'm dead

ah Yi Chan moping about Se Kyeong but then going to see Chung Ah, yes!

ah fuck this Eun Yoo and Eun Gyeol convo - hard for me to disagree with her is the thing but also the ending with they're from "different worlds"

Viva Music grandpa again without knowing it's him

good god so much rejection and angst

The Eun Gyeol and Eun Yoo romance feels like A Lot from his side because like what are you even planning to doooo bro you're from different timeline but sure ig it's worth a romantic rain under umbrella moment

4 more episodes left ah

I'm scared to go check the tags because it'll be in November and like I don't wanna get spoiled yknow. Have to make sure to not look at a single gif after Nov 5th ig

Episode 13 (Jan 22)

They better learn about each other being from the future this episode!!!

I need to watch a noona romance one of these days is what I’ve realized. get some college kid with a noona/perhaps ajhumma fr cuz here he thinks she might be one but she isn’t and 18 Again was a fake noona romance lol

he saw the fucking luggage tagggg look harder dumbass!!

Im watching this in my bed in the dark on my ipad and the oh… the two of us are alone in this house… realization is killing me

air pod fuckkkkk find it out look at the luggage harder now that you’re taking it upstairs

is that how you’re supposed to put out fires?

im confused isn’t it a night with two moons right now? i guess not

but when is eun gyeol gonna fucking look at the anxiety meds in his pocket cmonnn

them referring to Eun Gyeol as Yi Chan’s son so funny

ahh Chung Ah saying I’ll manage it on my own, don’t you trust me? about Yi Chan to Eun Gyeol, she’s so cool

ahhhh Eun Gyeol started liking Eun Yoo after she came back from the US meaning it was her and not Se Kyeong. she’s so happy to hear it hehe

I saw gifs of Chung Ah with a cat

Yi Chan’s stalking habits never change

bro he’s just giving her back the anxiety meds? was nothing about 2023 meds suspicious

it’s Eun Yoo’s motorcycle why can’t she sometimes drive while he rides at the back

don’t throw anxiety meds away

ahhh Yi Chan confessing to and signing and singing to Chung Ah

ahh hug

finallyyyy they realize and with no help from their BRAINS just mere chance that they run into each other with their phones

Episode 14 (Jan 22)

It’s legit 3:15 I should just go to sleep but… but… they finally found out about the other time traveller

wow them finally talking about who they each are

ahh Eun Gyeol being like I already stopped the accident from happening and i think i came here to stop my dad from losing his hearing

ah the connection between them being Mr Viva Grandpa - Eun Yoo own real grandpa sekyeong’s father

cryinggg Se Kyeong just passing off BTS songs as her ideas

girl Eun Yoo learned sign language from some kid at the hospital who was charming… say it ain’t so (childhood meeting Eun Yoo and Eun Gyeol)

heheh teasing Eun gyeol about being born just fine, perhaps earlier than expected

is the evil stepmother not done omggg

i need the step mother ripped apart limb from limb and every bone in the father’s body broken for turning a blind eye for a decade

Awooo Eun Gyeol clutching and hugging his mom while crying after he finds her locked in

the grandma comforting cheong ah

Okay finally Eun Yoo has learned about Mr Choi Viva Music Grandpa Se Kyeong’s father

Ah, the hyung Eun Ho connection has come in. Eun Ho being the hospital friend is nice

still haven’t discovered the Viva Music Mr. Choi connecting you two

ah man as expected, Yi Chan’s accident hasn’t happened yet. what was the dateee is it in a few days I saw a glimpse of a gif of Eun Gyeol sitting in front of Yi Chan lying on a road

Episode 15 (Jan 22)

woke up and started this fml

dang they fought Jindo gang during rehearsal day during original tl too

brooo insane that we got to see the accident incident

also there’s always been the feeling that one of Yi Chan’s songs was the unfinished song that Viva Music grandpa gave to Eun Gyeol to finish but that seems almost certain now with him begging the guy to listen to his unfinished song and being turned away

also even in that original tl, was that Se Kyeong who came back from the US to talk to her bio dad? whose shoes were that

what did Eun Ho tell Eun Yoo that Eun Yoo didn’t understand?

ohh Eun Ho and Oh Ma Joo

aghhh this evil stepmother

Cheong Ah’s father so useless to me for real. It’s good when Cheong Ah’s slapping the stepmom, not him after having abandoned Cheong Ah to her clutches for 12 years agh

also I can’t ever tell if she’s actually a stepmom or not

pls let this be the end of stepmom it’s already middle of ep 15

not everybody leaving bc of Chung Ah’s food tasting bad but Yi Chan scarfing it down anyway

ah so nobody got hurt on the car accident. i was afraid Eun Yoo was gonna get run over instead

ahh don’t go to White Nights to see grandpa right now Ma Joo, either you’ll be injured or Yi Chan who’s gonna follow you will be injured

oh fucking fuck fuck fuck

this is both “trying to prevent the accident doesn’t mean it won’t happen” and “he’ll lose his hearing by trying to save Eun Gyeol” because it’s the same fucking car in the same place even if not the exact same time And it was to save Eun Gyeol man fuck but this is what I wanted because it’s got the irony and pain but doesn’t take away the disability

oh don’t fucking kill me, Yi Chan saying in the voice recording that Eun Gyeol lied to say he’s Yi Chan’s son but Yi Chan felt like Eun Gyeol was his father and felt fatherly love

The I’m sorry dad as he’s holding his injured, bleeding body and crying

Awoo hurts

Episode 16 (Jan 22)

Oh fuckass okay stepmom and family aren’t ever done i suppose

Also, it wasn’t same car as og timeline my bad but this time the car really was coming for Eun Gyeol and Yi Chan intercepting meant even more

Hit and run fucker hopefully Eun Yoo remembers the car number

not a fucking montage of Yi Chan’s college life and band and stuff possibilities

Aw fuck I didn’t tear up even once so far this show except this montage got me like firstly Eun Gyeol wouldn’t be here anyway even if the accident didn’t happen but yknow the accident did

It’s like in the present day, things are still good for the family and happy even if there are strains and conflict because that’s just life so it wouldn’t be too bad to go back but it hurts to know Yi Chan and the possibilities that didn’t happen in order to make the current life happen

okay so indeed Yi Chan can still speak, though he can’t hear

this fucking grandma and Yi Chan scene cryingggg

I don’t like this fucking dad but he is trying and did make Chung Ah smile laugh

girl what the hell you fuck you can’t fucking take Chung Ah away abroad without telling her i’ll fucking kill you you fucker i hated you through the whole thing and now it’s multiplied

Eun Yoo and Eun Gyeol giving some advice to Se Kyeong and grandpa respectively

Awooo Yi Chan Eun Gyeol last convo

what about Chung Ah tho like she doesn’t know about Yi Chan and is gonna be taken away

Okay I did think they were gonna be well off because of the Cheong Ah family thing now but didn’t expect them to live at that house

Ah, this future feels so unfamiliar despite everything, like everything is good and better but idk if I like it because it feels unearned and not like Eun Gyeol’s life

like he’s the only person who is himself while everyone else had much different experience and life as his original timeline yknow

okay so the dad has to kinda know now that his son really met him in the past bc he literally found the song To You Shining or whatever that he knew Eun Gyeol had

oh yeah I don’t care about Ghost9’s members rip

can you imagine if an idol in a kpop band was caught leaving his performance beforehand chants of encore and going outside to kiss a girl aldjjdkajs scandal

Eun Yoo knew the Master person was her grandpa Viva Music man but couldn’t figure out Eun Gyeol was from the future??

