# When Life Gives You Tangerines

When Life Gives You Tangerines (Korean: 폭싹 속았수다) is an ongoing South Korean romance slice-of-life television series written by Lim Sang-choon, directed by Kim Won-seok, and starring IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon. It premiered on Netflix on March 7, 2025.

## Plot

The drama follows the adventurous life and many trials of Ae-sun, a poor girl wanting to become a poet who was born in Jeju in 1951, and Gwan-sik, a young man who cherishes and loves her, throughout the four seasons.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* IU as Oh Ae-sun/ Yang Geum-myeong
** Kim Tae-yeon as child Oh Ae-sun
** Moon So-ri as middle age Oh Ae-sun
   * Oh Ae-sun: A spirited rebel, much like a "stubborn potato". Despite being in a situation that calls for maturity, she remains unyielding, her voice trembling like a goat each time she defies. She is a young girl with a touch of literary charm. Though slightly inexperienced, she is not overshadowed. Like a vibrant flower, she defiantly tilts her head towards the sun, even beneath the shaded walls that deny a single ray of light. She is an intriguing character, resolute and unfazed, radiating a captivating presence. Even in circumstances where attending school is impossible, she dreams of becoming a poet. Unafraid to express her emotions openly, her laughter resounds across the vast sea. She is a bold and spirited individual.
   * Yang Geum-myeong: Ae-sun's daughter.
* Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik
** Lee Cheon-mu as child Yang Gwan-sik
** Moon Woo-jin as teen Yang Gwan-sik
** Park Hae-joon as middle age Yang Gwan-sik
    A character as silent and unyielding as a "cast iron" and as unshakable as an "old tree". He is a diligent and unwavering individual, understanding the immense power of true dedication. In matters of love, however, he is as fragile as a ripe peach. Even a smile from Ae-sun can cause his heart to falter, and her tears are equally devastating. Nevertheless, his loyalty, like unyielding steel, remains unshakable. From the very beginning, he loves and cherishes Ae-sun alone, never straying from his commitment. Using the pretext of the era, he takes the reins of Ae-sun's pivotal moments, steering, pulling the emergency brake, and at times even stepping on the accelerator of life. These actions defy the predictable course of time, as he wholeheartedly embraces his role as a warrior of unwavering devotion.

### Supporting

* Kim Yong-rim as Park Mak-cheon
    Gwan-sik's grandmother.
* Oh Min-ae as Kwon Gye-ok
    Gwan-sik's mother.
* Na Moon-hee as Kim Chun-ok
    Ae-sun's grandmother.
* Yeom Hye-ran as Jeon Gwang-rye
    Ae-sun's mother.
* Jung Hae-kyun as Oh Han-moo
    Ae-sun's uncle.
* Choi Dae-hoon as Bu Sang-gil, Ae-sun's political rival
* Kang You-seok as Yang Eun-myeong, Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's son
* Jang Hye-jin as Yeong-ran, Bu Sang-gil's wife
* Baek Ji-won as Hong Kyung-ja, a haenyeo
* Cha Mi-kyung as Park Chung-su, a haenyeo
* Lee Soo-mi as Choi Yang-im, a haenyeo
* Oh Jung-se as Yeom Byeong-cheol
* Uhm Ji-won as Na Min-ok
* Lee Jun-young as Park Yeong-bum
* Lee Soo-kyung

