You might have seen the recent trend of Kim Seon-ho's "Smile Challenge" or even edits of the now labeled "green forest" Yang Gwan-sik or IU's beautifully heartbreaking performance as the main protagonist. I was curious of the new series When Life Gives You Tangerines and was even more surprised to learn about the global sensation it has become. As a result, I decided to watch the show with the rest of my family.

After I finished watching When Life Gives You Tangerines, I was unsurprised to discover why the show received so much love globally. It was the perfect series about universal themes of family, resilience, and love with a wrap of nostalgia and the slow passage of time. Every episode left me in tears and left me wanting to watch more.

If you haven't yet, I recommend--beg--you to watch this incredibly beautiful K-Drama. And if my introduction wasn't enough to persuade you, let me explain to you just exactly why the show received so much love.

Warning: Slight Spoilers Ahead Plot

With a total of sixteen episodes, When Life Gives You Tangerines follows lovelife of Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik from the 1960s to present day. Ae-sun is a bright, spirited girl who wants nothing more than to escape Jeju in hopes of moving to the mainland (Seoul) to pursue her dreams of becoming a poet. Gwan-sik is a dependable and sweet boy who is devoted to Ae-sun and her dreams.

Set in rural Jeju, the show explores the challenges they faced as the audience watch them mature from their childhood to their adulthood. The show captures their lifestory in a time-capsule style, flowing from the past to the present, between narratives.

Even while a new challenge to overcome awaits them each day, the young couple prove that love endures all as they choose each other over prosperitiy. The story highlights that happiness can be found from love, especially in the darkest times.

Reviews left on Google note that they adored the deeper development and focus on the complexities of mother and fatherhood, love, and friendship through a bittersweet journey. The characters are equally charming as they are humourous, and they also have stories that the audience members can reflect on and relate to. Furthermore, the show was 'visually stunning' and 'a masterpiece'. One review remarked that it wasn't only a love story between two people, but a love letter to family, sacrifice, regret, forgiveness, and hope.

Image Credit: 티비텐 TV10 from Wikimedia Commons

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Characters

Oh Ae-sun (IU and Moon So-ri) longs to soar high and above, away from the boring island of Jeju and into the wonderful city of Seoul. As a book lover, the rebellious young girl dreams of being a poet, though she has a hard time due to her poor background. She meets Yang Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum and Park Hae-joon) who would give her free mackerels to help her and show his soft, unwavering affections for her.

How They Affected Me Personally

I found their interactions to be incredibly sweet and humourous, especially when they were young teenagers experiencing first love. IU and Park Bo-gum's chemistry was off the charts from their long-lasting friendship. The show depicted beautifully: a little awkward, but so heartwarming and lingering.

I fell even harder for their relationship when they grew older (played by Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon). The two were unwavering in their dedication for each other. Gwan-sik fulfilled Ae-sun's wishes and concentrated on her happiness while Ae-sun respected her husband and never once blamed him for the problems they faced as a family. She always stood by his side just as he had when they were younger. Their marriage was beautiful and remained consistent even through troubles with the in-laws and loss.

While watching these two characters, I couldn't help, but think of my parents. Ae-sun as a mother was selfless and honest, just like my own mom. It was like watching my mom on the screen.

Ae-sun wanted nothing more than to be a good mother, just as all mothers did, even if she wasn't perfect all the time, she was devoted to them. Gwan-sik reminded me too much of my own dad. Supportive, selfless, and loving. Even through life's challenges, Gwan-sik's priority was his children, and that pulled at my heartstrings a little too hard.

The Story of Their Children and My Thoughts

Besides these two, the show also focuses on their children, mainly Yang Geum-myeong and Yang Eun-myeong.

Geum-myeong is the eldest and only daughter of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik. The drama also follows her journey through life, including finding true love, a stable career during an economic crisis, and emotional conflicts between her and her parents. She is portrayed to be intelligent and independent. In the show, Gwan-sik repeatedly mentions her likeness to Ae-sun.

While the world is divided between liking and despising her, I personally found her to be so relatable. As the eldest myself, I also feel overwhelming duties as the oldest child. To be a good influence, the breadwinner, and the one to make sure my family can thrive beside me.

But I found her most relatable and endearing during her interactions with her parents. Geum-myeong had a hard time displaying and telling her mom her truest feelings--that she was eternally grateful. I felt that to my deepest core. There weren't enough words to truly tell my mom just how loved I felt by her. Geum-myeong wanted to fly high because of her parents' sacrifices. She was mad at her parents and grateful to them in the spur of beautiful, emotional moments, just like me.

There was one moment in particular in Episode 12, A Glistening Winter, that stood out to me the most. Geum-myeong returned home heartbroken after breaking off an engagement with a man she loved deeply. She and Gwan-sik are sitting on a boat in the middle of the ocean, engaging in a heartfelt conversation.

Gwan-sik tells Geum-myeong that seeing the sunrise will make her feel better to which she responds, "You see the sunrise every single day? Are you always out at this time? Don't you want to sleep in?" Gwan-sik admits that he does, retorting, "Who wouldn't want to sleep in?" Geum-myeong questions how he could live in that condition out loud, to which Gwan-sik responds with: "Maybe if I sleep less, you two can sleep more. That just wakes me up." Those two sentences made me bawl like a baby.