Ep 16 Wishlists:

longer ep, just by 20 minutes

A last Eun Gyeol and Chung Ah convo?

A Chung Ah and Yi Chan convo, cmon

A bit more of Eun Yu's life after coming back

Yi Chan having more people around him, whether be his bandmates or Chung Ah. like his grandma was there and that's good but I wanted Eun Gyeol to see that this time, he was saying goodbye to Yi Chan with more people arround him as support than the original timeline

Possibly a (coded?) convo between Eun Gyeol and Yi Chan about the time travel and the cassette or whatever. Maybe I should see if there's anything on AO3 for this because this seems more fanfiction's lane. I think I'm also okay that they don't quite seem to remember him except verrry hazy possibilities but the dad finding the voice tape is what's making me want more. At least Eun Yoo knows and is with Eun Gyeol in this not-quite-right world

Not even all necessary, at least could've fit 2-3 in. It's good that we don't get every single thing wrapped up because shows that have a bit of stuff open-ended for speculation retain audience/fans well and there's also the aspect of letting the 1995 characters live their lives on their own, trust them to succeed and make it to 2023 well, theme that goes well with us not seeing everything. But it still feels a Little empty ig

----

Time Travel Concept:

I guess something that's weird about time travel shows is that Eun Gyeol (and Eun Yoo) are the same people before going but with certain experiences (over the course of a couple weeks) whereas the people they have come back to have had different experiences for 28 years.

I wish they weren't famous as a family in the future. I'm glad they still had friends and I'm happy that they had money from Cheong Ah's side but... idk they're just different people when you're this rich and this influential and this famous. I wish they lived in a different house by themselves, even if a big rich people one, and that Chung Ah still did art and maybe Yi Chan could've participated in the Jinseng Instrument stuff but had his main job be something else, whether it be the restaurant or something else. There could be some influence allowed, like Chung Ah is a chaebol and a respected artist, Yi Chan somehow did smth similar to now but on a smaller scale, and Eun Gyeol as an up-and-coming band member who is recognized somewhat but not as famous to be chased down the street by a hoard of school girls.

Anyway, in the end, I'm glad Yi Chan didn't keep his hearing because in the show, it would've kind of undermined tings. Things happen, accidents happen, Yi Chan losing his hearing isn't the end of the world, he still deserves love and family and oppurtunity and for the world to accommodate his needs. The way he lost it was also good because despite Eun Gyeol's attempts, it happened that day and to save Eun Gyeol. Eun Gyeol's stint didn't change this specific aspect but it still changed a lot of things in a good way, leading to his new life in the future.

I just have to get used to these things in time-travelling shows where some people know about the magic while others don't, situations and people will be changed due to butterfly effect, etc. I guess I'm just unsettled by the fact that they have memories that Eun Gyeol does not and Eun Gyeol has ones they do not; that Eun Gyeol would've learned the guitar from somebody who is not Viva Music grandpa probably, etc. I'm trying to become less unsettled by the fact that they don't really remember Eun Gyeol because of magic and time logic or whatever and that they simply feel familiar to him.

As I was writing all this, I keep listening to You're Precious and My Song from the OST and ahh the You're Precious chorus really gets to me, feels like crying I don't get it the "ohhhh my love" literally brings tears to my eyes it has happened like 3 times now. and My Song is just so good in general.

General:

In 18 Again, the father wanted to pursue basketball after high school but had to give up due to teenage pregnancy and the kids and came back to his teen self where (among many other things) he got to play basketball in high school with his son. In this show, the father wanted to pursue music but lost his hearing and had to give that up but his son came to the past and got the chance to play in a band with his father and got to do the school festival he originally didn't get to do.

I'm fucking obsessed with this sort of concept.

It's got a good storyline, hilarious yet touching. Light-hearted but with many moments of weight. Entertaining to watch because why did I watch eps 13 and 14 and one of the earlier eps (2?) in bed on my iPad. We got to spend time with the different characters and pairs and the friend group together and it was vry fun.

There could be many pitfalls with the time traveling and the disability rep. I won't say there aren't any because some of the time loop stuff is kinda wonky if you look closely but I think that makes sense. I was really afraid that they'd make Yi Chan's hearing come back but I'm glad it didn't; it's just something that has to happen to him for no reason the way these things just happen sometimes.

The characters were well crafted and the acting was great. I liked all of them and each had moments of humour or emotions or romance and it was good.

Also, good faces sorry to say I'm shallow. Chung Ah gorgeous, gorgeous girl. I didn't find Se Kyeong attractive but the actress is sooo beautiful and charming as Eun Yoo (I know some people found her somewhat annoying but I liked her a lot). Ryeoun was really attractive as Eun Gyeol; when I first saw him in 18 Again, he was more posed as a loser kid and I was wowed by Lee Dohyun's face but here, he's so pretty and nice to look at and at certain angles, reminded me of Cha Eunwoo's face too (and a comment in this specific tiktok makes me think that it's not because I only know like 5 actors and so draw parallels between him and CEW lol). Then there were some other good faces too like Yi Chan sooo cute and round my pretty + the Kang Hyeon Yool guy was beautiful as well.

Kinda slow paced, there were certain episodes where I was like nothing really happened and we weren't closer to completing missions or finding out info but I guess that's the point of the slice of life aspect in some cases; just watching the characters exist alone and together.

Ships: I think I liked Chung Ah & Yi Chan more earlier on while I liked Eun Gyeol and Eun Yoo more later on. I was into the ChCh romance from the get-go and thought they were sooo cute whereas EunEun were a more fun menace pair who I just liked to watch fighting before it gradually became a couple I shipped Very Much. Also a shoutout to my Se Kyeong (OG, not Eun Yoo) and Chung Ah ship, I can't believe Se Kyeong's first love was her husband instead of Chung Ah (cold ice princess girl who is curbing every guy as they fall at her feet keeps chasing the girl who isolates herself to protect herself. Se Keyong asking about the Frida Kahlo painting and trying to bond over bands despite not liking it herself).

Well crafted show, good acting, hit some feels and I expect some attachment to it (I'm rewatching and skimming certain parts as I write lol).

