IU mentioned her thoughts on the enigmatic writer Lim Sang-choon in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'.

On the morning of 2nd, an interview with lead actor IU of Netflix's 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' took place at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Grand Ballroom.

Netflix's original series 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' unfolds the adventurous life of the 'fantastic rebel' Ae-soon (played by IU) and the 'simple-minded iron' Kwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum) over four seasons, set in Jeju in the 1960s. The production features a collaboration between writer Lim Sang-choon, known for her relatable and heartwarming stories such as 'When the Camellia Blooms' and 'Fight for My Way', and director Kim Won-seok, whose works include 'My Mister', 'Signal', and 'Misaeng', delivering empathy, comfort, and encouragement. The production cost approximately 600 billion won, featuring a stellar cast including IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, Park Hae-jun, Yom Hye-ran, Oh Jung-se, Kim Sun-ho, Lee Jun-young, and Kang Mal-geum.

There was a striking difference in scheduling compared to when Netflix previously released entire series at once. Starting with the first act (episodes 1-4) that captured spring on the 7th of last month, the series offered a total of 16 episodes over four weeks, releasing four episodes each week. In its third week, it reached the top of the global Top 10 series (non-English) ranking, and after the release of the fourth act, it recorded 6,000,000 viewerships (the value calculated by dividing total viewing time by the series' total running time), securing the third place in the global Top 10 series (non-English) category, achieving a strong finish.

IU took on dual roles portraying the young Ae-soon in her teens, a couple with Kwan-sik through marriage in her 20s, and Ae-soon's middle-aged daughter Geum-myeong. Notably, the chemistry between IU and Park Bo-gum was explosive in the first act, while Park Bo-gum's presence significantly diminished after the second act, leading to discussions about his 'missing screen time' during the fourth act.

This year, IU is actively working not only as a singer but also as an actress, filming the MBC series '21st Century Baroness' (working title) alongside Byun Woo-seok, in addition to 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'.

IU, known to be a huge fan of writer Lim Sang-choon, expressed her interest even before the script was presented. She said, "Personally, I didn't really know, but one day I received a call. It was not long before I went to the writer's studio, met with her, and received an explanation of the treatment before getting the script. I was so excited. (Laughs) I asked, 'While it's nice discussing this with you, can I go home and read the script quickly?' I was so curious about the script that I could hardly focus on our conversation. Even just hearing the story was heart-stopping. I wanted to rush home and read it quickly and told her, 'I want to do this! Please, I want to do this.' Everything proceeded smoothly and warmly right after that."

Despite having produced many hits, writer Lim Sang-choon remains shrouded in mystery, using a pen name while concealing all personal information. Speculations abound, with claims like 'born in 1985' and 'a 40-year-old married woman residing in Mapo, Seoul'.

IU remarked, "Before meeting her, I was so curious. To put it simply, she is someone who embodies both Ae-soon and Kwan-sik in her heart. She has traits of both Ae-soon and Kwan-sik. During our conversations, she catches even the smallest details with sensitivity," adding, "Even when talking about cute topics or casual chats, she offers words of comfort and encouragement that deeply touch the heart, making me wonder, 'What kind of world exists inside her? How many rooms does she have?' It's been three years since I got to know her, and I still feel intrigued; she is unique and charming."

She continued, "Since the writer is shrouded in mystery and seems to intend to keep it that way, I intentionally never asked about her age, worried that I might inadvertently reveal something. When I met her, my impression was that she had an ageless expression and was simply lovable. I really don’t know her age; she could look youthful, but I thought, 'Is she around my age?'"

[Photo] Provided by Netflix

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