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

[Princi_86]

Don't know if someone posted here this news, so will drop it just in case. Glad for uri drama and cast!

 

[bebebisous33]

1 minute ago, gamshe said:

Thank you for sharing your opinions, I think it is not to convince each other but just simply discussing because we love them. ^^

I never wanted to mean that Kim Sun never felt the love. I am sorry, I blame it on my knowledge of English haha. I meant that he did not show it in simple ways and I assumed that Kim Sun would want it shown (as everyone would, and she was also a teenager which I think make those feelings stronger), just like WY because he thought he was not loved by her because he was too blind to see it. Luckyly Kim Sun was not and was aware of his love.

But I will disagree on the bolded part. Because she never lost her memories. Deity never erased them and she lived with the memories for all that 9 years, and after leaving too. And I also think that she was able to love GR more because of the memories because I am gonna quote this again: ''Every moment that you were in, even all the sadness and hardship, all of it made me happy.''

But really, thank you for sharing your opinions, I don't mind that they are very different than mine because I just simply like to read them ^^ At the end, they are happy so I am happy too ahaha. 

You misunderstood me. I never said that Sunny lost her memories. I meant that she left because of the memories.

LEt me explain it: She had to act as if she had lost her memories for 9 years, while she didn't. Hence she used the excuse with the letter in order to meet WY. She knew that she couldn't meet him any longer as she was faking her amnesia. But as soon as JET had regained her memories, she could no longer act as if she knew nothing. So as JET's friend, she often would meet GR. Yet, WY was still burdened by his past and his own sins. He was the one who suffered from his past life. As conclusion, their memories were the burden of their love.  

[gamshe]

2 minutes ago, bebebisous33 said:

You misunderstood me. I never said that Sunny lost her memories. I meant that she left because of the memories.

LEt me explain it: She had to act as if she had lost her memories for 9 years, while she didn't. Hence she used the excuse with the letter in order to meet WY. She knew that she couldn't meet him any longer as she was faking her amnesia. But as soon as JET had regained her memories, she could no longer act as if she knew nothing. So as JET's friend, she often would meet GR. Yet, WY was still burdened by his past and his own sins. He was the one who suffered from his past life. As conclusion, their memories were the burden of their love.  

Oh okay, again English makes it hard for me.  That makes a lot of sense. So that's why she refused to meet Kim Shin by saying no to Euntak. But she was also very eager to talk to him when they met in front of their house. Ah Sunny, always having to refrain herself. 

[122am]

13 minutes ago, janeeta said:

 

He's actually wearing KS's clothes. That grey sweater is the same one he wore in the scene where she summons him into the radio booth and he was cooking....

 

Thank you! It's amazing that you remembered. I think I can only remember his amazing winter coats. I'll go re-watch that scene tomorrow. There is another radio booth scene where he calls her and he is summoned to radio booth for the first time, it's one of my favourites and I rewatched it so many times. I like the part where she throws her head back in happiness that he finally called and he gives this smile that spells Pure Bliss. That killed me. 

[staygold]

@nearsea I can feel your frustration! Let me vent few of my feelings!! I apologize cos there is a good chance that I may blabber on!

KES's fantasy world didn't have any set rules. Who got punished for what and how severely didn't make any sense. The punishment for suicide was being GR and reward for realizing the value of life was rebirth/heaven depending on which life you were living. What about the punishment for the evil souls? Show me that. Cos I got a feel of heaven/after life! (Parisian boy climbing heaven's steps and Blind man and his dog) I can't imagine the hell in KES's universe. KS's limbo state was as close to hell as I could imagine. KS in buckwheat field after everyone leaves their current life could also be hell. KS coming back from limbo to meet ET with no memory was also a stage of hell. 

Memories (apart from the smaller stories in the tea room) got wiped and retained and recalled as per plot convenience rather than logic. The god chose to listen to Sunny just because. The red lady wanted GR to remember because at least one person should know about the ShinTak story!

The tea cup

ET refused to drink tea. She will remember all her time with KS and will meet him and continue to love him.

Spoiler

This is why I loved the ending!! Yes, I believe KS will enter the afterlife along with ET after spending 3 blessed lives with her.

Previously KS was living long because he needed to get rid of the sword, meet GR and kill PJW. Helping people cannot be his sole reason of existence. He is NOT the butterfly god. Once his main purpose was served he could choose to rest. Right now his aim in life is to meet and join ET in her next 3 lives. This is not his punishment but a reward. KS almost seems lost till the sandwich sharing (butterfly god?) man comes along and shows him that helping others makes his wait easier.