Rating: 7.5/10 for now, could change 0.5 higher or lower in like a month as I assess my feelings

Tiktoks & Edits:

Tiktok: the ones in the first paragraph are ones I watched before starting and then there are a few I liked today after finishing (I just went to the tag, so they're some of the more liked ones). Might be my favourite of the edits: gets the vibe of youth, coming of age, sparkling shining twinkling

Twitter: Pre-dating euneun I miss u dearly (Song: How You Get The Girl - Taylor Swift) (uhmm_j)

Twitter: #CHEONGCHAN: cutest parents (Song: Summertime - Niki) (kdramazi)

#EUNEUN : the way I loved you (@uhmm_j)

[eviltiddyproductions]

🍉✨

just finished twinkling watermelon and I have so many thoughts.

ramble + potential spoilers ⚠️

mostly warm and happy and cozy like that’s family ❣️ (despite a little rushed finale, they were eating and kind of dropped the ball on giving us a little closure and insight but we move)

but I do find myself a little confused about the lore 😭 the time travelling euns and viva la vida man.

he connects them but why is he running the shop in the first place and also why exactly were these two sent back? at least with Eun Yu (seol in ah) you understand that she was thinking about doing something extreme so they were like off you go to the past my love!

but then what has she done exactly ? she speaks to her mom and her grandfather and hopefully repairs or leaves them with some food for thought in like the 4 seconds she got but how does that change things for her and why was she there? 😭

still confused about our boy Eun Gyeol ? he was sent back on the basis of an argument ??? (granted he was going through a lot of stress and had a big question mark about his future but still) what was his mission?

I keep going back and forth between maybe living and loosening up a little ( but my boy was going THROUGH IT) or I guess giving his parents their cherished friendships back ? idk like the future he comes back to is richer because of all he did in that little time slip moment but why was he sent there? 😭

even if they were sent for the vibes I love it because I would never miss watching out the band and the girlies for a single second. I’m just confused by the architect (viva la vida man) and these two and the purpose of the travels.

maybe I gotta rewatch it again, my last rewatch was solely to plaster my brain with yichan and cheongah content.

[myfavoriteskdramas]

So guys, I've wanted to do this kind of list since a lot of time ago, of the kdramas that from my point of view are underrated, and I think more people who loves kdramas should give them a chance and watch them, so here is the first part:

1. Hogu's love aka Fool's love.

Ho Goo has a twin sister Ho Gyeong. He has tried to pass the civil service examination, but has failed for 7 years. He also has never dated in his life. One day, he meets Do Hee. She was the most popular girl back in his high school days. She is a member of the national swimming team and has a burning desire to win. She also talks like one of the guys. They spend the night together, but the next morning he finds a baby next next to him and Do Hee is gone. After Ho Goo meets Do Hee again, he becomes involved in a complicated romantic relationship and a dangerous friendship.

Link where you can watch it: https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/hogoos-love

2. The tale of nokdu aka Mung bean chronicles (one of my faves).

Jeon Nok Du is a man with extraordinary ambition to experience the big, wide world. With looks, brains, and athletic abilities, he is the epitome of perfection. After being swept up in an incident, he disguises himself as a woman to join a mysterious all-woman community and meets Dong Dong Joo.

Dong Dong Joo is a prickly gisaeng trainee. Along with her fiery personality, she is clumsy, has absolutely no sense of rhythm, and is tone-deaf, which makes all of her peers look after her. However, she is skilled with her hands as she can make anything if given the right tools. Unable to stand injustice, she speaks her mind.

Due to this fact, Jeon Nok Du ends up saving Dong Dong Joo from a dangerous situation. After that, she suddenly becomes Jeon Nok Du’s adopted daughter and he decides to live in the widow village for 1 year.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but you can watch it in this link too https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/mung-bean-chronicles

3. Clean with passion for now.

Jang Sun Gyeol has wealth and good looks but suffers from severe mysophobia. He is obsessed with cleaning and even owns his own cleaning company. However, he meets a carefree and untidy girl named Gil Oh Sol after she enters his company as a new employee.

Oh Sol has worked all sorts of part-time jobs while striving for a full-time job and does not have the luxury to date or be clean. She gave up on being neat after facing the tough reality of the world and is known for always wearing her trademark tracksuit. But she has a bright personality and does not mind getting dirty. With the help of Oh Sol, Sun Gyeol faces his mysophobia and also falls in love with her.

Link where you can watch it: https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/clean-with-passion-for-now

4. Live up to your name aka Deserving of the name.

Heo Im, who is born in a concubine family in Joseon era and has very outstanding medical skill, is frustrated about his career as he fails to climb to higher positions in the government because of his background. By accident, he travels through time to modern Seoul 400 years later and meets modern doctor Yeon Gyung. Thinking that Heo Im is weird, she hopes to get rid of Heo Im but instead, they travel back to Joseon together again.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on netflix, but you can watch it too in this link https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/deserving-of-the-name

5. Live On (Just finished one or two weeks ago) if you want to watch a short kdrama, this one it only has 8 episodes.

Live On” is set to be a romance story that follows the lives of Baek Ho Rang (Jung Da Bin), who is at the top of food chain at her high school where being trendy and popular brings higher social status, and Go Eun Taek (Minhyun), a perfectionist who is the head of the broadcasting club. Baek Ho Rang joins the broadcasting club in order get help from Go Eun Taek in uncovering the identity of a mysterious figure who is trying to bring to light parts of her past she wants to keep hidden.Baek Ho Rang immediately shot up to social media star status because of her beautiful looks and is one of the most popular girls at Seo Hyun High School. Despite being at the top of the social pyramid, she only has one true friend as she believes she is the center of the universe and looks down on others. Meanwhile, Go Eun Taek is in charge of the school’s broadcasting club and is someone who is sensitive, detail oriented, can sometimes be irritable, and plans everything out perfectly. Though he is strict and inflexible when it comes to his leadership, he never shies away from any task that is given to him and is loved by his fellow students.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but also you can watch it in this link

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/live-on-2020

6. Dinner Mate.

This drama is about a young woman going through a rough breakup with a longtime boyfriend she’s still in love with, and a young man who’s a serial dater and kind of tired of relationships. They both like to eat out but dislike having to go to nice restaurants alone, and they happen to meet while waiting to be seated at a restaurant, each of them alone. The hostess mistakes them for a couple and offers them a couple special, which prompts them to sit together and end up having dinner together. After their first unexpected meeting, they meet and have dinner together weekly. That’s how they strike up an unusual friendship where they get together just to eat out, and over multiple dinners, they open up to each other about their relationship troubles and grow closer.

Link where you can watch it:

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/dinner-mate

7. Oh my venus.

This is a drama about two Childhood friends meet again in their adulthood and find themselves making a bet on a “diet challenge”. The story focuses on their journey of searching for love and health.

Kang Joo Eun meets Kim Yeong Ho, who agrees to be her personal trainer to help her get healthier. As they work on her physical transformation, they both discover they have feelings for each other. As they grow closer, they heal each other's emotional wounds and fall in love.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but here's the link too

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/oh-my-venus

8. Cheat on me if you can ( Is still on emission, there's only two episodes left).

For her work, best-selling crime author Yeo Joo researches how to make a murder look like an accidental death. Next to her is her younger husband, Woo Sung, who is a family man and works as a divorce lawyer. Woo Sung still thinks he's a sexy, attractive partner, and lives on with his wonderful marriage life. However, lately, Yeo Joo, who would rather be a widow than a divorcee, starts finding some of his behavior suspicious. Could he be cheating on her? Could Woo Sung possibly be enjoying a thrilling affair behind her back? Yeo Joo tells it straight: If he cheats, he will die.

