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Goblin writer Kim Eun-sook discusses her next project

by girlfriday

It’s only been a day since her last drama ended, but star writer Kim Eun-sook is already being asked about her next project. I guess there’s no rest when you’re in demand. Kim penned two hit dramas in 2016-17—KBS’s Descended From the Sun and tvN’s The Lonely Shining Goblin—and had a string of successful syndrome dramas before them (Heirs, A Gentleman’s Dignity, Secret Garden, Lovers in Paris), making her arguably one of the most surefire hitmakers in dramaland today. On the heels of her most recent success with Goblin, she talked about possibilities for her next project.

Her agency reported that Kim Eun-sook would be taking a three-month vacation, after which she plans to begin work on her next drama, which may be a sageuk. For now the projection is that the new show will air sometime next year. Can’t you hear the networks taking out their 2018 calendars and making bids already?

According to her agency, Kim has long been in interested in writing sageuk. Goblin was her first foray into a past era, though you might call it more like a toe-dip. The fantasy drama about immortal beings and reincarnated lives had some spectacular sequences and extended flashbacks set in Goryeo, where our characters’ timelines first began. I often thought the historical drama within the drama would’ve made for a great full-length series on its own, and was always happy when we got more scenes in Goryeo. (Also, the one time we briefly saw the goblin in Joseon, it made me want the spinoff drama Flower Scholar Goblin. He could fall in love with a crossdressing scholar!)

Kim reportedly started planning Goblin six years ago, with the desire to create a mythology rooted in Korean folklore that could rival the vampires and werewolves of other supernatural fiction. The historical backstory certainly gave the goblin lore the gravity it needed to make us believe that this character was 900 years old, as did his frequent sageuk manner of speech in the modern day, played for comedy. Overall it makes me pretty confident that she’d write a good sageuk. Besides, this is Kim Eun-sook, so it’s going to be a romance first and foremost anyway.

Kim Eun-sook’s next drama, whatever it may be, is being planned for a 2018 broadcast.

Via Munhwa

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Tags: Descended From the Sun, Mr. Sunshine, The Lonely Shining Goblin

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I'm not a big fan of hers and Goblin's story was okay for me (technical wise though, it was spectacular) but I can see, after Goblin, she has the potential to create something truly amazing. I only wish she just fleshed out her plot and characters better.

I'll still be waiting for the announcement because as much as I hate myself, I'm curious as to what she will be writing next.

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I do wonder if its just casting popular actorz that make her dramas a hit? ... But then these actors have had flops too ... Sjk and GY are good actors but lmh is definitely not in the same league yet heirs was a big hit

So its not just star power
Its not acting prowess

What exactly is her secret...
#scratchinghead

I'm not trying to shade anyone, honestly i am curious.. I just wish i could pinpoint that she is successful bec of xyz.

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Just reminding that GY had flop too -whisper BIG- and he only make a come back in drama because KES is a hit maker

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i know. thats why i said its not just a matter of casting top actors. they too have a flop. but never a flop with her. she knows some secret to ratings that the rest of the world cannot decode

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She knows what people/ women want and is able to keep up with the trends.
I don't love her but she is one smart woman
Not to mention her casting is always A+++

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That's that :-)

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@haha
You have a nice way to insult women... "these dramas are crap = "women" love these drama = which is another proof that these dramas are crap...

It's not because you do not like something that it doesn't have qualities, you know. The world doesn,t turn arount yourself.

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@haha - I think you have hit the nail on the head. She DOES have a sense for what her audience wants and delivers it well, for the most part. I don't always love every detail but have enjoyed the 3 dramas of hers that I've seen (DoTS, SG, Goblin) because they are a good mix of the elements I enjoy - romance, comedy, melo, with some supernatural mixed in at times. She has a magic touch for sure.

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I'm a woman too. But it's what it is...
You are just in denial.
Her male leads are always rich, love 1 woman and would do anything. Her female leads can be bank and poor as most audience can relate with her.

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She definitely doesn't know what I want. Can't stand her dramas. Too superficial and clichéd and particularly (but not only) her female characters are not what I want in a drama (I can never relate to them, too little self-agency, too much needing rich/strong/wealthy/etc prince-hero).

She usually gets (mostly) good actors, but she hasn't yet managed to lure my favourite actors (the ones I'll watch anything for) – possibly because the few that I'll really watch anything for seem to have very similar standards in choosing a project as I have for watching one – and KES's work just doesn't fit that....

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@alua

I'd only watch her dramas for Won Bin and Kang Dong-Won. Otherwise, pass.

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Yeah, to be honest, I think it's a combination of pretty people with an interesting or catchy premise with the added bonus of beautiful locations (Heirs in Cali, Goblin in Quebec, Descended in wherever the f that made up country was...) and just the dramas being so pretty. It's basically pretty people doing things while thinking prettily.

Her plots are always so thin despite her having so much time and world building to work with, but I think it's because there's not much thinking involved that people can enjoy the visuals. Sometimes, you just want to enjoy a pretty show without delving very far into it. Goblin was literally the length of a small movie but I realized we spent the majority of that time just circling over one point over and over and over.

That said as much as I get frustrated by them, DotS was, for the most part, an easy watch with lots of skipping. And Goblin, if you had time to kill, you could just shut your brain off and watch for the pretty. Which makes me think it was a brilliant idea to make it a Fri-Sat drama. That's not to say I didn't love aspects of the dramas, but there's just this awareness of the giant smokescreen she's implementing that I have to get through before I can sit down and enjoy it.

@haha, I get the point you're making but really let's not generalize all women with a broad stroke. We've been dealing with that shit from society as is, no need to demean our own intelligence and agency.

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@alua: You aren't her audience then. She doesn't need to please everyone.
Korea is her target market and audience. And she hasn't failed once. In fact most of her recent dramas are international hits too

I don't love her as writer either.... But the woman clearly know what her audience like and you and I don't necessarily be included

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@Quinze I agree with my point too but I still stand with my points.

As sad as it is it's the true... Her main audience in Korea is women. Most people here are women who fangirling about all the male actors more than anything while bash most actresses all the time. Her male leads are god and people love their images. That's why there wasn't much diversity and interesting roles for females... in small or big screen while people are complaining why the actresses are taking the same roles...
Actors always draw more crowds. Have you wondered why it's easy for actors to make fanmeeting tour but there hasn't been that many actresses doing that?

The main audience are females and KES's lead is tall, handsome, manly, rich , powerful, loves and would do anything for 1 poor average woman.

She gives all the best for her male lead and make her female lead suffer all her life... and the link to the male lead.

I'm actually feminist too... But we are talking about how KES hasn't failed yet... I don't have anything against her. In fact I think and respect she is one smart lady that know her target market. I don't pretend we live in a perfect world that every female care for all the female either when I see fans bashing actresses and defend the worse actors all the time. It's sad... But hopefully there might be a chance when people realize how bad they are doing.

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@haha ah what do I have to do to convince you that i like goblin for the interesting themes explored, the extremely strong directing, and the strength of the actors all round? i don't switch off my brain in this drama. i do find people who dismiss the drama as girls swooning over an all-powerful being insulting because its such a broad-brush to paint people with.

agree of course that KES's female characters don't get much development, and we are solely lacking great female actresses given great meaty roles that really make you sit up and take notice like guys. I could list fewer female actresses that have really impressed me compared to men, and its more about opportunities than talent because look at the praises sung of KGE when she was given space to take her character beyond merely reactionary.

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Of course I'm not her audience.

But I quote your all-inclusive claim: "She knows what people/ women want".

I'm only disagreeing with that.

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@alua My answer was for the question what is her secret of having all the hit drama.
I didn't say she know what everyone want. She is a korea writer and her drama server mainly for her korean audience. I'm sure she doesn't give a damn about what you or me think of her drama when she break record everytime
The people I implied are those people that love her dramas everytime she release it, not everyone on earth, mind you

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@gravity I answer in general. Of course nothing is 100% and I don't talk about you or me but generally her formula each time that hasn't changed or failed.
She even aware of her the lacking of her female lead writing and promised to do better with KGE's role.

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it's a handsome male lead physycally and have the hero+overpower attitude that most woman will love so they wouldn't question much more

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DOTS were Not really alpha males overpowering the damsel in distress. the women stood their own

and goblin too, you really cannot club the goblin or the grim reaper into the jerk-alpha male category of heirs or secret garden. in fact both of them (despite being all powerful) were complete dorks

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@bipps
what I mean is that no one actually care about the girl characterisation when the male is swoon worthy and looks very worthed,

it wasn't a jerk or no jerk attitude but the man that woman will go crazy about, that's the secret,

make an over power male character with wealth or godlike power then add a good looking actor with trusted acting choice, make them do the swoon-worthy things,
that's all and the majority of female watchers wouldn't complaint or even looked at other characters

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@reset

that is actually true. You are so right. She does not write females well at all.

she herself said in the goblin interview that KGE had certain reservations on how she writes her female characters and she supposedly assured KGE that she has taken special care to write the female this time. I actually liked Eun tak but its pretty obvious that all her effort primarily goes in writing swoony heroes.

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@reset - hmmm, I'm not sure I agree with the term "overpower attitude". I'm never looking for a hero that overpowers the girl, that can sound/seem negative. I do like a strong hero (whether it is physically, financially, emotionally, morally or in his character) but prefer one who is willing to sacrifice for his girl because he considers her more important than said strength. (and I expect the girl to consider the man as most important as well.)

