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[In Defense Of] The not-so-happy ending

By @ChakkaAB

Warning: Since I will be dealing with the topic of not-so-happy endings there are lots of SPOILERS ahead.

 
The Case for the Not-So-Happy-Ending

We’ve all been there. We have invested 16 or perhaps even 20 hours of our lives in a show. We have grown attached to our characters, journeyed with them, become entrenched in their trials and tribulations, and maintained hope in the bleakest of moments. And now, finally, we have arrived at the final hour, the resolution. Sometimes we know it’s coming, can see the writing on the wall in time to prepare our hearts sufficiently. Other times it catches us by surprise—the let-down feeling, in a word, monumental.

While not-so-happy endings are hard because they don’t leave us with the warm fuzzies we need to move on, bringing blissful conclusion to our beloved characters and fond memories to us as viewers, I contend that not all are wrongfully given.

 
Happy versus appropriate endings

With Mirror of the Witch, the viewer knew almost from the onset that somebody was going to have to die; Yeon-hee’s curse would be sated with nothing less than the ultimate sacrifice. I suppose that warning provided the chance to prepare our hearts and place our bets on how it would all eventually go down, but that didn’t make the conclusion any less difficult to bear. The show never lied to us or provided false hope for a miraculous fix. It delivered an abundance of twists and turns, but in the end it refused to absolve our leads of their fate.

I won’t lie. Initially I was left feeling bereft but then I asked myself the question: If not the ending I was given, what would I have deemed acceptable and appropriate? I emerged from the endeavor to conjure that sort of ending empty-handed and here’s why. Yeon-hee was a young but courageous heroine. Her greatest fear was the sacrifice of those she loved for her sake so it wouldn’t have suited her for Jun to die in her place. Anything but the ending that was provided wouldn’t have made sense for Yeon-hee’s character or the framework of the show that the writers had developed, and knowing that made the conclusion not just easier to accept but emotionally moving.

 
Happy versus realistic endings

As we know, reality is ugly and often unfortunate. It’s not presented with a bow or ornamented with garish decoration. There are no unicorns or rainbows with pots of gold waiting at the end of them. Maybe that is part of why Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo left a bad taste in the mouths of so many people; it depicted reality and all of its cruel disappointments. It’s a cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for, because once one finds themselves occupying the throne, it isn’t as gilded and gleaming as it appears from the bottom.

Becoming king does not provide the happily ever after that Wang So thought that it would. The battle doesn’t end with his ascension nor does the bloodshed cease, since once the crown is achieved it must be kept. He doesn’t get to choose his partner; either; the rules are a formidable adversary to a king’s will to follow even his own heart. Reality is a brutal nemesis, a jailer from which we, its prisoners, will never be free, and Moon Lovers reminds us of this truth as the sun sets on our characters and darkness descends upon the final frame.

 
Happy versus poignant endings

When sitting down to watch a sageuk, we as viewers automatically temper our expectations because, after all, it’s a sageuk! How well could it end? There is a part of us that understands that the journey will be rife with bloodshed and that we will lose a few of our comrades along the way. It is different, however, with a modern drama like The Lonely Shining Goblin. Sure the title tells us that he is lonely, but that’s what the story is about, right? How he gets… unlonely? And in the final episode when we are supposed to be delighting in that objective’s fruition, instead we find ourselves forced to watch as the Goblin’s curse plays out and he is divested one by one of everyone he has become close to, even his immortal companion. It leaves us in a hopeful place though. Kim Shin and Eun-tak meet during her second of four lives and we know that for however long she lives they will be happy. But when that happiness is yoked to mortality it can only be, at best, fleeting.

We knew from the beginning that this was a love story between an immortal and a human. We also understand that when mortality is in play, the chasm between our leads won’t be so easily overcome. My theory of why Goblin’s ending wasn’t wholly tragic (or at least not as tragic as it appears) all comes back to the contract. Once Eun Tak’s lives are spent, the Goblin will not continue to live on beyond her, for both he and his existence are bound to the contract that enabled his return. When the contractor has perished, there is nothing to bind the contractee to this world and he too will be released. But does that really take away the sting?

It has been said that art imitates life. The truth is that while we long for that perfect fairy-tale ending wherein all is well and every piece fits perfectly into place—but that concept of an incandescently happy ending can live only in fiction. I do not hate any of these shows for withholding “happily ever after”; in fact I love them all the more for the strength of the characters who persevere in the face of adversity and death as well as the boldness of the writers in giving me what I needed, not what I wanted. These stories have stuck with me long after the first viewing, longer even than some of the shows that gave me that expected happy ending.

