WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU TANGERINES EP.16 || REACTION (Patreon)

Yeah so this basically became "I cry for an hour straight" and I think the sheer level of emotion speaks for itself but one thing I really wanted to comment on but couldn't was the repeated use of the "are you happy"/"I am".

We see it mostly between Gwan-sik and Ae-sun and then at the end with her and Geum-myeong. Along with the focus on hands, I think it's a really beautiful bit of repetition that for one, showcases that even when a life is incredibly difficult and filled with devastating lows, happiness is still possible and is just as big a part of your life (also the biggest moments of happiness often come after those moments of extreme grief - night is always darker and all that).

The human life is a complicated, messy thing and ultimately there's no one "perfect" or "ideal" way to experience it. Grief and joy will always be intertwined and I think this show is an incredible example of that and how it's not a bad thing at all, it just is.

Anyway, I can't say this will be a show I go back and rewatch - I don't think I'd survive seeing Gwansik knowing what's coming - but it's definitely one that I'm very glad exists and I'm very grateful to have watched it.

Thanks for watching with me!

-Kaia