On March 26, 2025, Chosun Biz, a prominent media outlet in South Korea, highlighted that the K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines and the film Revelations have achieved remarkable success by securing the top positions on Netflix’s Global Non-English series and movie charts, respectively.
Revelations Makes a Strong Debut
The film Revelations, which debuted on March 21, 2025, quickly amassed an impressive 5.7 million views within just three days of its release. This psychological thriller has gained substantial popularity, making the Top 10 list in 39 countries, such as South Korea, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Argentina, Japan, and Indonesia.
When Life Gives You Tangerines Takes the Lead
Meanwhile, the drama When Life Gives You Tangerines rose to the status of the global No.1 non-English series following the release of its third act on March 21, boasting 5.5 million views. The show’s storyline focuses on the lives of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik from Jeju and has repeatedly achieved acclaim by ranking in the Top 10 across 42 countries, including South Korea, Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Turkey. The show’s engagement surged as it climbed the ranks from No. 4 after the first act’s release to No. 2 with the second act, ultimately reaching the No. 1 position after the premiere of its third act.
Anticipation Builds for the Final Act
As the release of the final act is scheduled for March 28, 2025, viewers worldwide eagerly await the conclusion of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s emotional journey.
Dive into the Storylines of Both Productions
When Life Gives You Tangerines, featuring renowned actors such as IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, and Park Hae-joon, first came to life on March 7, 2025. Directed by the talented Kim Won-seok, known for acclaimed works like My Mister and Signal, the series offers a slice-of-life perspective set in the scenic environment of 1950s Jeju Island. The Korean title, Pokssak Sogatsuda, has been localized for English-speaking audiences as When Life Gives You Tangerines, cleverly playing on the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,”with tangerines as a representation of Jeju’s cultural identity.
Kim Won-seok expressed his vision for the drama, stating:
“A tribute to the generations of grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers and mothers who have lived fiercely, and a song of encouragement for the daughters and sons who will navigate the world ahead,”as reported by The Korea Herald on March 12, 2025.
Netflix Korea’s innovative approach to releasing the drama involves dropping four episodes every week over four weeks.
Revelations: A Gripping Narrative
On the flip side, Revelations, featuring Ryu Jun-yeol and Shin Hyun-bin, also premiered on March 21, 2025. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, known worldwide for directing the thriller Train to Busan, this film presents a riveting narrative that follows a pastor who perceives punishing criminals as divine revelation while a detective grapples with solving a missing person’s case intertwined with haunting visions of her late sister.
In the film, Ryu Jun-yeol portrays Pastor Min-chan and Shin Hyun-bin plays Detective Yeon-hee. Notably, renowned director Alfonso Cuarón serves as an executive producer, further enhancing the film’s profile. This duo previously collaborated on the successful Netflix series Hellbound.
Watch Now and Stay Tuned for Final Releases
While When Life Gives You Tangerines gears up for its final act release on March 28, 2025, the movie Revelations is currently available for streaming on Netflix.