Tag: romance

Zombie: Ugh! Do we really even need to talk about these last three episodes? I spent so much time sobbing, I can barely contain my tears and it’s been how long since this last episode aired!?! I swear, this drama ruined me! RUINED ME, I TELL YOU! (In a good way, of course. hehe)

Raine: I’m still feeling the feels and it’s been a few weeks since it ended. Good thing dramas never break up with us so we can keep stepping back into their warm, loving embraces if we need the attention. Or listen to the OST. I’m singing along right now and feeling the feels all over again!

Zombie: Ugh! The OST! I’m getting chills just thinking about it! It seems so fitting that a drama that made you feel so much is accompanied by an OST that makes you feel just as much, if not more. The emotions the tracks of this OST invoke are so intense! Whomever was responsible for this compilation needs an award and a hug and possibly some cookies.

Raine: I seriously agree. All of the music was beautiful. It was a varied collection with great talent. I listen to it daily. Especially “Round and Round.” It brings back what is so magical about “Goblin.” I know a lot of people knocked it, but the whole drama really spoke to me, despite the fact that Writer Park was at the helm. I didn’t even have a problem with the ending!

Zombie: As shocked as I am to say it, I don’t have a problem with the ending either. Sure, it ripped my heart out, shredded it into a gazillion tiny pieces and ultimately left me with a Goblin-sized hole in my chest but I knew that was going to be the way this drama went from the very first episode. I wasn’t surprised by how painful this ending was, nor was I disappointed in it. In fact, I was rather satisfied with the way things ended. Sure, it took who knows how many years for everyone to find each other again but they did. Eventually. I guess when you’re immortal, it doesn’t really matter how long eventually is,so long as eventually becomes the present, eventually.

Raine: So here’s my take on the whole shebang. They have always tempted, tried, and surmounted fate. She wasn’t supposed to live. He made her live. Many times. He was supposed to die and stay dead. He chose to come back. They have always taken control of their destinies despite Samshin Granny or God/Sungjae/Duk Hwa. Even if Eun Tak dies and comes back four times and runs out of lives. Even if Goblin is fated to live forever, when her fourth life comes around, they’ll tackle that problem, too. It’s always been their fate to fight for love. It makes it poignant and powerful. I’m cool with that. Of course my take, but it’s real for me!

Zombie: Like I said, I never had a problem with this ending. Everyone found their own version of happily ever after and that’s all I needed. Like you said, this entire drama is about taking control of your life, rather than leaving everything up to fate. That alone is enough to make me happy because in my real life, that’s how I live. Or try to anyway. The truth is, in both dramas and life, you can take control of your destiny but even then, things might not work out the way you want them to. You have to be able to adapt, when life throws you its inevitable curveballs, and be willing to make the best of things, no matter what.

Raine: So true. Take Eun Tak, she gets married to the perfect Goblin and then chooses to sacrifice herself causes big ol’ crocodile Goblin tears, but it was shocking, poignant, and some great storytelling. Allows her character to step up. As a younger woman she wasn’t quite mature and seeing her take control, even in death, was very satisfying. (Although…I can’t take watching Gong Yoo cry and mourn….GAH!)

Zombie: She really did grow up well and I think her mom would have been very proud of her. I just wish we wouldn’t have had to endure those painful years in which she completely forgot Goblin ever existed. I know they were a crucial part of the story and all but OH MY GIDDY FLIPPING AUNT! My heart just couldn’t handle that! All of that time apart! All of those endless days wandering the wasteland between Heaven and Hell! Stuck in a meaningless existence for what had to have felt like ages, never knowing anything of Eun Tak or even of himself! Can you even imagine what that must have been like for the once mighty Goblin? I know he chose to be there, so that he could eventually get back to Eun Tak but GOOD GRIEF! I don’t think I stopped sobbing the entire time he wandered in that nightmare. It just made my heart hurt too much!

Raine: It was quite intense, and that is what this writer is good at. Her logic in writing isn’t always the most sound, but boy can she wrangle those emotions! And then put Gong Yoo in that role and watch me have red eyes for DAYS! But her bodily tethers to her memory triggers of him were brilliant: her tears when it rained; her unexpected sadness at seeing cherry blossoms. She suffered through indescribable sadness quite literally. She had no idea why she was hurting so a doc prescribed meds! Also, their second chance in her first life comes with a full return to the events of their first face-to-face meeting: when she blows out the candle on her birthday cake. A lot of the meetings in these last episodes were like that, repeats of the past, packed with so much more meaning. (Also, 9 years later, a significant number in Korean lore. Ages 9, 19, 29…all times of change and usually not good.)

Zombie: I think it’s the way all of these things were brought back together in the end that really made this whole drama so satisfying to watch. You weren’t left with any loose strings or odd rabbit trails that made no sense. Everything came full circle and because of that, you could walk away from this story feeling a peace. You knew that no matter what, Eun Tak and Goblin would always have each other, in one lifetime or another, and that was enough. Of course it was nice to know that Death and Sunny got one last chance to be happy (and more importantly, that they actually got to BE happy) but really, this story has always been about Goblin and his bride so their story is the one that brings the most satisfaction at the end.

