The thread is now open for Ep 6 rewatch.
Usual time: 13:00 UTC
08:00 am EST
05:00 am PST
09:00 pm Singapore, Philippines
08:00 pm Indonesia
03:00 pm Greece
@Growing_Beautifully, @Cleopatra, @Welmaris, @Janey, @nrllee, @Fern, @Kuroshio, @FGB4877 and @Carolina will be online to go over the episode. I hope @silentangelfish can join you this week.
Enjoy the rewatch!
Thank you, @packmule3. I have to catch up tonight.
See you tomorrow @Fern!, many thanks @PM3! 😉 . Here in Caracas we have Eastern Time but without the 1 hour less, so if you have 8 AM EST here it is 9 AM CCS.
Thanks @pkml3. How very early, but it’s so nice to start chatting here already.
Hi @Fern, I do hope you can join us. Ep 6 will have a most interesting end scene.
@FGB, I look forward to reading your thoughts.
10.5 hours to go!!!
Kalimera! Thank you @Packmule3!
I will be with you laters…! 😀
Hi @Cleo! I see that you’ve just been online. I read your comment on Red Sleeve. See you in less than 3.5 hours time!
Kalimera @Cleo and @GB, how do you do?. Water didn’t come on schedule and I have to buy some eggs in the improvised market so it is possible for me to start later. Will let my stream to charge anyways 😀 .
Hi @FGB I was just thinking of you and wondering if you’d started on your breakfast. I also wondered if @Cleo had finished her lunch.
I’m getting ready with a tall drink and maybe some fruits.
It just stopped raining here after over an hour of rather heavy rain. I should open the windows to get more air. 🙂
I’m awake. It’s just after 4:30am here. I was only able to sleep lightly, knowing my alarm was going to ring early.
I’ll be back after getting some tea and a quick bite to eat.
@FGB4877 I hope you were able to secure your water and eggs. I enjoy your commentary and always look forward to reading it, so miss it when you’re not able to join us.
Kalimera @FGB, @GB Unnie and @Welmaris! I am here too!
@FGB I am fine. I had my lunch as @Gb Unnie said. I just put some ice on my elbow because I did some house chores and I also typed a lot today.
I do hope you will will cook eventually and you will join us when you can!
@GB Unnie the weather here is cloudy. It rained yesterday a lot for a while. I have my water with me.
@Welmaris, I had my tea in the morning as well. I am enjoying it a lot these days.
Hi @Cleo! I’ve got a couple of tamarinds to eat here. It’ll be a bit tricky to eat and type, since I’ve to peel them and there are quite a lot of pips in them. But they are nice and sweet.
@GB @Cle @welmaris @FGB I’m here,too!
@GB, please send some of your rain here to Southern California. We’re still in drought, with annual rainfall far below average. The past few days we’ve had strong winds blowing in from the desert, and when I got to my cabin last night the interior humidity was at 21%. I’ve been running humidifiers since last night, and it’s only risen to 27%.
Two minutes to go!
Hi @Kuroshio!!
LOL @Welmaris, I’ll turn my thoughts, prayers and fans in the direction of the USA and hope some of our clouds blow your way! I’ve got some 8 huge containers of water collected from the rain off my roof!
Let’s start now!!!
By the way, I have a friend with me tonight.She will rewatch Goblin with us. Yes, of couse she like Kdrama and have seen Goblin before.
Hey @Kuroshio!
@GB Unnie, I know what you mean! It would be challenging!
Let’s start!
@Welmaris,
I will pray for that myself…
Hello, @Kuroshio! Hello, @Cleopatra! @Fern are you here?
And here we go…
Yes, in this opening scene, I can see that Goblin’s eyes follow the waiter, so it is his future moments with ET that he sees…at least at first. I’m convinced that while he’s seated at the table across from ET, Goblin does directly see her 29-year-old self.
We get to see the vision again. Little did Kim Shim know…
Here we are back in Quebec! It’s finally through the eyes of the waiter that KS gets to see a bit of ET’s future, as a 29 year old.
Hah! Jealous goblin but oh so sad to not be by her side. The transformation of ET from teen to adult is so good!
It’s sweet the KS thinks of how her life is perfect without him and immediately decides that he must disappear so that she’ll be happy in the future. This, is love.
Sunny gets her double date.
Eun Tak is worried after their Quebec trip.
ET is wondering why KS’s mood changed. He won’t answer her knock at first but he goes out to speak with her.
LOL that conversation flowed through a whole gamut of emotions, and to an unexpected end.
Eun Tak is pretty smart and Kim Shim is speechlech…
Correction: speechless
@Cleo, Thank goodness she’s so smart and able to hold her own against a 939 year old goblin LOL.
Her research was important because of what he’d told her and his reactions.
ET : “I searched your name online. There were pretty much no records regarding your life. As if someone had deliberately gotten rid of them all. You said before that I’d come to hate you if I discovered something particular about you. And that ‘something’ you were referring to was your blade. And I’ve already discovered that. I don’t hate you, but seeing as how you said that I’d come to hate you that means that there’s something else I’ve yet to discover. That’s what I’m looking into. you said that the person you’d least expected stabbed you with that blade, right?”
ET : “Ahjusshi, did you do something bad, by any chance? Is that why all the records about you have been erased? If that blade is a punishment for your crime. I feel a bit conflicted about pulling out your blade for you. Were you conspiring against the king or something like that?”
8:50
We see KS’s flashback to being cut down by the king’s men and the king staring at him intently and we cut to Reaper and Sunny but he just drinks his coffee and she is staring at him. This, I guess, is the Director’s edit to imply that Reaper (or Sunny?) is the King.
We cut back to KS standing with ET.
KS : “Yeah, that’s right. Everyone was more busy trying to survive than anything else. Thus there were many things that were not recorded to history. I did my best to live an honourable life, but I did not die an honourable death. There was nothing I would have fixed by approaching the king. However I approached him, regardless. And with every step I took innocent people lost their lives. I was not able to receive forgiveness for my sin and I’m living the punishment for that sin now. This blade is that punishment.”