Partners, with different yet complementary strengths.

I think we saw this in DoTS pretty clearly - especially regarding the Song/Song couple's opposing viewpoints on the use of violence and the goals of their jobs. Neither overpowered the other and both were given room to consider their stance and adjust as needed. They ended up building their relationship despite the differences but I could have envisioned an ending where they chose to go their separate ways because of them as well.

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@dramamama
I used overpowered too loosely, what I mean is like in super power movie that they don't lack anything,
the male lead are not just handsome, so fit physically but also either a chaebol (with 3 generation wealth), god and very powerful human being aka super soldier,
there almost no flaws to the male character unless some fanservice things that people crave, like their childish banter with people they like/close and petty things , but this make them more human which is arguably a flaw either,

I don't mean a domination but character who have it all and surprisingly only need the woman appearance to make themselves complete and hurtful(or in pain like they couldn't find anyone else for "plot reason"),
the idea of sacrificing , especially from people who have it all is the general dream/fantasy in many people's mind and this is the aim of almost evert kim eun sook's drama,
I hardly find the character that starts from the bottom or ordinary and then changes their life, they always the genius/powerful/rich from the start with prestigious family/colleagues to boots,
it always the duty for the female character to start from the bottom and took the lift easily to the 30th floor after meets the man (that sadly most often written half-heartedly) and the man is obviously already have it all to live normally,

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Are you saying that women are stupid? This comment is insulting!

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@emma
you read it too much,
KES make a perfect male lead with good actor and that's how it becomes popular,

How many comments that you've seen mentioning that the male lead is the reason they watched and stay with the drama

and this is vice versa with hot girl relation to male dominated viewer,

people want to be treated like a king and that isn't exactly a fault,
but to claim that many KES popular work is based on story or writing is just as absurd as how you interpreted my words,

she made a perfect hero with their imperfectness + good physical appearance + great acting and that what makes it super popular,
not because woman are stupid but because it cater to most of people's fantasy/wish and not to logic and world building or even coherent plot,

- if you think that those woman that is probably projected
by euntak are stupid, it's on you, they just shallow and love what looks good (personall opinion) -

I think they are the target consumer, they didn't watch goblin for the plot, they just want to live in the fantasy of being loved by a deity,
they can be happy and make the drama popular but still doesn't make the drama instantly a masterpiece,
people have their own romance preference but being "the one that make he sacrificed all of him " is what the general audience who mostly woman seems to cater,
I hope people would be more honest than making thousand post about how the drama has way more depth than what it shown,

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lol @reset, I think the word you may have been reaching for was a handsome, capable man who happens to be super rich as well. He might be a giant dork and completely gone for the female lead but his masculinity has to be swoonworthy.

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I think it's because she writes super entertaining bromances

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I'd say
1. Directors are always good - if one messes up this, no one can save the ship.. drama is bound to doom

2. Drop dead gorgeous extremely famous faces who can act brilliantly being irrevocably in love ... that will always get women's attention

3. Style of humour - this is one thing i appreciate about her writing.. of the series i have watched.. humour is always on point in an understated manner.. i have not seen her devolve into slapstick comedy

4. Healthy dose of humour, drama, passionate angsty romance.. AND romance sells..

ANd that's where she gets lucky.. because to be honest her dramas are criticized, even while watching they are criticized.. exactly on lines of boys before flower..

Romance sells, good looking faces angsty romance good actors good director decent humour.. ALWAYS sells in any language in any geography

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For Goblin: directing

For me it was definitely the directing and fact that I bingewatched this drama that I was able to finish it. I marveled at the lightning, the sets, the colors, the architecture...etc. Every time the editing sucked I got really upset, or was it a mistake of by the director? I think the director was really good in quiet moments and the editing complemented it well, but at every moment something sudden was supposed to happened the editing reeeeeaaaaaaally sucked. But bc this show is rich of slow melancholic moments I really didn't care about the oh so thin plot.

For DOTS:

The actors: I like Song Jong Ki (A LOT bc he's so cheesy) and Song Hye Gyo is so pretty.

SG: obviously the bickering, the comedy felt on point here and I liked the tough looking Ha Ji Won, which really felt fresh at that time (after watching stuff like BOF)

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Ahahaha I feel for Kim Shin, I really did. Eun Tak won me over a bit after she turned 29 because she no longer behaved like she was possesed by 8 years old ghost.

But really, I also wonder what makes their love so grand? Their interaction is pretty much hours long CF with several head patting sessions as commercial break.

At least Reaper and Sunny has that whole reincarnation thing that justify their attraction and longing to one another.

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For me it was the opposite... I loved the goryeo parts but why did the king and queen even love each other.. It was an arranged marriage but why did she love him, when did it happen.. Zilch... And in the present version it was all about the damn business card. Its strange isn't it how we watch the same thing but have viscerally different reactions to it :)

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Goryeo version has that ethereal/folktale feels to it.

Based on my experience watching sageuk, they fall in love for every little simple thing. That's why I kinda accepted the why she fell for her and her for him. Wasn't the MoonSun couple fell in love because Hwon fell and hovered over Yeon Woo because of a butterfly or something?

And we all swoon for the kiddie love story part before it turned angsty mopey love story.

Back to Goblin, for the modern counterpart, I demand more backbone to the story. Thats why I buy GxS but not KSxET.

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Yeah tbh, the love between King and his Queen was far more epic than the Goblin and his bride. Like they literally spent 3 lifetimes falling in love with each other, twice ending in tragedy before making it to a happy ending (Which honestly, I would have loved to watch a drama between a cop and high end actress falling love and being equally crazy about each other..).
In contrast, the love between the Goblin and his young bride seems quaint...like how cute and also sad for him. But not really all that epic.

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Also yes to basically a good 20 minutes of that drama being dedicated to CFs from Subway to whatever brand that water/juice was to watches and purses and coats galore. Even a 'going to the mountain' plot for the necessary outdoor gear ppl...

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My sentiments exactly,THANKS!
Her stories always have large loopholes and are full of contradictions but she surely knows how to cater to the preferences&tastes of the general viewer profile.

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Her gimmick game is strong, I'd give her that.

Goblin is probably the only drama where I can see her effort making the foundation but again fell flat on the execution.

And I can't watch DOTS without feeling second hand embarassment. Maybe I'm just immune to SJK cheesy charm.

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SJK cheesy charm.. lol.. have you watched werewolf boy..

he is a good actor, give credit where due ( romance/going ga ga over the actor is one's own perspective..am just commenting on acting talent)

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I'm curious but a big factor will be the actors/actress. I wouldn't have watched Goblin if Kim Go-eun and Yoo Inna weren't casted. If the plot is as intriguing as Goblin, then who knows.

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And many wouldn't even have watched were it not for Gong Yoo and continued on because of Gong Yoo. So casting definitely plays a huge part in her success.

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Gong Yoo is literally the only reason I watched Goblin, because otherwise I thought it was embarrassingly bad. I would have stopped at episode 1, if my love for him wasn't so strong. She tends to pick actors I really enjoy otherwise I have disliked all her dramas, without exception, even the ones I finished.

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I always end up with this nagging thought: ” WHAT WAS THE POINT?”

I completely felt this way for the end of Goblin when the entire show was based on a gonlin ending his immortality and then he decides to stay immortal in the end for a not so convincing romance at that too.

Now that I read your comment, I do realize that she has to work on her endings. Even though Goblin was better than most of her works, the ending was a little dissatisfactory and a bad ending can ruin an entire drama experience.

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Exactly! Still don't get why KS&ET ended in that manner. So disappointing. To heck with poetic endings, KS deserved a kinder end to his hellish life.
The minute I saw this post, I rolled my eyes. Honestly, I don't think I will be watching any of her dramas for a whIle. Goblin left a bad taste in my mouth...

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Yessss everything you said!! Her endings always leave me immensely dissatisfied. When I first started watching Goblin, i was so obsessed with it it was like I'm falling in love along with the characters...by the time the ending dragged by, I found myself left with only speechlessness and annoyance with the meandering plot, the pointless resolution and character developments that went nowhere (kind of like being in a breakup really). In Chinese we have a popular internet term "tao Lu," which basically means like a tried and proven set of "tricks" or "concepts" to up your chances of success, usually in the context of a guy trying to woo a girl (tbh not sure if I'm explaining this accurately enough so please google this if you're curious). For instance buying a girl breakfast to show how gentlemanly you are, or text her first thing in the morning and last thing at night to show you're thinking of her, etc. Anyway I find this writer's dramas to be full of "tao Lu" too, always with some alpha male with a boyish side that's almost too cute for words, an energetic female with some sass (but not enough to overpower the male), and lots and lots of scenes that make you go woooooohhhhh and swoon but which don't necessarily add any substance to the plot/story (Remember the milk foam kiss?). What sets her apart though is how she always has some interesting premise (like a body swap, or in this case a handsome lonely goblin) that immediately captures people's attention and make them momentarily forget about her tao lu's....but usually by midway the story gets thinner and thinner and you start wondering why you jumped into it in the first place... Anyway this is just what I got from watching her previous dramas and Goblin.. Maybe she'll improve with her sageuk?? Guess we'll have to wait but this time I'm definitely not getting my hopes up only to be left with the sour taste of a breakup again...