It’s not that I don’t also want to see happy endings, but there is still a place for the reverse. Some of the best dramas are not the ones that leave the viewer with a warm, fuzzy feeling, but those that dare to imitate life and leave us instead with a poignant, realistic, and at times bittersweet ending.

(Gavel bangs.)

And thus I rest my case in defense of the not-so-happy ending.

 
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I loved MOTW, and the ending for me was completely understandable. I liked a lot from that drama (except I wanted magic battles )..
As for Goblin, yes, the ending did suck. But since I was in it for the grim reaper and Sunny, I was satisfied :D

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In the case of MIRROR OF THE WITCH, Heo Jun was a historic figure, so we knew from the very beginning that he had to live and write "Mirror of Eastern Medicine." That left one other person as the sacrifice, and a twist on the real meaning of the name of the potion that Jun drank that enabled him to fulfill his destiny.

Yeon-hee was pretty much doomed from the start, although she could have finagled. But that would have been totally out of character. I cannot abide it when character development -- and logic -- is thrown out the window.

Jun's stepping through the gateway was one of the most beautiful and memorable depictions of transition to the next life I've ever seen. SEVEN DAY QUEEN had a similarly lyrical and moving ending for a pair of historical personages.

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I agree. I have cried both times I've watched that scene.

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*waving back at reaper* He had a bittersweet ending as well. I kinda wished he remembered Kim Shin when he reincarnated, and the bromance continued! I really need to be in a good place to watch those sad or bittersweet endings! Thank you for a great defense!

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I like your defense @chakkaab!

I'm really interested in the topic of the endings of dramas, as so often they leave me scratching my head, wondering what the point was of spending 16 or 20 hours of watching, if this is what you're going to leave me with. There's a saying about novels that goes something like: readers may buy a book because of the opening chapter but they'll buy that author's next book because of the ending. And I think it goes for screenwriters too!

Where dramas sometimes go wrong, is that they think more death = more tragedy. I remember one drama, where I think I burst out laughing when only one member of the cast was still left standing at the end. Yes, that's an exaggaration but I do think four or five main characters died in the final episode. I don't think I was meant to laugh.

If a drama is well-written, you get to that moment of recognition of: oh, he/she is going to die. That instant can be more heart-wrenching than the scene where it happens. The moment in Heartless City for example, where one particular character kills another character, steps over that line, and you know he'll end up dying for having done that.

So I agree with your defense: I think not-so-happy endings can be great. I want an ending that's appropriate for the drama. I hate it when endings feel like a cop-out or something that's added on for tear-jerking effect. Sometimes I might have preferred that a particular character didn't die, but if an unhappy ending has meaning, then I'm all for it.

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"readers may buy a book because of the opening chapter but they'll buy that author's next book because of the ending".. oh, I like this, so much!!!!

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Yes, more than a happy ending, I’m looking for an appropriate ending. Does the ending make sense in terms of what we’ve seen, so far? The worst endings are those where you’re left scratching your head wondering where on earth it came from.

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Yes! I'm not upset by sad endings. It's the sloppy, rushed, WTF endings that have me flipping tables.

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I've never bought a book because of it's ending! Maybe that's why I don't care which writer wrote a script, because any script in a hand of a good director and good actors can turn to a magic. But when there's a good script in bad hands, that turns sour like a cardboard milk which can't be saved by making some soft cheese from it.

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Sorry, I probably didn't make the quote very clear: it's more that if you really loved the ending of a particular book, you'll look forward to that writer's next book.

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I buy a book by it's storytelling. Sometimes I cheat and read the ending when in the middle and then I focus on the craft of the storytelling. I don't care about endings in total. Sometimes it's true I look for some sweet books when tired with life, but usually they have not much to give to the reader. But I loved the bitter happy ending of Jane Eyre and the book gives a lot...

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This post comes at the perfect time, as many here are waiting for the final episodes of Just Between Lovers and things look like they might be headed into unhappy ending territory. Who knows, of course, but the possibility does exist.

This is certainly a reminder that unhappy endings should be put into context and evaluated based on the facts that the drama presented. A difficult task quite often, especially when the rational mind is cast aside in favor of emotions that are stirred by beloved characters.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on unhappy endings and how sometimes they just fit.

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Thanks for your defense, @chakkaab. I don't like the not-happy ends but I understand.
You guys that have not watched Chicago, take a look at it. You will understand that it could also and perfectly belong to this group.

