diff --git a/core/schemas.py b/core/schemas.py
index 378180c..3a67444 100644
--- a/core/schemas.py
+++ b/core/schemas.py
@@ -15,15 +15,42 @@
 ``SkipJsonSchema`` so they never leak into the tool schema shown to the model.
 """
 
+import json
 import os
 import tempfile
 from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Literal
+from typing import Any, Literal
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field, field_validator
 from pydantic.json_schema import SkipJsonSchema
 
+
+def coerce_jsonish(value: Any) -> Any:
+    """If ``value`` is a JSON object/array string, parse it; otherwise return as-is.
+
+    Some chat providers stringify nested structures inside tool-call arguments
+    even after the top-level ``arguments`` blob has been ``json.loads``'d.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(value, str):
+        return value
+    text = value.strip()
+    if not text or text[0] not in "[{":
+        return value
+    try:
+        return json.loads(text)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        return value
+
+
+def coerce_list(value: Any) -> Any:
+    """Coerce a stringified JSON list (or a lone object) into a list."""
+    value = coerce_jsonish(value)
+    if isinstance(value, dict):
+        return [value]
+    return value
+
+
 _COMIC_STYLE_HINT = "manhua/comic style: clean black ink line art, soft cel shading, flat colors"
 
 # Six resumable pipeline stages.
@@ -53,6 +80,12 @@ class CharacterAsset(BaseModel):
     name: str
     role: str = ""
     appearance: Appearance = Field(default_factory=Appearance)
+
+    @field_validator("appearance", mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def _coerce_appearance(cls, value: Any) -> Any:
+        return coerce_jsonish(value)
+
     # Hardened description inlined into every panel prompt. Prefer deriving from
     # ``appearance`` via ``build_l1_from_appearance``; the model may still fill this.
     l1_prompt: str = ""
@@ -96,6 +129,11 @@ class StoryElements(BaseModel):
         ),
     )
 
+    @field_validator("characters", "settings", mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def _coerce_asset_lists(cls, value: Any) -> Any:
+        return coerce_list(value)
+
 
 class Panel(BaseModel):
     """A single comic panel within a storyboard."""
@@ -114,6 +152,11 @@ class Panel(BaseModel):
     reference_characters: list[str] = Field(default_factory=list)
     size: str = "1024x1024"
 
+    @field_validator("characters_present", "reference_characters", mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def _coerce_name_lists(cls, value: Any) -> Any:
+        return coerce_list(value)
+
 
 class Storyboard(BaseModel):
     """Return payload of the ``plan_storyboard`` forced function call (one chunk)."""
@@ -123,6 +166,11 @@ class Storyboard(BaseModel):
     chapter_id: str
     panels: list[Panel] = Field(default_factory=list)
 
+    @field_validator("panels", mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def _coerce_panels(cls, value: Any) -> Any:
+        return coerce_list(value)
+
 
 class ChunkCache(BaseModel):
     """Per-chunk cache of the billable chat-API results.
diff --git a/tests/test_schemas.py b/tests/test_schemas.py
index 1fb35f4..2ffed36 100644
--- a/tests/test_schemas.py
+++ b/tests/test_schemas.py
@@ -22,6 +22,36 @@
     to_tool_schema,
 )
 
+
+def test_story_elements_coerces_stringified_lists():
+    """Agnes sometimes JSON-stringifies nested arrays inside tool arguments."""
+    elements = StoryElements.model_validate(
+        {
+            "characters": '[{"name": "张一新", "role": "protagonist", '
+            '"l1_prompt": "conflict and reflection."}]',
+            "settings": "[]",
+            "style_guide": "manhua style",
+        }
+    )
+    assert len(elements.characters) == 1
+    assert elements.characters[0].name == "张一新"
+    assert elements.settings == []
+
+
+def test_storyboard_coerces_stringified_panels_and_char_lists():
+    board = Storyboard.model_validate(
+        {
+            "chapter_id": "c1",
+            "panels": (
+                '[{"panel_id": "c1_p01", "action": "looks up", '
+                '"characters_present": "[\\"张一新\\"]"}]'
+            ),
+        }
+    )
+    assert board.panels[0].panel_id == "c1_p01"
+    assert board.panels[0].characters_present == ["张一新"]
+
+
 STORY_ELEMENTS_PAYLOAD = {
     "characters": [
         {
diff --git a/tests/test_screenwriter.py b/tests/test_screenwriter.py
index d5a4683..0791524 100644
--- a/tests/test_screenwriter.py
+++ b/tests/test_screenwriter.py
@@ -28,6 +28,17 @@ def test_extract_story_elements_parses_payload():
     assert result.style_guide == "manhua style"
 
 
+def test_extract_story_elements_accepts_stringified_character_list():
+    payload = {
+        "characters": '[{"name": "张一新", "l1_prompt": "conflict and reflection."}]',
+        "settings": "[]",
+        "style_guide": "manhua style",
+    }
+    result = asyncio.run(extract_story_elements("text", chat=FakeChat(payload)))
+    assert result.characters[0].name == "张一新"
+    assert result.settings == []
+
+
 def test_plan_storyboard_parses_payload():
     payload = {
         "chapter_id": "ch01",