An Iconic Masterpiece
This drama will go down in history as an iconic masterpiece of kdrama cinema. From the opening scene, this drama draws you in and takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions.Just 4 episodes so far and already it is obvious that this drama is the future benchmark that all Korean dramas will be compared to.
The story, the cinematography, the acting, are all of the highest standard.
Park Bo-gum takes his latest role to a new level and shows such enormous talent in his portrayal of Gwansik. Women worldwide will lose their hearts and minds for him.
IU delivers, showing she can sing and act and do both at the highest possible level.
Every cast member in this drama should be proud of their achievement, because every single one has given a realistic and incredibly entertaining view into another historical time.
The scene on the pier is sure to go down in cinematic folklore as THE unmatched romantic scene of love winning against all odds.
Move over Romeo and Juliet... a new iconic love story is born!
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A Life Drama You Can Relate To
Only 4 episodes in, but this drama is already screaming “Best Drama of the Year”. The cast is perfectly chosen, with everyone delivering amazing performances for an incredibly well-written script. It really makes you reflect on your relationship with your parents, especially your mom. Not to mention the cinematography and OSTs, which make everything even more perfect. Can’t wait for the new episodes every Friday!Was this review helpful to you?
My favorite kdrama ever
This is the kind of show that makes you go hug your parent, spouse, and child. I had to pause the episode to let out my emotions. This is the first show where I wanted to watch the next episode but I couldn't bring myself to because I was devastated and needed to recover. UI is great but the star of the show is Park Bo Gum. His portrayal of the ML is so gut wrenching, raw, and pure.I'm only halfway through the show (8 episodes) but it's the show of the year and my favorite show ever. There's no wasted scenes and the callbacks make you feel it even more. All the little nuggets of info make it even more powerful too that I read from native speakers and it gives parts of the show even more meaning.
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These complex relationships that both mother and daughter pairs within the story have are intricate, touching, full of resentment and longing all mixed together. Because deep down they know that they can really only rely on each other. How great the loss will once life pulls them apart. Every mother wants a better life for her daughter and the struggle that comes with it is the daughter learning that the dream of a better future is an endless battle of will and hope that life wants to beat out of you. This is an incredibly realistic depiction of reality with a melancholic stillness and a Kdrama flare.
The drama takes its time with each and every relationship and character, making the story richer and more real. And even though this isn’t an epic high stakes tale or dizzying romance the story is certainly impactful in its raw tranquility. It doesn’t just show the bright sides of life but all the ups and downs. Life is messy and the drama doesn’t scrape anything off of that fact.
As I’ve mentioned before, this is not romance in the traditional sense or what people are used to find within Korean dramas, because this love alone does not guarantee a happy ending. It’s their teamwork and the constant work that Ae Sun and Gwan Sik put in that makes their happy ending work. They are each other the rock in the stormy sea for each other lives.
One might think that as the show moves to the latter half and the youth of Ae Sun and Gwan Sik fades, the younger generation gradually takes over and gets a bigger role within the story, that the story would weaken a bit or lose a little steam as we have become too attached to the other characters. But the latter half is just as heartfelt and endeading as before. The story of the daughter Geum Myeong is in many ways just as interesting as her mothers. And it’s all thanks to good character development and good consistency within the narrative.
The drama manages to capture a certain feeling or nostalgia within itself. You don’t need to have grown up on Jeju or even at the time the story takes place. It manages to fill you with this familiar feeling like a simple homemade meal or a warm embrace, and the lost innocence of youth and the struggle you could see in one’s parents that the drama manages to express to it’s viewers. We can see ourselves and the generations that came before us in these people and their struggles. Hopes, desires and sorrows are so universal, as well as this cruel tug of war we all have with fate.
This quiet story about a family who could do nothing without the mother who is the foundation that keeps the house up. Each episode moves us forward, but also takes us back in time, to highlight a certain moment or theme of the different aspects of life. The non-linear narrative style of the drama shows really well how the past echoes the present and how things never leave us, even though the scars or memories may have faded. Everything is somewhat connected.
Each actor is putting their all into these characters, the environment and cinematography work so well together to capture the story and these fleeting moments of joy, resilience and sorrow that the characters find themselves in. The story hooks you right from the start, pulls at your heartstrings and never lets go of you. Such a beautifully crafted, deep emotional story that takes you through the entire emotional spectrum and just really makes you want to call your mom and dad while you still can.
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Is it good as Reply 1988?
Ok now before I start I will make it clear that this review might be very biased as I am someone who have watched Reply 1988 a total of five time.Now How good was When Life Gives You Tangerine(WLGYT)?
Ans: Its a goldmine.
Story was incredible, acting was impeccable(other than IU uring 1st 2 episodes(guess she cannot pull off tsundere very well), overall color was memorable, the whole movie making itself with timeline shifting from here to there was captivating.
Only sad thing is I don't remember any ost in it(if there were any other than OP). I am crazy about OSTs.
That being said how is it comparable to Reply 1988.
For starters reply was more focused on youth and love where as WLGYT is mainly focused on Life and Family. The issue with WLGYT for me is that most characters even though they felt life core of this drama felt like guest characters. (If you watch it you will understand). On reply almost all characters had stories that made viewers happy, sad, or curious. So Reply felt more wholesome.
