#i haven't watched it in years & tbh i think it could be revived for a major venue but

[tommywllliams]

"soliloquy" from carousel is a very tommy song, even if billy bigalow is not a very tommy character.

[legend-of-voltron-rewrite]

(This is just a few random questions I think abt when i find an author i like-)

What other media/hobbies do you indulge in? What's some of your biggest interests? (Other than voltron ofc) Is there another Fandom you'd write for? Favorite childhood show(s)?

Big question, favorite volron paladin? Favorite character in voltron? (No limitations- you could answer bii-bob-bi tbh. hes a fantastic choice)

BIGGER QUESTION!! What inspired you to write this rewrite and how do you motivate yourself to continue?

That's all! Hope you're having a lovely day! :)

Hello!

-

I'm very big into anime - I started watching them when I was eleven and never stopped. I watch other animated shows (Western), which I'll list in a later segment.

I'm also into manga, though not comics, (never really knew why, just couldn't get into it). Games, too, mainly RPGs, though I have been into FPS co-op as of late.

Don't judge me: K-Pop. I only really interact/watch content for one group, (will come up later), but I used to juggle between many groups.

As for hobbies other than writing: I'm big into art. Took classes for them and everything. Though this may have been obvious from early chapters of book one.

I've tried to get into making animatics, but I ended up stopping half-way through everytime I started. I like voice acting, though I've only ever done it once for someone I'm no longer friends with haha.

I used to be big into baking, but was never good at it. I'm much better at cooking, though mainly Asian dishes, (due to heritage and such).

My biggest interests... I'll keep it limited to five, else this segment would be much longer.

One Piece, (generic but it's popular for a reason), is a favourite of mine. The writing, world building, characters, relationships, messages, themes - I love it all. Definitely a high reccomendation.

Gravity Falls, because it's just that good? Even the weakest episode would be considered top tier if it was in another series. Dipper and Mabel's relationship is everything to me, and Stan was the uncle I always wanted. Love him.

Fullmetal Alchemist, mostly MangaHood, but the 2003 anime adaptation is great too. It's honestly of the best written works I've ever interacted with, and it makes perfect sense that it's highly rated.

SHINee, the K-Pop group I mentioned before. I'd call them standards for the industry, but then nobody would be able to share the stage with them. I'm a Shawol for life baby!

Finally, Katekyou Hitman Reborn. This was the first fandom I wrote fics for, back on my WattPad days, and I still love it to this day. I wish for the fandom to be revived so I may read the trashy fanfics I once adored and now hide my face in shame to.

Other fandoms I write for: Fairy Tail, though I haven't touched the AU I started in months. My Hero Academia, though only through my Tumblr page @my-rewrite-academia. I've been working on a Persona 5 fanfiction behind the scenes for a while, though I haven't progressed past chapter three.

I have an alt AO3 account, where I've written for MHA, Kuroko No Basket, Persona 5, SuperM, and the Banana Bus Squad (Vanoss and Friends).

My old WattPad has mostly Katekyou Hitman Reborn, and a sprinkle of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Neither of the previous two shall be linked, as I honestly just want to leave behind those fixs behind, considering I wrote them when I was thirteen and nothing made sense.

My favourite childhood show(s): Spongebob, Mr. Maker (only British kids will understand), Pokemon, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Also Sonic Boom, though that was exclusive to my teen years than childhood. The How To Train Your Dragon shows were also a favourite of mine, including Riders and Defenders of Berk.

If movies count, then How To Train Your Dragon, Shrek, Megamind, and Scary Movie(s). Scary Movie(s) sound like a weird thing, and it was. I was in the room with my older siblings when they put it on and never bothered to leave.

-

Now the Voltron-related segment!

Favourite Paladin: Keith. I hope it's not entirely obvious in my writing, as I wish to treat every character equally, but he is my favourite. I relate to him a lot and he ticks a lot of my boxes.

Favourite character: Keith, again. Other than Keith, however, it's Coran, the Gorgeous Man. He's always so jolly despite the heartbreak he's been through, and the writers were able to balance his comedy so well.

(Apart from the Voltron Show where they were clearly running out of ideas and/or time and made him more annoying than funny.)

-

BIGGEST QUESTIONS:

"What inspired me to write this rewrite–" (first half)

I actually started writing it in 2021, where I went on a three-year break due to losing motivation and my interest dwindling, at the time anyway. I was initially inspired to write it when I grew more and more frustrated with how canon handled many things.

