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| Actor Choi Hyun-wook plays the role of Lee Chan in tvN's upcoming teen series "Twinkling Watermelon.' Courtesy of tvN |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Actor Choi Hyun-wook gave a glimpse into his character in tvN's upcoming teen series "Twinkling Watermelon," sharing that its heartfelt story drew him to join the series.
"The whole time I was reading the script, I felt warmth. There was something about it that was touching. I really enjoyed it to the point that I was worried about my acting," the actor said through the network.
Set to kick off on Sept. 25, the coming-of-age fantasy series revolves around high schooler, Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun), whose parents are deaf. By day, he's a model student, but by night, he has a secret life as a guitarist in a band, pursuing his passion for music.
One day, he goes back in time to 1995 when his parents were attending the same high school together. Stuck in the past, he develops a special relationship with his father, Lee Chan (Choi), by forming a band with his fellow students, while getting entangled in his parent's love triangle.
The 16-part series is co-directed by Son Jeong-hyeon, who previously led the 2022 sports series "Mental Coach Jegal," and Yoo Bum-sang, whose previous work includes the 2021 melodrama "Melancholia." It is scripted by writer Jin Soo-wan, who is known for writing the 2012 hit romance series "The Moon Embracing the Sun" and the 2015 rom-com series "Kill Me, Heal Me."
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| A poster of the series "Twinkling Watermelon' / Courtesy of tvN |
Choi emphasized that he aimed to capture the essence of youthful innocence concerning the themes of love and friendship in his portrayal.
"The concept of youth, in my opinion, cannot be defined with certain standards. But rather, it's about how you perceive it," he said. "I tried my best to pull out the purest emotions that he felt for the first time in his life. To Lee Chan, everything about love and the band is his first time. So I'm trying to show the ingenuous nature of youth."
Director Son noted he felt Choi was the right fit for the outgoing, optimistic character.
"Choi has a charm like a rugby ball that bounces in a surprising way. So I felt he would be the perfect fit (for the character). Even amid the busy schedule he had, he expressed that he really liked the script and would like to take part no matter what, which made me really happy," he said.
Expressing excitement about working with writer Jin, who created a series of hit works, the director shared that the series will offer a sense of nostalgia and introduce pop culture from the 90s to younger viewers.
"I've been a huge fan of scriptwriter Jin since the early 2000s. So to be able to work with her is a huge honor," he said.
"The important thing in recreating the 90s is cultural aspects. So we put a lot of focus on the music, from the band's song to the song that motivates Eun Gyeol … It would be great to enjoy the music and see how our parents had a sparkling youth. The series has comedy, melodrama, music and a good message."
"Twinkling Watermelon" will air on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:50 p.m.
