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The Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines premiered its first four episodes from Volume 1 on March 7, 2025. The male lead, Yang Gwan-sik is played by Park Bo-gum.
Gwan-sik is a stoic character deeply rooted in the traditions of Jeju Island, but he is also a devoted husband and loving father. Gwan-sik's character is portrayed as the epitome of loyalty and dedication, especially in his relationships with his wife, Oh Ae-sun (played by IU), and their children.
The narrative of the drama constructs around the late 1950s to 1960s, during South Korea's economic crisis. Park Bo-gum's interpretation of Gwan-sik captures the essence of a man who balances the weight of heavy expectations from society and his wishes.
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Even at a young age, Gwan-sik stood beside Ae-sun like a steel pillar, supporting her through everything. Although Gwan-sik is shown as a timid and quiet man his love and devotion for Ae-sun speaks for itself.
He protected Ae-sun from his cruel grandmother and mother and took care of her by giving her fish when her own uncle would treat her as a housekeeper and starved her. Gwan-sik even sold cabbages from Ae-sun's little shop while she studied literature. When Life Gives You Tangerines episodes 1 to 4 highlight how Gwan-sik believed his life's purpose was to love Ae-sun and support her dreams.
Viewers highlighted Park Bo-gum's ability to bring authenticity to Gwan-sik's character. One fan wrote on X:
"GwanSik is a green forest."
When Life Gives You Tangerines' premiere sparked a wave of reactions from viewers, particularly on social media platforms, regarding the character Gwan-sik.
"Gwansik still bought two bags of peas for geum myeong as she likes peas ever since she was a little girl. A typical asian father love language, they're always gonna buy too much," a fan wrote.
"One of my favorite scenes is when Gwansik decides to side with Aesun and their daughter instead of following their family tradition. Not even his father could have shown her mother such courage," another fan said.
"Although they face struggles and challenges in life, their love isn’t defined by wealth or poverty. they give their all for their daughter, working hard to put food on the table for their family. that sacrifice is a true expression of a parent's love," another fan wrote.
Several fans underscored how much Gwan-sik loved Ae-sun and went against his own family time and time again to shield Ae-sun's dignity and heart.
"Park Bogum chose #WhenLifeGivesYouTangerines —a women centric drama that the story revolves around women— as his comeback drama after military (yk how crucial this is for actor), and playing a character that help break patriarchy? That’s peak masculinity So proud to be his stans," another fan commented.
"The way Gwansik supported his wife to pursue education. He cherished her books, took care of her GED certificate, and bought her the next volume of the College Entrance Exam Preparation book," another fan added.
"“Why would you throw away a girl as pretty as Aesun? She's smart, well-spoken, and really cute.” Nooo gwansik is the only one who sees Aesun's worth and he's the only one who truly care about her, oh to be loved like this," another fan remarked.
Netflix's When Life Gives You Tangerines: IU & Park Bo-gum bring back 1950s love story onscreen with panache
The series opens with the story of Oh Ae-sun, an outspoken girl who lives in Jeju Island during the 1950s. Despite the island's breathtaking beauty in When Life Gives You Tangerines, Ae-sun's life is marred by economic hardships. Her mother, Jeon Gwang-rye, lives with her second husband and two kids and has been spending a hard life as it is.
She left Ae-sun with her late husband's family in hopes of her daughter's chance at a better life. Her mother supports Ae-sun's literary aspirations, encouraging her dream of becoming a poet. Meanwhile, Ae-sun's mother is a haenyeo (traditional female diver) and tries hard to make ends meet as her second husband is a country bumpkin who sleeps drinks, and wastes time.
When Life Gives You Tangerines takes a shift when Gwang-rye dies suddenly at the age of 29, leaving behind her two kids in the care of Ae-sun. Gwang-rye's second husband treats Ae-sun as a housekeeper and manipulates her to take care of the kids and the house while he has an affair with another woman.
Ae-sun faced the unabashed truth of how strictly the patriarchal society goes: her stepfather considers her nothing but a housekeeper and her uncle and grandmother treat her as a scum.
Meanwhile, 10-year-old Gwan-sik steps up to be a steadfast rock for Ae-sun. Although Ae-sun tries to push him away and assumes that he is pitying her, Gwan-sik's steel resolution in being there for Ae-sun every single day takes the spotlight in When Life Gives You Tangerines.
Even though When Life Gives You Tangerines is a woman-centric story of three women from three generations and their journeys, Gwan-sik's unfaltering love and devotion for Ae-sun also take the front seat alongside the show's plot.
When Life Gives You Tangerines is divided into four volumes with four episodes each. Episodes 5 to 8 will be premiered on Netflix on March 14, 2025, at 1:30 PM IST.
