When Life Gives You Tangerines

A Drama With a Strong Pulse on Life

This drama encapsulates life in a way that is so attentive and personal that it almost fills you with dread from the introspection you're forced to engage in. It is a beautiful and very necessary ode to women at all levels of society. This drama embodies and even breathes new energy into the slice-of-life genre by intricately weaving through the life of a small-town couple in a way that seems straightforward, almost aimless, but is, in fact, very precise.

The acting is phenomenal, as expected from such a cast. I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm not jarred by the use of IU for both mother and daughter; her clear distinction makes for an enjoyable and even technically impressive viewing experience. Park Bo Gum excels as usual, showing a side I've not seen before. The acting is really the driving force for the tsunami of emotions this project explodes with.

The writing is so worthy of praise and mention, especially contrasted with the current drama landscape. I can only describe it as beautiful and incredibly penetrating. To be so true to life's nuances without convolution or rudimentary language is a feat. There are so many aspects of life so accurately depicted and given life through words that it's almost unsettling, yet ultimately moving. A standout drama through and through.

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An Ode to Life

A masterpiece, indeed.

I absolutely love how this portrayed the circle of life and included all forms of love.

The moment two people fall in love, a history is made and the possibilities are endless...
From a mother's unconditional love to a daughter's first love. From a couple's passionate love to the children's familial love. From first love to destined love. And how neighbors' love and kindness can build a nurturing community that can be passed on to generations...

Life comes in seasons and there's nothing we can do but live with it. No one is expert at living, after all, we are all living for the first time. The storyline did it so well: how the characters are not perfect, they mess things up and cry about it yet they choose to stand and build up their selves again. They might make mistakes again and that is because they are human. The characters had their highs and lows and because of that we were able to understand them, relate, and root for them.

I am a sucker for anything slice-of-life and this is just perfect. This has got me on pause, reflect, and reevalute my choices in life. I fell in love, laughed, inspired, and definitely cried A LOT.

I have no complaints. Nothing but perfection. Every actor did their best and perfect for their roles. I am 100% sure they will bag awards on this and they deserve everything. If anyone hates this drama, honestly... nobody should trust them.

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Amazing drama

This drama deserves to win mutiple awards. The acting, storyline, characters and cinemography are exceptional. I was hooked after the first 10 minutes of the first episode. I had no idea it would be this wonderful and I am so happy that I started watching it.

I am usually drawn to historical, romantic dramas, both Korean and Chinese. Even though loving relationships are shown throughout the episodes, it is much more than boy meets girl and they fall in love. A beautifully told story covering many generations. It also gives you a good insight to life on Jeju island.

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Power of Family

There are many people who believe that you don’t choose your family. There is nothing that happens in anyone’s life where choice isn’t a factor. You are continuously choosing and creating. The greatest gift we’re given is choice, and nothing occurs in your life without it. Nothing.

When Life Gives You Tangerines is an especially powerful and exceptional epic tribute to family. There isn’t a single family that has ever been that hasn’t experienced laughter and tears, joy and tragedy, and ease and hardships. Oh, it may appear sometimes that some of the elements do not exist, but they do.

Perseverance and steadfastness can be counted among the most powerful traits a person can have. Life will knock you down. Life will throw your curveballs, but it’s how you respond that matters. Do you get back up and keep going? Or do you give in to your situation and begin blaming others for what’s happened? While all of these things involve choices of the individual, having family gives you the ability to lean on someone when needed. Of course, the true purpose of any family is to help empower each member to love and be with themselves. Only then can true love and happiness be shared.

The story follows a multigenerational family from the early 60s up to the present. The series opens with a young O Ae-Sun, the daughter of a poor haenyeo mother who works herself into an early grave. Ae-Sun is sent to live with her indifferent uncle and his family who treat Ae-Sun like a stray dog. We quickly find that despite her situation, Ae-Sun is a strong girl who knows her mind and what she wants, and no matter how often life knocks her down, she gets back up again and keeps going. Sometimes, we quickly forget that hardship is often a blessing in disguise.

