Ae-soon (IU) and Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) get married in a scene from the drama “When Life Offers You Tangerines.” Courtesy of Netflix
The Netflix drama “When Life Offers You Tangerines,” which premiered on March 7, is hanging an emotional chord with viewers for its heartfelt portrayal of oldsters born within the Nineteen Fifties.
The sequence has sparked a wave of on-line responses, with many saying it reminded them of their very own households, as one viewer wrote, “I couldn’t cease crying as a result of it jogged my memory of my mother.”
In response to international OTT rating website FlixPatrol, the sequence ranked No. 1 within the Netflix TV present class in 10 international locations, together with Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as of March 10. It additionally positioned sixth within the international TV present rankings.
The 16-part drama follows the lives of three generations of ladies, from Ae-soon (performed by IU), who was born in Jeju Island, to her mom and her daughter. Spanning 65 years from the Sixties to the current, the sequence sheds gentle on the struggles of oldsters who endured hardship after the (1950-1953) Korean Battle however hoped their kids would lead higher lives.
It captures the emotional depth of ladies who devoted themselves to caregiving from a younger age and later endured hardship in marriage.
Many viewers shared tearful reactions on-line, with feedback similar to, “My eyes have been swollen from crying a lot pondering of my dad and mom,” and “It made me understand simply how troublesome life will need to have been for girls again then.” Director Kim Received-seok beforehand described the drama as “a tribute to the guardian era.”
The title “When Life Offers You Tangerines” is a translation of the Jeju dialect phrase „Pokssak Sogatsuda,“ that means “You’ve labored so exhausting.”
Center-aged Ae-soon (Moon So-ri) within the drama “When Life Offers You Tangerines.” Courtesy of Netflix
Whereas there have been many interval dramas coping with the postwar era, few have centered on the lives of odd folks. Latest examples like “Chief Detective 1958” (2024), which facilities on the work of cops, and “Uncle Samsik” (2024), which focuses on political turmoil, mirror extra male-centric and darker narratives.
Kim Heon-sik, a professor of social science at Jungwon College, mentioned, “Sequence like ‘Uncle Samsik’ fell in need of producing broad resonance attributable to their darkish and male-centered tone, whereas ‘When Life Offers You Tangerines’ stands out for its heat, uplifting story that may be embraced by all generations.”
The drama additionally units itself other than prevailing traits. Most main broadcast dramas nonetheless revolve round chaebol households or elite professionals, whereas OTT platforms are crammed with violent and provocative genres.
In distinction, “When Life Offers You Tangerines” gently and humorously explores the on a regular basis experiences of odd dad and mom and kids, providing a uncommon instance of a human drama in at this time’s market.
A lot of the drama’s energy additionally stems from its author. Im Sang-chun, recognized for “Struggle for My Method” (2017), which portrayed younger folks with out credentials, and “When the Camellia Blooms” (2019), a narrative a couple of sort and robust single mom, has as soon as once more delivered a script crammed with heat and wit.
In a previous interview, the author — believed to be a lady in her late 30s — mentioned, “I wish to write tales that cheer folks on, like pumping air right into a bicycle tire.”
The drama’s traces have additionally struck a deep chord. In a single scene, after a quarrel between Ae-soon and her daughter over poverty, a narration follows: “For folks, solely their regrets linger. For kids, solely their resentments stay.”
Ae-soon and Gwan-sik smile whereas their child in a scene from the drama “When Life Offers You Tangerines.” Captured from Netflix
One other broadly shared quote comes when Ae-soon, who dreamed of turning into a poet, and Gwan-sik (performed by Park Bo-gum), who as soon as aspired to be a swimmer, hand over on their desires of their late teenagers: “Spring for them was not a season to dream, however a season to surrender desires. And so they did so willingly.”
Yoon Seok-jin, a professor of Korean literature at Chungnam Nationwide College, mentioned, “Many current dramas are crammed with tales about chaebol households which might be indifferent from the truth of odd folks. Im Sang-chun’s works resonate as a result of they pass over synthetic parts and painting real-life challenges in a dramatic but relatable method.”
This text from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Instances, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Instances.
