Three generation of tangerines!
Netflix’s latest hit drama, maybe not as big as other mainstream Kdrama on the platform, like the “Squid Game” or the “King the Land”, but it certainly achieved what others don’t, and it’s a perfect storytelling thanks to the writer, Im Sang Choon who also wrote one of my all-time favorite Korean series “Fight for My Way”. Her right-hand man is none other than Kim Wonseok, who directed multiple great drama, one of those is another fan favorite, and soul crashing drama “My Mister” where IU were also the main lead! So, even before the release, the chance for another amazing series were high, and if you watched “When Life Gives You Tangerines”, you probably already know, they didn’t disappoint us this time either.
What you need to know about this drama is that it’s not an action packed fantasy or thriller. It’s a story about real people, packed with struggles, sadness, love, and happiness throughout 70 years! This is why I said it's “three generation of tangerines”, because just like real life, it has sweet, but sour moments as well!
"It's better to be born a cow than to be born a woman in Jeju."
In the beginning, the story takes place in the 50s and ends in our present. Aesun our grumpy, but lovable leading lady (played by the incredible child actress Kim Taeyeon, IU in her young adult era, and later Moon Sori) trying to make her mother Gwang Rye (Yum Hye-Ran – The Glory) to stop risking her life as a haenyeo, because she’s already sick. The main plot of the drama is not the romance! If you want another cute romcom, you're watching a wrong show! It’s about the relationship between parents and their kids, and how hard it is to be a woman in this era. The writer didn’t shy away from this important topic. Throughout the season, you can find a lot of strong female characters. More than I’ve seen in any other, probably. The mother-daughter bond was written in a way, I don’t think I’ve seen in any other Korean drama. It’s not in your face, they don’t spell-out everything, on the contrary, you have to listen very carefully to understand everything, because the creators paid attention to the tiniest details. I watched it twice, and I don't do this usually, but I had to, because I didn't want to miss anything, and after the second watch, it hit even harder!
"Parents dwell on what they couldn't give. And children dwell on what they couldn't get."
As I said, the most essential part of the story is the bond between loved ones. Obviously, you will get multiple love stories, and the most important one is Aesun and Gwansik relationship. Their story is not extraordinary, they don't have to fight with monsters, they just have to live day by day and support each other as much as they can, and oh boy, they did that. They not only fought to live another day, but for to earn everyone's respect and change things in an era where it was not usual to stand up for yourself, especially if you are a woman. Gwansik may be a silent warrior, but he was the strongest soldier in Aesun's army. Life is not easy, but if you have a partner for life, nothing else matters. It's a clishe, but it's still true. Aesun and Gwansik were partners in every possible way, not just as lovers, but as friends and parents as well.
"I was mad at my mom for being poor. I was mad because I knew I was the reason."
The second half of the season is where the drama becomes even more interesting, because the young adult duo turns into adults, and their roles is taken over by another two great actors, Moon Sori and Park Haejoon (who also worked with the director and IU on "My Mister"), and if that's not enough, we can see IU takes over another role as their oldest child, Geum Myeong, proving how versatile she is. At first, this may sound weird, one actress playing two roles, mother and daughter looking exactly the same, but it's easy to forget about this pretty fast, because the way IU portrays these characters helps a lot! Not to mention the make-up department, because even as a long-time IU fan (since 2008), even myself sometimes forgot that these characters were played by the same actress. One of my favorite part of the show is the narration! This is another example of IU taking her craft seriously. She could've taken this lightly, but she didn't. She not only uses different tones (also dialect, I think) for both characters, but her narrating helps so much to understand these characters and their struggles. On screen, you may see Geum Myeong arguing with her parents about something, acting as a brat, meanwhile in the narration, she's explaining, why she was a dumb kid who didn't understand her parents at all. This gives so much depth to the characters, both Aesun and her daughter, and of course Gwansik as the most important man in their lives. Sadly, as it usually happens, people realize too late they had everything from the beginning.
"I had a loving dad. But my dad didn't have a loving daughter."
Even tho the writer included many strong female characters of all ages, don't think male characters are less significant or strong. Of course, no man can hold the candle to Sir Gwansik, the Korean Lancelot, especially as a father and a husband. His relationship with his kids is something that will melt everyone's heart. Of course, his heart has its own Queen and that's Aesun, but all he can see since her birth is her Princess, Geum Myeong. If there's one man who gives his all to his loved ones, it's Gwansik, and it doesn't matter how long it takes, how much he has to do, he always there for his family, and he never gives up! The saying: "Not all hero wear capes." is really about him. You have to look for the tiniest details, even when it's about parenting or being a husband, because as I said, they don't say everything out loud.
There are so many elements of the show I don't want to talk about right now, because this is a spoiler-free review, and I know this isn't a feelgood drama, but I highly recommend to watch more than once, because finding all those clues, why these characters did something or didn't, why they're acting in a certain way is a huge plus. Even if they're frustrating at first, if you understand the signs, it helps you a lot to understand them. Even tho this drama is not a fantasy, you can still find exiting or even surprising moments. Especially if you miss those tiny details. It happened to me too on the first watch, and when I realized why that dialogue happened, it had a bigger impact on me than finding out who's the killer in a thriller. The scene where Geum Myeong hurt her parents' feelings, her dad raise his voice for the first time, and finding out the reason why that scene happened in the first place, is probably one of my favorite!
It's really hard to talk about "When Life Gives you Tangerines" without spoilers, and I didn't say anything about the amazing side characters or many other things, but I think, it's better if you experience it yourself.
