When life Gives You Tangerines--beautiful family drama

 A confession.  I am affected by IMDB ratings although skeptical.   "When Life Gives you Tangerines" got my attention with a 9.3 rating when it first became available to me, but after a few weeks it climbed to 9.4 proving that North Americans strongly liked it.  My skepticism melted quickly, but its true value is how it builds.

It has romance, heartbreaks, a few laughs, difficult struggles but is really a family drama.  Parenting over two generations is a big part of the plot.  The stories takes place on Jeujeu Island and Seoul.  

Ae-sun is an orphan who runs away and marries Gwan-Sik.  She has three children.

Geum Myeong, the daughter is sent to Japan to study and later works in Seoul where she attracts her first love and has to deal with a disapproving potential mother in law. 

The film uses flashbacks and even flashforwards a lot.  Sometimes it might be annoying, but it usually puts something in context.

This film really does deserve its high ratings due to a great amount of talent.  The few I list are an indication of the overall professionalism.

 Kim Won-seok created the idea and was director and producer.  He has 8 credits as a director and 1 as writer including "Misaeng" (2014), "Signal" (2016) and "My Mister" (2018).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/05/frequency-and-its-extended-korean-remake.html which discusses an American film with "Signal".

Krishna Dinata was the sound editor.  He has 8 credits for the Sound Department and 1 each for composing and music department including "A Copenhagen Love Story" (2025). `

IU (stage name of Lee Ji-eun) hooks you in as Ae-Sun at the beginning and later keeps your attention as the daughter Geum Myeong.  I was fooled by different hairstyles and different acting, but now appreciate she was the true star.  She started at an early age as solo singer.  Several of her songs were ranked number one and she even put out a Japanese album.  She was also popular in China and Taiwan.  She wrote songs including one for "Crash Landing on You" (2019).  She was popular for television commercials.  In December 2024 she provided meals and snacks for protesters against President Yoon Suk Yeol, the president who had declared martial law.   see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html

On her movie career she had 62 acting credits and 26 for composing including "My Mister" (2018) for which she learned sign language and "Broker" (2023)  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/07/broker-japanese-korean-collaboration.html under her real name Ji-eun Lee.

Park Bo-gum played Gwan-Sik, Ae-Sun's first and only love.  He was also a popular singer including with the Japanese market.  He was a torch bearer for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.  A big award winner.  He has 20 acting credits and 1 for soundtrack. including "Itaewan Class" (2020).

Moon So-Ri played the middle age Ae-Sun.  She was active on stage and was a professor of film studies at Konkuk University.  She has 44 acting credits, 2 for directing and 2 for writing including "The President's Barber" (2004), "The Housemaid" (2016), "The Handmaiden" (2016) and "Queenmaker" (2023).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/05/queenmaker.html

Park Hae-Joon played the middle age Gwan-Sik.   He has 44 acting credits including "Misaeng" (2014) and "My Mister" (2018).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/01/my-mister-is-slow-drama-with-emotional.html

Choi Dae-Hoon played Sang-gil, a brutish rival to Gwan-Sik.  He also acted on stage.  He has 26 acting credits including "Crash Landing on You" (2019), "Flower of Evil" (2020), "Melancholia" (2021) and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html

 Oh Jung-se played Byeong-Cheol.  He has 92 acting credits including "Swing Kids" (2018), "It's Okay Not to be Okay" (2020), "Queen of Tears" (2024) and "When the Stars Gossip" (2025).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.htm and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/02/when-stars-gossip.html

Yeom Hye-ran played Ae-Sun's mother in law.  She has 39 acting credits including "Memories of Murder" (2003), "Live Up to Your Name" (2017), "Chocolate" (2019), "The Glory" (2022), "Juvenile Justice" (2022) and "Mask Girl" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/07/live-up-to-your-name.html and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/mask-girl.html