As with many teen shows, I began to wonder if it would be handled better had it been intended for a more mature audience. It didn't help that I read the fanfics before I watched the show, so I had a certain level of expectations that weren't quite met.

I won't blame the writers, as it's usually just two or three people higher-up who make all the decisions. I was disappointed in DreamWorks, not the team behind it who have no choice but to follow orders.

But, yeah. The turning point, what really pushed me into starting and publishing the rewrite, was when I started thinking about how I'd handle each character and each arc. How I'd write different relationships, how I'd write each theme.

From there, I decided to put my money where my mouth was, so to speak.

It was a terrible start, really. When I first started writing it, I only had a vague idea of how I'd go about it. When I came back to the rewrite, the first thing I did was create a proper plan, else it'd just end up like the show - disappointing and missing so much.

I can remember, when I started, I just wanted to write a better story, which is a terrible mindset. This idea that the only thing that mattered was being better than the show is a toxic one.

My mindset is a lot better, of course. I've grown up since then, and spite-writing is something of the past. Maybe there are things I'm displeased with in canon, but I don't allow that spite to control me.

Rather, I feel more enthused, viewing it as more like adding onto what canon missed - filling in scenes rather than being better.

So, consider this a PSA to authors who spitewrite - get out of your minds. It feels much better to write if done with good intentions rather than negative. Words come easier and it doesn't feel like a chore.

-

"–and how do you motivate yourself to continue?"

Keeping a schedule, first and foremost. It differs from person to person, but having a set schedule of every '—day' helps a lot. It urges me to write, and the pressure helps me more than debilitates.

Of course, others may disagree. For others, having a strict schedule may feel constricting and thus hinder creativity, but it's helpful to me. This idea of, 'I have to do this', 'if not now then when?', helps me a lot.

It's also my longest fic to date, so to stop now would feel like a large disservice to both me and to the people who read each new chapter.

Then there's you! I'm not kidding, either. Comments, now more than ever, are usually so rare.

I once saw a post about an author discovering a discord server where their fic, (which had very little comments), was being heavily dicussed, and people had nothing but praise for it. When they asked why they didn't comment, they said that they didn't feel the need to, or that it would be embarrassing. That they never knew what to comment, despite the praise they had for it.

The author then decided to abandon the work upon finding this out. Because we don't get anything from posting our works. All we ask for is some form of praise or acknowledgement, and comments are just that.

Even if it's [<33] or [This is good!] or even [please update], we appreciate it all. Honestly, the only time I refuse to comment, rather than simply forgetting, is when an author holds fics hostage. The whole, 'I want x-many comments or else I won't update'. At that point, I lose any respect they had.

Comments are our lifeline, yet the idea of asking for comments feels like tabboo. As if we're less for leaving even a small note of, 'comment please', feels like it's asking for too much.

So to have a repeat commenter, to have you, is everything to me! If all else fails, if I can't find the motivation, I often think about those people who subscribed, who have my fic bookmarked, who comment on each update, and I think about how there are people who get excited with each update, who want to know what's going to happen next, who want to see this fic to its end.

It may sound corny, but my biggest motivation really is my readers, and those repeat comments give me life. It helps in ways that I never realised could.

-

And that is the end of the AMA/Q&A segment!! Thank you for sending this, stay tuned for the next update, have a great day, and look both ways before crossing the road!

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Tbh, timeline is the least of my problem with Miraculous. I was born around the time Detective Conan released and 20 smt years later the he's still first grade elementary, so yeah, I'm so used to the whole comic book timeline. My problem is with how fast he "fell in love" with Marinette, the girl who he rarely talk to because she always got tongue tied in front of him, the girl who he think is hated him in pupetter 2. Which also the episode the writers claimed to be the episode when Adrien fell in love with her.

Anyway, Adrien get over Emilie's death in less than a year is weird yet he's also a character who tend to keep everything bottled inside and also an "actor". I think many people already write about how good of an actor he is. The fact that we rarely get his POV also doesn't help in grasping his thought about his mother's death.

In special (I watch FR dub) though, we got an implication that he hasn't truly move on but he tried to. When asked by Griffe Noir about why he never try to get the wish despite knowing it could revive his (our) mother, he admitted that he has thought about it. It's the price that he wouldn't want to put to anyone. Life for a life.

