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IU-Park Bo Gum’s When Life Gives You Tangerines BEATS Squid Game: Records 9.3 IMDb rating to become best among K-dramas
When Life Gives You Tangerines breaks records, earning the highest IMDb score in Korean drama history, surpassing Squid Game. The series has become a global sensation, check out the rating here.
Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines is straight-up taking over—breaking every record in its path and flipping the script on ratings and viewership. It’s the K-drama everyone’s talking about, and it’s unstoppable.
In addition to winning over audiences' hearts, IU and Park Bo Gum’s series has officially become the highest-rated Korean drama on IMDb, dethroning massive K-drama hits like Squid Game and The Glory.
With an impressive IMDb rating of 9.3 out of 10, When Life Gives You Tangerines has soared past its initial score of 8.7. Its finale, Episode 16, secured a nearly perfect 9.8, while a whopping 12 out of its 16 episodes scored above 9.0. This performance is miles ahead of previous fan favorites like Kingdom Season 2 (8.5), Move to Heaven (8.5), Squid Game Season 1 (8.0), and The Glory Season 2 (8.1), according to Wikitree.
But the numbers don’t stop at reviews. The series has become a huge hit on Netflix’s platform. Netflix Korea reached 14.09 million monthly active users in March 2024, breaking its previous record set by The Glory. Even more impressively, on March 29, 2025, the IU-led series hit 4.05 million daily active users, marking its highest single-day total since Squid Game Season 2 aired in December 2023, as per Wikitree.
When Life Gives You Tangerines is also dominating Netflix’s non-English TV rankings—holding the No. 1 spot from March 17 to March 23, 2025, and ranking No. 8 globally as of April 3, 2025, according to FlixPatrol.
No doubt, When Life Gives You Tangerines was made to break all the rules and resonate with everyone—regardless of generation. IU’s double role as Oh Ae Sun and her daughter is not just impressive—it’s iconic. Meanwhile, Park Bo Gum as Yang Gwan Sik didn’t disappoint for a second; it’s as if he woke up one day and decided to deliver one of the most unforgettable performances of his entire acting career.
The show’s unique four-act seasonal format, combined with weekly episode drops, kept viewers on the edge of their seats—making every moment land with even more impact.
