11.12 - Podcast Review of Episode 12 of When Life Gives You Tangerines

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Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 12 of When Life Gives You Tangerines, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik as young adults, then Moon So-ri as Oh Ae-sun and Park Hae-joon as Yang Gwan-sik as older adults. We discuss:

• The songs featured during the recap: They Fell Down But Got Back Up Again and Eternal Nostalgia, both by Judah Earl, a non-Korean musician who has contributed to many K Dramas OSTs.
• The history and use of yeontan (연탄), charcoal briquettes in Korea to heat homes; Joanna talked about how these briquettes are prominent in Reply 1988.
• The healing nature of this episode for Geum Myeong, who returns to Jeju a year after her breakup with Yeong beom and is cared for by her parents.
• The lavish and carefully prepared meals Ae-sun prepares to nourish her daughter, including jangjorim, chonggak kimchi, bibim naengmyeon, and kimbap.
• A sweet sunrise boat ride between Gwan-sik and Geum Myeong that rekindles their bond and reveals Gwan-sik’s quiet but profound love.
• Ae-sun’s maternal wisdom and her confidence in Geum Myeong, seen when she reveals she never sent out wedding invitations, instinctively knowing the marriage wouldn't happen.
• The thoughtful gifts Geum Myeong gives her parents, the notebook for Ae sun and the hand cream for Gwan sik.
• Ae-sun’s touching conversation with her elderly grandmother; both women understand what it means to have lost a child.
• The poetic scene between Ae-sun’s grandmother and Gwang Rye, possibly a moment of transition to the afterlife.
• Eun Myeong’s return home from the military and the shocking arrival of Hyeon suk and the announcement that she is pregnant. 
• The return of Chung Seop and his desperate dash after Geum Myeong’s bus, echoing Ae-sun’s cry to Gwan-sik years ago.
• Cultural references to Sandglass, Seo Taiji and Boys, Princess Diana’s 1995 interview, and former President Chun Doo Hwan’s downfall.
• The moving cinematography of the sunrise scene.
• Reflections on the multiple deaths in the episode and their emotional impact on Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, especially concerning their lost son.
• Our deep dive into the career of Jang Hye-jin, her impressive range, and how unrecognizable she is across her roles—from Parasite to Crash Landing on You to Dr. Slump.

References

• Waste Management in Korea
• Jang-jorim - Wikipedia
• What is Chonggak Kimchi?
• Bibim Naengmyeon (Spicy Korean Buckwheat Noodles)
• Dosirac - Wikipedia
• Sandglass (TV series) - Wikipedia
• Gwangju Uprising - Wikipedia
• Seo Taiji and Boys - Wikipedia