“I resumed my life, trying to be happy just like what she would've wanted. I have friends who support me. I'm alright now. ...well, as alright as possible anyway."

I read the line as Adrien being "fake it till I make it" and he haven't fully move on, he's just good at hiding it. Which is pretty in character for him imo. The thing about being "easy children" is that everyone tend to think you're always alright, that you have no problem and with a parent with emotional immaturity like Gabriel being an easy children is a must, or punishment awaits him. So the combination of "what Emilie would like him to do" and Gabriel parenting who hates when Adrien being emotional, we got this child who tried to be okay and griefing alone.

I agree that the timeline isn't a huge deal, it's just kinda fun to point out how nuts it is. Adrien falling in love with Marinette is far less fun to talk about because I don't buy it for a second. Especially since it's literally the episode after Jubilation. You know, that episode where Chat Noir and Ladybug got married and had a bunch of kids? That's the thing that makes him give up on Ladybug? REALLY???

And then they have the audacity to claim that Marinette is the one who is lying to herself about her crush flip:

Alya: You're lying to yourself anyway, you’re in love with Adrien. (Elation, S5E9)

Because Marinette giving up on a guy she barely talks to after her crush lost her all of the miraculouses is totally ridiculous, but Adrien giving up on his partner who he's closer to than ever before makes perfect sense. Right.

I mean, I know crushes don't have to make sense, but this is a story not real life! This is not how you tell a convincing love story!

Re Emilie, you make a fair point about the special actually acknowledging Adrien's pain. It was a nice moment and I agree with how you say Adrien should be played. I just don't think that's actually what the writers are going for since season five has Adrien never talk about Emilie and ends with her statue destroyed so that Adrienette can have a new makeout spot. I really think we're supposed to read Adrien as fully moved on, possibly from both of his parents. It's really gross. Unless season six surprises us and Emilie is back, which might actually be enough to make me watch it. I really doubt it, though.

[cherryberg]

Your top 3 musicals ever gogogo gogo ogo go

HEEEEELPPPPP HEEEEEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPP aough .... ardate please you have to understand that i Have to understand that my taste in musicals are very limited now. when you were a musical girlie in 2016, you leave that shit behind for a few hundred years and now have to rebuild all of that again from scratch with a new appreciation so...

this went longer than expected so the list goes Marvin Trilogy, Fun Home, School of Rock. more under the cut smiles

Marvin Trilogy

In Trousers, Falsettos [March of the Falsettos, Falsettoland]

Fav Songs, excluding obvious fan-favourites: Can't Sleep, How Marvin Eats His Breakfast, My Father's a Homo/Everyone Tells Jason to See a Psychiatrist, Round Tables Square Tables, etc

i don't know many, but man. i like a good sung-through musical. means i can listen to the whole soundtrack from start to finish and have cohesively consumed a whole narrative. and tbh? falsettos, but even in trousers too, don't really have Bad songs. i've listened to the falsettos 2016 revival and in trousers 1979 original cast soundtracks dozens of times (both separately and together). which, i mean. compared to the other musicals i have here, i haven't even listened to their whole soundtracks (which. to be fair i did see those live). and yeah you have the really good songs that Everyone likes. the Thrill of First Loves and the Whizzer Going Downs and what have you, but you listen to the tracks a second time, or maybe watch the proshot again, and you get the smaller less-appreciated songs in your head. not included in the fav songs list because that thing's long, but i love A Breakfast Over Sugar. i get Set Those Sails and A Marriage Proposal and Miracle of Judaism stuck in my head. and its great! not to mention just how good and how important the story is .. i could go on but aough ..... long

Fun Home

Fav Songs: Edges of the World, Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue, Telephone Wire, currently being annoying about Raincoat of Love

PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES

yeah man. saw this one for school. still have the ticket actually. but Because i did it for school, i have so much analysis and thoughts up here, it's maybe too long and specific. and also for like. a specific production that no one on tumblr would've watched. i would give anything to see that production again though. it wouldn't be the same as seeing it live, Especially during certain moments, but goodness gracious, man. the set design, the lighting, and that revolving stage? absolutely everything to me... so well integrated. just... mwah

School of Rock

Fav Songs: Stick It to the Man, Act 2 Scene 8: Dewey's Bedroom. You're in the Band .. mehbeh