But for new viewers I recommend WLGYT first. The reply series can be felt lagging or unengaging for those who look for binge watching.
In conclusion Yeah WLGYT is slightly better for fresh viewer but if you want to be a kdrama addict Reply 1988 is the way.
PS. Anyway you should watch both if you want to have no regret later or of you want to call yourself Kdrama Lover.
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One sad thing about life is that we live each day with joy forgetting that with every day that we move into, we or one of our loved ones is getting closer to the grave. Should we then be stuck in one day so we don't lose our loved ones?
I feel sometimes, heaven isn't fair to we humans.
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A story spanning 6 decades
When Life Gives You Tangerines is a poignant tale of love, loss, resilience, and fleeting joy, much like the sea that both nurtures and torments its people. While all the characters were important, it was Ae Sun (played by IU) , her mother and her daughter that were the core of the story.The drama offers visually powerful, and amidst bitter winds of fate, yet also heartwarming and at the same time realistic, lifelike high-end KDrama. A story that starts with Ae-Sun and Gwan-sik spans 6 decades across 3 generations.
The different generations demonstrated the sacrifices that parents make for their children as well as their mistakes. Children learned that regret was a bitter pill to swallow once a parent was gone. Sometimes love was enough to sustain a relationship and sometimes it wasn’t. Life wasn’t easy about handing out answers regardless of the season people were in. There are lot of moments when you can't stop shredding your tears.
The drama portrays the struggles of ordinary people with heartbreaking accuracy. What I found remarkable about this show is how it embraces the passage of time. We don’t just see Ae Sun and Gwan Sik as young dreamers; we follow them across decades, through different phases of life, witnessing their evolving relationship shaped by circumstances beyond their control.
The level of acting in this show is phenomenal. The assembled cast pulled their weight in gold, from the child actors to the veteran elderly actors. IU as Ae Sun and Choi Taek as Gwan Sik were just perfect casting. The cinematography is stunning, and Jeju Island feels like a character in itself. Every frame feels like a painting, rich with nostalgia and emotion.
Some dramas entertain, but some dramas linger in your heart long after the credits roll. When Life Gives You Tangerines is a drama that will stay with you for a long time. It is going to leave you feeling both fulfilled and slightly heartbroken—a rare balance that only the most beautifully told stories achieve. A unique K-Drama that offers everything with a perfect balance.
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Love how they put narration that so poetic as the aesuni.
Actually hard to write my impression of this series tho there's so much things to discuss.
The story, the act, the characters, the relationship between ea, the narration, the lesson. All fell deep down in heart.
Oh to have someone to be on your side for the whole life, to be young minded,
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Best enjoyed as the production team intended, through life's seasons (volumes!)
Beautiful storytelling and cinematography. The first volume (spring) was just released, but you'd be so surprised by how intricately woven every scene is to the core of the story. The details, gosh, no words for how carefully and lovingly made this series is. Amazingly, it's only been 4 episodes![Do not be fooled by the incels who are downvoting/rating this drama & its reviews with low scores on here & other ranking platforms; the main lead's actress, IU/Lee Ji Eun, publicly supported the Korean citizens during the mass demonstrations in the aftermath of the recent Martial Law period in the country (she provided free food, drinks, and heat packs spread throughout the locations, by paying small businesses/cafes/bakeries/restaurants in and nearby the areas). She has been blamed for "starting/encouraging" others, particularly on such a massive scale - she was reported to the CIA for this (yes it's unbelievably moronic). For this reason, until now, you will find many Korean incels - and unfortunately, some women too - going so far to even monger in the comment sections of her personal accounts.]
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Nostalgia for the past that I wasn't a part of.
As an outsider to the richness of Korean history, the perspective provided by this drama to the audience gave a proper glimpse of how the people lived their lives in the olden days.The treatment used for the storytelling of "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is one of the familiar formulas that has the right amount of effectiveness to captivate the audiences to hold on to the story and see it through until the end. Through the way of mirroring the circumstances of the family's three generations of women, the relationship and responsibility of a firstborn to their families, and the complexity of falling in love in the height of impoverishment in a post-war country.
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heartfelt journey of life and love
An Honest, Heart-Wrenching Chronicle of Family Through GenerationsThis drama is a damn good three-generation life story, told with rare honesty and emotional depth. It begins slowly, grounded in a realistic portrayal of rural life in older times, centering on a tender young romance. From there, it grows—following the highs and lows of the protagonists' lives, and later, the lives of their children.
It’s not a melodrama, yet it hits incredibly hard by the end, simply because you’ve lived their life alongside them. You’ve laughed, struggled, and grown with them. And though it’s not strictly a historical drama, it still offers a compelling window into the evolving Korean regime and how everyday people lived through those times.
What makes this truly special is how deeply it explores the emotions, relationships, and inner struggles of each family member. Their romances feel real, their conflicts are raw, and their bonds are tested by time. It’s a quiet, powerful piece that lingers long after the final episode.
PS:
A big part of my admiration goes to IU, who delivered an outstanding performance across multiple roles within the same story—transforming from a rustic young girl to a weathered mother, and even portraying the daughter with distinct emotional depth. While the drama used visual cues to help viewers distinguish between characters, I honestly believe her acting alone would’ve been enough. Her ability to build believable chemistry with multiple co-stars only added more weight to the story.
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