time and love
I cried so much while watching When Life Gives You Tangerines. It really touched my heart and made me realize how life can be both beautiful and painful at the same time. The story was so deep and emotional, and I could feel every character’s pain and joy. The actors and actresses performed so incredibly well that I forgot I was watching a drama—it felt real. This drama reminded me how people can grow through hard times. It’s truly a masterpiece that I’ll never forget. Heartbreaking yet healing.Was this review helpful to you?
Life.
while watching this series i completely forgot that they are fictional characters. this is the first time im crying while watching a drama after reply 1988. this show is the essence of what it is to love, what it is to stay.ae sun and gwan sik, you lived a life, you did well~
i hold these characters so close to my heart
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must Watch drama
I rate this drama 10 out of 10. Anyone can say how it possible, but If, I rate this drama 10000. It's also not be completed ratting, must watch, must must must.Lee Ji Eun (Iu) and Park Bo Yoing also middle age aae sun and gwansik acting just wow.In ep 3 Gwam sik jump into ocane for aae sun, i love this scane more and more.........................❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
you need to watch it, hopefully you love this series.. sorry, I am from Bangladesh so little weak in English 😪
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A drama that reshapes your heart
I’ve watched over a hundred dramas, but very few have left me speechless the way When Life Gives You Tangerines did. To me, this wasn’t just a drama. It was a quiet, devastating, and deeply human masterpiece. A reminder of what it means to endure, to live, and most of all… to love.Some may call it overrated, and at first those comments surprised me. But I realized this story speaks loudest to those who’ve faced life’s weight and struggled with the burdens of family, poverty, dreams deferred, and grief that lingers for decades. If you’re at a different stage in life, maybe it won’t land the same. And don't get me wrong, that's completely fine and normal. But for me, this story felt like home... warm, flawed, messy, heartbreaking, and unforgettable.
The character of Gwangsik alone raised my standards for men to the stratosphere. I’m not even sure someone like him could exist in real life. A man who lived every breath for the people he loved, who gave everything without ever asking for anything back. His quiet sacrifices, his constant presence, his gentle strength... He left an imprint on every soul around him, and on mine. Watching him love Aesun from childhood to his last breath was a devotion in its purest form.
And then there’s Aesun, never letting the world dim her. She stayed vibrant, dream-filled, stubborn, and radiant, even through loss. She reminded me that it's never too late to chase what matters to you, even at 70, even when your world has already broken apart once, twice, maybe more.
This drama does jump across timelines, from 1997 to 2004 and beyond, and while that might seem confusing at first, every puzzle piece clicks into place eventually. Each moment, no matter how small, ends up meaning something.
The cinematography is quiet and poetic, washed in nostalgic tones that make it feel like a memory. And the storytelling is patient. You’re not bombarded with twists or dramatics. It’s subtle, and yet it guts you. Every character, even those with just a few minutes of screen time, had depth, pain, and dreams.
The most unforgettable line came from Gwangsik, passed down to his daughter. A line that became the emotional anchor of the whole show: “If you can’t, just back down. We’re always here for you.” So simple, yet so healing. Painful even. I wish everyone in the world could have a parent like him.
And I can’t leave this without mentioning the OST. It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of the entire experience. The opening song brought Jeju to life, not just with the music, but with those dreamy animated scenes that set the mood before each episode even began. And “Midnight Walk” by d.ear… that one stayed with me. It’s a song I keep returning to when I need to slow down and breathe.
If I could rate this drama more than 10/10, I would. This isn’t just one of my favorites, but one of the most important stories I’ve ever watched.
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There's not much to say, really
I finally finished the best show on MDL at the moment and I don't know what to say. All that could be said has already been said. This show took dramaland by storm and I think it was fair. It feels like old-school kdramas like Reply 1988 but sort of more angsty. It was beautiful and frustrating, sad and funny just as life would be. The production quality and acting are immaculate. The whole cast and crew clearly put their all into making this the perfect project and there isn't anything to add besides just saying: they all did amazing. The show looks and feels cinematic.Plot: The whole point of this show is to shed light on the lives of ordinary people in order to highlight their extraordinariness. So naturally, it had parts that frustrated as well as parts that inspired. I tried my best not to get mad at the characters for their immaturities because while other shows' immature characters feel like flaws in the narrative, the immature and petulant behavior of the characters here felt like rites of growing up. Their mistakes felt like unavoidable twists of fate, and their broken connections were...well, that's just life! I find it very hard to judge this show for any choice it made narratively because everything seemed too true to life and a part of the realism of it! So yeah! The show gets away by virtue of being too realistic!
That said, I preferred the parents' plotline to their daughter's and the later episodes, because she was just too frustrating and unfair at times. I get that she had it hard too but she just nagged way too much! It was sort of embarrassing and painful to watch her feel inferior to the entitled rich people when those rich people were so pathetic and unworthy. But again...that's true to life! The parents, on the other hand, were so pitiful, you just can't help but root for them. Also that part has romance and family drama and a historical setting...it just hit different!
Acting: I don't wanna add much here: IU was great, I always knew she was great. Yeon Hye Ran deserves ALL the awards and Park Bo Gum was so good here, he single-handedly pushed me from holding massive contempt towards him to actually enjoying his presence. So much so I was upset when he was absent from an episode. Everyone else was equally great; the whole cast was amazing, really.
Music: This show also had perfect music. The theme song (which is called Spring, btw, you're welcome!) was so beautiful and nostalgic that I couldn't bear to skip the intro. The rest, I don't really remember, but it was mostly old Korean music and IU, so it was great.
Production: I wonder what the budget was because everything production-wise was so perfect and spot-on that you don't even think about it. It all just feels real.
