The Best TV show of the Decade! ?
Netflix's K-Drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is a masterful TV drama that depicts the realistic struggles of a family and serves as a reminder that although life is difficult, happiness can be found even on the worst of days when you have the perfect life partner! 🫶🏻🍊
I haven't watched a lot of K-Dramas, but I recently got hooked on them when a friend of mine recommended a few shows to me. "When Life Gives You Tangerines" was one of the shows recommended to me by my friend and two of my older sisters, who were completely blown away by this show. I didn't know much about it before watching and I didn't know what to expect. However, after finishing this show, I must say that this is probably the best TV show I have ever watched in my entire life! 💕
This show is one of those shows that you must watch at least once in your life, or else you will be missing out on something big. It is one of the most heartfelt, beautifully written, and emotionally powerful dramas I have watched in a very long time. The show follows the journey of a young couple, Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik, in 1950s Korea as they navigate through life's many challenges and sacrifices while creating a family of their own and raising their children, trying to give them a better life than what they themselves experienced, all while staying by each other's side. The show starts when they are around 10 years old, and by the end of the show they are around 70. Which is why, by the time I finished it, I felt like I had lived alongside these characters for years! ✨
The storytelling of this show is done in a nonlinear manner, often switching from one timeline to another. There are episodes where we see Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik's younger years alongside their older years, as well as many events happening in the life of their oldest daughter, Geum-myeong. It does get a little hard to keep track of the events, so in order to properly grasp and enjoy the show, you have to keep an eye on the changing dates and time stamps given in the left corner of the screen while watching. The story itself is very much grounded in reality, and the writers understood that the best way to emotionally connect with viewers is by showing realistic slice of life moments and how this couple thrives in those situations instead of using flashy romance, overly dramatic scenes, or shocking plot twists. From the very first episode, this show creates a warm atmosphere that feels deeply human and incredibly sincere. It tells a meaningful story about love, sacrifice, family, marriage, and the quiet strength people show in everyday life. The writing is layered with so much heart and wisdom that even the simplest scenes carry emotional weight. Even though the story is about family struggles and sacrifices, there are plenty of lighthearted moments where you will be able to laugh alongside the characters. The pacing is also wonderfully handled. It allows us to live the moments with the characters, understand their decisions, and truly feel the passing of time in their lives. There were episodes that made me smile warmly, episodes that made me tear up, and episodes that completely shattered me emotionally. This is why every joyful moment feels rewarding and every painful moment hits so deeply!
For me, the highlight of this K-Drama is the way it chose to portray the beautiful companionship between Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik. Watching them do "marriage" will make you believe that with the right life partner, it is possible to conquer anything that life throws at you. Even when financial situations and family life were both going dangerously bad, they were each other's rock and were able to find tiny bits of happiness during every difficult situation. Younger Gwan-Sik reminded me a lot of my own husband, while older Gwan-Sik was an exact copy of my father, which is why I loved this character so much! This man is truly the poster boy for green flag husbands and fathers! 💚 While Gwan-Sik tried his very best to be the best husband and father, I absolutely cannot deny the contribution Ae-Sun had in his life as a genuinely supportive wife. Ae-Sun also deserves praise because she sacrificed a lot to be by Gwan-Sik's side even when they were financially struggling. But above all, when the time came to give up even the little source of finance that was supporting them, she did not back out because she saw how badly her husband was being treated by his employer. The portrayal of how a healthy and loving marriage works is shown so excellently in this show that I was heavily invested in their relationship from beginning to end. 🫶🏻
Love was shown in two different ways in this show. On one hand, we get Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik's love story, where they were together from age 10 and ultimately got married, had children, and went through life together. On the other hand, we see their daughter Geum-myeong experiencing love in a different way. This contrast in both love stories helped me realize that not all love stories get a fairytale ending and not all first loves reach their ultimate destination. Sometimes, two people can be good people at heart and share pure love, but still cannot fulfil it by getting married and settling down together due to various sad yet real circumstances.
The parental relationships in this drama were another major strength. The love between parents and children is portrayed with so much warmth and honesty that many scenes brought me to tears. Parents are shown sacrificing endlessly while still carrying their own pain. Children are shown misunderstanding their parents at times, then gradually realizing how much love was always there. I specifically loved the mother-daughter dynamics shown through Ae-Sun's relationship with her mother and later through Ae-Sun's relationship with her own daughter, Geum-myeong. I really loved Ae-Sun's mother's character. She was a very strong woman who did everything she could for Ae-Sun. We also saw Gwan-Sik as a doting father to Geum-myeong, and I was very emotionally connected to their relationship as well. Their sweet father-daughter relationship had some of the best moments in the show.
