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Park Bo-gum's return to the small screen was one of the most awaited comebacks of the month. The actor, whom viewers last saw in Record of Youth in 2020 prior to his military enlistment in the same year, recently made a comeback with Netflix's latest K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines opposite IU.
Park Bo-gum plays Yang Gwan-sik, the male lead in the drama. He portrays the teen and 20s age of Gwan-sik, who falls in love with Ae-sun. They get married and start a family while navigating the ups and downs of life. Fans have loved Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik and have showered appreciation for the actor.
However, his on-screen time has reduced considerably in the latest volumes of the drama. With barely a few minutes of appearance, the younger Gwan-sik is now apparently being missed by fans. Viewers are seemingly disappointed at the lack of screentime for Park Bo-gum, expressing their opinions about the same on social media platforms like X.
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"The disappointment is valid. If you wait 5 years to see your fave, you’ll naturally want more screen time for him. But knowing how smart Bogum is, he looked at the script and still accepted it. Then went above and beyond with promotions. Let’s support him and respect his decision," one fan tweeted.
"The good takeaway is that he was able to deliver an award worthy performance enough to expose himself to a new wider audience that were in awe of his acting skills. It was much needed given this is his comeback role after military enlistment," an X user wrote.
"My only disappointment is if he wasn’t going to have enough screen time, they shouldn’t have put him on the main poster because it kinda gave the hint that the show will be majorly on IU/Bogum but it’s still a beautiful show regardless and he has an excellent choice in script," a fan said.
"May I just say that his character, Gwansik, is so impactful that I didn't even realized he had shorter screentime? Although I am only a casual viewer of PBG and IU, I understand the struggle of wanting more screentime for them cuz I am also like that to my faves," another replied.
Netizens showed sympathy towards those who wished for more screen time, but at the same time, they also supported Park Bo-gum's decision to choose this script. Some also went ahead to justify the limited screen time, stating that the main focus of the story is the women characters.
"For the time Bogum has in the series, he shines very well and really plays his role perfectly, but still, I understand you.But I promise you this will be one of Bogum's most memorable roles," an X user replied.
"Guys what do you mean we’re not getting park bo gum and IU young life back ? Like we’re not gonna see their duo anymore ??? It was only six episodes ?? NO I wished it was the entire kdrama about their relationship I’m devastated," a fan commented.
"Does it even matter? You’re too focused on the man, but this drama is about parenthood, sacrifice of hardworking people , and the real raw struggles women face every freaking day. And yes women need more screen time!! And ur main focus is only 'Park Bogum got less screen time?'" another viewer wrote.
What is the plot of When Life Gives You Tangerines starring Park Bo-gum and IU?
When Life Gives You Tangerines follows the lives of Ae-sun, Gwan-sik, and their children. Ae-sun and Gwan-sik grew up on Jeju Island. Ae-sun has high ambitions but she adjusts to life's curveballs and finds happiness with Gwan-sik. The drama moves across generations to highlight the struggle of women and the island folk in extension.
IU plays young Ae-sun and then Ae-sun's grown-up daughter, Geum-myeong. Park Bo-gum plays young Gwan-sik, while Park Hae-joon and Moon So-ri play the middle-aged and older Gwan-sik and Ae-sun respectively.
The drama premiered on March 7 with four episodes released at once. Each batch of episodes is termed a volume, and so far, three volumes of the drama have been released. The latest Volume Three premiered on March 21, 2025.
