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It might be boring if you watched a lot of kdrama

When Life Gives You Tangerines is a drama with a historical backdrop that introduces two generations, one from the 1970s and one from the 1990s. I’ll skip the summary and focus on the key points that I found important—things that will follow you throughout your viewing experience. There are both positive and negative aspects, so let’s talk about them!

The cast is serious—you’ve seen it on the poster: Park Bo Gum and IU. Even the supporting cast is strong, featuring actors we often see on screen (perhaps too often, which can break immersion), such as Moon So Ri. The acting is good, very good. Park Bo Gum delivers deeply moving emotions—his performance reminded me of Ji Sung in The Devil Judge, where he conveys sorrow and pain without overdoing it. It’s an excellent contrast to IU’s rather average performance; in some scenes, she fails to truly break our hearts. For example, in the scene where she finds her son in a pitiful state after a long search, it was difficult to feel her pain in response to the event. I won’t dwell too much on the acting—it’s up to you to experience it for yourself. For me, a strong lead actor is enough to carry an entire series. Ji Sung and Park Jin Young are great examples of this.

Now, let’s talk about the plot, which I don’t find particularly impressive. More precisely, I think certain events are rather unnecessary. For example, the women on the island do nothing but complain, and Ae Sun’s mother constantly whines. The writer seems to want us to form an emotional attachment to her just because she is Ae Sun’s mother, but she quickly becomes irritating and tiresome. The mistreatment of Bu Sang Gil’s wife is somewhat touching but not deeply so, as he doesn’t seem to visit her often. At least, that’s what he says—his actions could tell a different story. Then there’s the feeling of uselessness and sadness surrounding Yang Gwan Sik, which wasn’t properly explored. Other dramas have delved into such emotions more effectively, even within a single hour, as seen in Move to Heaven. These are examples of moments that might touch your heart slightly, but if you have good emotional control, you won’t shed a tear—nothing is particularly surprising, and very few things are emphasized properly.

I can’t give the plot a high rating. For instance, if they had removed the scenes with the elderly, slightly deaf owners of the small house, and instead focused on Yang Gwan Sik’s difficult life, the drama could have been exceptional. We would have been fully immersed in Yang Gwan Sik’s heart, his pain, and his suffering.

The music isn’t great—it’s no Scarlet Heart Ryeo. I wouldn’t listen to any of the OSTs again. They fit the theme, but they lack charm. I also don’t think I would watch this drama a second time. Only Park Bo Gum’s scenes are truly interesting, and I believe he has more compelling dramas in his catalog.

I rate the drama 6.5/10.

Thanks for reading, friends, and enjoy your viewing!

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