Raine: Definitely. I love that coming together. It’s a bittersweet story and always has been. He chose his path. Is it sad? Sure? But it’s satisfying. I’m glad you mentioned Sunny and Death. I love that they got a life together untainted by the past. I’m sad Death doesn’t get his bromance with Goblin in his next life, but he gets to be happy with Sunny. It was so satisfying to see Death come back from purgatory and make up with Death. D’AW

A couple of nitpicky things though: what happened to Duk Hwa? Doesn’t Goblin keep having a butler? Was that who the old dude was at the end? Why didn’t Sunny keep in touch with Goblin even though she blocked out Death? Why did she do the same to Eun Tak?

Zombie: I know Sunny left because it was her way of punishing Death for what he’d done in his past life. Maybe she cut off all contact because she knew everyone would still be together and she didn’t want to risk the possibility of wanting to come back? Maybe if she knew how Death was doing, even if was via Goblin or Eun Tak, she’d be tempted to run back to him in this life and she didn’t want that to happen. It’s the only thing I can think of that might make a bit of sense. Why she chose to pretend she couldn’t remember anyone during those years when Goblin was gone, is beyond me. That’s the part that really confuses me.

As for Duk Hwa… I think he was kinda got forgotten in these last episodes. He’s going to eventually be the head of the company but he has to work his way up from the bottom. Literally. He’s well on his way when the story ends but does he ever make it? Does the secretary guy who was left in charge run the company until Duk Hwa finally gets to a place where he can shoulder the responsibility of running the company? I don’t know. I would assume Duk Hwa takes on the role of Goblin’s caretaker/manager/butler/whatever because that’s what role his family members have been holding since the creation of Goblin himself.

Raine: I assumed that as well, but Duk Hwa, while not a hugely prominent role, still managed to flesh out our adorable trio of awkward men and played host body for god and had some really great moments and comic relief or a vehicle for growth. He deserved better. Sungjae impressed me. He didn’t in Plus Nine Boys, but he sure did here.

Zombie: Yeah, I can’t say I was really happy with the way Duk Hwa was kinda pushed off to the side and forgotten. You’d think a guy who’d played host to God would have ended up with something better at the end but I guess not. It would have been nice to see him step into the role his grandfather once held but maybe that’s asking too much. I feel like we lucked out with the ending we got so maybe we should just be happy our OTP found a way to live happily ever after and let the rest go.

Raine: Yeah, kinda a failure there, but that won’t stop me from watching this drama 100000000000000x. It just had all the little things right. Eun Tak makes a friend and keeps her until adult hood. She achieves her childhood dream. Even how she dies is of her choice. Death and Sunny walk up the stairs to (heaven?) together at the end of Sunny’s life of ignoring him. All the souls that Death helps to guide provide expositional background for what is to come with our leads. All these really nice moments. I’m going to imagine my own ending for Duk Hwa. He grows up, finds a girl who he loves like Goblin loves Eun Tak and serves Goblin with a maturity found from his gramps and through living. And also leads his own fulfilling life.

Zombie: Sounds like a good ending to me! And you’re right, there were a lot of really nice moments in these final episodes, that really helped bring everything together well. I really couldn’t have asked for a much better ending. Yes, there were some minor issues and yes, it would have been nice for Duk Hwa to get a more satisfying ending, but all in all, so much was done well, I can easily overlook the rest.

Raine: I love that the “president” he imagined older Eun Tak greeting was him. Because he chose to keep his fine ass in purgatory until love magic brought them back together again. He made his own future and he was so cute and giddy when sitting in it. Gong Yoo really carried the show on his two very gorgeous shoulders. Lee Dong Wook was better than I’ve EVER seen him. His crowning achievement thus far. Kim Go Eun was adorable, but was able to show her chops really when Eun Tak was older. Yoo In nah was wonderful…as always.

Zombie: I can’t disagree with you. You’ve said everything I wanted to say so really, what’s left to say? I mean I suppose we could talk about Gong Yoo’s gorgeous shoulders some more but things might get a little… Uh… … Sorry, what was I saying again? My mind somehow started wandering elsewhere… Go figure!

Raine: Happens a lot. I’m used to it. Wait…probably ‘cause I’m doing it, too. In any case, despite flaws, the show rocked our socks. We loved talking about it and sharing those crazy talks with you all. Take the Goblin/Death bromance deep in your heart to get you through your rainy days and thank Gong Yoo for taking this awesome sauce role.

Zombie: *whispers, with tears in her eyes* thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you…

Raine: I think I need to put this drama on replay for Zombie. While I go do that, you all have an awesome time in Dramaland and re-living the joys and sorrows of Goblin. Let us know your favorite bits in the comments below. Thank you for joining us. Now I’m off to help Zombie with her Goblin addiction. (*cough*mine*cough*)

To hear more from Raine and myself, be sure to follow us on our blogs and/or social media:

Raine: Raine’s Dichotomy, Twitter, Instagram
Zombie Mamma: Zombie Mamma, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

or catch up on our previous Goblin chats here:

Episodes 1-2

Episodes 3-4

Episodes 5-6

Episodes 7-8

Episodes 9-10

Episodes 11-13

Raine: omigoshmyheart. The tears. And honestly, a little bit of incredulity.