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When I first started watching K-Dramas it seemed like every one had a sad ending. Sangdoo, Let's Go to School! I thought it was going to be a cute little rom/com. Because I respect the "no spoiler" rule I'll just say, "it wasn't." Damo: The Legendary Police Woman and Hong Gil-Dong, The Hero, action (with some humor) and for sure they'd end happily, right?
Then I watched "The Duo," and "Tree with Deep Roots."
Later I tried "Shine or Go Crazy" because I love Slave Hunters so much--until the end.
I tell you--it's gotten so whenever I watch a show that ends unhappily, I wait for a year or so--and then watch it again, but quit 2 or 3 episodes before the ending. Then I make up my own ending.

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Hi @Wag-a-muffin! (@barbara-foxmuffin)
. . . and you can draw your own ending as well!!! 😆

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Yeees. I too love her guts and the length she goes to realise her "darn it. I'll make my own ending"

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After rereading the post and the comments, I realize I don't mind "unhappy" endings if they make sense. Even when I made my own ending to Scarlet Heart Ryeo, the main female character still died. (I just thought my cartoon ending resolved her pre-death actions better than the actual drama.) There are many K-dramas where a forced happy ending makes no sense at all. It's annoying when a couple resolves all their conflicts miraculously in the last episode, or when the bad guy deathbed repents and turned "good." (As an example, but not a K-Drama, think of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series. It's TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE that he sees the light in the ending moment of life.) Another "happy ending" cliche I don't care for is when every single individual who has had some screen time decides to spontaneously couple up with some other individual and all the pairs ride off into the sunset.
Unhappy, LOGICAL endings are fine. (But I still am not happy about characters I have come to care about getting killed off for no apparent reason.

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Good post, @chakkaab! I don't mind an unhappy ending (and sometimes I think dramas would be better off with them), but I cannot stand a badly written one -- happy or not.

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Thanks for the write up even though I don't like sad endings no matter how much I try to rationalize it I just can't like it...so I never completed moon lovers and goblin because of that....the drama that I watched which had a sad ending for me was uncontrollably fond, I think I cried for two days after the drama ended.....

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I re-watched Uncontrollably Fond during the Christmas break (I know, I'm weird) and the ending still gutted me. It's so sad but appropriate and realistic, given the story. I'm glad I still watched it for Kim Woo Bin, who carried the drama all throughout, and proved himself a more than capable leading man. (Suzy's acting and the dramas makjang-y elements are more tragic than the ending.)

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Yep, Kim woo bin proved himself....I always supported him right from the drama, the heirs.....

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IT's also help the way they executed every sad scene in uncontrollably fond... It's just so well done and subtle... That ending scene Kim WOo Win with her mom is one of the best acting I've seen from him... so subtle but raw. that for me... UF is still a well made drama, flaws and all.

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That's s why despite the sad ending I knew was coming I still watched all of it......

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Warning: I've made very small mention to speculation about Just Between Lovers's ending.

This was a pretty good defense of the not so happy ending. I've watched a ton of shows and films with sad endings and I've come to the conclusion that while I wouldn't mind the odd sad ending, I would much rather have it in a film as opposed to a drama. I don't need hours of sadness when I can come to a similar understanding/feeling in less than 3 hours. Grave of the Fireflies is an excellent example of this. Similarly, if I've invested hours into watching a show, my idea of a gratifying payoff isn't exactly the feeling of lasting sorrow. If it is sorrowful, it had better be meaningful. Unfortunately for me, I rarely ever find the K-drama approach all that meaningful in that regard. The one possible exception might be the upcoming ending of Just Between Lovers.

Another issue with the Korean approach to the sad endings is that it often comes like a truck of doom in two ways. The first is the one you didn't see coming. Annoying but usually not too painful. The second, you do see coming but you freeze like a deer in the headlights unable to move. You hope your feet and body move. You hope that someone pushes you out of the way. You hope the driver stops in time. You hope that you've been dreaming. These things often never happen and you leave the drama a mangled mess. The best example of this is Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo. We were pretty much tortured throughout the entirety of the drama and I for one had hoped that we would be rewarded for sticking it out with a happy ending. Unfortunately, that was not the case. We just got more pain for our troubles.

In the end, I think it boils down to what you as the audience appreciate and expect out of a drama. Some people want escapism. Some people want realism. Some people simply want a well told story.

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Agreed: if sorrowful it has to be meaningful.

Not just dramas. I never appreciated the ending of Hamlet, but in Macbeth all the deaths made sense; even a villain who regrets his actions still fights to the end, etc etc.

