Perfect K-dramas are exceedingly rare, but When Life Gives You Tangerines is flawless from beginning to end. Since the mid-2010s, Netflix helped proliferate the genre and rake in millions of new fans, releasing both licensed and original content each year. 2025 was no different, but When Life Gives You Tangerines immediately stood out from competing K-dramas on Netflix upon release.
Despite airing in March, When Life Gives You Tangerines remained a notable triumph through the end of 2025. Well into Q1 2026, When Life Gives You Tangerines is still Netflix’s best K-drama romance. Beyond the streaming giant, the gorgeous series has already made waves within the Korean film industry. Yet, the memorable K-drama’s surging popularity isn’t just due to novelty.
When Life Gives You Tangerines Is Perfect From Start To Finish
The Four-Volume K-Drama Is Revolutionary
2025’s best K-drama follows the life of Oh Ae-sun (IU), a poet who had a tragic upbringing on Jeju Island. She falls in love with Yang Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) and eventually absconds with him to Seoul, but their life is marred with hardships as the couple sacrifice everything for their children, Geum-myeong (also played by IU) and Eun-myeong (Kang You-seok).
The story is split into four distinct volumes, each containing four stunning episodes. The narrative is crafted within a non-linear structure, spanning decades of the family’s life across 1950s Jeju Island and 2000s Seoul. Every detail, from When Life Gives You Tangerines‘ frame narration to its instrumental music to its transition scenes, is poetic and deeply meaningful for Oh Ae-sun.
As reflected in the volumes, When Life Gives You Tangerines is a slice-of-life K-drama that follows its main subject to the end. Alongside her husband and children, Ae-sun goes through the challenging seasons of life, with select episode titles bringing the viewer through spring, summer, fall, winter, and back to spring as Geum-myeong emerges as the K-drama’s new main character.
While plenty of series are stylish, what makes When Life Gives You Tangerines a must-watch K-drama is how it backs itself up with substance. The viewer doesn’t need to be a creative type to let the poetry of When Life Gives You Tangerines wash over them, nor do they need to understand the show’s underlying history to appreciate its significance.
When Life Gives You Tangerines Will Age Well
The 2025 Title Is An Instant Classic
Already, When Life Gives You Tangerines has rightfully been lauded for its meticulous attention to detail. With enough time, however, the series could be inducted as a hall of fame-worthy K-drama. In 11 short months, the Netflix original has proven itself as one of the best K-dramas of the decade, but it has only scratched the surface of its potential.
Despite its vivid setting taking place across incredibly specific historical eras, When Life Gives You Tangerines instantly feels timeless and somewhat nostalgic to boot. There is a captivating push and pull between the K-drama’s two unique timelines, instilling in the viewer a true sense of passing years — or a dichotomous “then” and “now” dynamic — that only bolsters its rich storytelling.
Furthermore, while Park Bo-gum and IU’s performances have been celebrated, When Life Gives You Tangerines could be a career-defining project. IU’s transition from music to acting has been incredibly successful, but no role has shown her tremendous talent as much as Ae-sun/Geum-myeong. Similarly, Park Bo-gum has played many beloved male leads, all of whom pale in comparison to Gwan-sik.
Though When Life Gives You Tangerines immediately has a feeling of melancholy, true nostalgia will only help the series thrive as its legacy begins forming. After a few years, viewers will notice new details that deserve attention. Later, critics will have enough perspective to write glowing retrospectives. Soon enough, Gwan-sik and Ae-sun will be remembered as an incomparable K-drama couple.
Are There Other K-Dramas Like When Life Gives You Tangerines?
Nothing Hits Exactly The Same
Until When Life Gives You Tangerines secures its place among the ranks of Crash Landing on You and Reply 1988, fans have other K-dramas on streaming services to bide their time. Regardless of whether your favorite part is the poetry, the period-accurate costuming, or the scenic setting, there are fitting alternatives for every aspect of When Life Gives You Tangerines.
For those who enjoy the thematic passage of time and family dynamics, Apple TV’s Pachinko fits the bill, though it brings its unique flair for incorporating Japanese and American culture into the lives of its central immigrant family. Conversely, fans of the early days on Jeju Island might prefer something like Our Blues, which takes place in the same area.
To replace the main love story, viewers can turn to the surplus romantic K-dramas available, prioritizing period pieces, childhood friends-to-lovers arcs, or perhaps simply past roles from Park Bo-gum and IU’s filmographies. While nothing will be able to perfectly check every box, there are many K-dramas like When Life Gives You Tangerines that at least accomplish similar feelings of sentimentality.
Still, nothing is a perfect replacement for When Life Gives You Tangerines; the beauty of the K-drama rests in its singularity. There has never been a story told exactly like Ae-sun’s, and there never will be again. Future K-dramas may try to capture the same effect, but there’s an earnestness to When Life Gives You Tangerines that can’t be imitated.
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Kim Won-suk
