Cover ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ weaves themes of love, loss, family and the importance of community into a deeply emotional narrative, (Photo: Netflix)
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ weaves themes of love, loss, family and the importance of community into a deeply emotional narrative, (Photo: Netflix)
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The K-drama may have ended, but the life lessons it imparted will stay with us forever
When Life Gives You Tangerines is set to be remembered as one of the best K-dramas of all time. With its heartwarming story, compelling characters, stunning cinematography and powerful life lessons, it has captured the hearts of viewers worldwide.
The series weaves themes of love, loss, family and the importance of community into a deeply emotional narrative, leaving a lasting impression that resonates long after the final episode. It’s a show that doesn’t just entertain but also enlightens, making it truly unforgettable.
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1. The community you surround yourself with is what will carry you through life.
Above The haenyo women who raised Ae-sun (Photo: Netflix)
The haenyo women who raised Ae-sun (Photo: Netflix)
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It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a community to keep you going no matter what life throws your way.
Orphaned at a young age, the people in Ae-sun’s village took it upon themselves to raise her. The haenyo community, which Ae-sun’s mother was a part of when she was still alive, proved to be lifelong allies and guardians. Even when Ae-sun had grown-up kids of her own, the haenyo aunties stayed by her side. And in their twilight years, they fretted whether Ae-sun would be able to finally stand on her own without them around to support her.
Through life’s ups and downs, Ae-sun’s community stood by her to bear witness, cheer her on, protect her, chide her and share life’s joys and burdens.
2. Find a man who is devoted to you.
Above Together through thick and thin (Photo: IMDb)
Above Gwan-sik remained devoted to Ae-sun their whole lives.(Photo: Netflix)
Together through thick and thin (Photo: IMDb)
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Find yourself a man who loves you as much as Gwan-sik loves Ae-sun.
When it comes to husbands, Gwan-sik sets the gold standard. Known as “Steelheart”, he’s the embodiment of devotion—adoring, loyal and unwavering. He dedicated his life to Ae-sun’s happiness and the well-being of their children, quietly enduring hardships and heartaches.
He showed his love through acts of devotion, big and small—from grand gestures like swimming across the ocean to return to Ae-sun to small ones like providing Ae-sun with a lifetime supply of hair clips. He’s a man who would defy his own family and scold a beloved daughter for his wife.
As Geum-myeong later points out, she may be number one in her father’s heart, but her mother was always “number zero”.
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3. Know your worth.
Above ‘I do love you deeply. But I love myself deeply, too.’ (Photo: IMDb)
‘I do love you deeply. But I love myself deeply, too.’ (Photo: IMDb)
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If it’s a choice between loving someone and loving yourself, always choose yourself.
There’s no question that Geum-myeong’s first love, Park Yeong-beom, cared for her deeply. Even Ae-sun noticed how devoted he was to her. But when Yeong-beom's mother kept belittling Geum-myeong and her parents, Geum-myeong felt compelled to call off their wedding, telling him, “I do love you deeply. But I love myself deeply, too.”
4. There’s more to people than meets the eye.
Above People contain multitudes. (Photo: IMDb)
People contain multitudes. (Photo: IMDb)
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Bu Sang-gil’s redemption arc proves that people are complex and multifaceted. For most of the drama, he was portrayed as a philandering husband and a neglectful father, making it hard to sympathise with him. However, in the final volume of Tangerines, the audience learns that despite his many failings, he had moments of redemption, revealing that even the most flawed individuals have the capacity for growth and change.
5. You reap what you sow.
Above It pays to be kind. (Photo: Netflix)
It pays to be kind. (Photo: Netflix)
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You never know when and how, but the universe keeps score and always pays back the kindness you give others.
When Ae-sun and Gwan-sik warned a young woman about the motel owner’s schemes, they did so because it was the right thing to do. Many years later, the woman, now much older, repaid their kindness by protecting Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s daughter when she was falsely accused of theft.
In another instance, a celebrity rescues Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s restaurant from closure to pay back the kindness Gwan-sik showed her years before, when he hid her from reporters and photographers during a vulnerable time in her life.
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