Regarding Moon Lovers, I kind of expected that ending because time-travel dramas usually send the time traveller back. 😔 My problem was that Lee Jun Ki was acting out an epic historical drama, while IU seemed like a rom-com heroine until episode 11-12 (the modern OST is good but didn’t give her scenes much gravitas) and then she made drastic decisions and went full tragedy. Therefore, the dark realistic frame at the end was in line with his story but left me wondering what was the point of her journey to the past then. I’m part of the club that wants a well told story. MLSHR left several questions unanswered. 🤔

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I like your "truck of doom" metaphor. I would agree that different people want different things. I confess to having wanted all three quailties you listed depending on the drama or my mood, and on the rare occasion all three at once!

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@hades January 27, 2018 at 4:25 PM

In the end, I think it boils down to what you as the audience appreciate and expect out of a drama. Some people want escapism. Some people want realism. Some people simply want a well told story.

You raise a very good point. Sometimes I'm in the mood for light and fluffy escapism, other times I'm looking for a drama that provokes thought or casts a sidelight on history. If I'm looking for escapism, I'm not going to watch a revenge drama or a police procedural, or any kind of thriller. I'd likely pick a nice slice-of-life family drama (which could still have death, illness, etc.) or a comedy. I might even pick a fictional sageuk just because it's set in ancient times, so at least it's not full of events that feel as if they're ripped from the headlines.

Regardless of the genre, I want a well-told story that doesn't insult my intelligence. Lately I've been finding that heavy-handed slapstick is a turn-off. Maybe I just appreciate more cerebral humor with sight gags and word play.

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Few days ago I read the GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES entry at Wikipedia and was close to tears. I was attracted to the beautiful title,then the poster, then the fact that it's Ghibli.
Wonder whether it's still available for download with subs and high quality?

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Not the best quality, but not that bad either.

https://www.masterani.me/anime/info/1535-hotaru-no-haka

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Woah,thanks.

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One drama that I remember up to this day is Yesterday, starring Kim So Yeon and Lee Jong Won. It's an old drama and one of the earliest that I have watched. Unconsummated love affairs are the saddest and hardest to watch, most especially if the two leads tried their hardest to stay together but are just victims of bad timing and life basically getting in the way of a happy ever after.

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I’m ok with not-so-happy endings. They just need to make sense. I actually like a tearful, bittersweet but somehow hopeful ending, which is why I’m not panicking over JBL (yet).

Thanks for this! I prefer the ending of the Chinese version of Scarlet Heart, but actually the Korean ending was really good. Probably my favourite bit (second to Episode 11).

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Thanks for this essay. I do love happy endings but I hate them when they made no sense. I do not like that big red bow that came out of nowhere slapped on the drama's ending. A forced happy ending for the otp's main romance makes me roll my eyes and pull my hair. I do not even care if they throw in tons of hot kisses and happy couple moments. I despise them. Thanks for you defense post @chakkaab

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Thanks for taking up this defence @chakkaab, and like others here have said, just at the right time too, as we consider a possible 'not so happy ending' for Just Between Lovers this week.

I've been agreeing with most comments here and with the defence. Yes, what I respect in a show is

. . . the boldness of the writers in giving me what I needed, not what I wanted.

I give them accolades for integrity, for sticking to their guns, to write the story that needed to be told, regardless of what ending the audience preferred. This is a move obviously not too popular with the paymasters of PPL who would prefer a happy audience lapping up the show and their PPL. Therefore, there might have been a hard won fight behind the scenes before we, the audience, got to have the final product (sad ending and all) that we deserve.

It's the case also that the 'true-to-story-logic' shows are the

. . . stories (that) have stuck with me long after the first viewing, longer even than some of the shows that gave me that expected happy ending.

I still recall 49 Days, My Spring Days, Goblin, Marriage Contract . . . as the shows ending with sunsets rather than rainbows, but they are the ones I recall fondly.

It’s not that I don’t also want to see happy endings, but there is still a place for the reverse. Some of the best dramas are not the ones that leave the viewer with a warm, fuzzy feeling, but those that dare to imitate life and leave us instead with a poignant, realistic, and at times bittersweet ending.

Together with imitating life, which also is good that a show dares to do . . . I feel a great satisfaction in a show, well-made, respectful of the viewer, with an ending that made perfect sense in the context of that dramaverse, with those specific characters, faced with their set of circumstances.

