Goblin (2016)

STORY: Well, the story itself was really good, I mean there were a few plot holes I didn't understand but what I like with this is drama is the supernatural/fantasy element, I am such a sucker for those type of genre. It also helps that the cinematography was really beautiful, I absolutely loved it!
ACTING/CASTING: well, I think one of the reasons why this show was a success was most def because of Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook, their bromance was more romantic than their female leads, and their dynamics was superb, not to mention the acting and the comedic scenes this two makes, hahha!
MUSIC: one of the highlights of this show was their music - it was soooo on point- I have every song on my phone to listen to from time to time. It also shows that the music was effective because whenever I think of Sunny and Grimreaper the song that automatically plays on my mind was I Miss you by Soyou (this song was my favorite) or if the bride and the goblin it always was ( Beautiful Life or I will come to you like the first snow) that's how beautiful the OST of this drama is!
REWATCH VALUE: I would def rewatch this show again just because I love the interaction between Lee Dong Wook and Gong Yoo hahahhaha
OVERALL: this was a great watch indeed, I was just glad I waited weeks for this show to finish before I watched it because damn I would have pulled my hair out waiting for the damn episode every week!!!

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This is one of the best dramas I have watched in my life and I am talking about and I am talking about one of the best American, Korean, Japanese and Chinese dramas.

The scenery are so beautiful in some scenes that I think Korean tourism improves because of this drama. Again, this drama touched one of those challenging taboos in society - a high school poor kid falling in love with a powerful rich man way older than her. In any other circumstances, this point of view is highly controversial, but since this is a Goblin we are talking about, our moral values surrendered and went along with the story line.

I love the lines on Gong Yoo's face. especially when he smiles - weathered line.... so majestically handsome.

The OST is just so so amazing. I would watch this drama over and over again just to listen some of the songs with its matching scene.

Breathtakingly scripted and captured on screen. Must watch!

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I gave this drama another chance, and I still think it's overrated

I originally dropped this drama because the plot started to get slow and repetitive, but I decided to give it another try.

The premise about the curse and immortality was interesting. Unfortunately, up to about episode seven there wasn't much of a plot. The Goblin was an ancient being with centuries of life experience, but he acted pretty silly quite a lot. The Grim Reaper wasn't much better with his obsession about business cards. These characters should've been portrayed as more mysterious and dangerous. Instead, they often acted like dorks.

The pacing was inconsistent. The plot tended to drag with prolonged angsty moments of reminiscing, crying, and filler scenes. Then, the story would suddenly pick up. The show should've been done in 12 episodes if all the filler was taken out. The last few episodes were unnecessary. Since the villain was already defeated and the sword taken out, there was no longer a conflict that needed to be resolved so the story should've ended there.

The romance was also kind of underwhelming. ML and FL acted more like a niece and an uncle. This was probably because the girl was barely an adult and still in high school. Only after the story went forward nine years did we see adult romantic chemistry with kissing, hugging, and acting like a couple.

The villain and the final resolution was a bit anti-climactic. The flashbacks made him look more dangerous than he actually was, even though he looked pretty darn creepy. He appeared in the present timeline for just a few episodes with nefarious intentions to kill everyone, but didn't do much except threaten some people. Then FL pulled the sword out, ML killed the villain and disappeared. The end. I really expected there to either be a plot twist, a battle, tension, more struggle to defeat the final boss.

The one thing the show excelled at was acting. Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun and everyone else delivered really good performances. No complaints there.

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STORY: Story was BEAUTIFUL. Each scene either had me in fierce rage, crying like a child, giggling like a school girl or in absolute shock & in disbelief. It did not end the way i expected it to, but i still loved the ending even though it seemed like there were a few unanswered questions. At times i was confused (idk if this was due to my slowness), but soon the gaps were slowly filled. Each character had their own time to shine and i loved the short scenes that were given to minor characters to tell their own small stories of their struggles and hardships such as the one in the beginning of that little boy who was adopted into a European family. The first thing that got me hooked onto this drama was not only the concept and theme of it, but also the first episode, which i didn't expect to tear out my heart straight away and leave me with heartbreak. Although i would have liked their age gap to have been a bit smaller at first, i realized in due time that it would not have worked with the story line if it was. Therefore, it was okay for me. The whole plot was neither too rushed nor too slow for me. Everything was timed perfectly and the Goblin and the Goblin's bride's romance progressed well. Overall, i found the story and plot amazing! I took off 0.5 because towards the last couple of episodes, the Grim Reaper kept silently tearing/crying a little too much for my liking lol. (Yes, i know it's because of all the hardships he's struggled through, but still).

