‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ reaches its final stretch, the story takes us through heartbreak, healing, and unshakable family bonds. From painful pasts to hopeful tomorrows, these episodes capture life’s rawest emotions: grief, regret, love, and forgiveness.
We witness parents making mistakes and making them right, children carrying invisible scars while silently loving their parents back. It’s a moving farewell, filled with warmth, wisdom, and the message that no matter the season, life keeps going on.
EPISODE 13: A Father’s Heaven
Amidst the economic instability caused by the IMF crisis, Guem Myeong faced new hardships as she lost her job and began her search for another. During this struggle, fate pulled her to a familiar place, the old cinema. There, she unexpectedly reunited with Park Chung Seob. The cinema, too, was about to close down due to the crisis. As Guem Myeong sat and watched a film, unaware of Chung Seob watching from afar, the cinema owner told him that she had been there. That moment sparked something in him; if he missed this third chance, he might lose her forever. So, he ran behind her bus again and waited for her to wake up. This time, he reached her.
From there, their awkward meetings slowly blossomed into something new. When Chung Seob met Guem Myeong’s parents, he tried his best to impress her father, Gwan Sik, but what truly moved him were the little gestures. Even while seasick, Chung Seob checked on Guem Myeong to ensure she wouldn’t fall off the boat and later gave her his coat in the cold. These seemingly small acts touched Gwan Sik deeply, and he quietly approved of them. Ae Sun, too, was moved when she found out Chung Seob’s mother adored Guem Myeong and even sent her a heartfelt gift, something Ae Sun had been silently hoping for.
Finally, the day came. The wedding of Guem Myeong. Maybe her first love didn’t last, but she found the right person to walk life with. Gwan Sik cried endlessly, and before the ceremony, he told her that if it didn’t work out, she could always come back to him. Those words brought tears to Guem Myeong’s eyes as she remembered how he’s always been her silent shield.
Later, before his death, Gwan Sik told her she never had to be sorry because he had been in heaven since the day she was born. With those words, the man who quietly loved his daughter gave away his heaven to another man, Chung Seob.
But just as things finally felt peaceful, trouble found its way back. On their way home from seeing Guem Myeong off, police awaited Eun Myeong. His old friend, Park Cheol Yong—the one Ae Sun always warned him about was in trouble and had dragged Eun Myeong into it. After all, mothers always know.
EPISODE 14: Imperfect Love, Perfect Sacrifice
Eun Myeong was arrested due to the mess his friend Cheol Yong created, and when Gwan Sik and Ae Sun visited him, he told them to let him stay behind bars. His long-suppressed feelings spilled out: how Guem Myeong was always the favorite, how his efforts never felt like enough, and how sometimes, it’s better not to be loved than to feel loved partially. Ae Sun’s worst fear had come true, she had unintentionally left a scar on her child.
Meanwhile, Eun Myeong’s wife reached out to her father, Sang Gil, for financial help to save her husband. He rejected her plea, and in her pain, she admitted she envied Guem Myeong for having a father like Gwan Sik. Back home, Ae Sun and Gwan Sik, parents who’d never bent their values, did the unimaginable for their son. Ae Sun stormed into Cheol Yong’s mother’s home and took back everything bought with stolen money. Gwan Sik, for the first time, borrowed money, and after being rejected, he sold the one thing he had held onto for 20 years: the boat that raised his family.
With the money, they brought Eun Myeong back home. He asked tearfully whether they had sold the apartment or the boat. Upon hearing it was the boat, he broke down, asking why they saved him at all. That’s when Ae Sun told him what he had been waiting to hear his whole life: “Because you are our number one.”
Even the best parents are imperfect. But in their own ways, they made up for their shortcomings, giving up everything for the child they loved. Ae Sun reminded Eun Myeong that while he could resent her, he must never resent Gwan Sik, for he lived his life entirely for his children.
Starting from nothing, they began street vending. Gwan Sik was disheartened, but Ae Sun comforted him once more, calling him her best decision. Even Eun Myeong took on tough jobs, trying to buy back the boat. When he went fishing, something he once rejected, Ae Sun and Gwan Sik panicked. She had already lost her parents and one child, and now feared the sea might take her son too. When they found him, Gwan Sik exploded out of fear, but Eun Myeong’s quiet reply, “But you used to do this work too,” cut deep. Ae Sun held him tightly, not wanting to let go.
