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When Life Gives You Tangerines Volume I review: IU and Park Bo-Gum will make you weep, laugh and root for them in this roller coaster of a story!

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Aishwarya Srinivasan
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Life is all about the choices that you make and When Life Gives You Tangerines portrays that so authentically. Here’s how!

When Life Gives You Tangerines Volume I review: Back in 1960s Korea, when someone presented you tangerines, they were supposed to mean a symbol of fortune and luck. But in the context of this drama, tangerines are meant to be the sourest fruit life throws at you and you're supposed to churn a warm soulful tea out of it. Directed by Kim Won-Seok, the drama is set in Jeju Island where haenyeos (female divers) risk their lives underwater everyday to harvest abalones and seaweed. One such haenyeo is played by the powerhouse of talent Yeom Hye-Ran who believes it is better to be born a cow in Jeju than a woman. Simply because they are made to carry the heaviest burden. Playing Yeom Hye-Ran’s fierce, ambitious and head strong daughter is IU. As Ae-Sun, she wants to break-free of her poor upbringing in Jeju and wants to become a poet in the mainland aka Seoul.

Following her like a shadow since the age of 10 is Gwan-Sik, played by the incredible Park Bo-Gum. He has loved Ae-Sun ever since he saw her and it’s all he has ever known. He doesn’t have any extraordinary talent but he sure will move heaven and hell for her if need be. Since childhood, he’ll deliver extra fish to her house so she eats well. He’ll sit next to her at her cabbage shop, help her sell those cabbages, give her a good seat to sit on, make her wear her shoes properly - he is that green flag of a guy who will kiss the road she walks on. In the middle of an aesthetic flower field when the two share their first kiss, it’s messy, full of love and something a lot of us would resonate with. But Ae-Sun did not want to live the housekeeping life like her mom. She wanted to shatter stereotypes and just get out of the small town she lived in. This breaks Gwan-Sik’s heart but he decides to go his own way, since she had made her choice. To find the fastest way to get rich, she was about to marry an old hag, but she had her ‘meri train chhut rahi hai moment’ like Geet from Jab We Met and ran back to Gwan-Sik just when his ship was about to leave. 

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And what does he do when he hears crying from miles away, you might ask? He ACTUALLY swims his whole way back to her. How could the thought of marriage ever be scary if he is the guy you’re in love with? The scene not only makes you cry but also raises your standards just when you thought K-dramas might have run out of ideas to do that anymore. Hence through unending love, kindness, and whatever little they had, they begin a new life together, whilst kissing their big dreams goodbye! But even though neither of them could achieve what they wanted, they still found joy in their daily life. There were moments when Ae-Sun looked at her life and felt like she was looking at a painting. 

Gwan-Sik’s family did not believe in educating girls or even let them ride a tricycle for that matter. But Ae-Sun did not want her daughter to grow up that way. She wants her to flip the table, own the world and have the best experiences in life. Gwan-Sik replies to her saying that she can flip the table too if she wants and he would support her through his family’s drama. I saw my parents in Gwan-Sik and Ae-Sun and probably you will too. Because here are two people who fell in love when they were rather young and gave up on their dreams to raise a family. Isn’t that almost every household ever? When Life Gives You Tangerines is about breaking generational barriers and trauma to let the ones that come after us to live the life the way they want. It’s about giving women equal respect on the dinner table, about holding your partner’s hand when things get tough, and going above and beyond to provide for your family.

when life gives you tangerines

Ae Sun’s daughter asks her if she could go back in time, would she marry Gwan-Sik again? And she says “I’d do it all over again”. Isn’t that what most of our parents would reply? They’ve seen so many hardships together and stood by each other through thick and thin. In the swarm of our everyday lives, I think we often forget that our parents are figuring out life for the first time as well. They’re also just a little boy or girl on the inside and we need to give them the space to figure things out or experience things they couldn’t when they were younger. When Life Gives You Tangerines is a poignant and beautiful reminder of that and I’m ready for this soup for the soul of a series to lure me into its world every Friday!

People are also raving about this series ever since it came out. Have a look!

When Life Gives You Tangerines is currently streaming on Netflix!

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