Link where you can watch it:

Is on Viki but also here's the link https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/if-you-cheat-you-die

9. The beauty inside (one of my faves).

Han Se Kye is a top actress, also known as a troublemaker, with many rumors around her. To others, her life appears as a mystery, when in fact she is faced with a strange occurrence where she must change into a different body and new identity for one week a month. She encounters Seo Do Jae, a brilliant man who is an executive at an airline company. He seems to have it all: a perfect appearance, knowledge, and a good job; but he has a secret too. He suffers from Prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces. However, he manages to hide this from the world, every day he makes an effort to remember people by their personalities.

Seo Do Jae's life begins to change when he meets Han Se Kye. She is the only person whose face he can recognize. But with Han Se Kye's constant disappearance and change how long can she keep her secret?.

Link where you can watch it:

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/the-beauty-inside-korean-drama

10. Royal secret inspector aka Secret royal agent (is on emission now, there's a few episodes left).

Set towards the end of the Joseon era, Sung Yi-Gyeom placed first in the state examination and he now works at the Hongmungwan (administrative and research department). He doesn't have a goal or ambition for his life. One day, Sung Yi-Gyeom is caught gambling. As punishment, he is assigned to work as a secret royal inspector. His job is to eradicate illegal acts and corruption by public officers. He carries out his new job with the help of Hong Da-In and Park Chun-Sam. Hong Da-In is a female inspector and solves cases with Sung Yi-Gyeom. Park Chun-Sam is Sung Yi-Gyeom’s servant. Park Chun-Sam is talkative, affectionate, and tearful.

Meanwhile, Sung Yi-Beom is Sung Yi-Gyeom’s younger stepbrother. His father is a nobleman, but his mother is a slave. Due to his mother's low social status, his father does not accept him as his real son and he is barred from having certain opportunities. He opposes his older stepbrother Sung Yi-Gyeom.

Link where you can watch it:

https://dramacool.so/drama-detail/new-secret-royal-inspector

[kimsgoeun]

muses and fcs i wanna use. lmk if you’re interested! 

fcs i wanna use

adeline rudolph

aisha dee

aldis hodge

amanda seyfried

anna diop

antonia thomas

ashley madekwe

brenda song

choi sooyoung

hwang in-yeop

jamie chung

jessica henwick

ji chang wook

john kim

jurnee smollett

kang han na

kang tae oh

kim do yeon

kim tae ri

krysten ritter

lana condor

lee da hee

lee do-hyun

lee pace

lee sun bin

lupita nyong’o

melissa o’neil

mena massoud

michael trevino

ni ni

okamoto tao

park bo young

park so dam

park yoo na

quintessa swindell

rachel hilson

rahul kohli

raymond ablack

rebecca ferguson

samara weaving

song kang

tahirah sharif

timothy olyphant

van veronica ngo

yoo in na

yoon so hee

muses i wanna use (some are more written out than others due to newness lol - down for other plots not listed)

-alisha murphy; 38; fc: billie piper

general practitioner at a small town practice; sweet; married to her job and will drop everything to help someone; surrounds her office/home with different plants; doesn’t really have time for romance but loves love; gives all the advice and never takes her own

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-charlotte kwan; 30; fc: jung eun-chae

medical resident; sarcastic/dry humor; straightforward; will stand up for herself and others; slightly competitive; has a good work-life balance

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3 

-chester “chess” mao; 52; fc: lucy liu

works for a supernatural verse if wanted (shapeshifter and/or immortal being)

oddball; works random jobs to have some cash but otherwise lives comfortably (by her standards); likes to help strangers and people in a bind; observant; likes to travel to random/obscure places; isn’t very serious; can sometimes talk in circles rather than getting to the point; loves cats; can be petty when provoked

inspo: phoebe buffay (friends), nick miller (new girl)

plot idea: 1, 2, 3, 4

-cordelia lee; 38; fc: song ji hyo* (alt. park bo young)

works for a supernatural verse if wanted (vampire or magical abilities)

astronomer; lived against her family’s expectations; fell in love at a young age but lost them to unfortunate circumstances; mostly a “spinster” due to it; finds comfort in the nighttime; goes camping; soft

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-evelyn wan; 31; fc: go bo-gyeol

interior designer; usually on the quieter side unless she’s talking about her work; type of person to be in love with their best friend and never say anything; homebody; also doesn’t sleep because she overworks herself

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-harmony rosales; 26; fc: cierra ramirez

got married too young and is now going through a horrible divorce; ex is an asshole; loves loves, so super sad about her marriage failing; also a marriage counselor; cares about everyone and everything; comes off sophisticated, but is a mess; likes to surround herself with pretty things

plot ideas: 1, 2

-isabelle wollf; 51; fc: rachel weisz

professor of biology and drama; lives in santa cruz; science nerd; goes to play, concerts, and art galleries; comes from money but doesn’t seem like it; disorganized teacher; tends to go on tangents when lecturing/speaking; was in one serious relationship set up by their families

plot ideas: 1, 2

-katharine goodwin; 42; fc: rosamund pike

money launderer; conwoman; pretend heiress essentially; likes to live lavishly; manipulative; will be cold/curt if she doesn’t know them/doesn’t like them; fiercely loyal to people she cares about; willing to get her hands dirty, but prefers not to; doesn’t have family ties

inspo: rio (good girls), mazikeen (lucifer), emily thorne (revenge)

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4

-kayla driscoll; 41; fc: rose byrne

art curator; moved away from her family in australia for her job; paints in her free time; middle child of two sisters; makes bad choices when she’s interested in someone; ignores red flags all the time; always gives people the benefit of the doubt; constantly gives people a second chance

plot ideas: 1, 2

-kim joo won; 31; fc: choi sooyoung

works for a supernatural verse if wanted (fallen angel or immortal being)

enjoys antagonizing people; flirty; doesn’t think about boundaries most of the time; likes having stupid fun; has a difficult time opening up emotionally to others; collects art, clothes, and jewelry; made her money through investments and owning property

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4

-lucinda “lucy” dyer; 46; fc: amy adams

bad at communication; uses physical intimacy as a distraction; black sheep/ostracized from her family; works at a book store; passed law school/exam but decided against her career; smokes and drinks a little too much; witty; comes off standoffish; pretends to not care; lonely; doesn’t know how to ask for help

inspo: fiona gallagher (shamless), camille preaker (sharp objects), jessica jones (jessica jones)

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-marlow mao; 40; fc: elodie yung

family made their wealth through shady means; sold out her father’s criminal activity and had to “runaway” essentially; artist; sells her work under a pseudonym; lives in one of those rich, beach towns; personable but private; doesn’t let people know about her past; worried/concerned about her family/her father’s connection’s finding her

