Attention is focused on whether actor Park Bo-gum, whose role has been missing since the first act of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines', will personally express his feelings about it.
The Netflix original 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is a work that depicts the adventure-filled life of the 'troublesome rebel' Ae-soon (IU) and 'clumsy iron' Kwan-sik (Park Bo-gum), born in Jeju in the 1960s, through the four seasons.
The 'When Life Gives You Tangerines', which has garnered anticipation even before its release, is a collaboration between writer Im Chun-sang of 'When the Camellia Blooms' and director Kim Won-seok of dramas like 'The Man from Nowhere', 'My Mister', and 'Misaeng', featuring outstanding actors such as Park Bo-gum, IU, Park Hae-joon, and Moon So-ri. The first act (episodes 1-4) was released on the 7th, followed by the second act (episodes 5-8) and third act (episodes 9-12) on the 14th and 21st, respectively.
Since its release, the performances of the actors, who played characters that seem to come alive, as well as the delicate direction, have captured viewers of all ages, telling the story of characters embarking on an adventurous life through a rapidly changing world, especially through the turbulent years of middle age.
With this momentum, it topped the Netflix 'Top 10 Series in South Korea' rankings just one day after its release. Overseas critics praised it through Rotten Tomatoes, stating it has a 'sweet yet bittersweet story,' delivers a 'hopeful message in desperate situations,' and although it is a 'simple story, it is beautifully written, skillfully acted, and vividly portrayed.'
There were also criticisms that the partitioning of the release could be a 'disadvantage' rather than a 'benefit,' but despite this, 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' has successfully maintained high rankings and relevance after the release of the second and third acts. However, some viewers have expressed dissatisfaction due to the lack of Park Bo-gum's appearances following the first act.
'When Life Gives You Tangerines' has been widely promoted as a drama starring Park Bo-gum and IU, and during the production presentation, Park Bo-gum attended alongside IU, Moon So-ri, and Park Hae-joon, raising expectations. However, following the first act, the focus has shifted to the stories of middle-aged Ae-soon (Moon So-ri), Kwan-sik (Park Hae-joon), and their daughter Geum-myeong (IU), leaving Park Bo-gum's character almost nonexistent. Furthermore, Kim Sun-ho's role, marked as a 'special appearance,' has been drawn more significantly, leading to increased calls for reflection on this issue.
Lead actors IU and Park Bo-gum have also expressed through YouTube content that they wished more stories of the young Ae-soon and Kwan-sik were included. In response, Netflix stated, 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is a work depicting the adventure-filled life story of Ae-soon and Kwan-sik, promising to deliver both fun and emotion through the middle-aged Ae-soon and Kwan-sik, who are now parents. We ask for continued interest in the remaining story of Ae-soon, Kwan-sik, Geum-myeong, and Eun-myeong in the upcoming fourth act.'
Meanwhile, Park Bo-gum will make a personal appearance. He will conduct an interview for 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' at a hotel in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, on the 24th. Although he has spoken about the project in various YouTube contents since its release, this will be the first opportunity to hear his thoughts directly from the press regarding the issue of his absent role.
In addition, the highly anticipated fourth act (episodes 13-16) of the Netflix original 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' will be released on the 28th, concluding the series.
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