A Profound Story With The Biggest Heart
In this million miles an hour consumer-driven world we live in, how important it is to take a moment and remember what truly matters in life is not what we accumulate or what we achieve but rather the people in our lives and how we've lived and loved.When Life Gives You Tangerines is an achingly beautiful ride that reminds us of just that...that life's moments of extraordinary happiness or profound love or heartbreaking sadness...it's moments of quiet contentment, or explosive intensity, moments in life, that can feel like eternities or moments that are so fleeting as to have never been...ultimately those moments are the riches in our lives, those are what truly matter, those are what we'll carry with us to the end.
If ever there was a part absolutely written for actor Park Bo Gum, this is it...his beautiful face that so heartbreakingly bears witness without words to Gwan Sik's quiet strength and unwavering lifelong love for Ae Sun is so poignantly beautiful. As a viewer, I was so invested in their life together I spent each episode either weeping tears of joy or tears of heartbreak. These magical 16 episodes exquisitely remind us of what a roller coaster ride life really is.
Kudos to the casting director for their perfect eye in casting Park Bo Gum and IU, as the younger adult pair and Park Hae Joon and Moon Soo Ri as the older pair. The seamless aging of Gwan Sik and Ae Sun couldn't have happened without the tremendous talent of these 4 actors. And truly, in When Life Gives You Tangerines there was no cast member who didn't give an amazing and memorable performance creating this masterpiece.
The Korean title, 폭싹 속았수다, has a specific cultural context. It is a common phrase in the Jeju dialect of the Korean language and translates to “you have worked hard” or “thank you for your hard work.” Life is hard work, often we might feel with little return, but like the cast of When Life Gives You Tangerines, in the end, the bittersweet realization of life itself is that it "never promised us a rose garden"...but through it all teaches us that "when life gives you tangerines, make tangerine tea".
Was this review helpful to you?
Nice Surprise!
I'd just finished watching the incredibly emotional roller coaster ride The Red Sleeve so was desperately looking for something to distract my poor depleted emotions so to speak, and happened upon Azure Spring.And what a lovely surprise!
A short well made, well written and set in a beautiful spot drama...it was exactly what I needed.
This healing storyline, using water as it's metaphor, was never heavy-handed for me and I though each main character's own trauma was well integrated into the whole story. There is little if no romance except for the potentiality of one that any viewer will see. And that potentially was really well developed, especially in only 6 episodes. In truth the lead pair had good chemistry so a few episodes longer to start to develop that side of the story would have been welcomed.
Overall, I truly enjoyed and was totally entertained through all 6 episodes...worth the watch!
And a P.S. to the powers that be....Would LOVE to see the ML, Kang Sang Jun, in some more male lead roles...he has quite the presence, he gives me a kind of Seo In-guk vibe.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What An Incredible Surprise!!!
What a magically surprise this drama was for me....
I was in between dramas and searching for something to fill my time and this popped up. For me "superpowers" is usually a red flag, so not into that BUT Atypical Family deals with it so beautifully and it is such an integral part of the story I LOVED it! The acting was wonderful, especially Jang Ki-yong, who I'd never seen before...but you can bet I'll go looking for more of his dramas immediately. Chun Woo-hee played her part so well and is one of the most arrestingly beautiful faces I've seen on a drama...she was captivating! The supporting cast was also great especially Park So Yi as the daughter I Na.... incredibly expressive face and eyes! Also loved the black, white and color effects used in Atypical Family!
If I have any complaints (and it's a tiny one) I'd have wished for one more episode to round out the story...it developed so well and slowly that his return, in the final few minutes of the last episode was fast and a bit abrupt...I mean was he a ghost? Was he there for good or could he just return when "called up" by his son? ?
And one last note, and probably one of the MOST outstanding parts of this drama was the ABSOLUTELY incredible OST!!!! My god, it totally made this drama that great work it is! I've already purchased (and listen to incessantly) two of my favorite pieces..."I See You" and the theme song "Atypical Family"...so hauntingly beautiful!! This drama is totally worth a watch...or two and do buy that soundtrack!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Why DAYS is not rated a "10" is beyond me!
