Did IU Fall Behind? ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ Generates Less Buzz Than Kim Soo Hyun’s ‘Queen of Tears’
Despite being one of Netflix’s most anticipated series, When Life Gives You Tangerines is reportedly drawing less buzz than Kim Soo Hyun’s Queen of Tears during its initial release.
According to Google search volume data, from March 9 to March 15 one week after its release the search index for When Life Gives You Tangerines reached a value of 29. In contrast, Queen of Tears, released in March 2024, recorded a search index of 42 during its first week. For context, this index set the peak search interest (recorded during its ninth week from April 28 to May 4, 2024) as 100.
Even Netflix’s 2023 drama Mask Girl surpassed IU’s series, with a debut index of 44 marking the highest first-week buzz among the compared titles.
When Life Gives You Tangerines spans from 1960s Jeju to 2025 Seoul, following the life of rebellious and spirited Ae-sun (played by IU) and Gwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum), a young man who cherishes and loves her, across four seasons of their lives.
IU portrays Ae-sun, a woman born into poverty and subjected to struggles simply because she’s female. But she refuses to let circumstances dictate her life. Speaking about her character, IU said, “She’s a girl full of dreams and everything. Though she doesn’t have much, her heart is overflowing.” She added, “She’s lucky to meet someone like Gwan-sik.”
Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun known to be a close friend of IU has recently come under fire due to past dating rumors. Accusations surfaced that he had been in a relationship with the late Kim Sae Ron since 2015, when she was still a minor, sparking grooming allegations. While Kim Soo Hyun initially denied the rumors, ongoing photo leaks and public pressure led to a statement on March 14, where he admitted the relationship only began after Kim Sae Ron became an adult.
