When Life Gives You Tangerines: A Bittersweet Mirror of Every Chapter I’ve Lived
I cannot remember the last time I cried over a K-Drama. I think I stopped crying over movies and series when life hit me hard, so no matter how heartbreaking the show is, nothing beats the drama IRL.'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is typically not my usual K-Drama Genre, but when I saw that the lead actors are two of my favorites (IU & Park Bo Gum), no questions asked, I instantly watched it! Not to mention, Kim Seon Ho??? I know right? I didn't look up the cast, so when I saw him, I did not believe my eyes. After seeing his smile trend on TikTok, I realized it was actually him!
I have invested so much emotion in this show. Just like Ae Sun, I used to love writing. Writing helped me survive high school; it was my outlet, and the pen was my friend. I would write my heart out in the journals for our English subject, and I would feel huge relief afterward. But during college, when the pandemic hit, the fire in me started fading away, and one day... I just woke up, and I didn't care anymore. In high school, when I wanted to be saved, that is why I never stopped writing; it was a cry for help. But in college, I just didn't want to be saved anymore. Of course, I still had an outlet, turning an impossible dream into today's career. I was happy with what I have achieved with that ambition, but something is still missing. There is still a gap in my heart. (Which later turned out to be a condition according to my shrink, but that story is for another time.)
This K-Drama has broken my heart so many times. Somewhere between the subtle storytelling and the heart-wrenching silences, I found myself thinking of my mom. Of all the times, she chose to stay strong when the world gave her every reason to fall apart. Every scene felt like a memory I'd forgotten: how we used to ride the bus to her work in Pampanga, how she would take me to SM after that, how she never let me run out of CDs to watch (because I loved watching movies as a child), and how she carried dreams she never got to chase — all so I could chase mine. This reminded me of how love isn't always loud. Sometimes, it whispers, trying to hold everything together.
And tangerine as a metaphor? Sweet on the outside, but sometimes unexpectedly sour, just like life. Just like us. This K-Drama is a quiet reminder that even in pain, there's beauty. And in memories, even the ones that hurt, there's something worth holding on to, because that is what made us into the people we are today.
If you've ever felt lost, left behind, or nostalgic for who you used to be... this one will break your heart. (And it's gonna be worth it!)
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