Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 2 of When Life Gives You Tangerines, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU (Lee Ji-eun) as Ae Sun and Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik. We discuss:
The song featured during the recap: Ode to the Green Spring by Chu Da Hye, a hauntingly beautiful piece that blends traditional Korean folk styles with modern sensibility.
The background of Chu Da Hye and her mastery of Seodo Sori, a North Korean regional singing style known for its mournful and emotive qualities.
The incredibly moving moment when Gwan-sik silently puts Ae Sun’s shoes on her feet, a gesture of deep love, reminiscent of Cinderella and symbolic devotion.
Ae Sun’s bravado and vulnerability during their walk through Jeju, leading to their emotional first kiss amidst the canola fields.
Gwan-sik’s poetic confession and Ae Sun’s long-awaited admission that she’s been ready for love since she was 14.
The complex family dynamics that drive Ae Sun to run away: her stepfather’s betrayal, her uncle’s cold dismissal, and Gwan-sik’s grandmother’s harsh judgment.
Ae Sun’s strength in rejecting the guilt trip from her uncle, refusing to work in a factory or support a family that never cared for her.
The historical context of 1968 South Korea, including the May 16 coup and the Blue House Raid involving North Korean commando Kim Shin-jo.
The suspenseful scene on the boat to Busan when Ae Sun bluffs her way past a suspicious captain, boldly claiming she and Gwan-sik are married.
Their failed attempt to pawn stolen jewelry and the significance of the gold frog as a family heirloom and symbol of wealth.
The betrayal by the innkeepers who drug and rob them, leaving them penniless and desperate.
Ae Sun and Gwan-sik’s decision to sneak back into the inn and recover their belongings, only for their plan to go awry when Ae Sun insists on retrieving her precious flower hairpin.
The thrilling ending: Ae Sun is tackled, Gwan-sik prepares a flying kick, and the episode ends on a cliffhanger.
A flash forward to 1993 hints at Ae Sun’s future as a mother, but the father’s identity is deliberately obscured—leaving us wondering if it’s Gwan-sik.
The fantastic cinematography, especially the wide shots in the canola fields and the immersive market scene.
Insights into the mystery of the writer Lim Sang-choon and a deep dive into the many women behind K Drama screenwriting.
References
How to Tell if a Korean Name is Male or Female | TOPIK GUIDE
When Life Gives You Tangerines Offer Comfort To Those Who Need It
Another great episode ladies!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part is listening to you make your predictions as to what is going to happen - what with me being from the future and having already watched! A welcome change from the faux speculation in pods past!
Couple comments:
I hear “yobo” or “yeobo” used a lot in K Dramas between married couples. I don’t think it is necessarily old fashioned.
As for telling the difference between male and female names, I think you are correct that you just have to be familiar with them. But I think there are some overall guidelines or tendencies. For example, if the name ends in ‘K” it is usually male. If it ends in “A” or “E” it is likely female. This is similar to English where names ending in “A” or “E” are almost always female. And you are right about the number of unisex names kids have these days, although I’ve never heard of a boy named Madison. I always thought that was a girls name. 1,000 bonus points if you know when and why Madison became a popular girls name! Finally, how can you have a discussion about the meaning of Korean names without telling us what Sung-hee means?! I’m guessing its something like “one who forgets easily?” 😉
I think Joanna is trying too hard to find K Drama elements in this show in order to be proven correct! Specifically, product placement. Just because you see a name brand does not mean it is an actual product placement! The product placement element in K Dramas (as I see it) is when it is obvious that the company has paid to have their product not only placed, but featured, in the Drama. Almost so much that it seems out of place or obvious. Subway and Kopiko are the two most obvious examples. I don’t think Samsung paid to have a 40 year old TV placed in this drama! I think that is just the drama being historically accurate.
Curious to learn what Joanna downloaded for her flight to Japan…..
Finally, here are a few articles on the show that I came across (with no spoilers);
Interview with IU and Park Bo-gum:
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/when-life-gives-you-tangerines-stars-iu-and-park-bo-gum-interview
Best line from the interview:
IU: From what I remember when I first heard that Bo-gum was cast for the role of Gwan-sik, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "Is it okay for him to be that good-looking? Is it okay for the character Gwan-sik to look like that?" LOL
https://www.koimoi.com/korean/when-life-gives-you-tangerines-star-iu-makes-a-shocking-bts-confession-from-shooting-the-k-drama-i-had-to-drink-real-alcohol/
“Shocking confession” – IU filmed scenes without makeup and drunk!