All of the characters in this show are written so well that they feel like real people I am watching in front of my eyes. None of them are perfectly good or bad, which is why you can't hate any of them. A lot of times, characters say and do things that are wrong, and that contributes to making us as the audience feel like they are real people. As a result, everyone is lovable and memorable in their own way. The arguments feel real, the sadness feels real, and even the moments where the characters are overwhelmed with joy also feel so real that I was forced to rejoice with them!
I absolutely have to praise the phenomenal acting performances from the cast. Everyone in this drama delivers performances that feel raw and honest. No one feels like they are acting for the camera. Instead, they completely become their characters. We see IU and Park Bo-gum as the younger versions of Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik, while the older versions were played by Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon. Both pairs had brilliant chemistry, which is why this story worked so well on screen. IU is a phenomenal actress, and here she also plays the role of Ae-Sun's daughter Geum-myeong. She was able to portray both characters perfectly, capturing their unique personality traits and setting them apart from each other. But the one who shines even more than IU in this show is definitely Park Bo-gum. This man is something else! The supporting cast was also excellent, and I especially loved Kim Seon-ho as Park Chung-seop, the struggling artist who makes a fateful connection with Geum-myeong.
The excellent cinematography and visuals of this show make you feel like you are in 1950's Jeju Island, and as the story progresses, the changes in visual effects and color grading help you realize the passing of time. The cinematography captures both the warmth of home life and the loneliness of difficult moments so well. There are also scenes that leave an impact because of the cinematography and camera work, especially when Gwan-Sik swims across the ocean and hugs Ae-Sun, or the very last scene of the show where we see Gwan-Sik and Ae-Sun walking in a field of yellow flowers and sharing their dreams about the future.
In the end, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is a TV show that will forever stay in my heart as one of the best things I have ever watched in my entire life! 🫶🏻 If you are looking for a drama with excellent writing, unforgettable characters, and meaningful life lessons that stay with you long after the final episode, this is absolutely the one to watch. By the end of the show, I was left in tears because of how heart touching my experience was with this. This drama won't only entertain you, instead it will touch your soul! 🍊✨
📌Personal Rating: 10
I haven't watched a lot of K-Dramas, but I recently got hooked on them when a friend of mine recommended a few shows to me. "When Life Gives You Tangerines" was one of the shows recommended to me by my friend and two of my older sisters, who were completely blown away by this show. I didn't know much about it before watching and I didn't know what to expect. However, after finishing this show, I must say that this is probably the best TV show I have ever watched in my entire life! 💕
This show is one of those shows that you must watch at least once in your life, or else you will be missing out on something big. It is one of the most heartfelt, beautifully written, and emotionally powerful dramas I have watched in a very long time. The show follows the journey of a young couple, Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik, in 1950s Korea as they navigate through life's many challenges and sacrifices while creating a family of their own and raising their children, trying to give them a better life than what they themselves experienced, all while staying by each other's side. The show starts when they are around 10 years old, and by the end of the show they are around 70. Which is why, by the time I finished it, I felt like I had lived alongside these characters for years! ✨
The storytelling of this show is done in a nonlinear manner, often switching from one timeline to another. There are episodes where we see Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik's younger years alongside their older years, as well as many events happening in the life of their oldest daughter, Geum-myeong. It does get a little hard to keep track of the events, so in order to properly grasp and enjoy the show, you have to keep an eye on the changing dates and time stamps given in the left corner of the screen while watching. The story itself is very much grounded in reality, and the writers understood that the best way to emotionally connect with viewers is by showing realistic slice of life moments and how this couple thrives in those situations instead of using flashy romance, overly dramatic scenes, or shocking plot twists. From the very first episode, this show creates a warm atmosphere that feels deeply human and incredibly sincere. It tells a meaningful story about love, sacrifice, family, marriage, and the quiet strength people show in everyday life. The writing is layered with so much heart and wisdom that even the simplest scenes carry emotional weight. Even though the story is about family struggles and sacrifices, there are plenty of lighthearted moments where you will be able to laugh alongside the characters. The pacing is also wonderfully handled. It allows us to live the moments with the characters, understand their decisions, and truly feel the passing of time in their lives. There were episodes that made me smile warmly, episodes that made me tear up, and episodes that completely shattered me emotionally. This is why every joyful moment feels rewarding and every painful moment hits so deeply!
