When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade – but when life gives you tangerines, well, you have to roll with it. When Life Gives You Tangerines is a drama that follows the sad but wonderful journey of a young girl who simply rolls through the punches of her life growing up in the harsh economy of the ’60s in Korea.
Starring IU and Park Bo Gum, the series is another win for Netflix this year as it shows that the powerhouse streaming platform has the budget to tell numerous untold stories without sacrificing any aspect of storytelling. From the warm and cozy scoring to the stunning visuals and trip through time, the series has serious dark undertones that are told through a bright Romeo and Juliet-esque love story between two runaways.
IU’s character Ae Sun struggles with the death of her family and the limitations poverty and “being born on the island” has caused her. Despite her natural writing abilities, it seems like a good education and future career is always out of reach and the transformation from childhood to adulthood is beautifully written. Older and wanting to take control of her destiny, she flees to Busan with Gwan Sik and undergoes never-ending blunders and scenarios that make viewers laugh and cry all at once. The transition of IU’s younger self is believable and well-casted as the growth into IU’s character doesn’t feel unrealistic. IU’s acting can really wow viewers as her ability to be more outspoken, rebellious and play a stubborn character accurately juxtaposes her real-life image.
Park Bo Gum’s character Gwan Sik feels more like a side-kick rather than a main lover at times but it doesn’t mean he takes a back seat to having meaningful dialogue and scenes that signify his importance as a partner to Ae Sun. Despite being reserved and soft-spoken, his bravado comes forth when it comes to Ae Sun. However, his silence acts as a great reminder that IU’s character is outspoken for a female and was seen as very unruly in early Korea and quite possibly to this day. As episodes progress, we can see more of Gwan Sik’s daring side and it makes viewers anticipate how the love story will unfold. Could the struggles of life be too much to handle and make this love story end in shambles?
Yeom Hye Ran, who plays Ae Sun’s mother, steals the show. The first episode really takes time to sit and fester with the characters’ difficulties and immerses viewers effortlessly. Selling children off as maids, becoming the “bad guy” as parents fail to spend time with their children just to put food on the table – it’s a tragic mess that Yeom Hye Ran is burdened with and portrays with grace on screen. She is well suited for tragic mother roles it seems.
An important part to take note of is the time period the drama is set. The 1960s was a time when Korea was shifting towards democracy as political atmospheres were tense and a worry over spies from the North and escapees was at an all-time high during Rhee Syng Man’s presidency. The drama acts as a time machine and highlights the political and economic turmoil the country faced rather than the advanced and brightly lit cities we know of today. It also brings Jeju’s particularly hidden culture of small town living alongside the Haenyeo female free divers from Jeju Island known for their culture of diving without oxygen tanks to harvest seafood, to the surface.
This story partnered with the unfamiliar history and visuals of bright yellow canola fields, bustling markets, and croaker fish meals eaten amongst impoverished families in shabby cabins of Jeju really captures viewers’ attention as it purely introduces a new part of Korean people simply aren’t familiar with and makes it worth the watch alone.
The visuals and scoring are quite breathtaking as well. There are various scenes that showcase the beauty of Jeju but also the dark and dirty corners of island life as well. Alongside the old-school marketplaces and developing cities like Busan, the drama has a vintage charm that cannot go unnoticed.
One complaint could again be the pacing. Netflix seems to enjoy a slow-burn approach to the dramas and a lot of visual scenes or slow dialogue can be sluggish to sit through but these scenes add depth and realism to the story collectively. If it weren’t for Yeom Hye Ran’s excellent acting in episode one, it could’ve been easy to question the show’s current #1 ranking on Netflix due to the slow pacing.
Overall, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a beautifully written tragedy that tells a story of Korea that isn’t often brought to life in modern cinema. The mix between harsh realism and love’s fantasy is nicely balanced and fans of IU and Park Bo Gum can be delighted with the storyline as they both breathe life into another set of loveable characters. If you’re looking for a time period piece that isn’t too historic, this series will impress and satisfy. (9/10)
>> ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ Becomes Netflix’s Newest Hit, and Viewers Are Reacting
