When Life Gives You Tangerines- Episodes 1-2

Poetry, Pearls, and a Whole Lot of Heart

Episode 1 kicks off with a tender present-day scene: a poetry session for seniors, where we meet 70-year-old Ae-soon. As she reads her work, her words spark memories of her youth, and we’re transported back to the 1960s—a time of hardship, resilience, and love.

Young Ae-soon’s mother is a force to be reckoned with—a tough, no-nonsense Haenyeo (female diver) who’s lost her bedridden husband and remarried. Ae-soon, meanwhile, is stuck living with her wealthier paternal relatives so she can attend school, but it’s far from a happy setup. She’s treated like an outsider, and despite winning second place in a poetry contest, her big achievement goes unnoticed by her overworked mom.

Craving warmth and belonging, Ae-soon keeps begging to return to her mom. Finally, her mother reads Ae-soon’s heartfelt poem—a promise to give her 100 won a day in the future so she can stop working herself to the bone. It hits her like a wave. Fueled by guilt and rage, she storms into Ae-soon’s uncle’s house, flings fish like she’s reclaiming territory, and takes her daughter back home.

Life together isn’t easy, but it’s real. Ae-soon throws a fit after being cheated out of a class president win (thanks to a corrupt teacher and a classmate with connections). Her mom doesn’t just listen—she marches to school and bribes the teacher to treat Ae-soon fairly. Then, in a quiet act of hope, she tosses out her cigarettes, wanting to stick around long enough to get that pearl necklace Ae-soon promised to buy her one day.

But reality bites hard. It’s 1961, and years of harsh diving catch up to her mother, who grows gravely ill. As Ae-soon braces for the inevitable, Gwan-sik—an observant boy who never says much but always shows up with food—becomes her silent support.

Before passing, her mother fixes abalone for Ae-soon and gives her final instructions: don’t end up a servant for her stepfather’s family. Go back to her uncle. Then, just like that, Ae-soon is left motherless.

Though crushed, Ae-soon doesn’t give up. Her stepfather ropes her into staying, and with Gwan-sik and some neighborhood aunties, she transforms a patch of land into a cabbage farm. Gwan-sik stays steady—quietly helping, quietly caring.

Eventually, Ae-soon realizes she can’t chase her dreams and shoulder the household at the same time. Just as she’s about to leave, her stepfather strikes a deal: stay and he’ll fund her studies on the mainland. She agrees.

Cut to the market: Ae-soon sits pretending to sell cabbages while reading literature, but it’s Gwan-sik doing most of the selling (classic). Everything’s going smoothly—until Gwan-sik’s grandmother shows up, furious about rumors of a budding romance. The neighborhood women are already teasing the pair like they’re engaged.

In a flurry of embarrassment and defiance, Ae-soon bolts, yelling “No, thank you!” to the idea of marrying Gwan-sik—ending the episode with a mix of humor, heart, and a whole lot of sass.

Runaways, Regret, and a Hair Clip Heist

Episode 2 picks up right where we left off—with Gwan-sik bolting after Ae-soon, who just got kicked out by his fire-breathing grandmother. He finds her, of course, and the two walk off together, just as we get a little more backstory: turns out Gwan-sik’s parents eloped before marriage, so his grandma is extra twitchy about him getting close to any girl—especially one like Ae-soon.

As they stroll, Ae-soon keeps swearing up and down that she’d never marry Gwan-sik. (Sure, Jan.) He tries to play it cool, but eventually takes a bold swing—literally—and tries to kiss her. He misses. But awkward turns sweet when Ae-soon doesn’t run. Instead, she softens, and the two share an adorably clumsy first kiss. No words, just vibes and quiet footsteps.

Flash-forward to present-day Ae-soon with her grown kids, and we realize: her daughter’s been narrating this whole saga. (Love a good generational storytelling twist.)

Back in the past, reality hits. Ae-soon returns home and finds her stepfather cozied up with a new woman—Na Min-ok—who makes it clear she wants no part of raising Ae-soon. With zero support and no place to stay, Ae-soon drags herself to her uncle’s house, only to be told she should forget college and go work in a factory. Dream-crushing, much?

Worse yet, when she moves out of her stepdad’s house for good, he confesses he’s broke—despite years of promising her support in exchange for raising her younger siblings. Crushed and furious, Ae-soon turns to Gwan-sik, sobbing into his arms. Trying to fix it, Gwan-sik blurts out a marriage proposal. But Ae-soon’s got bigger plans—she’s always dreamed of marrying a mainland man and leaving Jeju for good.

Still, the two aren’t giving up. That night, in a desperate bid to rewrite their fate, they steal some jewelry from their homes, dress up like grown-ups, and sneak onto a ship headed for Busan. When the captain starts asking questions, Ae-soon doesn’t even blink—she coolly claims they’re married. Captain = silenced.

In Busan, reality once again smacks them in the face. The pawn shop owner isn’t buying their act and sends them packing. With no place to stay, they try one last Hail Mary: they pretend to be newlyweds who lost their wallets. To their surprise, the nightstay hosts let them in, feed them, and even pour them drinks.

But the kindness is a trap.

The next morning, they wake up to find everything gone. The hosts play dumb, but it’s obvious: they got scammed. And now, they're being threatened with the police unless they scram.

Homeless, broke, and betrayed, Ae-soon spirals—but then something clicks. She remembers the tale of Hansel and Gretel and decides to flip the script. That night, they spy the nightstay owners prepping to rob their next victim. Ae-soon and Gwan-sik warn the woman just in time, forcing the hosts to back off.

Then it’s go-time.

They sneak into the hosts’ room, determined to steal their money and escape. Everything’s going smoothly—until Ae-soon spots the host’s daughter wearing her hair clip, the one Gwan-sik gave her. She reaches for it. Mistake. The girl wakes up. Chaos erupts.

As the episode ends, Ae-soon is caught and struggling. Gwan-sik, seeing her in danger, charges in, unleashing a desperate, furious attack to save her.

DramaZen's Opinion

Okay, wow. These first two episodes hit hard. I went in expecting a quiet coming-of-age story and instead got gut-punched by raw emotion, a fearless heroine, and one of the softest, most loyal male leads I’ve seen in a while.

Episode 1 sets the tone perfectly—tender, painful, and grounded in real struggle. Ae-soon’s relationship with her mother? Beautifully messy. Gwan-sik? The definition of “actions speak louder than words.” That cabbage farm scene? I was rooting for them like they were growing dreams, not vegetables.

Then Episode 2 comes in swinging. From clumsy kisses to runaway schemes and a literal fight for survival—kdrama perfection. Ae-soon and Gwan-sik are flawed, desperate, and real, and I’m already way too invested in their journey.

If this is how the show starts, I’m bracing myself for tears, fist pumps, and probably some yelling at the screen. And I love it.