truly a must watch masterpiece
showing every step, every stage, every process, every moment of grief, every iconic and flop era of a woman’s life is not easy to do but this series created such cohesive and beautiful stories following many women over the course of a few generations and it’s astounding to see the value of a woman’s love and the choices she can, will, won’t, should, and doesn’t make. it showed so many sides of women through adolescence, young adulthood, and beyond. it celebrated the character behind the man and what it takes to be the backbone of your family as well as the sacrifices you make and the ways in which you need to step up. i can’t rave enough about this story and its characters and the twists and turns and the grief OH THE GRIEF!!!!! it’s so beautiful and haunting and so full of life in every turn. just a wonderful story overall. i can’t wait to rewatch it again.Was this review helpful to you?
When Life Gives You Tangerines: A Masterpiece That’ll Make You Laugh, Sob, and Call Your Mom
Okay, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is THAT drama—the one that grabs your heart and refuses to let go. First off, the casting is chef’s kiss. IU and Park Bo Gum as young Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik? absolute perfection. Their chemistry isn’t just sparkly, it’s micro-expression level brilliant.The cinematography? stunning. The storyline? even better. This drama hits different because it’s so relatable. The dialogues and situations feel ripped straight from real life whether it’s family struggles, growing pains, or the quiet sacrifices of parenthood, you’ll constantly go, “Wait, that’s literally me/my mom/my grandma.” Asian audiences (like me!) will especially feel this deep in their souls because of the heavy emphasis on family values—the guilt, the love, the unspoken expectations. But honestly, even if you didn’t grow up in an Asian household, the emotions are universal.
Warning: If you’re a crybaby (hi, same), stock up on tissues. You’ll be a weeping mess from Episode 1 straight through the finale. The way it portrays motherhood; showing Ae-sun’s journey from childhood to becoming a mom herself—is brutal yet beautiful. It’ll make you reflect on your own mom’s sacrifices and maybe even text her at 2 AM like, “I LOVE YOU MOM.”
Also, can we talk about Yang Gwan-sik?! he’s the husband and father of the century! supportive, present, and emotionally available. His relationship with Ae-sun highlights how crucial a partner’s role is in a family, especially for women who leave their own homes to build new ones. And the older versions of the characters? WHEEZES. The actors made me ugly-cry so hard i had puffy eyes for my next mall trip.
Overall? 10/10. The production, acting, and storytelling are top-tier. It’s not just a drama, it’s a feeling—one that lingers long after the credits roll. Watch it, but blame me later for the emotional damage🍊💔
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KILLING MYSELF
Never in my life, I have seen a series to be sooo good from the beginning to the end. There is absolutely no flaws whatsover. I didn't ask for reality to be thrown into my face but I keep coming back to it each and every single week because it is so damn good. This series will make you cry buckets. I have never in my life wanted to cry after every single episode. It is literally so heart wrenching but also at the same thing so heart warming. I am lost for words. I am don't even have it in me to justify the greatest of this series cause it won't do it any justice. So the only thing that I have to say is that is THE BEST KOREAN DRAMA OR SERIES in general LIKE EVER. AND I AM NOW GOING TO KILL MYSELF BECAUSE I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.Was this review helpful to you?
OUTSTANDING DRAMA!!!!
The title of this drama befits this story. A wonderful love story of how perseverance, love, and strength got the family through in each generation. True reality is that families go through so much with loss of loved ones, financial issues, differences in personality in each generation, but at the end of the day it's how they come back due to the unconditional love they have for each other. Thanks to IU, and Park Bo Gum, Moon So Ri, Park Ha Joon, and all of the outstanding actors and actresses that made this drama possible, and able to convey each and every moment through the screen. I cried, laughed, smiled, all through this drama. Make sure you have tissue next to you! Best drama so far this year!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Most Beautiful Family Saga
It’s rare that I actually submit a text review for anything these days, but this is a drama worth a few extra moments of time. It hits all the right notes. From immature youths with wide eyed innocence to a rock solid couple of over 50 years, When Life Gives You Tangerines comes full circle by the end. The amazing acting by this cast of rookie actors all the way through to the K drama veterans is something to be studied. Everyone was so spot on! If you cry at all through episodes 1-15, you will definitely need to make sure you grab a full box of tissues for the finale. 16 was incredible. Never has a family saga tugged at my heartstrings like this one. It is truly a masterpiece deserving of the #1 rated MDL drama.Was this review helpful to you?
such is the way of life
This story broke me to pieces. What is wrong with you writers. It shows all the beauties and pains of life.The characters are so humans and lovely. They’re such good people. Through it all, they never lost themselves, and that takes a lot.
