Credit: Netflix
Netflix’s original series When Life Gives You Tangerines has unleashed a firestorm of buzz just one day after release.
The series follows characters across four “seasons” of their lives, from the 1960s to today, as they love, grieve, dream and find joy in the face of life’s cruelties.
The series was highly anticipated even before its release with When the Camellia Blooms writer Lim Sang Chun and My Mister and Misaeng director Kim Won Seok at the helm, along with a star-studded cast featuring Park Bo Gum , IU , Park Hae Joon and Moon So Ri .
Just a day after its debut, the show shot to No. 1 on Netflix Korea’s “Top 10 Series” ranking.
On the global stage, the series climbed to 6th place in Netflix’s worldwide TV show rankings as of March 9th, according to FlixPatrol, jumping two spots from the previous day’s record. It also claimed the top spot in 10 countries across Asia and the Middle East, including South Korea, Indonesia, and several others.
Credit: FlixPatrol
International critics on Rotten Tomatoes have praised the series as “bittersweet yet uplifting,” “a message of hope in desperate times,” and “beautifully written, expertly acted, and vividly brought to life.”
Here are more viewer reactions to the series:
cinematography, directing, lines, acting… everything is perfect. what do you mean i cried and laughed in all four episodes 😭 can’t wait for more because this is genuinely the slice of life drama i’ve been looking for #WhenLifeGivesYouTangerines pic.twitter.com/AkyB8okHj1 — skyೀ (@jskflower) March 7, 2025
