The idea was great, but the execution..
More often than not, I find myself starting a new drama with an intriguing concept that initially draws attention and builds anticipation about how the plot will unfold. The pilot and just about two episodes after that delievered questions and wonders, leaving room for the story to grow. However, things took a downturn as it soon devolved into a predictable, simple, typical K-romance.It’s disappointing that the drama’s description doesn’t quite align with what actually unfolds on screen. Many important questions are left unanswered, and this leads to several unrealistic scenes that ultimately detract from the experience. It bored the hell out of me, but I watched it till end.
It is shame, because it could have been a drama with less romance, more curiosity and true life-lesson driven twists.
Kudos to the actors though, especially to Park Bo Young and the mother Jang Young Nam (who continues to impress me, by far underrated).
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The plot wears off quickly. Lack of deeper storyline and character connection.
"I've seen it thousand times"..The beginning is promising, I thought "This might be the best one this year actually"..
Around 8th or 9th episode you notice how they lack ideas and innovation, as if they took 100 other dramas and took parts of it and tried to adapt it to this series. It doesn't go well together, 99% of characters are over 30, they all act if they have an teenage alter ego. It doesn't fit when it comes to serious scenes because you can't take them seriously. They threw scenes one after another, but gradually deepen the plot and having a rich ending was not an option. As if they didn't have ideas or material for continuing the original idea (the first few episodes). The drama is alright, but it reminded me a lot of many (seriously, many) things that I've seen already. I'm used to typical k-drama acting and some repetitive scenes, but this was too much.
The acting was fairly good in general.
Since it's a series I can't really comment on how realistic some situations and facts are, they could have been made more accurate, but it was okay without getting too much into facts.
For me personally, I've seen better.
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They had me in the first half, not gonna lie
- First half 10 out of 10 (6/12 episodes)- Second half 5/10 (11/12 episodes)
- Finale 6/10 (12/12 episodes)
It had me hooked, it had me confused, it had me feel things, BUT it also had me annoyed and bored.
First half is really good. The introduction of the characters, the use of different languages, and the various locations were all well done. The storyline had a steady pace with enough depth to properly build the plot. However, the communication between the FL and ML in episode six really made me flip out , and not in a good way. It felt toxic and unreasonable for two people in their 30s+.
The second half felt messy, jumping from one plot point to another. The whole “other self” FL thing was dragged out for too long. They wanted to made the FL more likable, but at the same time she seemed so vulnerable in a way that felt more like a teenage girl than a grown woman. Also, the relationship development took forever, longer than international shipping.
However, I really liked the passion scenes, finally proper kisses in the series and some reality in a K-drama! The supporting characters were refreshing, and their side stories added some extra charm.
Finale was fine, but mostly filled with unnecessary content.
Do I recommend it? Yes and no. Watch it for the first half, just don’t expect that same "high" to last until the very end.
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The road of life seasons and lessons
When Life Gives You Tangerines is truly special and will be very hard to surpass. It carries the same warmth as Reply 1988, but tells its story in a completely different way. Depending on your age, it reminds you what you lived through as a kid, makes you concious about where you are now and how your life might develop in the future. True hardships of life over SEVEN decades shown here are not only telling a story - it makes you reflect not only on yourself, but people around you and how people and the culture have grown through the years.This show doesn’t simply entertain; it teaches, provokes, comforts, and challenges. It will make you smile, laugh, cry, and above all, feel. Each episode unfolds with the care and depth of a short film, with not a minute wasted. Each decade detail is very authentic, the acting is breathtaking, and together they create a piece of art.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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Refreshing!!!
It is soooo refreshing to see a female protagonist playing a typical "male" character for a change - ones that takes the lead, stands her ground, but is not showing it off just because it's a woman. She is just being herself, and her being herself also means having an idol even when you're older, your own bubble of interest and grounded vunerabilty.She acts well and intertwines with the male main character very well, even though he seems like a manchild at first.
The theme is also refreshing, it feels somewhat new and I'm halfway through and couldn't wait till end to write an review.
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