One of the reasons why Guardian: The Lonely and Great God is raking in the ratings right now is because of the fantastic chemistry between lead actors Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook. More popularly known as Goblin, the Korean drama has broken through the typical formula of a love story involving two male leads (usually best friends or brothers) fighting for the love of the main female character.

Gong and Lee are two of the most popular Korean male leads today, but obviously, the Train to Busan star has been given more attention by social media and the show’s fans. Previously, Gong had starred in K-Dramas such as Coffee Prince and Biscuit Teacher, Star Candy, until he decided to focus more on making movies. He shot up to international fame with Train to Busan when it trended on Facebook upon its release.

[Image by Tenasia TV 10|Wikimedia Commons| Cropped and Resized | CC BY 3.0 ]

Meanwhile, for those unfamiliar with Dong-wook who plays Grim Reaper in Goblin, he has been playing lead roles in the past as well. To name a few, there’s My Girl, Wild Romance, Blade Man, and Bubble Gum. His last movie was released in 2015 entitled The Beauty Inside.

It is actually because of Lee Dong Wook’s leading status that almost didn’t get him the role of Grim Reaper in Goblin. The K-drama’s writer, Kim Eun Sook, actually had different plans for the somber deity. When Lee and his management company, King Kong Entertainment, expressed their interest to be part of the drama, writer Eun Sook gave her disapproval. According to a report from Drama Fever, the image she had in mind just did not fit the willing actor.

[Image by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images]

Stamp of approval

Relentless, the CEO of Lee’s management company personally got in touch with the series’ writer, only to be met with rejection again. This did not deter the persistent actor to claim Grim Reaper’s role. Dong-wook kept asking for a face-to-face meeting with the writer until he was finally granted a chance to show how the Grim Reaper should be portrayed by the Lee Dong Wook brand.

Needless to say, his persistence paid off, and honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Dong-wook’s role. His hard work is certainly paying off as fans don’t pit him against Gong Yoo. It rather seems that both actors are being liked equally in forums and social media groups.

In Episode 11, Lee will be pushed to the spotlight as it becomes his turn to play two roles. In the previous episode, the Grim Reaper’s past slowly unfolds as he gets closer to Sunny (played by Yoo In Na). Recent stills released by tvN show Lee Dong Wook dressed in traditional Goryeo robes and sporting facial hair.

According to Goblin‘s production team, the actor has been working hard to give life to his roles. In the stills, Dong-wook is shown in a reflective mood as a more mature king than the young one, which was always revealed in flashbacks of the murder of Kim Shin’s sister. As is already known, the Grim Reaper is actually King Wang Yeo who was manipulated by the evil eunuch Park Joong Won.

“He is continuously working hard and is doing an in-depth study on how to play two characters with different emotions. The upcoming episode will actively be showing the Goryeo king’s past story.”

An Episode 11 preview posted on tvN’s YouTube channel reveals the Grim Reaper taking Kim Shin to see his reincarnated sister. Unfortunately, it also shows Ji Eun Tak being hugged by the Red Lady (another deity), which leads to speculations that she will receive pressure to draw the Goblin’s sword soon. At the same time, more revelations about the Grim Reaper are set to come out on tonight’s episode as he slowly recovers his lost memories. This, in turn, would impact the Goblin’s storyline.

Goblin Episode 11 airs on tvN tonight, and on Viki for those watching in Europe.

[Featured Image by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images]