ET has teared up.
KS : “But even if it is my punishment, isn’t 900 years of being punished enough, don’t you think?”
ET : “No. There’s no way that this is a punishment. There’s no way that God gave you such powers to punish you. If you had really been a bad person,… if you had really been a bad person, he would only have created a goblin and not the Goblin’s Bride. There’s no way he would have allowed you to meet the Goblin’s Bride and have the blade pulled out.”
ET is in tears.
Tears flow from KS’s eyes too. She wipes off his tears with the back of her hand. We think she’s all for helping KS now…
And then surprise, surprise LOL.
What a scene! I am rewatching what Eun Tak told Kim Shim about his punishment. So deep and sincere…
LOL Here are the subs that make more sense to me…
[Other subs:
KS : “Wait. Can you be consistent?”
ET : “I’m crying because I’m sad, but how could you ask for that for free? You’re not trying hard enough to become prettier.”
KS : “What?”
ET : “You heard me. I know because I’ve been pitiful, and when you are pitiful, you need to offer something substantive instead of demand pity.”]
Then the cuckoo clock comes in at just the right time.
And they argue.
And the mood changes from angsty to comedy LOLOL.
Hi Kuroshio and Friend!
I love the expressions on Sunny’s and Reaper’s face here. And how Deok Hwa is so smooth until Reaper has to get rid of him to get some of Sunny’s attention. Heh!
@GB Unnie,
I am enjoying their encounters so much. They can cry at one moment and laugh the other or argue…LMAO!
TO sad that the Reaper doesn’t have memory , a name, a phone and a name card, and a carrier.
In these version of subs, Sunny calls DH a god … god of her building. So the script dropped clues already but my old subs didn’t give me the same words… it was ‘lord’ instead of ‘god’ before.
Sunny is so entertained looking at his phone and how he names her. He’s so dead serious about the goblin he knows.
Hah, here we have the bromance in full force, goblin and reaper being miserable together.
KS is medicating himself after that fiasco meeting with ET. Reaper comes in with a beer and sits beside him.
GR : “Does human medicine even work for you?”
KS : “My only choices were medicine or alcohol. And you? Did you enjoy your time with her?”
By way of answer Reaper indicates the bottle in his hand : “I went with alcohol.”
KS regrets speaking out of turn to ET
GR : “It seems only your body matured.” LOL… his brain is still a teenager brain.
KS tells GR that ET had cried and said she pitied him, so he’d got his hopes up that she’d make him pretty, but she had refused to draw out the sword. He admits that he had cried too, but Reaper is full of disapproval.
GR : “You cried? In front of ET?”
KS : “Just a teensy bit.”
Reaper is probably quoting what he’s seen in soap operas : “Women like men who are grumpy and don’t look them in the eye and are indifferent to them! So how could you cry in front of her? Oh, ew!”
KS : “What about you? Didn’t you cry as soon as you first met her?”
Reaper turns away in acknowledgement and disgust with self.
GR : “You should hurry up and make a decision. Why are you flip-flopping so much? It’s not like you’re Hamlet. Sheesh!”
KS : “That Shakespeare. He ended up creating a masterpiece out of my question, “To be or not ot be?” Reaper does a spittake. LOL.
Love KS’s reaction to Reaper’s offer to hug it out Heheheheh! They really hammed it up. The BTS didn’t show this part but they must have laughed a lot.
@GB Unnie,
They are so good together. Hanza and Kim Shin. That hug scene was amazing! LMAO!
We see that the rest of the ghosts who hang around now ask for favours because ET had helped the student ghost. Poor ET.
Now ET is trying to suck up to KS to get the lottery numbers for the ghost. Poor ET can’t buy the lottery for herself. So frustrating!
Sunny is clever, setting up a double-date meeting. Checking that friends’ stories match is a good idea.
Goblin is so withdrawn after dinner in Quebec, but not depressed enough to make it rain. Perhaps his determination keeps him from falling into depression.
ET is also very clever, deducing that there’s more to the story of Goblin’s sword than she’s learned.
Gosh, when Goblin responds to ET’s question if he’s being punished for treason, Gong Yoo’s eyes are red. So moving…
Goblin: It was a busy life just to survive. They were times not recorded in history. I put all my efforts into it, but even my death was not honorable. As I advanced toward the king, there was nothing to be gained. But I moved on. At each and every step I took innocent beings lost their lives. My crime was not forgiven. And now I’m amidst my punishment. This sword is that punishment. [ET’s eyes are now wet with tears.] But…even if that’s a punishment, isn’t receiving 900 years of it plenty?
ET: No. It couldn’t be a punishment. A god couldn’t have given me that ability. If you were truly a bad person, he’d only create a goblin. He wouldn’t have him meet the goblin bride, and have her pull out that sword. I don’t know what kind of an existence you had, but you are being loved. For real. What I meant by something bad, was something like falling in love with the king’s woman, and you were imprisoned for it. That was my version. I’m sorry I mentioned treason.
What a moving, well-acted interaction between ET and Goblin!
Goblin is somewhat wrong about his punishment. When he was reincarnated and the god spoke his fate, the punishment was because of all the people he’d killed in war. They were as much god’s people as Kim Shin, so Kim Shin needed to atone for their deaths.
It is funny, in a sad way, how their discussion about Goblin’s past and the removal of the sword turned into another of their squabbles. And Goblin’s biggest takeaway after being scolded by ET is that he’s jealous of the unknown CEO he saw 29-year-old ET greeting in the Quebec steakhouse.
Goblin decides to help out the people that ET wants to help. So the ghost can now disappear. Once they let go of all grudges they can leave.
I like all the conversations… now this one between ET and Reaper. ET shows her concern for KS and that she’s not greedy. She’s willing to let go of what she never had to begin with. Such an amazing person.
After the talk with Reaper, ET did consider her options after pulling out the sword.
While Reaper waits to escort a blind soul to the tea room, Samshin passes behind him on the way to the hospital. A little girl can see through her youthful appearance and greets her as Halmeonie (Grandma).