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Ah Kendi called it!! Guess tao lu in Chinese just means gimmicks in English haha! Yep KES sure is full of gimmicks.

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” WHAT WAS THE POINT?”

exactly. to me Goblin was 24 hours of nothingness except for a few really good moments here and there (i.e his death). i actually enjoyed DOTS more because it's shorter for one and with lots more action so i dont get bored too often.

i liken KES' dramas to junk food- enough flavor to get you addicted, yet ultimately full of empty calories. her witty bantering scenes are like MSG while the pretty is like sweeteners.

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junk food!! lmao thats hilarious! thats an amazing analogy haha

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I liked the ending very much, though I can totally understand you because I felt exactly the same way until..... I thought about this?
When Eun-tak returned and repeated the exchange between her and Shin about an eternal sad love, it was thematically very beautiful if you consider the fact that he (and their (sad) love) will live on forever even when her 4 lives are used up. Just fulfilling Eun-tak's idea that she believes it to exist while he didn't and it shows the change in him- him actively choosing it because she changed his world and brought him happiness he wasn't privy to for a long time. And I guess it's really up to personal choice for these things. Some people regard a short bliss enough to last them for a lifetime (or in Shin's case, eternity) while others don't find it as worthwhile.
Also there is a possibility that maybe he thought he could find yet another open door to be with her in the end! That would be nice.

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I'll politely asked where the exit is if I have to brainwash myself or even better, come up with ten pages essay to justify why a certain ending is more poetic or philosophical.

And really, after having made us sit through those gazillion gratuitous CF...the writer got nerve to pull 'poetic' card?

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I guess even if you "didn’t feel Goblin's love was so great that he would accept an eternity of solitude just so he could live some short years with his human bride" he himself or the writer thought so ;) . But I have to say, even though they tried to package the love as this fateful larger than life "sad love", the execution fell short.
As for ET, the poor kid had temporary amnesia and did not know better. Also, its not like if she had not called him back, he would have moved on to afterlife. He had already chosen to stay behind in that place between life and death and whether she called him back or not, he would have continued his immortal life. At least in this world he gets to eat the meet that he loves??!

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"WHAT WAS THE POINT?"

I know people don't want to see it, but for those who are genuinely interested in knowing, the point of Goblin was telling the tale of Kim Shin, a man who died in dishonor, who lived as a Goblin seeking death, in mental torture full of resentment for a king and eunuch, guilt too, and who then found love and happiness, and came back as a Shining and lonely god, now living, not to seek death, but to wait for a life with his love. A god who no longer has to live in guilt, or resentment, having seen his sister find happiness, helped his second in command and many others we were not shown, made peace with his king, taken revenge on the eunuch, and most importantly, made peace with living, having experienced that life can give happiness and love, and that even brief happiness and love is worth fighting for, is worth living for, even going as far as being in a tundra for that chance of living. A god who now acts as a shining guardian to all people, giving them miracles.

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ROFL epic comment.

I hate to break it to people, but dramas aren't that deep. Most of the answers to "What was the point?" for fan-favorites dramas can be summarized in one line. Or two words for the most cases. "Happy ending." I like that Goblin went for more complex than that. It's happy, but not all answers to forever happiness were given, just clues and hope, and knowledge that the characters are at peace with the choices made.

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yep, pretty much. people were stuck with the idea that the goblin had finish his end goal of dying from the beginning of the drama. but I'm absolutely glad he was more flexible than that. it was pretty clear early on he started to have reluctance on the idea of going away from earth and "find peace" after meeting Euntak. I'm glad he changed his mind and was able to come back and live, and not just live, but live with powers too. He's better off than most people if u think bout it. lol. He gets to cheat death and meet again and again and again his love, and play gods with humans. Most people die, forget everything, their love included and have to move on, whether they want it or not. Goblin gets his wish granted to move on once his punishment time is done, then gets to have the choice to go back once he changed his mind, and I'm pretty sure God will listen to him again if he pleads again to move on or whatnot. I'm not sure why peeps are so worried for him. Most people are lucky if they can find genuine love only once, and the memories of that is enough to become precious and carry them through hard times. He gets to do it multiple times. pffft.

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Many aren't deep, but they can be.

Plus, there is a whole spectrum between surface thin and centre-of-the-earth deep.

Perfectly possibly to dig a bit deeper....

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But you can easily summarize that epic comment in a single word or short line:

What was the point?

"Redemption"

Or, slightly longer "Forgiveness and redemption"

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Well ^^^ said it was a story of Kim Shin and his journey.

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I only watch city hall, Secret garden and goblin. That's all

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Oh, she wrote City Hall? Well that's one out of many she wrote that I truly loved from beginning to end.

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She is the biggest proponent of the oldest kdrama trope... rich guy - poor girl. Her stories may differ but her characters remain the same. It's always the same thing with her. Some tortured Chaebol-type guy gets entangled with a struggling, quirky candy type girl.

.

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So I am not the only, hmm?

The only drama of hers that I finished was The Heirs, to my regret. I started watching A Gentleman's Dignity, Decendents and Goblin, but I get lazy about watching them. Maybe someday in 2018.

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Dramabeans is very consistent. Ppl here don't like Kim Eun Suk, Suzy, Lee Min Ho and his clothes, etc. These comments Not unexpected.

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Most of these creeps are here just to TROLLLLLLLLLLL....

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Don’t forget the unwarranted Park Shin-Hye hate™[about her kiss scenes and *always* playing damsel in distress roles with same expression and Heirs (2013), and how their *underrated* fave is soooo much better than her and she isn’t in the same level with their oppar...].
Also calling some actresses ’sponsor girls’ in casting news, oh and additionally comments about how Lee Jong-Suk’s nose is fake ore disturbing to them... Gotta love these commenters and their lack of eloquence and, possibly, common sense...

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Actually, I like all three and think their acting can be charming, but I do recognize that the criticisms they face have a sliver of truth to it. LMH has had some ridiculous threads that no matter how pretty he is, just can't be worn without a chuckle. Suzy does have a limit to her acting, I like her but even I realize that. KES...well, I actually don't really know what the criticism of her is specifically. Some people like pointing this stuff out as it's things that bother them. We as a fandom have huge discrepancies in our taste and while some people enjoy one thing, others can't get past it. You can't expect people to censor their opinion as much as you don't want yours to be censored.

Sometimes I don't like what I read either, I just scroll past it though because it has nothing to do with me. You just gotta find the KES, Suzy, and LMH lovers (Of which there should be plenty) and gush together in each others' posts. :)

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Just finished Goblin. I wish we could see more of an ending scene and their life afterwards. Who wants to set up petition? Maybe if we can get enough signatures, they might really shoot it for us? No? Please?

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Goblin started out with a strong start for me. I liked the background story and most of the actors/actresses. However, towards the latter parts of the story... it felt like a rehash of the same "reiterated" point; episodes after episodes. Running from death. Escaping death. Missing each other. Rebirth. A few moments of love here and there. Then... back to running from death and it cycles back from there.

I didn't know she wrote Descended too. I felt that Descended had the same slow phase as Goblin. I guess I'm not her target audience bec. though everyone else had been raving about Descended... (I did like the beginning, much like Goblin) I skipped a lot of the latter parts which felt like "rehashing" of the same reiterated points... much like Goblin.

It's like you can shorten her dramas in a few episodes and you would still get a total picture of the story.

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She really has written awesome bromances, too. I think she could skip the romance altogether and let us enjoy some really heart-wrenching or utterly hilarious bromances. Or heart-wrenching and hilarious ones. You know, like Grimblin.

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Her next drama will be a fusion of her greatest hits: DoGS or Descendants of the Goblin.

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A Goblin's Dignity

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Secret Goblin?
Lovers in Quebec?
The Goblins: He Who Wishes to Live Forever, Endures the Eternal Blade?

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Descendants of the Dignified Goblin who Live in Paris?

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The Secret Dignity of a Goblin's Heirs?

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I agree!!! You are totally correct. Even Descended had bromance too.

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I might be wrong about this, but so far in her career, I don't think there was a single drama she wrote which wasn't a ratings success. I think that's unheard of. She's like the Kim Yuna of drama scriptwriters, never off the podium.

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as a big fan of Queen Yuna I like your reference)))))))))

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They call her God-Sook because she hasn't failed yet...

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i watched 10 of 11. i dunno if i am a fan, or her taste is just like mine. haha...

i think, she's a genius. she needs to make a thriller-crime story.

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I'm still waiting for the day for myself to be able to finish her dramas, I always start watching her drama because she cast my favorite actors and actress, and most of her work honestly has a good premise, but I tend to drop it in later the middle, I kind of... lost my interest.

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No way, that's me also. I really want to finish her drama. I enjoyed most of her drama but always have to force myself to finish or sometimes I just can't. I did finished DOTS and Gentleman's Dignity after many months later. I still can't bring myself to continue Goblin, Heirs, and Secret Garden. And I hate not finishing up a drama.

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I stopped DoTS at ep 12 (no matter how much I love SJK) because I couldn't handle the plot anymore. For Goblin, I once thought HOW boring some scenes were but I never stopped watching it. Oh well, I guess I love Gong Yoo more and that gave me supernatural power to endure countless repetitive scenes and led me safely to the end of the episode where he smiled to his first and last bride.