Zombie: There was definitely a lot going on in these three episodes. Where do we even start??? Do we start at the heart-shattering end of the last episode and work our way back or work our way from the beginning and end with our hearts being torn out of our chests and our lives losing all meaning? Sorry, was that a bit too dramatic?

Raine: It wasn’t dramatic as those three episodes! You have a long way to go to beat Goblin in dramatics!

Zombie: Oh good grief! We’re like 2 seconds into this chat and already I’m fighting off tears! I just can’t deal with all that’s happened! In some ways it feels like it’s all passed too quickly and in other ways it feels like it dragged on forever. Episode 13 especially, felt like it was dragging but then WHAM! I wasn’t ready for that slap upside the head, even though I’ve known it was coming since the very first episode.

Raine: And it’s not just Gong Yoo and his stint as the most amazing fantastical being EVAR. Just look at Sunny’s arc over the past three episodes. She is this rather apathetic woman looking for love who learns about an entire lifetime and a family she never knew she had. She has her heart torn by a love that is just as tragic the second time around. I’ve always loved Yoo In Na, but holy moly she is stunning here.

Zombie: You know, I think if anyone other than Sunny were in this position, it wouldn’t work out nearly as well. Despite her apathetic appearance, she’s a very strong, intelligent woman and as such, she’s able to deal with having her whole other life laid out in front of her. There really aren’t many people in this world who could receive that sort of information, those memories, that heartbreak, and still be able to function as a normal human being. Of course she’s not the only one dealing with lost memories and broken hearts. Poor Death has had a lot happen to him over the course of these episodes. After 600 years or so of lost memories, he gets them all back in a single blow only to find that he’s not only the cause of Goblin’s pain but also responsible for the death of both his one true love and himself. That’s a lot to deal with!

Raine: I just love the dilemma that Death has morally. Lee Dong Wook manifests it so well and I’m shocked to see myself type that. I generally tend to be bored with LDW, but he has WON me here. He’s so convincing. He was a loving, but weak man who allowed evil and pain to crush and manipulate him into a shriveled, little human being. He is still loving and weak now as Death, but watching him strike out on his own path is magnificent. Pain never hurt so good.

Zombie: I have to say, my heart swelled with many, many emotions as Death decided to act on his own and show up on the rooftop, just when he was needed most. The fact that, after all these years, he’s finally found a way to break free from the grip of that awful Park Joong Heon, made me so happy. It certainly took him long enough to get there, but he did and ended up being a major player in the downfall of that terrible man. I really wish Fate would be nice enough to let Death be the one to drag that wretched being to hell but I guess that would be asking too much. Too bad Goblin isn’t around anymore to… Oh crap! *sobs*

Raine: WHY DID YOU MENTION THAT? But since you did…holy monkey balls that was such a powerful scene. It was a little long in run time (coulda cut down on the staring and crying), but it was so intense. I loved the CG work on the sword as it was pulled out. Loved Death intervening and the camera angles as Goblin struck down their mutual enemy and Eun Tak realizes she had an unwilling part in the death of her loved one. It was magical how Goblin decided to do it for her, Death, and to rid the world of gross, purple-lipped, cracking fingers Park Joong Heon the malicious ghost. Gosh, he’s hella gross.

Zombie: He was rather disgusting, wasn’t he? I actually really loved how creepy and nasty he was in death because it felt like a perfect representation of what he’d been like in life.

Raine: EXACTLY!

Zombie: It seemed fitting that such a black-hearted human should exist in death as a disgusting, rotting, horrendous soul. As great and terrible as he was in his ghostly form, I thought it was sad they didn’t use him as much as they could have. They did a fantastic job of making him look evil and vile but they kinda glossed over just how terrible of a ghost he was. There wasn’t really any sense of urgency built up around him, no clear reasons why he needed to be dealt with so quickly, other than he kept tormenting Eun Tak and threatening to murder people. I suppose he did have that one moment where he took out a group of random people but that felt so out of place and lame. I think if they’d used this horrible creature differently, it would have made Goblin’s death even more potent. Not that I actually needed any more incentive to bawl my eyes out… I just think if they’d made Joong Heon’s plan more clear, if they’d put some sort of effort into explaining Eun Tak’s magical Goblin mark, and delved into the connection between the two, we could have understood (and felt) Goblin’s desperation just a little bit more.

Raine: Yup. He was poorly introduced and utilized and even then he was a marvelous villain. I wanted him introduced earlier and his danger to feel real and present.

Zombie: That certainly would have added more punch to this final scene. Not that really want to feel like our hearts are being ripped apart, but in some cases, feelings as intense as that are fitting and maybe even necessary. I think that with a story as intensely emotional as this one, it would have been nice to feel the full weight of this last scene and not have such an emotional moment ruined by undeveloped characters and missed timing.

Raine: Yeah, I thought they took out Joong Heon the Ghost way to fast after his introduction. Like he was a flea. And he so wasn’t.