In Ae-Sun’s corner is a Yang Gwang Sik, a young boy who loves Ae-Sun the moment he meets her. Even at an early age, Gwang Sik confesses his love for Ae-Sun and vows to do all he can to protect her from any harm. Gwang Sik embodies all it means to be a true, loving husband and father. If there is such a person as “Prince Charming” Gwang Sik more than fits. Seeing how these two navigate trials and tribulations of early love, struggling to make ends meet, to dealing with the loss of a son, is nothing short of pure inspiration.

Gwang Sik is a hardworking, loving man who never complains about anything, even when most other people would. He absolutely adores his wife and family, and as far as he’s concerned, he will do whatever he can to try and make their lives a little better. Ae-Sun is no less strong. She is equally hardworking, and she’s a woman full of love and passion. These two make such a beautiful couple that I’m hard-pressed to think of another that matches them. True love and true friendship are what make this couple so inspirational, and each does their absolute best to always try and be there for the other.

The family reminds me much of the Thachers from the American family show, “Life Goes On” which is about a low/middle-class family constantly trying to get by. Gwang-Sik works tirelessly on his fishing boat, trying to provide for his family. Ae-Sun does her absolute best to raise their children and create a warm and loving home. Both succeed.

Life would be pretty dull without challenges. We can only imagine what it must be like to deal with the loss of a child. Many people carry the guilt around for years, allowing it to wreak havoc on their minds and hearts. I know because I carried the same guilt for ten years after my father passed, and yet, each person must grieve and be given the space and time to process that in their own way.

The story also follows Ae-Sun and Gwang-Sik’s children, Yang Geum Myeong and Yang Eun Myeong. Geum Myeong is clearly the favorite, despite being a bit headstrong. She’s a strong woman who simply won’t allow herself to be anyone’s doormat, and when she finally breaks up with her wallflower of a fiancé, I was relieved! Eun Myeong is the son, who appears to be neglected. From an early age, he demands attention. In short, he feels he needs to act out in order to get some kind of attention from his parents. People sometimes forget that we never love the same way twice. The love we have for each person is unique and different. That doesn’t mean that we love a person less. Of course, Ae-Sun and Gwang Sik struggle to demonstrate this with their son, who ends up being a troublemaker

As children, we often don’t fully appreciate our parents for what they do for us, but at the same time, we also have a tendency not to be very forgiving of them when we discover that they are just people; people doing the very best that they can. As parents, we often struggle to give our children the time and attention that they need. I still remember my father, despite being exhausted from work, always found time to come into our bedrooms and talk to us. Little did he realize that that meant more to me than anything he could have bought for me. It’s interesting to note that in ancient Native American cultures, the elders raised the children because it was thought that the biological parents hadn’t yet acquired enough life wisdom. However, given some of the grandparents in this series, I’m not sure that would have proved to be a good choice.

The series is about family and how this family navigates the pitfalls of life. Of course, as with most families, they lash out at each other, blame each other, and do all of those petty things that every family does. But, in the end, when all of that is stripped away, there is nothing but love, admiration, and gratitude, as it should be. The last two episodes are tough to watch as Gwang Sik finds out that he’s terminally ill. The love between him and Ae-Sun is nothing short of magical and precious. And we also find that dreams do come true. They just might take a little longer to manifest as we see how the “ring” ties in all the way back to the early episodes, and Ae-Sun is finally a published poet.

Performances in this series are all top-notch. It’s actually very difficult to pick out a favorite because they are all so good! However, IU tackling the dual role was beyond impressive, and if this young lady doesn’t win every acting award for the year, then something is terribly wrong. It’s easily her best performance.

Family is about love, forgiveness, support, gratitude, and doing our best to be there for each other. If this series doesn’t serve as a blatant reminder of these things, then perhaps nothing will.

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This was a 10/10 for me

I watched this drama a while back but never got the chance to write a review. For me, reviews are a way to revisit the story, capture my lingering feelings, and keep the memory of a drama alive.

