[Drama 2016-2017] Guardian: The Lonely and Great Goblin 도깨비

[itzibitzispider]

2 hours ago, mrspotatohead said:

Hey guys! So, like a few people here, I also created an account only to join this forum because I am truly amazed by this drama since episode 1. People here are all so supportive of each other and the theories are all awesome and interesting to read, which brings me to my first post here in soompi. Nice to meet you all!

I solely watched this because of KGE, I love her in CITT and started to follow her other works like Coin Locker Girl, Monster, A Muse, etc, so I truly believe in her acting skill. In addition, this is also my first Gong Yoo drama after watching Train to Busan and I'm constantly falling in love with him in each episode. I even started watching his other works too. Same goes for LDW and YIN. So in conclusion, the one thing we can all agree upon is that this drama is driven by KES exceptional writing, great production crew, and ALL the actors profound and soulful acting. I think that we can see how much work they put in this drama so all is left for us to do is to continue supporting this drama in our own ways despite everybody else's indifference.

With a few days more of waiting I hope everyone can have a great week before we meet again with the continuance of this drama. I'll keep reading this forum till then.

 xoxo,  

mrspotatohead

Welcome to our cave ... we are happy for each new goblin-cave"woman"

I really don't see the fuss ... yes yes there might be more beautiful actresses about, but in the end the character does not ask for an outstanding beauty, but for an average pretty girl. There are actors AND actresses that are just so-so, others are really beautiful ... I don't care, as long as they can act and make the role they play believable

2 hours ago, Han Ji Eun said:

How I wish it's already Friday 

 

Don't get started ... I want the next episode :(!
I think I just start again to rewatch ... I already tried the distracting part in sewing ... but it did not really work ...

[selenette]

@hushhh  Thanks for letting me know! I've fixed it! 

[faith2]

I want to share something I was thinking for quite some time. Do you guys tihink that the CEO in ET future is Gobin. He did not see who the CEO is. When the grandfather dies the grandson is not ready to take over then may be Goblin must take over the company for a few years.

[itzibitzispider]

Just now, faith2 said:

I want to share something I was thinking for quite some time. Do you guys tihink that the CEO in ET future is Gobin. He did not see who the CEO is. When the grandfather dies the grandson is not ready to take over then may be Goblin must take over the company for a few years.

Kim Shin is the head of the company anyways, so it is quite likely that ET is either meeting DH, as he is second in line, or KS. 
But due to the fact that he did just focus on the waiter seeing ET and on her future he did not see the guy she was with, as that would have been a possibility too ... he could have seen the CEO, but chose not to, as he was to deep into the future of ET without him and without memories of him (as implied by her comment to Sunny on the phone, that she has never been uproad)

[selenette]

3 minutes ago, faith2 said:

I want to share something I was thinking for quite some time. Do you guys tihink that the CEO in ET future is Gobin. He did not see who the CEO is. When the grandfather dies the grandson is not ready to take over then may be Goblin must take over the company for a few years.

 

@faith2 Greetings! The CEO could very well be Kim Shin. As for Deok-hwa, a.k.a. the said grandson in your post, I think he would mature, but there could be some arrangements between the two as to how the Chunwoo Group would be managed later on. 

[debolina]

Happy new year to all. Just a few ramblings for the past 2 episodes -

* I am glad that during the brief period that Eun Tak was away from her ajhusshi, she got some time for introspection. However painful it was - she got a chance to go back to all the moments they shared and what those actually meant. I liked the scene where she packs her bags and makes her mind, convincing herself she has no home - even if she stayed there would be no home without KimShin. I always felt miserable when Kim Shin's words could not covey it's meaning to Eun-Tak....she'd never know the feelings - love or affection behind them. Going back to those moments, somewhere down the line she did realize what she meant to him.

* The excuses - Excuses is what fuels Kim Shin's greed to be with Eun Tak. From the previous episodes we have seen how much he depends on excuses to be with her - from walking with her, to picking her up, delaying the day for the sword to be removed. He comes clean about his dilemma about whether he deserved to live after taking lives of so many - a decision which he cannot take himself and so he hides behind those excuses to fulfil his greed to be with her. He is scared to make those selfish decisions for himself so he wants her to make those for him and generate another excuse for him to live with and love her.

* The confession - I like the vague, indirect and behind-each-others-back nature of it and yet they know it. Like in the last episode where he vaguely and randomly says he likes her and she catches it or today how she confesses her love to which he later says me too vaguely and she just knows it. This makes me crave for a moment sometime in future where Kim Shin gets to say whole-heartedly to her that he loves her. Although actions for me always over-weigh actual words, I like it when people don't explicitly say that they love each other but there is so much love out there between them. But in this case I want it so bad because Kim Shin himself longs to tell her that -after all he is begging the heavens through his heartbreaking poems to grant the permission for him to confess his love for her.