This tells us that an innocent/pure and sensitive soul can see the gods in their ‘true’ form. We contrast this with how KS only sees god as a butterfly, and how Reaper can’t see god at all.
This is an interesting scene out of the blue of Samshin coming to ease the pain of the sick child. Samshin brings life and health. A good counterpart to Reaper who takes the dead. KS is in between, able to mete out favour as well as death.
Hanza is having a hard time being a Hanza.
From all the people he had to “take” with him, only the blind person was the one who asked the right question. All the others had lame and angry conversations. What a pity…
Halmeoni Samshin cured a ill boy…
The dead blind man who asks : “Where am I headed now?”
GR : “You can just leave through the same door you came in by. The afterlife is a U-turn.”
That’s an interesting take on the afterlife … it’s going back from where we came. A retracing of our steps? Going back to the start?
The blind man goes out the door and meets his Seeing-Eye Dog.
Reaper tells him : “I guess he felt bad about leaving the world before you did. He’s been waiting for you for a while now.” “Happy knows the way you need to go.”
We receive from this an image of the afterlife that includes other living things as well, and we see what true loyalty/faithfulness is even through the actions of a dog. Also we see the stairway to ‘heaven’.
What do these vignettes show us? That the belief is that we retain our personalities, attitudes and our disabilities even after death, and that the ties that bind also continue after death.
I agree to the latter but not to the former. IE, I believe that although we retain our personalities even as souls, we will not be carrying our physical disabilities, nor will we have time to be fighting with other souls.
Reaper’s double date with Sunny et al. isn’t going well. This time he doesn’t have a business card, and is being outshone by DH. Good thing he can implant thoughts and erase memories to make the get-together turn his way.
Sunny: Every time, you really have so many don’t haves.
Poor Reaper…but she’s so right.
Poor Sunny is starting to feel haunted by an invisible Reaper. Not only can he not call her because he thinks he needs a calling card, now he literally scares her away.
Sunny is so generous. Despite being in shock, she gives ET time off to study.
KS can’t figure out what it is that ET wants. Actually she did tell him in Episode 3-4.
Juxtaposing Ep 6 and Ep 4 – The Options
From Episode 4 – ET has just proven that she’s the Goblin’s Bride and hopes to live with him in the nice big house. She’d given him 3 options before she had admitted to seeing the sword.
KS’s plan was to choose option 2. He slides over an envelope of money (5 million won?) to buy her off and get her to leave. ET is too smart for that.
ET shakes her head : “No.”
ET : “Put this money away please. I was a bit ignorant of a couple of facts when I said that to you. But I’ve already seen this house now.”
KS : “What are you saying?”
ET : “This is the perfect house for raising kids in!” (LOL…) “Let’s have kids and live a nice, happy life. What’s your type?”
KS : “What are you talking about?”
ET : “The type of wife you want! A good wife, and a wise mother? A sexy wife? A professional? Want me to switch it up every day for you?” LOL KS’s face at all the suggestions. He didn’t realise he’d dug himself into a marriage.
KS : “Didn’t you say you really didn’t like me?”
ET : “I’ve said some ridiculous things, haven’t I? I take it back.”
She tries to send thoughts to him telepathically saying that he’s so good-looking (this is what he wanted to hear before).
KS can’t hear ET’s thoughts. He’d lied that he could.
9:00
ET : “Then how did you know I was being kidnapped?”
KS : “I just felt it. I’m not sure why, exactly, but I think it’s due to the birthmark on your neck.”
ET is rightfully indignant : “You con artist! I kept my thoughts about you super quiet because of that and broke them up into parts! Sometimes I’d sing in between thoughts of you! And even when I was staring at the maple leaf, I’d say to myself that I was thinking about the leaf, and not about you! I was even extra careful when I was having thoughts about myself!”
He stares at her nonplussed.
ET : “What? What is it?
KS : “Why are you casually telling me that you thought about me? It’s confusing me.”
ET : “What has you so confused, exactly? I told you, I’m your bride!”
He looks at her, and appears to take in the truth of that statement.
ET : “So, can I unpack? Or not?” She reached down and is holding on to the money. LOL. “I’m asking you because I’m confused, too.”
KS : “I don’t think there’s anything confusing about it. Put the money down and don’t unpack.”
ET leans back holding on to the money : “Oh, is there an option 4, or something?” (Where she gets to live in the house as the bride/wife, with the money. LOL)
Option 5 is to install her in a hotel suite above DH’s apartment.
What she wanted was family… which included love. But KS didn’t get it for a while and she had to tell him.
He watches her as she approaches without noticing him yet.
KS to himself : “Life is walking toward me. Death is walking toward me. You, the embodiment of life and death itself walk toward me without slowing your step in the slightest. Then I must say this: ‘I’m not sad. That’s all I needed to say.’ It is finished.”
Actually, he is really conflicted and sad. This episode and the next one, has Goblin flip-flopping.
This scene on the road with ET, he’s about the most serious and single-minded.
ET wants to know if KS can see her future.
KS : “I can’t see anything about you. Usually I can see a person’s fortune, at the very least.”
ET : “I see. Maybe that’s because I’m a special case.” (She was not supposed to be alive at the moment, and even in the future.) “I thought my existence was meaningless but it seems like I’ve become special somehow. Because I will create my own future.”
She smiles at KS : “Don’t worry. It’s not like I’ll be in pain every day. Now, I’ve humbly accepted my fate for what it is and am living my life to the fullest as the bride of an unreasonable goblin.” She smiles so positively that KS smiles with her.
This happens a couple of times in their relationship. He’s taken by her smile.
The bros are commiserating together over woman trouble. Both are turning to alcohol, with Goblin adding medicine on top of it. (Bad example, Show! That’s not something to turn into a joke. Too many people lose their lives with that combination.)
Goblin: “The words I spit out are all coming back to me.” He wishes that in 900 years he’d learned to be less impulsive with what he says.
I’m surprised Reaper offered to give Goblin a hug, because that would open up to Reaper all of Goblin’s past. Goblin’s response, to threaten Reaper with his sword, is an escalated version of their sparring with levitated tableware.