Um... I don't really.. have a third that I can think of that's on par. But, it's School of Rock. It's awesome. my sibling had a track record of not liking musicals when they had to come and see it with me (when i still went out to watch musicals aough ...), but I think this was the first one they really liked - enough for me to get them a key ring of the show! (they cried during If Only You Would Listen too :]) It was a wonderful performance, and the kids were so good and coordinated too! They let us take pictures of the ending song ... which i just took a video of, so i still have that. I watched School of Rock during my ... hardcore theatre kid era though so.. i've got a few cringe worthy memories of it .. but yeah is good :]

I did see Moulin Rouge once as well, despite never having seen the movie, and that was very good as well. Though I'm not much for jukebox musicals (can't deny that Moulin Rouge tracks can be freakin' awesome though) and I think I was too busy ogling heehee

but yeah .. that's all :]

[bradleysbradshaws]

@sgt-bluesummers

From what I can tell, its all newer fans who play or watch the reboot of mw2, see the two interact, and then go wild with yaoi There's also alot of ppl who haven't played the game but base their stuff of of others fanfiction and art for ghostsoap so I believe it is sorta like an overwatch situation Tbh I'm glad I joined this fandom in it's yaoi era semi recently, I don't think I could deal with dudebro gamers >.<

Thank you for replying to my question! :D Ahhhh, I did not know there was a reboot of MW2 - this makes sense now! And yeah, I'm happy that the yaoi girlies (and boys) are discovering CoD because of GhostSoap, lol; I have seen very amazing art around. This makes me wonder what other videogames might have fandom revivals if they get reboots. (15 years later, and I am still very delusional about the potential of Metal Gear Solid movies.)

Can someone please explain to me how the GhostSoap ship/fandom got so huge? I have known of the Call of Duty videogame franchise all of my life, but it was exclusively a dudebro phenomenon in my memory box, and only in the recent years did I recognize that it actually has quite a substantial yaoi fandom around it. And I genuinely love that for the fans, but how? And why did I not know this until 2022-2023?

And has everyone who ships GhostSoap actually played the CoD games? Or is it a case of something like Overwatch, where much of the fandom has never touched the game and thrived from watching the story/cutscenes and fanon lore?

[avephelis]

said i'd ramble a bitt about my vague protege!tommy au so i will do that noww. please heed the tws. all rp! c!

not gonna go super into detail but basic premise is when tommy is on the tower in exile he DOES jump (killing himself) but dream revives him and it sort of spirals from there. so:

obviously for tommy to actually have jumped he wouldn't have realised dream was just watching/controlling him or shaken off that exile mindset

the way i imagine death messages work is canon deaths are notably different on comms. so when tommy's message shows most people see it. dream goes to investigate (and eventually his cover is it was a server issue. he's the admin after all. who else is gonna know.)

i'm also pretty sure, based off the canon timeline, the lazar/vikk experimentation would have happened after exile. so in this au dream hasn't tested the revivebook on people yet. so it's a fluke of luck he manages to get it working on tommy under duress - getting it first try certainly wouldn't help with the god complex

and yeah all that means tubbo and l'manberg and everyone is aware that tommy is a. alive and b. with dream. don't get me wrong, i love versions of this au with a dramatic reveal, but it doesn't really work for this one? and i think there's a lot of under-utilised angst/horror potential in everything happening right under people's noses.

also this would mean dream would be too occupied to help techno at his execution - whether they just wouldn't hold it because tubbo's too worried for tommy, or whether techno just does lose a life, i haven't decided. leaning towards the latter because it has a lot of interesting character potential. not sure how it'd affect quackity's arc, though.

my issue with the au is i'm just not sure where to go with it tbh. because it has changed A LOT over about a year and a half until i settled after dream's revivebook lore this year. so i USED to have scenes and stuff planned out but idk anymore ( - -;;) maybe i'll come back to it.

so ermm misc points of relevance:

tommy's conditioning and mental gymnastics kind of hitting hard. harder than canon, because now dream technically did save him, so there's a feeling of debt added on to all the exile manipulation. (i don't think tommy would want to die again. especially after limbo and the agony of revival. would he stop ideating about suicide? probably not. but i wouldn't have him attempt it again.)

like i mentioned, reviving tommy prematurely wouldn't help dream's god complex. as well as discduo's canon bullshit, he'd probably see tommy as some kind of 'proof' of his godhood? to some degree. gotta think out the intricacies of that more though.

