A Love Story That Stands the Test of Time
Some stories don’t just entertain; they touch something deep within you, leaving behind a feeling you can’t quite put into words. When Life Gives You Tangerines is one of those rare dramas—a beautifully tender and bittersweet journey that unfolds like poetry on screen.Set against the breathtaking landscapes of Jeju Island, the drama follows Ae-sun and Gwan-sik as they navigate love, longing, and the weight of time. From their youthful days in the 1960s to the present, their story isn’t just about romance, it’s about endurance, sacrifice, and the quiet strength of the heart. IU and Park Bo-gum deliver performances that feel achingly real, making you believe in their love, in their struggles, and in the unspoken words that linger between them.
Every moment in this drama is drenched in emotion, not through grand declarations but through the subtle glances, the lingering silences, the way time passes and yet some feelings remain unchanged. It’s a story that understands that love isn’t always loud,it’s sometimes found in waiting, in yearning, in simply existing side by side despite the years that slip away.
Beyond its moving narrative, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a visual masterpiece. The golden glow of the tangerine orchards, the vastness of the sea, the warmth of a fading sunset, every frame is a work of art, capturing not just the beauty of Jeju, but the emotions woven into its landscapes. The cinematography doesn’t just set the scene; it breathes life into it, making the past and present feel like memories unfolding before your eyes.
This isn’t just a drama, it’s an experience. It’s the kind of story that lingers in your heart long after it ends, like the taste of something sweet and nostalgic. When Life Gives You Tangerines reminds us that love, in all its forms, is timeless. And sometimes, even when life takes us in different directions, the heart remembers where it belongs.
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Once in a Lifetime Drama
A true masterpiece, it's one of those dramas that will stay with you forever. I never felt so many emotions watching a drama. So thankful to the cast and crew who contributed towards this masterpiece. Everyone did such a fantastic job in this show; I am truly speechless. It has taken the position of No. 1 drama in my heart. I recommend this show to everyone; please watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
BE NICER TO YOUR PARENTS! mk: cried laughed regretted
UGHT what a story. so beautifully written. showing life is not in a straight line--time lines! little easter eggs... AWESOME CAST, IU ofc ate, the grandma/mother/daughter/granddaughter lineage and relationships. UGH. the standard the dad set .. so awesome. loved the romance! little realistic (ish... i need a relationship like that). breakups. dying. death. losing a child. getting over it. etc etc etc....THIS DRAMA MADE ME CRY SMMMM. watched with fam and made me cry even more. this was so emo. so real. SO LIFew. really gave me a new perspective: enjoy your youth, live everyday to the fullest, respect and udnerstand that your parents do everything for you, be nicer to them....
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Simple yet Epic
Other (awesome) reviews on this site have gone into great detail. I’ll be brief:This show depicts the extraordinariness of the ordinary.
Across multiple generations, these characters live normal, simple lives, that are (of course) anything but simple, or ordinary.
So beautiful. So real. So painful. So full of joy.
I love everything about this.
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That is where I wanted my review to end, so you can stop reading now. However, I have to hit 500 characters, so let me just praise IU by saying I’ve loved her in everything I’ve seen her in.
My Mister and now When Life Gives You Tangerines are both on my list of most loved, most moving, most thought-provoking K-dramas of ALL TIME.
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Brilliant! Nothing but brilliant.
From the production to the acting, the storytelling, and the soundtrack—every aspect of When Life Gives You Tangerines is breathtaking. The cinematography is visually stunning, capturing every emotion with precision, while the music weaves seamlessly into the narrative, elevating every moment.The casting is nothing short of perfect. Each actor embodies their character so naturally that it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in their roles. Their chemistry is undeniable, making every interaction feel raw and authentic. Whether it's the heart-wrenching emotional moments or the lighthearted, charming scenes, the cast delivers with absolute brilliance.
The story itself is a beautifully crafted rollercoaster of emotions—one that made me laugh, cry, and reflect long after the credits rolled. It’s rare for a show to strike such a perfect balance between emotional depth and entertainment, but this one does it effortlessly.
