The Highest-Rated K-Drama Ever Is Now Streaming on Netflix With a Perfect 100%
Kim Won-seok’s When Life Gives You Tangerines storms to No. 1 on TIME Magazine’s 10 Best K-Dramas of 2025, toppling heavyweights like Squid Game Season 3 and Tempest.
TIME just handed the 2025 K-drama crown to When Life Gives You Tangerines, and frankly, the win makes sense. It sailed past buzzy titles like Squid Game Season 3 and Tempest to land at No. 1 on TIME Magazine's 10 Best K-Dramas of 2025. If you missed the hype the first time, here is the quick catch-up and why everyone keeps ugly-crying over this thing.
What topped the list (and who else made the cut)
Directed by Kim Won-seok and led by IU and Park Bo-gum, Tangerines took the top slot. TIME's list also included these titles:
- Way Back Love
- One Unwritten Soul
- Resident Playbook
- Study Group
- The Tale of Lady Ok
- Spirit Fingers
- Trigger
The show everyone cried about in 2025
Tangerines became 2025's word-of-mouth juggernaut thanks to an emotional, hyper-relatable story that turned casual timelines into clip reels. Even people who never hit play were sharing scenes and wiping their eyes. Performances, direction, and writing all got raves, and the buzz escaped Korea fast — it became an international must-watch.
Receipts: critics, ratings, and those episode scores
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series is sitting at a clean 100%. Over on IMDb, it currently ranks as the highest-rated K-drama ever at 9.1/10 — edging out Squid Game (8.0) and The Glory (8.2). Even at the episode level, it flexes: Squid Game's top-rated chapter, Kkanbu (S01E06), sits at 9.2; Tangerines tops that with its finale, Here's to All You've Been Through (S01E16), at 9.5.
Streaming performance: not just a critics' darling
Per Korea JoongAng Daily, the show wrapped a four-week streak on Netflix's Global Top 10 (Non-English) with a No. 3 finish for the week of March 24. And according to The Daily Star, the day after the finale (March 29) Netflix traffic spiked, hitting 4.05 million daily active users — a nice little proof-of-impact moment.
Awards haul
Tangerines did the victory lap at the 2025 Asia Artist Awards with a full sweep — seven wins total — and kept collecting hardware beyond that.
What the director says this show is about
A tribute to past generations of our fathers and mothers, and an anthem of encouragement for the daughters and sons who will now navigate the world ahead.
Cast vibes: IU on playing Ae-sun, and on Park Bo-gum
IU (Lee Ji-eun) told TIME she sees a lot of herself in Oh Ae-sun — the fiery streak, the competitiveness, the big dreams, and the love of poetry and literature. The set sounded relaxed from day one, too. She says she felt immediately comfortable, and after about a year of filming together, her takeaway on Park Bo-gum is simple: he is just a really great person.
Why it hit this hard
Beyond the numbers, Tangerines connects because it is sincere without being syrupy. The show swings big emotionally, but the characters feel lived-in, and Kim Won-seok's direction keeps the sentiment grounded. That combination is rare, which is probably why it nudged past the flashier contenders.
Where to watch and what to expect
When Life Gives You Tangerines is streaming on Netflix. If you are in the mood for a top-tier tear-jerker with a bittersweet payoff, this is that show. Bring tissues, then tell me if the finale wrecked you too.