Eun-myeong is the second son of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik. For most of the series, he is portrayed as the troublemaker of the family and has a similar likeness to his father--weak to love. The show focuses on his journey, in part with his obsession with making money (coming from a poor family), becoming a father himself, and his interactions with his parents.

He felt unloved and often annoyed by his parents. But in truth, there was no one that loved him more than them. After being jailed due to a business fraud caused by his business partner and childhood friend, his parents end up sacrificing everything to bail him out. In return, Eun-myeong feels guilty and tries to grow independent by making money on his own, feeling hurt that he couldn't do anything for Ae-sun and Gwan-sik in return as he grew older.

I found myself loving Eun-myeong just as I had loved Geum-myeong. He reminded me so much of my brother. He was charming, sweet, and humorous.

His relationship with Geum-myeong was one that reflected my own relationship with my younger brother. Their banter was a breath of fresh air in a drama that made me cry so much.

Image Credit: 김형찬 from Wikimedia Commons

The Interwoven Story of Side Characters

Other notable characters include Bu Hyeon-suk (Eun-meyong's wife, played by Lee Soo-kyung) is funny, stubborn, and devoted to Eun-myeong even as he strives and fails at job prospects. Bu Sang-gil (Choi Dae-hoon) is Hyeon-suk's father and serves as the main antagonist in the drama. He is first introduced as Ae-sun's blind date, but stays in the story as a constant contrast to Gwan-sik as both a father and husband.

Yeong-ran (Chae Seo-an and Jang Hye-jin) is Hyeon-suk's mother and the wife of Sang-gil. She is mistreated by him repeatedly, but as they both grow older, the banter and Sang-gil's regret were interesting and admittedly funny to watch.

Park Yeong-bam (Lee Jun-young) is Geum-myeong's first love and similar to Gwan-sik as a lover. He is a soft-hearted character who loves Geum-myeong dearly, but struggles to choose to either be a good husband or a good son. Park Chung-seob is hilariously introduced as the boyfriend of Song Bu-seon (Jung Yi-seo), the daughter of the boarding house landlord. He is an artist who helps Geum-myeong get a job at the movies and is portrayed to have affections for the young woman.

Choi Yang-im (Na Moon-hee), Hong Kyung-ja (Baek Ji-won), and Park Chung-su (Cha Mi-kyung) are all haenyeos (female divers in the province of Jeju) who have recurring roles as loveable and hilarious aunties that journey with Ae-sun and Gwan-sik through life. They often share wisdom and banter with both their mothers: Jeon Gwang-rye (Yeom Hye-ran) and Kwon Gye-ok (Oh Min-ae), respectively.

Overall, the casting of the characters was a 10/10, and the chemistry between the actors and the characters was believable and so beautiful. I ended up cheering for almost all of them and regretted not seeing more of some. Each character had profound depth, a struggle, and a goal in life. It was hard not to root for a single character.

The Mood and Message

When Life Gives You Tangerines doesn't shy away from depicting complex emotions such as grief and loss. It explores a range of love, resilience, heartache, warmth, and hope, all in a span of sixteen episodes. The visuals were absolutely stunning, and the warm glow of the sky, sun, and open fields often filled me with a sense of nostalgia--something so familiar, yet so far from reach.

Though the show mostly shed light on sadness, there were moments of happiness, excitement, and undeniable love that the characters felt for each other. Whether it was romantic, platonic, or familial, it was real and unconditional.

It also weaves Korean history and Jeju traditions into the story. While foreign audience members may be unfamiliar with it, the visual representation was inspiring and rather fresh compared to other K-dramas I had watched.

Image Credit: Bernard Gagnon from Wikimedia Commons

Finding joy within hardship was one of the bigger points the show made. This is undeniable. It was there when Ae-sun had to live with her in-laws.

When Gwan-sik was scammed. When Geum-myeong had to break off her engagement. When Eun-myeong's pawn shop failed and he was ultimately jailed. Each character was met with a challenge and overcame that endeavor by focusing on what surrounded them: family, unconditional love, and hope for the next day. A better day.

The show highlights the importance of community. During the show, whenever Ae-sun or Gwan-sik were in trouble, the little island of Jeju came together to help them out by giving them food, taking care of the kids, or by lending them a comforting hand.

Conclusion

Overall, When Life Gives You Tangerines received so much love globally because of the relatability of the characters and the challenges they had to face and overcome. Not one character felt dense or unimportant, and the messages were complex and beautiful and full of life, unlike some other dramas that focused on grit.

I found myself rooting for even the worst of them (Sang-gil) and loving the most complex, still debated characters (Geum-myeong). The story surrounds itself with themes of nostalgic childhood, when things were easier, adulthood, the idea of taking responsibility, parenthood, sacrificing everything for your children, what children feel for their parents, and so much more.

When Life Gives You Tangerines was a love letter to the world about hope, forgiveness, regret, and most importantly, love. True love.

After reading this article, I hope you find in your heart room to watch this beautiful show. It's human and complex and fully driven to make you cry, so keep a box of tissues nearby.