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Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 4 of When Life Gives You Tangerines, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Park Bo-gum as Gwan-sik and IU as Ae-sun, and featuring a deeply emotional story about family, hardship, love, and resilience. We discuss:

• The song featured during the recap: "Name" by Kwak Jin-eon, a tender ballad reflecting the enduring love between Ae-sun and Gwan-sik.
• Joanna’s magical trip to Japan, including cherry blossoms, sushi, Enoshima Island, and meeting the amazing Akiko in Shinjuku Gyoen.
• How the lyrics of "Name" perfectly capture the decades-long bond between Ae-sun and Gwan-sik.
• The brutal reality of Ae-sun’s early married life, especially her abuse by her in-laws due to not producing a son.
• The significance of 108 prostrations in Korean Buddhism and the intense societal pressure on wives to bear sons.
• South Korea’s declining fertility rate, from 6 children per woman in the 1960s to close to the lowest in the world today.
• The heartbreaking and symbolic moment when Ae-sun flips the table to prevent her daughter from becoming a haenyeo.
• The shocking revelation that Gwan-sik is being physically abused by his boss — the man Ae-sun almost married!
• Ae-sun’s fierce loyalty and love for Gwan-sik, including confronting his abuser in front of the entire village.
• The evolving dynamic between Ae-sun and her daughter Geum Myeong in 1994, especially around class, shoes, and emotional validation.
• Gwan-sik and Ae-sun’s intimate physical and emotional connection, even decades into their marriage.
• The symbolism of sugar, kimjang, and daily packed lunches in expressing affection, social rules, and hardship.
• The beautiful theme of quiet sacrifice — how both Ae-sun and Gwan-sik shield each other from their respective pains.
• The significance of the episode’s title, “The Blazing Summer Sunshine,” as a metaphor for both oppressive hardship and the radiant love that sustained them.
• A spotlight on Park Bo-gum: his acting and musical background, clean-cut reputation, and his return to dramas after military service.

Next week, we’ll recap and analyze Episode 5 of When Life Gives You Tangerines, and talk about the real-life couple that inspired this drama — or so the internet says!

References

• Korean Beliefs: 5 Foods Believed to Repel Evil Spirits – Seoulbox.
• Prostrating as a Part of Buddhist Practice - Buddhistdoor Global.
• Did South Korea’s Population Policy Work Too Well? | PRB
• Park Bo-gum - Wikipedia
• Kwak Jin Eon on Spotify