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reading this makes me curious... i've watched most of her dramas, 10 of 11. finished 9 of 10. and like 8 of 9. Gentlemen dignity wasnt my fave. But then...preference. we cant judge, right. hehe...

am i the weird one here, haha

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That is totally me! I've watched both of her dramas and I get all excited, at first, watching them. However... towards the latter parts of the story... I just can't watch it anymore. I just want to skip all parts and just know the ending. I think it's the slow phase of her dramas towards the latter parts.

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Kim Eun Sook nabs hottest leading men one at a time to add to her growing list of hits. I wonder who would be next.. Kim Soo Hyun seems to be one of the obvious choices but he may be in the army by then. I know she's courted Won Bin before and he doesn't look like to type to want to do a KES style project but maybe with DOTS and Goblin success, whichever network wins her work will just give Won Bin the whole universe to lure him back to drama land..

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He might come back... I dont really watch kmovies but from comments in different threads i gathered that his movies have not really been all that successful.. Every actor looks for that elusive hit... Artistic/creative issues by damned!

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Won Bin only has 5-6 movies in his filmography and they were all hits, look at figures from Korean Film Council website. Even stuff like Pieta and Guns&Talks did well.

That's why he has so much hype even now, because in the 10 years he did movies none of his movies ever flopped.

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Sorry. My bad. I got confused with Hyun bin. When his recent dating news came out people were commenting how its just media play bec his movie is coming out and he is not doing well.

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Or maybe she will lure kang dong won back to dramaland? I read some interview that said he's ready to make some time to do drama because the working environment is surely improving as of now ?

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Yesss! Kang Dong-Won himself has expressed that he isn’t purposely avoiding drama land, he’s just waiting for a good offer

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I'm waiting for Kim Nam Gil's comeback!

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Whoa I read she worked in Goblin three years prior to the announcement last year, but damn six years of planning? All those years paid off because Goblin is her best so far. She showed that she can do fantasy plus a story with more meat compared to her past works.

I do love the Goryeo parts in Goblin. Sohyun and Minjae were brilliant and those scenes gave viewers Gong Yoo in sageuk. Thank you very much.

Now, the question is who is KES next leading man and leading lady?

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After watching Gong Yoo in Goblin in sageuk wear and mane, I want to watch him in a sageuk next. Don't think I've seen him in one before this.

Goblin is not perfect but close. It is fantastic in execution and the great cast....I'm missing it already.

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LEE SEUNG GI WILL BE OUT OF SERVICE IN 2018....Please let it be him

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I think she'd pick someone who could be serious and funny at the same time. Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook were amazing, and switched effortlessly from one to the other. Song Joong-ki has that ability too. Kang Ha-neul? He's terrific at romantic and evil, but humor? Not too sure about that. Rain and Kim Tae-hee? Imagine Rain in sageuk attire!

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You want to know how funny KHN can be? Watch Twenty.
Couples don't act together in SK usually. But who knows. Everything happens for the first time.

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A Sageuk! I'm excited.

Although Goblin wasn't to everyone's liking, I remember only positive comments about the Goryeo part of the drama, which was central to the drama's overall poignancy. What we felt for Shin/ Reaper and Sunny was largely from the setup in their previous lives in Goryeo.

So I will be on board. If KES crafts her new project with the same amount of attention as she did with Goblin, I think it could be great.

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Saeguk means Lee Jun Ki, no? But I prefer to see unexpected face. Somehow I think she target only male leads with strong sex appeals. That's already a plus point for her to persuade people watch her 'products' lol. She targeted Gong Yoo like so many times. And anyone agree that the male leads in her dramas always super handsome. I wanna see So Ji Sub, Joo Won or Yoo Ah In.

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I don't think LJK is her style...
Besides SJK- which was has last choice- her leading men aren't the pretty type.
Just an observation

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SJK is the last choice? KES must be kidding... One of the best actor in korea is the last choice is mind blowing

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AFAIK she did offer DOTS first to Won Bin, So Ji Sub and Kim Woo Bin but the three men declined, so she offered the part to Song Joong Ki who just came back from military service.

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well I'm really glad woo bin decline because he really need meaty roles rather than popularity at that time... His acting improve alot after starring in Lee Kyung Hee drama, Not that he was a bad actor before.. and SJK need popularity because he already excel in acting departement... so both work based on what they need....

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She never offered role to So Ji Sub. It was fan wish at best. But she offered it to Kang Don Won and Gong Yoo. With Woo Bin it looked like he already agreed or had in plans to work with LKH at that time, since she spend quite a time by writing script and personaly asking him and Suzy to act in it.

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SJK did the last choice from writers, directors and producers. The lead role was previously offered to actors with muscle or more manly looks.... rumors said Gong Yoo, Won Bin, Kim Woo Bin, Jo In Sung were the first choice however, all of them turned down the role, saying they weren't comfortable shaving their head, filming a 100% pre-made drama, or staying abroad for a long time. ...most are kinda reject those terms. but SJK was the only one that show interest to it, so the writers, director and producer gave him a chance. When fitting session they finally agree that SJK profile will be another good advantages for Yoo Shi Jin character.

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well Yoo Si Jin roles is not necesarily have to act with someone who have great acting muscle to begin with, so that's makes sense. But He gain popularity more because of DOTS, So I'm grateful. His strategy to choose DOTS first before goes to chungmuro is paid off..

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What? I doubt it's true that they rejected because of those reasons.

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It's the truth. If you follow the drama you should know that at least

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Nah, I think she prefers more manly and mature look. For men above 30, I think she chose those who are masculine and very established actors - Cha Seung Won, Jang Dong Gun, Gong Yoo. She also originally approached Won Bin and So Ji Sub for DOTS. She loves guys who are tall and big framed. So, LJK doesn't fit in. Even Lee Dong Wook had to beg her for a 2nd lead role!

I don't know about her earlier works but Heirs is the only youth drama and thus LMH was cast. I'd say LMH looked very mature or overly so for his role in Heirs. Another below 30 was Hyun Bin who did Secret Garden before MS and I'd say Hyun Bin definitely fits KES's type.

At the moment, I can only think of Jo In Sung and Kang Dong Won but then again, I don't know that many k actors.

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Other than being very tall is Jo In Sung considered the manly type? I thought he is more the beautiful, model type.

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Jo In Sung is beautiful and manly. He has that presence and aura plus he'll look terrific in saeguk.

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I agree Song Joong Ki and Lee Dong Wook was not in her plan because they are just not her type. She really got lucky with them though. She definitely prefers her man strong and manly looking - I'm willing to bet a penny that she will cast Kim Woo Bin for her next drama (again).

From the small role in A Gentleman's Dignity, to the second lead in Heirs, her next step was to give him the lead role in DOTS. He couldn't do that possibly due to a clash of schedule or other reasons but look at her courting him and mentioning his name throughout Goblin. In some scenes of Goblin where Yoo In Na declared her love and longing for "Kim Woo Bin", it felt very much like a love declaration of the writer herself. Looking at their work history I see her grooming KWB, honestly. Btw, KWB had mentioned not too long ago that he would like to act in a Sageuk role. Now why do I feel that she had already approached him for her next project?

As for others, I think Kang Dong Won is not in her radar unless she runs out of choice (but he is very popular and that's a criteria of her leads). Lee Jun Ki was definitely out a few years ago but he has a more manly feel now so who knows. As for Jo In Sung, he looks manly when you just know him. Look longer and something else comes up. ^^

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Ooops is there something about JIS that I don't know? I'm not a fan and I kind of just know him from his dramas.

Maybe I was thinking of how awesome Gong Yoo looked in saeguk and I had thought actors like Kang Dong Won and JIS are in that league.

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Have you seen JIS in 'A Frozen Flower' and KDW in'Duelist'?

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Actually she has approached KDW a few times...
And people might forget but KWB wasn't supposed to be 2nd lead in Heirs. YH rejected the role so he got upgraded to get the role.
It's not something weird that she like to work with her stars again...

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If it's a sageuk, LJK is a possible contender since he has that weird effect of looking manlier in robes. I think she may try to lure a movie type who hasn't done a drama in some time. Jung Woo Sung? Jo Seung Woo?

As for Jo In Sung, I haven't watched him in many things or finished his dramas, but he oozes sex appeal. Not too attracted to his face, but the way he just holds himself and moves is attractive.

She is probably also looking for guys who have bro chemistry with other guys since bromance has become a theme in her dramas.

Maybe Ji Jin Hee (though I associate him with a more beta male aura) since Lee Young Ae is getting a huge drama this year.

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1. KWB was never her 1st choice. He wasn't even the 1st choice for 2nd lead in Heirs.
2. Her ultimate goal is Wonbin. And since she worked with HB and KWB it's normal for her to name drop. And she is known to work with her old actors I won't be surprised that she would ask KWB one in the future. Not to mention KES like to use her own last name for the male leads : Kim Tan, Kim Shin so it's easier to see why she used Kim Woo Bim
3. And she has offered KDW before. I'd say he is her 2nd obsession after Won Bin.