Lastly as comments here have said as well . . . both happy feel-good shows and sad-to-tragic shows have their place in our viewing gallery. At different times, in different moods, where needs are met, either or both can give us great viewing pleasure. 😃

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My favorite not so happy ending would have to be from The King's Face. Kim Ga-Hee had sacrificed in a number of ways to get Prince Gwang Hee away from Crazy King. Prince Gwang loved her and she him. They were there for each other. But in the end... they had to be apart.

My least favorite happy ending came from BTLIOF and was from Ho-Rang and Won-Seok. I just really, really wanted them to break up. They wanted different things, at different points of their lives, and I wanted them to be okay with that. Sometimes ending a relationship is the best thing you can do. Dramas don't depict that enough. I couldn't help feeling like they might be compromising something really important.

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OMG I wanted Ho-rang and Won-seok to break up so much! Their so-called happy ending felt very sad to me.

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Gee I thought I was the only one who wanted them to break up. It seems they get married only for the sake of getting married. It doesn't settle well with me. And Ho-rang is a better person when she is not in relationship with Won-seok and on the way of getting married.

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@cloggie @pohonphee @evan85 I take it you guys preferred the Fight My Way approach?

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I haven't seen that yet! But, luckily, a large gap has just opened up in my schedule...

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@hades,
Hmm... I'm assuming you're referring Seol-Hee and Joo-Man's relationship? If so, then yes. I like that they ended in state of repair rather than just getting back together. However, I will say Seol-Hee and Joo-Man felt much more believable than Ho-Rang and Won-Seok. At least to me.

Seol-Hee and Joo-Man felt like they were shaking out some jinks to get to the next level. They both wanted the same thing and they wanted it with each other. Seol-Hee loved Joo-Man more than just the notion of getting married.

There were several times where I questioned which Ho-Rang loved more: Won-Seok or the idea of getting married. Through the majority of the drama, Ho-Rang seemed like _____ groom will do. Honestly, if Won-Seok would have stood his ground; Ho-Rang probably would have married the other guy in the long run. Just my thoughts though.

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I agree, I definitely think there’s a time and a place for not-so-happy endings. I find it places more emphasis on the story as a whole rather than just the conclusion. On a side note though, I think ‘Moon Lovers’ left a bad taste in peoples’ mouths because it made little sense and the heroine was kinda sucky, not because the ending wasn’t a happy one =P

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I love happy endings, but can accept unhappy endings as long as I can find some sense in them. Perhaps there is a goal that must be accomplished, a lesson to impart, or maybe history or the limits of modern medicine necessitates that our beloved charcters have to die. I did have trouble with Shin's fate in the Goblin ending. I can accept Euntak's death (she was destined to meet death every 10 years and her time was always borrowed), but Shin's fate just feels like a centuries' long tragedy - having to wait for his wife to be born find her, and bury his wife and kids and grandkids and retainers through all those lifetimes.

Complain as I may about kdrama endings - at least kdramas are short. The ending to the US tv series, How I Met Your Mother, gave me after 9 years...WHY?! I do rewatches of everything except the final 2 episodes. Or what about those tv series that get cancelled and the series just ends.

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Felt similarly about "How I met your mother" - I couldn't believe they did that. I mean, poor title character is swept aside with the return to the Robyn obsession - what the.. It took all of 9 years plus all that angst to come up with a conclusion that basically upset viewers and fans and could have just been the ending of season 1. Rant over 😂

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The ending of How I Met Your Mother ruined the entire series for me. I just... I just can't...

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Interesting @chakkaab, thank you for the defence/analysis. I agree with the justification for the disappointing ending for Scarlet Heart Ryeo. My guess for the ending being what it was relates to its origin: it was adapted from a foreign drama that was wildly popular in its original form.

The open-ended conclusion may well be a moral lesson and/or reflection of identity, it could also be the result of a time-travel plot. Unless we have So time-travel or reincarnate, there is no happy ending possible. The latter would be an echo of Rooftop Prince which had its fair share of criticism.

For Goblin, I wonder if there is a bit of a flaw in the contract theory you put forward. The contract was signed with Eun Tak as the main party, not with the Goblin's bride (in all her incarnations). So technically, when Eun Tak died, the contract expired. It does not extend beyond the individual signatory. What is more likely is the immortal loneliness of Goblin post Eun Tak's four incarnations, which the "recappers" pointed out is the conclusion implied but not explored. In a way, the conclusion of Goblin is fairly reminiscent of Rooftop Prince, except this is the version with the character returning not just in similar physical form but with memory intact.