Later, Gwan Sik admitted he didn’t need the boat back anymore. What mattered more was that Eun Myeong returned. Ae Sun, deciding to heal in her own way, began writing poetry again. Gwan Sik took a bold new step for his family’s future.
EPISODE 15: The Season of Kindness Begins
Guem Myeong came by unexpectedly, packing fruits for herself, which felt unusual, making Ae Sun ask why. That’s when she found out Guem Myeong quit her job, started a business, and moved into a small apartment. Ae Sun became hyper, and just then, Eun Myeong arrived with injured fingers, which made her even more agitated. She burst out at both of them, leading to a heated argument with Guem Myeong. In frustration, Guem Myeong accidentally blurted out that she didn’t want to have children she couldn’t provide for, and at least Eun Myeong’s children had a rich grandpa. Realizing her slip, she fell silent. Gwan Sik, who was quietly listening, got up and walked into the room, hurt.
Ae Sun’s words about “when will our troubles end” deeply impacted Gwan Sik, leading him to take a huge risk by selling their cabbage field, unknowingly falling into a scam. In a heartfelt conversation, Gwan Sik’s mother told Ae Sun she wished to repay her for slapping her in the past, but Ae Sun replied that her kindness after Dong Myeong’s death was enough. Gwan Sik’s mother confessed that losing a child is unbearable, which is why she always checked on Ae Sun and then even offered financial help to repay the debt.
Meanwhile, Sang Gil tried to reconnect with his wife, but she already had divorce papers prepared. He took her for a bicycle ride, but she said one outing wouldn’t change years of being locked away. As she later sorted the shoe shelf, she discovered a shoe she had once left behind while secretly dancing and realized Sang Gil had kept it, meaning he always knew, silently showing his affection.
After the cabbage field scam, Eun Myeong exploded at Gwan Sik, but Ae Sun defended him, reminding them that Gwan Sik did everything for them because they always chased money. Guem Myeong took control, claiming she borrowed money and arranged for them. She declared herself the pillar of the family, confessing she always carried guilt for being sent abroad, and she always sent money not out of want but guilt. As she shouted, Gwan Sik called her name in anger, and that single word broke her down. She cried her heart out on the bus, just as Gwan Sik expected. That’s when Ae Sun and Gwan Sik learned Guem Myeong was pregnant, now their child was having her own child.
During delivery, when the baby stopped moving, the nurse said they could save either Guem Myeong or the baby. Chung Seob, without hesitation, chose Guem Myeong. Thankfully, after 28 painful hours, both mother and child were safe. They made two resolutions: to be good to their mother and not to have a second baby. Guem Myeong broke down, wondering how Ae Sun had handled childbirth at 18 without even painkillers, realizing how strong her mother was. When Ae Sun and Gwan Sik arrived at the hospital, they first came to see their daughter before their grandchild. Gwan Sik bought expensive clothes, dreaming of being a rich grandpa.
They started their restaurant while Guem Myeong named her company after her mother’s motto, “Whoever, Wherever, Whenever.” Sang Gil arrives at the restaurant, announcing that Cheong Yeol was caught, the man who stole their money and blamed Eun Myeong, finally clearing Eun Myeong’s name.
The “season of kindness giving birth to kindness” continued when a celebrity, Miss Jeong, visited their restaurant. Years ago, while caught in a scandal and about to end her life on a boat, Gwan Sik saved her, covering her with his jacket, giving her a reason to live. Now she returned to repay him.
The restaurant boomed. Sitting together, Sang Gil asked Gwan Sik where he bought his shoes, to which Gwan Sik said his family bought them. Sang Gil realized he fell short in affection. But then Sang Gil’s wife later recognized Sang Gil’s small gestures, like hiding her shoe and finding Cheong Yeol for his daughter’s husband, as his way of showing love.
EPISODE 16: When Life Gives You Tangerines
Gwan Sik’s dream of becoming a rich grandpa was coming true as the restaurant flourished. When Guem Myeong’s daughter grew older, her stubbornness exhausted Guem Myeong. She called Ae Sun, who was always there. During a little chat, Guem Myeong discovered her daughter acted out just to keep her from leaving for work, breaking Guem Myeong’s heart as she hugged her child.