Such a heart wrenching story that brings a sense of warmth oddly enough. Only watch this if you don’t like yourself and want to bully your tear ducts.
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I've never cried this much watching a drama
11/10 recommend, omg. I've been looking for a drama with "deeper" writing because all I've been watching were fluffy feel-good romance dramas, and no hate to those but it was getting a little repetitive. I was half expecting this drama to be like that but boy was a wrong. This is so much more than a romance drama - it touches heavily on topics such as family, hardship, failed dreams, pain, loss, etc. It had me bawling from start to finish.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A show that reminds you to give your parents a call
It's difficult to remember the last time I cried so much watching a movie or TV Show, but When Life Gives You Tangerines is in a league of its own.The drama explores love, yes; and in the first few episodes you might assume it is ultimately the story of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik. In some ways that may be true - but the heart of the show is a different kind of love entirely.
There is a striking line around episode 5; “Parents dwell on what they couldn’t give, while children dwell on what they couldn’t get” . It is difficult to find a love more pure or unconditional than the love parents hold toward their children. In your successes and your failures they will always fight your corner, whether you deserve it or not, because they love you. That's all. If anyone else had treated Gwan-sik or Ae-sun as ungratefully as their children it would be absurd to suggest that they would be so selfless toward them regardless, but parents don't protect us because its rational. They do it because it's their duty. Because they love us.
Ae-sun's mother regretted that not even her daughter's paternal family thought she was worthy of the same food they ate; that she had to be vice president because her mother wasn't wealthy. Ae-sun regretted that she couldn't send her daughter to study abroad; that she wasn't suitable to marry someone born on the mainland even though she went to SNU. Geum-Myeong, too, though more subtly, felt inadequate; she regretted having the money but not the time to spend on her daughter. No matter how hard our parents try to give us what they can; there is always somewhere they'll fall short, and inevitably when we see other parents who give their children what we lack, we grow envious and resentful - not realising the sacrifice our families make to give us a life better than their own.
From Eun-myeong getting on a fishing boat and realising what his father had to go through, to Geum-Myeong's conversations with her father where she realised what her mother endured being a parent so young, and losing a child, we see the power of perspective. If they had known what their parents had given up to give them what they had; to give them something better; they wouldn't have dreamed of being so critical. But just as our parents will never admit how hard things are to us, they don't want us to feel burdened or indebted. They do it because they love us; they don't want repayment. That's why Gwan-sik never spent the money Geum-Myeong sent him; why Ae-Sun's mother was so frustrated that her daughter tried to take care of her rather than being taken care of.
For me, the pinnacle of these themes is conversation between Geum-Myeong and Gwan-sik in the hospital. The middle aged Gwan-sik with his daughter, now a mother, who looks identical to a young Ae-Sun. Geum-Myeong who was the bastion of Ae-Sun's shattered dreams; who despite having everything that her mother wanted as a child, and couldn't be given, Gwan-sik still felt guilty toward for not being able to provide more. And perhaps that's why Gwan-sik opens up to Geum-Myeong. Why he tells her how guilty he feels towards Ae-Sun. Through admitting it to Geum-myeong it's as if he can tell Ae-Sun without really telling her. What is more remarkable, is that Geum-Myeong as a parent herself can now understand better just how much her parents went through. How they weathered all of their storms, and how hard it must have been.
And how ironic it is at the end that although Gwan-sik gave Geum-Myeong everything he once wanted to give Ae-Sun; he still felt guilty that he couldn't give her more. That Ae-Sun felt that same guilt despite giving her daughter the freedom to live the dreams that were stolen from her.
But the irony pervades our whole society. Until we become parents ourselves - or grow up enough to truly understand the harsh realities of adulthood - we never truly appreciate just how much has been invested into us solely because we are loved unconditionally. We all owe a debt to our parents that we will never be able to repay, but it is also a debt that we aren't supposed to.
So next time you lament your portion in life and your parents' role in allocating it; first ask yourselves what had to happen to first put you there. The next time you feel like being ungrateful - remember what it is you have to be grateful for.
