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The Netflix original series 'When Life Gives You Tangerines', starring IU and Park Bogum, has garnered significant attention. Set in 1950s Jeju, the drama portrays the eventful lives of the rebellious Ae-soon and the steadfast Gwan-sik through the changing seasons. The collaboration between writer Im Sang-choon of 'When the Camellia Blooms' and director Kim Won-seok of 'My Mister' generated high expectations even before its release.
'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is a 16-episode romance, historical, family, and human drama. IU plays the young Oh Ae-soon, and Park Bogum plays the young Yang Gwan-sik, with Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon portraying their older counterparts. The title, a Jeju dialect phrase meaning 'You've worked hard', emotionally depicts the lives of the parental generation who found love and built families amidst challenging times. The series achieved global success, surpassing 29 million views in the non-English category on Netflix, topping Korean Gallup surveys for two consecutive months, and winning Best Drama at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards.
Bloggers praise the drama for offering a profound reflection on the lives and sacrifices of the parental generation, extending beyond a simple romance. Park Bogum's character, Gwan-sik, is particularly noted for his steadfast love expressed through actions rather than words, while IU's Ae-soon resonates with viewers for her resilience in pursuing dreams despite life's hardships. Audiences have lauded it as a 'perfect drama that brings tears' and a 'masterpiece that makes one reflect on parents' lives'.
