Park Bo-gum's portrayal of the devoted, hardworking young Gwan-sik, has earned him widespread popularity as the 'fantasy husband'. Photo: Handout
When Life Gives You Tangerines, the water cooler show delving into poignant tales of familial bonds and romance across generations of Koreans, has viewers at home and abroad laughing and crying with the characters.
Within just two weeks of its release this month, the series has climbed to second place on Netflix’s global Top 10 list for non-English shows.
At the heart of the story are Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) and Ae-sun (Lee Ji-eun), whose love story begins on 1960s Jeju Island and unfolds as they build a family.
Park's portrayal of the devoted, hardworking young Gwan-sik, who falls head over heels for Ae-sun and strives to free her from the restrictive gender roles of the era, has earned him widespread popularity as the "fantasy husband" — with the character feted for his unwavering love and quiet strength.
However, Park himself doesn’t see Gwan-sik as an unrealistic figure.
"As I was reading (the script), I thought Gwan-sik was a really admirable character, but I didn’t necessarily find him unrealistic. I felt like he could be someone you might come across at least once in your life," Park said.
The character, apparently, left a lasting impression on the actor.
"As I portrayed Gwan-sik, I found myself wishing I could be more like him. Or perhaps it’s better to say I hoped to become someone like him — a reliable partner, a loving spouse or a steadfast companion to someone," Park added.
When asked how much of himself he sees in Gwan-sik, Park estimated 70%.
"The way I love my family, take care of my people and wholeheartedly express my feelings when I love someone deeply — those parts feel similar. But compared to Gwan-sik (who is mostly wordless), I believe I try to speak more whenever I can," he said.
To fully embody the character, Park said he made notable physical transformations.
"The director mentioned that since the character is someone who works out and is a skilled swimmer, he wanted Gwan-sik to have a bigger, more athletic build," Park said, adding he gained around four to five kilograms for the role.
The transformation didn’t stop at physical training — the makeup team also played a crucial role in creating Gwan-sik's looks, he said.
"Any visible skin was darkened with makeup to create a tanned, sun-kissed look, reflecting the character's life on Jeju Island under the sun," he said.
Another key aspect of Park’s performance was mastering the Jeju dialect. Park approached the dialect with subtlety, ensuring his delivery remained true to Gwan-sik's reserved nature.
"Even in the script, Gwan-sik wasn’t a character who spoke much — he expressed himself more through actions. So, I intentionally set his tone to be a bit more reserved and low-pitched. When I first heard the Jeju dialect, I tried to capture its rhythm and I also borrowed a bit of the intonation from his mother’s side to add some variation," Park said.
According to Park, the essence of Gwan-sik, who he truly is, lies in his relentless love for Ae-sun, someone he has loved since he was 10.
"I think the line that best expresses Gwan-sik, as I imagined him, is 'Cabbage is sweet,'" said Park, referring to the days when Gwan-sik and Ae-sun, as students, sold fish and cabbages, respectively, to support their families. Ae-sun, too embarrassed to call out to customers, stood quietly, while Gwan-sik stepped in, calling out to sell the cabbages for her.
"I believe that single phrase holds a deeper meaning -- conveying his support, affection, care and encouragement for Ae-sun," he added.
As the story shifts toward Gwan-sik’s later years, Park Bo-gum's screen time gradually decreases, with Park Hae-joon stepping into the role for the character’s older years.
Regarding the last four episodes which will be released Friday, Park Bo-gum promised they will leave a lasting impact.
"When you watch the (final four episodes), you might think, 'Ah, I should express my love better to the people I care about,' or reminisce, 'We had times like that, didn’t we?' This piece is a wonderful show to watch with family, great to enjoy with friends and also perfect to watch with a loved one," said Park. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