tommy is obviously under duress, so any decision he makes isn't really fair to blame him for. but the idea of him initiating some things with dream - maybe the idea of training or servitude - is just really interesting to me. not really a choice if he's being manipulated and threatened, but interesting character stuff nonetheless.

tommy also does some fucked up shit. probably kills someone at a point haven't decided who. angst and complexity of morality and guilt i love you.

at some point tubbo lifts tommy's exile, so technically he could come back to l'manberg, but whenever he does it's with dream and generally... very off/creepy. if i ever do something with this probably a lot of tubbo things. but yeah the idea of tommy being IN l'manberg but people not comprehending what's going on or being able to help him... freaky.

no idea what to do about enderwalk or doomsday.

clingyduo fight still happens. not sure if it'd be at the community house or not, but it'd have a LOT higher stakes than canon because tommy is slash gen Out For The Kill

I WANT TO WORK IN EGG STUFF!! because red banquet with dream there is a super interesting idea, especially considering tommy's immunity. and the fact he destroyed parts of the egg that one time but took damage from it whatt was up with that.

and above all else if i ever make this a fic or comic or whatever it WILL have a happy ending and hurt/comfort because. i am weak for that.

soo ya. bit of rambling. design notes ermm

as much as i love the classic :( mask i figured (x x) is a bit more unique, and makes sense considering the revival aspect of this iteration

tommy's hair is LONGISH! and keeps getting longer because i have always had headcanons about dream having a preference for it being long (being able to play with it, yank him around by it, etc).

tommy's facial scar is a near mirror of dream's. because i'm fucked up <3

tommy's design is generally much more rounded than dream's and has a hint of a moth/butterfly motif (as opposed to dream's spider)

tommy's mask/hood shows his hair and face behind it because it is not enchanted. just porcelain.

not pictured but somewhere there is a :) carved into tommy. from a particularly harsh "punishment".

also not pictured but TOMMY TRIDENT SYMBOLISM. which i DID NOT COME UP WITH ORIGINALLY!! don't know who did unfortunately. but the connection to the sea plus it being an unconventional weapon plus loyalty and channeling enchantments. yass.

and i'll link a coloured drawing related to this au so you can see the designs better

ermm that's about it for now. very workshop vibes not concrete under construction et cetera. but here if anyone is interested

[yeeosang-archive2]

all the stay at home questions u haven't answered yet :b

2. how many houseplants in your room, and what kinds are they?

i don’t have any of my own!

5. 5 tv shows that cheer you up

tbh i don’t really watch tv shows but i really loved the good place

7. your favourite board game

game of life

8. if you were going to write a non-fiction book on any topic, what would it be?

idk tbh jhskjdf

10. something you’ve created in the last year that you’re proud of (a playlist, a piece of art, some writing, a craft hobby, a social media account, etc)

i’m pretty proud of this account that i have now?? i’m pretty satisfied and i think i’ve made a mark in the atiny fandom with it i hope haskjdf

13. the last so-bad-it’s-good joke you heard

i can’t remember RIP

14. an artist (of any kind) whose work you look forward to seeing

monsta x!!!!! and ateez too bc i think they’re going to have a comeback soon asjdjfg

15. the last tv episode that made you laugh out loud

i haven’t watched any new tv shows sjhdkjfg

16. how you wake your body up when it’s feeling tired, achy or needs a stretch

i just kinda jump and go tbh it doesn’t matter if i’m sleepy lmao

17. a bath, shower, beauty or toiletry product that makes you feel revived, or that you always re-order when it’s running out

the laneige lip sleeping mask!! and their toner too!!

18. a book series you can always escape in

harry potter

19. a skill you’ve picked up in the past few years

using after effects and premiere pro!!

20. a youtube video you find useful, entertaining or relaxing

any cooking asmr videos tbh

23. the book you just finished and what you thought (no spoilers!)

i haven’t read any good books recently !!!

24. describe the most wacky, weird and wonderful at-home outfit you’ve put together

i mostly wear home clothing so nothing wacky!!

25. a game you’re playing that takes your mind off things

right now pokemon mystery dungeon dx!!

26. the film you watched most recently that you could watch again and again

kingsman!!

27. your favourite flavour and brand of tea

any green tea brand!!

28. a good-will story you’ve heard on the news that’s made you feel hopeful

i’ve seen a lot of people going out to pick up stuff for their elderly neighbours!!

29. a favourite easy recipe: 5 ingredients or less, or takes less than 30 min to make

champorado!!