Again in their conversation, the mood keeps shifting. It’s so incredible/mersmerising to watch.
ET : “But you know, I am a bit curious. … About what my life will be like when I’m 20, or 30.”
KS : “You’ll just keep growing up, like this. … You’ll keep growing up beautifully, like this.”
ET picks on the ‘beautifully’ part of the conversation : “How do you know? I could be ugly for a day or two sometimes.”
KS : “Or you could be ugly for a year or two.’
She asked him how he chooses to be a guardian angel to.
ET : “So why did you help my mum back then? She was an adult.”
KS : “I was feeling soft-hearted because I was drunk. and the one your mum asked me to save wasn’t her.”
ET starts to cry : “The fact that you’re the one who responded to my mum’s cry for help is so miraculous and wonderful, Ahjusshi.”
He pats her head to comfort her. She shows him how he’s supposed to gently stroke the hair. He gets so affected by her closeness and touch that he breaks contact, and out of embarrassment insults her.
KS : “I guess today’s the day you’ll be ugly.” And he runs away.
*Sigh!*
Hello dear rewatchers!!! Slept thru my alarm and my auto-snooze reaction. Will catch up with the comments in a bit. Enjoy!!!
This is also the episode the KS runs away more than once. Now that ET has decided to help him and offers to pull out the sword right then and there, KS can’t get away from her fast enough LOL, while pretending that he received a phone call.
Then it’s back to blow hot, blow cold Goblin.
There is so much depth and emotion hidden in those episodes.
That you don’t get it the first time you are watching this.
I mean I am looking it again with fresh eyes…So much meaning.
I am enjoying watching it that’s why I am not commenting.
Kalimera @Janey! *HUGS!*
Hi @Janey!!
This is the part where the bromance is in full swing again. I love how KS’s first thought is to run to Reaper for a chat over his bride drawing out the sword.
GR : “What’s going on? did you die?”
KS : “I need to talk to you. have any liquor?”
GR : “What’s going on?”
KS :”She said that she’d pull out the blade for me.”
GR : “She really doesn’t know what it means to do that, does she?”
KS :”I couldn’t tell her. I think she likes me quite a bit. I’m worried.” (KS has been aware of this. It put him in a pickle because he also liked her back and didn’t want her to be in pain over having to kill him.)
GR : “As if.”
KS :”You’re not aware of this, but she really likes me a lot. She’s all like, ‘I love you! I’ll marry you!’ whenever she sees me! Do you know how hard this is? Sheesh, you don’t know anything” LOL Reaper’s expression. “I mean, there’s no reason she wouldn’t like me!”
GR : “Why not? There’s the age gap between you two which is huge. Just wait until college. It’ll be a buffet of young, handsome guys.”
KS :”Who cares about a mere 900-year age gap?”
GR : “Why do you keep rounding your age down? You’re 939 years old.”
KS :”Hey, I was actually born early so they rounded upu, but I’m a year younger.” LOLOL
Reaper has to contain his laughter. Even KS is smiling at that.
GR : “Oh no. I shouldn’t be smiling.”
KS : “This is even better than drinking.” (That’s quite an accolade about the good of speaking with Reaper.) “Should I distance myself from her again? Only she can grant me death. But that girl is keeping me alive. Isn’t it ironic?”
GR : “Don’t delude yourself. You lived on just fine even before you knew her.”
KS : “Did I. So why is it that I can’t remember those times anymore?” (He’s saying that it’s only with ET that he’s living well. His past years without her were nothing worth remembering.)
Oh dear, I have my eggs (no water) and put arepas to cook. Let me grab a little homemade iced tea and I will start D:
KS lies on his bed remembering various times ET had spoken to him. First lot of memories were the questions she’d asked him about his identity.
The second lot of memories were when she admitted in various things that she said, that she liked him.
The third lot of memories were of the sad things or the times when he’d upset her.
And then he recalled how she’d called him and how she’d been so full of life and innocent joy with him. He realises that she’d become attached to him just as he’s become very attached to her.
KS to an imaginary ET : “Stop calling out to me. Please, stop calling out to me. Just let me go.” Exactly at that time, ET knocks on his door and calls out to him.
He does not respond but he leans against the door as if to be near her but yet keeping himself apart from her. It’s too painful. He decides to keep a distance again.
The lottery ticket scenes are entertaining. I’m glad Goblin saw that ET asked for the numbers for the ghost grandmother’s family, not for herself…at least not at first. ET is true to nature, focusing on economic stability for herself. You can’t blame her, after enduring ten years of deprivation at the hands of her aunt and cousins.
Reaper always seems to be using straws oddly. This time he’s got it in the side of his mouth. Other times he leans over the table to drink.
@Cleo, I know what you mean. I’m rewatching with different subs and it’s like some parts are so different and new to me. I had to go back and forth between subs to figure out the meaning.
When ET hears the car horn she turns with a smile hoping to see KS coming to fetch her. He’s been cold towards her again.
Fortunately Reaper’s ‘spell’ has stuck and the loan sharks are still fighting between themselves instead of getting hold of ET. Secretary Kim’s appearance is a strange bit of the episode. I can’t quite place why he’s been shown to bring her home.
@GB Unnie,
It is like there are so many hidden meanings and I can realize more this time around. I feel I understand why GY, KDW and KGE are so connected even all those years and how they have become good friends with each other.
I’m guessing that ET feels since Secretary Kim is checking up on DH as part of his job, she’d better say nice things to help DH. Sec Kim is not impressed by how good DH is to ET however LOL.
ET: It seems like the goblin is such a lonely guardian. People are probably not aware of it. When people become distanced from the world, someone nudges you towards it. But I know.
ET is saying that she sees loneliness in Goblin that he himself may not be aware of, and that she’ll help him reconnect with the world. She still doesn’t know that removing the sword means the end of his existence, not simply his body being rid of it.
ET is wise beyond her years. “Life is just a brief borrowing and a brief stay anyway. Hell doesn’t only exist in hell. Since I’ve moved here I’ve been happy every day. It’s as if I’m seeing a little bit of heaven. That’s why I want to pay back. I’m not sure what he means when he says he will become pretty, but when I see how you encourage me to pull the sword out, I’m certain it’s something good for him.”
