Female Lead Was the Only Problem
So many people love this drama, but I feel like the same amount of people also complain about the age gap with the main couple. I don't have an issue with it as he is meant to be like 900 years old so it's whatever. The issue I had is that the female lead acted like a literal 12 year old for most of the movie.Again, she's meant to be like 18 or whatever, which some people already had an issue with, but why did she act so child-like the whole movie? It was super annoying and gave me the creeps. Like, a little part of me hated on him for liking her when she's like that, but mostly it was just her behavior that gave me the creeps.
I honestly only finished this because Lee Dong Wook is my absolute favorite actor ever and the bromance between him and Gong Yoo's character was AMAZING. Female lead is the reason for the 9/10 above, and despite her being super cringey, I would totally re-watch this just to experience the bromance again.
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Best K-Drama Fantasy I Have Ever Seen
This and Alchemy of Souls were the two shows that made me fall in love with K-Dramas. The plot of this story, considering just the Goblin's roommates, lends itself to so many funny, melancholy, and contemplative moments. The reaper, expertly played by LEE DONG WOOK, is a nice guy who offers the dead forgetting tea in a quaint room before they go through a lovely door to the afterlife. The goblin, Kim Shin, exquistely portrayed by GONG YOO, is a sympathic and lovable character with regrets of his past and a desire to protect the ones he loves. The girl who should not have lived, Ji Eun Tak, masterfully played by KIM GO EUN, is so lovable and level-heaed in this sometimes chaotic and fantastical story. The restaurant’s owner, Sunny, beautifully portrayed by Yoo In Na, is an eclectic and interesting character. I am not going to write plot spoilers, but I can say that this drama was one I really wanted to binge watch, and I came away loving the story, cinematography, and characters.Was this review helpful to you?
Masterpiece!
No words to describe my feelings, about this drama. I have to admit that at first, i was hesitated about starting this drama but in the end, i didn't regret it! What can i say? About the music? (Oh the music....). About the actors and the amazing chemistry the have? About the incredible story? About the plot twists? So many feelings.... I can speak hours about goblin and how amazing it is but i will close this review, by telling you that you HAVE to watch this drama, no matter what!!Oh gosh, i am going to miss it!
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Bewitching & Bittersweet Romance
If someone were to ask me to describe this series, I’m not sure I could do it justice. It’s about life and loss; joy and grief; hope and despair. It’s about letting go of the past to embrace the present and future; building a friendship with a rival; falling in love for the first time. It is, as Eun-tak says, a “sad love” story. Yet despite this show being an absolutely bewitching and bittersweet story, it didn’t quite work for me.❤ This show works best when it focuses on the four main leads - Kim Shin, Grim Reaper, Ji Eun-tak, and Sunny. Kim Shin and the Grim Reaper shine whether they are bickering or bantering.
❤ It took me some time to get invested in the love story considering an immortal is attempting to romance a high school senior. I embraced their romance eventually, but it took me some time to get past the circumstances. Eun-tak’s sunny personality mixed with Kim Shin’s awakening emotions were the perfect mixture between silly and sweet.
❤ It’s too long for such a short story. Whole scenes from previous episodes we’re inserted into later episodes to pad it out to sixteen episodes, but it dragged down the pacing dramatically. I think it could have been well executed with half the run time.
❤ The person training to be the next assistant to Kim Shin, Yoo Duk-hwa, was only used as a plot device or the comic relief. The CGI was also pretty terrible, particularly in the earlier episodes.
❤ Be prepared for a bittersweet ending. This is a show that talks a lot about depression, loss, and grief. If you’re looking for a fun and feel good show, you might not enjoy this experience right now.
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If you are like me and postponed this Kdrama for 3 years then this Review is for you.
As I said in the title, I postponed Goblin for so long after my friend recommended it to me dozens of times. I just couldn't bring myself to watch it for two reasons:-1) Is it really as good as everyone is saying or will I be very disappointed?
2)Heard it will make you cry a lot which I wanted to avoid at all costs because I absolutely don't like Tragic or Sad stories. Life is complex enough. Why should we watch dramas which are sad too?
