In recent days, the film "When Life Gives You Tangerines" has been a hit in Korea and many Asian countries.
The film tells the story of Ae Sun (IU) and Gwan Sik (Park Bo Gum) from childhood to old age. The couple experienced many events and pain while living in the Jeju sea but always tried to overcome them together.
After 8 episodes, the film ranked 5th most watched films on Netflix globally, topping the Netflix TV show category in more than 12 countries, including Vietnam.
On forums, audiences shared that they were moved and cried many times when witnessing the thrilling stories of the characters.
At its peak, when Ae Sun and Gwan Sik's son passed away, a film of a young couple crying and in pain on the embankment was shared, attracting millions of views on social media.
The role of a "national" husband helps Park Bo Gum become an ideal model for many female audiences. Fans even discovered a coincidence between IU and Hyeri - actors who acted with Park Bo Gum.
IU's characters in "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and Hyeri in " Reply 1988" both have scenes with heavy makeup when they were in high school.
Both Ae Sun and Duk Sun (Hyeri) made people laugh with makeup using blue eye powder, red lips, and white skin. Both characters have short hair, are strong, passionate, and do not submit to challenges.
As for Bo Gum, he has played the role of a hometown boy twice but was honest, hard-working, and loved his other half.
" Reply 1988" and "When Life Gives You Tangerines" set in Korea in the 1980s, respectively became two impressive works in Park Bo Gum's career.
On YNA, popular culture critic Kim Kyo Seok commented that the film caused a stir because it did not follow the old way of romantic love films, instead incorporating the personal stories of supporting characters, sending many messages about life.
The film scores when filming many famous Jeju locations, such as Jeju Mokgwana building - which was a central government agency until 1910, Seongsan Ilchulbong mountain, Gimnyeong beach and the Oradong buckwheat flower fields...
According to the producer, the film was invested with a budget of 60 billion won, restoring many rural settings in Jeju 50 years ago, filming since 2023 and taking 2 years to complete.
The project marks Park Bo Gum's comeback after 4 years from the movie "Youth Diary" (2020), while IU returned after "Hotel de Luna" (2019).