Zombie: No, he definitely had the potential to be way more than just another ugly face.

Raine: OMG was he UGLAY!

Zombie: I suppose in a cast this pretty, they needed to throw someone awful in there to balance things out.

Raine: So true. Oh, I just realized this after THIRTEEN episodes. The lady in red…is Samshin Halmoni. I should’ve known when different people saw her different ways and she was taking care of the kiddos. Did I learn nothing from My Girlfriend is a Gumiho?

Zombie: Hahaha! Don’t feel bad, I only just realized that myself. I guess I was too caught up in the pretty to pay much attention to anything else.

Raine: Cons to being a white chick watching Korean drama. I didn’t grow up with her as part of my history. But I really love how she’s included here. Two things to talk about. 1) How she SCHOOLED that horrible teacher who made school life horrible for Eun Tak. 2) her conversation with Duk Hwa when he was possessed by God. Did Sungjae NOT do such a fabulous job with that scene?

Zombie: He really did. I have to say, I really loved the way that little twist was worked into the plot. It was such a great way to tie all of these little bits and piece together while at the same time, giving us so much insight into what’s been going on this whole time. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. As for that awful teacher being put in her place by Samshin Halmoni… That was nothing short of perfect. That horrible woman deserved everything she got and then some!

Raine: Definitely. Take that horrible teacher lady! Speaking of horrible, the chairman’s death broke my heart for so many reasons. He was a great side character. He was important to Goblin and it showed how much Goblin has cared for all of the men like the chairman who have passed through his life. The chairman and Duk Hwa were just precious. And Duk Hwa’s reaction to that death…oh more tears…

Zombie: Oh my gosh! I actually bawled harder over the Chairman’s death than I did Goblin’s! Seriously, when Duk Hwa stepped out of the room and started polishing the silver, I straight up ugly sobbed. It was awful! I ended up buried under a pile of used tissues because I just couldn’t keep myself together.

Raine: When you cry over the rocked community over a SIDE character’s death…that’s good writing.

Zombie: Yes. It. Is. Again, I just wish I’d felt that level of heartbreak when Goblin died. I suppose there’s a good chance I just over-prepared myself for that moment and that’s why it didn’t hit me quite like I thought it would. After all, I’ve known that moment was coming from the very beginning of this story. I guess having 13 episodes to prepare could have caused me to callous my heart too much. Then again, I also didn’t shed that many tears over Death’s story and his big reveal so maybe my heart’s just broken or something. I mean if Death can cry for an episode and a half straight, shouldn’t I feel something as well? Or maybe I just let him do all the crying for me… Or perhaps I was just so mesmerized by how pretty Lee Dong Wook is when he cries, I forgot to cry myself… It’s hard to say.

Raine: Yeah, I was crushed by Goblin’s death, yet at the same time wanted more out of it? I’m left hanging as to what the last 3 episodes will hold now. He comes back to life and “kills” the anticipation of his death. We see how the three main leads remaining live? We see how his vision of older Eun Tak plays out?

Zombie: I actually have a theory about this… My guess is that since they made such a big deal about a human’s determination and their ability to change their fate simply by sheer will, (like the man who burst into Death’s tea house because he desperately needed a bathroom) this will somehow play into Goblin’s return as a human. Yes, he as a supernatural being, had to die. It was his destiny, but that doesn’t mean that he, as Kim Shin, the human, has to subject himself to that fate. His human ability to challenge and change fate could mean that he finds a way, within himself, to escape death. What this would actually entail is still kind of a mystery but I really feel like they wouldn’t have mentioned all of this about human will and changing fate, if it weren’t going to come into play in some major way before the story ends. After all, we still have 3 more episodes before this thing ends and there’s no way in heck they’re going to go that long without our beloved Goblin making some sort of a dramatic return.

Raine: I think we did chat about this before. That guy who had to pee really made an impression on me. K-drama and its bathroom humor…I do hope that the shattered romance does come back together. The way they look at each other like lost lovers is just…*sobs*

Zombie: I have a feeling we’re going to be sobbing a whole lot more before the end. I just hope that when this drama finally wraps up, we’ll be sobbing tears of joy rather than tears of heartache and/or regret.

Raine: I know I keep saying it, but it’s really the 11th hour when this writer craps out. Actually, not just her, but many, many writers who have run the gauntlet of doing any sort of live shooting. So far my biggest complaint is that the show is indulgent in the wide-eyes, tears, and holding focus on faces for far too long. The show could be an hour per episode and be just as impactful.

Zombie: I can’t argue with you there. However, even with all its faults, this drama is still one of the best I’ve watched in a long time. As long as it manages to keep itself together as it wraps up, I’ll be happy. Though a couple more, passionate Gong Yoo kisses would be nice. Oy! Can that man kiss! *swoon*

Raine: I’m glad you brought that up. He just…swooped in out of nowhere. That kiss was just so damn sexy my ovaries exploded. If she wasn’t an adult before, she sure is now. That was like XXX kissing. WOW. Which prompted me to do research on kisses which taught me that some cultures don’t kiss at all. HOW WEIRD!

