Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines“ is gaining praise not only for its poignant storytelling but also for the subtle, improvisational brilliance of actor Kim Seon-ho, whose performance has drawn applause from both fans and fellow cast members—including IU.
Particularly, in a behind-the-scenes video released on April 3 via the YouTube channel “Netflix Korea“, the main cast and director Kim Won-seok shared their thoughts and memories from the filming process.
IU, who plays Geum-myeong and Ae-sun, reflected on her character’s bittersweet relationship with Young-beom, describing it as “a first love that couldn’t come true.” She emphasized the layered bond between the characters and how it deeply impacted her performance.
Recalling the storyline with Young-beom, IU said, “The writer is a bit biased. They made the young Gwan-sik and Yeong-beom keep saying similar lines, which made their parents think about the similarities between the two. But the drama showed that this wasn’t true in a twist, which was fun.”
“It was a killing part from start to finish,”she said about the breakup scene of the Geom-myeong and Young-beom couple, revealing that both she and co-star Lee Jun-young cried heavily while filming. Director Kim Won-seok added that the drama’s approach was unprecedented in Korean storytelling: portraying someone fully loving both a past and a present partner without resorting to tragedy.
Among the most talked-about scenes was one where Kim Seon-ho’s character, Chung-seob, stumbles while approaching Gwan-sik (played by Park Hae-joon), catching himself on a chair. IU couldn’t help but laugh as she brought it up during the commentary, stating, “He did a really good job with improvised acting. Wasn’t that not in the script?”
To this, director Kim confirmed it wasn’t, stating, “That was entirely Seon-ho’s idea.” Park Hae-joon also praised Kim’s ability to add spontaneity to each scene, saying, “He doesn’t let anything slide by and has incredible instinct. He reminded me of my younger self—kind of loose but in a good way.”
Director Kim concluded by highlighting Kim Seon-ho’s subtle brilliance, referencing a now-memorable line, saying, “When he says, ‘Should I peel the shrimp for you?’ and briefly shifts his tone—he added that detail himself. His acting is so refined and precise.”
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