ET is again good at discerning she doesn’t have the full story of Goblin and his sword. But she trusts Goblin, and she trusts Reaper’s friendship with Goblin, so believes that removing the sword is in Goblin’s best interest no matter what the outcome.
It’s so funny to see the Sec Kim actor here and again in Happiness
LOL Reaper takes the credit for KS’s coldness towards ET saying he taught him not to meet a woman’s gaze.
I saw that @Gb transcribes the dialogue on “this sword is my punishment, 900 years is long enough”, ET was very insightful here . Thanks @GB unnie!
Then KS getting jealous of the “President”. LOL!
Well, it is what it is. Since I am so late and also I am a slow watcher let me do things differently today:
About the lines of Kim Shin about Eun Tak being there to end his life while he is starting to want to live again, it remembers me a line from The Police’s “Message in a Bottle”:
“Love can mend your life
but love can break your heart”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXWrmQW-OE
The lyrics of that song and Kim Shin’s dilemma seems to go hand in hand.
ET wants to know how come Reaper found her at age 9 and then age 19.
GR : “9, 19, 29, … the worst comes right before perfection.”
ET : “What does that mean?”
GR : “Shall I tell you a secret?” But he proceeds to tell her telepathically so she does not hear him
GR : ‘You’ll meet a grim reaper when you are 29. Even if it’s not me. That’s the fate of a missing soul. This world requires order and 9 is the closest lower number to 10, a perfect number that symbolises the almighty. I wish you luck then, as well.”
It is interesting that Reaper doesn’t sense Sam Shin. It is also interesting that Sam Shin, the giver of life, aids a boy who is struggling against death.
When Reaper catches Sunny on his back, is he protected from seeing her past by the clothing between them?
I love how Sunny takes care of ET. She wants her to succeed on her college entrance exam, so gives her time off work to study.
ET : “Are you mad at me, by any chance?”
KS : “Why would I be?”
ET : “You’re acting like it.”
(Thank goodness she is not like KS and not the kind to go all silent treatment for days when annoyed, otherwise we’d have totally no dialogue!!!) “What are you even mad about? Why do I feel like I’m the one who did something wrong?”
KS : “When did I ever do that?
ET : “Just look at how you’re acting now. You’re getting mad at me.”
KS : “Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are, calling out to me constantly? It’s annoying. Why do keep causing me to be flustered? Why do you keep making me feel confused? Who do you think you are? It would have been nice if you’d just pulled the sword out when I asked you to! Because that’s all you’re good for.” (This could be what galvanised her into writing the contract. If that’s all she was good for, then she had better get some insurance before becoming useless.)
ET : “I mean, I just … That’s why I said I’d pull it out for you now! And you’re the one who just flat-out ignored me. I thought you might be waiting for the first snowfall of the season. Because that’s what we promised to do before. Forget it. Maybe you have nothing but time on your hands since you’re immortal but I’m just a mere mortal, so time is like money to me. How long am I supposed to be on standby? I’m busy enough as it is, with school and my job.”
KS : “Tomorrow.”
ET : “Why not today? I have time today.”
KS : “I don’t want to do it today. We’ll do it tomorrow. Today is too nice a day. I’m going on a walk today (with you).”
KS’s next day’s excuse: “The weather is terrible today. I have to come and pick you up later.”
3rd Day no excuse : “Tomorrow. Just one more day.”
KS is reluctant to end the time he has with ET.
Kim Eun Sook seriously knows her craft pretty good.
I am so happy that we are rewatching this story together.
<3
Sunny as King potential sighting: 1:16:13
When ET asked KS, “we’re you conspiring against the king?”, the past montage of KS in the battlefield was shown, and the image of the king during KS’ execution. It pans to the date of GR and Sunny and then focus on Sunny afterwards. This is the first time I’ve seen a possible Sunny-King link.
What do you think?
@Janey I have to check the time frame. So I will return to answer to this!
I have to go for now! I will read your comments later on!
LOL KS being so solemn in leaving the house to Reaper but it turns into comedy because Reaper does not know how to use the phone in a noisy place! KS is frustrated.
ET sits and thinks of the times lately when KS had spent time with her.
He had said it was nice to walk with her. Then he’d said coming to pick her up was nice.
When he watches her there he also says “Looking at you sure is nice.” All the things KS had done with her in the last three days of postponing his ‘death’.
ET : “Why are you being so nice to me nowadays? It’s weird. Give me your hand for a second.”
She asks him what character she wrote on his hand. He said it meant to listen to. She runs off to decipher the words in traditional Chinese but cannot.
In his room KS stares at the hand ET had written on, more affected by her touch than he admits, and sad because he thinks it will be the last time.
@FGB, I’m late as well… trying backread and watch. Let’s take our time. LOL!
Hi @Janey, I went back to look at the scene (timestamp 08:42 for me). I did try to see how the editing cut it but since it cut to both Reaper and Sunny together, it was not clear that Sunny was meant to be the king. In many other times when editing cut between past and present, Sunny is linked to the queen and Reaper to the king.
I don’t know if Goblin is quoting a poem or thinking poetically as ET walks toward him, but this is beautiful:
Life is walking towards me.
Death…
Is walking towards me.
To life, to death…
You are…
Walking toward me without tiring out.
Then I…
Say these words.
I am not sad.
This is enough for me…
It is…
Enough…
ET showing Goblin how to pat her on the head: it may be the first time in more than 900 years he’s received comforting touch. He’s moved by it, then embarrassed he’s emotional, so reverts to teasing ET.
@Janey, no way I can read and watch at the same time. I either pause or don’t watch if I read.
KS has prepared gifts for ET. A sling handbag which she’ll need when she’s an adult, perfume for when she’s 20 and starts dating (his voice breaks on the word dating… and it pains him to say it) and 5 million won.
He asks to have the sword out that night.
ET looks at him hopefully : “But is there love somewhere among all these things you gave me?”