* its's a beautiful life - I like the timing of the song a lot in the past two episodes. Just after the back hug when Eun Tak goes back to her cheery self, smiling, Kim Shin pats her head again while this song plays. While shines with her smile, so does his eyes (oh Gong Yoo <3) - it's indeed a beautiful life for him with his bride smiling at him. Also while people are busy debating about unimportant and useless things like how much does Kim Go Eun fare in the prettiness scale - I am awed how effortlessly she transitions from a serious and angry Eun Tak to a bright, cheerful and childish Eun Tak.

* 12 Year old Ajhushis pretending to be 900 and 300 -  these two just won't stop being a riot. cannot forget dokkaebi's touched face when joesung sajja fesses up he doesn't want him to die pfft. how can I be angry now? LMAO. Seriously Reaper dude was solving math? He actually wears white keeping up with the advised concept of being an angel. I feel like pulling his cheeks haha. And Dokkaebi has to be specified that Eun Tak is going out with him post mid-night else the pouting and sulking that ensues rofl. And what kick do the Goblin-Reaper get outta the swag slow mo walk they do whilst buying green onions? I seriously can't with these two haha.

* The Siblings - Interesting how searching for Eun Tak brings Kim Shin face to face with his sister. I was surprised how Kim Shin did not lead Eun Tak to Sunny's Chicken place - he merely narrowed down her options and it's Eun Tak who finds Sun. I maybe thinking too much, but it's heartening to see the sister sheltering her brother's bride at the time of her need, even though unknowingly so. And I can't wait for Reaper ajhushi to complete the reunion of the siblings. It was cute to see them bickering and Kim Shin mirroring his sister's actions and both giving each other judgy looks.

*The subtle romance - Is it only me who got Goosebumps when Kim Shin asks Eun Tak to pay back the debt he lent over 80 years. I swoon majorly at the mush Shin becomes when Eun Tak calls him strange and beautiful and therefore her style, or the way he adoringly looks at her when she is gulping down soju or how he admits he had a hard time avoiding their first kiss. AND THE KISS!  - more than that the content look he has post it which makes the heart go crazy.

*Kim Shin and Kim Sun - Shin mentions how his sister was a dignified queen - Kim So hyun's performance just personified that. I was awestruck by her portrayal of young Kim Sun. That one conversation between the warrior brother and the to-be-queen sister  spoke volumes about their relationship. Behind that typical sibling bickering, was so much brotherly affection that you could see in Shin's eyes (Man gong yoo how much should I rave about your expressive eyes). Kim Shin of the past had such control over his emotions no? Unlike the Goblin of today. He'd make fun of his sister and at the same time put her fears about the king liking her to rest. Kim Sun would get annoyed and at the same time assure her brother of her well being and happiness once in the Palace. What struck me the most was her reaction to Shin's reminder of no news about him being good news - the calmness on her face. It was nothing new to her, and she knew the nature of her brother's job and duty and she took it so bravely. And what a sorted, fair, wise and as Shin says dignified queen she was to her nation and king. Both the siblings were so clear and loyal about their duties towards the king. Shin had to shed the blood of thousands just to come back to protect the king and his sister despite knowing how counter productive that was. Fate indeed is the cruel one in this show more than anything. I find the sibling's relationship really epic - they even died at the same time. Their very first scene in the 1st episode when she says him to go ahead without thinking about her now makes so much sense - it was all about the king. Till their last breath both tried to protect the King. I cannot fathom how heavy each step must have been for Shin to take towards the king at the cost of his sister - just to keep his promise to the late king. Her reincarnation would at least ease some burden of his heart if he is assured she is doing well and is happy in this life

*Forbidden Bromance - All four of them share such complicated fates. Reaper and Kim Shin have come a full circle from the King wanting Kim Shin dead to the Reaper now wanting Kim Shin to stay alive. I absolutely adore their relationship. They are bros, they are each other's confidant, they are family. The one time we hear Kim Shin talking about his past...he does it to Reaper ajhushi. I am curious to see how the equation changes once reaper remembers who he is. Not only with Shin but also with Sunny. After all Shin does have a lot of resentment bottled up towards the king.

I hope the Reaper remembers his past as soon as possible so that he can work towards his redemption especially towards Sunny. Hope we get more insights about the King and his inner thoughts - what he went through making those ruthless decisions. it really gets to me how he turns and walks away while his Queen and Kim Shin lay dead before him. How heartless did jealousy turn him *sigh* I am really gonna have a very hard time watching Reaper coming in terms with his reality - already watching Lee Dong Wook cry bitterly is painful enough. This piece of truth is going to be Reaper's own version of sword through his heart. I am as curious about his redemption track as I am of the door that Kim Shin will find to protect his bride.

 

 

 

 

[violetpetal]

I'm glad people here love and appreciate KGE, I love KGE too. I only know her in this Goblin I didn't saw any of her work before, but right after Goblin ep 1 I fall in love with her. Her smile is so charming and adorable.. and most of all is her acting skill is superb.

Sorry if this article below has been post before, yesterday i just read an article posted sometimes ago early 2016, that Gong Yoo also found her charming and wanted to work with her.

