When Life Gives You Tangerines

When Life Gives You Tangerines : Story So Raw, It Feels Like Memories Instead of Fiction

This is a story of love, life, joy, sorrow, struggle, healing and everything in between. It follows Ae Sun’s journey from the turbulent 1960s through more than 7 decades, capturing every stage of her life. We see her as a bright eyed child with dreams as vast as the mountains, a determined teenager whose eyes still sparkle with ambition, passionate lover who pours her heart into her soulmate Yang Gwansik, a young mother finding her way and finally a grandmother who has embraced every role life has given her. In her, you see a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, she is everything. IU and Moon Sori deserve a standing ovation, they didnt just play their roles, they lived them.

Yang Gwansik, her unwavering companion, is the definition of a true soulmate. He is the green flag every girl dreams of, standing by her side from childhood to his last breath, fulfilling every duty with quiet devotion and deep love. While his romantic and husband phases were beautiful, what resonated most was his portrayal of fatherhood. He embodied the kind of silent dad who loves his children fiercely but struggles to put it into words. Both Park Bogum and Park Hae Joon who played him delivered phenomenal performances.

Beyond the leads, every character, from free spirited Geum Myeong to the elderly couple who sheltered the main characters during darkest times, offers a lesson in life’s complexities. Growth is a recurring theme, and even morally gray characters get their moments of depth and redemption.

The cinematography and production design are flawless, recreating each era from the 1960s to 2007 with stunning accuracy. Every frame feels immersive, transporting you to the past in a way that makes the story even more poignant.

So far, this is hands down the best drama of 2025. Its also the first slice of life series since Our Blues that truly tugs at the heart. A drama to cherish for a long time.

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Best Family Drama Series Ever

For me, the series 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is the best family saga I have ever watched, in KDrama or anywhere else.
It is my top rated drama series.

I laughed, smiled, felt outrage, cried, and had feelings of deep connection with the characters in the series.
As an International viewer who is 68 years old, with a grown family and grandchild, it made me think over my own life.

I can only read the English subtitles, I wish I could understand the Korean language to watch it.
I am trying to learn it. Slowly 😆 I am a very fast subtitle reader now. 😆
Thank you to the Subtitle teams. 🙏

Thank you, Republic of Korea, for this beautiful story that touched my heart and soul. ❤️
Sandra,
From Australia 🇦🇺

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Is this drama a pandemic creation of the writer? Our tangerines.

If there was a new Baeksang Arts Award category created this year for the Best Achievement in Acting for the whole cast, then ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ would be the first winner in my book. I was a skeptic going into viewing this drama, determined not to be easy prey, because of the high ratings all around that this drama was getting. ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ won me over the hard way. This drama earned it. Male Lead Park Bo Gum’s compelling acting as the quiet but powerful Yang Gwan-sik is so good that it freezes you in place. In the past, I have found IU’s acting performances to be immature. However, she showed up big time in every scene as the bold and daring Female Lead Oh Ae-sun. Let us make this harder. IU also plays her own grown daughter Yang Geum-myeong. She is the eldest child and only daughter of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, who has the opposite personality. Other child actors played this role of Yang Geum-myeong as young children. Since ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ spans three generations, the audience experiences a total cast change as the decades are handled in flashbacks and flash-forwards. The chronological narrative of the story is interrupted, as multiple timelines are visited or revisited.

There are a lot of balls bouncing in each fully loaded episode, but writer Lim (Im) Sang-choon maintains a consistent and congruent flow of this masterful storyline. She remains in complete control of this epic story. Very few actors get the job done, staying in character, perceiving the flow of the overall storyline and understanding how each character must develop in a cohesive manor, without a great director at the helm. Writer Director Kim Won Suk pulls the best out of each actor.

I found this a bit of interesting history and irony. Lim (Im) Sang-choon is the writer of ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’. She took a rest from the Film and Drama Industry for an extended period during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This new drama was released six years later. Is this brilliant masterpiece of art the result of her sheltering in place?

‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ is a metaphor for experiencing sour setbacks. It is equivalent to the English saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". This expresses a positive outlook one might take on when facing the travails of life. While I did not personally interview anyone, I know that the world was served up many lemons (or tangerines) in 2019, at the advent of COVID-19. Many resilient souls around the world found ways to make lemonade during this time period, or Sweet Tangerines (if you are from Korea). During this time, the writer Lim (Im) Sang Choon had all the time in the world to create a wonderful story, which starts in 1951 and spans three generations. The story is said to be inspired by an actual couple who lived on Jeju Island in South Korea.

Six Degrees of Separation

Writer Lim Sang-choon

Lim (Im) Sang-choon is the screenwriter for ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’. She won for Best Screenplay at the 56th Baeksang Arts Award for the drama When the Camellia Blooms 2019). Also, Lim (Im) Sang-choon was nominated at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards for her screenplay for Fight My Way (2017). She writes under a pseudonym, keeping her personal information very private.

Few people claim even to have met Lim (Im) Sang-choon personally. Lim (Im) Sang-choon is shrouded in mystery. This helped peaked the curiosity of IU, when she get a phone call from Lim (Im) Sang-choon about joining the project. Actress IU and writer of ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ Lim (Im ) Sang Chop met secretly during this time and went over the script. IU was asked to play the main female lead in this drama. IU has revealed that she would forever cherish this meeting. Production for the Netflix project began in March 2023 and concluded February 2024. The World Health Organization declared to the world on May 5, 2023 that COVID-19 was no longer a world health emergency.

(Writer) Director Kim Won Suk

Writer/Director Kim Won Suk co-authored the Korean Drama ‘Descendants of the Sun’ (2016), which won Best Drama. He was nominated for Best Writer for this drama as well. Kim Won Suk also wrote The Queen’s Classroom (2013), Man to Man (2017) and wrote Payback (2023). As a Director, Kim Won Suk won a Baeksang as Best New Director for ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’ (2011) and Best Director for ‘Misaeng’ (2015). He was nominated for a Baeksang as a Director for ‘My Mister’ (2019) and for ‘Signal’ (2016). It was on the set of ‘My Mister’ (2019) the Writer/Director Kim Won Suk met actress IU, who appeared in the drama as the Female Lead. Between 2019-2025, Writer Director Kim Won Suk wrote the Korean Drama Payback (2023) and concluded the project ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’.



Actor Park Bo Gum

Park Bo Gum did put out Record of Youth in September 2020. After this production, even Park Bo Gum went silent in the Film and Drama Industry until the 2025 drama release of When Life Gives You Tangerines. Park Bo Gum’s chose to complete his Military service, serving from August 2020 to April 2022. After his release from the Military, Park Bo Gum told the public that he would take a rest from the Film and Drama Industry, which he did untilhe was offrered tge male lead in ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’.

In earlier years, Park Bo Gum and IU met during a commercial shoot for a noodle advertisement in 2012. In addition, Park Bo Gum briefly appeared in IU’s Drama The Producers. Their 13 year friendship helped add the organic feel to their performances in When Life Gives You Tangerines.

Actress IU (Lee Ji-eun)

Actress IU (Lee Ji-eun) also took a break from the Korean Drama world after 2019. However, IU did appear in The Movie Dream in 2023 and appeared Korean Variety shows. IU has had nine Baeksang Arts Awards nominations with two wins. These are Most Popular Actress for My Mister (2019) and Most Popular Actress for Broker (2023). Actress IU (Lee Ji-eun) is nominated this year for Best Actress in a TV drama. It would be her first win in this category is she is successful.

When Life Gives You Tangerines is a Coming of Age Life Romance Drama that is resonating in so many different circles. Life has its travails, but you can still approach life in a positive way, is a central theme. The drama offers Healthy Relationship of Main Characters, Supportive Male Lead, Family Relationships, Parenting, and Multiple Timelines.

It is rare for a drama to still have a 5/5 rating of general Internet users after its run completion. Ratings usually drop a little, as more people add their voices. When Life Gives You Tangerines is still drawing 5/5. Descriptive words like “A Masterpiece” is being thrown all over the place. Are American Awards like Academy Awards (Oscars), Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Award and Emmy Award possible?

