From plot to acting, costume to cinematography, the period, romantic drama has been hitting all the right notes so far.
The Korean drama machine has been churning out one title after another, sometimes even at the same time. This year is no different, with a barrage of new releases and upcoming ones that span a wide range of genres. (Check out The POST‘s handy guide here).
While there are quite a few that piqued my interest, one has especially got me excited: Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines.
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Superstar leads, acclaimed writer and director
I would gobble up anything that has Park Bo-gum in it, so that’s one reason the series has got me waiting in giddy anticipation. Bogummy (as fans, including myself, fondly call him) stars alongside the equally talented Lee Ji-eun, more popularly known by her stage name IU. Though I don’t count myself a fan, I loved IU’s performance in the 2018 hit series My Ajusshi (My Mister). This is Bo-gum’s much anticipated comeback after his military enlistment, from which he was discharged in 2022.
Another reason why I was so looking forward to When Life Gives You Tangerines is its writer. The series is penned by Lim Sang-choon, who wrote two of my favorite K-dramas of all time—Fight for My Way and When the Camellia Blooms. Kim Won-suk, known for his work for Signal and Arthdal Chronicles, takes on the director’s seat.
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Also, When Life Gives You Tangerines gives off the feels of a prestige drama, and the promo photos prove it. It has, after all, a whopping budget of 60 billion won (US$41.5 million)! Everything looks pretty—from the costumes down to the locations (more on this in a bit).
The first four episodes of When Life Gives You Tangerines dropped last Friday, and unlike most dramas, it will drop the same number of episodes for the next four Fridays.
As much as I wanted to watch all four in one go, I didn’t have the luxury of time to watch all, but I was able to spare some time for two. Here are my quick thoughts.
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Compelling plot, stellar acting, lush visuals
When Life Gives You Tangerines follows Ae-sun (IU) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum), who are born on Jeju Island in the 1950s, grow up together by the sea, and fall in love (watch out for that scene by the canola fields!). The same characters are portrayed as adults by Moon So-ri (Queenmaker) and Park Hae-joon (The World of the Married).
I love how the series was released in time for Women’s Month, with the female lead character, Ae Sun, and her mom, written as two very fierce, independent, and no-nonsense women. Worth noting is that Ae-Sun’s mom is a haenyeo, Jeju’s famed women freedivers who harvest seafood for a living. Seeing the hard life her haenyeo mom has to endure, Ae-Sun yearns for a different life for herself. She dreams of studying literature in college, going on to be a poet, and marrying a man from the mainland (We know, of course, that the last bit won’t happen!).
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Given the times Ae-sun lives in, this dream seems quite foolish, with women relegated to domesticity. When she tearfully said in one scene, “It’s better to be born a cow than a woman in Jeju,” that struck a deep chord. Women really have it much harder in life, then until now, despite strides in equality. Well, South Korea is among the outliers in this aspect. A recent report, for instance, revealed how outdated gender roles keep South Korea’s wage gap “stubbornly high”—and we’re already in 2025!
Gwan-sik, meanwhile, is a fishmonger’s son, who comes from a slightly more well-off family but who has a rather simple dream: to stay by Ae-sun’s side no matter what.
IU plays her role so well, alternating between feisty and vulnerable with such ease; it’s hard to think of a different actress playing Ae-sun. It’s a given how Bo-gum will play the role of a lovestruck young man so effortlessly, but it’s nice to see his character pluck from his hidden reserves of courage when our young couple found themselves in a bind in Busan.
The rest of the cast members so far have lived up to the high expectations in the acting department. One who stood out though Jeon Gwang-rye, Ae-sun’s mother, played by the formidable Yeom Hye-ran (The Uncanny Counter). As a woman who relies on physical labor to support her family, Gwang-rye takes on a tough and literally a leathery exterior after spending days under the heat of the sun and diving in salt water. Underneath her prickly carapace though is a loving woman who’s like most mothers, one who dreams of a better life for her daughter.
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When Life Gives You Tangerines also looks gorgeous. Its cinematography is nothing to scoff at. At first glance, it has the feel of Apple TV’s Pachinko, which is also a favorite and a highly recommended drama. Its visuals are postcard-perfect —how I wish I could take screenshots, but alas Netflix forbids it! This is all thanks to acclaimed production designer Ryu Seong-hi, known for her work with another icon Park Chan-wook (The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave). Everything pulsates with life and color.
With a stellar cast backed by an equally talented production team, I’m confident I’m in good hands and that When Life Gives You Tangerines will only get better with each episode.
When Life Gives You Tangerines is now streaming on Netflix. Four fresh episodes drop every Friday.
Watch the trailer here:
