Goblin (2016)

First of all, I think one of the most important thing for a drama is the pacing. How many times have you watched a drama and it's only when you finish the 3rd or 4th episode that it's starting to get good ? In Goblin in episode 1 you are introduced to all main characters without an "in your face" introduction. The world building is enough for understanding the story, but keeps just enough mystery and details to catch the attention. The music is amazing and, from I remember, well timed between scenes. In some dramas you feel like by episode 2 you heard them all already, in this one it takes more and the ambience is fitting (plus I think they are very good, even though it's not really my type). The casting is phenomenal and every character have a story that is relevent and interesting. The second roles are not just a distraction from the main cast's story. I could talk about Goblin all day, but finally, The plot and ending, you dont see it comming and it's more and more rare these days I think, that's all I'm gonna say.
I'm a grown man in my twenties and I cried many times and that's what I want from dramas, to reach my emotions. whether it was from sadness, hapinnes or both is for you to find out.

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When a series has such a high rating, there is only one explantion for it: It appeals to a majority of people. And what appeals to a majority of people? Something that's simple. Well, honestly, Goblin is really beautiful. If you want to watch something nice, calming and beautiful - watch Goblin. I cannot imagine that there are people out there who don't like it or don't enjoy it. The cinematography, the music, the scenery - spectacular. The best I have ever seen in any Korean drama to date. So why the rather low rating? It has no substance. The story isn't very exciting. After four episodes I felt like I knew everything I had to know about the main couple. What keeps you watching then? The love story of the Grim Reaper, I guess. Unfortunately he and Sunny only had a few scenes in every episode while the main couple is going back and forth. Again and again. There were so many recaps later on (I don't know when it started to annoy me), many flashbacks, I felt like they recycled scenes. The end product was somehow very artistic (I will admit that), but the story in general wasn't very deep. The emotions couldn't reach me. If I compare Goblin to the drama Korean Odyssee I recently watched I must say that the latter made me cry and weep like a baby many times while I had a hard time feeling sad for the Grim Reaper or the Goblin. I cried when the old men climbed the stairs to heaven and his dog was there waiting for him - just saying. That was sad. Maybe it was because of the comedy between the two characters (there was comedy between the couples too), but even though they had a tragic past, they lived pretty good lives for a very long time. I mean even if they would have died at the end of the series (for real) they had a satisfying life. This series was in general very "satisfying". Every single moment felt satisfying. I just think there was no real reason for being sad. I felt like they shared too many tears that couldn't reach me. So to make it short:
Story: 4/10 (not much depth), but the execution was 10/10, so I wil give it a solid 7
Acting: 9 (because I think Lee Dong Wook could have done a better job, I liked him a lot more in "Scent of a Woman")
Music: 10 (it cannot get any better)
Rewatch value: Well, if I want to relax and enjoy something that's beautiful for the sake of being beautiful ... 8.

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This drama is really something special and after watching it I feel kind of lost to find something similar amazing.

The story was kind of clear from the start but the cast made it very interesting and very very very emotional. Every character had it's own habits and weirdness but that made them even more loveable.
At first I had my trouble with the female lead Kim Go Eun because sometimes it seems as if she's trying to hard and it made me cringe but maybe that's because we meet her in different stages of her life, as a highschool senior and a college student and at her later work. So it is kind of understandable that she goes through some changes in life and in her personality and that made me really like her later on.
The relationship between the Goblin and his Bride developed with some ups and downs and even more interesting was the relationship between the Grim Reaper and Sunny - SO HEARTBREAKING! I loved the fact that the Grim Reaper probably went through the biggest and hardest change during the series as he starts off as an emotionless weirdo.

I loved the music! I even added it on my playlist and I'm listening to the intro song all the time!

I would rewatch it but this drama made me so emotional!! I think that I was crying all the time through the last 3 episodes...that's almost like 5 hours of crying.
It had kind of an ending I could be happy with but before I could be happy it had to punch me in the face and heart and everything came so suddenly...so I will wait until I have the nerves to watch it again.

Overall - I LOVED IT!

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One of the best

This drama is one of the best out there for story, acting, music, and production value. If you haven't watched it yet you should! The acting was absolutely amazing. All of the characters had chemistry and you could tell they enjoyed what they were doing. The bromance between the Goblin and the Reaper even became famous, but this time it actually seems like the actors truly became friends. The story was great, it pulled at your heartstrings. I laughed, and cried, and was scared (there are some spooky parts and I was watching this alone in the dark at night, so don't judge me -_-). The ending was sad, yet wonderful. The especial effects are actually really good. The music is great. All in all a well made drama, and I highly recommend it.

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Goblin was the first k-drama I saw. Until that moment I had just only watched Japanese dramas, but at the time I already knew Gong Yoo for "Train a Busan" and I had heard so much about the show that I gave it a try.
After this, I watched lots of k-dramas, so I guess this show is to blame that now I'm a k-drama addict. And even having watching so many of them, anything could be compared to Goblin. Without any doubt it's the best drama I've ever seen in my entire life.
Everything is wonderful. The story (from a non-used to k-dramas point of view) is kind of unusual. The photography, the settings (oh, Quebec, one of the most wonderful places I've ever been), the dialogues, the humor, the bromance, the romance...
I love Gong Yoo in every one of the things he has done, but here he is amazing as the lonely tokebi. For the rest of the casting, they are all perfect, overall Lee Dong Wook as the Grim Reaper (his bromance with the Goblin is mythic, so funny!)
Other thing that I really liked in this show is that you don't have a love triangle, nor the tropes so used in other dramas, and you have the opportunity to see the evolution in both couples.
The only thing I complain is that the main couple does not have much explanation time at the ending  as they should have. There were too much time to explain the Grim Reapers and Sunny (not Sun Hee) future and not so much for the main couple... Dommage!
This show taugh me so many things I could continue for hours explaining why everybody should watch it.
I have read some bad reviews explaining that it's so slow that is boring. I don't know but for me it wasn't slow at all. It had the right pace for a perfect development of the story and the characters.
Music: loved it. One of by k-drama OST.
Rewatch value: I've watched this show three times already and I watch it every now and then while I deciding what to see next.
So, last advise, DON'T MISS IT, BEST DRAMA EVER!

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This drama hit me like a truck, I heard it was good but I was really not prepared. Note to anyone who is even vaguely emotional: You will need tissues, you will probably cry. A lot. And hopefully laugh a lot too!

The actors chemistry for this drama was perfection, they gelled so well and the stories intertwining with one another was amazingly well written. I wasn't as keen on the Grim Reaper at the start but I warmed to him as the drama continued and he became a firm favourite, although in fairness, I loved them all, apart from that Aunt and her kids, they can go away! Although a lot of it is serious and deals with a lot of difficult subjects/themes, there's a lot of hilarious moments too and you get to witness budding friendships between an unlikely group of characters which also results in some very funny sections of the drama.

The story is full of twists and turns which leave you at the edge of your seat, I for one am SO glad that I didn't watch this whilst it was airing where I'd have to endure waiting for the next episode week to week, it would have been torture!

I've only watched 23 dramas, giving 2 including Goblin a 10 (the other being "It's ok, that's love" because of the difficult topics it deals with incredibly well) but honestly, I'd give Goblin a 100+ if I could, I've never laughed and cried so much for one drama. You will feel happiness, sadness, elation, loneliness, grief and heartache at various stages of this but it's worth it thousands of times over. I'd rewatch this over and over again when I need a good dose of feels or just a laugh at a certain secretarie's dance moves and super serious bromance moments.

The OST is beautiful and I have got it all saved on my Spotify for when I need a Goblin moment! It captures the mood of the drama so well, it's worth a listen away from the drama to fully appreciate it.

I've seen people complaining about the age gap which I can kinda understand but at the same time, in this day an age there being an age gap in a relationship isn't uncommon, she's 19/20 in this, I don't see it as being particularly 'creepy' as her character is immensely mature and has a lot of depth. Love isn't confined to age.

There has also been criticism of product placement but it doesn't bother me anywhere near as much as the obvious sticky tape over brand labels that I see in man other dramas. I'm so used to product placement in TV shows and movies that it doesn't really bother me, some of the placements were quite funny anyway. If anything, Goblin has done a great job at making me want to go back to visit Canada again ;3

I held off from watching this for ages as the plot sounded a bit weird but I regret not watching it sooner as I would have been able to re-watch it a few times by now so if you are hesitating, please just go and watch it and you will understand what all the fuss is about.

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I'm a complete goblin fangirl, I confess.
the story is lovely, I cried right away in the first episode. When I started to watch, I just could not stop watching! I shivered every time the opening begins, and even today when I hear this same song from the opening, my heart is filled with joy. I tell all people that goblin is a work of art, it is almost impossible to stop watching after you start.

the actors are captivating, you learn to love them more and more throughout the episodes and then you feel miss them when you finish watching all the episodes. the friendship between the goblin and the reaper is really something from another world, I love it when characters create sympathy throughout the episodes and create a bond of strong friendship. in general, the relationships in this drama are well thought out and everything was thought out very well.

the scenarios and soundtrack of the drama really are good, I listen to the soundtrack every day, I feel so happy listening to these songs. All the scenarios and the palette of drama's colors are magnificent. All the people who worked on this drama deserve the congratulations, it really looked very beautiful and I will never forget this drama.

And concluding: Goblin is first on my list of favorites, I'm completely in love with this drama, I want to be able to re-watch this drama all my life lol. Deciding to watch goblin was one of the best drama choices I've had

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I hold the opinion that Goblin is THE best Korean drama of the past decade, and perhaps of all time. The latter statement is more bold, but this drama holds to your expectations and will fly past them.

I've rewatched this drama a countless number of times without finding substantial flaws, even if I'm being nitpicky. You'll love these characters and their relationships (be it romance, bromance, or friendship) long past your first time watching it, and you'll remember their most iconic quotes, too.

Goblin is a masterpiece with gorgeous cinematography, writing, and one of the best OSTs I've ever heard. Not only that, but it's completely different from any other drama out there while being down to earth and heartwarming as well.

The only reason I would not recommend this drama is if you have never watched a KDrama before- Goblin is so perfect that once you've seen it, most any other drama will be lackluster thereafter.

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Os pontos mais altos de Goblin são: a trilha sonora, q é uma das melhores, se não a melhor trilha sonora em Doramas q já escutei na vida, a arte visual e a fotografia, que são belíssimas, os efeitos especiais, que são incríveis e não deixam em nada a desejar, a incrível atuação da Sunny, que de longe e a melhor personagem do Dorama, ah, o enredo tbm é bem interessante.

Agora os pontos negativos e que me incomodaram bastante, alguns furos de roteiro idiotas, a morte mais nada a ver da protagonista, sério eu fiquei de bobeira como aquilo foi forçado e a atuação medíocre do Dong Wook ou "Grim Reaper", um personagem com bastante potencial, mas com um crescimento quase nulo é de é personalidade rasa, sério, não sei o q as meninas pagam tanto pau pra esse cara!

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Music made this drama ....

First off the soundtrack in this drama was so amazing and really awesome, I loved the main song.

Goblin has just made my favorites list, the cinematography was gorgeous, the music was amazing, the actors were perfect, The story will make you laugh and make you cry. Not only is the love story epic, but so is the bromance between Goblin and Reaper. I've found that I'm quite fond of this fantasy genre and this has been done so well. I have hardly any criticisms of this show at all because even the flaws faded into nothing noticeable for me. It's sweet, funny, romantic, sad, tragic, beautiful...

Goblin is a great drama. I went into it with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised, or more accurately, I was blown away. You can recognize a good drama by the way it makes you feel exactly what the characters in the drama are feeling. That's the way Goblin was for me, with each character, I laughed and I cried.

