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On April 3, 2025, Netflix released a behind-the-scenes commentary video with the cast and director of the drama series When Life Gives You Tangerines, making fans excited. In the video the cast spilled the tea on many of the most talked-about moments in the series.
One such memorable moment in the drama series occurs when Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) jumps off a ship, swims to the shore, and hugs Ae-sun (IU). IU, after seeing that scene, revealed that the second hug, which occurred after they talked a bit, was not in the script.
"But we looked at each other once and then, hugged again," she said.
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The director, Kim Won-seok, confirmed that the hug was not in the original script; there was only supposed to a "sniffle and cry." However, since he found the scene impactful, he kept it as it is. Park Bo-gum then stated:
"It was cool that we didn't even plan it."
Fans took to X to express their thoughts about this revelation. One fan remarked that they loved the duo and would enjoy seeing them together in other dramas.
"Oh I love them I need to see them more as couples in dramas," commented a fan on X.
Similar reactions continued on X, where some fans stated that the hug made the scene much better.
"That actually made this scene so much better and more fun They were both really cold ad shivering while filming," commented another fan.
"The unscripted 'Hug' made the entire scene even more emotional/amazing. The drama When Life Gives You Tangerines is the most beautiful/amazing drama in Kdrama history. The story of the drama/everyone's acting in the drama is fabulous. I really enjoyed and loved every bit of it," reacted another fan.
"Their chemistry is just on another level!" exclaimed another fan.
More fan reactions indicated that the duo "nailed" the scene, while another commented that this is what occurs when one collaborates with talented individuals.
"They nailed it! their calibre in acting is the same! the dynamic is so good, you don’t even focus that much in their chemistry coz it's already there.. it’s all balanced. they really give life to the story and character. their emotions don’t clash, just pure drama!" remarked another fan.
"When you work with talented people," added another fan.
"The wavelength of their brains is the same," wrote another fan.
More about the drama series When Life Gives You Tangerines
When Life Gives You Tangerines follows the story of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik in the backdrop of picturesque Jeju Island. Their love unfolds into a lifelong story full of ups and downs, which proves the enduring power of love.
When Life Gives You Tangerines is written by Lim Sang-choon and directed by Kim Won-seok. IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, and Park Hae-joon play the titular roles. The Korean title of the series is Pokssak sogatsuda, which is a Jeju language verb and translates to "Thank you for your hardwork."
Its English title is a clever play on the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." The creators swapped lemons with tangerines as a nod to Jeju's famous mandarin oranges.
The drama series garnered a lot of praise and attention from the audience and critics alike. Following the release of its final episode, When Life Gives You Tangerines ranked at No.3 on Global Top 10 Non-English shows on Netflix. The show is currently rated 9.3/10 on IMDb.
When Life Gives You Tangerines concluded on March 28, 2025, and is available for streaming on Netflix.
