When Life Gives You Tangerines is currently one of the most popular Kdramas of 2025. The drama explores the story of a couple as they try to fight all the hardships life has to offer and live a better life, a life which they couldn’t in their childhood, a life they believed should be for their children. The idea of When Life Gives You Tangerines story is unique and far better than the usual romantic comedy Kdramas which we see.
Directed by Kim Won Suk, the drama is a masterpiece in itself. Featuring two of the most loveable Korean actors, IU and Park Bo Gum, When Life Gives You Tangerines, has already become a fan favourite.
One of the biggest reasons why this Kdrama was successful in attracting lots of fan following is due to its global release. Netflix made this Kdrama available to watch in different parts of the world. And unlike the normal Kdramas that release 2 episodes every week, Netflix chose a different strategy for this Kdrama. Instead of releasing 2 episodes every week, the streaming giant decided to release When Life Gives You Tangerines in different parts.
Netflix’s decision to release When Life Gives You Tangerines in parts reflects a strategic approach to storytelling. Here is why it decided to release this Kdrama in parts:
4 parts 4 seasons
Netflix decided to release total 16 episodes of When Life Gives You Tangerines in 4 parts (4 episodes every weak). These 4 parts actually denoted 4 different seasons, reflecting the theme of the story. The first part denoted Spring season, second part Summer, third part Autumn and the final fourth part Winter. This release in parts not only set pace for the story to unfold but also gave some time for the story to breathe.
Spring (Episode 1 to 4) explored Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik’s story in their youthful days. Summer (Episode 5 to 8) reflected their adulthood and the way they lean on each other for everything. Autumn (Episode 9 to 12) on the other hand was all about bringing change. It showed important phase in their life’s journey. Finally, Winter (Episode 13 to 16) brought everything to an end.
This method helped viewers digest complex narratives without feeling overwhelmed. By spacing out the episodes, Netflix gave the story room to evolve naturally, building suspense and keeping the audience hooked.
When Life Gives, We Share
Releasing the series in parts sparks ongoing conversations among fans. Netflix knew this very well. That is the reason it often chooses staggered releases to boost social media buzz and fan theories and discussions.
Each part provides fresh topic to discuss, and Kdrama fans eagerly wait for new episodes. This way Netflix was successful in generating buzz among Kdrama fans as it released new episodes.
Enhancing Narrative Pacing
While we don’t know this officially, but the creative team behind When Life Gives You Tangerines Kdrama had likely designed the series to work best when viewed in parts. Breaking the story into parts lets directors and writers control how and where the story is moving.
This approach ensures that each part delivers a strong emotional impact, contributing to a more memorable viewing experience. (You will always remember the stormy day when both of them broke, when for the first time we saw Gwan-sik cry.)
The choice to release When Life Gives You Tangerines in parts also aligns with Netflix’s broader strategy of experimenting to keep its global audience engaged.
But now when all 16 episodes of When Life Gives You Tangerines have been released, anyone can binge watch it.
What do you think about When Life Gives You Tangerines Kdrama?
