Very rarely does a show arrive that poignantly narrates simple human experiences reminiscent of your own. When Life Gives You Tangerines is just that, albeit it’s Korean, and it’s set through the modern decades, starting in the 1950s. Helmed by IU who plays the brilliant Oh Ae Sun, and Park Bo Gum, who plays the man who will ultimately ruin all other men for you (in a good way, of course!)- Yang Gwan-Sik, it follows the enduring story of both these characters through the decades, starting from post-war rural Korea to a modern flourishing nation. Despite their story's thoughtful expansion of the Korean experience, the viewer feels a sense of familiarity and closeness to the roots, as the visuals take you through dreamy canola fields juxtaposed with sombre visual poetry of raw exploration of grief, the generational sacrifices and thwarted dreams. From loss to redemption, and a love that truly endures all, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a must-watch, and here’s why.
It’s a story you already know
The thing about When Life Gives You Tangerines that makes it so different from all the other K-dramas that you’ve seen is the sincerity and authenticity that play out so beautifully in every scene. For example, Oh Ae Sun’s daughter, Yang Guem Myeong (again played beautifully by IU) excels in her studies, but to pay for her tuition and consequent exchange programs, Ae Sun, without putting a single thought about her needs and her living in her childhood home (that her husband bought her as a surprise – it’s a heartwarming scene), moves into a smaller apartment- no questions asked. Sounds too close to home? Think about the middle-class experience in India. The silent sacrifices our parents make so that they can live their dreams through yours. You’ll be sobbing, for sure.
Slice of life- done perfectly
Most slice-of-life K-dramas, except Reply 1988, really flesh out everyday stories, but with recurrent flashy scenes or overambitious plotlines, they somewhat lose out on what makes it so relatable. When Life Gives You Tangerines makes sure that their best scenes are the most ordinary. Losing her parents early, Oh Ae-Sun’s life has been marred with instability from the beginning. In rural Korea, where a woman’s education is a luxury, Oh Ae Sun’s quest for education is inspirational, but soon enough, it’s a distant dream, and it’s something she has had to make peace with for the rest of her life. Her making sure that her daughter never has to feel the same is truly one of the most anchoring plotlines in the show. From fiercely advocating for her daughter to constantly showing up for her in every phase of Guem-myeong's life, you can see a faint hint of Ae-Sun's dreams lingering in her daughter's life.
Yang Gwansik- the man that you are
Our favourite scenes unfold when Yang Gwan-sik, the ever-starry-eyed lover of the feisty Ae-Sun, quietly supports her in the most unassuming ways. When young Ae Sun is asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she mentions she’s likely to be the president, and when Gwan-sik is asked, he just timidly says, “The First Husband, of course!” Gwan-sik understands what it’s like to love unconditionally. It’s not prosaic declarations, lyrical promises, or a blatant show – it’s being the only person who shows up at her mother’s funeral; it’s taking a stand for her against his own family; it’s learning how to recite poetry to impress her; it’s buying Ae-sun’s childhood home after spending your youth at sea trying to keep your family afloat; it’s respecting her ambitions, and seeing her as a person with thoughts and ideas and not just your life-partner… Yang Gwan-sik truly redefines what it means to be a life partner through the dizzying highs of life and unfathomable grounding sorrow. He loves her- through life and beyond (you need to watch the show for that!)
And if you thought we’d stop at Yang Gwan-sik, the husband, and not discuss Yang Gwansik, the father, you’d be mistaken. We think watching this show heals some part of you and makes you want to nurture a more profound relationship with your father. Through Yang Gwansik, we truly learn what it was like to be a patriarch in the 1950s, which involved more than just providing financially for the family. Yang Gwansik provides, and then some. He's truly the family's anchor, stabilising lofty dreams by giving every inch of his skin, blood, sweat, and tears to support his children, but not in a way that burdens or ties them down. One particularly heartwarming scene is from Yang Geum-myeong’s wedding, where a beautiful montage shows Gwan-sik wholeheartedly supporting his daughter throughout the years. It’s a scene that stays with you and is a tear-jerking reminder to call your parents.
And it cannot be a K-drama without at least one OTT scene. We believe that swimming across the sea during a storm in response to your girlfriend's call would be an ideal scene – it’s as dreamy as it sounds.
The female experience – through the generations
When Life Gives You Tangerines is a love letter to the silent sacrifices women have been making over the generations – except it isn’t silent in this show. It verbalises and visually narrates Ae-sun’s sacrifices and her mother’s before her for better circumstances with each passing generation. Ae-sun, being the firstborn, is parentified early on, taking care of her half-siblings, especially after her mother’s passing. She is used to getting the last piece of fish, the stale rice, and the last helping of food – but she takes active care not to repeat that with her daughter. She gives up her fervent dream of studying poetry, almost nonchalantly, knowing she must stay at home and look after her growing family. Sounds too close to home? It is the story of the unpaid labour and unrecognised sacrifices of mothers everywhere, where their dreams and aspirations are given a cursory glance and deemed frivolous. Although the story develops and makes sure Yang Geum-myeong is able to live her life the way she wants, the burden of carrying your parents’ unfulfilled dreams gets heavy and is discussed realistically in the show. It shows the story of the hardened life of a haenyeo and a single mother (Oh Ae Sun’s mother) as she tries to do the best she can to raise her daughter in the social climate of the 1950s. This show is feminist in its treatment of the most subtle scenes and dialogues – it celebrates womanhood and quietly mourns the lost dreams and aspirations while showing the way for its female characters to get their happy endings in the most empowering ways. A scene that is a beautiful reminder of that is when Oh Ae Sun, previously warned about a myth that women shouldn’t get on fishing boats, else they will have misfortune, is hesitant about getting on the boat. However, as she looks back at her daughter, she decides to move forward because she never wants her daughter to feel inferior, and those small victories are given the grand treatment they deserve in this show!
Life through the ages
When Life Gives You Tangerines celebrates the Korean experience over the years. The narrative guides you through the famished countryside of the 1950s, the wonky stability of the 1960s, the growing industrialisation of the 1980s, as well as the IMF crisis and unemployment of the 1990s. It’s a retrospective on the Korean dream, earning every penny with your sweat, in the hopes of building something better. Yang Geum-myeong begins his journey as a mistreated fisherman on someone else's boat, while Oh Ae Sun finds a job as a street vendor. Gradually, with assistance, they are able to purchase a boat, a house, and eventually, greater opportunities come their way, albeit not without fear and a series of misfortunes. This story celebrates the grit and unwavering attitude of the Korean people during unstable times, which has established a strong foundation for the successful nation it is today.
So, if you’ve ever sat across from your mum, watched her quietly cut fruit after a long day, or seen your dad softly snore in front of the TV after working overtime again, When Life Gives You Tangerines will hit like a truck—wrapped in orange peel and nostalgia. Watch it with tissues, snacks, and maybe a call to your parents queued up. You’ll need all three.