On March 10, 2025, OSEN reported that When Life Gives You Tangerines, starring IU and Park Bo-gu, topped the TV-OTT topical drama category list from Good Data Corporation. The Netflix series surpassed Choi Woo-shik and Park Bo-young's Melo Movie and Ju Ji-hoon's The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call.
When Life Gives You Tangerines is called "폭싹 속았수다" in Korean, which literally translates to "I was completely fooled". The series is also known in South Korea as You Have Done Well or Pokssak sog-atsuda or Foolish.
Good Data Corporation's Data representative, Won Soon-woo, said:
"It appears that netizens have been posting comments with the most diverse positive expressions recently, such as funny-cute-sad-hilarious-touching-thrilling-lovely. Viewers who felt tired of Netflix, which focused on releasing only crime-thriller-fantasy genres until last year, are responding positively to Netflix's works that have been continuously releasing popular dramas since 25 years ago."
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Furthermore, both IU and Park Bo-gum have topped the TV-OTT Drama Topical Cast category. IU ranked No. 1 on the chart, while Park Bo-gum took second place.
When Life Gives You Tangerines: Episodes 1 to 4 plot overview
When Life Gives You Tangerines is divided into four parts, representing the four seasons of South Korea. South Korean veteran actor Moon So-ri plays the part of the older IU. Park Hae-joon plays the older version of Park Bo-gum.
Furthermore, aside from playing middle-aged Ae-sun, IU also plays the part of Ae-sun's daughter, Geum-myeong. Melo Movie star Lee Jun-young plays the role of Geum-young's (IU) lover.
The South Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines is set against the picturesque backdrop of Jeju Island. The series intricately weaves a tale of love, resilience, and personal growth, spanning several decades.
The narrative follows the intertwined lives of Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik, portrayed by actors IU (Lee Ji-eun) and Park Bo-gum, respectively.
When Life Gives You Tangerines chronicles the adventurous life of Oh Ae-sun, characterized as a "rebel," who harbors dreams of becoming a poet despite her impoverished background, which prevents her from attending school.
Her free-spirited nature and love for literature contrast sharply with the societal expectations of the time when women were pushed inside the kitchen. Yang Gwan-sik, on the other hand, is depicted as an introverted and diligent young man who loves and respects Ae-sun.
More than Ae-sun, it was Gwan-sik who wished to see her fly and live her dream. When Ae-sun dreamt of becoming the President at the age of 10, Gwan-sik declared that he would become the First Gentleman (a female President's husband). All his life, he spent quietly taking care of Ae-sun like a rock, never deviating from his course.
When Life Gives You Tangerines opens in the present day, introducing a 70-year-old Ae-sun participating in a poetry-writing session for the elderly. This setting serves as a portal to her past, transporting viewers to Jeju Island in the early 1960s.
Young Ae-sun, portrayed by Kim Tae-yeon, is a bright and imaginative girl living with her paternal relatives due to her family's financial constraints.
Her mother, Jeon Gwang-rye (Yum Hye-ran), is a haenyeo—a traditional female diver—who works tirelessly to provide for her children. Despite the hardships, Ae-sun's passion for poetry and learning remains undeterred.
She often spends time by the shore, observing her mother and the other haenyeo, and forms a close bond with Gwan-sik, the son of a local fishmonger.
As Ae-sun grows older, her determination to pursue education intensifies. However, societal norms and financial limitations pose significant obstacles. However, her mother dies unexpectedly, leaving Ae-sun and her siblings to navigate life.
The 10-year-old Ae-sun faces harsh reality as she tills the field, grows cabbages, sells them in the market, and takes care of her two siblings like a mother, while also cleaning the house and cooking for them. Meanwhile, his stepdad idly passes away the days by sleeping and drinking. Eventually, Ae-sun's dream suffers.
After she turns 18, she decides to run away to Seoul and start a new life. Gwan-sik joins her, as his life is nothing without her. However, they both get robbed and duped in the massive city of Busan. After returning to Jeju, Ae-sun faces another harsh reality as she gets called the "village waste."
She gets thrown out of her stepdad's house, and her uncle also refuses to take her in. This loss forces Ae-sun to move in with Gwan-sik's family after he finally convinces her to marry him. Gwan-sik's unwavering support becomes a pillar of strength for Ae-sun during this tumultuous period.
When Life Gives You Tangerines highlights the socio-political conditions during the 70s, that is filled with turbulence. Ae-sun's dream of higher studies and literature seems far-fetched because of gender norms and economic restrictions.
Gwan-sik urges Ae-sun to chase her dreams beyond the island, keeping in view the barriers posed by society. Their relationship is then attempted by tests of distance and different life choices, yet they feel they overcome hardships with respect and love for each other.
Episodes 5 to 8 of When Life Gives You Tangerines will premiere on March 14, 2025. Viewers can stream the show on Netflix.