Another interview:
https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/what-sealed-the-deal-for-iu-park-bo-gum-to-do-when-life-gives-you-tangerines/ar-AA1ACXtH?cvid=b08f812fdfa14ca68aadfb041865336d&ocid=binghpctop&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1
6000*843
Hi Malcolm. Thank you for your comments.
DeleteI will have to do more research about product placement laws in Korea.
As for what I watched on the plane:
* Past Lives move - exception
* Episode 4 of When Life Gives You Tangerine - surprising and exceptional
* 1st episode of Potato Lab - tis show is a No for me
* Episodes 2 and 3 of Melo Movie - I know Malcolm and Christine said the show is meh, but so far, I'm liking it
* 1 episode of the Great British Baking Show
Will watch more interviews with Park Bo gum!
Thanks as always, Malcolm for your so very enjoyable comments.
ReplyDeleteThose are good rules of thumb with respect to telling if a name is male of female. Though there are always exceptions, of course. Park Chung Hee's name ended with an E, but he was definitely not female!
Good question as to what Sung-Hee means. You're the first person here to ask! Sorry to disappoint you, it does not mean anything related to amnesia. My name means "Hope" and "Faith." It's a meaning that I've taken to heart my whole life and it has inspired me to be optimistic and patient, and even tenacious, in life. I am ever hopeful that I will be able to find my way, especially if I keep working at it.
As far as the term "yeobo" goes, I was under the impression that younger couples these days call each other "jagiya" In my personal experience, I always associate the term "yeobo" with my parents generation, but I could be wrong.
I wanted to note that in “My Mister”, IU played the whole role without makeup or styled hair, fitting for a hard working poor young woman with no concerns other than looking neat and clean. It helped make her completely believable in the part. She’s a champ!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I’ve noted how much Ae-sun is like her mother, fierce and tough, but soft-hearted all the same. Gwan-sik is not fooled by her prickly attitude, and sees the vulnerability underneath.
ReplyDeleteNice observation!
DeleteThank you for this deep dive into Episode 2! I really appreciate the discussion and the breakdown of pop culture and current events references—many of which I would have missed on my own. For a series of this scale, I want to understand as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteOh, Joanna, there will definitely be K-drama elements! But I agree with Sunghee that this series will take a more subtle approach, rather than feeling like it’s ticking off a checklist.
Wishing you a wonderful time in Japan, Joanna!
About the part where Ae-sun found her stepfather and his girlfriend hiding, I think it's more of they hid because they don't want her to catch them together--not because they were hiding there in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of familiar faces here there was that guy from Vincenzo and the the innkeeper is at Gyeongseong Creature.
Am sure there will be more familiar faces in the coming episodes.
One thing's for sure, Bogum and IU's chemistry is exceptional. They said it's probably because they're of the same age. Their variety show/youtube channel guestings to promote this show are also very entertaining.
This one was when IU pranked Bogum: https://youtu.be/VJsFg4DOIns?si=RZocaWp6rLfmgwxc
Love, love, Tangerine. And love this week's recap. So I have a lost ring story. Joanna, you might remember this story. I posted on Facebook during the pandemic in 2021.
ReplyDeleteSometime in 1982 or 1983, my class ring, with a ruby stone, my birth stone, my school colors, slipped off my hand, just as I was about to begin my journey in life, my next chapter. In 2021, I got a message on Facebook from the girl who found the ring on the ground more than 30 years ago, she thinks maybe at Stonestown, then an outdoor San Francisco mall. She put the ring -- which I had saved for with the money I made at my part-time job at First Interstate Bank on a sliver of a street in downtown -- in her pocket, then a box and stored it away. She moved to San Diego. She found the box in the garage last week and saw the ring and just happened to look inside and saw my name engraved in the band. Because I have such a unique name, she found me on Facebook. (Also, I'm easy to find with a simple Google Search). I now have my high school ring :)