 

The queen drank the tea. Forgot her time with the King. She had to be reminded by GR. For some reasons (already discussed in the forum), she chose to not be with him in her next life.

Spoiler

Why did she drink it? Because the pain was better not carried over to next life. Didn't she want to meet the King in her next life? 

 

Sunny didn't drink the tea. She remembered GR in her next life and fell in love with him.

Spoiler

Sunny gave him a bracelet that means GR and not King! I wonder if her memories as a Queen get carried over as well?!! No ring, and no references to their sad Goryeo lives. 

 

Conclusion: You think you have a choice of drinking/refusing the tea. But in the words of the Merovingian from The Matrix Reloaded --- "Choice is an illusion, created between those with power, and those without." 

cro

I did blabber on!!! I hope you see the humor!!

Edited January 23, 2017 by staygold
heaven description

[ilikerice]

Is it just me that after Goblin finished, the weather became gloomy. In some places it was raining for some viewers who posted and commented about the rain after the finale. Maybe Goblin itself is sad that it's over too. Isn't that weird? Haha.

[Princi_86]

@gamshe @bebebisous33 @fikachuuu what a lovely and interesting topic. I have enjoyed reading your posts. I would love to invest in it, just will take some break to come up with long post. in any case since it was secondary...even third line for WangSun after ShinTak and Grim Reaper's storyline itself(+Bromance involved) we have ended up with more open questions then main couple. And I think writer has left us with them for purpose. 

Am I gready to request bts at least of fimling this scene? I'm even not that gready to ask for kiss's bts filming. 

Like @selenette mentioned in LDW's thread that this scene looks like ad-lib scene. Both Wookie's and YIN's laught remind of their laugh in bts of filming. I'm also sad that this scene wasn't included into their last scenes as reincarnations. Yet it's awesome. 

 

One more news which maybe hasn't been posted. Goblin will have Marathon on tvN as lunar NY present to viewers. As far as I know it's very rare in kdramaland when show has complete re-run as marathon right after it has ended. I believe they will sold out ads even for this marathone. Heh

 

[nearsea]

 

41 minutes ago, staygold said:

KES's fantasy world didn't have any set rules. Who got punished for what and how severely didn't make any sense. The punishment for suicide was being GR and reward for realizing the value of life was rebirth/heaven depending on which life you were living. What about the punishment for the evil souls? Show me that. Cos I got a feel of heaven! (Blind man and his dog) I can't imagine the hell in KES's universe. KS's limbo state was as close to hell as I could imagine. KS in buckwheat field after everyone leaves their current life could also be hell. KS coming back from limbo to meet ET with no memory was also a stage of hell. 

Memories (apart from the smaller stories in the tea room) got wiped and retained and recalled as per plot convenience rather than logic. The god chose to listen to Sunny just because. The red lady wanted GR to remember because at least one person should know about the ShinTak story!

The tea cup

ET refused to drink tea. She will remember all her time with KS and will meet him and continue to love him.

'The god chose to listen to sunny just because' - IKR? The butterfly god only said  'okay'. Which just seemed like a whimsical choice to me. Why she gets to keep her memories? What sets her apart? Besides wasn't the butterfly god being cruel to Eun Tak? Yes she 'is' a missing soul, and she got to be born because of Shin, but is the purpose of her life just to serve the purpose of removing the sword , as in, being the goblin's bride? I think human lives are more than that. Each and every life has a purpose, and can't be just a mere tool for other people. I think in some cases the god here chose to be more merciful towards the sinners than the ones who were victims. 

I understand why the red goddess and god chose to kept the door open, since he felt for Kim Shin's tears. 

41 minutes ago, staygold said:

Conclusion: You think you have a choice of drinking/refusing the tea. But in the words of the Merovingian from The Matrix Reloaded --- "Choice is an illusion, created between those with power, and those without.

Hahah, indeed. KES sure is creative, but there was no stand point or clear set of rules for her choice of rewards/ punishments.

* Btw what did you mean by the blind man and his dog? Didnt' get that part. Also have to say matrix is one of my favorites! Kind of reflects the world of souls and bodies.