ACTING/CAST: Nothing much needs to be said about their acting and cast. Everything about it was PERFECT....FLAWLESS! Each played out their characters extremely well and each of them are able to tug at your heartstrings with each of their crying scenes! Let's just say, i cried with them at a few of these scenes. Each character had beautiful chemistry; especially the chemistry between the Goblin and Ji Euk Tak. Gong Yoo (Goblin) is honestly so damn handsome and ahem...hot, and his smile is so adorable! And Lee Dong Wook (Grim reaper) is so beautiful he catches me off guard sometimes. Kim Go Eun (Ji Eun Tak) is such an adorable girl. I can't believe she's 26 when she looks like an actual high schooler. When she matured in the drama, she became so beautiful when all she did was change her hair and outfits, and a little bit of her makeup. Yoo In-na (Sunny) was beautiful to me from the beginning til the end! She looks so young for a 35yo too. Yook Sungjae (Deok Hwa) was hilarious and i loved how lost he looked half the time. I first knew him as a BTOB member so i know how weird and funny he is in reality. So his acting caught me off guard a few times since this is my first time seeing his acting and i noticed how amazing he really is, especially during those serious moments like the one in ep 12 when they were at a bar.

MUSIC: In my opinion, Goblin had the best music and OST's. MY favorites were probably Crush's Beautiful, Ailee's I Will Go To You Like the First Snow, Sam Kim's Who Are You, and Chanyeol and Punch's Stay With Me. Each song was played at perfect moments which suited the scene. When you thought the scene was heartbreaking enough, the song that plays will make that heartbreak even worse. I didn't get sick of any of the OST's that played as i usually do with a few other dramas. So if you're a sucker for good, beautiful OST's, this drama is for you!

REWATCH VALUE: Okay first off, i gave the rewatch value a 9.5 because i don't fully know if i would be able to go through all that heartbreak again because i honestly almost couldn't take it at a few points. Other than that, i would've given it a 10. I would rewatch it for the funny moments and amazing plot, as well as for the romantic moments between the characters.

OVERALL: I put off finishing the drama when i finished until ep 11, not because it wasn't good but because the story of the characters was going so well and everyone seemed so happy. And i knew it was going to go downhill from there and the past was going to catch up to them sooner or later. This drama was absolutely flawless. It was hilarious and i LOVED the bromance relationship between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper! Loved their little antics. I regret putting this drama off for so long but i did not regret watching it and finishing it off in one day one bit. I knew this drama was an amazing drama because after i finished it, i no longer knew what to do with my life.

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One of the best fantasy Korean dramas I have watched so far!

I actually fell in love with fantasy genre after watching Goblin. This is what I'm looking for.

LIKE

Touched my heart

Bromance between Kim Shin and Grim Reaper
Another side of Yoo Deok Hwa (loved his seriousness unlike the usual goofy self)
Ji Eun Tak's decision that touched my heart (I cried every time I watched that scene)

Gave me goosebumps

Kim Shin realised Ji Eun Tak knew his secret (that moment my heart really stopped)
Park Joong Hun's character (I paused the drama to look around me making sure I'm still sane)

DISLIKE

Nothing, I never even skipped a scene.

MUSIC - my personal fav

Stay With Me - Punch (ft. EXO Chanyeol)
Round and Round - Heize (ft. Han SooJi)

REWATCH VALUE

Definitely as I have re-watched at least twice. Though the first gave me more goosebumps and mini heart attacks, the second and third time were equally awesome.

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I really, really wanted to love this show. The tone in the beginning was intriguing, the comedy/drama was well-balanced and fun, and the story was so engaging. But there was so much wasted potential. Shin's story was tragic and emotional, and I was deeply moved by his character, which is why I'm not rating lower. Yet the focus on the "fated" romance and the fact that it started when she was so young just bothered me. You can't tell me that these people were meant for each other just because they're fated; show me, let me feel their connection. I didn't, and that's where this fell flat for me.