Call your parents.
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This review may contain spoilers
We make the most of what life gives us and forge on... despite it all...till we breathe our last.
Wow! This drama has been mind-blowingly good and after such an awesome production with stellar actresses and actors as well as a realistic and moving plot, it is hard for this viewer to move on. WLGYT is lingering in my mind.What I Loved A Lot:
- The cast was amazing! Their performances were powerful and memorable. Everyone - the leads and the supporting cast - was great. They nailed their roles and gave everything they had and then, more.
- The characters were believable and I felt invested in them. There were numerous meaningful and moving lines which the characters shared which inspired me and touched me. Oh Ae Sun's aunts were great. I liked that different characters also grew up such as Park Yeong Ran who developed a backbone and stood up for herself. I liked the "redemption arc" for Bu Sang Gil who went from total scumbag to trying to be a better father and grandfather to make up for his lack of fatherliness. I liked how Yang Gwan Sik eventually inspired him enough to change for the better.
- The plot was riveting and realistic. I did not expect to laugh and cry and cry some more and laugh wistfully and cry again and smile through my tears and cry again... What a roller coaster ride but it was so worth it!
- The plot was also meaningful and helped me to mature/ grow too. I liked that we got to see the different perspectives which added more meanings and insights to the things which were happening in the plot.
- The cinematography was spectacular. Every scene seemed poetic. Additionally, I felt almost voyeuristic. It was as if I had gone back in time to witness the ordinary and yet, extraordinary lives of Oh Ae Sun and Yang Gwan Sik.
These are the moments/ parts/ lines that linger in my mind (and they maybe paraphrased). I shall be going back to relive these moments/ parts/ lines to "experience them all over again".
~ Living can get very tough and tiring. When you feel like you are too exhausted and cannot live anymore, you keep on going back up to the surface. You kick your way back up to the surface (to breathe again).
~ A mother who has lost her child has more tears than the sea. (My heart breaks too... multiple times... over and over again...)
~ Life goes on if you let it. (Bam! So powerful.)
~ It was exceedingly touching to have Oh Ae Sun's mother-in-law and in-laws (and husband and other characters) not blame her for her third child's death. After all, which mother would want such a thing to happen. It was so telling of how much pain they, too, felt and so, they did not want to add on to Oh Ae Sun's pain because who was feeling more pain than the mother herself/ the parents themselves? Blaming would not have brought him back either. The pain of his death was suffering and punishment enough without having others rub it in further. This part stood out for me greatly. The empathy shown was powerfully moving.
~ The love between Yang Gwan Sik and Oh Ae Sun was tender and yet, powerful. Since the time they were kids, they were each other's soulmates. It was extremely touching and saddening to see how much Yang Gwan Sik just gave and gave of himself until he had nothing more to give. Oh Ae Sun devoted herself to her husband and family and continued to try her very best no matter her age or circumstance.
~ The part whereby the cleaner took the ring. I thought she wanted to live the lie that was spun and take the ring for herself since it was considered stolen. I was stoked when she stood up for Geum Myeong and protected her just like how her parents had helped her in the past. We don't wish bad things on others. Talk about kindness begetting kindness and about paying if forward.
~ The part whereby Oh Ae Sun's "mother" - the woman who married her stepfather after her mother had passed on - gave her rental money. The part whereby the elderly couple watched out for them while they rented the small space. These parts were moving. Talk about humanity.
~ Don't look down on my life. (Insightful and powerful - who are we to think that someone else's live could have been lived better? Let's just strive hard and be accountable for ourselves and our actions and have a clear conscience.)
I recommend this drama to both the young and the old. While I understand that this drama is rated PG13, I think youths who are say 10-13 will benefit from living the lives of these plucky characters vicariously.
This drama deserves 10/10 and it will replay itself in my mind for quite a long time to come. <3 Thank you to cast and crew et al for this magnificent drama! <3
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A masterpiece of 3 generations(Greek Review)
I don't usually write about TV shows. Nor do I get emotional easily (90s kids don't cry, after all).
But "When Life Gives You Tangerines" found me at a moment when maybe I needed it. I randomly decided to watch the Korean drama on Netflix titled "When Life Gives You Tangerines." In Greek, the title translates to "When life gives you tangerines"
In Korea, the series is known as "Pokssak Sogatsuda" , a phrase from the Jeju Island dialect meaning "thank you for your hard work."