WOW!!! What a series!This story beautifully takes on some complex existential questions like: What does it mean to be human, What is the meaning of our lives, Is there a god... as it deals with issues like Life & Death, Love & Hate, and the stages of Grief.
Yet even as these heavy issues are revealed to us Doom At Your Service still manages to give us a truly magical and addictive story of these characters, who we quickly care deeply for and whose lives we connect with, root for and sympathize with.
I wonder that the low ratings I saw in some of the reviews were because viewers thought this was going to be a simple light drama, and thus were not ready (or wanting) to tackle the heavy themes in this masterpiece? Because to review this as lacking is to miss the extraordinary accomplishment of this drama's ability to address so many complicated issues.
The two leads, incredible portrayed by Park Bo Young and Seo In Guk, add such depth and insights for we viewers...they both deserved awards for this work. Park Bo Youngs character Tak Dong Kyung takes us flawlessly through her stages of grief upon learning of her impending death, as we also watch the seamless transformation of Seo In Guk's character Doom into a human with all human emotions subtly and wonderfully "blossoming".
The supporting cast were also perfectly cast...I especially fell in love with Dong Kyung's younger brother, Seon Kyung, portrayed by the talented Da Won, who added just enough comic relief and innocent, raw, wide-open emotion to his character you can't help but love him.
Add to all this a wonderful soundtrack and you have a "10"... a perfect series!
For me I don't think there was one episode I didn't "ugly cry" in...either out of the sensitivity of the scene, the deep sadness of the scene or the happiness of the scene, so if you might be looking for something to watch because you have some pent-up crying you need to release...THIS is your answer.
This amazing drama was a roller-coaster ride to be sure but one I will gladly ride again and again and likely purchase for my collection...PLEASE don't miss this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
A piece of magic
Oh My.....I am not sure how this sensitive and visually beautiful series ever got a low review! I feel almost privileged to have had the opportunity to watch it. And that, as I have read, 4 episodes were cut because of low rating I am beyond flabbergasted!Besides being one of the most beautifully shot dramas I have watched in a very long time, the acting was superb, the music hauntingly lovely, and the story so very touching...
This series dealt incredibly well with many complex human emotions; dealing with the pain of unrequited love, the devastation and regret of loss and the strength it takes to move past and continue on to have a fulfilling life.
Jung Hae In, a favorite of mine, has an almost etherial quality that made him perfect for the role of Moon Ha Wo. Kim Sung Kyu broke my heart in his portrayal of Kang In Wook....in fact there truly was not one actor in the series I felt could have been better cast.
This will be one I'll definitely put on my rewatch list...a truly beautiful series!
Was this review helpful to you?
Complex and beautifully done
LOVED this drama!!! Really love the ML and FL together...great chemistry and so, so easy on the eyes...This drama was different than many with the addition of the supernatural element. While it had some religious undertones they were not over the top so easy for anyone, who might be sensitive to the subject, to watch I believe.
I loved the forward and backward time elements and how their two stories/lives tied together...
While there were a few different storylines...it was easy to follow.
I also really loved how they wrote and acted the complexities of the different characters and how so many were a mix of good and bad as most humans are. Human nature was addressed beautifully I thought.
There was also a small element of comedy which was appreciated in this drama which was often very heavy duty in it's storylines.
This will definitely be on my rewatch list....and I may even purchase the DVD...for me it was that good!
Was this review helpful to you?
A DEEPER DIVE...
Gong Yoo.....I am truly blown away by his acting skill and the incredible risks Gong Yoo takes in his thoughtful choices of the kinds of work he decides to do.This is truly a beautiful drama...the art production is breathtaking, the acting superb, the cinematography off the charts. What a joy to watch 10 episodes of this amazing achievement.
I am saddened by the negative comments this drama has received, but alas it is not your average Korean Drama and many may not be ready for this kind of raw, sensitive and heavy piece. Like his other beautiful drama, A Man And A Woman, both are much deeper more complex dives into what makes us human with all our fragility and even through incredibly tough times, what makes us hold onto life and hope.
There really aren't many dramas of this caliber around....and this is one I'd beg you not to miss.
Was this review helpful to you?