That said, this defence is much needed and appreciated 😊

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You're right about that flaw of the contract in Gobilin. Maybe, since it's the world of immortals, that contract counts as having been signed by two souls, not two people: hence, it will still be valid as long as there is a person with the soul of Eun-Tak.

Apart from what happens once Eun Tak's 4 lives run out, there is also another reason that makes that ending veeery bittersweet: if Eun Tak didn't forget her previous lives, how do her first and second life combine? I mean, she's going to have a family and her own memories from the 2nd life, in addition to her first life. And she is never going to be the same person, because the events of our lives shape our personality, and it is clear that she does not have ti suffer so many misfortunes as she did in her 1st life.

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*hugs The Lonely and Shining Goblin*

There, there, sweet darling, no matter how short and fleeting our time together was, I love you more for it.

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I like happy endings - it's like a good dessert, I can't resist. But I love a good story telling with a realistic ending which is like a good food for me. It's very rare, especially when I'm not a meat eater living in a country of a "La Haute Gastronomie", and so delicious that I'm ready for any aftertaste . The digestion is other thing and sometimes it takes time to digest the story, but I'll risk it next time just for pleasure of the taste.

I was one of the few who loved Moon Lovers as it was, I liked it how the writers let us to taste the hardship of the past and that even if we went back in time, we can't change many things, or any things at all and we would be for the weird ones, because of the inappropriate behaviour and manners. Hae Soo understood it and she had to survive for her baby to be delivered. She was so much in love and she gave a painful lesson to Wang So but he's forgotten to read in-between the lines like many men do when in long relationship.

The ending of Goblin fell in place as well, he needed to die in order to be reborn.

I'm sorry for all the butterflies which had and have to die but:

a) the HCl is really strong - it kills everything (still can't understand how in a Little Red Riding Hood an entirely living person can come out of the wolf's stomach)
b) butterflies don't live for long...

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I agree with your take on Moon Lovers. It has a depth that is easily missed and often unread.

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Thanks for your essay, @ChakkaAB!

There are indeed times when it's fitting that unicorns and rainbows are conspicuously absent from a finale, especially when it would be a betrayal of the protagonist's essential nature or the integrity of the plot. On the other hand, a sad ending doesn't have to go overboard into gratuitous makjang, or jettison logic completely. A little nuance and subtlety can make all the difference between satisfying catharsis or hard-earned redemption and an Acme Anvil of Doom appearing out of left field.

LOOKOUT is a show with a less-than-happy ending that is in keeping with the protagonist's character arc. At first I was upset, but after I got a chance to cool down and reflect, I came to see it not only as a logical possibility, but proof of Jang Do-han's dedication to his cause, and his care and concern for Soo-ji and the Lookouts. On the other hand, some of the circumstances leading up to the final resolution made me want to scream.

I'm in the process of watching MAWANG / LUCIFER / THE DEVIL (2007) for the first time, and can see that LOOKOUT (as well as MONEY FLOWER, which ends next weekend) is definitely its spiritual offspring. I never thought revenge was my cup of tea, and can only conclude that it's the combination of twisty plotting and psychological character study that has me hooked. The spiritually-corrosive nature of revenge almost guarantees that a "sad" ending is inevitable. Depending on how it is handled, it may also lead to blessed release from protracted temporal injustice, repayment of a karmic debt, spiritual growth and enlightenment, or forgiveness and reconciliation. When one's immortal soul is involved, to me those are far more important considerations than the physical survival of a being whose earthly existence has been hellish. One can always hope for happiness in the next life.

One more aspect of revenge is also important, and that is the role of free will and conscience. When a character consciously dedicates their life to exacting vengeance, they know from the start that "what goes around, comes around," and that two wrongs don't make a right. They know right off the bat that there will be a price to pay for their actions. For some parties, it's an acceptable trade. Happiness in life is part of the price they are willing to pay.

In LOOKOUT, Jang Do-han has paid in advance. He's burnt nearly all of his bridges. He's facing jail himself. And he knows only too well that he failed to prevent a heinous murder. If sacrificing his own life ensures that the perpetrator will finally be stopped once and for all, his mission will be accomplished and not left up to the wheels of justice which have been systemically corrupted by the original culprit. It may not be happiness in the usual sense, but it's the justice and closure that Jang Do-han has sought for many years.

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I admit that I want a happy ending for the characters I like and are invested in but I agree with you that the sad ending can sometimes be the right ending.
Even so I often (but not always) find myself avoiding watching/finishing a show if I know or suspect a sad ending. I guess I'm a bit too soft hearted but sometimes I just really the happiness that comes from things working out in the end.