[crimsonheart01]

Since we are now halfway through the year what has been your fave movie and tv series you’ve watched? You can pick more than one!

My sweet, sweet anon. I promise I haven't been ignoring you. I've been sitting on this ask for a while now because I needed to think.

Since you didn't specify if they needed to be new or not here's what's been on my watchlist lately:

Chocolat. I adore this movie. I don't like candy and don't really have a sweet tooth, but chocolate is my go-to when I have a hankering. A whole movie about my favourite sweet? Yes, please! Juliette Binoche in this movie is to die for. I aspire to Vianne Rocher. She's a force to be reckoned with but walks through her everyday life with kindness. She's observant and takes her time to get to know the people around her. However, instead of using the information she finds with malice she chooses to help others (and guess their favourite chocolate). She stays true to herself, her beliefs, and her morals even in the face of adversity. She enters every situation with kindness regardless of how she's being perceived. And, she doesn't come off as a Mary Sue like a lot of women get written off as. She has faults, and she makes mistakes, and you get to see them. Everything about her is exceptional. Come on! How could I ask for more? I watch this movie at least once a month, if not more. Not to mention that I also am determined to dress similarly to Vianne in this movie. I just need to find myself a quaint French town to live in first.

Looking past the glaring issues of the latest season, Stranger Things is definitely one of my favourites. I'm an absolute fraidy-cat. I can't watch this show at night by myself. I need my husband to watch it with me, or I binge it during daylight. Regardless of all that, I think overall, this show is really great. From the soundtrack to the originality of the story. I love the progression and the antics. While this latest season was a lot mellower in terms of the comedic aspect, I do adore the daily lives of the kiddos in this show and watching them grow in real-time. The intricacies of all the relationships is also amazing. Plus, the characterizations of the people in general. The actors themselves brought these characters to life, and I'm better for it. I honestly can't pick a favourite from the bunch because they all have a special place in my heart.

Honourable mentions:

I tried getting into Euphoria. I liked it but never made it past episode 3.

I enjoyed Eternals (Drukkari 4 Life).

WandaVision & Loki

The Book of Boba Fett. I know it gets heat because the last couple of episodes are Mando heavy, but altogether I really liked the show.

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This was alright. I loved Wanda's story arc but tbh as a major MCU film, it was a bit lacklustre. I didn't really care about Dr. Strange in it at all.

Sailor Moon Crystal (I got my oldest hooked on this by accident and now we're watching it together)

On my To Be Watched List:

I've seen and heard great things about Ms. Marvel, but tbh I'm MCU'd out right now.

Top Boy. I loved the original British series, and my husband watched the Netflix season of 2019 and liked it, but I never got around to it. Now that there's another season, I'm considering it. I'm worried, though, because I don't care for Drake, and I know he's the executive producer on this revival. It's said that he's just bankrolling it, but anything associated with Drake I tend to ignore.

Yellowjackets. I don't know much about this one besides that a lot of people have liked it. I'll maybe get around to watching it.

The Boys. The first season was great, but I just haven't felt the pull to watch the subsequent seasons. I want to, I just can't focus on it long enough to actually sit through an episode. I miss Frenchie!

Finally, new content for Atlanta! I can't wait to dive back into this series all over again and then catch up with the newest season.

[dramayeoja]

Goblin ❣︎ 도깨비

Kim Shin, an undefeated war general, is ultimately killed by a jealous young king named Wang Yeo. After death, Shin is revived by the gods—but his revival is by no means miraculous. He becomes a 도깨비 (dokkaebi, goblin), and is cursed. He will have to pay for all the lives he took in battle by living alone in immortality, witnessing everyone he's ever loved, die. Remaining lodged in his chest is the very sword that killed him. There is only person who can see that sword, and draw from his heart so that he can finally rest in peace: his bride... whom he's yet to meet.