 

Actor Gong Yoo recently had an interview with TV Daily to promote his new movie 'A Man and a Woman.'

During the interview, he was then asked which actress he wanted to work with in the future, and he said, "There are a lot of charming people.  Kim Go Eun is charming.  Maybe I'm getting old, but it makes me happy when I see the people make their first appearances at Chungmuro [film festival] and take center stage.  It makes me fell good.  I enjoyed Kim Go Eun's 'Chinatown.'"

http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/02/gong-yoo-wants-to-act-with-kim-go-eun

 

[am420]

Happy New Year everyone (I can still say that right, as this is my first post on here for 2017)

I'm glad that even though the show is filming live the story is still pretty tight and the cinematography is still amazing. Episode 9 was so visually beautiful. I'm not shocked that ET ran for the hills when she found out what pulling out the sword actually meant, she would have never agreed to do it if she knew what it meant from the beginning. I'm glad that the reaper told her because she deserved to know, and pulling out the sword and ending KS's life would have devastated her more than knowing what it actually meant. I really love the progression of the friendships between the Grim Reaper and both KS and ET, he's gone from threatening to take ET's soul to demanding that KS get his act together because neither of them want her dead, also his admission that he didn't want KS to die was adorable. I was so glad that KS and ET were both honest about their feelings with each other. I also really love the relationship between Sunny and ET, Sunny telling KS off for making ET cry and her teary eyes when ET returned was super sweet, I absolutely love female friendships in dramas. 

One of my favorite moments in episode 10 was KS sitting talking to the portrait of his sister, it was a call back to episode 2 when he was visiting the burial ground in Canada except this time, for probably the first time in 900+ years, he's doing well. The Goreyo back story was pretty much amazing but now I'm looking forward to seeing more of the king and to see what happens after he realizes that the teacher who raised him was evil, he look so disheveled and distraught in that final scene. KGE is playing the effusive joy of ET so well, her face glows when she's smiling, she's portraying first love so well. The kiss was super cute and really very appropriate for a second-first kiss, ET going back in for another was pretty great. I really like that she's not holding back and that she's asking for what she wants because if she didn't that relationship would go nowhere. 

Poor Grim Reaper getting broken-up with/breaking-up with Sunny on NYE, even with all of the things that he doesn't remember/have he is incredibly sweet especially with Sunny. I'm really curious about how he will regain his memories and how that will affect his relationships with everyone else. After the Goreyo flashbacks I can't help but feel so sorry for him, he trusted the man who raised him but that man was not a good man he was the one who wanted to be a god above the king. I completely understand why the evil teacher was fearful of KS and his influence over the people, his sister was queen, the people loved him as we saw in the first episode, he was a threat not only to the king but to his influence on the king. Grim reaper is definitely having a tough time right now so I hope that he starts getting answers soon. NGL when KS said that they look like a fried egg or a bean sprout I had to pause the episode to laugh, he was so awkward trying to play matchmaker, while poor reaper was dressed as an angel.

I really like how they are wrapping-up all the little storylines as the show progresses so we won't have to wait until the final 2 episodes to wrap up everything. I especially loved ET's ghost friend being her mom's friend and protecting her by stealing the bankbooks. I'm looking forward to seeing if KS and Sunny can develop some kind of sibling relationship, now that it's been established that she's the reincarnation of his sister. I'm looking forward to seeing how both KS and ET survive with the fate that the gods have placed on them. How the Grim Reaper recovers his memory. Whether DH is divine or just good at ordering people to use technology. Not looking forward to grandpa's death though it is the only certain part of life. 

The KGE isn't beautiful stupid debate again. I think that she is beautiful so anytime I read those things I'm just like 

Spoiler

 

[dojoed]

1 hour ago, selenette said:

THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR HANJA NAME MEANINGS

"Your real name is Kim Sun? Which Hanja characters do you use?" 

                                                          -Kim Shin, to Sunny [Ep 9]

 

Listing what we've already known, and surmising what we don't know, because it is the Hanja, rather than the Hangul, that determines a name meaning.

The following three are the established names. 

 

KIM SHIN 

 

The conversation between Chairman Yoo and Secretary Kim (Ep 9) helped establishing the Hanja characters for Kim Shin's name. The Chairman said the name essentially means "to believe", but the Hanja themselves will give us deeper insight. 

• 金 (kim) = gold; iron (Note: generally it refers to any precious metal of the ancient Chinese era)
• 信 (shin) = to believe, belief, trust, to profess faith in (Note: the character consists of two characters, 人("man") and 言("speech") = a person's truthful words. The character implies that a man with this name is one who stays true to his promises)

---> TO STRONGLY BELIEVE; A STAUNCH BELIEF; STEADFASTNESS

________________________________

 

WANG YEO

 

 

As this was a name Kim Shin wrote down (Ep 8), there would be no mistaking the Hanja. Yet the "dawn" meaning is a new discovery for me.