When Life Gives You Tangerines has garnered eight Baeksang Arts Awards Nominations (The next nearest is six). The Awards Show was set for 5 May 2025. All nominations are still pending. When Life Gives You Tangerines secured nominations in the categories of Best Drama, Director, Actor (Park Bo Gum), Actress (Lee Ji-eun), Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, New Actress, and Best Screenplay. This drama is a Netflix original. When Life Gives You Tangerines tops the latest Gallup Polls.

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A Tender Tale Told in Seasons

Sometimes a drama doesn’t just entertain you—it lingers. Like the scent of citrus on your hands after peeling a tangerine, When Life Gives You Tangerines stays with you long after the credits roll. It’s tender, nostalgic, and quietly devastating in the best way.

Set against the ever-changing yet timeless backdrop of Jeju Island, the drama follows the story of Ae-sun (IU) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum), two people whose lives become intertwined from a young age through to adulthood. Structured in four seasonal acts—from their sun-drenched youth in the 1960s to the more muted hues of middle age and legacy—the series is a meditation on love, duty, and the little choices that end up shaping entire lives.


What stands out most in when life gives you Tangerines is how unafraid it is to take its time. It resists melodrama and big cliffhangers in favor of smaller, more intimate moments: a shared tangerine under the trees, a silent glance across a schoolyard, an old cassette tape full of promises. It's in these quiet scenes that the drama does its best work.

Lim Sang-choon's writing shines here—lyrical without being overwrought, emotional without leaning into clichés. And director Kim Won-seok knows exactly when to let the camera linger and when to pull back. The cinematography turns Jeju into a living memory: sun filtering through citrus groves, waves crashing against stubborn rocks, the rustle of old hanboks in the breeze.

Before IU and Park Bo-gum even take the stage, it’s the child actors who steal your heart.

Moon Woo-jin as young Gwan-sik is an absolute revelation. He plays the role with so much restraint and quiet intensity, capturing the gentle steadfastness that Park Bo-gum later expands on. You believe from the very first moment that this boy will grow into a man who loves deeply, silently, and for a lifetime. There’s one scene in particular—where young Gwan-sik, dirt under his nails, saves his lunch to share with Ae-sun—that might just be one of the most heart-wrenching and pure moments in the entire series.

Kim Soo-in, as young Ae-sun, is equally phenomenal. She plays Ae-sun with a spark—ambitious, defiant, and a little impulsive. There's a complexity to her performance that goes beyond her years. She makes you feel Ae-sun’s yearning, her frustration with her circumstances, and her dreams of becoming something more. The dynamic between the two young leads is so raw and believable that it sets the emotional tone for the rest of the series. Without them, the weight of the story wouldn’t land nearly as hard.

Truly, their performances are what make the transition to the adult actors feel earned, rather than jarring.

IU delivers a career-best performance as Ae-sun. She plays both Ae-sun and her daughter Geum-myeong with an emotional delicacy that’s hard to put into words. You feel every loss, every compromise, every spark of joy. There’s a weariness in her eyes that tells its own story.

Park Bo-gum, meanwhile, proves why he’s one of the most beloved actors of his generation. His Gwan-sik is a man of few words, but the way he holds space—for Ae-sun, for their shared memories, for his own quiet regrets—is deeply affecting. He doesn’t need grand gestures. He just is. It’s that quiet kind of love that K-dramas don’t always depict well, and here, it feels almost revolutionary.

When Life Gives You Tangerines isn’t for everyone—it’s a slow burn, steeped in nostalgia and weighted with quiet grief. But if you give it the time it deserves, it rewards you with a story that’s both deeply personal and beautifully universal.

It’s about growing up in the shadow of war and poverty, about the dreams we hold onto and the ones we leave behind. It’s about first love, sure—but more than that, it’s about enduring love. The kind that doesn’t always have a happy ending, but leaves you changed all the same.

