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On March 12, 2025, Netflix released its weekly viewership ranking, in which the IU and Park Bo-gum starrer When Life Gives You Tangerines secured fourth place globally among non-English TV shows.
The show, which was released on March 7 with the first four episodes, recorded 3.6 million views (13.9 million watch hours) within just three days. It follows Medusa, Just One Look, and Cassandra on the chart. The show's global reach has expanded further by breaking into the Top 10 in 24 countries, including Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, and Bolivia.
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When Life Gives You Tangerines is a slice-of-life drama about Ae-soon, played by IU, and Gwan-sik, played by Park Bo-gum. Ae-soon is a free-spirited woman, while Gwan-sik is a strong-willed man. Together, they navigate life's challenges and adventures on Jeju Island in the 1960s.
With its stunning Jeju landscape, When Life Gives You Tangerines joins the ranks of popular seaside dramas, a genre beloved by audiences of all ages. Following in the footsteps of hits like Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Our Blues, and Welcome to Samdal-ri, this drama combines stunning coastal scenery with uplifting, feel-good storytelling.
The series is penned by Lim Sang-chun, the creative force behind the popular drama When the Camellia Blooms, and directed by the renowned Kim Won-suk, celebrated for his previous works, Misaeng and My Mister.
All about Netflix's drama series When Life Gives You Tangerines
When Life Gives You Tangerines was initially developed under the working title Life or 인생 in Korean. As per SBS entertainment news, on January 27, 2023, the series' official Korean title was revealed to be "폭싹 속았수다", a phrase rooted in the Jeju dialect that translates to "Thank you for your hard work".
The story celebrates the joyful days of our parents' youth as captured in old photographs. It's a tribute to their vibrant early years, filled with first loves, heroic moments, rebellious spirits, and enduring love.
This 16-episode drama tells the story of three generations of women, beginning with Ae-soon, played by IU, who was born on Jeju Island. The series spans 65 years, from the 1960s to the present, exploring the challenges faced by parents who survived the Korean War and hoped for a brighter future for their children.
It explores the emotional journeys of women who devoted themselves to caregiving and faced challenges in marriage, highlighting their struggles and resilience.
During the press conference for the drama series, as reported by The Korea Times on March 5, director Kim Won-suk described When Life Gives You Tangerines as:
"a tribute to the parent and grandparent generations and a cheering anthem for the younger generation."
In the press conference, IU also shed some light on the English title for the series and said:
"Our English title is 'When Life Gives You Tangerines.' It's a drama about making warm tangerine tea from even the sourest tangerines life throws at you. I hope you'll take the time to watch our drama with a calm and peaceful heart."
When Life Gives You Tangerines is available on Netflix in batches of four episodes, released weekly beginning on March 7, 2025.
