Goblin (2016)

Finally it was the finale! I have been waiting for the finale just for me to see what will really happen although at the back of my mind I knew it already! I would say I have a mixed impressions on the finale and the total drama itself. One thing for sure this drama has captured the hearts of many kdrama viewers. It has the perfect production value, cinematography, writing and character development! The acting of everybody are just excellent! I salute especially Kim Go Eun as Ji-Eun Tak the bride of the Goblin. Her acting is fantastic, controlled and natural. She has matured dramatically from the last time I watched her in Cheese in the Trap. And she is just young and yet she can act incredibly good! Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In-ha also did a remarkable acting performance.

Let us go to the story. It has one of the most uniquely written story! Every plot made sense! The writer successfully made an attempt to inject many light hearted scenes to balance off the very serious theme of the drama. And this is what that mixed impressions that I am saying. This is very sad story, bittersweet and depressing! Even tough we get a happy ending ( opps possible spoiler here) it is still not a happy ending at all! Because we know that Goblin is an immortal being and after the life of the bride, Goblin stays behind and still feel sad and lonely! He will still be a wanderer alone and it hurts me to think that until when will he be living? But the central theme is the selling point of this drama, that love will see you through beyond the borders of eternity! I just want to say this, and perhaps I belong to the minorities, I cant really see the connections between the lead! I dont see any romance maybe because i see them as siblings perhaps or just an uncle-niece relationship! Blame the age gap of the leads! I just cant seem to connect with them as well.

The music is incredibly amazing! I love how they were put in the drama! It gives the fantasy feel! I like most of them.

Because of its depressing tone I will only do selective rewatching like the bromance scenes of the 2 lead actors!

Overall, this is highly recommended drama. Good acting, story and script! Worth my 16 hours of viewing.

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Well what can I say that hasn't already been said by many people before me. I was blown away by this drama. I didn't want this show to end and wish it could've carried on and on because I loved the story.

Every episode in some way or another brought me to tears (maybe I am just an overly emotional person though). The music, acting/cast, cinematography and writing was so on point and beautifully portrayed. This has now become one of my all time favourite dramas. I look forward to rewatching this with my mum as I know she will love it.

I liked everything about this drama. The cast really fit and blended well together and the emotional scenes were so believable . I've not seen any of their previous work and I am now excited to watch their other dramas.

I would recommend this to anyone who (like me) enjoys a mix of romance, fantasy & supernatural elements. I apologise if this review is all over the place. It's my first time writing one on here and I didn't quite know what to say other than this drama was simply beautiful!

Enjoy!

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I started watching this drama because of the talented writer and Lee Dong Wook, and not because it was a "hit", and I've liked it ever since the first episode. The story felt "new" in terms of K-Drama, because not all fantasy projects are crafted well, but it is a classic plot re-imagined in a different way, so nothing really new. It is a simple story twisted in different ways all over again. Yes, this is how a writer works, but what I once thought would turn out to be something unpredictable, has turned to be a plot I had already seen in the drama itself. Let me explain: the story is simple and ever since the beginning the audience knows what's to come, the problem is how to "solve" the main issue without ending the show how you expect it. In a way, the writer managed to do that, but on another side, she didn't, because even as I followed the show while it was on-air, I predicted long ago what would happen. Perhaps having read so many fantasy books influenced me, that is what I want to think. In my mind I kept saying "please don't go to that route and surprise me" but I was disappointed in the last episodes because some plots and characters were introduced too late or not given the space they deserved, as if the writer thought about their fate too late and there wasn't time to fix that. While the mix between historical drama flashbacks and present time filled with the cute moments between the main couple and the other characters and the bromance between Goblin and Grim Reaper was comic, I felt as if the writer spent more time on the banter than on the actual plot, and some episodes felt like a filler, especially the last 3. But overall, it's an enjoyable story.