And above all, it’s a love letter to Jeju, to the haenyeo who dive without fear, to the children who dream beyond their villages, and to the people who love in the quiet spaces of everyday life.

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A Hanky Love Story

I didn’t connect to this show initially, I gave up during Ep. 2. Because I’m a Bo Gum and IU fan, I went back and struggled through EPS.3 & 4. I went away for a few weeks, then decided to go back, because at the same time, I was watching “The Seasons: Cantabile of Park Bo Gum.” An excellent array of talented performers, most new to me, but I was enamored with Bo’s many talents. OK, I’ll go back to “When Life Gives You Tangerines.” Happy I did! That which I saw as silliness and annoying at first, became intricacies of the characters. The storlyline grew stronger, each character well-defined, and brilliantly executed by the actors! The older Leads display stellar performances. I was impressed by the dynamics of the director, his use of actors. Each couple has their own identified relationship and love, no matter how volatile, there is commitment. There is hope, comedy, and tears; scenes of reality that makes you want to punch someone or hug someone. The story moves through life and has pretty good pacing. The second half keeps building to hanky time. Turned out to be a pretty damn good show!

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“Beautiful, but it didn’t fully click for me”

I can see why a lot of people love it but for me it landed somewhere in the middle.

The biggest strengths are the acting, the visuals and the overall nostalgic vibe. The early episodes especially were quite touching and I appreciated the focus on family, quiet love and everyday struggles. You can really feel the effort that went into the production from the soundtrack to the detailed sets.

The drama started to lose me as it went on. The pacing felt uneven, the timeline jumps were sometimes confusing and the story didn’t always feel focused. While the themes were meaningful the execution didn’t fully work for me especially in the second half which felt longer and less engaging than it needed to be.

Overall, it’s not a bad drama but just not one that fully clicked for me. I can see it resonating more with viewers who enjoy slow, reflective, slice of life stories but if you’re expecting something more tightly structured it might feel a bit underwhelming.

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A MUST WATCH!!!

I am watching asian dramas for more than 6 years now but i never wrote a single reivew or even rated a drama but WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU TANGERINES changed my entire viewoint on life watching this felt like i am watching my parents and everything they did for me in my 22 years of life it was like my entire childhood and all the struggles of my parents that i ignored or never understood flashing in front of my eyes i have seen my father rise from from nothing on his name to giving his children the best life he could, i have never saw him doing a single thing for him even once i cried so much watching gwan sik as he reminded me of all the scarifices my father made for me and the family. As we grow up we tend to forget all the things that our parents did for us just like gweng myeong and eun myeong but when they reliased that their father won't be here anymore they remembered all the things they once forgot. This is a reminder that we should always remeber that our parents scarificed their dreams to gives us a clear sky so that we can dream and achieve our dreams.

My heart just broke when gwan sik died i can never imagine my father leaving me behind so early i want him to live all his dreams and be happy even if won't be able to compensate the things that he scarificed for us, now i can never be the same again this drama changed me somehow seeing ae sun and gwan sik taggle all the problems in life just so they can give thier children everything was so hearbreaking they scarificed so much for their children and then also they blamed them fot not having enough money i get it that it is tough to not able to celebrate a grand birthday or have fancy things but we should understand that our parents have given more than they could provide for us scarificing thier needs and keeping ours first just like ae sun dropped her college dream for her child and gwan sik drowned himself in work to provide for them without even thinking about himself no matter how much pain he was in he never took a leave even when his youngest son died because he can't take more than 3 days. I cried so much thinking that, it reminded me that even when my father was sick even when her mother died or even when he got into accident and his hand broke he still went for his work. I bawled my eyes after finishing the last episode even writting this review is making me cry again but i still choose to do that, I don't care what other people think but in my opinion everyone should watch this drama once it made me respect my parents and makes me proud way more than i already did.

Gwan sik was a great husband and a kind person everyone respected him and ae sun as they were always kind to people that is the reason why even if eun myeong went to jail everyone was helping him beacuse his dad has always been their for people, when dong myeong died everyone in the village helped them by sending food to their house, when they were struggling their landlord put rice in her jar without them asking, our parents good deeds always comes to us as well this drama taught to always do good deeds even if it is not benefitting you in any way so that we can have a peaceful life without regrets.