• 王 (wang) = king (Note:  the three horizontal strokes are Heaven, Man and Earth. The vertical stroke is the king. A king, therefore, has to connect Heaven, Man, and Earth. This implies that a king's failure in maintaining this sacred connection/carrying out the mandate to rule justly, will result in Heavenly punishment)
•  黎 (yeo) = dark; black; dawn; many people; commoners

--> THE DARK KING, THE BLACK KING, THE KING OF MANY PEOPLE , THE KING [WHO CAME AT?] DAWN

________________________________

 

 

KIM SUN

 

Written side by side with Wang Yeo's name on Ep 8, this name's Hanja characters were clarified as well.  

• 金 (kim)= gold; iron
•  善 (sun) = virtuous; good; kind; charitable;kindness  (Note: the character is formed by two other characters, 誩 ("say a lot") and  羊 ("goat" [= sacrifice, soft speech], implying that the person always speaks in kindness and is selfless/self-sacrificing)

--> GOLDEN VIRTUE; GOLDEN KINDNESS; TRUE/GOLDEN SELFLESSNESS

_________________________________

 

Now onto the surmises, based on my lowkey research on the Hanja database. 

 

YOO DEOK HWA

 

Surmising that his given and surname are that of Andy Lau (Ep 5)'s, as well as the "Yoo" in Gong Yoo's name, here is what I believe are the Hanja characters in Deok-hwa's name. 

• 劉 (yoo) = old Chinese surname "Liu"; to kill; to conquer
• 德 (deok) = morality; ethics; virtue
• 華 (hwa) = illustrious; magnificent; flowery; to flourish; to prosper (Note: the character consists of  elements 艹 ( "grass") +  匚 ("basket", "sieve"), which referred to a container for herbs, plants, leaves for traditional medicines.  In ancient times, one travels to the countryside.  Naming a person in this character implies a hope for a distant yet encompassing journey.)

---> TO CONQUER [BY] ILLUSTRIOUS VIRTUE; TO CONQUER [BY] MAGNIFICENT MORALITY; TO [EMBARK ON A] JOURNEY ON [THE PATH OF/TO] VIRTUE

 

________________________________

JI EUN TAK

 

There are two Hanjas for the Ji surname, 26 Hanjas for the Eun given name (2 of them being the commonly used ones), and one for the Tak surname (not given name). So I had to search through the database, to find those that make more sense.

• 池  (ji) = pool; pond; a surname

Or

• 智 (ji) = wisdom; intellect (Note: originally means "what is to know", implying that a person with this name seeks knowledge). I'm leaning more towards this one because of Eun-tak's intelligence. 
• 恩 (eun) =favor; grace; love; kindness (Note: the character is formed from the character 心 ("heart") and phonetic 因 ("to follow", "cause"), implying that the person is kind-hearted)

Or

• 銀 (eun) = silver. I'm leaning more towards the first one. 
• 卓 (tak) =outstanding

Or

• 倬  (tak) = bright; beautiful 

Both Hanjas could work, but the first one is more commonly used (albeit as a surname)

---> WISDOM AND BEAUTIFUL GRACE;  WISDOM AND OUTSTANDING KINDNESS;  WISE, BEAUTIFUL AND GRACEFUL;  WISE, KIND, AND BRIGHT/BEAUTIFUL

________________________________

Notes on the Names (only click if you're interested)

  Reveal hidden contents

1. It makes me sad that Kim Shin's name really signifies his loyalty to both his sister and his king, the two people he failed to protect.

2. The realization that there is an element of sacrifice within Kim Sun's name makes me sad, too. 

3. Wang Yeo's given name wasn't chosen out of spite (a name that means dark). His family loved him, after all. He was named "dawn" because his parents hoped that he would bring heir country out of the dark.

4. When Shin named Deok-hwa, he didn't do it to embarrass the boy, or to compare the child with Andy Lau for the rest of their lives. He truly cared for the boy and hoped for the latter's well-being.

5. Eun-tak was really cherished and loved by her late mother. Another sad moment of realization for me. Please stay alive, you wise, kind and beautiful girl... 

 

 

Sources

  Reveal hidden contents

https://chinese.yabla.com/chinese-english-pinyin-dictionary.php
http://www.chinese-tools.com/tools/calligraphy.html
http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterEtymology.aspx?characterInput=恩
http://dictionary.pinpinchinese.com/definitions/
http://www.koreanwikiproject.com/wiki/
http://www.hanja.me/explore.html
http://www.chinesetools.eu/chinese-dictionary/index.php?q=%26%2321331%3B
m.hanja.naver.com
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Lau

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_Yoo
http://justlearnchinese.com/chinese-radical-show-basket-radical-37/
https://eastwindgallery.blogspot.co.id/2016/04/hua-lian-splendid-affection-7-nameplate.html?m=1

 

 

 

 

P.S. I apologize to the kind people who tagged me, if I haven't replied to your posts, it means that my brain simply agrees with yours and I can't think of any intelligent reply. But I do read those posts and other posts,too. I'd even tried to color the names according to the latest brilliant color theory in this thread, and to Deok-hwa's status (non-human or human?), but this post was all that I could come up with. 

