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And now we know roughly as to why the drama is titled the way it is...

Jun Ji Hyun
Nam Ji Hyun
Moon Ga Young
Lee Yoo Bi
Ha Ji Won
Go Ah Ra
Kim Tae Ri
Park Min Young

I agree with you about Hina's attachment to Eugene still being a mystery but I kinda like that about her character - her being so hard to read/predict is her charm. I'm inclined to think the attraction is because he stands out a lot due to being a US soldier but originally being from Joseon and because he's not transparently attracted to her or openly flirtatious compared to most men that enter the hotel, and that intrigues her.

Another week of amazing episodes and a very dramatic turn of events unfolding... I'm really hoping we see more of Eugene budging in regards to being so set on revenge and being able to focus on something other than that now that Japan is becoming more of a threat. I'm worried for Ae Shin's identity being at risk though, given that Hui Sung is now suspicious about her use of suits and with Dong Mae being so close to finding out that she was the one he shot.

But YYS continues to blow me away with his acting... I couldn't think of anyone more fitting to take on Dong Mae's role. The scene where he read the letter to Eugene in particular stood out for me, and that encounter on the railway. I wasn't sold on the Ae Shin/Eugene romance initially but it's definitely growing on me... I think it was largely the age gap that had me hesitant, but I have to say the eye acting especially from both KTR and LBH is so convincingly done.

That's fair, I can understand that too. I'm conflicted personally because I don't like LBH as a person at all given the scandals but he's a good actor and I liked him in Iris so I'm a little torn... the other actors I'm really enjoying so far though, especially Yoo Yeon Seok

What do you mean by that? No hate, I'm just genuinely curious

I like writing reviews from time to time and always do my best to give insightful, unbiased and honest reviews and balance out ... but that makes them longer and more analytical so people don't bother reading. I'm the emotional kind of review writer you described

I get bothered by the majority of reviews that are too vague/short/posted too early on, spoilery or either of these two extremes:

1) Overly critical - unashamed bashing/pinning the blame on the female lead... being far too quick to judge without giving the drama a chance... "I don't ship it I prefer [X ship] so it's bad"... common complaints of it being "too slow" or "no chemistry" yet when I see users' favourite/highly rated dramas a lot of those complaints will apply to them too... yes you don't have to enjoy a drama but it's really obvious when it's more of a rant than a review and it's honing in on all the negative without shedding light on positive aspects of the drama to balance it out.

2) Far too biased - sure, I watch dramas for my favourite actors... doesn't everyone? But immediately rating a drama that hasn't even ended or hasn't even aired yet a solid 10/10 JUST because your favourite is in it for the sole purpose of bumping the rating helps nobody at all (this doesn't apply to all, but I notice the majority of dramas with idol actors especially have this issue). You can be reasonably critical and not enjoy a drama but still be a fan of the actors (yes, I'm looking at you, The K2) and not just blindly hype it up (e.g. I really love TVXQ for their music... Yunho is my first ever real bias, I love the guy... but acting is really not his strong point at all and I don't try to act like that's the case just because I love his music). A pretty face (or several) doesn't make a good drama - good acting, solid plot and writing, overall execution, chemistry between actors, etc etc does... there are so many aspects involved in what makes a good drama.

That's why I've averted my focus to Currently Watching articles of dramas that I'm enjoying - there's more of a chance people will read that and I won't be wasting my time writing something lengthy that people won't bother reading. I hope that they're more of use to people so that they can judge whether the drama is for them and avoid leaving reviews that are like what I described... sorry for this lengthy comment haha - I enjoyed the article as it evoked some feelings of my own on the topic

We still have a long way to go as we've just reached the quarter point of this drama, but I'm in the process of putting together a Currently Watching article for it.

For those who are still unsure about giving this drama a chance or not, is there anything in particular that you'd like me to go into regarding what to expect (e.g. in terms of plot, historical context, characters, etc)? I can't guarantee I'll be able to cover all bases (given that some answers might border on being too spoilery) but I can try my best to do so in the article.

pixpix, you pretty much summed up my thoughts too. Not to say that it was a bad drama as such but Goblin was something I couldn't personally get into. However, in the first few episodes Mr Sunshine already captured my interest. There's a really promising plot/setup and the character dynamics, even between those who are outside of the main cast, are something I can't wait to see play out. The cinematography is really beautiful to look at and the actors are doing strongly so far. Kim Tae Ri and Yoo Yeon Seok especially shine, and Lee Byung Hun is still an exceptional actor, as much as I'm not fond of him as a person.

I agree entirely which is why I can overlook it for the case of this drama. The historical plot definitely intrigues me and I'm interested in seeing how the various dynamics between the characters (Hina included) unfold. I hope more people complaining about the love triangle/square can look past that. The preview for episode 6 only increases my anticipation to see what happens

Loved the actor cameos/appearances by Park Hae Jin, Hong Jong Hyun, Yoo Yeon Seok and 5urprise... episode 5 has been the most enjoyable thus far

It's still airing at the moment but Mr. Sunshine is showing some really good strong female main characters so far

That cliffhanger in ep 4 was almost painful... I do really want to see more of Eugene's sympathetic/protective (and also jealous, especially when he finds out about the fiance) sides come out as he reconnects with his homeland. And that preview makes me only fear for Dong Mae even more... the second (third?!) lead syndrome is real already...

I imagine a big proportion was spent on just paying Lee Byung Hun lmao

Wow.... a $27.8 MILLION budget for this drama, making it the most expensive Korean drama ever made... that's really something (although I can see why, I'm actually really enjoying it so far)

Agreed... people do it enough with underage idols as it is and it's still unacceptable for actors too (and also incredibly creepy). People would automatically find it disgusting if it was a case of grown men saying sexual things towards schoolgirls who are minors - I don't see why this should be treated any differently.

I agree... I watched I'm Not A Robot with low expectations, just because I wanted something easy to watch and lighthearted but I ended up really enjoying it. Whereas I personally couldn't get into Goblin, DOTS, The Heirs, Legend of the Blue Sea, SWDBS, etc as much as other people did

Enjoyed the article even though I don't personally relate to a lot of the points mentioned... for example I'm personally largely very uninterested in dramas where there's very blatant amounts of eye candy in the use of idol actors, like in Hwarang. Moon Lovers was a weird exception that I ended up enjoying, however. Disappointed at the lack of JCW here though haha (I'm joking, it's just my bias talking) but I agree with LJG in Lawless Attorney for sure.

Sad that it's over! Thank you to the wonderful cast and crew for such an enjoyable drama : ) I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with the ending - I was worried they'd be left with too many things to wrap up without everything being addressed

Haven't seen any of the main dramas you mentioned, but I agree with the mentions of Hello Monster and Chicago Typewriter.

Other honourable mentions for me were Choi Yoo Jin from The K2 (I felt like I rooted for her surprisingly even more than JCW, which really says something...), Jung Hyun Soo from Suspicious Partner, Lee Yoo Beom from WYWS and Judge Cha from the still-airing Lawless Lawyer.