For the above questions the answers I found are:-
1) Yes it really is as good as everyone is saying. I can truly see the magic of this Kdrama and why it so beloved by so many. This is one of those few Kdramas which is truly an experience to be felt and seen by all and I will highly recommend anyone who hasn't watch it yet to watch when it feels right or when you find the time. You will love it for the friendships all the people in this world share, the trials they faced and overcame, the beauty of their love, the tragedy in lives which will make us weep for them, the characters and the actors who played them, the music and even the end. IT IS ALL WORTH IT!
2)This is not just a sad drama for the sake of being sad. It truly is an experience and though I cried, I am also happy I got to experience the beauty of this drama. Also, it's not completely sad. Life is beautiful and it is shown in this drama. Also love the mini stories of the people the Grim Reaper sends to the afterlife. Don't be intimidated by the sad ending like I was when I heard of it.
All in all just give this Kdrama a chance like I did and Trust me you won't regret it. It has the perfect blend of happiness, comedy, heartfelt emotional scenes and sadness just like our lives but in a more fantasy setting.
Goblin truly is One of a Kind
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Exceptional
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God aka Goblin is exceptional in all aspects. Be it writing, directing, atmosphere, acting, ambiance, and even wardrobe. Nothing was left to chance and with a story this fantastical and emotional, it could easily have been careened into fluff and cliche, however, the actors all brought their A-game which made every second captivating and beautiful.Special shout out to Gong Yoo who gave a brilliant performance; likewise, his wardrobe director who made his character stunningly gorgeous. Also, whoever styled his hair deserves an award.
If you're looking for an emotional and heartrending series then do not miss this. I absolutely recommend it to those looking for a mature and beautiful story.
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Unexpectedly good
So this is a drama that's been hyped up for so long that I went in thinking I was bound to be disappointed. So I'm glad that I wasn't. I've been doing an immortal-beings-falling-in-love binge, and this is where I arrived at after a sequence of DAYS, Del Luna, A Korean Odyssey, and Destined With You. Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of person who can watch something that's almost purely romance, so the first 9 episodes were bit of a drag for me. The peak of the show for me was 12-13-14 where most of the important things happen, and I enjoyed those episodes enough for me to look past the sweet albeit boring beginning, so I suppose I ended up being more forgiving with ratings. And while I was satisfied with the ending, I wasn't quite happy with it. It was good, but had had potential to be great. Also, I'm fundamentally not made for age-difference, and I could never fully enjoy the fluff either because that thought was constantly on my mind. Maybe why my favorite part of their romance was 14-15-16 (minus the ending).Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Overrated and most of all, a failed ending.
I watched it because it had so much good ratings. What a disappointment.The story begins with a plot that is classical and plain. There is the overused trope of fate and as soon as Eun Tak meets the Goblin the love story is forebode. But that's okay, it's well done and their firts encounters with both of them searching any interest in a potential relation is interesting ( she wants to use him to escape her life while he wants to use her to die ).
However, it does not get better.
The rythm is too slow, and the side love story between the Gream Reaper and the shop owner is boring and useless.
Even the bromance is not that good. The transition between being ennemies to friends is not smooth.
The whole stuff of reincarnations is so bad as well. Kim shin is shown as a bright man ( he won a lot of battles because of physical strengh but also by strategical means ) yet he does not make the difference between his sister and her new life ??
Furthermore at the end every reincarnated people have the same face as their previous life body, yet it had been specified that people randomly reincarnate into different bodies and having the same is rare.
The backstory of the medieval plot is thin as well and the characters are not fully developped.
The final fight with the main ennemy is failed as it is teased for some episodes ( and visually he is scary and charismatic, his dark tongue gives goosebumps ). But why is he killed with almost no fight ?? Kim Shin awaited more than 1000 years for 30min of dodging ??
And the 3 last episodes, a disaster.
Kim shin finally dying wassad but actually it was a logical ending : he was released from his suffering and allowed to live happily by embracing love at the very end of his existance. Eun Tak would cherish her memories of him and mourn him knowing that he left peacefully.
Making her die at his place is such a nonsense. First she embodied the future as the younger character. Second, it means that Kim Shin will never die, and that it was a punishment of god ( rather than a way to relieve him from his pains ). Not only did he suffer for years because of the betrayal of the King, but now he has to eternally suffer from the lost of his wife. What is the moral of that ? "No matter what you do to repent you will suffer ?" It does not make sense since we know that the sinner is the Grim Reaper and not Kim Shin.
