When Life Gives You Tangerines

Heartfelt and Realistic Series

Though realistic and heartwarming, the series is undeniably sad. It doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life, making it a must-watch for those seeking a reality check. Through its deeply human storytelling, it teaches valuable lessons about survival, resilience, and problem-solving.

Each episode presents challenges that mirror real-world struggles, showing how people navigate difficulties, make tough choices, and learn from their mistakes. The series doesn’t offer easy answers, but rather, it emphasizes perseverance and the power of human connection. Watching it, you begin to understand the importance of emotional strength, communication, and adapting to life's unpredictable twists.

The characters are what make this series truly exceptional. Every one of them is meticulously crafted, with distinct personalities, strengths, and vulnerabilities. Their journeys are compelling, filled with moments of joy, sorrow, and personal growth. You see them at their best and worst, making them feel incredibly real. It’s impossible not to get attached, and by the time the series ends, you’ll feel like you’ve lived through their experiences alongside them.

Beyond its emotional depth, the series is a testament to the human spirit. It teaches you that setbacks don’t define you—how you respond to them does. Even in the darkest moments, there’s hope, kindness, and the possibility of change.

I absolutely adore this series. It’s not just entertainment; it’s an experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

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The story is superb. The hardships the characters went through is portrayed perfectly. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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Cherish your moments with your family, as life will always bring challenges.

Wow, what a ride! "Tangerines" kind of reminded me why I enjoyed "Reply 1988. IMOP, "Tangerines" is a tad step above. That's due to its core storyline. (I submitted a review to "Reply" that may help you understand where I'm coming from.) So much I want to say, but I will keep this spoiler-free and just say, IU… Wow. You acted your $ss off. Even though I wasn't too much of a fan of the dual role. But man, you killed it.

Every actor, lead and supporting, was amazing. The theme was heartfelt. Life has so many trials as well as joyous moments. "Tangerines" hits on so many levels. The only really nitpicky negative I can say is, at times, there was a continuous back and forth of timelines in succession, many times. A little irritating after engrossing scenes, but definitely not a deal breaker. Because some of those moments brought deeper meaning to the previous scene.

This series stands out with outstanding performances, great cinematography, and true-to-life scenarios. I finally submitted a personal rating of at least 9.5. It's been 2 years. I always welcome great shows to challenge my top 5. (now top 6 foreign series or movie) Thanks to "Tangerine." If you enjoy long, lifetime-type heartfelt stories, I definitely recommend it.

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a journey through the tangerines of life

finished 10/10
First K-drama of the year I give 10 and without a doubt a masterpiece 👏
A journey through the years filled with love but also many difficulties and pain
A story that takes us to the struggle of women to fulfill their dreams and be happy
When you watch this story, you feel like you're putting all your feelings and thoughts into each of the subplots.
A magnificent script and beautiful performances.
I hope I can erase this story from my memory so I can revisit it as if it were the first time.

I'll miss you all 💓
pd: Gwansik and Aesun
I'm going to miss you. You're a big part of me. 🫶

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Parents Love is none to ONE

Amiably The show I Eagerly watched while it was Airing. Absolutely Flabbergasted by the Story , Acting, Screenplay. 10/10. I never Felt so much Emotions while Watching a Drama. I cried like i literally Bawled my Eyes out. So much attached I got to the Characters of this Drama. For future watchers of this Amazing Drama I'll leave u some Notes;
Prepare Tissues for these Episodes it will Bring out ur Emotions
EPISODES -3(chasing ), 4(Husband Breaking Norms), 6(STEELHEART Broke), 8(21:43 Hand Waving) (55:06 The Bird finally took Flight) , 10(The Flashbacks), 16( 18:20 timeline )
Especially The last Episode was so so Gud I cried the whole Episode. If u live like Alone or Far away from Parents after watching this Drama, U Surely will call them n Thank them. That's what I did n i don't know why I cried wen I called them n Thanked them. It was just the Emotions flowing through my Body. I learnt to Appreciate my Parents more after watching 🍊.

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In the end , it's our family.

Drama is about life and family love. i end up crying is my husband gona be like main leads. it tells a perfect love story for generations and green forest male. That parents do love you and dialougs of daughter for her mothers were like my thoughts for my mother and i end up being angry over children that try to understand your parents bit and be nice but that's how we are..
10\10
Theme: A story of persons , how we live ,how we need love .. story of generations . a person can't be perfect . always love yourself...
Character: Every character has it's own responsibility.. everybody is trying to live their best. characters are loving no one is being over. they make you cry so muchh.
Acting : Everybody knows what were they doing. acting really make you feel their emotions. everyone was lead.
Visual: Classic production , scenes are really pretty with actors beauty. everything was beautifully illustrated.
In the end a tearjerk, straight 17 mins in and i found my self weeping like a child..

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FEEL GOOD DRAMA?

Such a wholesome and heartwarming watch🩷.
The countryside vibes, friendships, and family ties felt so real❤️.
It’s simple, yet it hits you emotionally in the best way🩷.
The characters grow on you and leave a lasting impact❤️.
A sweet reminder to find joy in the little things life gives us🩷

What makes this drama special is its simplicity🩷. There’s no unnecessary rush, no forced drama—just heartfelt storytelling😍. The characters feel real, like people you’d meet in your own life❤️. Their struggles, friendships, and moments of quiet growth are relatable and touching🩷. You’ll smile at their little joys and maybe even tear up during their silent heartbreaks❤️.