### Special appearances

* Kim Seon-ho as Park Chung-seob
* Lee Soo-mi as Choi Yang-im

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| Volume 1: Spring |||||
| 1 | "Spring in a Heartbeat" Transliteration: "Hororong bom" (Korean: 호로록 봄) | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 7, 2025 (2025-03-07) |
| 2 | "Sassy First Love" Transliteration: "Yomangjin cheotsarang" (Korean: 요망진 첫사랑) | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 7, 2025 (2025-03-07) |
| 3 | "Yesterday Was Your Spring" Transliteration: "Yeseuteodei. "geudeurui bomeun..."" (Korean: 예스터데이. "그들의 봄은...") | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 7, 2025 (2025-03-07) |
| 4 | "The Blazing Summer Sunshine" Transliteration: "Kkwarangkkwarang yeoreum" (Korean: 꽈랑꽈랑 여름) | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 7, 2025 (2025-03-07) |
| Volume 2: Summer |||||
| 5 | "A Midsummer Night's Full Nets" Transliteration: "Hanyeoreum bamui manseon" (Korean: 한여름 밤의 만선) | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 14, 2025 (2025-03-14) |
| 6 | "Life Goes On and On" Transliteration: "Salmin sarajinda" (Korean: 살민 살아진다) | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 14, 2025 (2025-03-14) |
| 7 | "A Fruitful Fall" Transliteration: "Jarakjarang gaeul" (Korean: 자락자락 가을) | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 14, 2025 (2025-03-14) |
| 8 | "The Moon Wanes, Yet the Young Heart Remains" Transliteration: "Byeonhaneuni dariyo, maeumiya neukgenneunga" (Korean: 변하느니 달이요, 마음이야 늙겠는가) | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 14, 2025 (2025-03-14) |
| Volume 3: Autumn |||||
| 9 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 21, 2025 (2025-03-21) |
| 10 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 21, 2025 (2025-03-21) |
| 11 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 21, 2025 (2025-03-21) |
| 12 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 21, 2025 (2025-03-21) |
| Volume 4: Winter |||||
| 13 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 28, 2025 (2025-03-28) |
| 14 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 28, 2025 (2025-03-28) |
| 15 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 28, 2025 (2025-03-28) |
| 16 | TBA | Kim Won-seok | Lim Sang-choon | March 28, 2025 (2025-03-28) |

## Production
### Development

The series was developed under the working title Life (Korean: 인생; RR: Insaeng) directed by Kim Won-seok and written by Lim Sang-choon marking her return after writing the 2019 KBS drama When the Camellia Blooms. In December 2022, production designer Ryu Seong-hie mentioned that the series was one of her new project. It would be her third drama after Little Women and Mask Girl.
On January 27, 2023, the official Korean title of the series was unveiled as "폭싹 속았수다": the title, derived from the Jeju dialect, carries the meaning of "Thank you for your hard work". Three days later, Netflix announced the English title of the series to be When Life Gives You Tangerines. The production cost is known to be around ₩60 billion.

### Casting

On January 27, 2023, IU and Park Bo-gum were confirmed to be cast in the roles of main characters Ae-sun and Gwan-sik respectively. This is the second collaboration between Kim Won-seok and IU after the 2018 tvN drama series My Mister.
On January 30, 2023, Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon were officially confirmed to play the older versions of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, respectively. This marks the fourth collaboration between Park Hae-joon and director Kim Won-seok, following their successful partnerships on tvN dramas like Misaeng: Incomplete Life, My Mister, and Arthdal Chronicles.
Following the casting news, on February 28, 2023, Choi Dae-hoon was also confirmed as part of the cast. Furthermore, it was revealed that filming for the series would commence in March. On March 10, 2023, the casting of Na Moon-hee and Kim Yong-rim was announced. This project reunites Kim Yong-rim and IU after nine years, since their previous joint project in the KBS2 weekend drama series You Are the Best! which aired in 2013. Finally, on March 15, 2023, Lee Jun-young's casting was confirmed.
The first script reading for the cast members took place on March 7, 2023. Among the actors in attendance were IU, Park Bo-gum, Lee Jun-young, Choi Dae-hoon, Na Moon-hee, and Kim Yong-rim.
On May 12, 2023, Lee Soo-kyung's casting was confirmed. It has been reported that the script reading was about to take place after a meeting with director Kim Won-seok. Baek Ji-won's casting was confirmed on June 23, 2023, followed by Oh Jeong-se's confirmation on July 25, 2023. Jeong Yi-seo's casting was confirmed on August 24, 2023. Lee Soo-mi's casting was confirmed on September 5, 2023. In an interview with Yeom Hye-ran on September 16, 2023, it was revealed that her next work would be When Life Gives You Tangerines.
An article was published on July 27, 2023, announcing that Kim Seon-ho would make a special appearance. In December of the same year, while attending the 8th Asia Artist Awards in Bulacan, Philippines, Kim Seon-ho mentioned that the drama was slated to be his project for 2024. In January 2024, a news report mentioned his appearance in the drama.

### Filming

The drama was also filmed in Andong more than 30 times in 2023.

## Release

In April 2023, it was announced that PAN Entertainment signed production contract with Netflix. It was planned to be released in 190 countries in 2024. On January 30, 2024, media outlets shared the script reading photos of the drama and confirm its exclusive release on Netflix worldwide.
In January 2025, Netflix confirmed the release date of the series to be on March 7.