Ryeoun starts a band in Sparkling Watermelon

by solstices

Ryeoun, Choi Hyun-wook, Seol In-ah, Shin Eun-soo

Ooh, finally another youth music drama! I’m all ears. tvN’s upcoming fantasy drama Sparkling Watermelon has just released its casting lineup, and it’s looking promising.

Ryeoun (The Secret Romantic Guesthouse) stars as Eun-gyeol, the only child to his hearing-impaired parents. Born with an exceptional talent for music, Eun-gyeol can’t help but find himself drawn to his guitar like a moth to a flame. Music is an integral part of his life — though he’s a model student on all counts, his nightly band activities are where he truly shines. Eun-gyeol may have a calm and composed disposition, but his passion certainly burns bright.

Through a trip to a peculiar musical instruments store, Eun-gyeol finds himself transported to a mysterious realm. It isn’t clear what exactly the nature of this strange world is or how Eun-gyeol travels there, but it seems to be more magical than malevolent. In this mystical dimension, Eun-gyeol encounters several enigmatic individuals — together, they’ll form a band called Watermelon Sugar. (How cute of a name is that!)

First of all, there’s the lively Yi-chan, played by Choi Hyun-wook (Weak Hero Class 1). He’s described as having enough fighting spirit to rival even the most energetic of manhwa protagonists, with an equally earnest sincerity to match. Having grown up alongside university students in the sharehouse that his grandmother runs, Yi-chan’s full of nostalgia for a past before his time. Ha, his reminiscing is going to be hilarious, isn’t it?

Yi-chan also has an adorable puppy crush on the cellist Se-kyung, played by Seol In-ah (Oasis). As the goddess of her arts high school, she has no shortage of admirers, owing to her innocent charms and elegant aura. Looking as if she stepped straight out of a movie, Se-kyung is the epitome of an artistic muse. Will Yi-chan be able to win her heart, or will she catch feelings for someone else?

Last but not least, Shin Eun-soo (Like Otters) plays Chung-ah, who has congenital hearing loss. With her aloof and haughty demeanor, Chung-ah has earned herself the “ice princess” nickname. There’s definitely more to her than it seems, though, because her guarded personality was borne out of adversity. Despite her circumstances, Chung-ah’s resilience has her chasing her dreams against the odds.

Our quartet’s diverse personalities may seem eclectic on paper, but I’m sure their shared love for music will bring them together to form a pleasing harmony. Plus, Choi Won-young (Under the Queen’s Umbrella) and iKON’s Ju-ne (a.k.a. Gu Jun-hoe) have also joined the lineup, though their roles haven’t been revealed yet. This is an ensemble cast I’m definitely lookng forward to, and if nothing else, I’ll be anticipating an excellent OST.

Directed by Son Jung-hyun (Mental Coach Jegal) with scripts penned by Jin Soo-wan (Chicago Typewriter), Sparkling Watermelon will premiere in the latter half of this year.

Via YNA

 
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