Fans express disappointment as Park Bo-gum’s screen time in “When Life Gives You Tangerines” dwindles, raising questions about his character’s significance in the series’ final episodes. The shift in focus to the older characters leaves Park Bo-gum’s role seemingly diminished.
Story Shift Leaves Park Bo-gum Behind
Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines” successfully captured viewer’s attention with its multi-generational storyline. The drama, that follows the four seasons of life, began with IU and Park Bo-gum portraying the younger versions of Ae-soon and Gwan-sik. The series gained popularity, even reaching second place in Netflix’s global Top 10 Non-English Series rankings. However, as the narrative progresses, the focus shifts to the older Ae-soon, played by Moon So-ri, and Gwan-sik, played by Park Hae-joon, alongside their daughter Geum-myeong, portrayed by IU. This transition has resulted in a noticeable decrease in Park Bo-gum’s on-screen presence.
Park Bo-gum’s Limited Appearances
As the story reaches its third act, episodes 9-12, Park Bo-gum’s character appears mostly in flashback scenes. Unlike IU, who continues to play a significant role as both young Ae-soon and her daughter Geum-myeong, Park Bo-gum’s role has significantly lessened. Adding to the viewer’s concern, the recent episodes introduced a new romantic storyline between Geum-myeong and Young-bum, played by Lee Jun-young. Spoilers suggest that Geum-myeong’s eventual husband will be another new character.
Was Park Bo-gum a First-Half Lead?
The significant reduction in Park Bo-gum’s screen time has led some fans to believe that he was only the male lead for the first half of the series. His role now appears to be overshadowed by Lee Jun-young and even a special guest appearance by Kim Seon-ho. This leaves fans questioning the overall importance of his character in the drama. With only a few episodes remaining, viewers hope Park Bo-gum will have a meaningful return and a satisfying conclusion to his character’s story.
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