As Filipinos watched Filipino tennis player Alex Eala slay some big names in the Miami Open last week, many Filipino were also voting with their fingers by clicking on the final episodes of the K-drama, When Life Gives You Tangerines, on streaming platform Netflix. 

As of Tuesday night, April 2, the family drama that spans three generations has been number one in the Philippines on Netflix’s “Top 10 Shows” (which excludes movies) for the past three weeks, as of Wednesday, April 2. The last four of the 16 episodes of the limited series became available on Friday, March 28.

Globally, among non-English shows available on Netflix, When Life Gives You Tangerines has been in the top 10 in 39 countries (No. 1 in four countries) with combined views of 6 million, more than double that of the limited series Medusa which was at number 2 spot, according to Netflix.

It’s another sign of the rise of South Korea’s creative economy in the global market, and is also a reason why many people, Filipinos included, prefer to stay home instead of going to cinemas for entertainment. 

As Film Development Council of the Philippines chairman and CEO Joey Reyes said in a recent forum, “Sad to say, ang hirap pabalikin ng tao manood ng sine matapos ang pandemya. Lalo na ang ganda-ganda ng Adolescence. Ang ganda-ganda ng When Life Gives You Tangerines. Ba’t ako manonood ng sine? Di ba?!”

(Sad to say, it’s been hard to make people go back to cinemas to watch movies after the pandemic. Especially since Adolescence is so beautiful. And also When Life Gives You Tangeries. Why would I watch in cinemas? Right?)

Aside from pointing out the latest hit K-drama, Reyes was referring to the popular British limited series, Adolescence, also among the top 10 in Netflix. 

Snow White flops

The rising soft power of Korea is made more obvious by the reported global flop of Disney’s live animated movie, Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. 

With a reported budget of around $270 million, Disney’s latest live-action remake, it has made just $145 million globally after opening two weeks ago, reported Box Office Mojo.

Even in the Philippines, reception has been weak, with Star Cinema’s romantic comedy, My Love Will Make You Disappear, starring Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino, generating more buzz and earning P100 million worldwide as of March 31. 

“Once upon a time, a Disney movie bombing at the box office was unthinkable. Now, it’s becoming the norm. The company’s aggressive push for ‘modernized’ versions of its beloved classics is clearly backfiring, leaving executives scrambling for answers,” said Diana Wilson on entertainment news website, Where Is the Buzz. “With a $115 million loss on its hands, Disney is going to have to reconsider its approach to storytelling. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before audiences completely tune out.” 

Similarly, Adam Bentz, in his article on entertainment website, Screen Rant, said: “From the start, Disney’s attempt at live-action remakes has always been a creatively bankrupt endeavor — a soulless attempt to cash in on nostalgia rather than creating new, compelling stories. 

“Though their live-action remakes started by performing well financially, several of them, such as The Little Mermaid and Snow White, have now disappointed at the box office. It’s a sign that audiences are growing tired of seeing Disney’s beloved classics rehashed in live-action and perhaps want to see something new.”

What the series is about

Although it has yet to reach the same level of success as the limited series Squid Game, When Love Gives You Tangeries will be remembered as one of the biggest K-dramas in recent memory. 

The series tells the life story of Oh Ae-sun, (played by K-pop star IU), and her family through three generations, the discriminations she faced due to her lower-income status, the heartaches in her love relations, and most of all, the unconditional love she received from her parents. 

It’s a story that’s close to the hearts of many Asians, especially Filipinos, most of whom have strong family ties throughout their lives. The sacrifices that parents make for their children tug at the heartstrings of the series’ viewers. 

“What resonated most with global viewers…. is the show’s universal themes: the bond between parents and children, the meaning of family and enduring love,” said Korea’s English publication, The Korea Times.  “The series portrays deep sacrifices made by parents to prevent their children from inheriting hardship, and the emotional growth of children who come to understand their parents.”

Netizens cry

Netizens have shared their comments about the series online, with many of them saying the series made them cry.

Here are other comments posted on a number of Netflix YouTube teaser clips of the series. 

“I can’t imagine that overflowing happiness when your in-laws love you and accept you as part of the family with open arms, and when the parents of both parties get along so well. That’s peace,” said @claire_buendia. 

“All she wanted for her daughter to not be treated unfairly, that’s what she got and she couldn’t have asked for more for her daughter. That’s all any loving mother wants, ofc (of course) she never opposed their union,” said another netizen @ve_duh_8386

“Watching this series was an emotional experience that touched me deeply. The story is bittersweet, with moments that felt incredibly real and relatable. It showed me that life is full of unexpected twists and turns, and that’s what makes it so beautiful. I’m feeling a mix of emotions that’s hard to process — I’m still trying to make sense of it all and wanting to hold onto the feelings it evoked. This drama has left a lasting impression on my heart. I guess it has left a mark on heart and give me a hope to face the life ,you never know when I will find my tangerines,” said @foodie-c1p. 

“That line, I am my father’s daughter,  if dad says no, I am out…. loooooove that. Girls please don’t settle. The right man will come eventually,” said @ShutterStoreNg.

“This will become an iconic drama, remembered for decades as one of the very greats! May it receive the accolades it deserves. Incredible with deep meaning well beyond SK cinematography,” said @victrola2007. 

Korean Wave continues

South Korea’s Hallyu has made big strides in recent years. The K-drama movie Parasite won many international awards, including Best Picture in the 2020 Oscars. It was the first foreign and South Korean film to get the top award in the academy’s history.

The K-drama Crash Landing On You was another phenomenal success in the Philippines and the rest of the world in 2019 to early 2020.

Minari, a film about Korean migrants in the US, also won a number of accolades, including best foreign language film in the Golden Globes in 2021. 

South Korean content has resonated across the globe. Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), in a survey in 2021 of 8,500 respondents (aged 15 to 59) in 18 countries said 80% of respondents said they like Korean films and TV shows. A third said they love Korean films for their “well organized story (33.3%),” “uniqueness of Korean culture (24.3%),” and “super performance by actors (23.5%),” and “beautiful looks of actors (23.4%).”

Squid Game: Season 1, released in September 2021, is still number one on Netflix’s Global All Time streaming record with over 265 million views, followed by Squid Game: Season 2. Squid Game also won six Emmys for non-English drama. 

Funding has played a key role in the so-called Korean Wave. Last year, its Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism provided a recorded 1.74 trillion KRW (around $1.2 billion or P67 billion) in “content policy financing” to make domestic content “become a leader” in the world market, reported Korea’s official website Korea.net. 

A report by the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in March 2024 said South Korea’s creative sectors had an annual growth rate of 4% to 5% and generated $12.4 billion in export in 2021, almost three times its consumer electronic equipment exports. 

The impact of South Korea’s cultural exports has spilled over to tourism and trade as people around the world take interest in its attractions — like Jeju Island where When Life Gives You Tangerines takes off — and products such as Korean distilled spirit soju and traditional vegetable side dish kimchi.

UNCTAD said the main success factors in driving the popularity of Korean wave are creativity and uniqueness of K-content which appeal worldwide. 

In K-drama, the report said “themes are often universal in nature with simple storylines, while reflecting a wide range of complex human emotions, and employing new and innovative plotlines that are highly captivating to all.” 

In short, even if the actors are not well-known, good storytelling can drive viewers to the content, whether it’s on streaming platforms or in theaters. Last year, a surprise hit in the Philippines and in other key Asian territories was the Thai drama, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. – Rappler.com