Guem Myeong took her parents for a health check-up and learned that now, with money, Gwan Sik was learning guitar and had finally found a hobby. During an endoscopy, Gwan Sik mumbled about the day he left to build the barriers, repeating Dong Myeong’s name, revealing his deep pain. Every year, he would visit Dong Myeong’s grave a day before Ae Sun, unable to face her. They realized grief goes unspoken when guilt overpowers it. Finally, they both faced Dong Myeong’s grave together and openly expressed their grief. Ae Sun even wrote a beautiful poem for their angel, Dong Myeong.
But just as life seemed peaceful, tragedy struck again when Gwan Sik was diagnosed with blood cancer. The doctor explained that his long-endured pain turned severe. Ae Sun was devastated, saying Gwan Sik doesn’t deserve it since he is the kindest. Guem Myeong broke down in tears. Seasons passed as Ae Sun took him for treatments. On one difficult hospital visit, rude staff made Gwan Sik boil with anger, but Guem Myeong stepped in and handled it. Gwan Sik sees Ae Sun’s reflection in an older, lonely woman and makes Guem Myeong stay with him that night.
That night, father and daughter talked until dawn, from their funniest memories in Busan to the sorrow of losing Dong Myeong. Gwan Sik confessed he couldn’t fulfill Ae Sun’s dreams, admired her strength, and asked Guem Myeong to be good to her mother when he was gone. Guem Myeong, breaking down, begged him to stay, saying she was still a kid and didn’t mean the things she said. She wept, asking him not to go.
At home, Eun Myeong’s wife welcomed them and cried secretly, with Ae Sun wiping her tears. Gwan Sik’s mother cried while cooking, and Eun Myeong, unable to face Gwan Sik’s frail state, bought things for him and sobbed. Eun Myeong confessed how he knew that Gwan Sik always loved him, secretly celebrating his birthday when no one else did, as they’d lost Dong Myeong at the same time. Little Eun Myeong believed his father loved him more than his sister.
Guem Myeong’s business thrived, and she appeared on television. In her speech, she honored her parents. One of Ae Sun’s three dreams came true when she brought a poem titled “To the One Who Will Leave Me Behind” to Gwan Sik, written for him. He read it, crying as Ae Sun expressed how he taught her to handle life’s hardships, to “know what to do when life gives you tangerines.”
That evening, Ae Sun wanted time to freeze. As they talked, Gwan Sik asked Ae Sun not to cry too much when he was gone, knowing he couldn’t bear it. Ae Sun cried, asking him to pat her back, a gesture he had done for years for his wife and kids. Now came the day he finally slept for good.
After his passing, Gwan Sik left behind his love:
For Guem Myeong: the money she used to send him, never spent, but always proud of her.
For Eun Myeong: a car he’d always wanted to buy for his father.
For Ae Sun: he fixed doors, filled drawers with hair clips, arranged her medicines, placed utensils in the lower rack, secured windows, ensuring her comfort without him.
The opening scene from Episode 1 returned, with Ae Sun reminiscing about her mother, working at a nursing home where people called her “teacher.” By the sea, she received a call from her daughter. When her children and grandchildren gathered, she felt like a small girl again, no longer alone. Together, they fondly remembered Gwan Sik.
Sang Gil and his wife humorously restarted their youth. Eun Myeong arrived with books: Ae Sun’s poem collection was finally published. A reincarnated version of Ae Sun’s mother published the book, and while reading her book, she cried, feeling an unknown pride.
In the final scene, Guem Myeong peels tangerines for Ae Sun, who reflects on her life from a haenyeo’s daughter to a poet. Ae Sun declared herself happy, and a note of gratitude to Gwan Sik was written in the book, crediting him for everything. We finally learned Gwan Sik had desires too: cars. Guem Myeong’s gratitude closed the story, not just towards her parents, but teaching us all what to do when life gives you tangerines.
Ending Reflection
And with this, we finally came to an end with this beautiful drama that taught us what to do when life gives you tangerines.
It was a story about life itself, about how seasons keep changing, and we never really know what tomorrow holds. But what remains constant is that life goes on.
It showed us that everyone is imperfect, even parents like Gwan Sik and Ae Sun can make mistakes, but what matters is how they stand by their children and right those mistakes. It reminded us how children, too, quietly carry love for their parents, just like Eun Myeong and Guem Myeong did in their own ways.
This drama taught us so many precious things: about parents’ struggles and sacrifices, about children’s silent battles, about losing loved ones, about romantic relationships, about grief and resilience.
We cried in every single episode, but the impact this drama left on us will forever stay beautiful and tender.
Would you recommend it to someone who needs a comforting, life-affirming story?
Written by – Tannu
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