This review may contain spoilers
First, and most importantly: I love one (1) doomed, socially awkward, trouty mouth, puppy dog-eyed grim reaper.The mix of genres (fantasy, horror, romcom) were very seamless, creating a precarious world of the living and the dead. With the length of the episodes, the series could develop and redevelop relationships again and again in a way that felt natural--the best example being the Goblin and the Grim Reaper who move from enemies to begrudging roommates to friends.
My only nitpick was that while most of the soundtrack was gorgeous and cinematic, there were a few songs that were pretty saccharine to the point that it was distracting. Not enough to keep me from frantically trying to explain the premise of this series to every person with ears, though.
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This review may contain spoilers
Goblin is a very well crafted show. For most of the series it is a perfect 10. I have to say the highlights of this series is the cinematography, acting, and the witty dialogue. The two male lead actors their bromance is incredible and is my favorite part of the series. The weakest part of the series is the last few episodes. It felt like that the Goblin came back too easily and literally every main character died at one point in the last few episodes. I wished the made the main girl a bit older. It felt weird that she was with the Goblin in high school. Other than those complaints, this show is very well made and very enjoyable. Was this review helpful to you?
I hope people just don't watch it because of the enormous recognition it got, believe me, it's not it overrated, it has everything, amazing CG and scenery, phenomenal set and props, and the amazing work the actors transferred through the screen.
Before watching this drama I had never heard anything about Goblins because where I grew up it's not implanted in my culture if you are in the same situation I do hope you know this story doesn't actually use many characteristics of "real" goblins, the ones in books, most of it is fabricated by the writer, which had an amazing imagination to pull it off so smoothly with a sprinkle of fantasy.
It easily became a drama blockbuster in South Korea without any doubt.
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STORY:
Warning: The beginning of this show is really bloody….might be off putting if you are looking for a lighthearted tale. Goblin is many things but it is NOT FLUFFY NOR IS IT CUTE! The Goblin or Kim Shin is played to PERFECTION by Gong Yoo (yes….adding him to my oppa list). Kim Shin becomes a goblin after he is betrayed by the king and the people mourn his death. He waits for a goblin bride who can remove the magic sword and let him leave mortality…..nine hundred years later (and a lot of good deeds) he meets up with Ji Eun Tak (well done by Kim Go Eun) a graduating high school senior (and orphan), becomes room mates with a grim reaper (HOLY COW – Lee Dong Wook rocked it) and Deok Hwa (Yook Sung Jae…so funny), the latest member of a family who has taken care of the goblin for the last 900 years.
Throw in a funny business owner named Sunny, a mother earth type god, and the big boss god who sometimes comes in the form of a butterfly, and well…..magic……just magic. Some have issues with the age gap between the ML & FL. I think the issue lies in the fact that she is graduating from high school when she meets the goblin and that is a bit much for a few folks. The show steers clear from becoming inappropriate. Perhaps it would have been easier for some if she had already graduated…..but I’m not quite convinced. (However, that weirdness does keep this from being a perfect 10 in my book.)
CHARACTERS:
I can’t say too much about these characters without spilling the beans with some spoilers. Please know that I am just skimming the surface here.
Kim Shin (Gong Yoo): All the broody goodness I love in my male leads and super hilarious to boot. Kim Shin will either make you laugh or cry or sigh, but you won’t be bored….however, just know that the grim reaper will do the EXACT SAME THING! Either way, Gong Yoo….I just can’t imaging ANYONE else playing this part……and the relationship between the grim reaper and the goblin….OUT OF THIS WORLD CRAZY GOOD!
Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun): Her character was all over the place and in a good way. Just when you thought she would be too miserable to deal with….she turns into someone funny, running circles around the goblin and the grim reaper. Her character could have been too sad and too depressing but Kim Go Eun keeps her hilarious and appealing for all 16 episodes.
Sunny & Grim Reaper: Holy cow were these two characters the best in the entire world. Again, avoiding spoilers, I will only say: funny, scary, intense, sad, touching, sweet, heart-wrenching. WATCH THE SHOW JUST FOR THESE TWO!!!!
MUSIC:
I will admit that I am tempted to download the theme song because of the last couple of minutes of episode 2 (WASN’T THAT SO COOL!!!). The music was not repeated to the point of annoying and again…that main song….love it!
REWATCH VALUE:
Oh yeah….I could watch this over and over and over ESPECIALLY THE BROMANCE SCENES…..and there are lots and lots of YouTube videos showing them over and over because they are SOOOOOOOO AWESOME.
Should you watch this? Um Yeah. If all my caps didn’t convince you then…….well, just saying.
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Heart warming story
Ok so.. is one of my first reviews. First which will.be better organized at least. I have watched this drama few years back, but is still on my mind. One of my korean work colleagues recommended it to me, besides Master's Sun.Story
I do not find the story really original, because I have seen many movies and dramas, plus I read many books. But is not cliché either. Somewhere in between, maybe? It starts well, develops in a realistic pace and does not have a rushed ending.
Acting/Cast.
Quite well done with the casting.