On the whole it is not the worse drama ever, but it lacks in many points. It is still fully watchable, the characters are attaching, and the fate of the Goblin is touching : we want to know how he will find some happiness.
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Story:
I liked the story. It was actually pretty interesting and different in a way. Some would say that the age gap between the 2 main character is hard to overlook but it was okay for me. What I mean is I wasn't really paying attention to that part as the drama is based around something fictional, the age gap is just a part of that. I like the relation between the two main characters but also with the second couple. The bromance was also a very good part of that drama. I just wish Deok Hwa played a bigger part of the drama. Usually, there are some characters that I don't like in a drama, like a big villain but I just liked every characters here. And also, I enjoyed everything regarding the Grim Reapers organization and especially the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook).
Acting/Cast:
They all did a great job and I think they all suited their role. Gong Yu as always is a very good actor. I was also very surprised by Lee Dong Wook, if was just perfect as the Grim Reaper. Also, Kim Go Eun is a good actress (that I saw in Cheese in the Trap before) but rather than feeling sad with her when she cried (near the end) I was just impressed. I usually don't like the cryings in dramas also so seeing Lee Dong Wook always with teary eyes/crying was kind of hard for me but he did a good job! I also often find the main female lead annoying but she was okay.
Music:
I think Goblin wouldn't have been that great without this OST. Seriously, the music in the drama was just perfect. All the songs were just beautiful. If the music wasn't that good, I think I would have rated the drama 7.5 instead of 8.5.
Rewatch value:
I would probably not rewatch it, or I would skip some parts. The episodes are unnecessarily long.
So why do I think Goblin is overrated?
- There are tons of flashbacks and they are ALWAYS the SAME!!! That was SOOOO annoying! I hate when they do that in dramas. Like they would put the same flashback twice in the same episode and in almost episode... And for what? We didn't forget that happened so why? This is why the episodes are long but it is just long of flashback I think... It could have been maybe 10 minutes shorter if it wasn't for that...
- Then, that wouldn't really affect the rating but it kind of annoyed me to some point.. The product placement here it just too strong. So we can see it everywhere and in every drama but usually it's more subtle than that. They were literally saying: eat SUBWAY and your life will be better. (or something like that). I understand that they needed money to have that good quality in the scenes but come on...
- Then I feel like the story/plot could have been better used... It is kind of a waste of the characters I think. And I wanted to know more about the deities.
So yeah, I'm happy I watched it but I wished the realization of the drama and the use of the characters would have been better handled. When I finished the drama I had a bitter feeling. I enjoyed it and really liked it but I felt like the potential was a bit wasted. So I think there are many more stuff to talk about regarding that drama but I'll just stop here :)
Anyways, Goblin is a drama that need to be seen ! :)
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If you're a die-hard romantic, you simply can't afford to miss this one!
You won't believe how much I'm in love with this series! From the heart-touching soundtrack to the captivating storyline inspired by folklore, everything about it is a perfect balance. The chemistry between the leads is off the charts, and the rest of the cast is equally amazing. The narrative is so beautiful that it never lets you lose interest for a second. And don't even get me started on the bromance between Goblin and The Grim Reaper - it's pure entertainment! Plus, Deuk Hwa's character is just too cute for words. Gong Yoo's charm and wit will leave you swooning, and the female lead and Deok Hwa are absolutely adorable together. The narrative and the poetic elements of the show are so enchanting that they'll make you want to fall in love and believe in magic all over again. If you're a die-hard romantic, you simply can't afford to miss this one!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It's a good drama, but I personally think they failed the female main character
Goblin was my first Korean drama and the plot caught my attention. It was very well produced, detail oriented I may say. I think Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In-Na did a really great job. The spotlights, to me at least, were on the relationship between the goblin and the grim reaper. Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In-Na were a great couple full of chemistry. I like the story, I think it was well developed, except for one thing only: they could have explored Kim Go-eun better. Her character was way too childish for the age (I don't know if it has any difference in Korea, but here in the Eastern 19 yo girls are more mature than that). The childish behaviour turned the love story a little weird. Besides that, I think it's a good production and deserves to be watched and appreciated. I had lots of fun.Was this review helpful to you?