Zombie: Not gonna lie, all my brain can process now is “research,” “kisses,” and “Gong Yoo.” For some reason, Coffee Prince, immediately comes to mind… And pretty much every other Gong Yoo drama in existence. Ugh! This man can kiss!

Raine: Yeah, he is kissing master. I guess we’ll have to get him to teach us…maybe when he comes back from the…wherever Goblins go…he’ll have lots of pent up kisses to get off his chest, er, lips.

Zombie: I’m not sure whether to fall over laughing or fall over from swooning… Maybe both?

Raine: Did you start singing “He’s gone where the goblins go, beloooooow!”

Zombie: *falls over dead*

Raine: Let’s watch that kiss again.

To hear more from Raine and myself, be sure to follow us on our blogs and/or social media:

Raine: Raine’s Dichotomy, Twitter, Instagram
Zombie Mamma: Zombie Mamma, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

or catch up on our previous Goblin chats here:

Episodes 1-2

Episodes 3-4

Episodes 5-6

Episodes 7-8

Episodes 9-10

Raine: So much happened this week. Reveals we expected, but that were done so cleverly. There was a little bit of cinemagraphic indulgence I could’ve done without, but, man oh man, does this show punch you in the gut.

Zombie: I was too busy trying to keep up with everything that was going on to care about any cinemagraphic indulgence. I spent these last two episodes going, “I knew it… I Knew It… I KNEW IT!” Man, I love that feeling! *snickers*

Raine: When I watched, I totally thought, “Zombie was right!” It was so satisfying to see it on screen though and watch how the young king was manipulated and fell for it despite his love for Goblin’s sister. I loved the slow realizations in the present that Death had and how he investigated with Goblin.

Zombie: Death certainly had a lot to deal with and I rather enjoyed his method of investigation. He did everything so carefully, or at least tried to. But in the end, everything kinda came out all at once. I do kinda have to wonder just how much the young king loved his queen, if he was willing to let the venomous words of his advisor convince him that killing her and Shin was for the best. I would like to think that true love would give him the strength to stand up to such evil but maybe that’s just my secret desire to believe in fairy tales talking.

Raine: I’m seeing serious victim mentality in a young man who was raised by a viper. We never do get to see the aftermath of the king’s decision. Perhaps that is in next episode, the reaction to losing his young wife and Shin. But the fear of losing power had been instilled in him by that horrid advisor since he was a tot. That’s nothing to laugh at. I do think that kid made the wrong decision and there are many others who would have chosen differently. And it does smash my dream of their true love. Their love has transcended centuries so…take 2? Make up for it? Something? I want to see more of him after that decision.

Zombie: I’m sure we’ll get a whole lot more moreness in the next two episodes and we’ll have even more to talk about. But first, can we say something about that cuss word-inducing kiss? Or was it just me that went… You know what, I probably shouldn’t recount that exact moment, for the sake of any innocents out there. Let’s just say I rather enjoyed Goblin’s first real kiss.

Raine: OMG that was so precious, especially with him freezing time around them and she’s like “Goblin, that stuff dun work on me. Get kissin’!” and she just revels in it and kisses him again. It’s so natural and beautiful and guh!

Zombie: I’m sighing all over again, just thinking about it. It was such a perfect kiss! *siiigggghhhh* Oh! While we’re talking about favorite moments, I have to say, that whole walking through the tunnel with the leeks scene was absolutely brilliant! I laughed so hard I cried!

Raine: I couldn’t stop laughing and re-watched. You parodied yourself, show? BRILLIANT. So cool, that beautiful opening song, hot men, shadows…and the outline of groceries. Then…interrupted in the most awkward manner! They they laugh like old men and wish everyone Happy New Year? I just can’t…omg!

Zombie: I died! I love the way this show can throw in some of the most hilarious moments ever written and then just keep going like it was nothing. I laughed almost as hard during this scene as I did during the Goblin and the “Train to Busan” scene and the scene with the old chairman and the BTS references.

Raine: BTS and EXO! Besides “Train to Busan,” there was that Gong Yoo reference during the shaman reading with Sunny! A show that can make fun of itself is good! And also one that can tie in happenings from early on. The ring Sunny wears. The necklace Eun Tak wears in Gong Yoo’s vision of her. The ghost that guarded Eun Tak’s insurance money. Just beautifully done stuff and not only logical, but emotionally powerful.

Zombie: It’s the way everything is tied together that makes this drama so enjoyable to watch. Everything is written into the story for a reason. Even the most minor characters and most seemingly insignificant moments all tie in somewhere and usually they end up being a much more important thing that we could have ever imagined. It’s been so much fun, watching all of these pieces come together. I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched a drama that fit so well together.

Raine: It’s been a long time. 2016 was bereft of good material. Goblin, you saved it! One part had me confused. When she called him by blowing out that match he didn’t come. Does the match drag him there? I mean he was waiting for her anyway, but shouldn’t he have gotten onto the ski gondola?

