Available on Netflix
Aired March 7, 2025 – March 28, 2025
🌸 Korean Drama Review
When Life Gives You Tangerines K-Drama Review
If you’re looking for a heartfelt story that will wreck you emotionally, this When Life Gives You Tangerines K-drama review will walk you through why it’s taken over my brain (and heart). When Life Gives You Tangerines is a nostalgic South Korean drama that follows the lives of Oh Ae-sun (played by IU) and Yang Gwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum). The Korean title is: 폭싹 속았수다 (Pokssak Sogatsuda) is from the Jeju dialect meaning you have worked hard.
Hailed as a national drama, it beautifully showcases South Korean history starting from the 1950s. Set against the stunning backdrop of Jeju Island (often called the “Hawaii of South Korea”), the story traces Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s journey from childhood friends to adulthood, exploring their love story and the many challenges of family life.
Told through flashbacks from Ae-sun’s older self, we witness her growing up amid poverty, heartbreak, and countless hardships, all while holding onto her dream of becoming a poet. As Ae-sun navigates love, loss, and the heavy weight of life’s choices, the series paints a moving portrait of resilience, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams in the face of adversity. The drama is raw, emotional, and beautifully shot. It’s a heartfelt story that shows how life’s sweetest moments often come with a touch of sorrow, just like a tangerine. If you’re looking for something that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you bawling your eyes out, When Life Gives You Tangerines is the perfect pick.
Rating: 4/5 Cherry Blossoms
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Spoilers Ahead
The story of When Life Gives You Tangerines opens with Oh Ae-sun in her later years, teaching art at a nursing home and reflecting on her childhood. As a young girl, she lived with her late father’s family, where she is treated unfairly compared to her step brother. Heartbroken, she begged her mother to let her stay with them. After seeing how Ae-sun was being treated, her mother finally relented and brought her home to live with her, her lazy stepfather, and her step-siblings.
Ae-sun’s mother, a haenyeo (a traditional female diver from Jeju Island who harvests seafood without oxygen tanks), worked a dangerous and demanding job to support the family. Tragically, she passed away at just 29 years old. Before her death, knowing the step father wouldn’t properly care for Ae-sun, she asked her daughter to return to her late father’s house, hoping it would offer a better future. Ae-sun, however, stayed behind out of loyalty to her step-siblings, trusting her stepfather’s false promise to pay for her college—which, unsurprisingly, he failed to honor.
Meanwhile, Yang Gwan-sik, Ae-sun’s childhood friend who always made sure she had food and looked out for her, grew to love her deeply. As teenagers, they finally confessed their feelings and decided to run away together to Busan. They managed to reach the city by boat, but were unfortunately robbed at a hotel. Thankfully, Gwan-sik’s mother tracked them down and helped them recover their belongings. When they returned to Jeju, Ae-sun bore the brunt of the consequences—she was expelled from school, while Gwan-sik was allowed to return, likely due to societal biases at the time.
Later, Gwan-sik boarded a ship to Seoul to train as an athlete for the Olympics, while Ae-sun, heavily pressured by Gwan-sik’s mother, agreed to marry a wealthy (and insufferable) older man to secure her future. In one of the most emotional scenes of the drama, Gwan-sik, unable to bear the separation, jumped off the massive ship and swam back to Jeju to reunite with Ae-sun. His determination moved both families, and they finally gave their blessing for the two to marry.
But marriage didn’t magically fix everything. Ae-sun still faced mistreatment from Gwan-sik’s family, until Gwan-sik finally stood up for her—and the two set out to build a new life on their own.
The rest of the drama focuses on middle-aged Ae-sun and Gwan-sik as they raise their three children, though tragedy strikes when they lose their youngest son to drowning. Their eldest daughter, Yang Geum-myeong (also played by IU), goes on to attend Seoul National University and navigates the ups and downs of her love life with her first love, but the relationship falls apart after her future mother-in-law treats her and her family horribly.
After the painful breakup, she meets her eventual husband in a hilarious twist—while staying with a family in Seoul, the landlord’s daughter’s boyfriend, Park Cheong-seop (played by an almost unrecognizable Kim Seon-ho, who absolutely nails this role), shows up and begs Geum-myung to hide him from being caught. Years later, they end up married.
While their relationship had some funny and sweet moments, I’ll be honest—the excitement just wasn’t really there for me. It lacked the kind of emotional tension and suspense I usually love in a good romance.
🌸 What Made Me Bawl My Eyes out 🌸
When Ae-sun’s youngest son, Yang Dong-myeong, ran away from home because his mom rushed out to get Geum-myeong, who had fallen off her bike with a storm rolling in—I couldn’t stop thinking, why didn’t she just bring the babies with her?! And that moment when little Dong-myeong asked for a hug before she left, after he had made a mess and not listened to her? Absolutely heartbreaking. I’ve been there—that feeling when you’re so overwhelmed, juggling a million things, and you just don’t have the bandwidth to respond the way your child needs you to in that moment. It crushed me.