A must-watch, without a doubt. If you're looking for something that will move you, challenge you, and stay with you long after it's over, this is it.
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Truly a love letter to the older generation
When Life Gives You Tangerine surprised me with its powerful depiction of 1960s in South Korea, a reality that mirrors what many Asian cultures have experienced. The struggles of women of that time, the weight of traditions favoring men, the hardships of balancing dreams with harsh realities, and the importance of community.Ae-sun’s story echoes the lives of many women in her generation, my grandmother’s generation, maybe even yours. The drama powerfully explores how generational trauma and inherited dreams shape families, particularly mother-daughter relationships. Gwang-rye, pushed Ae-sun to escape her own fate. Ae-sun, in turn, worked tirelessly to give Geum-myeong a different life. Yet Geum-myeong’s resentment reveals how well-meaning sacrifices can sometimes create unintended consequences. Poverty and unfulfilled dreams hardened her, making her sharp-tongued, cynical, and distant. Even when her heart longed to show affection, her attempts to express gratitude often emerged as frustration and barbs. Meanwhile, Ae-sun’s focus on her daughter’s future left her brother feeling overlooked, as if he were an afterthought.
But what struck me most was how Ae-sun’s and Geum-myeong’s love lives mirrored each other, like a parallel, both faced difficult choices between love and self-preservation. Yet Geum-myeong, after witnessing her mother’s struggles firsthand, ultimately rejected her mother’s path. Just like how Ae-sun rejected her own mother’s path. Because that's how they were raised, to not walk the same path as their mother.
"I love my mom, but I don't want to live like her." "She gave everything for me, but at what cost?" "I don't want to tolerate what she did."
These are thoughts many daughters quietly wrestle with, loving their mothers yet fearing they may repeat their struggles. But to Gwang-rye and Ae-sun, their sacrifices were worth it. Some women surrender to fate and quietly plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit under, yet their efforts pave the way for their future generations to thrive. Ae-sun may have accepted her fate, but her determination ensured Geum-myeong could choose her own path. For that parallel, I commend the production team and writer for making IU play both Ae-sun and Geum-myeong. I must give it to the writer, every single character is so well crafted. Everyone played their role well, but IU's performance as Ae-sun truly defined the show. IU goes above and beyond, bringing such depth to Ae-sun’s character that her burdens, loneliness, poverty, and determination felt palpable through the screen. Special mention goes to Yeom Hye-ran for her short yet scene-stealing performances.
This is a powerful and deeply emotional story about love, loss, and RESILIENCE. And that’s what stayed with me most: even when life feels unbearable, and though you don't know how, somehow... life goes on.
And to anyone reading this...whoever, whenever, and wherever you are...you have done well.
Highly recommended.
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A Drama With a Strong Pulse on Life
This drama encapsulates life in a way that is so attentive and personal that it almost fills you with dread from the introspection you're forced to engage in. It is a beautiful and very necessary ode to women at all levels of society. This drama embodies and even breathes new energy into the slice-of-life genre by intricately weaving through the life of a small-town couple in a way that seems straightforward, almost aimless, but is, in fact, very precise.The acting is phenomenal, as expected from such a cast. I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm not jarred by the use of IU for both mother and daughter; her clear distinction makes for an enjoyable and even technically impressive viewing experience. Park Bo Gum excels as usual, showing a side I've not seen before. The acting is really the driving force for the tsunami of emotions this project explodes with.
The writing is so worthy of praise and mention, especially contrasted with the current drama landscape. I can only describe it as beautiful and incredibly penetrating. To be so true to life's nuances without convolution or rudimentary language is a feat. There are so many aspects of life so accurately depicted and given life through words that it's almost unsettling, yet ultimately moving. A standout drama through and through.
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An Ode to Life
A masterpiece, indeed.I absolutely love how this portrayed the circle of life and included all forms of love.
The moment two people fall in love, a history is made and the possibilities are endless...