[ucylucy]

Arriving for the Goblin wrap party

See Spoilers for individual HD pictures (images heavy)(she's really gorgeous!):

Spoiler

 

Edited January 23, 2017 by ucylucy
added more pictures

[staygold]

5 minutes ago, nearsea said:

 

* Btw what did you mean by the blind man and his dog? Didnt' get that part. Also have to say matrix is one of my favorites! Kind of reflects the world of souls and bodies.

I edited that... I wanted to write about the visual reference to heaven they showed with the Parisian boy ascending the steps to light. The blind man and the dog was meeting in the afterlife. I mixed up my goblin references.

[nearsea]

53 minutes ago, staygold said:

KS's limbo state was as close to hell as I could imagine. KS in buckwheat field after everyone leaves their current life could also be hell. KS coming back from limbo to meet ET with no memory was also a stage of hell. 

Exactly. As per religion, purgatory is a state where souls stay because they need to get purified fully before going to heaven. But the 'limbo' that shin was in I don't know why he was stuck there. There were no souls around and he kept walking on a snow desert. I would also probably take that as one version of hell, as well as his long trial periods in the world, it was more like a psychological torture period.

 

1 hour ago, staygold said:

This is why I loved the ending!! Yes, I believe KS will enter the afterlife along with ET after spending 3 blessed lives with her.

Previously KS was living long because he needed to get rid of the sword, meet GR and kill PJW. Helping people cannot be his sole reason of existence. He is NOT the butterfly god. Once his main purpose was served he could choose to rest. Right now his aim in life is to meet and join ET in her next 3 lives. This is not his punishment but a reward. KS almost seems lost till the sandwich sharing (butterfly god?) man comes along and shows him that helping others makes his wait easier.

That was the sole reason the ending worked for me. Without god's existence it would have transformed into a vicious cycle , where Shin would have to hopelessly wait for ET round and round, because that's just what god wanted. But because god said to gather courage, and cheered for Shin, I would take that gesture as, him loving Shin more and hence, he's testing him. Though, it is still a whimsical choice as you said. Considering this is a drama after all, and writer being a human could be also prone to make mistakes, so I would let it go lol.

[kdramakrazy]

2 hours ago, hairuchii said:

 

Actually, I was very puzzled over that line too. It took me a while to figure out what he was trying to say, and to translate it so that it made sense in English. I wasn't sure what he meant by "call-time" either. I have translated it directly without changing his words. Perhaps he meant... an alarm? a morning call? Hmmm. 

However, I have taken the liberty to assume that he wishes he could sleep till he wakes up on his own, but he has to put a check on / put a stop to this wish because he has other commitments (for e.g. the celebration party). ^^

 

call-time is usually referred to the time that an actor is supposed to report to the set for the shoot. so i understood it as that he meant that he like a silly person asked for the call time still thinking that there is drama shooting tomorrow and he could decide how much time he had for sleep before that. thats how i interpreted it.

[debolina]

I postponed watching the finale for as long as i could. But finally had to face the music and find a closure for the sake of my sanity. Despite the sad ending, Goblin has been a beautiful drama for me, it will still remain one of the top favorites of mine because the show has been much more than characters, it has sort of given me a whole new perspective about life, made me ponder about things i have never thought about before. Although i will forever be heartbroken and sad whenever i think back about this drama, but i think i understand where the writer came from, at-least the ending is somewhat consistent with the story? 

My thoughts are going to be very incoherent and haphazard so please bear -

You know i was randomly seeing some comments ridiculi ng Shin's decision to chose giving up on the peace he seeked for almost a millenium to be stuck in a limbo. Made me think. What kind of love was it? What kind of love would it be that made him sacrifice the peace of an afterlife? What kind of longing was it for Shin? What kind of longing was it for Eun Tak to cry, completely heartbroken, without even recollecting? When he came back as the goblin, did he even contemplate about his immortality or her mortality? He was just glad to be able to be around her, to see her. Remember once after meeting her in the graveyard where she confronts him about him being Kim Shin and he just says no and leaves? He says later maybe he is worth forgetting...but he still can't stop himself because he misses her so much. He never did weighed his immortality against her mortality even then. THIS kind of love and longing just makes me so overwhelmed...i totally had goosebumps even thinking about it. Was it worth it giving up a chance to paradise...i don't know. People, Goblins, Ghosts and Reapers becoming really stupid in love.

