Warning: This article contains spoilers.
Spring arrives in the small town of Jeju, South Korea, in the 1960s. The camera pans to the vast sea, showcasing its rage and might. We are introduced to the ferocious Haenyeo, also known as the women of the sea, who tackle the Jeju sea by scavenging for seaweed and squid. As in a perfectly formed line, they all come up from the sea, carrying their find for the day.
In the distance, we see one woman left behind. Her young daughter calls out, “Momma, momma”. She waits for her mother on the rocks, a terrible foreshadowing of what is to come for the main character of the popular Korean drama When Life Gives You Tangerines.
The romance-drama series, released in March on Netflix, has touched viewers’ hearts due to its themes of love, community, and womanhood. When Life Gives You Tangerines expertly tackles the different challenges women face.
The Death of a Mother
The writers introduce us to our main character, Oh Ae-sun, played by Korean singer IU. She is a young girl with big dreams of becoming a poet. The opinionated Oh Ae-sun finds comfort in books, giving her the nickname “bookworm” amongst her community. The drama follows her turbulent life from childhood, adolescence and adulthood, detailing the ups and downs of life and the redirections that bring new possibilities.
Oh Ae-sun’s father passed away when she was a baby, leaving her mother to carry the burden of the work. Jeon Gwang-rye, her mother, is eager to seek a better life for her daughter, so she sends her to live with her father’s family. Unbeknownst to her, Oh Ae-sun is mistreated, starved and overworked by the unwelcoming family. In an act of courageous strength, Jeon Gwang-rye lashes out at her former in-laws and takes Oh Ae-sun back to live with her.
The scene highlighted the strength and courage mothers have to protect their children, even as they struggle. Jeon Gwang-rye, unfortunately, succumbed to an illness and died at the young age of 29, leaving Oh Ae-sun to be the caregiver of her two young siblings and her stepfather. A distraught Oh Ae-sun vows to leave Jeju and lead a better life, leaving poverty behind.
In a heartfelt moment in the series, before Oh Ae-sun’s mother dies, Jeon Gwang-rye sits outside their home, comforting her daughter and telling her that she has to be strong and not be overcome with grief. The scene highlights the struggles of life for women during the 1960s in Korea. The show highlights the turbulent lives of women in Korea, where women were traditionally not allowed to hold certain jobs, yet many of them were still the primary breadwinners for their households.
The Task of being the eldest daughter
After her mother’s death, Oh Ae-sun becomes the head of the household. To set an example for her siblings, she plants cabbages in a field alongside her friend-turned-future-lover Yang Gwan-sik, played by Park Bogum. In a series of montages, we see the two young friends in their local market selling vegetables as they age and become young adults. Oh, Ae-sun is still that fiery girl with her head stuck in her books, watching as Yang Gwan-sik negotiates prices with customers.
Oh Ae-sun, still struggling with poverty, then asks her stepfather for support to attend college. He makes baseless promises, which eventually lead nowhere. Oh Ae-sun, in her final year of high school, gets expelled for running away with Yang Gwan-sik to Seoul. The once bright, determined young girl was forever labelled as a runaway and high school dropout.
Yet, she never gave up on her dreams of being a poet. In her 60s, she published a book of self-written poems, one of which she dedicated to her lover, Gwan-sik.
Family Doesn’t Have to Mean Blood
In episode 6 of When Life Gives You Tangerines, the unthinkable happens. Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik are now happily married with three children. The two young parents defied the societal pressures put on them in their community after becoming parents at just 18 years old. The episode starts with Oh Ae-sun’s third child being born. He’s praised as a miracle and well-loved in the community.
The three children grow up with their parents now living in their own home, each with their own jobs. One day, a storm rushes through Jeju, and frantic Oh Ae-sun searches for her daughter. As Oh-Ae Sun leaves, she asks her neighbours to keep a watchful eye on her two boys. When Ae-sun returns home, she finds both of them missing.
She calls for help searching for her two sons, only to find the middle child. Oh Ae-sun cries out, startling neighbours and sending them on a search mission to find the young boy. Unfortunately, the young boy dies from drowning. In an emotional scene, Oh Ae-sun sits on the ground, cupping her son’s lifeless body while asking the villagers to call an ambulance. In one of the most memorable moments in the show, Gwan-sik falls to the ground, sobbing as he watches his son take his last breath.
The death of the couple’s youngest son did irreversible damage to their family. Their grief was evident, but the community of Haenyeos and Oh Ae-sun’s in-laws allowed the family to get back on their feet while still keeping the memory of their youngest son alive. By receiving food, gifts, and a shoulder to cry on, it shows that family doesn’t always have to be blood-related.
Flowers bloom over the canola fields in Jeju, where the young Oh Ae-sun began her family, reminding us of the importance of perseverance, testimony, and the happiness that redirection can bring to our lives.