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YH supposed to play role of CES childhood friend, that role went to MH. Then CYD was ultimately created by KES to KWB, once she personally asked him to take role of second lead in her drama. That "usually puts last Kim name" such a stretch. He probably wouldn't play any role in her next drama, but the fact still a fact. She used his name as a meta/nod, no writer would do that, if they doesn't like that person (not necessary as a future lead) and they still contact each other. I don't think it's so hard to accept the fact, that KES used KWB name with love and respect, not "just because".

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@predictable lol Please! I'm a PSH fan and I followed the pre Heirs drama more than anyone.
You can look at the news everywhere even in DB. YH was the 2nd lead and yes his role was supposed to be PSH's best friend and has love line with her. But because he rejected the role, she pushed KWB to 2nd lead and and change the original 2nd lead role to a support role and has no love line with PSH.
People were confused about who is the 2nd lead until the drama aired because of it...

My point is KWB wasn't supposed to be 2nd lead in Heirs originally. It's a fact and it's not hard to check for yourself.
But whatever you want to believe lol. My oppa has to be the original. Same with Pinocchio he was never offered the role either. But you probably don't know that. lol

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Pray for uri Oppa working with Kim Eun Sook!

And it's sageuk!! Ah... sageuk and my favorite actors will be perfect!

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My first reaction to this post's title: Already!?

Dang.

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Six years! Woah it does show. I am so glad to finally be able to finish a KES drama. I specially appreciate how this show had much less cheesiness which also does not suit thenarrative. Goblin was a well written,directed and acted show. Even if it slowed down in the middle ( I hope KES gets to overcome this in her latter shows-the middle always gets stuck) it was overall a pretty good show. Though I am still sad over the immortality thingy.

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I loved Descendants of the Sun (my favorite despite its flaws and Yoo Shijin being better than Euntak at cheating death. I gave up on its logic when Shijin stood up after losing breath and having multiple gunshot wound in the chest), Secret Garden (even though everyone and their mothers know that Joowon was an asshole) and Goblin (even though I felt that the ending was lazy). Even though I have reservations, I'm still going to look forward to her works(and her next hit). I just wish that whatever she's working on next is plot-driven. I've had enough of filler-esque episodes in Goblin (the constant push-and-pull between Euntak and Shin that lasted for half of the series). And if it really is going to be sageuk, if she manages to pull the same weight and content that the Goryeo part of Goblin had or even better, I think she's in for another hit drama.

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as much as i think about the "what if's" with her dramas i always end up enjoying it (well not with the heirs) but i would be lying if i said i wasn't excited, now we just need an awesome director like with goblin and i'm also looking forward to the cast

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No wonder she planned Goblin for six years! That lady even teased us with a glimpse of episode 16 around the 32 minutes of the 1st episode. You can't do that unless you've planned beforehand and taken the time to put things in a twisted order. Gosh! I'm starting to tear up by the thought that it's ended! ?

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She did?
Oh I need to re-watch episode 1.

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She did that in episode 1 ?? Ommo I don't have any memory of that. I'm suffering from amnesia.

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Yes some scenes from the ending flashed by when they passed each other on the street for the first time in episode one.

There are many many tiny details in the production too, juxtapositions of reaper and kim shin with the furniture and lighting etc. Throwback dialogues from the earlier episodes. I think the people who fast forwarded through the show missed a lot of that.

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I completely missed it until I read the comments in the recap. I had goosebumps. She had it all figured out. Damn.

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Which episode's comments? Ep 16 finale? I dont understand Korean so I rely on the accuracy of the translated eng subs. Which sometimes/often misses subtle nuances.

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I knew she planned the ending before when they returned to Canada in episode 15, because those scenes were shot first then they returned to korea, and it appeared it's still fall in canada while it's winter now. So she has the ending in mind.

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Check out this link. It's shows them filming in Canada the last scene at the graveyard. You can see the differences in their clothes..KES already knew how she was going to end her story. Now that's what you call advance planning. Still not a fan though. Watched DoTs out of curiosity and Goblin for my love of GY?

http://www.koreaboo.com/buzz/gong-yoo-kim-go-eun-spotted-filming-upcoming-drama-goblin-canada/

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thank you drama gods for writers like kim eun sook! ?

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Goblin has some pacing issues imo or rather the plot went quite slow in the first half and wasn't really moving as much. Hoping for her sageuk project she opts for 16-20 episodes and no more than that. At least with sageuk there is solemnity to some extent... so hopefully no plodding episodes?

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I think the pacing issue also has to do with tvn not keeping to 1h length format. If the broadcasting station is more stringent with its length format, the show would not feel so slow sometimes :) That's why i look forward to yet dread tvn shows these days. Tvn = good quality but probably longer and longer length

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Can anyone tell me whats up with tvn's flexible time formats? ... They just randomly decide that some episode will be 1hr, 1.30, goblin had some 1.20 hr episodes.. Why cant they decide one duration

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tvN episode lengths drive me mad. The first episode of Reply 1997 was 30 mins and I was fully engaged the entire time. I just watched the 14th episode which clocked in at 65 minutes and I was on my phone for a good fifteen minutes of that. Kdramas are, by their melodramatic nature, draggy enough as it is; they don't need the extra 20 minutes tvN keeps tacking on.

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Yeah it is a little show for me. Even my friend said that it is slow. The fact that each episode is more than 1 hour is worse.

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I mean SLOW

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Take a break omggg

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Now that you're mentioning it, I want a flower scholar goblin, or pre-independence goblin.

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Her issues are the same.. Its not just goblin. In heirs it was the on and off otp till i was ready to yell you are in high school, move on.. In dots it was the same issue - i dont want to commit to a army man bec i am a doctor...

Thats her main problem - she has one essential conflict from episode 1 to 20 and you feel you are going round and round ..

But she is a super hit maker.. So who could she cast this time??

Ksh, lmh, ljs all will be going to army... PBG perhaps. He is big these days.. Or she may drag someone out of movie land

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Probably park bo gum!! But will he do seaguk again. I mean just again next drama seaguk

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I dont think he is yet in a place to refuse her just because he wants to do something different. In fact very very few actors can. She is way too successful for anyone to say no to her

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I also do not think Bogummy can refuse KES. I am sure Blossom Agency will want him in a hit drama and KES has hit written all over her. Glad that after five years of courting Gong Yoo, she was finally able to get him. She obviously wrote Goblin with him in mind and it showed in the final product how he really embodied the lonely and shining goblin.

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You said it. One simple conflict would last half the series. Honestly, DOTS should have ended at ep 12 and Goblin at ep 13. And Heirs? I don't even know why it existed in the first place. There's hardly any real and significant conflict in that drama. Just a bunch of high school student throwing tantrums because they can.

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DOTS ending is great for me but I can't say the same for Goblin. I wish they would end at episode 15 when he proposed to her n flowers blooming above them.

And yes Heirs, I don't like it either. I hold out that time watching it to the end becos of LMH. Just a bunch of overly mature leads acting like high school students n fussing over BGR problems. The ending left me unsatisfied too.

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Her second leads are always better written and have more interesting relationships than her main leads too but the main leads get all the hype.

Maybe next time well get to see Kim Ji Won as KES leading lady? She needs to do a hit drama as lead and KES likes working with her. Even better if they bring back Kim Woo Bin as male lead.

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KJW and KWB and then LDW join the casts will be such a LOL-ing. real KWB meet character KWB

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i have heard a lot of people say this but i don't think its true. .. at least not for me.

in heirs, the 2nd lead was grade A ass. he was a bully and borderline psychotic before she gave him a personality transplant. it was only KWB's excellent portrayal that made him walk away with the applause.

in DOTS, i initially liked the 2nd leads story more. at first he seemed so proper and honour bound. but as the show progressed he just sort of became jerk-ish while she would be literally crying to hear his voice

in goblin, sunny is criminally under-utilised. and their love story in present times was just random meetings with not a decent conversation in sight before we were hit with reincarnation angst

secret garden, i don't even remember the 2nd leads. i just remember how the main OTP had off the charts chemistry

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I agree with you bips99. Might be an unpopular opinion, but I disliked Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin) in Secret Garden. The real gems were Phillip Lee’s and Lee Jong Suk’s characters

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I did not get the Hyun Bin hype and Secret Garden was so-so to me. The only time my eyes sparkled was when then unknown Lee Jong Suk appeared on screen and I went, "Who's that guy?"

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I felt the same for Secret Garden! know a lot of people have second lead syndrome I do too, but in Kim eun sook's case I never felt that the 2nd otp had more development necessary for me to feel invested in them. She always writes her script around her male leads like a fangirl writing fanfic for her otp. Heirs had good second leads but they were abusive jerks. I also don't get the love between Wang Yeo and sunny too because it looked more like remorse and regret, loads and loads of tears brimming in the eyes and it was disturbing for me because Sunny was a totally different entity from the dead empress and she had memories injected into her. Poor Sunny.

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@bips99

You don't remember Oska from Secret Garden?!?! :)

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'Thats her main problem – she has one essential conflict from episode 1 to 20 and you feel you are going round and round.'

I agree regarding: Heirs, DOTS, and Goblin, though Goblin introduced new conflicts late in the game. I still regard Secret Garden as my favourite KES drama, and one of my top 10.

I actually wouldn't mind the kind of cinematography and long-drawn out moments of Goblin in a future sageuk... but the narrative set up has to make sense. I still don't understand why Kim Shin thought he had to walk all the way up to the king.