From a mother's unconditional love to a daughter's first love. From a couple's passionate love to the children's familial love. From first love to destined love. And how neighbors' love and kindness can build a nurturing community that can be passed on to generations...
Life comes in seasons and there's nothing we can do but live with it. No one is expert at living, after all, we are all living for the first time. The storyline did it so well: how the characters are not perfect, they mess things up and cry about it yet they choose to stand and build up their selves again. They might make mistakes again and that is because they are human. The characters had their highs and lows and because of that we were able to understand them, relate, and root for them.
I am a sucker for anything slice-of-life and this is just perfect. This has got me on pause, reflect, and reevalute my choices in life. I fell in love, laughed, inspired, and definitely cried A LOT.
I have no complaints. Nothing but perfection. Every actor did their best and perfect for their roles. I am 100% sure they will bag awards on this and they deserve everything. If anyone hates this drama, honestly... nobody should trust them.
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Amazing drama
This drama deserves to win mutiple awards. The acting, storyline, characters and cinemography are exceptional. I was hooked after the first 10 minutes of the first episode. I had no idea it would be this wonderful and I am so happy that I started watching it.I am usually drawn to historical, romantic dramas, both Korean and Chinese. Even though loving relationships are shown throughout the episodes, it is much more than boy meets girl and they fall in love. A beautifully told story covering many generations. It also gives you a good insight to life on Jeju island.
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PEAKEST OF PEAK DRAMAS
ugh so good. towards the end i cried every episode or wtv...thought it was a little slow at first but you gotta trust the process. loved the different storylines and cinematography. def going on my list of 10/10 dramas. gives you a new perspective on life- whether you're a daughter, granddaughter, mother, grandmother... ugh such a peak drama
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Power of Family
There are many people who believe that you don’t choose your family. There is nothing that happens in anyone’s life where choice isn’t a factor. You are continuously choosing and creating. The greatest gift we’re given is choice, and nothing occurs in your life without it. Nothing.When Life Gives You Tangerines is an especially powerful and exceptional epic tribute to family. There isn’t a single family that has ever been that hasn’t experienced laughter and tears, joy and tragedy, and ease and hardships. Oh, it may appear sometimes that some of the elements do not exist, but they do.
Perseverance and steadfastness can be counted among the most powerful traits a person can have. Life will knock you down. Life will throw your curveballs, but it’s how you respond that matters. Do you get back up and keep going? Or do you give in to your situation and begin blaming others for what’s happened? While all of these things involve choices of the individual, having family gives you the ability to lean on someone when needed. Of course, the true purpose of any family is to help empower each member to love and be with themselves. Only then can true love and happiness be shared.
The story follows a multigenerational family from the early 60s up to the present. The series opens with a young O Ae-Sun, the daughter of a poor haenyeo mother who works herself into an early grave. Ae-Sun is sent to live with her indifferent uncle and his family who treat Ae-Sun like a stray dog. We quickly find that despite her situation, Ae-Sun is a strong girl who knows her mind and what she wants, and no matter how often life knocks her down, she gets back up again and keeps going. Sometimes, we quickly forget that hardship is often a blessing in disguise.
In Ae-Sun’s corner is a Yang Gwang Sik, a young boy who loves Ae-Sun the moment he meets her. Even at an early age, Gwang Sik confesses his love for Ae-Sun and vows to do all he can to protect her from any harm. Gwang Sik embodies all it means to be a true, loving husband and father. If there is such a person as “Prince Charming” Gwang Sik more than fits. Seeing how these two navigate trials and tribulations of early love, struggling to make ends meet, to dealing with the loss of a son, is nothing short of pure inspiration.
Gwang Sik is a hardworking, loving man who never complains about anything, even when most other people would. He absolutely adores his wife and family, and as far as he’s concerned, he will do whatever he can to try and make their lives a little better. Ae-Sun is no less strong. She is equally hardworking, and she’s a woman full of love and passion. These two make such a beautiful couple that I’m hard-pressed to think of another that matches them. True love and true friendship are what make this couple so inspirational, and each does their absolute best to always try and be there for the other.