 

 

 

Hi, just dropped by to say that while your post is very informative, the Hanja that you've used for Shin and Eun-tak's personal names (and her last name), as well as Deok-hwa's family name, are incorrect. The Hanja characters that Kim Eun-sook has chosen for her characters have actually been shown in the drama itself. 

Shin's name in Hanja is 金侁, as seen here:

Eun-tak's name in Hanja is 池恩倬, as written by Grims himself:

And Deok-hwa's family name in Hanja is actually 柳, as seen on the family gravestones in Canada:

Edited January 2, 2017 by kumoiwa

[Rori]

1 hour ago, carolinedl said:

I don't know if anyone answered you but I also looked for it and no luck. I think it might be part 9 or 10 of the OST and might come out later. I will post it here as soon as I find it! Awesome song!

 

No answer as of yet! The fact that even soompi cannot answer means that song possibly doesn't officially exist yet and I hope, like you suspect, is part of a later OST. Thank you!

[nearsea]

I don't know if this has been posted before, but someone spoke about this on the recap of ep 10 on dramabeans, this is a big spoiler, and I definitely don't want to be the killjoy lol, so posting rest of the conjecture in the spoiler section.

Spoiler

So at the ending song of ep 10 , there are the flashback scenes, when Shin was saving Eun Tak's life back in ep 1, and I definitely saw Shin with Eun Tak in her future self, the short hair and the same dress. I don't know if KES wants to spoil the big moment so early or if there is another big twist in making. The only thing that I don't want to happen is Eun Tak loosing her memory of Shin and the time they spent together :S.

 

 

[itzibitzispider]

 

[turtle0217]

Wow! Haven't been on here for only a couple days and it is filled with lots of great fangirling pictures and videos! It's soo nice to catch up and enjoy all these over coffee in this late afternoon for me. Lol! 

@pirateparade thank you for creating that playlist on Spotify. I use Spotify a lot to listen to music during my drivings and doing schoolwork. Thank you Thank you. 

@selenette Thank you soo much for the characters and their hanja name meanings. I always try to figure out what characters name means whenever I'm addicted to a drama. Thank you soo much for doing that. They have such great names for this drama. 

[packmule3]

Hey @hushhh. Happy New Year!  I saw your post asking what the big fuss all was all about KGE being pretty/ugly so I  typed up some of my notes.

This post:

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now's as good a time as any to share with you what I think about Beauty – with the capital B.

Am tagging @NRGchick because I heard through the grapevine (lol) that she wants more discussion on Shin/ET. Consider it done, girlfriend.

Please do NOT quote this long text. I’ll disown anybody who’ll inflict this eyesore twice on this forum. 

***************

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, @hushhh And being “pretty” IS a BIG deal in this story -- but not in the same context as those ditzy netizens think. 

I agree that the actress KGE is a “squid” when compared to Song Hye-Kyo (Descendants of the Sun lead). I have eyes, and I’ve seen some angles of KGE where she looked like the Gangnam style singer, Psy.  

But does it matter?  

For me, her intelligent PORTRAYAL of ET made her the most beautiful actress for that role, and I swear, I will never look at her as a female Psy again. She is radiantly beautiful when she beams up at Shin that I have this desire to squish her. She is hauntingly beautiful when she cries in Episode 9 and tells him to choose whether to live or die with her. She is funnily beautiful when she threatens to avenge the gods for making Shin suffer so much in Episode 6. She is altogether beautiful when she is hopping mad because he refuses to give her a boyfriend. I don’t think I’ll get tired of her face soon...and I'm female.   

To me, she is beautiful because she has something MORE than a temporary and fleeting appearance. She has character. And she fits this particular persona, ET, on the screen. I daresay if SHK were to portray this role -- no matter her amazing visuals -- she'd look awkward, like a try-hard ahjumma.

So, KGE = ET. And "too bad, so sad"  for those KGE's detractors. 

Anyway, that's one level of understanding beauty. Inside beauty, intelligence, character, and so on. And there's another level of understanding Beauty in the story that upends this view. It relates to Shin's and ET's emotional development. 

You have already expressed an initial understanding of Shin regarding beauty. 

When his little sister asked if her groom the king was handsome, he admonished her to prioritize character over looks. That’s true, in many occasions, people should admire a person’s character above a person's appearance.

Like, wrinkly St Theresa > bodacious Kim Kardasian.

However, there’s a twist here in this kdrama that I think this scriptwriter is trying to explore every time ET asks Shin whether he finds her pretty. ET wasn’t just being vain or insecure or pathetic whenever she talks about “pretty”. There’s another meaning there. 

Let's watch how they both change their understanding of being “pretty” as their story unfolds. 

I’ll quote paragraphs from >dramabeans’ recaps because 1) it’s easier for me to google the word "pretty" in her recaps, and 2) she does an A+ job of recapping. My comments are in parentheses. 