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AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE.

Truly goosebumps and brilliantly well-written!

Each and every single character was absolutely perfectly fitted... every emotion, expression, and tone... Cannot expression how I enjoyed every moment of this series.

Truly profound and deep... Hit every portion related to family and love... what it mean to really grow up through hardships, face discrimination based on your gender... finance... Also the resilience and survival of just LIFE. Not just because they are poor - but each decision made to move forward, to LIVE ON. T

Really did a great job of portraying the livelihoods and history of the haenyos as well! Was really interesting to learn more about that sector.

I definitely bawled my eyes out in every episode if not, just fell to the floor with so much pain, gratitude, and just epiphany within my own life LOL. I think the Yangbeom and Geum Myung scenes hit me the hardest... What an excruciating scene. YET, as sad as so many scenes were, there were so many encouraging scenes - really pushing people to LIVE, to KEEP GOING. That the hardships will continue to come but as time passes, so will GOOD days, GOOD people, etc.

Really also made me question, whether I can get married and choose this sort of love? Will I be able to overcome these circumstances (I understand it's a drama but a lot of it can be related/realistic in terms of losing a child, financial insufficiencies, education, sacrifice... the list goes on) and how I would be able to handle certain scenarios. Such an endless list of great life lessons.

But overall, would HIGHLY recommend. It's a show that's just way more about love and just the amazing sacrifices each person made, decisions per situations, and the narrative concept was a nice touch as well.

May a beautiful and unwavering love such as Gwansik + Aesun find me T_____T !!!!!

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Masterpiece

I usually don't write drama reviews, but I felt like I have to with ,,When Life Gives You Tangerines". I really lack words to describe this drama as any description wouldn't do it justice.
I feel like the writters just took LIFE itself and packed into one tv show. I cried so much watching the last episode...
This drama speaks to us about resilience, love and hope. It speaks about family and how life isn't always perfect in all regards but we can find hope an beauty between everything that life throws at us. Maybe not immediatelly, but eventually - for sure.
There's light even in the darkest of tunnels and that light is love. Not only as partners love, but love for your parents, grandparents, your children, friends, community. Love is all around us if we just want to see it and if we not only receive it but give it to others. That's what this drama reminded me. And it also reminded me to appreciate the time given to us by God to spend with the most important people in our lives and to really give time to the ones we love.
So many life lessons from Ae Sun, Hwang Sik and their family... I'll keep this drama forever in my heart.

Also - the actors, cinematography, writting, soundtrack - everything was perfect, top notch quality each second of screentime.

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믐, 좋아......,난 너무 좋아

I waited almost a year for this drama. From the moment the first stills were released, I knew I had to watch it, no matter what. I’ve always loved dramas that bring the past to life, and as someone who holds Reply 1988 close to my heart, I never thought another drama could capture life so intimately. And yet, When Life Gives You Tangerines did just that.

Watching this drama felt like reading a book where every line is a favorite quote. Every conversation, every narration—each moment was something I wanted to highlight and keep forever. It was beautiful and refreshing, yet deeply nostalgic, like a memory I had never lived but somehow understood. More than anything, this drama showed love—not just romantic love, but the love woven into everyday life, in the smallest gestures and unspoken words.

The direction, writing, cinematography, and screenplay of When Life Gives You Tangerines were exceptional, coming together to create a deeply immersive and emotionally rich experience. The storytelling was raw and heartfelt, with a script that brought complex, lovable characters to life. The cinematography beautifully captured Jeju Island’s charm, enhancing the nostalgic and emotional depth of the drama. Every element worked in perfect harmony, making it not just visually stunning but also a story that lingers long after it ends.The characters were portrayed so beautifully that you couldn’t hate anyone. Everyone had their own struggles, their own reasons, and their own stories to tell. And that’s what made them feel so real. The character developments was just lit. Among all Bu Sang Gil's was the best.He was never a bad person from the start. His character development was something I really waited for.