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Aahhhh.
Why seaguk!! Please kim eun sook do a school drama.
I want park bo gum and kim so hyun in kim eun sook's next drama.
Both are kim eun sook's type.

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She had already done one school drama and that is Heirs. I think she want to try smth different from her past works.

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Are you sure PBG is her type? lol

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I'm definitely buying her next drama. I'm a loyal customer of hers from Lover trilogy (too bad lee Seo-Jin and kim Jung-eun did not end up in the altar!) to Goblin. I loved almost all of her drama and I've seen them all. I just couldn't finish DotS for some reason.

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If it's a sageuk, there might be less ppl than in Goblin..

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Dont bet on it.. SH managed to put in a BB ppl of all things.. She can definitely outdo that...

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She needs to put the ppl to have the budget for her top star casting

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I'm not a big fan of her works but I really admire her for being able to garner a ton of viewers. I wonder what really is the secret to that? I wonder what'll happen if she pulled a JK Rowling and pen a drama under a pseudonym :P

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*and I wonder what'll...

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Talking about pseudonym - I am currently watching Warm & Cozy and I am so suspicious that Hong Sisters didn't really write that drama, the pace is just all over the place and there's no wit or magic from Master's Sun. I really like YYS but I don't think I can continue watching past 4 episodes, this drama might as well be called Lukewarm & Doozy.

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Well, Hong Sisters wrote BIG (that made Gong Yoo stayed away from drama for a while)...

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The premise of Warm and Cozy feels like a Hong Sisters drama. The first few episodes were alright. And then the pace went very off somewhere in the middle and it seemed very repetitive, as if the Hong Sisters were simply ctrl+c and ctrl+v the script for each episode. I think they ran out of ideas to generate a 16 episodes drama that is full of wit and meta and comedy because there's just so much you can do after they narrow the plot down to a very specific premise.

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She needs to cast Kim Woo bin. He was in Gentlemen Dignity and Heirs. And his name was used in Goblin too. I believe Kim Eun sook has ajjumma crush on him ???

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Maybe she purposely chose to use KWB name in Goblin so that she can court him for his next hit drama.

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LOL people really think KWB is that big that KES is dying to score him or what?

She likes established and top actors... KWB has only has 1 drama under his belt and it flopped. The 2nd lead in Heirs wan't him in the first place.

Sure he is fine with this current movie with LBH and KDW but it's hilarious that people think she is trying to cast him like she is a no name actor.

The actor she wants to get badly right now and Wonbin not Kim woo bin, and Kang Dong Won. She has been trying to get them for years.

She is KES who hasn't failed... How many people out there could say no with her?

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Sounds more like you have presonal agenda against him. And very immature one. What, him being mentioned in Goblin somehow hurt your "oppa/unnie" pride lol
SJK wasn't big star, fresh out of military. Gong Yoo had worse flop dramas (Coffie Prince wasn't big raiting success either). None of KWB's movies failed yet. UF was in top 10 most watched dramas last year and 2nd only to DOTS in China (officially sold and generated biggest k-drama viewers numbers to Youku). You can say whatever you wanna, but KWB far from "no name". He maybe not as active (or overly ambitious) as other actors, prefers to work in relax way and take one-two roles in a year and not rush things, but guy is talented and has a great presence. If anything in UF went wrong, it wasn't his fault at all. So cut your hate and bring it somewhere else.
He also doesn't need to be KES lead either, to you to accept the fact, that she likes him enough, to use his name out of hundreds of k-actors. Be it friendly nod or cute meta.
I have no idea, why some people think it's okay to hate him over it. Not a first time, when I see this kind of disturbing attitude from people towards him after Goblin.

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I think she'd be good with Saguek's if Goblin is any indication. I liked Goblin but it wasn't perfect. What KES does brilliantly is giving what audience what they want but that sometimes takes away her focus which results in less than stellar results at points. Also, please, please make sure the episode lengths aren't 60 mins+. I think when you can summarize your story in 35 t max 45 minutes, it allows you to focus on more compact and fast paced story telling. That's not a bad thing.
I don't think it was KES, it may have been tvn, their almost 1 hour+ episode length is not sitting down well with me.

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KES sure are ratings booster, helped by the good actors she casted. I remember I disliked Lovers in Paris (only watch it for Lee Dong-gun), found On Air boring, loved Secret Garden only the first half then dropped it, enjoyed Gentleman's Dignity by turning off some of my brain cells, tried so hard to love DOTS and failed miserably. Never touch Heirs, though.

However, I was awed by Goblin second half (I forced myself to watch the first half, which IMHO boring and too slow, for my love of the casts). Although some might disagree, I really think the whole universe and mythology was well built. Of course if we nitpick them we'll found flaws here and there. The ending made me feel wistful and sorry for Shin, but it didn't disappoint me as much.

Now, that I know she prepared this for 6 years, I'm grateful she gave this one to GY. He's an excellent actor who deserve successful drama.

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The universe and mythology were superbly done. I think most would agree about that. The minority who didn't enjoy this drama (and I say minority with confidence considering that this turned out to be one of the most successful kdramas of the past few years) seem to have qualms about other things, but certainly not the universe and mythology.

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The only KES drama that i enjoy is CITY HALL. secret garden is so cringey. Never watch HEIRS and DOTS. THat's why I'm a bit skeptical to watch Goblin but i LOVE it now.
I'm amaze KES can do this good. This is her best work. Less cringey, deep story, and funny. I wonder how long she prepare Goblin and now i know the answer. No wonder it much more detail than the others. And I'm very happy she choose the best casts for this! actually, Gong Yoo and Go Eun are the biggest factor that make me give it a try.

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Yes, I was also VERY sceptical about Goblin (ended up loving it), because while many love DOTS, I couldn't see why it was such a big hit except for the beautiful casts and cinematography. So, I understand if there are people who found Goblin not appealing / got no substance / too slow / got uninteresting characters / messy lazy writing, etc. That's how I feel about DOTS, when everyone around seems to love it.

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If the period part of Goblin is any indication, KES can do saguek. With the same production crew, it'll be awesome. One query though --Where's the money in saguek? What i mean is, there's less or even no ppl on it? Is it just pure ratings, so it's gonna be another star-driven show. Hope her women characters show some better personality (like Jumong's first love, for example).

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You are right! PPL is difficult in sagueks. Maybe they eat a lot of Korean beef, oranges, and talk about how beautiful Tamra is for a vacation? That, and the best way, time travel!

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As far as I can tell sageuk dramas are sponsored by tourism agencies representing the drama's filming locations. If you watch Hwarang the credits for sponsors are all for tourism agencies for the different regions of Korea where they shot. I couldn't make out any actual company logos (though imo the makeup company that manufactured their eyebrow pencil should have got a credit, they use so much of that stuff!). I think Sungkyunkwan Scandal was similar.

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She is excellent writer. In terms of execution her drama are visual treatment be it dots or goblin. But I feel she lost the track of her story after episode 13 or 14.

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well, It's mainly due to a reliable PD the show look decent, Though Goblin is at times look messy due to liveshooting and duration per episode that feels too long. Before that she often get bad PD.. especially Shin Woo-Cheol, LOL

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It would be romance genre in saeguk setting.
thanks to rebel hong gil dong and kingdom ,they will save saeguk drama for this year

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A sageuk awesome - it needs to star Gong Yoo and it needs to be Goryeo, Shilla or Gorguryeo so the mane of glory can properly flow! And it needs to consist mostly of sword fighting scenes. RAWR!

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Yes! I would love to see more dramas take place in settings other than Joseon.

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After Ji Eun-tak is hit by the truck of doom, I finally sighed relieve, that goblin and grimm reaper finally can get to be together, live happily ever after, forever and ever, literally since they are both immortal, under the same room. But then grimm reaper got his last task and Sunny and Eun-tak reappear, my dream is shattered ???

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Im still having extreme goblin withdrawals but your comment made me smile haha. Well, Reaper and Kim Shin had each other for 30 years.. it's enough, sniff.

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I had the same thought, lol! 'And Reaper and Goblin were housemates for ever and ever, the end'. It was sad to see Reaper go and forget the bromance. Snif.

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Looks like she dicussing with SBS now, this channel is the only channel preparing 2018 drama schedule.

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She must be one rich, well-paid scriptwriter. I have watched all of her dramas except city hall... most of them from start to end

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Excited for her next drama. Since she wanted to do sageuk, i hope she write something about the life of a noblelady who became a crown princess. But the twist is she was a daugther of a gisaeng and performing is in her blood - a natural talent which she use to win everybody's heart & make the prince fall headover heel inlove with her. wishful thinking hoping to see park bogum & kim yoo jung in hanbok once again ???

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Although I have not enjoyed a KES since City Hall, I must say that she certainly has a Midas touch. Dramas are like any business, know what your customer wants and give it to them. She just turns it into an art.

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Didn't like Heirs at all and didn't get into DOS, but Goblin totally hooked me.

Unlike a lot of you, I did enjoy the female lead right from the beginning. I loved the push and pull in their relationship and how despite him being 900+ years old with supernatural powers, it really felt like she had the upper hand in their relationship most of the time. As the months went by and she graduated and went to college, I felt that the character was shown as gaining maturity, insight and empathy.

I watched the live feed (off and on, since it would stall after a few minutes) of the last three episodes, and I was bawling like a baby through the second half of episode 16 (I sobbed at the end of episode 13 but it was so much worse in the last episode). And I seldom cry watching TV shows and movies.