Things get spoilery under the cut—you've been warned! ;)

Chipper, yeah? Haha so, right off the bat, the premises of Goblin remind me of like, a much more morbid version of the legend of King Arthur. You know, a man draws a sword from stone to prove himself the greatest king in all of Britain? Yeah. Just to be clear: this is a good thing (imo). Like, I personally think this is just such a cool idea for a drama 😍

Let's jump right in. I'm gonna be honest and say that, at first, I felt a little turned off at the female lead, Eun Tak, being nineteen (in the beginning of the show), meanwhile the male lead, Shin, is 900+ years old (but physically looks to be in his thirties). It just... rubbed me weird. But hey, the Twilight series (both the books and the movies) is exactly the same—high school girl, century-old man, bananas yet somehow romantic storyline... And I loved me some Twilight as a young adult. So I mean, I have no right to judge, really. Plus, Eun Tak soon turns twenty anyway. So that's an improvement I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️ We follow her character into her late twenties, nearly thirty. So things are definitely fine by then haha! 👍

Don't let that previous bit make you think I didn't enjoy Goblin—I LOVED it. That detail is just a lil funky to me, is all. Back during my Twilight obsession days, I was nearly twenty myself, and the thought of being pursued by an older man was exciting. Hell, I mean, it still is! But now that I'm two years shy of my 30th Birthday, I feel differently sometimes. I think, LAWD get that girl away from that man, she too young for him LOL. I am definitely getting old... Enough about Twilight now, apologies! I'm only using it for the sake of conveying similarities seen in Goblin 🙏 Let's talk cast!

Kim Go Eun as Ji Eun Tak and Gong Yoo as Kim Shin

Eun Tak is a bubbly young woman with limitless energy! While still in her mother's womb, Mama Ji was involved in a hit-and-run incident which, sadly, took her life. During Mama Ji's dying moments, she prayed to anyone above that her child's life be spared. Sat on a rooftop from afar, beer in hand (lol), Shin hears her prayers, as he is a god of sorts. He appears before Mama Ji, and shows mercy to her unborn baby. Eun Tak grows up with the ability to see/speak to ghosts. Said ghosts tell her constantly that she is the goblin's bride. How do they know? A strange birthmark on the back of Eun Tak's neck tips them off. Eun Tak unfortunately was taken in by her abusive bitch of an aunt, who jabs Eun Tak every chance she gets. Her cousins are assholes. Eun Tak's aunt really only keeps her around in hopes of collecting Mama Ji's savings (intended for Eun Tak) one day. Sad, right? I mean, isn't Eun Tak being born without her mother enough as it is? Life can be so cruel 😔

Lee Dong Wook as Grim Reaper/Reaper/Wang Yeo

This is Grim Reaper (or Reaper for short), portrayed by the handsome Lee Dong Wook. His character is just this strange, not at all tech-savvy man with a constant deadpan facial expression. Said facial expression provokes so many giggles during funny moments, and drives home the longing and desperation during sad times. We learn quite a ways in that he, in his previous life (again, just in case: spoiler), was Wang Yeo G A S P ! The young king that is essentially responsible for Shin's death, as well as all the misdeeds that were done to Shin's family. Again, this is something I don't want to spoil. Well, more, anyway 😆 You gotta see it!

Yoo In Na as Kim Sun/Sunny

Kim Sun, or simply, Sunny (she loves to spell her name for people lol, S-U-N-N-Y!) is the second female lead. Yoo In Na is so gorgeous that one look at her makes you feel like such a potato hahhah. 🥔 This fact about her beauty bleeds over into the show itself—every time another character meets Sunny, the camera does this slow motion pan into her lmao. She really is that pretty! Sunny's personality comes across so odd at first... Having watched all of the episodes now, I feel the intention of Goblin's creators was to make her seem like a soul searching for something it has lost in a previous life. idk if that makes sense, but yeah. She has this way about her, like she's disconnected from others, and is sifting through the haziness to find this thing she feels she's lost.

Yook Sungjae (my BtoB bias 😍) as Yoo Deok Hwa

Sungjaeeee ahhhh 💘💘💘 I had to gush, sorry! Hehe. Meet Deok Hwa: unofficial nephew of Shin. Deok Hwa is a third-generation chaebol (heir to a family-owned corporation) and spoiled man-child, always seeking his credit card hahaha 🤣 But I love him so much. Between Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook, and BtoB Sungjae? Man, I'm dying over here! Deok Hwa's true identity is revealed later in the show, which if you haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil it. Just watch. But his ending sucked. Like where did he go? Everyone else's endings got tied up neatly except for his. What gives, man? 🤔 Edit: I was actually reading an online conversation about what happened to Deok Hwa online—someone jokingly said he was reincarnated as BtoB Sungjae LOL 💯

Other various comments

AMAZING OST 😍😍😍

Good pace, episodes drag at times. A little confusing in the beginning, but you get there eventually. Maybe this is just me though, viewers who are a little more keen than I will likely catch on sooner ;) My mom was a little confused as well, and actually said at one point, "This should be called the 'what-the-hell-is-going-on' show," hahaha. Like I said though, we quickly moved on from this, and loved all the things. There are actually, I think, three (?) specials that were made to aid viewers in making sure they understand the complex events and relationships clearly. I haven't watched them yet, but want to!