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4

-natasha chung; 29; fc: shin se-kyung

event planner for upscale events; temperamental; difficult in relationships (trust issues, jealously, not emotionally available enough, indecisive); doesn’t necessarily trust people in general because her social status/family wealth; can be a tad immature at times personally; badass at work; high-end taste

plot ideas: 1, 2

-quentin dae; 25; fc: nam joo hyuk* (alt. lee young hwa, lee do-hyun)

actual nice guy; carpentry and repairs are his thing; very much a quiet nerd growing up; looks like he has it together, but does not; will highkey freak out and worry during inconveniences; rarely crushes on people and tends to like the same person for long periods of times; is very bad at flirting

plot ideas: 1, 2

-rosaline perkins; 29; fc: elizabeth lail 

architect at a big international firm; moved to paris for a job; found out she was pregnant after a one night stand; didn’t bother finding the bio dad before the move; decided with family support to keep her baby; can either be working in paris or has moved back to wherever else

plot ideas: 1, 2

-sun hee “sunny” park; 29; fc: lee sung-kyung

script supervisor; had a childhood best friend (and crush) that moved away without warning; feels like she’s surrounded by idiots a majority of the time; loves her job but hates it for dealing with people; has worked in the industry for nearly 10 years; super organized; slight control freak; social interactions exhaust her

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

-tara hwan; 49; fc: sandra oh

baker; owns a bakery shop in the city; very confident in herself and her abilities; comes across scary but is surprisingly sweet; likes to end her day with a glass of wine and trash tv; constantly thinking of new baking ideas/designs; doesn’t put up with rudeness or entitled people

plot ideas: 1, 2

-tinsley porters; 28; fc: jodie comer* (alt. adelaide kane, chloe bridges)

doesn’t stick to a job more than a year; like adventure/traveling; gets restless easily; immature at times; child at heart; can be reckless; believes in soulmates; follows treat others the way they’re treating you; avoids problems and serious situations/conversations; orphaned at 3 years old; believer in found families

inspo: peter pan (peter pan)

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3

-winona renwick; 30; fc: poppy drayton* (alt. jenna coleman, amber stevens)

aspiring chef; spent a majority of her time taking care of her father (widowed and an alcoholic) when her mom passed away; lost her mom in her early teenage years; decided to move away for college to live her own life; worked 3 jobs until she found a steady income after graduating; doesn’t know how to do healthy relationships due to her dad; doesn’t want to have to rely on anyone for help or be a burden; passionate when it comes to cooking

plot ideas: 1, 2, 3 

[whenthegoldrays]

TOP TEN YICHAN AND EUN GYEOL MOMENTS IN 1995 (according to me)

10. Sauna scene

Yichan having just got told Eun Gyeol was his son and noticing their similar mannerisms! But he asks Eun Gyeol if he was serious and gives him the space to backtrack and deny it and he accepts it even though he knows now!!! (Also important because this is the point where the trust between them has been fully irrevocably established.)

9. Gym showdown

THE WAY EUN GYEOL RUNS TO SAVE HIM. He gets hit by a car (!!!!) and even that doesn’t stop him, he just runs. And he makes it. Also the fact that Eun Yoo had told him that he made a lousy bodyguard because he didn’t even know how to swear and then the first time he actually does swear is in defense of Yichan. Kinda emotional about it.

8. “I’ll never get married”

I think that if any single interaction between Yichan and Eun Gyeol in 1995 makes up for their last fight before the time travel, it’s this scene. Eun Gyeol comforting Yichan by telling him what a good husband and father he turns out to be, how he’s respected and loved by his wife and kids! The fight means nothing in comparison to how much Eun Gyeol really loves his dad.

7. “Who’s Yoon Cheong-ah?”

Peak comedy, peak delivery, peak moment they’re both SO DUMB I love them

6. The goodbye

SOBBING. Yichan being a dad in that he willingly gives so much up for Eun Gyeol’s good. “It’s not your fault.” “Promise to become my dad.” “Come back and find me.” T_T

5. Sleeping with grandma

The sweetest, most wholesome scene with Halmeoni, the last time they were ever all together and how much she loves them and they love her!!! And her sweetness to Yichan <3

4. “Man In The Yellow Shirt”

The boys perform together on several occasions, but the first one is still the most special to me. There are no extra strings attached, no scheming, no pressure, just Eun Gyeol discovering the joy of playing music with his dad and the two of them having the best time. Perfection.

3. “You saved my life many times in my past life”

I HAVE NEVER RECOVERED. The way they’ve been bickering and getting on each other’s nerves endlessly, but in this tiny, perfect moment, all of Eun Gyeol’s love for his dad comes spilling out and it’s so honest, so true, that it even softens Yichan for a moment.

2. “Red Sunset”

When I say this is the scene of all time, I mean it. The song! I think I’ve said this at least ten times in different posts, but the fact that Yichan could’ve tried to drag Eun Gyeol back to the band but he sings for him instead! They make it an apology and a celebration of Eun Gyeol! And how lovely his actual apology is! He shows how much they appreciate him! And then of course, how quickly it all devolves into chaos with Eun Gyeol saying he likes Se Kyeong, the fighting, the way Eun Gyeol gives Yichan a bloody nose and immediately runs to his side to make sure he’s okay! THE WAY HE’S IN A LOVE TRIANGLE WITH HIS OWN DAD AHSHAHHAHA. Best scene.

1. Cliff dive / beach scene

Eun Gyeol’s desperation and his fight to save Yichan, the way he’s tried everything and finally, finally, Yichan takes him seriously. And then Yichan saves his life. And all the emotions come crashing down and he can just be a kid crying in his dad’s arms again. I have never been okay since this scene.

[officialkmi]

Theory of Love Episode 2: Love Actually

I was really looking forward to this episode because, as those who read my first review may remember, I was lest than impressed with the first episode. It left something to be desired and I felt as though the plot was moving too fast for a single episode.

Episode 2 doesn’t fix everything, but I like it a lot more than the first one.

Emotions

The episode itself starts off really heavy. If you haven’t started the series yet and are going it, the start of episode 2 flowers nicely after the emotions of episode 1. However, the entire first half felt extremely heavy and serious, so it was hard for me to really enjoy it. The first episode instantly made me laugh so that I couldn’t help but cry with the emotional ending. This episode has me feeling pity for poor Third, which helps make the second half feel funnier and also more genuine.

Altogether, an emotional first-half does help, but it made the entire episode feel too heavy and I was left thinking the humor was lacking.

ENTER: The Love Rival (I’m pretty sure)

The love rival can also be called “the curse of the drama fan,” as they’re typically the one they’d rather win than the main character’s actual love interest. When the love rival is typically introduced, the main character’s actual love interest is a huge jerk and it seems like the main character has no chance. For our KDrama fans, I typically think of the drama “To the Beautiful You,” which has Minho’s character Tae-Joon appearing as a jerk towards Sulli’s character Jae-Hee. Even though we as the viewer know Tae-Joon will win, many fans still cheered for Lee Hyun-Woo’s character Eun-Gyeol. Of course, by the end, we do support the main love interest, but we still cheer on the second one.

