When Netflix released When Life Gives You Tangerines in the spring of 2025, expectations were high. With actors IU and Park Bo-Gum headlining and Jeju Island as a cinematic backdrop, the series teased a light-hearted romance tinged with emotional weight and the tear-jerking moments, typical of a Korean drama. However, as the weeks in March passed, audiences were instead treated to something much richer — a tender, slow-burning story spanning five decades, bringing the quiet complexities of life and human connection to the screen.

Written by Lim Sang Choon, who is also known for her work on Fight For My Way (2017) and When the Camellia Blooms (2019), When Life Gives You Tangerines quickly garnered both critical acclaim and audience affection. Predominantly set on Jeju Island, the series follows two romantic leads – Oh Ae-Sun (played by IU), and Yang Gwan-Sik (Bo Gum). Oh Ae-Sun, a fiercely independent “Literary Girl” who dreams of becoming a poet, falls in love with Yang Gwan-Sik - a stoic, yet deeply loyal and devoted young man. Told through a non-linear narrative, the drama frequently shifts between the characters’ youth and their later years. The older actors, portrayed by Moon So-Ri and Park Hae-Joon, ease viewers into their characters’ later lives with seamless, heartfelt performances, quietly affirming that while time may weather the body, love endures unchanged. IU also takes centre stage as she once again showcases her versatility and depth by playing both the young Ae-Sun, and her daughter, Park Geum-Yeong.

Released in episodic quarters, the drama’s central storyline explores themes of community, love, family, and grief as Ae-Sun, Gwan-Sik and their children navigate the difficulties of life amid financial hardship and loss against Korea’s changing political and economic landscape. As the drama stretches across three generations, it is little wonder that it highlights the sacrifices that parents make and the hardships they endure to successfully raise their children. Its poignant reflection on parental devotion resonates with anyone who has ever grappled with the complexities of familial relationships, and the series is filled with profoundly moving lines such as “Parents only remember what they couldn’t give, while children only remember what they couldn’t receive.” Audiences are also given a glimpse into the oppression and discrimination faced by women, as Korea’s social changes are mapped on the lives of the various female characters and the expectations placed upon them.

Lim Sang Choon takes her time in letting her characters breathe, their relationships unfolding naturally. For some viewers, particularly those who prefer punchier and action-filled scenes, the pacing might seem glacial at times. However, those willing to invest their time are rewarded with immense emotional resonance. The drama makes the most out of every minute, and each scene delivers either a beautiful and thought-provoking message, or a contemplative life-lesson. And although Geum-Yeong’s story occasionally took centre stage, nothing could eclipse Ae-Sun and Gwan-sik’s resilience and romance as they perfectly embody the Korean title for the series, Thank You For All Your Hard Work (Jeju: 폭싹 속았수다), in their efforts to build a better life for their children, and for each other.

At its core, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a charming and compelling narrative that captures the essence of the slice-of-life genre, depicting the highs and lows of everyday life in ways that are both distinctly Korean, yet universally relatable. As it reflects on finding sweetness in life amidst the bitterness, this unforgettable drama is sure to induce both laughter and tears in those craving something soulful, poetic and quietly devastating.