Zombie: Maybe he has a choice of where he wants to land (for lack of a better word) when she summons him? It could be that he’s simply appeared next to her because he’s wanted to and not necessarily because he had to? That wouldn’t really explain his first appearance but maybe he’s found a way to bend the rules, now that it’s been confirmed that she’s really his bride? I really don’t know. All I know is that I want a Goblin of my own to wait for me at the top of a mountain and wrap me up in his arms like that. Again, I’m sighing like the hopeless romantic I am. *sigh*

Raine: He really is quite the immortal charmer. Like when he melts when she calls him “Uri ajeossi/my ajeossi?” So, so cute!

Zombie: Oh! My heart went all kinds of warm and squishy at that moment. He was so darn adorable! He feels the same way about hearing himself called “uri ajeossi” as I do about being called “unni/noona.” It’s one of those things that just makes you happy.

Raine: It’s watching this wise man who has lived many, many years go through such a youthful experience that makes it magical. It’s an unusual circumstance. I love television and stories for this reason. The imagination can make up these beautiful, very human, situations.

Zombie: It doesn’t hurt to have a cast that’s pretty magical in and of themselves. It’s a very special actor who can take such a fantastical character and turn it into one you can easily relate to. To have an entire cast with that ability is pretty darn awesome.

Raine: It’s essentially a human story set out on a grand scale. You have a man in love who uses the weather and beating death to call out to his woman who has run away, or who saves her from death chasing after her, or who decides to overcome the odds of their fate because of (insert humor) a human who found a magical place cause he had to pee. Or who feels a strange connection to a woman (Sunny), and playfully bickers with her before he realizes that she is the incarnation of his sister.

Zombie: I think the fact that these immortal beings were once human, has a lot to do with our ability to relate to them. Even after hundreds of years living as immortals, there’s still quite a bit of them that’s human. They feel the same things we feel, they suffer as we suffer, even if sometimes what they’re experiencing is on a much grander scale, the fact that there’s still something about them that we can relate to makes it easy for us to love them. It somehow makes life better, knowing that these seemingly perfect immortals still struggle in their daily life.

Raine: And that they take those struggles to each other and to their makeshift family. Eun Tak did mention in the beginning that she felt like she’d lost a “home” or that Goblin’s crib wasn’t really her home. But then she returns, and it really is. Goblin and Death watch her goof off with Duk Hwa. They take selfies together. They cook together. They talk about girls (and their very complicated incarnation pasts) together. They celebrate Eun Tak’s step into adulthood and her getting into school. It’s so…normal…but so very not.

Zombie: But all of that works because really, what is normal? They’ve created their own version of “normal” just like we do in real life. My “normal” may not be full of immortal beings but it’s just as mixed up and crazy as anyone else’s. And that’s why we love these characters. Because they’re able to create a beautiful life together despite living in a world full of messed up crazy. The question is, will this beautiful life they’ve created really last or is it just a fleeting moment of happy that will eventually end in us bawling our eyes out? You know what? Don’t answer that. I just wanna live in my delusional world of happy for a little bit longer.

Raine: We still have some time yet before those final drama moments! For now we get to watch Death be super awkward with Sunny, mess up with Sunny, remember his past with Sunny, and buddy up with Goblin to talk about Sunny. And then we get to watch Goblin go on dates, visit Eun Tak in beautiful places (have you noticed how this show picks GORGEOUS natural scenery?), and save her from the lady in red’s words of doom.

Zombie: We’ve certainly got a lot to digest at the moment and I have a feeling we have a whole lot more to get through before the end. I’m having a really hard time believing we only have a couple of weeks left! And yes, the natural scenery used in this drama is absolutely breathtaking. Much like Gong Yoo… *swoon*

Raine: Why isn’t it 20 episodes? I’m so so sad. But I do suppose Goblin and Death literally took out a death warrant on Eun Tak to find her so the clock’s a-tickin’…details…

Zombie: I’m pretty sure the clock’s a-tickin’ for everyone. After all, Goblin can’t live with that sword in his chest forever and Eun Tak can’t live if Goblin hangs around. I have a feeling Death’s gonna have problems if he gets any of his memories back and surely Sunny won’t escape this story unscathed. Everyone’s fate is tied together, in one way or another, which means no one is going to get by without suffering in one way or another. It’s only a matter of time before things start to fall apart.

Raine: We’re gonna need a drink when this this is over…

To hear more from Raine and myself, be sure to follow us on our blogs and/or social media:

Raine: Raine’s Dichotomy, Twitter, Instagram
Zombie Mamma: Zombie Mamma, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

or catch up on our previous Goblin chats here:

Episodes 1-2

Episodes 3-4

Episodes 5-6

Episodes 7-8

Raine: Where in the world do we start after those PACKED episodes? There is so much to talk about I feel like I could write a novel. Consequences of curses and love, the past becoming clearer, even more delicious bromance. Plus this is shot so beautifully…my poor heart is going to burst.

Zombie: I really don’t have a clue where to start. There’s just so much to talk about! I guess maybe we should start with the sword and the fact that Eun Tak really is going to end up being the death of Kim Shin. Or maybe we should never bring that up again because I don’t even want to think about a world without our beloved Goblin in it… Ugh! Just no. We talked last week about how weird it was that Eun Tak couldn’t draw the sword out of Shin’s chest and our theory was the two of them would have to actually be in love if that sword was ever going to budge. It would seem we were right. Sadly, we were also right about this whole sword drawing process hurting like heck.