KS pauses and looks at her hopeful smile : “No.” (He will never admit it since he thinks he will disappear and leave her in greater pain knowing that he loves her.)
ET : “Just asking. Well, I’ll be right out.”
@GB, I mean this is the first time I’ve seen a close up of the king, followed by Sunny close up (even though both Sunny and GR were on that date in previous frame). I wonder if @Welmaris found any more evidence so far of Sunny-King link?
Poor GR, he is so “lacking” in many things. IRL, he will really be a hard sell to women. Sunny was actually very considerate here.
The Contract
‘Ji Eun Tak, Goblin’s Bride: Contractee
‘Mister Goblin: Contractor
At the end was the clause: “The contractor must grant one wish for the contractee on the first snowfall of the season, every year. That’s because the contractor will be waiting for the contractee.’
We get a flashback to when Reaper asked KS at the dining table “Are you really going to die?”
KS : “Yeah. Before the first snowfall.”
GR : “Why not when it snows?”
KS : “I don’t want to ruin the first snowfall of the season for her.”
We cut back to the buckwheat field.
KS : “Is this why you asked me for my name?”
ET : “No. That was just because I was genuinely curious. You name quite suits you.”
She hands him the pen to sign with. And he signs it with a flourish.
KS : “This was what you were trying to get at, right?”
ET : “Wow, how did you manage to figure that out?”
He makes it snow. ET is amazed and impressed.
ET : “It’s the first snow Ahjusshi. But why is it snowing already? Wow, I can’t believe it! I’m enjoying seeing the snow since it’s pretty, but I bet the flowers are cold. Right?”
KS watches her excitement with a certain delight.
ET : “We’re seeing the earliest first snowfall of the season in the world! You’re doing this, aren’t you, Ahjusshi? Because of what we promised.”
KS : “I’m sorry for being selfish, but I wanted to create a memory like this for myself.” (He’s apologising for not keeping to his word to not ruin the first snowfall with a sad memory for ET.)
ET : “How long are you going to be making memories though? You have to hurry up and become pretty.”
KS : “Yeah. Now.”
ET : “Any last words?” (So apt but she didn’t know it.)
KS : “All the time I spent with you was blindingly bright. Because the weather was nice. Because the weather wasn’t nice. Because the weather was good enough. (What an indirect way of say … So the brightness/joy didn’t depend on the weather (or anything else, but on being with ET). I enjoyed every day. And no matter what happens it’s not your fault.”
He had hesitated not only because he didn’t want to die, but also because he really did not want to leave her behind with trauma at causing his disappearance. He’d asked Reaper to remove her memories.
ET has become suspicious after hearing his words of farewell.
ET : “Ahjusshi, are you, by any chance, really going to turn into a broomstick?”
KS laughs : “No, that won’t happen.”
And then the plot twist!!
@Janey yeah, Sunny and Reaper relationship – first major issue is that he does not even know his name!!! Red flag if there ever was one. But all she needed to do was to stare at his face, and she forgot about all that he lacked. I must say that Lee Dong Wook is nicely styled here as Reaper.
Bwahaha – now both GR and KS cried in front of their lady loves!!! Love it!!!
@Janey, a kindred spirit I see 😀 .
Sorry dear Friends, I am just starting now so it will take time 😉 . Will watch, read your comments and reply in due time. Sorry!!! ;p
Plot Twist
ET can see the sword but cannot touch it. It vanishes when she tries to grasp it.
ET quickly says before KS can start on her : “You said before that it’s not my fault no matter what happens, right? No questions, okay?”
KS starts to doubt that she’s the Goblin’s Bride : “Hey, so… so, you …Goblin’s Bride…”
ET : “I said no questions, okay? Just stay still! I’m more baffled than you are!”
KS : “I am still! How could I possibly be more still than this! Hey, give me that contract! I’m burning it!”
ET : “Wait! I got it. Yeah, I think it’s that. I think I know what it is. … You know the cursed prince in the fairy tale? It’s that.
KS : “What about that, exactly?”
She grabs him by his collars and draws him down to her : “A kiss.” And she plants one on him much to his utter shock.
The snow starts to rise back into the sky LOL.
Show was very smart to make ET (as a teenager) be the one to initiate all the ‘romantic’ moves. KS was always most above board in how he treated her, even when he considered her his girlfriend.
I love the shock on his face and his gasp at the kiss. It was a first kiss for him as well, I think. 😂
No need to apologise, @FGB. I hope you managed to get eggs and to have your breakfast! Most important meal of the day.
I have so much respect for ET as a character. She’s clear with Goblin about her thoughts and motivations, explaining to him what’s going through her mind. She’s also able to admit fault and think of others’ welfare. In this instance, she apologizes to Goblin for being selfish about not yet pulling out the sword. Her concerns are valid: that she’ll be rejected once she’s no longer useful to him, or that he’ll seek companionship from another woman once he’s rid of the sword.
One of the satisfying things about this show is that relationships develop depth. Goblin and ET talk about important matters. Goblin and Reaper discuss important issues. Along with humor and teasing, there’s substance.
When Goblin comes to Reaper’s tea shop to talk, Reaper points out that Goblin always rounds down his age to 900 instead of 939. When Goblin pettily says, “Because I was born early in the year, I’m actually a year younger.” Neither actor can keep a straight face after that line. I’m glad the director left that in. But to the actors’ credit, they go back to their serious discussion regarding Goblin’s ambivalent feelings about dying. ET makes him want to live. By coming into his life, ET made Goblin’s life better: “But why can’t I remember how it was?” With her around, Goblin has forgotten his previous loneliness and emotional torment.
The next scene is cinematically interesting: Goblin, in grey clothing, sprawled across his gray bed in a grey room.
Just when Goblin is wishing that ET would stop calling him, after thinking back on pivotal moments with her, ET knocks at his door. He can’t escape his fate, can he? And although he doesn’t open the door, ET can sense something is wrong with him. Their bond has grown strong.
We see the results of the curse Reaper put on the loan sharks, that they’d never stop fighting with each other. They can’t accomplish their goals because their fighting keeps them too busy.