Episode 1: (ET summons him accidentally when she extinguishes a small fire.)
>She tells him to describe everything about her, and he rattles off details: “Uniform. Pretty.” She smiles. “The uniform is pretty.” She asks if he sees wings, calling herself a fairy, like Tinkerbell. Shin practically rolls his eyes and vanishes into smoke.

(Now, she obviously knows that she isn't as pretty as Tinkerbell but Shin should have at least responded in kind and teased her in return instead of leaving in exasperation. If I were ET, I would think he was some kind of uppity man.)  

Episode 2: (They’re walking in a park in Quebec City.)
>Eun-tak tells the goblin that he must be very happy to meet a fairy like her, reminding him that she’s Tinkerbell. He tries to temper his scowl and ends up twitching.

(Later, they have an argument, and Shin tells her she’s not the Goblin’s bride, so she asks him, “Who am I” then?)

>Shin says it’s not his concern and she gets angry at that and accuses him of lying because she’s not pretty enough to be his bride. But he says readily, “You’re pretty. I’ve lived over nine hundred years. I’m not looking for someone who’s pretty; I’m looking for someone to discover something about me.”

(Here, he’s saying that his bride only has to FUNCTION like a tool, and pull out the sword. Remember my “mini-lecture” on the cabbage grandma and TOOLS? Shin is saying the same thing here: Who cares how ET looks like? Her looks don’t matter as much as her USEFULNESS to him.

And THAT is absolutely hurtful to ET. 

Take this word of advice, ladies: If your boyfriend in reel   real life tells you that it doesn’t matter whether you look ugly or pretty to him, just as long as you're useful to him, please LEAVE him soon. He’s a USER, in other words.  Lol.)

Episode 3: (After he rescues ET from the loan sharks, they eat and pretty comes up again. ET tells him:)

>“And I hope you meet a nice person. Someone who helps you discover the true you. Someone pretty. Pretty in heart, not face, since you say you don’t look at faces.”

(She is baiting him but he ignores her annoyed face and continues to rile her,  just to get a reaction from her. The Reaper thinks she’s bratty, but  Shin sides with her and excuses her bad-temper. At this point, he IS finding her cute, although she isn’t at all acting pretty. Basically, he does look at her face.)

Episode 4: (Shin is drunk and they are taking a stroll together.)
>She asks what happens to him if she decides not to be his bride, and Shin says he won’t be able to pull the sword out, because only she can do that. “I have to pull the sword out in order to…” he can’t say the truth, so he ends with, “To be pretty!” 

(Here, pretty is his euphemism for death….which is ironic, right? Because soon he'll discover FIRST LOVE and the attraction of a PRETTY girl but he knows he's fated to die and leave her soon anyway. This realization hits him hard while sitting at a park chair and watching ET hop on the crosswalk.) 

>He has flashes of dying in that field a thousand years ago, then Eun-tak smiling back at him. She runs up and asks if he made that red carpet crosswalk just for her, but he’s still lost in thought over the poem as he looks up at her, mesmerized. A single maple leaf falls on the page.

Episode 5: (Now ET has a confused perspective on prettiness, too.)

>Eun-tak says that she’s been thinking she’ll defer “making him pretty” (i.e., pulling the sword), because once she does, it’ll take away her usefulness, and he might kick her out. He whines about her eating all those snacks, and she calls him out on his pettiness, saying he could have just given her that 5 million won and be done with it.

(ET thinks prettiness = her worth/value to him = her USEFULNESS = pulling the sword = bride. Meaning, if she can’t pull the sword, then she’s no good to him and has to leave the house. Even the Reaper says that, that she'll get kicked out once she's done her job.  

And Shin encourages this wrong perspective whenever he BRIBES her with food for her college exams. That’s why ET is insecure. She doesn't know if she's coming or going. But note now: Shin actually loves her, and finds her pretty and adorable. The reason he is keeping it strictly hidden from her is that he doesn’t want to burden her when he leaves. Unable to hide his frustration, he picks on her.  Here, being "pretty" is actually a strain for both of them.)

>The bickering escalates, with Eun-tak blaming Shin for her birthmark, Shin huffily looking past her hair to declare the birthmark pretty, and Eun-tak taking offense to him “hitting” her hair and saying that he got his sword stuck in him for a reason. Shin gasps, asking if she’s a psychopath to hit him exactly where it hurts. She calls him a psycho too, reminding him that he was the one who said she wasn’t a goblin’s bride and should live in reality. He exclaims that he was doing it for her benefit, and she yells back, “If you’re doing things for my benefit, hand over my boyfriend!” She lists her original three wishes, saying that it didn’t come true, and Shin yells right back, “He’s right here, your boyfriend! Right in front of you—me!”

(The birthmark is pretty because it’s a sign that she’s his. I think this is an important change in his view of "prettiness". Beauty is now linked to possession or ownership. Meaning, if somebody becomes part of him, he looks at her with more fondness with the ugliness glossed over.

You know that expression: “a face only a mother can love”? It’s kinda similar.