Raine: Yeah, he laughed and winced in pain and I was like, “Dangit. We were right.” The whole mythology looping around on itself, working a bit like Angel and Buffy, it’s so awesome, but incredibly sad.

Zombie: Oh, you just had to go and bring up Angel, didn’t you!?! It’s been how many years since both of those series ended and my heart still hasn’t healed! I’m afraid this darn drama is gonna traumatize me just as badly. My heart aches for Shin and breaks when I think of what it’s going to do to Eun Tak when she has to draw that sword. Crap! I’m starting to cry!

Raine: :’( Me too! It’s just such a poignant story and we’re attached enough that this reveal (of course we sorta guessed it would happen) is really a big punch in the gut. And the same is true of Death and Sunny. I had an inkling that they had past incarnations and that they were the king and queen, but the revelation hurt.

Zombie: By the end of episode 7 I knew Death was the ancient King and Sunny was the girl in Shin’s portrait. I just had no idea she was his little sister until he said it in episode 8. I’d just assumed that she was his first love but now that I know she’s his sister, I see his relationship with Eun Tak in a whole new light. He really has spent almost 1000 years completely alone and unloved and that just makes this whole story of his that much more heartbreaking. He’s experiencing love for the first and last time in his life and that just kills me!

Raine: Which makes that last scene in episode 8 all the more powerful. He just found it, and he has to lose it. We know the true meaning of the punishment he was given 900 years ago. And about his sister. I guessed they were related ‘cause it’s always relations when men and women are close or a guard/queen type relationship. But I’m super curious about why Death’s past incarnation was such a jerk! And what he did specifically to make god angry. Unless it’s hurting Goblin.

Zombie: I actually have a theory on that. My guess is that as a human, Shin was somehow related to the King. Not directly, but close enough that as he gained power as both the queen’s brother and a highly decorated general, the King felt a real threat from him. Even if Shin never had plans to usurp the King, the fact that he was so recognized and loved by the people put him in a place where he could have made a legitimate play for the throne, if he’d wanted. The fact that the King sent Shin out to guard the borders makes me think he sent him out there to die and the fact that Shin didn’t die means he was a really darn good general. Winning favor with people who would have otherwise been left to die means he had strong connections with people who could put him in a place of power, should he want it.

Raine: Good thinking. Mix a little faction politics in there, perhaps Shin and his sister were of an opposing faction, and it’d match with a lot of historical happenings, especially in Goryeo when things are still being hammered out in the government.. But at least we do know that his coming back was against the king’s orders, which is why he was killed.

Zombie: I think the big sin of the King, which condemned him to the immortal life of a Grim Reaper, was his blind jealousy and the ensuing command to kill not just Shin, but everyone related to him, including the queen. Killing innocents to protect your throne seems like a crime worthy of severe punishment to me.

Raine: It does. Especially after showing us how profound Shin and Sun’s connection is in the present. I’m so curious about their story, which means good writing. I’m gonna say it again, I’m baffled by this writing!

Zombie: I’m at the point where I’m no longer going to question the writing, I’m just going to accept this little miracle as something wonderful and be happy that I get to enjoy it while it lasts.

Raine: And it’s lasting. Wonderfully. A beautiful reveal on the woman in red/grandma as god who personally takes care of her creations.

Zombie: That scene was so beautifully perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better way for my questions about the woman in red to be answered. It was so dramatic and heart-wrenching and wonderful and awful, all at the same time. It was perfect.

Raine: Yes, and precedence about her potential identity had been set. She changes appearances. She heals. She is there at the right time always. Just really great writing. Like how all the souls that Death take away have meaning and purpose.

Zombie: Oh… Sorry, I’m a bit overwhelmed by emotion at the moment. Just thinking about Death and what it must be like for him, escorting so many souls into the afterlife. The scene with the mother and daughter broke my heart. I just don’t know how Death handles dealing with moments like that over and over again. The way he reacted in that moment made his statement at the bus stop so much more poignant. It killed me!

Raine: Yes! And now he appreciates death and its effects. He took life so frivolously while he lived as a selfish young king that now he has to witness death every day and retain his human feelings. It’s actually quite a similar punishment to Goblin’s.

Zombie: Well, the two did have very strong ties in life, so it makes sense they would suffer similar fates as immortal beings. Especially when you consider how strongly everything in this story is tied together. There’s no way these two could just be randomly thrown together immortal roommates. They were as destined to be together as immortals as Eun Tak was destined to become the goblin’s bride. Fate and excellent scriptwriting demanded that these characters form and shape each other, both in life and beyond.

Raine: Which leads us to god-planned BROMANCE. It always tops itself. Whether they’re fighting or talking about girls or making faces at each other. It makes me think that they weren’t always hostile back in the Goryeo days because they can get along.

Zombie: When you think about it, that definitely makes sense. I mean they were brothers in law, once upon a time. Surely not every in-law in the world is as… You know what? I’m just gonna shut-up now.