The series tells the love story between Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik, starting in the 1960s and unfolding over the course of 50 years. It showcases the challenges they face - natural disasters, family objections, political unrest - while also highlighting moments of personal achievement, death, life, and family joy.
Starring IU (Lee Ji Eun ) as Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik, with Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon portraying the older versions of the characters.
The series doesn't shout. It doesn't impress with big speeches or shocking plot twists. There are no Hollywood fireworks, no over-the-top romances. And yet, it carries a quiet strength, almost underground. It softens you, breaks you down, makes you feel things you thought you had forgotten - or believed you would never feel again.
What touched me the most was endurance. The power of patience. The virtue of persistence. Two people who didn't live a fairy-tale romance, but never betrayed it either. They didn't abandon it. It broke them, tested them - but they held it tight inside themselves for years, for decades.
By the end of the series, you'll catch yourself wondering: Have I ever lived something like that?
Maybe, to experience such a love, you have to be either very lucky... or very unlucky. But it's comforting to know that it can exist. Even if only inside a story.
Another thing that struck me is how, even though it's a Korean series, it reflects Greek emotions through Korean frames.
Korea or Greece - in the end, the fundamentals, the emotions, the heart, have no borders.
And if there's one thing that stayed with me after it ended... it's the silence. Not the empty kind, but the full kind.
The one that says "salanghaeyo" - "I love you" - with the eyes, without needing words.
I wholeheartedly recommend it - but it's not for everyone.
The melancholy it brings is terrifying... because, in the end, if life gives you tangerines... make sour cherry juice.
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The best kdrama out there.....
Calling this drama a masterpiece would be an understatement this drama is just wonderfulit made me cry, laugh and what not. This drama for sure is my most favorite one. Its been soo long since a very good heart warming kdrama. I am happy i am sooo happy
A masterclass script!!!I have said it in my other reviews that no matter what rocket budget and star castline you have if the script isn't good it is a lost cause, my dear kdrama enthusiasts this drama is a gem a pure gem, it ain't no mega story with a unrealistic plotline it is a heart warming slice of life romance story...Gwani and Aesun has all my heart🥹 when I say bring me a good romantic drama this is what I am asking for. Sooo gooood.
IU and Park Bogum is the best casting for this drama. If they can make a cold hearted person like me cry by their acting it means that they are phenomenal. The supporting cast has also done a wonderful job. The cinematography is just beautiful. After welcome to samdalri this drama has captured the beauty of jeju so wonderfuly. The OST is like Cherry on the cake.
My dear people who are reading this review do not doubt give this drama a chance as person who has watched 100s of kdramas I vouch for this drama.
When life gives you tangerines is a true masterpiece.
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A Healing Slice-of-Life A Masterpiece of Quiet Love and Generational Healing
🍊 WHY IT'S UNFORGETTABLE:IU & Park Bo-gum’s lifespan chemistry – From childhood friends to weathered soulmates, their love story feels lived-in and real.
Jeju Island as a character – Golden tangerine fields, crashing waves, and haenyeo divers create a visually poetic backdrop.
The non-linear storytelling – Jumps between timelines like a heartbreaking memory montage (but in a good way).
😭 THE "WHY AM I SOBBING OVER FRUIT?" MOMENTS:
That rain-soaked ferry chase – IU running in slow-motion while Park Bo-gum screams her name? Oscar-worthy devastation.
The gender-role rebellion – Gwan-sik eating with the women? More radical than any K-drama kiss.
The haenyeo mother’s sacrifice – Yeom Hye-ran’s performance will wreck you.
⚠️ THE "ALMOST TOO PERFECT" FLAWS:
Pacing whiplash – Some 1950s flashbacks drag, while 2000s scenes feel rushed.
The evil landlord trope – Could’ve used more nuance (we get it, capitalism sucks).
That ambiguous ending – Beautiful but frustrating for closure-seekers.
🎯 VERDICT:
"Like My Mister and When the Camellia Blooms had a historical drama baby—achingly human, visually stunning, and full of tangerine metaphors." Watch if: You love slow burns, generational trauma, or IU’s everything. Skip if: You need fast plots or happy endings neatly tied with a bow.
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