The actors do a superb job. I could feel their emotions from across the screen. then again, nothing less to be expected from such a spectacular cast.
-The drama has everything, ranging from bromance, romance to mystery and suspense.
-The bromance is spectacular. One of the most epic bromance I've ever seen in a Kdrama. It made me laugh a lot, but it also had its heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments. Goblin and Grim Reaper's relationship is one of the best reasons to pick this up. The two couples- Goblin & Eun Tak and Grim Reaper & Sunny. Both couples had their own story. The sweet and cute moments of the Goblin couple & the sizzling chemistry between Grim Reaper and Sunny was enough to keep the 'romance' meter of the drama pretty high. You won't be able to get enough of the cuteness of Goblin & Eun Tak.
-The mystery of the characters. From 'the lady in red' to the king and queen, each episode just gave enough glimpse into their lives to keep us engrossed. It'll drive you crazy in a good way.
-Each minute of every episode was enjoyable. I didn't skip a single moment of any episode.
-The unexpectedness of the drama was really great. Just when you'd think you had something figured out, some twist would come along and surprise you. The writer sure did a tremendous job.

BONUS: Beautiful and addictive OST

I LOVED this drama! Do give this one a chance, you won't be disappointed. Once you start it, chances are, you'll end up loving it. Happy Watching!

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There was a period that I stopped watching because Eun Tak's personality was unbearable, or her relationship with Kim Shin felt really forced and unnatural. Only towards the end did I begin to truly feel the impact that the two had made on each other, but maybe that is because all the actors started to cry in, like, every scene lol.

The arc with Park Woo Joon was really scary, because I quite literally can't stand any thriller, horror, or any deceased makeup lmao and turned the humorous-lightheartedness of the drama immediately into something darker. There was much more action in the last 4-5 episodes than the long buildup in the first 12 episodes, but you eventually understand what all those little moments meant in the end, which I guess is sort of rewarding.

In the end, my thoughts were sort of jumbled because the world didn't seem to have order. Many things happened that just didn't make sense according to information given or revealed beforehand. The last episode, especially, was really unbelievable because of what Goblin said about having the same face.

Ultimately, I thought the acting, humor, and touching aspects of Goblin were well done (also every person in this drama --except Park Woo Joon ew-- was very beautiful) but the development and execution of the story was not very well done. I watched this show because 1) my friend recommended it as it was his first kdrama, 2) it received critical claim after its release, and 3) GONG YOO, and I'm glad I did for those reasons. There are some scenes that are very, very quick, but for some reason it pulled on my heart and began to cry. Those moments, though, were never central to the main plot line and that may have been the problem. Basically, this drama wasn't fantastic per say and keep that in mind if you decide to watch.

**One last thing: the soundtrack was alright, but not impressive to other OST music I've heard. My favorite was "I miss you" but the others didn't really draw any emotion from me? Perhaps that is because my favorite drama right now is Scarlet Heart Ryeo and I fell in love so hard with both the drama and the music that I came into Goblin with the bar raised too high.

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Great but not worth the hype

Are you looking for something that will stick you to the TV screen? Well, you found it! In my opinion scores 10/10 are totally inadequate because the series, although it is really good, does not deserve more than 7. The story is interesting and departs from typical dramas where love and an attempt to save the other person at all costs preside over them. Unfortunately, the execution did not go as well as the producers would like. Why? THE FEMALE LEAD. When it comes to the males - they ware amazing. The chemistry between them was flawless and this part I will never deny nor forget. but Ji Eun Tak played by Kim Go Eun was driving me nuts. Her character was annoying and I don't understand how Goblin would fell in love with her. She was a traumatised child who decided to something fun as help a goblin die.

That's in short here but I speak more about this drama on my blog :) feel free and welcomed to check it out ^^ https://my-asian-dramas.blogspot.com/2021/05/goblin.html

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