Raine: Haha…I saw where you were going there. And you’re right. But right know, these two are nothing if not ridiculously cute and handsome. Okay, now for something completely different. Can I complain about two things that drove me bonkers?

Zombie: Of course you can!

Raine: *deep breath* Subway will be the death of me. There is so much PPL it’s obscene. No one goes on a nice date to Subway, or buys a sandwich there twice in one day. It needs to STOP! That was the first thing. The second…that slow motion run. I couldn’t stop laughing. The show has thus far avoided such tropes, or made something of them, like the cute head patting thing. She had to show him how to do it. But the run…smh.

Zombie: Oh gosh! The run! I nearly fell off the couch laughing when they went into that slo-mo run! All I could think to myself was WHAT THE HECK!?! As for the excessive Subway ads… I just can’t. It makes me sick to think that they may have written the whole giving that boy a sandwich into the script, just so they could product place Subway in the present.

Raine: It ruins things. I would much rather have a 2 minute subway commercial than that. Or so I say. Those two things totally broke me out of Goblin world and it wasn’t appreciated. I know that’s how they fund the beauty of Goblin, but *sob*.

Zombie: I wish I could find a way to ignore the blatant commercials but it’s so darn hard, especially when they’re shoved in your face. It’s unfortunate that something as silly as a sandwich commercial can ruin the flow of an otherwise perfectly wonderful drama.

Raine: And it is a wonderful drama. Which we can go back to talking about. Like when Shin freaks out at the movie theater while watching Gong Yoo’s most recent zombie flick “Train to Busan?”

Zombie: Can’t… Type… Laughing… Too… Much…

Oh gracious! If ever there was a more perfect moment written into a drama, I’m not sure what it would be. I DIED during that scene! Absolutely died! Mostly because that’s pretty much the way I am when I watch zombie movies. Yes, it’s sad but true. The Zombie is terrified of zombies.

Raine: I’m enjoying the irony inherent in that statement. And the major meta moment. And the adorable shrieking of Gong Yoo or him getting jealous of that young ball player and pettily dumping a piano in the middle of his living room! The music when Shin gets jealous is like epic war music, sweeping strings and full brass. It’s ridiculous and funny.

Zombie: It’s absolute perfection, that’s what it is. Jealous Goblin is the most hilarious thing ever. He’s so petty and cheeky and everything a goblin is supposed to be. They’re inherently mischievous beings so of course he’s going to be a brat when he gets jealous. And my favorite part of that whole zombie movie scene was afterwards, when Shin tells Eun Tak that the future of Korean film certainly seems bright. I laughed so hard I almost cried.

Raine: Good job with the meta, Goblin. Very good job! We haven’t talked much about Eun Tak and I just want to say, how much did you love when she cried over cake? They gave her a birthday and she felt like she had family and it was so sweet. It makes her eventual separation with Goblin even more poignant. Evil, delicious anticipation!

Zombie: That whole scene with the cake made me cry. It was so sweet of the boys, treating her like that, with cake and presents and everything. They make such a perfectly imperfect family and I love seeing them all come together like that. Poor Eun Tak hasn’t ever had a real family so having one now is literally her biggest wish come true. Now if only Shin could own up to his feelings for this girl, she’d be able to cross another wish off her bucket list.

Raine: At least she’ll have the happiness to bolster her and he’ll have experience it before the thing we’re not gonna talk about. Because right now we get to see him be petty and tease her, see the trio of boys be silly, watch Duk Hwa grow up inch by inch, witness Death falling in love again. It’s all so wonderful.

Zombie: You know, I really love watching Duk Hwa grow into his role as Goblin’s right-hand man. He started out as such a pointless brat but he’s really starting to understand what it means to be at Shin’s side and he’s taking on that responsibility pretty well. It makes me think he may actually turn into a valuable member of society someday.

Raine: I don’t think that he could really do otherwise with the bloodline he comes from, but I’m glad we’re here to see him go from credit-card hungry kid to a man who can clean up Goblin’s public messes.

Zombie: Like everyone else in this story, his lessons have to be learned over time. The good thing is, he’s learning those lessons and growing into a better person as a result. You really can’t ask for anything better than that!

Raine: Definitely. Everything feels so organic (except Subway…) Including that romance between Death and Sunny. I just can’t get over by how annoyed she gets at him and ends up smiling, and how much he cares for her, but can’t seem to properly show her. I do wish they at least get a happy ending cause…*sniff*

Zombie: I’m not ready to think about endings yet. I’m just going to be content with all of the wonderful, beautiful, painful, hilarious, heart-warming, gut-wrenching, perfect moments that lead us up to that most dreaded of moments.

Raine: It’s gonna hurt so good. And I can’t wait. No…I can’t…Wait….I can’t…I dunno!

Zombie: Oh just give me more Gong Yoo and let the swords fall where they may!

Raine: I can deal with that. Here you go:

 

To hear more from Raine and myself, be sure to follow us on our blogs and/or social media:

Raine: Raine’s Dichotomy, Twitter, Instagram
Zombie Mamma: Zombie Mamma, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

or catch up on our previous Goblin chats here:

Episodes 1-2

Episodes 3-4

Episodes 5-6