Quite repetitive tbh, as there are unnecessary flashbacks often. Probably for two reasons: the obvious of reminding you what's what, but also to create suspense. Typical duration of most tvN dramas seems to be about 16 episodes, so it's possible these flashbacks and things are, for lack of a better word, filler. I don't know how rigid or lax tvN is about having a drama set at 16 eps, but I get the idea this is their preference. Seeing as so many of their programs on average last that long, I feel this must be what they want. Such has the potential to affect the writing, either positively or negatively.

A continuation of the previous bullet: I think Goblin's creators oversimplified the plot at times. I'm unsure if this is due to possible pressures to meet a specific requirement(s), or what. I'd rather forgo ALL restrictions and let creativity flow, let the story be told without pressure to fill a specific amount of time, etc. but TV production is weird. And contracts are weird. tvN might not to blame for these issues, could simply be that storytelling isn't always easy, man. I'm a writer myself, it's hard! I'M being redundant now lmfao! Anyway, yeah ~

Absolutely LOVED all the scenes that were filmed on location in beautiful Québec City, Canada 🍁 Tall, romantic trees, the fall foliage, historic buildings... sigh. Now all I need is Gong Yoo chasing me and we're all set! ;D

In addition to Shin being revived, my crush on Gong Yoo has been revived as well LOL. He fine 🔥 A classic K drama crush, can't go wrong with GY👌

Gong Yoo is always stellar at doing kiseu (kiss) scenes, and in Goblin, he does not disappoint. He really goes at it 🙈 which is preferred vs. the typical person kissing a stone statue that you see so often. He even did a lift kiss with Kim Go Eun that was reminiscent of THEE Coffee Prince kiss he did with actress Yoon Eun Hye! 😍

I never saw it coming, how the sword would wind up being removed from Shin's chest. I worried what the writers were going to do, how would they approach this, and just wow. The way things turned out is such a relief. It also told me that Shin's love for Eun Tak is true. I mean, I didn't need that scene to occur for me to know that, rather it just adds extra oomph that yes, Shin really does love Eun Tak. He didn't want her to suffer knowing she was responsible for his "death," so he thought quick and used her hands WITH his hands asdfghjkl. How dumb (bc noooo now you're gonna die) and amazing he is at the same time 💜

I love how Shin made his way back to Eun Tak after passing away, it was such a powerful scene. I could really feel his struggle, and kept yelling at my TV for him to stand up lol!

Devastated that Eun Tak died 😭 I really thought as many times as she'd cheated death before, she would somehow continue cheating death again and again for the rest of her days. But no... What a selfless person, Ji Eun Tak. Her being reincarnated as Park So Min gave me some closure. Not the closure I wanted, but closure.

The relationship between Shin and Reaper is ADORABLE. Whenever they interact with each other, they just have this great dialogue. Shin pings, Reaper pongs, Reaper pings, Shin pongs. It's great 😄 I still laugh about the slow-mo scene of them returning from the market with green onions HAHAHA 😂

I love Sunny & Reaper ~ However, their history as Kim Sun & Wang Yeo in their past lives is so very sad. I don't even know where to start RE: my feelings on this 💔 imo, their ending kinda sucked. I just wasn't satisfied with them having had this complicated, tragic story, only to be reincarnated in this fashion that I ultimately found to be just... idk, disappointing 😩 Again, closure, but not the closure I wanted.

I thought Reaper, the other grim reapers, the name cards, the depiction of what happens immediately following death with the brewing of the tea, the afterlife, etc. was all very creative. We really don't know what awaits us when our time comes—it's interesting to wonder if it's anything like it is in Goblin 🍵

Can't stop thinking about Goblin, even though I'm now watching Thirty but Seventeen & Mr. Sunshine! I'm emotionally cheating lol halp.

Photo credits: tvN & AsianWiki

Yo yo! I'm sorry I took so long to watch + write up this review! It's been a long couple of weeks for me, I wasn't always able to watch when I wanted. It was maddening 😆 But I have finally watched, and feel like the most accomplished person on the planet hahaha. xoxo 💜