Have both my favorite actor Lee Dong Wook and Gong Yoo (this is the 1st drama I watch with him in it) as the male leads - because as Kim Eun Sook proved in her other dramas, she can give enough screentime to more than one actor - was a pleasant experience. They have great chemistry, their bromance was awesome and it sometimes overshadowed the main couple. I lived for their bickering, they brought me to tears and this doesn't happen much. Needless to say their acting was great. I loved LDW as the Grim Reaper and he moved me a lot, he was really fit to play a serious and a bit depressed immortal angel of death. Gong Yoo was also a surprise, since this is my first drama with him. I felt like he brought peace o the set, I don't know. He gives me the aura of a heartwarming person. I'm a bit torn about Kim Go Eun. She is believable as a 19 year old even though sometimes she used too much aegyo. OK that she's still a teen, but tone it down a bit, gurl. Like I said, her chemistry with Gong Yoo was there but there were times I didn't feel as much for Goblin/Eun Tak couple as I did for Goblin/Grim Reaper. Perhaps it was the age gap that made them give the feel of dad-daughter or oppa-dongsaeng, because it depended on the moment. Eun Tak could go to 19 year old to wise girl in a heartbeat and the Goblin could act like a small child one moment and like a mature guy the next. Overall, though, they are balanced in my opinion. And I liked that in many moments in the second half of the drama where they had to film kisses or couple-y scenes, they seemed very comfortable acting as a couple. Yoo In Na was perfect as a beautiful BBQ shop owner. She was witty and funny and I loved her sense of fashion. I also liked Yook Sung Jae as Deok Hwa.

The music was great, you can tell they spent a nice deal of money and time to make it good.

In general, I would say that this drama is for fantasy lovers the most with a side of romantic comedy. If you're looking for something mysterious, there are few questions you're gonna ask yourself indeed, but is not complicated like a melo. Let's just say, the story is simple and the message the author wants to convey is too.

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This is my second Kdrama review and I try to keep it short. Goblin is a must watch K-drama, but taken slow. Not in once, because of the complicated stories of the characters.
My facts are here:

Positive:

- Great storyline - one of a kind in K-dramas till now. I learned a lot about Korean people's beliefs.
- Great friendship between Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook. I loved every moment of their communication. It seemed they're friends in real life
- Great chemistry between Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na. The love between their characters was very well acted as if they're couple in real life. I loved every moment of their relationship.
- The Goblin character is really complicated and I liked it very much.. It's well played. But I fell for Grim Reaper Character - it;s also very complicted and I loved it in every single moment even more.
- The emotions that Gong Yoo and Yoo In Na were like they're real brother and sister. They are great actors and so is Lee Dong Wook.
- No loopholes and more realistic ending..


Negative:

- Lack of Chemistry between the goblin and his bride. Mostly of her part, the actress Kim Go Eun just didn't do well in my opinon. She didn't put her heart in the role and it seemed out of place. This is way I don't give 10 to this Drama. When Gong Yoo showed passion and deep emotions, she didn't respond and it seemed forced. I don't think I will watch another drama with Kim Go Eun.
- Time loops withous some kind of explaination what happened those years
- Yoo in Na parting with Grim reaper. I couldn't understand if she died after she "left"". If she didn;t die why nobody looked for her?

I liked Goblin I watched it slow to understand better the things. So, if you wonder to watch it, do it, but take 1 or 2 episode per day for example. The producer and writer of this Drama are great, but they shouldn't concentrate too much on the tears. Characters moved on with their lives, that should be shown. I will rewatch this drama some time in the future.

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Now i had decided to watch this drama just because of the cast at first because when i first heard it was coming out i had no idea what it was going to be about. i mean even the trailers were very vague and i actually didn't try to find out what the storyline was going to be like lol

So as soon as i started watching this i got sucked into it the world because the cinematography is amazing in this just like most korean dramas but the execution was amazing for this. as i got to the end of the first episode i just fell in love with every character in the drama. the way the cast portrait the characters is just amazing and i highly doubt any other actors would have been able to do any better than this!

the story gets confusing a bit at times i mean they don't get in depth on some subjects but still it doesn't ruin it for you although it would have been a nice touch if they had elaborated. they are hilarious moments, extremely sad and some freaky moments. they just know how to make you feel a mix range of emotions and that's what made me love this drama even more. the bromance was amazing! i mean one of the best i have seen so far, and the actual romance was sweet and i'll be honest i usually don't like it when the main leads have such a huge age gap but it actually didn't seem weird in this drama, and i'm actually not being biased lol

the soundtrack. one word...AMAZING. I usually like a lot of ost but this one was so good i had to download them and listened to them on repeat for a good 2 weeks after i finished the whole drama!

all in all this is a drama you will not regret watching honestly. the best drama of the year so far and i'll be honest i don't think anything will top this for a while for me personally!

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I want to first preface this review by a few points: 1) I haven't watched the complete drama and am basing this review on the first 6 episodes only 2) This is the first review I've been compelled to write about a TV show (in any language).