A lot of people have written beautifully about choice being such an important factor in the ending we were given. I don't really have much to add. Now that i think back it has always been upon choices... from the very begining. Remember Sunny once told Eun Tak that Shin was so stubborn - he should have never come back, stayed in hiding and stayed alive... he had a choice to do that, but he chose to come back time and again from impossible wars, sinning time and again by taking so many lives. Probably that's why he ended up with that sword in his chest. Wang Yeo chose to end his life, which lead him to be the reaper. Heck, Sunny's choice to have her memories retained if given a chance earned her that very thing from God. 

They say there is always strength is sacrifice. Just how brave our characters have been - from Queen Sun to Ji Eun Tak! This girl Ji Eun Tak - so beautiful until her very last moments. To think of this character got so much flak - but i have come to love her even more in the final few episodes. Why did she shine so brightly for Kim Shin? Her courage, her kindness, her compassion, her dreams, her innocence, her inherent cheerfulness remained intact throughout, despite her life being so difficult, crazy and unpredictable.  Even in death she was thankful and happy for the perfect day she had. God, i choked up so bad at that. There are a lot of things i am gonna take with me from this drama - one of which, and very importantly so, is the value of life! The very reason both Kim Shin and Wang Yeo were punished because of the weight each life carries - whether it is others's or it's yourself! And Eun Tak put it so beautifully in this episode and one of the previous episodes when she gets to know her life is always gonna be in danger. She refused to bow down to her fate, and continued to live everyday cheerfully, happily, and to the fullest as though it was her last. That's the answer she gave to her fate. I found it so inspiring. Even before she left her final words to Shin were so meaningful - the one left behind needs to live happily for the one who left you behind for all the love they gave you.

Special mention about the beautiful marriage sequence we got to witness. I hadn't expected it (fan-service for all the heartbroken fans?). I liked it how they decided to have it in the buckwheat fields - as if things came to a full circle for Shin, from losing his life there, to getting one now. And Reaper giving Eun Tak her bouquet - like someone in this thread said before, familial bond doesn't only involve blood ties. If i speak of small mercies , however short the duration was, i am glad Goblin and Reaper had each other in their loneliness. I felt equally sad if not more, when GR was leaving Shin....ah you too  And telling him not to make it rain. Ack, how far these two have come. I was dissapointed how Deok Hwa was not shown once during all these ordeal - could have shown so much with him being besides his uncle when everyone left. Well too much to ask.

My favorite lesson from the show remains to be that thing about miracles. Wow, just changed my entire perspective about life this thing. Most people just stay in that moment of miracle and ask for one more, knowing that he is around as if he owes them miracles. In this context i do understand why the writer chose not go for a miracle ending - either making Shin a mortal or Eun Tak immortal. (Still however doesn't change the fact that i am not too happy about it)

As far as Eun Tak and Kim Shin are concerned - i would like to believe (yeah now thats my choice) they would find each other everytime they are torn apart. They did previously too, and even now. And remember all the future visions Shin had of Eun Tak (well there were just two of them) always involved him. So i would like to believe Eun Tak's future has to have Kim Shin in it. As far as his eternity is didn't Kim Shin once say he is brave Goblin who has accepted his fate? (Ah acceptance is another beautiful message given), that is what Eun Tak even reminded him before going away. After God is there around to nudge him everytime,he felt distant from the world (funny how last few moments of the show is convincing the audience that your Goblin will be just fine with sandwich sequences LMAO)

But even if you accept the fate, doesn't deny the fact that it's a tragic fate. i felt pathetically sad when i saw Kim Shin reading on his own in that graveyard - almost gutted. But just then that scene turned to one of hope - telling us no sadness lasts for a lifetime with reincarnated Eun Tak coming in. 

I wanted to write more, maybe i will, but i think i just can't anymore - the melancholy has taken a toll on me ROFL.

On the side note - the music of this show is hauntingly beautiful isn't it. I was just re-watching that scene in the 14th episode when Shin rises the temperature outside Eun Tak's office making flowers bloom and stuck in love OST was playing. Just made the scene even more beautiful when i was wondering of you bit plays on Shin's face. To think of it the lyrics goes - why do we have to be apart? Ugh. Just as Shin says about Eun Tak - why does everything about this show have to be so sad!

[ucylucy]

Some BTS

 

[kdramakrazy]

there was a youtube video with gong yoo narration from goblin compilation .. i am going back pages but the forum moves so fast that i cant seem to find it. .. can anyone point me towards it ? ... i love his voice

[staygold]

26 minutes ago, nearsea said:

---

That was the sole reason the ending worked for me. Without god's existence it would have transformed into a vicious cycle , where Shin would have to hopelessly wait for ET round and round, because that's just what god wanted. But because god said to gather courage, and cheered for Shin, I would take that gesture as, him loving Shin more and hence, he's testing him. Though, it is still a whimsical choice as you said. Considering this is a drama after all, and writer being a human could be also prone to make mistakes, so I would let it go lol.