So, at this point, Shin definitely sees her as HIS. Only, he represses his feelings, so he comes out being more petty, sensitive, and truculent. He picks a fight over the silliest things, because he's jealous that other people like the Reaper can freely claim HER time and HER attention, while HE CAN’T. And he finally admits that he is her boyfriend. They settle their fight with an impromptu boyfriend/girlfriend date at “their” restaurant in Quebec.)

>Eun-tak turns to greet her lunch partner, an unseen CEO, seemingly not seeing Shin sitting in front of her. “At 29, you’re still bright,” Shin says, looking at her with sad eyes. “But I am not there next to you. My life’s immortality has come to an end. After my death, you and your life after my disappearance have forgotten me and come to perfect completion. I must disappear. For the sake of you, who smiles prettily. The choice I must make is ending this life.”

Do you see the reversal now, hushhh?

Before, he didn’t care at all if she was pretty or not. "JUST DO YOUR DARN BUSINESS and pull this sword out of me ASAP." Now, he’s saying, “I wish you didn't have to pull this sword out now, because I want to be with you longer.” Her prettiness MATTERS now.  He loves her; therefore, she is pretty. Her usefulness/function is now irrelevant to his need to be alive a little bit longer for her.)

Episode 6: (So it continues, this business of dying and becoming pretty. All the time, she doesn’t know the truth about the sword.)
>He asks if she won’t make him pretty now, which is still what Eun-tak believes will happen when she pulls out the sword. She says “Yes” and he sighs in relief until she clarifies, “Yes, I won’t.” ...Ignoring him, she says that she’s crying because she’s sad, but that he really should shape up and put in a little effort instead of feeling sorry for himself: “Don’t you think you’re not trying hard enough to become prettier?” Lolwut. She advises him that pity won’t get him very far, so he needs to take action if he wants her to pull out the sword.

(And they decide to pull out the sword and it didn’t work.)

Episode 7: (Since she can’t pull out, she’s back to questioning her worth, prettiness.)

>Reaper wonders why she can’t touch the sword, and she asks if maybe the goblin was right about her not being his bride: “Will the real bride who can grab the sword show up? Will she… be pretty?” 

(Now, here, I think ET has a better grasp of what being pretty means. Being pretty doesn’t simply mean being physically alluring, but being TRULY LOVED no matter the appearance, no matter the usefulness. Being pretty means being accepted for what she is, warts and all. In this sense, being pretty means an acceptance. ET can see Shin with all his flaws and insecurities, and still take him as he is because he's "pretty" in her eyes. And she's hoping that Shin considers her pretty, too.)

Episode 8: (We see his reluctance to tell her that she’s pretty and allows her to think that his first love is somebody else. Why? Partly, because it derives pleasure from seeing her jealous reactions, and partly I guess, because he’s reticent to openly discuss feelings with her. In the past, he said he didn't care about her appearance but now, she’s so beautiful to him and it pains him to death that he cannot be with her ever because of his punishment.)

>He tells her that she doesn’t know what’s paining him, and when she asks what it is, he replies, “First love hurts a lot.” Thinking he means someone from his past, Eun-tak gets pettish, saying she must have been really pretty. Shin says, “Very much… every day… it hurts.”  Annoyed, Eun-tak tells him to rest up, patting his arm extra hard, telling him that’s not something you say to your bride. “If you look hard, you can see where she’s pretty,” Shin says. “So don’t go.”

(Luckily she knows that he tends to lie so she does research and goes to DH to ask for intel.  She finally figures out that he UNDERSTATES emotions that are very much important to him.)

Episode 9: (Love.)

>Back to her cheery self, Eun-tak confesses that she can’t see his sword anymore, so there’s no chance she’ll be able to pull it out for him. Aw, is she lying? Shin pats her head affectionately, and she smiles in turn.

(In previous episodes, Shin is petrified that ET will hate him once she discovers what the sword meant -- that he was a killer/murderer of people in his earlier life. Personally, I think the sword is still there, and ET is speaking metaphorically here. She "can't" see the sword, so she can't be asked to pull it out. And if she can't see the sword, Shin can also cease seeing himself as a fatally evil person. In a religious sense, she has "forgiven" or "absolved" Shin of all the wicked deeds he's done before in the name of his country and King. He's born anew. Right, @romanov, @maryofbethany, my Christian/Catholic sisters? 

Now, it's also important to point out that ET can declare that she will no longer pull out the sword from him because she has confirmed that Shin loves HER for who she is, and not anymore for her usefulness or function as a sword-ripper. She is beautiful in his eyes and he is beautiful in her eyes. That's what love does....) 

Episode 10: (After ET hears him come clean about his past, she goes out for a walk with him.)

>Once they’re outside, Eun-tak explains that her ghost friend Jung-hyun (her library friend who died in a car accident) asked her to come visit her with flowers. She then changes the subject to him, saying that flowers, any kind really, look good on him. “You’re totally my type,” she continues. “Anytime. You have a great personality. Most certainly.”  Shin is perplexed by the sudden shower of compliments and asks if he did something wrong. He didn’t and neither did she, and Eun-tak says these are words of consolation and encouragement. He asks how he’s her type specifically, and she replies, “You’re strange and beautiful.” He beams.