The family reminds me much of the Thachers from the American family show, “Life Goes On” which is about a low/middle-class family constantly trying to get by. Gwang-Sik works tirelessly on his fishing boat, trying to provide for his family. Ae-Sun does her absolute best to raise their children and create a warm and loving home. Both succeed.
Life would be pretty dull without challenges. We can only imagine what it must be like to deal with the loss of a child. Many people carry the guilt around for years, allowing it to wreak havoc on their minds and hearts. I know because I carried the same guilt for ten years after my father passed, and yet, each person must grieve and be given the space and time to process that in their own way.
The story also follows Ae-Sun and Gwang-Sik’s children, Yang Geum Myeong and Yang Eun Myeong. Geum Myeong is clearly the favorite, despite being a bit headstrong. She’s a strong woman who simply won’t allow herself to be anyone’s doormat, and when she finally breaks up with her wallflower of a fiancé, I was relieved! Eun Myeong is the son, who appears to be neglected. From an early age, he demands attention. In short, he feels he needs to act out in order to get some kind of attention from his parents. People sometimes forget that we never love the same way twice. The love we have for each person is unique and different. That doesn’t mean that we love a person less. Of course, Ae-Sun and Gwang Sik struggle to demonstrate this with their son, who ends up being a troublemaker
As children, we often don’t fully appreciate our parents for what they do for us, but at the same time, we also have a tendency not to be very forgiving of them when we discover that they are just people; people doing the very best that they can. As parents, we often struggle to give our children the time and attention that they need. I still remember my father, despite being exhausted from work, always found time to come into our bedrooms and talk to us. Little did he realize that that meant more to me than anything he could have bought for me. It’s interesting to note that in ancient Native American cultures, the elders raised the children because it was thought that the biological parents hadn’t yet acquired enough life wisdom. However, given some of the grandparents in this series, I’m not sure that would have proved to be a good choice.
The series is about family and how this family navigates the pitfalls of life. Of course, as with most families, they lash out at each other, blame each other, and do all of those petty things that every family does. But, in the end, when all of that is stripped away, there is nothing but love, admiration, and gratitude, as it should be. The last two episodes are tough to watch as Gwang Sik finds out that he’s terminally ill. The love between him and Ae-Sun is nothing short of magical and precious. And we also find that dreams do come true. They just might take a little longer to manifest as we see how the “ring” ties in all the way back to the early episodes, and Ae-Sun is finally a published poet.
Performances in this series are all top-notch. It’s actually very difficult to pick out a favorite because they are all so good! However, IU tackling the dual role was beyond impressive, and if this young lady doesn’t win every acting award for the year, then something is terribly wrong. It’s easily her best performance.
Family is about love, forgiveness, support, gratitude, and doing our best to be there for each other. If this series doesn’t serve as a blatant reminder of these things, then perhaps nothing will.
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The Real life
Today i have completed this , took a long time to watch this masterpiece because of my busy schedule. I have to say this drama is an wonderful life though it was full of emotions flashes but this is how truly people struggle in life get angry but cannot give up on the love for each other. Coming to hero in real life there is no such a person exsting now a days and earlier days, now a days and also ancient days with two wifes or extra Martial affairs or even cheating but the hero with such love without any mixed feelings from childhood to till his death fixing his eyes upon his sweetheart the love of his life. Prince park bo gum innocence face his acting skills was fantabulous no other would have fit for this role this role was specially for park bo gum. Coming to IU very bold and good humor all the rest of the actors whether it is a middle aged version of gwang sik and ae sun was also awesome and scenery was outstanding. This drama shows how we struggle and also cannot become rich in one night even though we work hard there will be struggles for certain time because of heavy responsibilities or certain unexpected challenges in that tough times when it feels like giving up but finding a reason to go on and on until our journey comes to end and suddenly achieving what we have yearned for but suddenly achieving at a different time than ours.Was this review helpful to you?
