Tonight on Netflix: Rated 4.3 out of 5, this K-drama approaches perfection!

This series featuring IU and Park Bo-gum, where love, loss, and hope intertwine over several decades, has been the South Korean revelation of 2025: it is titled "When Life Gives You Tangerines," the poetic, the authentic, the moving.

Ae-Sun (IU) and Gwan-Sik (Park Bo-gum) were born on the enchanting island of Jeju, South Korea, in the 1950s. Ae-Sun is a rebellious young girl, passionate about reading and poetry. Coming from a modest family, she cannot attend school, but she never gives up on her dream of becoming a poet. She lets her emotions flow freely, expressing her joys and sorrows without artifice or restraint.

Gwan-Sik, on the other hand, is a sincere, diligent, and reserved young man. Love stories do not come naturally to him, and he often feels lost in the face of Ae-Sun's laughter or tears. Yet, from the very first moment, he loves Ae-Sun with a silent and total love, dedicating himself entirely to her.

Their island love story, narrated by their daughter Yang Geum-myeong, transforms into a timeless tale. Through trials and triumphs, it proves that true love can defy time and obstacles.

Aired on Netflix, "When Life Gives You Tangerines" has been the revelation of 2025. Written by Lim Sang-choon and directed by Kim Won-seok, it skillfully blends romance and slice-of-life with emotion and success.

Featuring a deeply human story centered on life's trials, difficult choices, and how each experience, even painful, can bear fruit in the long run, it conveys a universal message that has not left its viewers indifferent, who rated it 9 out of 10 on IMDb and 4.3 out of 5 on our site: we are approaching perfection...

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Over several decades, the narrative highlights the social evolutions of South Korea while remaining focused on universal emotions: love, loss, family, and the quest for meaning. Carried by a sensitive and poetic narration, the series mixes moments of sweetness and tragedy, showing how, even in the most difficult times, moments of beauty and hope can emerge – like unexpected fruits after a harsh season.

It is therefore not surprising that "When Life Gives You Tangerines" has been widely praised for its screenplay, direction, and acting performances. Indeed, here, the quality of writing and direction is top-notch. The characters are nuanced and endearing, and the pacing skillfully alternates between emotional moments, dramatic tensions, and lighter instances. The staging and cinematography are also noteworthy: the sets, music, and direction immerse us in an authentic 1950s Korea. The entire production is supported by beloved stars IU (Hotel Del Luna, My Mister), whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, and Park Bo-gum (Reply 1988, Love in the Moonlight), who shine and move us with their sincere and sensitive performances.

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Riding on its success, the series has received numerous awards, including eight nominations at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, winning four prizes, including Best Drama Series and Best Screenplay. Time magazine also named it the best Korean series of 2025, and it has been favorably compared to the acclaimed series Reply 1988 (2015-2016), also featuring Park Bo-gum, for its ability to evoke nostalgia and warmth rooted in the Korean experience.

In terms of individual awards, IU particularly stood out. At the Asia Artist Awards and the Blue Dragon Series Awards, she won the respective Artist of the Year (Daesang) and Best Actress awards for her deep and nuanced portrayal of both versions of Ae-Sun and her daughter Geum-myeong, marking one of her most significant moments as an actress on screen. The Asia Artist Awards also honored Park Bo-gum with the Best Actor (Daesang) award, while the Blue Dragon Series Awards awarded IU and Park Bo-gum the Upbit Popular Star award, a distinction largely based on public support, attesting to their immense popularity among the series' viewers. On a broader scale, IU's performance was also recognized at the APAN Star Awards 2025, where she won the Grand Prize (Daesang), solidifying this portrayal as one of the most remarkable of her career to date.

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• Want to discover another must-watch K-drama on Netflix? Here’s one that also beautifully tells a touching love story across time...

"When Life Gives You Tangerines" (La Vie Portera ses Fruits, its original title, as the tangerine is one of the symbols of Jeju Island) is therefore a series that must be seen for its touching story, endearing characters, and emotional richness. Grab the tissues, it’s truly beautiful.

"When Life Gives You Tangerines," created by Kim Won-seok, starring IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri…

1 season available on Netflix.