I, personally, have found that the love rival works well to help trigger a change in the main love interest. It’s not always the case, but they can help ignite jealousy and possessiveness, and even to help the main interest realize that they have feelings for the main character.

Now, granted, our new character Un isn’t necessarily a love rival yet. However, considering what I typically see with love rivals, he seems to fit the bill. We have the main love interest, Khai, who seems to be oblivious to Third’s feelings and actually causes Third frustration and pain. He’s carrying about his life like usual, and then this handsome af guy comes up and talks to Third like its nothing. The characters explain that he directs (like Third), he can attract girls without doing anything, and he’s kind. They also mention he’s been hanging around Third since their freshman year (three years, the length of time Third has liked Khai). Oh, yeah, and did I mention he’s handsome? He genuinely makes me think of Forth from 2Moons, as they’re both really handsome and kind (and neither will end up with the main guy, though I’ve heard Forth+Beam should be a thing in season 2 of 2Moons). Honestly, I thought Un’s actor (Earth) was attractive when I saw him as Type in Love By Chance (which didn’t finish airing that long ago).

Basically, from what we know about Un (which is basically how amazing he is + that he’ been friendly with Third since their first year), it seems like he fits the bill and will help ignite the romance a bit.

Wingman Failure

Two has a good heart. I said in the last review that, just based on the preview for episode 2, it seemed like he’d be a key ally to Third. His attempts to help actually make for great comedic relief since he’s really bad at helping Third. One thing that’s apparent early on in the episode is that Two doesn’t quite understand Third’s mentality. Third has kept this secret for three years! He was ready to give up and move on and never tell anyone the truth. It was just luck that Two walked in on him breaking down after having his heart broken yet again by Khai. What does this mean? It means that Third won’t confess just because the timing’s good. This lends itself to the central conflict of this episode: Third’s confessions. Or attempts at them.

In this episode, he has about three good chances to confess to Khai. One is set up by Two, which is when they’re collecting ambient sound. However, he chickens out. And who can blame him? Why would he just confess out of the blue to Khai? It’s not until Khai seems to drop hints about being open to a confession that Third can actually bring himself to do anything (however, Khai is an idiot and probably doesn’t realize that’s the message he’s sending. I’ll get to Khai later).

The second confession is when Third decides to take Two’s advice to copy a confession from a movie. He chooses the film “Love Actually,” which is where the episode’s name comes from. However, this ends in failure because Khai just thinks that Third is trying to help him find ways to get Milk back.

The third confession is set up thinks to Two’s brilliant plan. Using the classic “plan doesn’t go according to plan, but still works,” Two has Third pretend he can’t pay for his apartment. He then says he can’t take him in, planning to have Khai volunteer. Instead, Bone offers. Now, the sight of Bone’s room pretty much makes it clear that Bone should not invite anyone into his room ever and he should probably throw 90% of what’s in his room away. Finally, Khai takes pity and stops Third from staying there, instead inviting him over to his own place. Finally, third makes his confession, which is cute and poetic. The problem is, Khai is stupid and doesn’t realize the poetic statement is a confession. He tells Third not to say that to anyone else, not even their friends, because they’d instantly fall in love. He then walks off, giving Third yet another failed attempt at confessing.

Khai: Redeemed?

In my last review, I made it clear that I didn’t really like Khai’s character. He feels like this character that’s hard to like, as he just keeps hurting Third over and over again. We’re given no info on him other than the fact that he’s an attractive womanizer. However, there is some bit of redemption and hope for the viewer to like him more as the series progresses.

Khai’s redemption actually likes in the fact that he’s an idiot who keeps dropping clues, whether he means to or not. He’s not as big of an asshole in this episode, but he’s also talking about no longer dating girls who don’t really love him. We also see Khai as doing the job he should as a friend: helping and comforting Third. He seems like his heart is more or less in the right place, but this is only episode 2 and I really doubt Khai will be able to keep this up. I watched the preview for episode 3, and that only seems to confirm my suspicions that he’s going to chase after another skirt, leaving Third to feel heartbroken again while not being able to mope around because he’ll have to see Khai and whoever Khai’s hooking up with no place to escape.

Pan? Un?

We meet two new characters in this episode, Pan and Un. I’ve already covered Un’s introduction, but I’d like to reiterate that he really is an attractive guy and we’re not given much info on him aside from his popularity and relationship with Third. Third also seems to genuinely enjoy talking to him, so I really think that he’ll be an interesting character to see develop.

Pan’s timing for her introduction isn’t the best, in my opinion. She’s introduced in the very last scene, which removes any “I want more” feelings from the viewer. We see her talk to Bone, and we see that Bone is clearly interested. Well...there goes my wish that Bone and Two will pair up. Granted, things could change, but the preview also shows an introduction to a female character played by Neen Suwanamas who is clearly known by Two (mydramalist has her listed as Lin, but our Sotus fans may recognize her as May). While I’m fine with Two and Bone both getting girlfriends, I was kind of hoping that the series would feature a second gay romance to help break up the story of the one.

While we get almost no interest on Pan, her being introduced in the last scene would typically imply she’ll be an important character. This especially would hint at her being a key player in the next episode, but it could also be a poor choice for the ending scene in general. For that, we’ll just have to wait and see.

What I Loved

There were a few things I liked this episode. One of the main things I loved was Third editing together the sound clips to say “Khai, I love you” while crying by himself. It was a really emotional scene, especially with the song playing in the background. These are words that we, as viewers, don’t know if Third will ever be able to actually say to Khai. That makes this scene that much more emotional. While the shot did feel long, even with the cross fades between shots, the song playing did help. Besides, the cross fade and slow tears made it feel more of a real pain. It wasn’t him overwhelmed in his heartbreak and swearing to move on, it was him acknowledging to himself that he may never say those words to Khai.

I also loved the scene when they sat in the theater watching the credits role. While they did talk about the movie itself at first, they still sat watching in silence after they finished talking. They were the only people in the theater watching the credits role, which could have simply been setting up a nice shot. However, for me it felt more significant since they are film students. One day, that could be their names in the credits. Also, they understand the hard work that goes into making a movie because of their major. It’s really nice, even though I may just be imagining the whole thing.

Finally, I loved how they showed Third imagining each confession to Khai when looking for a movie confession to use. Each time Bone recommended one, Third imagined it and it was honestly hilarious. It helped lighten the mood for the episode a bit more, which I felt was vital after the serious feeling in the first two parts of the episode.

In general, the mood really picked up after the first half. I especially liked how it showed them together in the apartment, watching a movie, both crying over it. It made the relationship feel more genuine, which is important if the viewer is going to cheer for Khai at all and support the relationship.

Final Words

I left this episode liking Khai more than I had after the first. Additionally, the pacing felt a lot better, too. However, some scenes didn’t flow well and I wasn’t left with that feeling of wanting more after the episode was over. Between episodes one and two, I was eagerly awaiting the subs for Episode 2. I wanted t see what would happen after the emotional ending of Episode 1.