I was not really fond of any of the actors at first, cause I never seen anything with them by that time. Goblin was like my second kdrama seen, I think hahaha. But! They captivated me with their character performance and I watched more of their works. In specially the ML. He gave so much emotion 😍
Music
Amazing 😍😍😍
Re-watch? Most definitely!
I highly recommend it to everyone who likes a supernatural romance story, with a realistic development despite the supernatural. If you like also stuff like destiny and fate... Go for it!
I do not talk much about the story or characters, because i do not want to spoil someone's own experience, impression and understanding of the characters. But I must say that Goblin and Death r like LOL... they did make me laugh few times... and I do not laugh easy at all when watching movies or series 😂
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it could get 10 but 9.5 is enough.
I was wondering after watching this drama and rewatched within a week.
everyone will love the love story of goblin and it's bride they will also drop tears for grim-reaper love story.
❤️
Gong yoo my beloved actor.
I watched all his show after watched goblin.
I have to say Yoo perfected his roll as a goblin.
His supernatural activity with grim reaper will amaze viewers.
While I am writing this,
a goblin song playing in the background.
Overall it's perfect love story..
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The story is certainly intriguing in that it keeps you wondering how all the conundrums could ever be rectified; the story portrays a veritable railing agains the Gods if you will. The characters are in a perpetual dance of push and pull with fate and destiny, while watching I always got the mental image of puppets dangling on strings pulled by a kind of sadistic puppet master; what makes the drama interesting is the gradual growth and self awareness of the characters which allows each one to make some decisions which do not appear to be orchestrated by the 'puppet master'.
There is a strong sense of doing good deeds and being kind, especially with regard to goblin, and also with goblin's bride when she makes the ultimate sacrifice. I got the sense that this 'goodness' eventually positively impacted their destiny.
I love the casting, especially with regard to the goblin, the grim reaper and Sunny. Whenever these three were on screen, together or individually, it was absolute magic!
I'm sure I don't need to expound on the genius that is Gong Yoo, he has an uncanny ability to portray his characters so sympathetically, realistically and humanly; he imbued goblin with such pathos, simultaneously making goblin vulnerable, eternally sad yet strong and hopeful all at the same time, he is truly gifted as an actor.
The grim reaper is an absolute revelation, Lee Dong Wook took this character to levels that I feel only he could take it, he seemed made for this role. His sadness is less hopeful than goblin's, he is always resigned to his unhappy fate, while being oblivious at the same time because of his lack of memories. He is the character that shows the most emotional growth in the drama.
Sunny has the appearance of someone without much depth, and yet she turns out to be very perceptive and emotionally intelligent. She seems to already have some knowledge deep down in her psyche even though she's not aware of it in the beginning. she is complex and many layered.
Eun Tak portrays her youth in a cute, bubbly manner and she is a ray of light for the other characters. she does portray some maturity at the end of the drama but I'm never really convinced as I keep seeing the school girl in her.
The story of the goblin and the goblin's bride is a beautiful concept, Gong Yoo plays his role to perfection but in my opinion the writing of the goblin's bride as a young girl really threw me off and I was never able to see the two of them as a convincing romantic pairing. I kept wondering why the goblin's bride couldn't be the same age group as Sunny, writing her as a young girl didn't serve any dramatic purpose and actually took away from the feeling of intense fated love that they were supposed to portray.
Sunny and the grim reaper on the other hand were very well matched, their trajectory was realistic, mature and deeply felt. The fact that their story was so slow in progressing actually added to the depth of their storyline and I found myself wishing they had more screen time.
The goblin and the grim reaper had one of the best bromances I've seen in a long time, their interactions were entertaining, usually goofy and yet still managed to convey their growing strong bond of friendship in a very believable way. I really enjoyed seeing them together, especially when they teamed up to achieve a common goal.
Special mention to Deok Hwa for his perfect comedic timing and refreshing 'irritating little brother vibe'
So overall, I highly recommend this drama, it might seem to drag and go around in circles in some places, but it is definitely well worth the watch.
PS: all the cast have a prodigious amount of beautiful coats!
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Great performance
Even though this drama came out some time ago I just recently watched it. I am new to Kdramas and when I saw Gong Yoo in Coffee Prince he became one of my favorites to watch. I loved Goblin and I am so glad that Gong Yoo decided to perform in this drama. I loved the storyline and the main actors were all great. I am also a fan of Kim Go Eun and in this drama she and Gong Yoo illustrated great chemistry. The kdrama had me laughing and I cried like a baby when Kim Go Eun's character was killed. As a viewer I am thankful for the positive ending. Thank you to all of the actors for their hard work, this drama was delightful and I will definitely watch again. Thank you for the "behind the scenes" clips provided. Seeing this allows viewers like me to view the actors as a real person. Enamored by Kdramas! I will keep watching.Was this review helpful to you?
What I liked about this show: Gong Yoo is my bias so whenever he is a drama I am blinded by this actor and his amazing talent. Even so, he did a really good job portraying a tortured, eccentric immortal that wants to end his existence once and for all. The entire cast did an amazing job and I do not believe that this drama was overhyped.