Growing up, I remember reading a book with the line “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I don’t remember who it was by, but I do remember my teacher asking us why the story had such a title and what lemons symbolized. That lesson stayed with me, especially when she explained the true meaning. So, when I came across the title When Life Gives You Tangerine, I instantly knew this was going to be my type of drama—and I made sure to have a tissue box ready.

Set in Jeju, an island famous for its tangerines, the drama beautifully reshapes the familiar phrase into something new and meaningful. Instead of lemons, life gives you tangerines—symbols of resilience, endurance, and quiet strength. I didn’t expect to fall in love with this series as deeply as I did. In fact, writing this review makes me want to go back and rewatch it all over again.

At its core, When Life Gives You Tangerine is a story that spans multiple generations. We witness struggles, sacrifices, and growth through the eyes of the leads. IU, who I already admire for her ability to choose strong storylines, delivered a performance that was both heartfelt and unforgettable.

What I loved about this series:

The cast: Like many, I was drawn in because of IU and Park Bo Gum. But as the series unfolded, I grew attached to the entire cast—including the older generation. Their portrayals made the story feel rich, layered, and complete.

The lessons: This drama is both heartbreaking and uplifting. For anyone who has endured loss yet continues to show up every day—this story honors that resilience. One of the most emotional moments for me was when the family lost their youngest son. It was devastating, yet their journey of pulling themselves together and continuing life was deeply moving.

The music: The instrumental pieces are unforgettable. One that stands out is the scene when he decides to leave the island, and IU chases after him after turning down the rich man’s proposal. The music elevated that moment into something timeless.

The fan community: After finishing, I loved watching fan clips, edits, and interpretations. They brought back tears, memories, and reminded me of just how meaningful the series was to so many people.

If you’ve read my other reviews, you’ll know I don’t usually watch many Korean dramas unless they’re slice-of-life, have a strong storyline, or feature a cast I already adore. This drama met all three criteria. I’m so glad it won awards because it gave me the push to revisit why I loved it so much.

For once, I don’t have much to critique or wish had been different. When Life Gives You Tangerine was unique in the best way possible. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt, beautifully told story. This was a 10/10 for me.

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Simply horrible FL

I am dropping this after the first segment because I have never EVER seen a fl who is more abhorrent in literally any drama I’ve watched. She is completely self obsessed and so utterly cruel constantly to the ml, who bows his head, dutifully taking her abusive tirades and then quietly goes about trying harder to make her happy. She actually makes him sell her food at the market (as well as his own) while she sits reading a book ignoring him, and there’s never a “thank you” or any appreciation shown, just a shoulder shrug.

So, just wanting to give you fair warning, if this kind of thing bugs you like it does me, maybe skip this one lol. Maybe I should press on and she will be better, but honestly she’s SO bad I don’t even WANT a happy ending for her. I want the sweet boy to run away fast and find someone who will cherish him, not abuse him. Anyway, rant over. Lol, I hope this helped a little.

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A Journey Through Seasons, Generations, and Healing

This review is more of an analysis and spoilers, haha I watched this while it was airing, and wrote this in my document that I would like to share now!

WLGYT is not your typical drama that simply explains life’s lessons; instead, it offers a 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 through detailed experiences and perspectives as if the 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 (hence, "dedicated to you" message on the poster. Fun fact: The title, "When Life gives you Tangerines", is a Jeju language verb for "𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠."

🍊Tangerines grow in a specific season, mirroring the drama’s 4-volume structure: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Like the fruit maturing, the characters mature alongside the changing seasons of life.

𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝟭: 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴🌷- A mother who bends so her daughter could fly and the blossoming love between a young couple. [Tags: Dreams, romantic love]
𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝟮 : 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿🏖️- I’d swim oceans, cross deserts, walk through fire, and against the whole world—just to be with you. [Tags: Social pressures, family expectations, personal sacrifices, relationship challenges & ambitions].
𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝟯: 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗻🍂- Parents are like the sun. We complain about the heat, unaware that without them, we'd be cold and lost. [Tags: Parenthood, sacrifice, unspoken love, generational differences, romantic love, family bonds & unspoken love].
𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝟰: 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿❄️ - The body may rest, but the soul lingers—in voices remembered, in rooms once shared, in hearts never the same. [Tags: Aging, life reflection, legacy & eternal love.]
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𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:
The drama presents two POVs—starting with Ae-Sun, the mother, and gradually transitioning to her daughter, Geum Myeong, as the story unfolds. Initially, the narrative can be a bit confusing, particularly because the same actress, IU, portrays both the young Ae-Sun and her daughter. Not to mention, the transition between the past and present.