Since we, as the viewers, don’t understand if Pan is anyone of importance, since this is her first appearance, it’s hard to really like her introduction as the ending of the episode. While I know not every episode can end in a cliff hanger, I would’ve liked a more satisfying end to the episode.

[nourhaannehab]

To The Beautiful You

Kang Tae-Joon (Minho) is a gold medalist in the high jump, but he has been mired in a slump due to an injury. In order to help her idol, a girl named Koo Jae-Hee (Sulli) disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the same all male high school.

....

When Tae-Joon (Minho) is competiting at the World Junior Competition, Jae-Hee (Sulli) watches him on TV in America and becomes very touched.

Despite her friends telling her otherwise, Jae-Hee cuts her long hair by herself. She then flies to South Korea, with a plan to stay with Tae-Joon who is now injured. Jae-Hee disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the all boys Genie Physical Education High School. On her first day at school, Jae-Hee goes up the stairs with her suitcase, but her suitcase bursts open and all her clothes fall out. A boy comes by and helps her pick up her stuff. Jae-Hee realizes that the boy helping her is none other than her idol Tae-Joon. In her excitement, Jae-Hee sits on her suitcase, which proceeds to slide down the stairs.

Jae-Hee gets to her first class and introduces herself. One of her classmaste, Jong-Min (Hwang Kwang-Hee), tells her that if she wants to become their classmate she will have to go pickup a ball that sits inside a doghouse located on campus. Jae-Hee goes to the doghouse and sees a warning sign about the dog. Nevertheless, the dog seems friendly to Jae-Hee and she goes inside to take out the ball. At that moment, Jae-Hee hears Tae-Joon voices and she hides in the doghouse. Tae-Joon starts to talk to the dog and tells the dog that he doesn't want to perform the high jump at tomorrow's commercial shooting. Tomorrow will be the first time Tae-Joon does the high jump after suffering from his injury. Jae-Hee comes out of the doghouse and asks Tae-Joon if he is ok after his injury. Tae-Joon becomes angry and leaves.

She goes back to the classroom and gives the ball to Jong-Min, who is very surprised. The dog is normally hostile to guys that come by. Eun-Gyeol (Lee Hyun-Woo), who is a soccer player, looks at her with a smile.

Later, Jae-Hee goes to her dorm room and learns that she is sharing her room with one other student. When she gets out of the shower, Jae-Hee sees her new roommate, who is Tae-Joon! Tae-Joon immediately kicks her out of the room, but with the help of Seung-Ri (Seo Jun-Young), the student dorm monitor, she is able to get back into the room.

The next day, students at Genie High School gather to play soccer. Tae-Joon tells Jae-Hee that if she makes a goal he will let her stay in his room. Jae-Hee tries hard to score a goal, but collides with Jong-Min and gets knocked out. Tae-Joon carries her to the school infirmary. Before she wakes up, Tae-Joon runs to the school gym where the high jump commercial will be filmed. Meanwhile, Tae-Hee wakes up and she knows that the school doctor knows that she is a girl.

Sulli

Minho

Lee Hyun-Woo

Kim Ji-Won

Seo Jun-Young

[whenthegoldrays]

TOP TEN CHEONGCHAN MOMENTS (according to me)

10. “We live in different worlds”

I cried so hard with this scene, with Yichan being worried about Cheong-ah and her pushing him away while he tries so hard! “Music is something you feel with your eyes, mind, and heart” is so achingly beautiful.

9. “I can’t sparkle like you”

The prelude to number 10, another heartbreaking scene where Yichan is so obviously falling for her but she only feels like the same pitied, rejected girl. It hurts but it’s so good!

8. The basement scene

Okay, enough pain! This scene is simply peak comedy to me and I love how you can almost see her heartbeat speeding up as she realizes she’s face to face with her crush. Also the way he tries to help her / make her laugh / cheer her up in all the ways he can is adorable.

7. Suds

The cutest scene ever!! Just domestic coziness, a moment of warm sun and joy in the middle of the hard times.

6. “Do you like me?”

Maybe I’m extra attached to this scene because it was my first introduction ever to this show, but it’s just so good! Cheong-ah being so brave and honest about her feelings for him, and the falling backwards!! Perfection in twenty seconds.

5. The alley scene

I think this was the moment she truly knew he liked her. The glance they share! The way he defends her! Even after he’s gotten the harassers away from Cheong-ah and she can’t hear them smack talking her, Yichan can and he doesn’t stand for it! Plus, it’s a perfect redemption for when he hurt her feelings back when he didn’t know she was deaf.

4. Viva La Vida

Such a cute little bonding moment for them, where she can bring him into her world a little by showing him her interests and teach him some sign language now that she’s decided to really learn it! And the way she inspires him with her motto is so <3

3. “We’re friends from now on”

When he tells her to get better, notices her smile, calls her name! The butterflies! The sweetness! And he remembers that Eun Gyeol mentioned her, and instead of it scaring him off, he asks about it and gives it a chance! (I refuse to believe he wasn’t just a liiittle smitten with her already)

2. “This is for you and only you”

Listen. Listen to me. He learned an entire song in sign language. For her. He was going to perform it in front of everyone but since it didn’t work out, he says “then I’m doing it just for her.” And that is the moment. The oh. The biggest expression of love anyone had ever shown her. How could she not show her love in return?

1. “A shining voice”

*wipes tears from my eyes* firstly, the attention Cheong-ah has paid to Yichan up to this point to be able to give him a fitting name. Secondly, how the restless, loud Yichan is completely calm and softened while sitting with her and talking with her. Third (!!!) the parallel to how he fell in love with her voice (her sign language) in the original timeline. Here, she loves his voice, even if she can’t hear it. She can feel it! And finally how Cheong-ah doing this for him fills him with such an overwhelming love for her that he kisses her. We can all pack it up, romance peaked in this park in June of 1995.

[whenthegoldrays]

I know how lucky I am

*******

written for the prompt: Eun Yoo and Yichan praising Eun Gyeol and making him blush (from @inardentdaylight)

setting: New York City, post-canon

note: spoken lines are indicated by “quotation marks” and sign language is indicated by ‘single quotes’

*******

“Ahjussi,” Eun Yoo ventures, waving for his atention. ‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Of course.’

‘Do you… remember Eun Gyeol’s voice?’

Yichan seems a bit taken aback by the question, and Eun Yoo wonders for a moment if she’s made a mistake.

But he purses his lips, closes his eyes, bows his head a bit. He thinks it over and finally, looking up, slowly answers, ‘Well, it has been 28 years. So if you ask me to remember it right now, I can’t imagine it.’

She nods, sipping on her raspberry lemonade. “Hmm.”

‘But that doesn’t matter, you know. I don’t need to know what he sounds like to…’

‘To be proud of him?’

‘Well, yes, that, but— This is something Cheong-ah taught me back in high school. I didn’t fully understand what she meant back then, but I do now. Even when you can’t hear someone’s voice, you can… see it. Feel it. Especially when it’s someone you love. So I see my son on stage and… it’s almost like I can hear him. I can see how he shines.’