For me, the highlight of this K-Drama is the way it chose to portray the beautiful companionship between Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik. Watching them do "marriage" will make you believe that with the right life partner, it is possible to conquer anything that life throws at you. Even when financial situations and family life were both going dangerously bad, they were each other's rock and were able to find tiny bits of happiness during every difficult situation. Younger Gwan-Sik reminded me a lot of my own husband, while older Gwan-Sik was an exact copy of my father, which is why I loved this character so much! This man is truly the poster boy for green flag husbands and fathers! 💚 While Gwan-Sik tried his very best to be the best husband and father, I absolutely cannot deny the contribution Ae-Sun had in his life as a genuinely supportive wife. Ae-Sun also deserves praise because she sacrificed a lot to be by Gwan-Sik's side even when they were financially struggling. But above all, when the time came to give up even the little source of finance that was supporting them, she did not back out because she saw how badly her husband was being treated by his employer. The portrayal of how a healthy and loving marriage works is shown so excellently in this show that I was heavily invested in their relationship from beginning to end. 🫶🏻
Love was shown in two different ways in this show. On one hand, we get Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik's love story, where they were together from age 10 and ultimately got married, had children, and went through life together. On the other hand, we see their daughter Geum-myeong experiencing love in a different way. This contrast in both love stories helped me realize that not all love stories get a fairytale ending and not all first loves reach their ultimate destination. Sometimes, two people can be good people at heart and share pure love, but still cannot fulfil it by getting married and settling down together due to various sad yet real circumstances.
The parental relationships in this drama were another major strength. The love between parents and children is portrayed with so much warmth and honesty that many scenes brought me to tears. Parents are shown sacrificing endlessly while still carrying their own pain. Children are shown misunderstanding their parents at times, then gradually realizing how much love was always there. I specifically loved the mother-daughter dynamics shown through Ae-Sun's relationship with her mother and later through Ae-Sun's relationship with her own daughter, Geum-myeong. I really loved Ae-Sun's mother's character. She was a very strong woman who did everything she could for Ae-Sun. We also saw Gwan-Sik as a doting father to Geum-myeong, and I was very emotionally connected to their relationship as well. Their sweet father-daughter relationship had some of the best moments in the show.
All of the characters in this show are written so well that they feel like real people I am watching in front of my eyes. None of them are perfectly good or bad, which is why you can't hate any of them. A lot of times, characters say and do things that are wrong, and that contributes to making us as the audience feel like they are real people. As a result, everyone is lovable and memorable in their own way. The arguments feel real, the sadness feels real, and even the moments where the characters are overwhelmed with joy also feel so real that I was forced to rejoice with them!
I absolutely have to praise the phenomenal acting performances from the cast. Everyone in this drama delivers performances that feel raw and honest. No one feels like they are acting for the camera. Instead, they completely become their characters. We see IU and Park Bo-gum as the younger versions of Ae-Sun and Gwan-Sik, while the older versions were played by Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon. Both pairs had brilliant chemistry, which is why this story worked so well on screen. IU is a phenomenal actress, and here she also plays the role of Ae-Sun's daughter Geum-myeong. She was able to portray both characters perfectly, capturing their unique personality traits and setting them apart from each other. But the one who shines even more than IU in this show is definitely Park Bo-gum. This man is something else! The supporting cast was also excellent, and I especially loved Kim Seon-ho as Park Chung-seop, the struggling artist who makes a fateful connection with Geum-myeong.
The excellent cinematography and visuals of this show make you feel like you are in 1950's Jeju Island, and as the story progresses, the changes in visual effects and color grading help you realize the passing of time. The cinematography captures both the warmth of home life and the loneliness of difficult moments so well. There are also scenes that leave an impact because of the cinematography and camera work, especially when Gwan-Sik swims across the ocean and hugs Ae-Sun, or the very last scene of the show where we see Gwan-Sik and Ae-Sun walking in a field of yellow flowers and sharing their dreams about the future.
In the end, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is a TV show that will forever stay in my heart as one of the best things I have ever watched in my entire life! 🫶🏻 If you are looking for a drama with excellent writing, unforgettable characters, and meaningful life lessons that stay with you long after the final episode, this is absolutely the one to watch. By the end of the show, I was left in tears because of how heart touching my experience was with this. This drama won't only entertain you, instead it will touch your soul! 🍊✨
📌Personal Rating: 10
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