 

I agree. KES is human and she can't please everyone   Whimsical when in smaller amount is beautiful and when dosage increases it is madness! Ah... I have watched so many illogical dramas that I am ready to overlook a few things. I love her either ways! Whimsical I am!! 

I felt her introduction of god into DH/ wind bomb boy/sandwich man was smart writing! She had me questioning the first servant boy (poipot) after I saw the sandwich man scene. I wondered if god spoke through the boy on the ship when he shared the rice. The freshly minted Goblin was lost even in that scene!! (Is that why the boy survived drowning? I can imagine a white butterfly holding him up just as he drowns!!! ) But the dialogues were too innocent and childlike so it couldn't have been him.

[alindahaw]

Just done watching the last episode. Just beautiful. Every episode of it shined. 

[gamshe]

 

[Carmarie]

1 hour ago, debolina said:

They say there is always strength is sacrifice. Just how brave our characters have been - from Queen Sun to Ji Eun Tak! This girl Ji Eun Tak - so beautiful until her very last moments. To think of this character got so much flak - but i have come to love her even more in the final few episodes. Why did she shine so brightly for Kim Shin? Her courage, her kindness, her compassion, her dreams, her innocence, her inherent cheerfulness remained intact throughout, despite her life being so difficult, crazy and unpredictable.  Even in death she was thankful and happy for the perfect day she had. God, i choked up so bad at that. There are a lot of things i am gonna take with me from this drama - one of which, and very importantly so, is the value of life! The very reason both Kim Shin and Wang Yeo were punished because of the weight each life carries - whether it is others's or it's yourself! And Eun Tak put it so beautifully in this episode and one of the previous episodes when she gets to know her life is always gonna be in danger. She refused to bow down to her fate, and continued to live everyday cheerfully, happily, and to the fullest as though it was her last. That's the answer she gave to her fate. I found it so inspiring. Even before she left her final words to Shin were so meaningful - the one left behind needs to live happily for the one who left you behind for all the love they gave you.

You have summed up the gist of this story so eloquently.  Thank you for your insight, I found your post inspiring. It is posts such as this that I am going to miss. Not only am I going to miss this drama, I am going to miss those you whose posts I read every week.  Hopefully we will meet up for another great drama  preferably by writer Kim. 

[vangsweetie637]

Hello Chingus,

Alright, so I watched the episodes again, and once more, the ending works for me. I would prefer a closed ending, but an open ending in this case works. Why does it work for me? Well, as I explained way earlier, I am just very happy that KS and ET actually met again, after all that waiting KS had to undergo. But for me, his waiting wasn't as torturing as his first Goblin days. I think he waited more patiently and willingly, knowing that he would meet ET again. After all they went through, I am just glad that they were finally together. And I love the fact that they were crying at the sight of seeing each other, and smiled. KS no longer had the 'sad smile' as ET put it. His smile was a happy one. Some things cannot be summed up by words. Their meeting was very beautiful, considering how their previous life was.

I can't help but cry again at the death scene of ET. I think that is why the ending works too. Because I cried so much in the earlier episodes, the ending actually made me smile with KS and ET when they met again. If even I felt happy at them meeting, then I know the ending worked for me.

We will never know what happened to DH. Lol. I pondered as I watched the episodes but couldn't find anyone who could have been him. I know that old man at the car scene was Secretary Kim. But don't think if the driver could be DH..??? or wait, can he?

The last time I was on soompi, you guys were discussing the significance of Dandelions. As far as I know, the story  goes that if one blows the Dandelions puff in one blow, a wish will be granted. Because it is quite hard to blow a Dandelion in one try, getting a wish granted is rare. It is an old story I have heard since I was a kid. So in terms of ET and KS, the Dandelion can symbolize the wish to be and stay together. Of course, it was the wind that blew the puffs, and it wasn't in one breath, so I don't know if the story I know applies. I do believe it has to do with wishes, as the story does revolve around wishes, too. ET's 3 wishes, and KS's ability to grant and answer wishes as a Goblin.

To all my Goblinsters who are saying goodbye, I will miss you guys! Come back anytime.

To all my Goblinsters who are still here, let's continue spazzing and talking!