If there's one thing, this drama taught me, is that nothing is simple in this life, but if you have people around you, you can achieve anything!
"To my parents who were so young, and always so tender-hearted all throughout the seasons.
With remorse, gratitude, and the deepest respect, thanks for showing us what to do when life gives you tangerines."
What you need to know about this drama is that it’s not an action packed fantasy or thriller. It’s a story about real people, packed with struggles, sadness, love, and happiness throughout 70 years! This is why I said it's “three generation of tangerines”, because just like real life, it has sweet, but sour moments as well!
"It's better to be born a cow than to be born a woman in Jeju."
In the beginning, the story takes place in the 50s and ends in our present. Aesun our grumpy, but lovable leading lady (played by the incredible child actress Kim Taeyeon, IU in her young adult era, and later Moon Sori) trying to make her mother Gwang Rye (Yum Hye-Ran – The Glory) to stop risking her life as a haenyeo, because she’s already sick. The main plot of the drama is not the romance! If you want another cute romcom, you're watching a wrong show! It’s about the relationship between parents and their kids, and how hard it is to be a woman in this era. The writer didn’t shy away from this important topic. Throughout the season, you can find a lot of strong female characters. More than I’ve seen in any other, probably. The mother-daughter bond was written in a way, I don’t think I’ve seen in any other Korean drama. It’s not in your face, they don’t spell-out everything, on the contrary, you have to listen very carefully to understand everything, because the creators paid attention to the tiniest details. I watched it twice, and I don't do this usually, but I had to, because I didn't want to miss anything, and after the second watch, it hit even harder!
"Parents dwell on what they couldn't give. And children dwell on what they couldn't get."
As I said, the most essential part of the story is the bond between loved ones. Obviously, you will get multiple love stories, and the most important one is Aesun and Gwansik relationship. Their story is not extraordinary, they don't have to fight with monsters, they just have to live day by day and support each other as much as they can, and oh boy, they did that. They not only fought to live another day, but for to earn everyone's respect and change things in an era where it was not usual to stand up for yourself, especially if you are a woman. Gwansik may be a silent warrior, but he was the strongest soldier in Aesun's army. Life is not easy, but if you have a partner for life, nothing else matters. It's a clishe, but it's still true. Aesun and Gwansik were partners in every possible way, not just as lovers, but as friends and parents as well.
"I was mad at my mom for being poor. I was mad because I knew I was the reason."
The second half of the season is where the drama becomes even more interesting, because the young adult duo turns into adults, and their roles is taken over by another two great actors, Moon Sori and Park Haejoon (who also worked with the director and IU on "My Mister"), and if that's not enough, we can see IU takes over another role as their oldest child, Geum Myeong, proving how versatile she is. At first, this may sound weird, one actress playing two roles, mother and daughter looking exactly the same, but it's easy to forget about this pretty fast, because the way IU portrays these characters helps a lot! Not to mention the make-up department, because even as a long-time IU fan (since 2008), even myself sometimes forgot that these characters were played by the same actress. One of my favorite part of the show is the narration! This is another example of IU taking her craft seriously. She could've taken this lightly, but she didn't. She not only uses different tones (also dialect, I think) for both characters, but her narrating helps so much to understand these characters and their struggles. On screen, you may see Geum Myeong arguing with her parents about something, acting as a brat, meanwhile in the narration, she's explaining, why she was a dumb kid who didn't understand her parents at all. This gives so much depth to the characters, both Aesun and her daughter, and of course Gwansik as the most important man in their lives. Sadly, as it usually happens, people realize too late they had everything from the beginning.
"I had a loving dad. But my dad didn't have a loving daughter."
Even tho the writer included many strong female characters of all ages, don't think male characters are less significant or strong. Of course, no man can hold the candle to Sir Gwansik, the Korean Lancelot, especially as a father and a husband. His relationship with his kids is something that will melt everyone's heart. Of course, his heart has its own Queen and that's Aesun, but all he can see since her birth is her Princess, Geum Myeong. If there's one man who gives his all to his loved ones, it's Gwansik, and it doesn't matter how long it takes, how much he has to do, he always there for his family, and he never gives up! The saying: "Not all hero wear capes." is really about him. You have to look for the tiniest details, even when it's about parenting or being a husband, because as I said, they don't say everything out loud.
There are so many elements of the show I don't want to talk about right now, because this is a spoiler-free review, and I know this isn't a feelgood drama, but I highly recommend to watch more than once, because finding all those clues, why these characters did something or didn't, why they're acting in a certain way is a huge plus. Even if they're frustrating at first, if you understand the signs, it helps you a lot to understand them. Even tho this drama is not a fantasy, you can still find exiting or even surprising moments. Especially if you miss those tiny details. It happened to me too on the first watch, and when I realized why that dialogue happened, it had a bigger impact on me than finding out who's the killer in a thriller. The scene where Geum Myeong hurt her parents' feelings, her dad raise his voice for the first time, and finding out the reason why that scene happened in the first place, is probably one of my favorite!
It's really hard to talk about "When Life Gives you Tangerines" without spoilers, and I didn't say anything about the amazing side characters or many other things, but I think, it's better if you experience it yourself.
If there's one thing, this drama taught me, is that nothing is simple in this life, but if you have people around you, you can achieve anything!
"To my parents who were so young, and always so tender-hearted all throughout the seasons.
With remorse, gratitude, and the deepest respect, thanks for showing us what to do when life gives you tangerines."
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