And I did feel cheated at the end. What kind of ending is it for your hero to endure decades or even centuries of misery only to share a few short years or decades once in a while with your love?

Frankly, it made me really glad that I am a Christian and don't believe in reincarnation. Because, spending eternity happily in Jesus' company is infinitely better than an endless cycle of love and misery.

I wasn't at the time thinking of the fact that the writer had suggested that in her worldbuilding people had a limited number of lives (4).

For two days I couldn't watch the last half of episode 16 with subs. I finally did this morning and I skipped over most of Kim Shin's long lonely years. If made things better :) and I felt more hopeful at the ending.

What would have given me satisfaction at the ending? Cut to a scene 10 years in the future. The Goblin couple is sitting on a blanket near the graves in Quebec watching their young children play (because, this time around, they get married not long after she finishes college, in order to be together as long as possible). All of a sudden, she notices something. She puts her hand up to his head and pull out...a grey hair! He's aging along with her!

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I see what you're saying. I think it was the redemptive / agape arcs that held the show together; which would be a natural thing for a Christian to both perceive and be drawn to. And even in a polytheistic construct, the main deity had similar attribites to God. So again, it was easy to see and appreciate when He's showing up behind the scenes to influence circumstances and understand the ultimate goodness in His actions.

It's probably from the perspective of a Christian, that the show had a tight and compelling narrative thread that was only slightly unraveled in the last couple of episodes. Redemption from our self-serving impulses, and to agape, aren't natural to our natures. Learning their lessons happens bit by bit, and usually with a lot of prompting. So a Christian could view the reappearance of a central redemptive conflict as working through various aspects of that transformative, inwardly focused process. And perceive it as an essential part of the character's journey.

Maybe that's the root of why it's seemed a bit incomprehensible that others saw the show as draggy or redundant. It's just a matter of perspective and what's naturally on your radar.

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What about a drama about an actress and a cop???? With YIN and LDW??? Hmmm????

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OMG Yes Please!!!! :)

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IMHO, KES managed to create a unique world that is at once original and interesting. The Goblin mythology has a lot of potential; as per what I said in an earlier comment, there are many trajectories that can be followed from almost all the characters and this is no easy feat.

Her character development seems to be panned by a lot of people but here I felt that the subtlety may have been lost on some. By the end of the show, I perceived the characters' growth arc as follows:
1) Goblin was made to suffer because he did not believe in the deity and the deity in turn, following the order of things, ensured that he paid penance for all the lives he took in his many war victories and his denial of god. In his immortality, he learned that he can also serve a purpose by granting "miracles". In his loneliness, he felt compelled to end it all, an all to easy exit for which the deity added another lesson in the form of Eun Tak and through which the Goblin learned that dying is not always the answer.
2) Did the Grim Reaper really have had the deity on his side? He paid penance for 600 years before becoming a Grim Reaper for another 370 years of which 300 was spent not knowing "why". In the end, he learned the importance of living, loving and forgiving.
3) Sunny was destined to wait an eternity for the King to realise his errors. Her only fault was falling for him at first sight. Her character is straightforward, her main criteria for a lover is "handsome" and she never allows anyone to meddle with her life. Her steadfastness saved her from the deity's memory wipe and she paid for it with a long, lonely life but it was still, admirably, on her terms.
4) Eun Tak was destined to be the one and only true love of the Goblin. Her character stayed true to herself until the end because she was not meant to be anything else. In the end, she was the most realistic character out of all of them. She needed to get an education, a job and a future. Aren't most humans like that? Her only "flaw" might have been that she was already good to begin with and thus probably didn't need a growth arc. She is perhaps drawn up to be an indication of how we should live our lives. To never take life for granted for it is precious and not easy to come by.

In the end, I believe the world built by KES is quite compelling and I can accept the flaws that came along with it.

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I found Goblin so SLOW. And the main romance cringeworthy. DOTS was too slow also - I lost interest in the plot and didn't finish it, much as I liked the stars. Thank you for doing a feature on this writer, dramabeans, because now I know her name, I'll know to avoid any dramas she is attached to in the future. She does not appear to be writing enough script to stretch out for sixteen episodes, resulting in tons of repeat footage in flashback scenes, slow line delivery from the actors, and lots of wasted footage where nothing happens.

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She definitely had enough for 16 normal hour length episodes of Goblin, but for some reason more than half the episodes were like 80-90 minutes. tvn has gotten into a bad habit of having movie length episodes. Only place where that is acceptable is one of those short British tv series. I think KES and the director were trying to create a wistful atmosphere with the slow shots and flashbacks, but there were definitely a lot of scenes where less would have been more.

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Yes, that is true, Ar. Perhaps if the episodes themselves weren't so long I wouldn't have been so bored. Did you notice that even the actors were often speaking their lines at half-speed? I'm sure they were told to do it in order to fill the time up.

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City hall is still my most fave drama from her.

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Me too! I don't remember it having the usual addictive KES quality but I loved it.

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The City Hall was one of my first k-dramas and it remains my favourite k-drama. Nothing else even comes close. I was raised in a very political family and have worked on multiple election campaigns in Canada as a volunteer. I often wonder if Kim Eun-sook comes from a political background as well because she gets it. The cynicism, the back room maneuvering plus the corruption that too much money brings to political decision making embodied by Cha Seung-won as Jo Guk. But also the hope, the idealism and the notion that powerless people can become involved in the process (at least on the local level) and make a difference in the character of Shin Mi-rae as played by Kim Sun-ah.

The OTP are mature, experienced adults in their 30s who've been around the block more than once. They fall in love and have a grown-up affair even though they realize their relationship is going to create more problems than solve. It's so unlike any of KES's other dramas I've tried to watch. I quit DotS after the first episode and Goblin half way through as not my cup of tea but TCH still does it for me and I've watched it 4 times now just to remind me of what k-drama can be.

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Beautifully said! I think the city hall otp was the only KES otp that acted like their age in both their professional and romantic lives.

However, city hall didn't get that much buzz compared to her other dramas. It had good ratings, but not the amazing ratings that she's known for. After figuring out the formula to write a drama with high ratings, not sure if she will feel more free to take risks and write something like City Hall again or go with the tried and true.

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Agreed! City Hall remains to this day my favorite drama, for its theme and maturity not to mention the mesmerizing chemistry of Cha Seung-Won and Kim Sun-Ah. It takes several espisodes to get hooked for some viewers but once you are in it, there's no return. Suggest the newer drama watchers to check it out and read Samsooki's exquisite deconstruct of this drama through the Dramabean recap.

On Air is nonethess the best KES drama to me, without the usual cheesiness, and the best insider look into the kdrama industry. Its cast has two OTPs of equal importance and different plot direction - Lee Boem-Soo and Kim Ha-Neil plus Song Yoon-Ah and Park Yong-Ha (RIP) - delivers memorable performance. Unlike City Hall, I need two attempts to get through the first few espisodes to be rewarded with one of the most satisfying drama watching experience. For those who recently become fans of SIA or KHN, you may like to try out this one which is however not really the kind of things for teenagers.

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Imagine a drama with Won Bin and Kang Dong Won together. Please KES, show off your persuasion skills for these two to return to the small screen!!!

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Well seeing all the negativity to KES (which I always silently nod in approval to in the past)- I must say I'm now excited to try each drama of hers each time to see what she has in store! I gave all of her shows a shot and disliked every single one (the lowest point: heirs) and I understand the distaste some people have for shows which are maddeningly popular with seemingly no substance. but goblin for me was a creature of its own and such a thoughtfully crafted melancholic piece which I seriously can write endless discursive essays waxing about its thematic cohesiveness and multiple side plot explorations (putting aside its great directing and acting of course) etc etc etc and of course I find myself on the opposite side for once trying to defend against many people calling it boring and the ending pointless (nothing wrong, and many are really nice not to do it in the goblin recap!). I guess really this is the first time it really hit home that I shouldn't be judging people so much when I see people say it's the best drama ever when I think the whole thing is shit, and really even though some people come with reputations, you never know when they will surprise you, even if they seem to be using their same formula (see: Hong sisters). Onwards KES! I'm glad I no longer approach your dramas with dread.

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I do think she did go round and round in goblin too. But i LOVED every single minute of it. And so many reasons for that - Gong yoo, KGE, the OSTs, the cinematography (someone better give them an award for this bec it is such a gorgeously shot drama, it looked like a movie) .

Goblin was the only show of hers that i did not mind the slow pace. every weekend i would snuggle in bed and watch it unfold at a leisurely pace and would be left with such a huge smile on my face.

If i try to look at it clinically, all the problems with her previous shows are here too in some degree. But non-objectively, my heart loved it.

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I'm curious which things you thought went round and round. I thought there was fresh subtext that was being explored each time the main conflicts appeared. But maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention. Help
enlighten me!

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Gidget asked "I’m curious which things you thought went round and round"

Ha! The opening theme song, of course! Round and round and then round and round again.

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I won't complain about that kind of "round and round and then round and round again". Han Soo Ji' s voice is so damn mystical!

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I agree! A lot of same elements thanks for reminding me.