For someone who’s seen so much blood in battle, Goblin sure likes his steak rare. Before I entered college, I spent one summer working as a cook on a cattle ranch. I learned that ranchers (at least the ones I knew) who slaughter and butcher their own cattle prefer every last bit of red cooked out of their meat.
I totally forgot about the lottery scenes but it’underlined that ET is a minor in SK. And KS is 939 years old, rounded down to 900. Hah! In my first viewing, I was really uncomfortable with the age difference (ET being minor). But suspending disbelief, KS will always be that age (Gong Yoo’ s age) no matter when. So I’ve already ignored that and focused on the acting.
First time to see customers in Sunny’s chicken restaurant! LOL!
OK, it’s time for me to go. I’ll come back to read you all!
Thanks for fun rewatch party!
Definitely those two brothers… Love two powerful immortals being impotent about their lady problems XD XD XD XD XD XD .
@Cleo, if you’re looking for the Sunny-King link that I saw, I made a mistake on the time – it’s at 08:50-09:00.
@GB – there’s a reference of ET “growing up beautifully” at this time stamp: 41:27 when she asked KS how will she be in her 20’s and 30’s. Awww… that’s special.
I have to run a few errands so I’ll be back later.
Goblin’s procrastination about removal of the sword is portrayed well. We sense his struggle. We sense that he’s valuing his life with ET and doesn’t want to give it up.
Talking with his old assistant, Goblin says, “The fact that I’m going without finding those who I owe so much to, you can say it’s my deep regret.” His memories go back to his lieutenant, who willingly took on the duty of plunging the sword into Kim Shin, then was killed himself. Is the old CEO the reincarnation of that lieutenant? We know that Sunny and Grim Reaper are the Queen and King. Are they two that Goblin feels he owes so much to? He doesn’t realize that Reaper (who I believe is the King) is by his side and a trusted friend. Goblin hasn’t met Sunny yet, but she’s on the periphery of his life through Reaper. And the god whose face Goblin wishes to see is also part of his life.
Before pulling the sword out of Goblin, fearing she’ll be of no more use to him, ET has him sign a contract regarding their effective value in relation to one another. We who can’t speed read Korean don’t know what points are in the contract, but the last condition is: “B will respond to A’s summons on the first day it snows each year. Since A will be waiting.” That’s foreshadowing. We’ll later see if/how that condition is fulfilled.
ET asks Goblin if he has any last words before she pulls his sword and makes him pretty. She doesn’t know they may be his last words ever. His response:
The time I shared with you was all blindingly bright
Because the day was good…
Because the day was not good…
Because the day was just right…
I loved each and every day.
Also, no matter what happens, it’s not your fault.
When ET goes to pull the sword, it looks shiny and new, not corroded with time and weather like we’ve seen it before. Also, the blood soaked cloth usually wrapped around the handle (for better grip during battle, I imagine) is missing.
True to her character, ET immediately throws back at Goblin his words about nothing that happens during sword removal being her fault. Both are surprised she’s not able to grip the handle. Goblin immediately jumps to the conclusion ET is not his bride after all. ET, ever the romantic, thinks that she’s not enabled because they haven’t exchanged a kiss like in fairy tales, where the prince needs a kiss for the good magic to work.
As soon as ET locks her lips on Goblin’s, the snow starts flying upward. I suspect this is his first kiss, as well as hers.
This episode was filled with melancholy and Goblin’s memories. I felt my emotions going up and down, up and down, as sadness turned to teasing, laughter turned to serious contemplation. No matter how much Goblin wants to postpone his demise, throughout this episode he moved closer and closer to his goal of ending his cursed existence. And then he and ET are trolled by the god. ET is perceptive to think that something is missing, although the kiss may not be it. We’ve still got ten episodes to get through, so Goblin can’t disappear so soon, right?
Like a good hobbit, I’m going to eat second breakfast, then I’m going back to bed to get the rest of my night’s sleep. Later today I’ll read through all these comments and further engage in conversation. Goodbye for now, my friends. Stay well!
Loved the moment when Goblin tells Eun Tak that he decided to save her mother just because her mother pleaded for Eun Tak’s life and not hers. Eun Tak must have felt loved, which was a soothing discovery after all the mistreatment and misjudgement she felt since her mother died and had to deal with her aunt, cousins and bullying classmates.
In 49:40 Eun Tak’s sweater says “Naïve Heroine”. I wouldn’t say “Naive” but kept in the dark. She is definitely not naive since she is aware of what she doesn’t know so she acts prudently.
The analogy of wanting to live when he has at last the opportunity to die is, among many other things, a metaphor of how falling in love is so damn terrifying… change knocks at his door and his world will shatter, even if the new world awaiting for him is much better than the old one. Kind of remembers me of Hermann Hesse’s “Demian”.
His monologue before getting the sword pulled out means that her presence was so relevant to him that all the mundane everyday events became colored by her visit to his life.
@FGB4877 AND @Janey, I hope you do find time to come back and add more of your insights to this comment stream.
@Janey
I too was wondering for a long time, how come Sunny’s eatery was always empty and how she managed to stay in business. It was later, after she knew of grim reapers and her brother that her business took off.
That conversation between KS and ET on the street. It began as a proper chat, and turned into banter and insults.
KS stares long and hard at ET as if mersmerised by her. She waves a hand in front of his face and asks: “Can’t you see me?”
KS : “I did.”
ET : “Saw what?”
KS : “You. Walking toward me.”
ET : “Wow, for so long? I’m a bit touched! But you know, does anything change if you stare at me longer like that? Or is it still the same?”
KS : “What do you mean?”
ET : “You said before that you can’t see my future. About how old I am, or my fortune. Is all that information about me still cloudy to you?”
KS : “I can’t see anything about you. Usually I can see a person’s fortune, at the very least.”
ET : “I see. Maybe that’s because I’m a special case.” (She was not supposed to be alive at the moment, and even in the future.) “I thought my existence was meaningless but it seems like I’ve become special somehow. Because I will create my own future.”
(She didn’t know how true this would be. She chose her destiny.)