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A Diary of A Family Coping with Struggles

Let me tell you: this drama is not my cup of tea at all. The only reason why I watched it is because the trailer used to keep appearing on my Netflix home. Never have I ever thought that this show will be my best K-Drama I've ever watch so far! The storytelling is a masterpiece. There are a lot of shows talking about life struggle, but I haven't found anything like this one. It's not just a love story (and never just a love story), but it's purely a journey of blood, sweat and tears of Ae-Sun trying to fight her struggle of living under the patriarchial society and stand out for her daughter and herself. And it is a pure unconditional love from Gwan-Sik who always stands out for his wife, her dreams and her ambitions whatever it takes. The whole story doesn't feel dragging at all (or maybe it's because I don't see this genre a lot? I don't know). I love the back and forth plot, it's not confusing and interesting. The narrative by Geum-Myeong also gives additional point of view from her. The whole depiction of the family seems interesting, because poor family in K-Dramas generally are shown as not-so-poor. They usually still have foldable phone, high-end cars and wear luxury make ups. But in this show they do it properly, and it's relieving (they somehow still has camera though).

The entire casts do an outstanding perfomance here. IU has a magnificent job by doing two roles in this show, while Bo-Gum is giving a massive impact as just his presence will give huge spirit of devotion. So-Ri and Hae-Jun also successfully bring the mature atmosphere of endless affection between them two. And not to forget the other casts whom successfully make us through the emotion rollercoasters for the whole shows.

The cinematography is also excellent. You will be pleased with the beauty of the seas in four seasons around Jeju. But more than that, I think the writer wants to relay the message that this scenery potrays the spring, summer, autumn and winter of our lives. They all have their own beauty and storm. The soundtracks are also nice.

Though the story is written excellently, there still some flaws there. The quality of the story seems divided into three part on this show. The first third of the show is really the most outstanding part, it is the part where we see young Ae-Sun coping with all her struggles. Then it comes the second third of the show, the transition part. This is where the story quality goes to a big downfall. The episode about village election is unecessary, not really impactful and seems more like a filler. I understand that they want to highlight the patriarchial society here, but making it as a whole episode is just too much. The story quality picks up in the final third. IU plays two roles in this show impressively, but I can see clearly that she does it better as Ae-Sun rather than Geum-Myeong, thanks to the better story though.

For rewatch recommendation, I'm not really sure though. It is too painful to rewatch the first third of the show. But to let you know, you may look at you family differently after watching this show. This is still a must watch for everyone, because you may not see something like this again anytime soon.

PS: 9.5/10 is the highest rating I've ever given here, and I had never given that to a melodramatic show. Truthfully, I was planning to give it 10/10 if it's not because of that silly village election episode.

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this drama had me calling my parents

It's been so long since I've come across a good GOOD story with a perfect pace. Every episode, I said out loud, "What do that put in this drama???" as I bawled my eyes out like a baby. The way this story unfolds is just beautifully articulate and relatable no matter what stage in life you are in. The show addresses so many life lessons and how life goes on in one way or another. We make sacrifices and receive relief by living to the utmost with loved ones. We see a bit of ourselves in every character and every stage of their lives. The dynamics between mother and eldest daughter, a boy and a girl in love, young lovers giving up their dream to build a family with nothing to call their own, the loss they grieve, the growing up in an unknown path. We also get to see each character's perspectives. We follow the main characters (Gwan Sik and Ae Sun) the most, but we also see their kids' perspectives. Which, in a way, hit harder when you get to watch the journey of the parents who we watched grow up. We watch their journey and how unpredictable and crazy it was for them to get to where they are. And we get to see both sides of it. Geum Myeong (the eldest daughter of Ae Sun) does not want to be a burden to her parents, but her parents want them to do whatever they want. I can point out many aspects and little things each character does and feels. This drama was done so beautifully. I have no notes. I call my mom, whom I don't contact because we didn't have the greatest relationship growing up. I'm the eldest middle child of separated parents. I relate to Geum Myeong because my parents always told me they were not worried about me as I could care for myself. Still, I grew up acting strong for my younger siblings and having to be the pillar for them when they needed me consistently. It was a lonely journey, and I didn't want to look weak in front of my family. I have my problems and concerns, but I chose to hide them from my parents as I don't want them to worry about me. This drama helped me see that my parents are doing their best and living their first life. "When life gives you tangerines", whatever path we take, life is hard anyway. Be with someone you'd be happy to see each morning with, so when life gives you tangerines, you wouldn't be afraid to face the bitter, sweet, and sour life has to offer.

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A thoughtful drama that captures life’s simple and lasting beauty

When Life Gives You Tangerines is a gentle drama that slowly shows me its beautiful storytelling and real emotions.
Set on Jeju Island, it follows Ae-sun, a strong-willed young woman dreaming of a bigger life, and Gwan-sik, a calm and loyal man who supports her quietly.
Their love isn’t built on dramatic declarations but on small, caring moments that feel genuine and deep.
Both actors give natural and moving performances making their characters feel real and relatable.
The way their relationship unfolds, through simple gestures, shared silences and everyday support is incredibly touching and capturing the beauty of love growing slowly over time.
What makes this drama truly special is how beautifully the story is told.
It doesn’t rush through events or rely on dramatic twists but instead takes its time to show the full lives of the characters, their dreams, struggles and growth.
The slow pace allows me to really feel the emotions behind each scene, making the joys and hardships more meaningful.
The drama also beautifully captures the culture, history
and landscape of Jeju Island, weaving those elements into the story in a way that feels authentic and heartfelt.
Watching Ae-sun and the people around her navigate family expectations, personal sacrifices and changing times makes the story feel both personal and universal.
It’s a quiet thoughtful drama reminding us that life’s beauty is often found in the small, everyday moments and the steady strength of love and hope.

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