Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Clever title translation helps ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ resonate globally
Actors IU, right, and Park Bo-gum are seen in this still image for Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines." Courtesy of Netflix
By Park Jin-hai
As the Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines" receives a warm reception both domestically and internationally, being hailed as a "life drama" by many viewers, there's growing interest in how it has been translated for international audiences.
The Korean title of the drama "Pokssak Sogatsuda," a Jeju dialect phrase meaning "You've worked hard," was given a nuanced rather than literal interpretation with its translation to "When Life Gives You Tangerines" for English-speaking audiences.
For drama fans, the English title was an ingenious choice, elegantly riffing on the well-known adage, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." This familiar phrase, a testament to positive resilience in the face of adversity, was adapted to incorporate the tangerine, a hallmark of Jeju Island, giving the show's title regional authenticity.
Actors IU, right, and Park Bo-gum are seen in this still image for the Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines." Courtesy of Netflix
IU, taking on the spirited and rebellious lead Ae-sun, elucidated the English title during a press conference for the drama. "Even if life presents us with tart tangerines, let us transform them into sweet marmalade and savor a warm cup of tangerine tea," she explained.
Titles for the drama in other languages also prioritized capturing the essence of its meaning rather than adhering to a literal translation.
The Spanish title, "Si la vida te da mandarinas..." means "If Life Gives You Tangerines," and the Thai title translates into "Let's Smile Even on Days When Tangerines Aren't Sweet."
In Taiwan, Netflix opted for a title that conveys the idea of "meeting you after hardships," using the four-character Chinese idiom, "bitterness ends, sweetness comes." However, it cleverly replaced the word "sweetness" with "tangerine" to evoke the imagery of Jeju Island.
Great translation has been regarded as crucial for the global success of Korean content and "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is a prime example, conveying the show's emotional depth with a skillfully crafted translation.
The popularity of recent K-dramas has increased focus on how show titles are translated. For instance, ENA's 2022 drama, telling the story of an autistic lawyer with extraordinary intelligence and photographic memory, uses the English title "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" instead of its Korean title, which means "Strange Attorney Woo Young-woo," to convey a positive tone. Netflix's 2024 cooking show, whose title means "Black vs. White Chef" in Korean, has been changed into "Culinary Class Wars" to prevent possible racial connotations and misunderstandings.
"There were times when English translations of titles often felt clumsy, leaving me perplexed. But looking at Netflix's current Korean series, I think they've mastered the art of crafting compelling English titles," said Kim Ji-eun, a Korean Australian drama fan, adding that as someone who is bilingual, she always pays close attention to the titles and captions.
"I think the title 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is really smart. It deftly captures the drama's core message while seamlessly bringing in that Jeju vibe perfectly. Honestly, I think that shows you how far Korean dramas have come. They wouldn't bother putting in so much effort with the translations if they weren't a big deal."