She smiles at KS : “Don’t worry. It’s not like I’ll be in pain every day. Now, I’ve humbly accepted my fate for what it is and am living my life to the fullest as the bride of an unreasonable goblin.” She smiles so positively that KS smiles with her.
ET : “But you know, I am a bit curious. … About what my life will be like when I’m 20, or 30.”
KS who has seen her at age 29 in the eyes of the waiter is able to say with absolute confidence : “You’ll just keep growing up, like this. … You’ll keep growing up beautifully, like this.”
ET picks on the ‘beautifully’ part of the conversation : “How do you know? I could be ugly for a day or two sometimes.”
KS : “Or you could be ugly for a year or two.’ (But he has already seen that she’d be bright and beautiful at age 29, and without him. This was one of the things that made him sour at this time and got him insulting her.
He thought that at 29, she’d forgotten him. But at the same time, he left instructions with Reaper to wipe her memories once he had disappeared and the goblin mark had faded. So he wanted to make sure that the future he saw played out and that she would forget and be happy?)
Dear all, apologies for missing the re-watch. I will sit in the corner and meditate on my faults. 🙃
I made the mistake of shopping in the late morning and getting caught in both normal weekend crowds with the addition of Omicron hording occurring. Slow, long queues. I will watch ep. 6 and then look at the comments with thanks.
Hi @Fern, no problem but we missed you! What do you mean Omicron hording? (LOL I picture a big group of people who could have Omicron going about together.)
@GB Unnie,
Ο aka the greek letter Omicron is the official name of the latest Covid19 mutation from Botwana in Africa.
Hi @Cleo. I know that the variant is called Omicron but what is Omicron hording?
Covid provides a novel way to learn the Greek alphabet, very slowly!!
@GB, I read it as people hoarding groceries and stuff because of another variant reported in UK, potentially another quarantine. We are running out of Greek letters for all these variants of Covid. 😞 I hope you are doing ok, @Fern.
Isn’t that strange on customers at Sunny’s chicken place? LOL! And we will see her store expanding later.
I am really appreciating the conversations in Goblin. This episode has a lot of really good ones so thanks for breaking them down.
The other tidbit I picked is on perfect (10) and imperfect numbers (9). Foreshadowing of the different milestones for ET at 9, 19, and 29. I heard that some cultures think that when you get into these ages (with 9) that one has to take care and stay safe since it exposes you to more dangers until you reach a perfect number.
@GB Unnie Kalimera!
The only thing I know about the Omikron variant is that is super contagious.
I can send you the greek alphabet if you want to. We have 24 letters. Omikron is a vowel. 🙂
@Fern I do hope you are okay!
My Agapimeni @Cleo, you know I also looked up the Greek Alphabet and I clicked on the speaker of Google Translate to hear how those alphabets sound in Greek. As expected, they sound different from how I’d normally say them. It was so interesting. I played the sounds over and over again but I cannot reproduce them LOL.
My agapimeni @GB,
I totally understand that for someone who speaks another language to pronounce the greek alphabet and more over greek words and phrases is challenging.
Here in Greece we have dialects. It goes back in the ancient times. In the modern times you can go into a place and hear their (ντοπιολαλιά / dopiolalia ) patois but this is disappearing as our Myul Mang was saying in #DAYS.
I think I would find it difficult to do so myself if I was looking to learn your language as well. I just checked that the Official Language is Malay, but you also have English, Mandarin Chinese and Tamil. How cool is that?
I think that although we are frightened with something new, at the same time we are eager to set aside our fear and to delve into it fully, in order to discover it. That is my mindset when I want to learn something new. 🙂
@GB, I’ve been thinking about the numerology introduced by Grim Reaper in this show, that 9 is significant for being just before 10, which is considered perfect and symbolizes the almighty. ET, a miscellaneous omitted, has had encounters with Grim Reaper at age 9 and 19, and should expect another encounter at age 29. I realized that in the same vein, the number nine has shown up in Kdramas in relation to immortal beings. Goblin met his bride, Eun Tak, 900 years into his punishment. In My Roommate is a Gumiho, Shin Woo Yeo was 999 years old when he met Lee Dam; he had to become human before age 1000 or he’d become a demon.
@Welmaris, I did look up previously to find out more on the significance of ‘9’ in Korea, but strangely, the unlucky numbers in Korea (as for the Chinese) is 4 and not 9. It seems to be a kdrama thing.
“Lucky: Number Nine
The number nine is considered quite lucky by both North and South Korea. For North Korea, it stems from Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation. According to the story, eight shamans from eight different Korean provinces came together and told Kim Il-Sung that his bloodline was to be forever aligned to the number nine. As such, the founding date of North Korea is September 9. In South Korea, the number nine sounds a lot like the Chinese word for “long-lasting” so it is very popular for businesses and couples.” From http://kissmykimchi.com/2020/01/kmk-which-numbers-are-considered-lucky-in-korea.html/
So 9 is considered a good number in Asia. It sounds like ‘long’ as in long life in Chinese, which is wished for old folks.
However I know in several kdramas, 9 is a significant number, usually adding urgency in that something has to be avoided or accomplished before ‘9’ of something happens or before an age that is a multiple of 10.
There was the ‘Nine: Time Travel Nine Times’ with 9 incense sticks to burn during which one traveled to the past and had to accomplish matters before the incense burnt out. ‘Plus Nine Boys’ where the ‘kids’ had to get through their ages 9, 19,29, 39 without mishap. And more.
I noticed too the ‘9s’ in 9-tailed foxes, and in Goblin’s age. I think I’ve gotten so used to it that I started to just accept it. It does make me wonder if god wanted Goblin to be punished for 949 years (ie when ET was an adult and finally remembered him) or that since ET died, Goblin had to wait overall until age 999 years before reuniting with her. In the interim, it was a different iteration of Sunny and Wang Yeo that found each other, therefore it must have been several decades later.
Kalimera and have a nice month!
Out of context but I have to say this!
Gong Yoo made an Official Instagram and I am happy !
Check: @_gongyoo_official_