“Oh, Mr. Ha.” Eun Yoo smiles, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. ‘That’s beautiful.’

He smiles, a bit bashful, and turns to his wife, realizing she’s been watching their conversation.

Cheong-ah grins at the two of them. ‘Has he been stealing my words?’ she signs with a wink to Eun Yoo.

‘Don’t worry, unnie. He credited you properly.’

They laugh together, and then Eun Yoo glances toward the entrance of the restaurant for the fourth or fifth time this evening. This time, however, she’s pleasantly surprised to see Eun Gyeol and his bandmates walking through the door.

With the brightest of smiles, she calls to him. “Babe, you’re here!”

He returns the smile and walks over after signaling to the hyungs.

“Hello, love,” he greets Eun Yoo, kissing her forehead, then turning to her parents with a small bow, “Mr. On, Ms. Choi. I’m sorry we’re late.”

They return the gesture, and the rest of the formalities are exchanged, seats taken and drinks ordered.

“What took you all so long?” Eun Yoo whispers to Eun Gyeol once he’s settled down next to her.

“I’m sorry. Dong Jin held us back to talk about our performance.”

“Oh? He wasn’t critical, I hope? You all did amazing.”

“No, no. Just encouragement.”

“Good,” she approves, patting his knee. ‘Mr. Ha, wasn’t Eun Gyeol incredible tonight?’

‘Stellar,’ agrees Yichan, making his son smile bashfully.

‘Thank you. I mean, it was just a few songs.’

‘Too few, if you ask me,’ signs his girlfriend. ‘I could have watched you up there for twice as long.’

He laughs. ‘Nonsense. I’m sure everyone else couldn’t wait for us to get off the stage.’

Eun Yoo gasps. ‘Bite your tongue. Everyone was enthralled. I know, they told me so themselves.’

‘I’d have to second that,’ puts in Yichan. ‘Even I could feel the energy in the room. They loved you.’

“Especially the girls,” adds Eun Yoo, leaning in to playfully poke Eun Gyeol’s cheek. “I do think some of them were eyeing my boyfriend a little too closely.”

“Stop it,” he giggles, cheeks turning a deep pink. “My dad is right here.”

“And?” She turns to Yichan. ‘You don’t mind, do you, Mr. Ha?’

‘Not at all,’ he answers with a fond chuckle.

‘He knows he did a great job with you, doesn’t he?’

‘Oh, some of my best work,’ he tells them with a very serious nod.

‘Your magnum opus.’ She separates herself from Eun Gyeol to lean across the table and look more closely at Mr. Ha. ‘Thank you for raising him into such a wonderful person, ahjussi. I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t.’

‘Oh…’ He gives a gentle chuckle, looking away for a moment. ‘After everything, I don’t know where we’d be without him, either. But be careful, young lady. You’re going to make me tear up before the food even gets here.’

Eun Yoo smiles, leaning back in her seat. ‘That’s fair. I’ll save the rest of my praises for the dessert.’

Yichan nods in agreement just as Cheong-ah touches his arm to get his attention. He turns to rejoin the conversation with Eun Yoo’s parents, but not before reaching over and giving his son’s hand a reassuring squeeze, and Eun Gyeol finds his eyes have turned a little misty, witnessing this exchange between his girlfriend and his father. He watches after his dad in awe for a moment — still not quite used to the peace and quiet joy he radiates these days — before he feels Eun Yoo resting her chin on his shoulder.

“Just accept this, Ha Eun Gyeol,” she whispers, peering up at him through her lashes. “You are… very loved tonight.”

He laughs, trying to lighten the mood back up. “Just tonight?”

“Well…” She smiles. “Always. But tonight I think there’s a little extra of it going around.”

[whenthegoldrays]

12 and the twinkling watermelon gang 💕

They return to the cabin sopping wet, clothes clinging to their bodies, salt in their hair and sand on their legs. After Cheong-ah stumbled and nearly fell as they were leaving the beach, Yichan insisted on carrying her on his back, and as he does, Siguk and Sebeom are being rowdy and singing their new song to make her smile. Eun Gyeol and Eun Yoo dance down the street and into the yard together, Eun Gyeol giving her a twirl and both of them offering overdramatic bows to each other as they come to a stop.

The rest of the boys charge into the yard loudly while Yichan reluctantly lets Cheong-ah down — they stay and hold hands for a moment before Majoo and Hyun-yul sweep him away in their excitement. The boys begin peeling off their shirts while the girls squeal in surprise and mild annoyance, and Eun Yoo, covering a laughing Cheong-ah’s eyes, orders them to take it inside.

There is a washing machine in the cabin, Mr. Choi has told them, but not a dryer, so they stuff all their wet clothes into the washer and let it run while they have the grilled meat he prepares for them, then hang everything out to dry and lie on the grass, warmed by the golden rays of the sun and the food in their bellies. Most of them doze off, but Eun Gyeol notices that Eun Yoo can’t seem to fall asleep, so he scoots over to her and puts his arm around her shoulders, telling her dumb jokes until they both burst out laughing so hard that Eun Yoo has to cover his mouth, stifling giggles as she motions toward the others to remind him that they’re napping.

In an couple of hours, the clothes are dry enough to pack up and to reluctantly start heading back, though everyone is sleepy and glowing warmly and promptly falls right back asleep as soon as the train is in motion. Resting his head on Cheong-ah’s shoulder, before the drowsiness claims him, Yichan thinks he's never had a better weekend in his life.

prompt from this post by @scealaiscoite

[whenthegoldrays]

took our broken hearts, put them in a drawer; everybody here was someone else before, and you can want who you want // magic, madness, heaven, sin // he says, “what you heard is true, but I can’t stop thinking ‘bout you and I” … I said, “I’ve been there too, a few times” // I walked out, I said “I’m setting you free,” but the monsters turned out to be just trees; when the sun came up, you were looking at me // you were all I wanted, but not like this // to the fella over there with the really good hair, won’t you come on over, baby? we can shake, shake, shake // you always knew how to push my buttons, you give me everything and nothing // time can heal, but this won’t // and his voice is a familiar sound … nothing lasts forever, but this is getting good now // tell her how you must’ve lost your mind when you left her all alone and never told her why // in losing grip, on sinking ships, you showed up just in time … this love is good, this love is bad // just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it, my love // the rain came pouring down when I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe // I knew I had to go back home; you search the world for something else to make you feel like what we had // you can hear it in the silence, you can feel it on the way home, you can see it with the lights out — you are in love // please take my hand and please take me dancing and please leave me stranded (it’s so romantic) // half awake, takin’ your chance is a big mistake, I said, “it might blow up in your pretty face” — I’m not saying “do it anyway,” but you’re going to // ‘cause you kiss me and it stops time, and I’m yours, but you’re not mine // I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost and what it cost // when you hold me, it holds me together, and you kiss me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever // let’s fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later…

• 1989 x Eun Gyeol and Eun Yoo