Though they are confusing, and I have to admit, I was going to drop it, but later on, I realised it actually enhances the emotional depth of the drama, weaving the two timelines together in a way that reflects how 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩. The past sometimes shapes the future. Furthermore, these creative choices introduce a level of complexity and continuity to the story, emphasising the generational bond and the passage of time, as we see the challenges faced by each character in the drama from both the characters' own perspectives.

My personal favourite is Volume 3, where the perspective from Ae-Sun shifts to Geum Myeong, since I was born into a similar generation as Geum Myeong, relating to her more. Meanwhile, other volumes remind me of my parents' life stories. Regardless of which volumes, I cried my heart out ಥ_ಥ
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𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀:
❤️‍🩹 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚
➤ Your mind can’t weep if your body is weary. One day, life might get so tough that you feel like you can’t go on. Don’t just lie still. Struggle with all your might. Tell yourself you won’t die and must survive, no matter what. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.
➤ 𝘐𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵.
➤ Am I the only fool in this world? Is everyone else adulting just fine?
➤ There was a time when people held their heads up. A time when people stayed true to their hearts. A time when we looked at each other, not our cell phones.
➤ You learn about life if you live through it.

💞 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚
➤ I do love you deeply. But I love myself deeply, too.

💝 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
➤ All I ever wanted was to say I’m sorry, but when those tender words left my lips, they always turned into barbs.
➤ 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘋𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.
➤ Dad slept in for the first time.
➤ Seeing a loved one return each day through the door they left in the morning. It was a miracle every day.
➤ I had no idea back then…that what I’d want to say the most at 70 would be the word I used to say all the time. Mom!
➤ Parents dwell on what they couldn’t give, children dwell on what they couldn’t get.
➤ Every time I walked a tightrope, my dad stood there holding a net.
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𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀
‼️Only doing the characters that impact me the most.
➔ 𝗔𝗲-𝗦𝘂𝗻🌻: She was a passionate, rebellious young woman with dreams bigger than her time allowed. Her character was all shaped by her mother, Gwang Rye, who folded her wings so Ae-Sun could learn how to fly. As Ae-Sun grew up, she struggled with societal expectations and sacrificed her own desires for the sake of family.
➔ 𝗚𝘄𝗮𝗻-𝗦𝗶𝗸🌲: A green forest. He isn’t poetic or expressive with words, but his 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙨. His love (whether romantic or familial) is steady, silent, and self-sacrificing—symbolising the kind of care that’s often overlooked but unwavering.
➔ 𝗔𝗲-𝗦𝘂𝗻'𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗚𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝘆𝗲💎: A stern, traditional mother shaped by war, poverty, and sacrifice. She’s strict and emotionally distant, but beneath her harshness is a deep love that she struggles to express. She believes survival and stability matter more than personal desires. Her story reveals 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, which Ae-Sun embodied later on as Ae-Sun became a mother on her own.

➔ 𝗔𝗲-𝗦𝘂𝗻'𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝘆𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗴🌼: She was born in a different era with new freedoms but also new pressures. Just like how Gwang Rye shaped Ae-Sun, Geom Myeong is shaped by both admiration and frustration toward her mother. Her journey explores first love struggles, identity, independence, parenthood, and generational healing.
➔ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝘆𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗴'𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗬𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝗼𝗺💔: On the surface, Yeong Beom is literally the carbon copy of Gwan Sik. However, while Gwan-sik stood firm and ran toward Ae-Sun even when the world tried to tear them apart, Yeong Beom hesitated and didn't do the same to Geom Myeong. He let go when things became difficult. He lacked that same courage when 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚. That’s why he couldn’t be the endgame. In the end, love isn't just about compatibility—it’s about showing up, especially when it’s hardest to do so.

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