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I actually this is a beautiful piece of writing and you state your case with immense detail. I agree with Goblin (didn’t finish the other 2 but will complete MOTW) but I felt the ending worked. It was necessary to enable him to be the lonely Goblin he was. But what was beautiful that he would be lonely only in between Eun Taks lives! And I also believe he will reach peace once her lives are done!

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WOW WOW, that was so beautifully written!! So coherent and creative too. I really love how you ended your post..in an apt melancholy tone perfectly paired with the pic of melancholic Reaper, it really was the most appropriate to the topic you chose.
And, though I clicked after seeing Jun-ki-ssi's face (😜 who wouldn't) next to this topic (which I believe earned a much-needed defending), I didn't expect to see all the 3dramas I adored and live-watched 2016 have taken the places in your list. It was a nostalgic and pleasant surprise,thank you!
BTW, it's only now I realise that it seems like you may have somewhat jokingly taken the "Defending" literally, thus your ending sentence😀. Are you a law person?

@hades , "In the end, I think it boils down to what you as the audience appreciate and expect out of a drama. Some people want escapism. Some people want realism. Some people simply want a well told story."
Wow, I hope you won't mind me saving this quote for future use. This totally explains why people debate over the ending at the final recap thread!
I, for one think that the MLSHR ending was more than suitable. The drama had an unspeakable amount of flaws that made the could've-been one of the epicest 20 ep sageuks into an epic mess. But the ending wasn't among them,perhaps its EXECUTION. The shadow of unavoidable tragedy that loomed throughout the drama wasn't either, but the EXECUTION of it.
Almost all the departments of this drama (directing,casting,costuming,supporting-character acting, music,writing and executing) had BIG flaws, creating the collective mess that ruined the drama. But in the core, it had a golden potential,a depth,which SHOWED through all the gapes if you looked carefully.
I mean how did it win THOUSANDS or close not shallow and fangirly but lengthy and thought-provoking comments for each of the recaps, from many of the most intellectual beanies. Now that was unusual. Phenomenal. Wading through its comment threads had been quite a thing! If another drama was this bad, what would've happened was everybody dropping it and not even bothering to comment instead of idol worshippers. But here, everyone was there till the end at least to curse at everything and pull hair, throughout bloody (literally) thick and thin. And LJk isn't the only reason.
Whether they hated the ending or accepted it, what I saw was that almost everybody reported that they wept, were at least slightly bit moved. I too, bawled when I first read the recap, then comments,when watching the actual ep a day later despite being already spoiled, then a MONTH later when re-reading the recap😮,unlike I did for many of the previous perfectly executed sad endings I've seen,to my own surprise! How? Why?
You can say, including me "It has a depth that is easily missed and often unread". Yes,but what exactly is responsible for that addictive charm,the pull..I still dunno. Can you pinpoint?
What I know for sure is that I always begin nonsnsically...

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....ranting whenever I spot a MLSHR discussion.😁

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Thanks for the article. I had no issues with MOTW's ending and thought it was well done. I never finished Goblin though it sounds like they did what they could for a satisfactory resolution.

Special thanks for the mention of Scarlet Heart. When there was an article on different endings for this drama, I didn't read it because I'd kind of already come up with my own. Having said that, I was someone who really disliked the ending of the Chinese drama which SH is based on. I guess people thought the gal looking with anguish as the guy walked away was better than nothing at all but it totally seemed like what it actually was....an open for season 2.

I think I would have hated the book ending (spoiler alert: she just dies and that's it). So oddly enough this left me as the rare person who thought the ending of Scarlet Heart: Ryeo was better than the book which the C-drama is based on and also better than the ending of the C-drama.

Wang So staring right at us saying he'd find his woman is heartbreaking but the viewer believes him and this, upon reflection, actually ended up working for me.

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Still, I feel the most cheated with the Moon Lovers ending than with the other dramas mentioned. That drama was just sadness heaped on sadness almost with no respite after the middle of the series. So yeah I understand how you want to defend the not so happy ending as mirror of the witch and Goblin did a really fine job treading the tight rope, but Moon Lovers failed. not to say that I didn't love the drama because I did ( I was I think one of the few that loved it in spite of all it's fails) I just felt the most hurt with it's ending.