The relationships were the heart of this story. They felt so real that they ached. Up until episode three, I was simply happy watching them. Then episode four came, and for the first time, I cried. The scene from Ae Sun’s perspective—waving to Gwan Sik from the kitchen, with Geum Myeong in between—stirred something indescribable in me. I didn’t know if I was crying from happiness or sadness. And then, episode six… Dong Myeong’s loss was the most heartbreaking moment. Even the steelheart couldn’t hold back, how could mine?

By Volume 3, I thought the story would shift more toward Geum Myeong, but Volume 4 there would less scenes of Ae Sun and Gwan Sik. But no other story could fill me up. All I craved was Oh Ae Sun and Yang Gwan Sik.

This was the ending I expected. The drama was about life. And life gives you only what it can. The ending wasn’t wrapped in fantasy, but in truth. And somehow, despite all the heartache, I was at peace.

“I had a loving dad. But my dad didn't have a loving daughter. His loving request for me to be sweet to my mom still stings in my heart. We took dad for granted as though we owned him forever............ Dad's unrequited love was now over but mine had just begun.” - Yang Geum Myeong

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Masterpiece / Magnificent tribute from the author to their own parents

A superb slice of life: 60 years of Korean history seen through the lives of a couple and their family.

PLOT: Living conditions are difficult in Jeju for orphan Ae Sun. She is helped by Gwan Sik (son of a fishmonger, and later, fisherman), whom she eventually marries after running away to Busan, despite the opposition of her in-laws.

+++ A young, simply magical CL (IU and Park Bo Gum) (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
+++ Excellent older couple (Park Hae Joon & Moon So Ri)
+++ The drama shows (for once) the real living conditions of poor Koreans, in the 1960s in Jeju, then in Seoul in the 1970s and 1980s, with great realism. The reference points are provided by historical events (Olympics, elections, etc.) through the feelings of ordinary people.
+++ Superb cinematography: reconstruction of eras, costumes, hairstyles, landscapes, etc.
+++ Vintage OSTs, which perfectly complement the atmosphere of the series.
+++ Solid storyline, with well-developed, endearing (and fabulously brought to life) characters.

### Not really addictive (except for the first few episodes), and the non-linear narrative (with many flashbacks to different eras) sometimes leaves the viewer a little confused.

=> I've the feeling that the author wanted to pay a (very successful) tribute to his parents through this magnificent and moving series. The actors' performances are phenomenal and the drama well deserves its numerous Award nominations.

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Superbe tranche de vie : 60 ans d'histoire de la Corée vue à travers la vie d'un couple et de sa famille.

PLOT: Les conditions de vie sont difficiles à Jeju pr Ae Sun, orpheline. Elle est aidée par Gwan Sik (fils de poissonnier, puis pêcheur), qu'elle finit pr épouser après une fugue à Busan, malgré l'opposition de la belle-famille.

+++ Un CL jeune , juste magique (IU et Park Bo Gum) (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
+++ Excellent couple plus âgé (Park Hae Joon & Moon So Ri)
+++ Le drama montre (pr une fois) les vraies conditions de vie des coréens pauvres, les années 60 à Jeju, puis à Séoul dans la décennie 70-80, avec bcp de réalisme. Les repères sont donnés par les évènements historiques (JO, élections, etc) avec le ressenti des gens ordinaires.
+++ Superbe cinématographie : reconstitution des époques, costumes, coiffures, paysages, etc.
+++ OSTs vintage, qui accompagnent bien l'atmosphère de la série.
+++ Solide storyline, avec des personnages bien développés, attachants (et fabuleusement mis en vie).

### Pas vraiment addictif (sauf les 1ers épisodes) et la narration non linéaire (avec bcp de flashbacks de différentes époques) rend parfois le spectateur un peu confus.

=> Sentiment que l'auteur a voulu rendre un hommage (très réussi) à ses parents au travers de cette magnifique et émouvante série. La performance des acteurs est phénoménale et le drama mérite bien ses nombreuses nominations aux Awards.

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