Rewatch value: I don't think so! I will end up crying way too much and I feel all out of tears!
Overall: It's great! Go watch it!
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This review may contain spoilers
MUST WATCH
This was such a well done k-drama. Each episode touches on different topics - be it character and their circumstance or societal issues I truly believe the actors did an amazing job when it comes to the portrayal of their characters. It was so well done. I went in with zero expectation and i ended up crying. The last episode and the closing poem was so well done. It feels like nothing will top this for the year 2025.Was this review helpful to you?
Excruciatingly painful and breathtakingly beautiful
This is the first and quite possibly the last time I’m writing a review, since it isn’t exactly my comfort zone. But having just finished the show, with all my friends sound asleep and no one to share my emotions with, I felt compelled to try—despite my belief that words can hardly do justice to this masterpieceThis story is about everything and everyone and yet, no one specific. The story transcends individual narratives, portraying universal emotions through characters that feel like reflections of the people around us. It's the epitome of past lived by our grandparents and parents, the present we were able to live with them and future we have ahead to walk through without them, well in most of the cases.
Show is a depiction of love, loyalty, friendship, passion, sadness, sorrow, angst and unspoken and undisclosed feelings we all feel towards our parents who mostly lose themselves and are becoming our parents for the rest of their life...
There are some proverbs in my language (Georgian), I kept thinking about them while watching: one goes like whatever you give out to the world, is yours, other than that is lost (what goes around comes around), Good deed will always find its way to you and you will never be able to repay your parent's kindness and debt even if you "fry an egg on your palm" (do impossible)... These life lessons are strongly imprinted there.
And the acting? The performances are so immersive that you don't watch them; you live them. Every glance and gesture pulls you deeper into their world. You'll find yourself mourning their sorrows and sharing their happiness.
Details, connections, storyline, hidden meanings and cinematography, it's a powerful mix to give you a lifelong lesson and longing.
Prepare tissues, clear your schedule, mute distractions, and immerse yourself completely.
And if you already finished, did you survive, or barely holding on just like me?
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Crying from episode 1 to episode 16
This drama is not just about romance. Throw South Korean history you follow people lives.From sadness to happiness.... I just cried
UI and Park Bo Gum are especially good at acting; I'm always shocked.
The story is good and well-balanced, not too long to watch, and easy to understand.
The OST is perfectly adapted to the mood.
Everyone can get touched by anything about this drama: parenthood, being a child, loving, friendship,...
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A Masterpiece that should not be missed.
I've been a huge fan of dramas having slice-of-life and coming-of-age as their genres, all my life. So, I knew the moment they announced this drama that this is gonna be the best kdrama of 2025. Well, it is! IT IS! A drama that will pull at your heartstrings, make you feel loved, make you cry in each and every episode. I don't think there has been a drama this perfect in a really long time. And talk about PERFECT CASTING! Nobody could've done the roles better than the ones chosen. Not only IU and Bogum, but everyone else too. Of course, Kim Wonseok and Lim Sangchoon can never go wrong. Two things that need special mention are the mind-blowing cinematography and heartbreakingly beautiful OSTs. If you're not watching WLGYT, it's your loss.Was this review helpful to you?
A Warmth Story Of Life
This series is a tribute to our fathers and mothers, who sacrifice their lives for their kids and love one. Ae Sun and Gwan Sik are pure soul. Their love for each other , the way support each each other even in their hardships of life. The sacrifices they made for their children. They are just example for us . Supporting each other in all happy and sad moments of us, battling struggles of life cycle and unrequistic love are the beautiful things this couple taught me. The story is just excellent, beautifully depict gaprshes and reality of life. How life gives you happiness as well as sadness. You needto accept both things. Just after end of night , day came; after Autumn ,Spring come in our life. That is the reality. Being humble , gentle, loving is very important like Gwan suk and Ae sun.Hope the story will teach importance of life , loving parents and their sacrifices and importance to this new generation. And lastly "Ae Sun ~ Gwan Sik ," they are truly bestest couple I have ever seen , known or read. Far far better than Jack - Rose, Romeo -Juliet , Laila - Majnu etc etc.
I have lots lots to say , I have no words for this drama. Just can say one of best finest excellent life drama after Thank u , Reply 1988 which I have seen.
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I've got you under my skin...
There are dramas that make you laugh out loud, other that make you cry your eyes out, other again than make you scream at the top of your lungs..but this one is none of them.Each episode flew smoothly, never boring, never obvious or banal. I kept watching unaware of how it was silently touching all the strings of my soul. Only at the last episode I felt like I've been living with my heart and soul the journey portrayed by the character and I found a lot of similarities with my own life.
Just like you realise the value of something when it's gone, this drama quietly brought me to the last episode with apparently mild feelings and no strong reactions just to find out that it got under my skin without noticing.
I'm absolutely unable to describe how I feel at the end of this. I just think I won't be able to watch it again knowing how true it is and how hard it can hit.
From story, to acting and setting..I think this can be called a masterpiece.
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Absolute perfection.
I have been meaning to write a review for this drama for a couple days now and quite frankly there's nothing I could say that hasn't been said by other reviewers already. It's sitting at a 9.3 rating as of the time of this review and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes up.When life gives you tangerines...Even the title is perfect. I started to watch on Wednesday and finished it on Friday and I kinda want to start over I loved so much.
The beautiful intro I couldn't bring myself to skip, The gorgeous Jeju scenery, the wardrobe and hairstyling through the eras was wonderful every single line of dialogue is precious. I laughed, cried, fell in love hated some some people, loved, laughed and I cried again. Just perfect from start to finish.
Everyone should watch this for sure!
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