Kim Seon-ho played a boyfriend of Geum Myeong.  He was active in theatre.  He was elevated to leading man status because fans were displeased that he played second fiddle too often.  In this series he plays a strong emotional role, but doesn't get the girl.  He has 15 acting credits including "Strongest Deliveryman" (2017) and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (2021) where he is the leading man.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/10/hometown-cha-cha-cha-another-delightful.html

Jang Hye-jin played Yeong-ran.  She has 29 acting credits including "Poetry" (2010), "Crash Landing on You" (2019), Oscar winner "Parasite" (2019) and "Doctor Slump" (2024).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/parasite-breaks-oscar-tradition.html

This series can be enjoyed subtitled or dubbed on Netflix with some tears and cheers.  This is the most worthy of your attention I have seen this year.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favorite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

Melancholia

Those who hope "Melancholia" is a typical Korean romance, will be frustrated,  Those who appreciate a clever revenge against devious perpetrators will get more satisfaction.  Those who appreciate advanced mathematics will have a bit to feed on.  Personally I found it engaging with many relationships inter-twined.

The initial setting is an elite high school where many of the students are children of wealthy or politically powerful people.  Cheating is normal.  Noh Jung Ah is a manipulator on behalf of the wealthy and is a key element in a cheating experience on behalf of a powerful parent and covering it by framing innocent people.  A revealing quote "Do you know how to get what you want the easy way?  Instead of saying what you want, you listen to what the other person wants" 

First five or so episodes are about abuse and the remainder are  about revenge.  Relationships had been ruined.  Revenge was planned to be as agonizing as the victims had felt.  The self righteous cheaters thought they were doing good, by protecting the wealthy and powerful  i.e. the most deserving.  Strange bedfellows work together, but the opposition is well entrenched.  Redemption occurs for some characters       

Advanced Mathematics is highlighted as a tool.   One student and one teacher are very enthused, but both are relatively honest and powerless and are framed in a coverup.  One interesting angle was to tie Van Gogh into a mathematical analogy.  Mathematics is truth, but has gotten buried by the cheating.  Above all the two main characters find math intellectually challenging.  

There are lots of different relationships portrayed  involving parents, students, teachers, donors, and politicians.  It is well put together

Here are some of the contributors.

Ang-hyub Kim was the director.  He has 9 director credits.

Ji Woon Kim wrote the script.  He has 2 writing credits.

Lee Hye-young was an executive producer.  He has 9 credits as producer including "Queen of Tears" (2024).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/05/queen-of-tears.html

Park Se joon was responsible for the music.  He has 5 composer credits including "Little Women" (2022).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/06/little-women-korean-version.html

Lee Do-hyun plays Baek Sung yoo as a young promising mathematician and later as mature successful mathematician.  He has 15 acting credits including "The Glory" (2022-2023) and "The Good Bad Mother" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/06/the-good-bad-mother.html

Lim Soo-jung plays Ji Yoon Soo, a teacher who encouraged Baek Sung yoo and helped other student.  An honest person who ran up against corruption.  Before films she modeled for magazine ads.    She has 23 acting credits. 

Jin Kyung plays Noh Jung Ah  the principle of a high end high school.  She is the evil manipulator that makes the plot.  She has the most dramatic range of all the characters.  Jin has 40 acting credits including "Glove" (2011), "Assassination" (2015), "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022) and "Queenmaker" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html  Another fabulous series is covered:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/05/queenmaker.html 

 Choi Dae-hoon plays Ryo Sung  Jae, the fiance of Ji Yoon Soo.  He has 25 acting credits including "Crash Landing on You" (2019), "Flower of Evil" (2020) and  "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html

Oh Gwang-Rok played Ji Hyun-Wook the father to Ji Yoon Soo.  He has 29 acting credit including "Oldboy" (2003)

Paul Battle plays Professor Adolf Miller, an American mathematicians.  Born in British Columbia he went to Korea to teach English and got involved with educational videos for schools.  He left for North America, but a few years later he saw a chance to get involved with film features.  Speaking Korean gives him opportunities which gave him 21 acting credits including "Vincenzo" (2021) and "You are My Spring" (2021).