(Last episode, she forgives him while knowing just the general details. This episode, she gets to hear more of the details and she is still at his side. Telling him he’s beautiful is the same as telling him that she loves him. Whatever atrocities he’s committed in the past, she accepts and loves him.) 

Credit for the recap paragraphs: dramabeans staff. Phew! They sure do write a lot.

See that, @hushhh? This is how the perspectives of ET and Shin (in particular) change over time. They both see nuance now or, as Shin says, “the complexities.”  And I'm sorry this is sooooo long. 

There’s still NOTHING wrong with emphasizing CHARACTER > PRETTINESS.  But when you love somebody, often variables change and the beauty of the beloved to the lover may simply encompass everything else. Thus, in a strange but profound way, PRETTINESS > CHARACTER. 

Cheers!  -pm3. I have another more post for you, but let me see if I have time tonight to type it. 

Tagging the usual people in no particular order: @phikyl @salz@LyraYoo@bebe1989@nearsea@vivvianne22 @letataves @ariesw @naritul @gutibear @staygold @NRGchick @Athenaries @kokodus @crazyoverkdrama 

@millie10468, I happened to read your mini-rant earlier. I agree. Will post another thing for Shin/ET. 

[rrmski]

I found the scene in episode 8, right after the big save, to be very touching.

The first thing that touched my heart me was the way he was looking at her with so much love while putting her tenderly her on the bed. For a moment, I was sure he was going to innocently kiss her forehead, but he's too much a gentleman to even think of doing something like that to a girl who just went through a trauma. The last kiss they had proved that. He will never do anything inappropriate without the girl consent. After that, he waited for her to wake up to make sure she's okay. And when she woke up, she asked about him. She wasn't frightened, she didn't blame him and she didn't get angry. Instead, she was worried about him. She's showed maturity and kind heart. How can anybody not love her after that?

The following talk was even more painful. She was happy and excited about being the goblin bride without knowing it will turn him to ashes. He's aware of that, and tells her with teary eyes that he's glad. But inside he's hurting so badly because he realizes once the sword it taken out, he can't be with her anymore. He must to leave his first love behind. It's truly beautiful to see the mutual care for each other and their conversation which is a prefect example to Kim Eun Seok unique writing style. I can definitely feel her touch here.

[50okie]

This question suddenly popped in my mind.  How did we know Grim Reapers were big sinners in their past lives? Was it when KS told GR in the earlier episodes? Is there a possibility KS was just teasing GR to make him feel bad? 

[RobinM]

How about a sweet song? 

"Don't Change On Me"

Allan Jackson
 

Girl you're my sunshine
Chase away the raindrops
Make it all worthwhile
Make all the pain stop

Just like the river
Keep love flowin'
Don't let our world stop
Keep it goin'

I like it just the way you are
Honey don't change who you are
Don't change on me
Don't you change on me

Girl you're my lucky star
Honey don't change who you are
Don't change on me
Don't change on me

I used to wonder
Where would I find
Some kind of happiness
And peace of mind
Livin' in the darkness
Then you came
Bringin' sunlight
Easin' my pain

I love you just the way you are
Honey don't change who you are
Girl don't change on me
Don't you change on me

Girl you're my lucky star
Honey don't change who you are
Don't change on me
Don't you change on me

If there's a heaven
This is my prayer
Lord knows I wanna know you
We should meet there
And then forever
We'll walk together
Nothin' but sunshine
No more stormy weather

I love you just the way you are
Honey don't change who you are
Don't change on me
Don't you change on me

Girl you're my lucky star
Honey don't change who you are
Don't change on me
Don't change on me
Oh now
I love you just the way you are
Honey don't change who you are
Don't change on me
Don't you change on me
Girl you're my lucky star
Honey don't change who you are
Don't change on me
Don't change on me

[kimchan0793]

Good morning everyone! It's back to work Tuesday aigoo  but at least it's one day closer to Goblin's next epi 

[carolinedl]

3 hours ago, Rori said:

 

No answer as of yet! The fact that even soompi cannot answer means that song possibly doesn't officially exist yet and I hope, like you suspect, is part of a later OST. Thank you!

 

I was actually rewatching episode 1 and the song was also used when ET realizes her mom is dead. So I think it will certainly come out as a OST.

[chibimidori]

7 hours ago, Han Ji Eun said:

I'm aware that KGE is in a relationship but somehow I'm imagining  that during the awards season, GY and KGE would sit next to each other while watching Crush singing :Beautiful  on stage. She would shed some tears and GY would hold her hand to comfort her...

HOW I WISH I COULD SEE THAT   

hahaha.. me too...

and..  @valzki.. thank you.. i'm happy for having the kiss scene just a day after my birthday.. unfortunately i was away for my new year holiday and i missed the fun of reading live recaps..  I just watched the scene last night and i was "kyaaaaaa" and keep repeating the scene.. i bet @SimbiAni must be very happy.. it was the best birthday present everrrr...