What I did not like: I don’t want to put a spoiler here, but there is something about Korean Dramas that have a similar ending that I just cannot enjoy. I give all drama props for not using this textbook like ending, unfortunately this drama ended in such a way that makes me sigh with disappointment...but overall it was still a good watch.
I did re-watch this...so it does have an amazing re-watch value, considering I never like to glance at dramas twice.
And the music is amazing and I had it on my place list for a couple years now.
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The perfect depiction of importance of life and death
With its interesting plot line and side stories, stellar acting, lovable characters, soulful OSTs, amazing cinematography and the evident hard work put into it by the staff and the writer, this drama deserves all the hype and high ratings it continues to get till this date.This drama has an eternal, ethereal beauty to it. The final scene was warm and happy and sweet. From the story to the cinematography, characters to their relationships everything had this unique, exquisite, attractive feel to it.
The characters were so well written, especially Ji Eun Tak/ Goblin's Bride (I know many people found her annoying but she is one of the best depicted mortal characters in here, I thought deeply about her character and she turns out to be the best out there) and of course, Kim Shin. The OSTs were exceptional and soulful. I literally know each and every soundtrack by heart.
This drama might have been slow paced, I don't know for this was my first drama, but the entire time was dedicated to the development of the characters and their stories.
The acting was extraordinary. The lead actors, along with supporting actors, were exceptional in portraying their role. I literally ship Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun and Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na (Even Yook Sungjae and his credit card!!)
What I really loved in this drama was that the characters and their stories were interconnected for a relevant reason. The love stories were tragic yet beautiful. I personally adored Kim Shin and Eun Tak's chemistry and story and them. I was entranced by their story and chemistry. The story of Kim Sun and Wang Yeo was also sweet.
The bromance between Kim Shin, Wang Yeo and Yoo Deok Hwa (mostly the former two) was exceptionally funny.
This drama is perfect in its imperfections. The way it ended was the only way I know it could have ended. I expect myself re-watching it by the end of 2026 (I want it to be something special to me). All I know is that I wouldn't have got interested in K-dramas if not for this. It was The Perfect K-drama for me.
I hope you all shall try watching this drama without having any second thoughts (I doubted too if I should watch it but I nevertheless love it).
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Just wow
I genuinely don’t know why it took me this long to finally watch Goblin, but I finally did, and hoo boy, was it one heck of a ride. Despite a very small number of supporting characters, this drama kept me engaged the whole time through its vibrant cast of main leads. Each character’s personality seemed to bring something new and interesting to the table, and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time because of the suspense that the main conflict created. I didn’t see too much of a problem between the characters’ ages, unlike some reviews, and while I did find it a tad awkward at first, I quickly adjusted and was able to support the characters’ romance despite the age gap. The complexity of the plot sadly left me a tad confused at times because of the abrupt editing that happens in some scenes, however the timed comments on viki helped me piece the plot together a bit easier, so I would definitely recommend you turn those on from time to time. I think it’s safe to say that I was crying during every episode once we got closer and closer to the finale, and I could remember having the absolute worst headache after finishing the drama because of how emotional and stressed I was getting. Some reviews warned of the less-than-happy ending, so I was terrified to find out what happened to the leads. To my surprise, the ending actually turned out to be quite happy (though some may perceive it as a tad bittersweet, which I do kind of agree with), though it wasn’t without its fair share of emotional rollercoasters. Overall, I believe the production of this drama was absolutely fantastic, and while I would love to rewatch it to experience the characters’ relationships one more time (the bromance and the sismance though!!! Ahhh, I”m in love!!!), however I don’t think my poor, poor heart can handle this for the second time. The OST was one of the best I have ever listened to (though I still believe nothing tops Mr. Sunshine’s OST) and I would for sure recommend anyone and everyone to watch this drama as soon as they can. It’s pretty much a classic at this point, and it for sure deserves to be called that! Happy watching, and please have some tissues and some Ibuprofen nearby (if you get headaches from crying your eyes out like me!).Was this review helpful to you?
Brilliant - well, I think so
It took me some time to get to watch this, despite reading rave reviews elsewhere, partly due to doubts about the story-line and concern about a snot-and-tears drama with a tragic ending, which I dislike, and partly due to access (cannot afford multiple streaming subscriptions). But a family member finally signed me onto Netflix (thanks, sis!) and the wait was definitely worthwhile.It's more difficult to review something when you have enjoyed it as thoroughly as I have, than just venting about bad or irritating things, but there are a couple of reasons I found this excellent other than the other positive reviewers whose views I endorse - it manages to successfully blend, comedy, romance, the supernatural, and thriller aspects into a cohesive whole, without it being jarring. You can watch it superficially if you want, or it can get you thinking on various topics such as how the world has changed over history and what it must feel like to experience such change, and whether it makes you feel that everything is just on repeat, or whether you still experience change as fresh and new.
I like the way the 'not-normal-human' characters are fully-fledged people, with a range of emotions and growth during the series. For example - to those dissing the Reaper's acting - I felt the reserve sat well with the character and the emotions he displayed were well-conveyed. The way the ML and GR oscillate between staid old men and nervous teens was funny, illustrating how people can feel awkward and unsure of themselves no matter how old they are!
I will definitely rewatch in the not too distant future.
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