"Melancholia" can be seen on Netflix with subtitles.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily recommendation, but generally found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Flower of Evil

Flower of Evil" (2020) is one of my best recallable psychological criminal stories ever.  With two romances intertwined it is emotionally draining.  Trust is really put to a test (a few times). 

It is quickly established the focus will be on a loving couple with a three year old daughter.  In the first episode you are made aware that the wife is not aware of lots of things about her husband.  We also realize she is a very capable police detective who discerns details that escape others.  

The childhood of the main protagonist included a murder and accusations of psychopathic behavior.  One more detail, he has since changed his identity fooling even his wife.  Cha Ji Won's police job brings her in touch with some puzzling cases that eventually lead her to suspect her husband. 

An old acquaintance of the protagonist is a reporter who interacts with Ji Won is interested in something she shows him from her husband's work which is metal ornaments.   Kim Moo Jin, the reporter, who wrote about the earlier crisis visits the protagonist who I will give his original name Do Hyun Su.  They recognize each other right away and Hyun Su decides to turn Kim Moo Jin into a prisoner and hides him in his basement workshop.  There is fear and distrust on both sides, but eventually, spoiler alert, they end up working together.  Apparently Moo Jin had been going out with Hyun Su's sister Hae Sue, but had broken up at the time of a crisis.

There are many layers to the crisis that involve how Hyun Su took on another identity with another family whose son became under critical secret care.  Everyone has secrets and revelations come out with every one of the 16 episodes.  Psychology plays a major role with Hyun Su who we learn was considered a psychopath in his youth and he himself will describe himself as feeling no real emotions.  At one point he loses part of his memory and hurts his devoted wife who had learned his history.  Does love conquer all?   Read below for one clue, but I would add there are some unresolved issues at the end.

The crisis in his past involved more people than we originally thought and the family that accepted Hyun Su is not what we think.  Trying to avoid spoilers I would just add there are more complications than hinted so far.  All and all the ending is satisfying and each episode is very engaging.

A lot of talent went into the emotional engagement this film offers.

 Chel-gyu Kim, the director won an award for this television series.

Jung Hee Yoo, the writer in only her third series.  She commented the title came from a collection of poems by Charles Bodler, "Where evil has been buried flowers can still bloom."  It is a gut wrenching plot.

 Enjoyable music was provided by Kim Jun seok whose film credits include "The Chaser" (2008) and composer Jung Se-rin.  Check this favorite out:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyn1Ew8pJ08

 Lee Joon Gi plays the double identity protagonist.  His career started to grow after a role in "The King and the Clown" (2005).  He has won numerous regional awards including for this film.

Moon Chae-Won  played the detective wife, Cha Ji Won.  Her film career started in 2007 and included "Criminal Minds" (2017) with Lee Joon Gi.

Seo Hyun-woo plays Kim Mo  Jin who is at first antagonistic, but later is supportive and provides a secondary romance.  His film career includes "Tunnel" (2016).

Choi Young-joon plays a fellow detective to Ji Won, Choi Jae Sub and sometimes is just as sharp.  He is sometimes supportive and sometimes difficult.  He has appeared in "Vincenzo" (2021) and "Our Blues" (2022).

Choi Dae-hoon plays another detective.  His film career includes "Crash Landing on You" (2019-20) and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022).  Check two of my favorites:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html and  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html

Jang-hiepjin plays Hae-Su, the sister who was central to the original crisis.  Despite her youthful appearance she has been in films since 2006.

 This film has already been remade in Philippines and Bollywood.

If you like complicated mysteries spiced with psychology and romance this is a not to be missed series.  Check out IMDB and don't just note the high rating, but also the reader comments that seem like they are written by an advertising firm, but seem appropriate to me.