I've been looking forward to watching Goblin for a good while now because of all the rave reviews I've been seeing online. The drama appears to be heralded as one of (if not 'The') best Korea has to offer, which I'm quite surprised about. Six episodes into the show, I expected the pace to have quickened and the story to have developed further. To me it appears as though the writer created a promising premise, and an interesting universe, but did not think deeply about the main conflict of the story and how that will pan out over 16 episodes. A story needs to have enough substance to be able to fill each episode effectively. 'The Goblin is cursed with immortality and only his bride can emancipate him from this anguish - but will she?' seems to be as far as the writer got. The painstaking process of waiting for her to make a decision is simply boring and holds no tension beyond 1 or 2 episodes. To me, the show appears to be all style, and no substance.

I understand that not every drama needs to be fast-paced, or each episode does not need to end on a cliff-hanger for a drama to be good. Sometimes, the emotions between two people in love, or the lingering tension created by the threat of something tearing them apart, is enough to sustain interest from an audience. But this only works if the two main leads have undeniable chemistry. Unfortunately, the age difference between the leads kills all the chemistry, and makes it unsavory to watch. The female lead behaves even younger than she is while the Goblin appears too mature and stoic. I feel like I'm watching an Uncle supervise his niece as she frolics about like a child. Even Gong Yoo's superior good-looks is not enough the light the spark here. And I don't blame the actors either - they've done a good job with what they've been given.

Of course, when we have an immortal being like the Goblin, his age difference should be irrelevant because eventually there will come a time when the girl will catch up to his age and surpass it. The writer could have used this idea to showcase a love-story that blossom over her lifetime. But alas, I don't think that's where the show is heading.

I'll keep going for another episode but sadly, this one might be going into my Dropped pile.

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One of the most wholesome shows ever made

The show gives you everything and makes you feel many emotions from laughing to crying, happiness to sadness, adoring to hating.......

Both the lead couples nailed it with their chemistry and story arcs. Till the last moment everyone prayed and hopes that none of them end up separated as they have already gone through so much and the ending surely didn't disappoint.

For me Kim Go Eun as Eun Tak was the soul of the show, she nailed being a teenager and the grown up stage. No wonder she is by far one of the best actresses in the South Korea. Gong Yoo as always needs no introduction on how good he is and has been in every genre.

Lee Dong Wook's and Yoo Inna's suited so well with each other. Him being a cold grim reaper and her being a extroverted and fiesty chick nailed it. LDW's character growth and his newborn friendship with Euntak was too wholesome.

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Because goblin story came from grimreaper sunny.... who is his bride what is her role...etc was noting according story.... goblin story started just becaz of grimreaper and sunny love story .then how could we didn't get proper romance of sunny grim reapper..nor in humanic life atlast last 2 epi wanted only about them.
Goblin got heart touch story for grimreaper fault in his life and his life time separation from his love.
His love sunny was innocent but bread between brother and husband. Her life got spoil but still love grim reapper that was the reason I fall for this show. And Lee dong wook and yooinna stole my heart by their natural chemistry and ofcaz goblin and grimreaper ( brother in law and goblin) bro romance the best part of show ....
I hate how they story developee. They could kill the main violent by grim reapper because he actually killed the king both life ...noting lose of goblin. Because he was born to be general of country. In any war he would die and called hero .he had no love affection. It was ok but after that what could with the connection of goblin bride why ....he and grimreaper could hold the sword ..that goblin bride part was most illogical unnecessary part and yes their romance like old man romancing with his students their had noting good word for goblin and his bride romance was seriously valueless where story begin from grimreaper sunny goblin and ender too with this 3 Charecter clear up the mristry. The most annoying part was goblin and bride romance ????????
And most touchy part was grimreaper sunny true love story and best chemistry was Lee dong wook and yooinna togather are best always

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Absolutely worth watching.

While there are other masterpieces that may be a cut above, this show is a masterpiece in itself. The story is beautiful, moving and intense, with a superlative screenplay that continuously and well blends moments of hilarity with sad moments, as is customary in K-dramas. My partner and I were glued to the screen from the first to the last second, crying and laughing and living with the leads. Leads who are over the top: theirs is certainly among the most beautiful love stories told in k-dramas. And both Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun are more than up to the task and incredibly adorable and comfortable, despite the obvious age difference between them. Well described and defined supporting roles: The Grim Reaper and Sunny are for me one of the most beautiful and touching supporting couples seen so far (154 k-dramas completed). The rest of the cast is well assorted and the soundtrack is definitely up to par. It's a show that has seen a huge investment commercially, but well spent, truly well spent. Absolutely worth watching.

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