However, I do think objectively (y'all know I think subjectively - loved. every. moment) because of the premise of goblin and for the first time she has some assuredness of a clear world vision the writing in this was really a level higher. I mean we had amnesia, time skip AND truck of doom in the last three eps but none of them was lazy writing - perhaps specifically how eun tak remembered was lame but everything else was tied to a point made or was a logical conclusion to something hinted- not mined for meaningless conflict. She also had some moments that made me really quite surprised at the depth of emotion she could encompass in a short conversation - like the deok hwa - secretary convo. Also I found that the usual devices that annoy me were turned on his head and given some kind of compelling gravitas just because of the world building- the one look fall in love thing in DOTS annoyed me to no end but it was okay in reaper and sunny cause they already had a back story, the wallowing was okay here cause I mean it's literally life and death! I don't want Shin to be wallowing off screen and it's so reasonable to waffle when stakes are this high - I want to see every heart rendering ruminating moment! Vs I couldn't care less whether Lee min ho got his high school love or not and poor-rich angst is rly ??? For me.

But at the end of the day I must admit it's probably just the case that all her tricks work the same and I just happen to find a piece of work where her sleights of hands worked for me because of subject matter - so all my quick judgments previously have quite rightly come to laugh in my face.

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I agree with your points and how Goblin is on a higher level than her previous works. I found myself asking, is this really the writer of Heirs, SG, DOTS etc. because, though Goblin's far from perfect, it's miles better than her previous works.

I'd like to think the years she put into the project preparation helped in that. I mean, we even got profound questions and dialogues in this drama. And in the end, it was obvious that she had it all figured our from day one because the progression to the ending was logical and followed the major themes of the drama.

Oh and I usually do not like her characters, especially the male lead, but Shin is such a winning character. I truly felt for him. In fact, all the five characters and even the side characters are endearing. Anyway, now I am looking forward to her next project. I hope she keeps on improving.

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I couldn't agree with you more. Goblin was one of the best dramas I've seen in a very long time. And it left me with the impression that some of the reasons why some other KES dramas haven't been as satisfying is the number of compromises she has to make in her shows to accommodate the demands of the major networks. Broadly speaking, the writer is caught in-between the story they want to tell, and the network's casting decisions (underage ingénues paired with veterans, superstars that lack chemistry, idols, etc), real-time plot changes demanded as a byproduct of the live-shoot system, and pure network politics. I think in Goblin she got to tell the story she wanted to tell.

Though it did seem that Goblin may have fallen victim to these things in the last 1 1/2 episodes. It struck me that the show lost a bit of its near-perfect inner cohesiveness for the sake of showcasing a rehash of it's more popular comedic bits. From a cohesiveness standpoint it seemed to me that the Goblin should have come back from his exile as a mortal, so they were both on their second lifetimes. Then both should have died in the crash; with the gift of God being that they were born again into their third lifetimes (the 'harvest' lifetime in the 4 lifetime cycle). There they could be first loves all over again in a long natural lifespan.

As it stands, the Goblin didn't receive his redemptive reward like everyone else; though it seemed his sins were lesser. He is still a Goblin and he will always eventually be lonely. ?

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I have a love-hate feeling for Kim Eun Sook. Her stories are compelling and she does touch some seriously artistic notes. But Goblin is probably the fidrst drama of hers where I didnt curse at any of the characters on screen. They were not the usual pack of deplorable idiots you wanted to strangle most of the time.
That said, I always end up watching her dramas, because lets face it, it ADDICTIVE. Somehow she manages to get amazing technical team to her writing and well, it works.
Ok tuning in at 2018 then.

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"But Goblin is probably the fidrst drama of hers where I didnt curse at any of the characters on screen. They were not the usual pack of deplorable idiots you wanted to strangle most of the time."

Yes! LOL I'm surprised I actually love her male leads this time. Everyone in the main cast (even the side characters), in fact. They're all lovable.

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True! I was interested to watch this (although i don't like KES) because the main cast. And in the end I'm amaze with all the supporting actors and cameos. They all are so great!
Even though people complain the slow pace but for me it's still okay because every dialogue, banter, poem, and scene in this drama is so good.

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Cross dressing trope. Ugh. No thank you. It's the most contrived and dishonest trope in all of dramaland. Contrived because who in their right mind wouldn't know it's a woman dressed as a man. And dishonest because the premise - or rather the excuse for the premise - is that the person is loved for their true inner self. But their true self is being concealed not revealed.

We all know what that trope is aimed at accomplishing. And in so doing, the fact that the trope incites and plays on humanity's most base impulses, shouldn't earn anyones respect.

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Have you tried Coffee Prince? Its the ONLY show that has done this trope right. here the true self is the one she shows when she pretends to be a man - she is a messy eater, does not fit the conventional definition of femininity, is obnoxious to a certain degree etc etc. And i loved his whole journey to accepting the idea that he loved a boy and his reaction on learning the truth

there are tons of other cross dressing shows - you're beautiful, bromance, moonlight, Sungkyunkwan Scandal etc- and some of them are really a lot of fun.

But if you are looking for getting the trope done Exactly right with the right emotions then coffee prince is the the only one. its pitch perfect.

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That's a good suggestion. I did try it but dropped it. No matter how good the show is in all other respects, I can never manage to overlook the flaws of the trope itself. It ruins the show for me.

This year I really tried hard to like Moonlight but ended up dropping it as well . I loved the cast. I loved the characters. I loved how they were reimagining history. I loved the directing and acting. But the trope killed it for me .

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Can i make a ridiculous suggestion ? watch the last half an hour of episode 9 plus episodes 10-12. seriously gold.

i know its stupid suggestion to pick a show from the middle but how they handled these 3 episodes was A+.

silly but do try :)

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LOL I did try that. Honestly I really have tried! But my reaction to it was an overwhelming visceral disgust at what the trope was asking of the characters. (See below.)

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Should explain: Just because a person is affecting the outward mannerisms of the opposite gender doesn't make them the opposite gender. In Coffee Prince he wasn't falling in love with a man, he was falling in love with a woman who was affecting the outward mannerisms of a man. Inwardly she was still a woman. And as far as physical attraction is concerned, offsetting her masculine mannerisms would be her female pheromones. So again, he's attracted to a woman not a man. He's not loving her despite her gender, he's loving her because of her gender.

Overall it always seems cruel to me that the trope is asking one main character to deny the most fundamental part of who they really are. While forcing the other to psychologically yeld to something that they have a strong and deep and natural aversion to. Once that conflict starts escalating the trope feels increasingly abusive to its characters. So I can't watch.

The first time I watched this trope was in You're Beautiful. Managed to watch it to the end (always thinking it'd get better) but not without forming the clear opinion that I couldn't stand the show. Couldn't finish any of the others after that no matter how hard I tried.

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Ah! now i get what you were trying to say. Fair enough.

I always found the trope just silly, simply bec they cast these gorgeous actresses and expect the audience to believe that the hero does not realise that its a female.

But i never thought too much about it. Now i get why the trope feels dishonest to you - Asking one to compromise on their identity while having the other one question their sexuality. Thank you for the lovely explanation. something for me to chew on.

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I appreciate taking with you about it. Your questions helped me dive deeper and get to the heart of what was bothering me. Thank you!

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Ooohh I get where you are coming from. You should stay away from cross-dressing, gender-bender dramas then because the trope itself is the problem. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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I dislike this trope as well but kimi no na wa is different. It falls on gender bender trope too but felt genuine to me. Please try it or remember it if you've already seen it. Thanks for the pheromone explanation I now understand why I'm averting shows like this.

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Yeeeey for a saguek project,hope she will collaborate again with the Director,they do indeed a good duo!!!And now let me cry my second river because i wanted Gong Yoo in it as lead,because he rocked the Goryeo style so damn much!!!

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I was hoping that she would do a sageuk next after seeing how great the goryeo scenes in Goblin was

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I don't know if I should be hype or not coz her only drama that i watched until the end is Goblin because it went deep and brought out the rules she set just enough that the ending is fulfilling at least.

The Heirs had an annoying ending to me, DotS was just a drama with beautiful scenery and quick humor(many would argue with this I know but I just can't get into it (=,='').

But again seeing how she can at least make a slightly heavier topic(e.g. Goblin) and set it straight, I'll root her on. ^^

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I won't lie, I was impressed by the Goreyo scenes in Goblin, so much so that I wanted it to be a drama on it's own (I think partially Gong Yoo just looked so good with that mane of glory). So I think it'll be interesting.

As most people have voiced already - my relationship with her drama's is very love-hate. I've watched almost everything she's done and can't say I've "absolutely LOVED" them. They're well produced, decently written but I can't figure out why they become SO immensely popular.

I will give her credit though for trying something new very often. She's dabbled in different genres - I mean, from full on fantasy, to something like Heirs which was so cliched and high school to something like DOTS which had the whole army/military background coupled with surviving in foreign land. I give her credit but attempting to write novel stories and ideas - whether or not they ultimately end in a satisfying note.

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For me Goblin = fashion
Come on people this drama got no point.. I bet Goong yoo himself was saying to himself ,what a crap I'm doing right now, while filming.

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I keep thinking how ridiculous the actors must've felt while filming. KGE pulling an imagined sword, LDW and LIN talking about some bogus ring, lol!

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Dear God no. I guess this is a reminder for every sageuk fan who survived last year that there's no such thing as rock bottom when it comes to kdrama....

smdh

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