That entire scene wrecked me. I had to stop watching by episode 6 because I was legit bawling. Maybe it hit harder because I was already feeling crummy and my kids were sick, but wow…this show hit deep. Even decades later, Ae-sun couldn’t bring herself to look at boys around her son’s age when he passed because it was still too painful—and honestly, I don’t doubt that kind of grief for a second.
I also teared up when the dad waved goodbye to his daughter heading off to college, but in his eyes, he was still seeing his little toddler waving back. And pretty much everytime he saw grown up Geum-myeong as his baby girl. 😭 😭
And don’t even get me started on the mom standing up for her daughter, even when her awful almost-mother-in-law (MIL) kept insulting her right to her face. That hit me hard as she insults Geum-myeong for not knowing how to do household chores because her mother never taught her, and Ae-sun said “I couldn’t bring herself to teach her. She’s too precious. She’s our darling girl. That’s why I chose not to teach her.”
“Seeing a loved one return each day through the door they left in the morning. It was like a miracle everyday.”
– Oh Ae-sun
🌸 What I Loved About “When Life Gives You Tangerines” 🌸
- The three aunties were the real MVPs — always giving Ae-sun the raw, unfiltered truth, fighting her fights with her, and backing her up no matter what. Their life advice might have been a little loud sometimes 😂, but it always came from such a place of love.
- I loved how real the characters looked — the sun spots, wrinkles, tanned skin, and rough working hands. It made everything feel so authentic, like you were really stepping into their world.
- The father’s love for his kids completely melted me. Even with his troublemaking son, when he said he wasn’t going to bail him out of jail…he secretly sold their boat to pay for his release. 🥺 Then when the son started selling rice cakes on the street in the freezing cold, the dad pulled strings (secretly) through the daughter-in-law’s family to get the community to support him.
- I loved how the parents cherished their daughter even after she became a mother. When they went to visit her after she gave birth, they focused on her first—asking about her health and caring for her—before turning their attention to the baby. It was such a refreshing change from the usual dynamic where everyone tends to prioritize the new grandchild over the well-being of the mother.
- The scene where Chung Seop chases after Geum-myeong’s bus, only to get caught in a crowd of screaming fans chasing a celebrity van.
- I loved that Ae-sun stood up for herself and broke off her engagement. Her first love didn’t work out because he couldn’t stand up to his controlling mom — and honestly, it felt real. Not everyone’s first love story has a fairytale ending, and that’s okay.
“When one door closes, another door creaks open. “
– Geum Myeong
🌸 What I Didn’t Like 🌸
- The pain of losing a child was portrayed so heartbreakingly real — it completely put a chokehold on my momma heart, especially since my son is three years old too. It was just… devastating.
- By episode 13, they introduced Geum-myeong’s relationship with her boyfriend (and future husband), but honestly, there wasn’t much build-up. Their first kiss and connection felt a little rushed, and I didn’t feel as invested in them as I wanted to be.
🌸 Cultural Tidbits 🌸
When Ae-sun buys her son tofu after bailing him out of jail, it symbolizes a fresh start and a vow not to return to prison. In Korean tradition, tofu’s bright white color represents purity and new beginnings. It’s often eaten after release from prison because inmates are typically fed simple meals that include soybeans. Since tofu is made by transforming tough soybeans into something soft and new, it also carries the hope that a former prisoner can change their life and start anew.
🌸 Final Thoughts On “When Life Gives You Tangerines” 🌸
I teared up at least once during every episode — and definitely multiple times during the last few! When Life Gives You Tangerines is so raw and emotional; I feel like everyone can relate to it on some level. Honestly, it was tough for me to finish because the loss of Ae-sun’s son was such a constant, heavy reminder throughout (especially for me as a mom).
This drama really shows that life goes on — you never stop growing, achieving, and finding new reasons to keep moving forward, even when carrying deep grief.
I can absolutely see why this drama is so beloved in Korea. The way it weaves personal stories into the broader backdrop of the country’s history makes it incredibly relatable for so many. While it’s not exactly my usual type of drama (I usually prefer suspenseful romances, a little jealousy, and a fun splash of comedy), Tangerines still offered something special. For new drama fans, it gives a heartfelt glimpse into Korea’s culture and resilience.
And honestly, the acting was phenomenal. Every emotion — from quiet heartbreak to stubborn hope — felt so real and alive on screen. 🌸
💬 I’d love to hear from you!
Which scenes hit you the hardest? Were there moments that had you bawling your eyes out or crying like a baby too? Drop your thoughts in the comments — let’s sob together! 🥹🍊
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