Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines” has been taking over global charts, capturing the hearts of fans and the media.
This slice-of-life hit is set from the 1950s all the way to the 2000s. The story revolves around Ae Sun (IU and Moon So-Ri), a girl who lives on Jeju Island.
Life on the island is difficult, depicted through the female divers who catch seafood for a living, the heavy storms they suffer through and their struggle to maintain stability.
Later on, the show begins to shift focus to her daughter Geum-Myeong (also played by IU) and her adult years in Seoul.
The show does not follow a chronological order, going back and forth between time periods, slowly unfolding the plot. Throughout the story there are small details that seem not to be crucial, but when everything comes together it shocks viewers.
The beautiful relationship between Ae Sun and her husband Gwan Sik throughout the decades is a highlight for fans. However, beyond the dreamy love story, the show balances many aspects of love, life, family and social struggles. This show is a perfect option for those who are not into cliché romance, but still want a taste of sweet love in a more realistic way.
“When Life Gives You Tangerines” explores a vivid depiction of loss when parents pass away, the excitement of first love, belief of male chauvinism, competition and other struggles that a person could have. Just like a tangerine, you never know if life will be sweet or sour.
All the relationships created in the show were well-built. They were able to convey the characteristics in each relationship, whether it’s parents and children, significant others, siblings or neighbors; the audience is still able to feel connected without having a personal experience.
IU gives a wonderful performance in both the roles of Ae Sun and Geum-Myeong. She emotionally shifts from a young mother who’s determined and disciplined, to a young girl who has more freedom to chase her dream.
Moon So-Ri,who plays middle aged Ae Sun, is able to keep up with IU’s energy and attitude as young Ae Sun, making the character stay natural and realistic as she gets older.
On the other hand, two actors Park Bo-gum and Park Hae-joon, who play Gwan Sik as young and middle aged respectively, have completely different characteristics. They were unconvincing and unable to match each other’s energy.
A prevailing issue with the show is that many of the character’s appearances don’t match their intended age; their actors seem older than the characters they are portraying. Along with that, character-design for character Park Chung-seop, played by Kim Seon-ho, shifted tremendously toward the end of the show, both in appearance and personality.
Despite the minor imperfection in character appearance and continuity, the emotion brought by those characters touched audiences. There is a metaphor within the show of a rice and peas bowl, meant to represent parents’ sacrifices for their children.
Viewers related to this metaphor, with many sharing moments watching the show with their family while crying.
Along with that metaphor, there was a scene of Gwan Sik ignoring his mother’s order of sitting in “the adult table” so he can join his wife and child. These scenes were considered vital, which were also touching. Since it marked the “rebellion,” breaking through the toxic male-chauvinism attached in the culture.
There are various parts that are significantly slower and more intense compared to the rest of the show. Therefore, it requires better patience and focus to get through it.
Even though it is not enjoyable, it reflects the reality that life is always changing. There will be periods when life moves fast and good things come, while other periods, which will move more gradually without excitement. This helps make the slower scenes feel more interesting.
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The show received the highest IMDb rating in K-drama history with a score of 9.3. The final episode alone received a score of 9.9, nearly perfect, beating big hits such as Squid Game and The Glory. This slice-of-life drama is a prominent nomination at the Baeksang Arts Awards 2025. It is also expected to win many other awards this year.
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ emphasizes the toughness of life, while also giving hope for a bright future. The show is currently streaming on Netflix.