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I have been staying away from all the posts mostly because of insane jealousy at everyone else's post getting published but mine, but I decided to set my envy aside and finally read this one post. I only watched Scarlet Heart and Goblin from this list, but I have to say I agree with your defense of both show's endings. I recall a lot of people on the forums I visited while both shows were airing bemoaning the endings of the shows and calling them terrible, however I disagreed immensely because every character got exactly what it deserved.
As for Scarlet Heart, Wang So deserved to be alone at the end without the woman he loved since the throne suddenly became more important to him after he said he wasn't interested in becoming king. He also continued to believe himself the victim by choosing not to understand Hae Soo's point of view. He started his quest for the throne with good intentions, but lost them in his bid to keep the throne, and that's what eventually drove Soo away. Watching the man she loved turn into a monster would be too much for any woman, never mind one who was from a different age and era than the one she lived in. Scarlet Heart will always have a soft spot in my heart and it is one of my favourite shows.
As for Goblin, Eun-tak was living on borrowed time anyway. She wasn't even supposed to have been born so all the age ending nine years of her life would mean her having to fight against death. If she was going to die anyway, what better way to go out than as a hero? Goblin already waited over a thousand years for her, what's a few more lifetimes when they can spend all of eternity together? In any case, he's immortal, she's not, she would keep dying and he would keep living until the spell is broken. This character justice system is one of the reasons Kim Eun-sook is my favourite writer.

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THIS was why I was so immensely disappointed in the ending of Moonlight Drawn by Clouds. We knew from history that the prince dies young and I was holding my breath up until the final episode because I trusted the writer to deliver a powerful and poignant final scene with him dying sweetly in her arms. But NOOOOOOOO - they had to turn it into a sicky sweet and sappy ending completely untrue to real history. I was really unsatisfied by how the drama took the easy way out and (maybe) listened to the clamoring of Park Bo Gum fans during filming demanding a happy ending. For me, the most powerful and memorable dramas often have sad endings. It adds a gravitas to the story and anything less would have rendered the drama irrelevant.

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I didn't mind the ending of Moon Lovers. It was better then the Chinese version when the female saw the reincarnation of the 4th prince and she remembered him but he had no clue who she was. Leaving her in tears.

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I love your write-up! For someone like me who hates sad endings ( I even read the last pages of a book to see if it's a sad or happy ending), your defense actually made me consider a different perspective as you wrote your arguments so well. ^^

I hate tragic endings cos I just cannot stand that feeling of grief; of the 'they-could-have-been-happy' thoughts. I completely lose it and bawl my eyes out and my heart breaks and I'm depressed for days, even weeks. Add to that the anger when the ending doesn't make sense in addition to being tragic.

Your defense has (almost) made me change my mind to consider watching more of those dramas. Not wholly yet though (lol) but at least the door has been opened by a crack so I'd seriously consider watching more of them now instead of actively dismissing them completely.

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For me one of the most memorable endings is I'm sorry I love you's ending. Though it was a sad ending I found it very logical and fitting. They did believed in "we weren't meant to be in this life, but let's be together in the next one" so it was bittersweet ending to me, but I was glad that at the end Eun Chae was able to decide what she wanted to do with her life instead of following everyone else's desires. And I do believe she had a next life together with her ahjussi!!

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The ending of Misa makes me grief for month. It's that memorable. What kills me she is the only one who grief his presence and miss him terribly. As if her grief is also mine.

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I LOVE THIS.
Thank you @ChakkaAB for such a poignant write-up on such a sensitive subject for us drama lovers.
Many a times, I've felt like the odd one out when I'm okay and feel content with a not-so-happy ending but then feel bad when I can't relate to everyone else who wanted SO badly for a good ending and who end up thinking that a drama left a bad taste in their mouth because of said not-so-happy ending. For myself, I know that I would rather have an ending that is consistent with the writing of the story and consistent with the actions of how the characters, that we grow to love in the duration of our watch of a drama, are as characters in the first place, than to have an ending wherein the writer seems to have ate something wrong and can't even remember the heart of their own drama characters anymore and just throw something together all for the sake of ratings (because, in reality, this will always be an issue) and for the purpose of pleasing the viewer(s).
All in all, that is why, despite all the straight-up bashing that "Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" had to go through, I still stand by my heart and still love the drama very much, even though not many do =) I do have to say that the ONE drama that, to me, DID have a not-so-good ending that was TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR and still leaves a bad taste in my mouth is still "God's Gift - 14 Days" XD

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i focus myself in rom-coms because they have the happy endings i wish for except at times that the rival is being set aside to give way for the male lead star or vice versa and there is the realization that the rival oozes chemistry with the lead star rather than his/her partner just like in Jealousy incarnate, to the beautiful you, pasta, dr. stranger. to name a few, i wish there will be a script where the rival won in the end, the last time i have watched this kind was dream high.

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