Story: All over the place. Too many interweaving character storylines and relationships fighting for center stage, too many repeating scenes, and truly atrocious pacing. I couldn't stand how slowly this moved, honestly. It felt like it started out strongly, but then characters would spend episodes doing nothing. They would talk, they would be cute, they would be unsure, but nothing really happened for so. Many. Episodes. And then when something finally did happen that brought the characters into conflict, it was too quick to feel at all developed. In particular, an antagonist popped up later in the series and when they dealt with them, I was left thinking, "...that's it? That's how they're gonna do this?"

The characters were okay, but Eun Tak was just... not very well-developed, in my opinion. She's a bubbly, optimistic girl who can see ghosts and wants to help people. Okay, why? Why does she cling to Shin strongly at the beginning, and am I supposed to be charmed by the fact that an immature teenager is flirting with a 1,000 year old man? There wasn't much depth to her or their romance, and I felt disconnected from her character as a whole. Which further made the romance less engaging to me. Furthermore, so many of these characters had the potential to be amazing, with just a little more focus and development, which I think was sacrificed in order to fit so many of the other elements into the show.

Acting: I do like the cast, especially Gong Yoo. I was also incredibly impressed with Lee Dong Wook as I've thought he was a bad actor in the past, yet his work here definitely made me second guess my opinion of him. Kim Go Eun is a really good actress, yet seeing her play an immature teenager for so much of the show really grated on my nerves. But, boy, can she cry. Both she and Gong Yoo can make your heart ache, I'll give them that. Never been a huge fan of Yoo In Na, but she did well here, so I didn't mind her.

Music: Cute, fitting. I don't remember most of it, but I'm going to attribute that to the fact that I was consistently frustrated with the show. I can tell you that this is an OST that will definitely stay with the people who loved the show, though.

TL;DR: I'm glad that this show has brought such joy to so many people, but it disappointed me. I should have known better considering how I've fared with Kim Eun Sook's other dramas, but I was hoping this one was different. However, if you like her other dramas and are a fan of fantasy, fated lovers, a little bit of sadness, a little bit of comedy, and a whole lot of romance, then definitely give this one a shot.

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The best Korean drama I've ever watched

Actually, the first time I watched this drama was when I was 12 years old (now I'm 19 years old), then I forgot the entire contents of the story. But then I watched it again at the age of 16 and after that I always watched this drama over and over again.

I don't know which part I like the most, because all the scenes have been my favorite for a long time. I like how the actors give their best to their dramas so it makes me like this drama even more, everything they want to convey can be accepted by my heart. I like the beautiful places they show, it makes me realize that South Korea has many places like heaven.

I don't know what else to say, but, I really really like this drama. I hope that when I get old I will still be able to re-watch this drama. I really like this.

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I really enjoyed the storyline portrayed in this drama. Usually, the more a drama can make me react vocally - shouting, screaming, crying, wailing, etc. - the higher I will rate it. It sounds silly, I know, but if a show can provoke that kind of response from me, there's something to be said about it.

This show had me enthralled from the first to the last episode. It was like a really good book; I couldn't stop watching! I laughed and cried a LOT.

Honestly, this is one of a handful of dramas I have seen that is going on my list of 'rewatches'. Yes, I feel it's That. Good.

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My rule of watching a drama is that i have to wait for the drama to air finished then I will start to watch cos I really hate to wait. Especially if the story is nice, the waiting period is a hell for me. Before I started watching Goblin, the 'stir' of this drama was so big that coll, friends and media were all talking about it.

I started watching Goblin with very high expectation but yet, it still surprised me and it just totally blew my mind .. The story is just so beautiful and too beautiful. The heart-aching part was so heart wrenching that I still have tears in my eyes after watching 3 times.

I will skip the review on the acting as the acting is just PERFECT. Each character just fitted on the role perfectly.

The comedy in the drama isn't a lot but the comedy contents are very new. How to say.. the comedy in this drama is more of cute and relax style. The comedy written in this drama wasn't found in other drama before. Everything just very ..... match.

Goblin totally shake the world of drama a big time. I believe this will be a start for 'Goblin' alike story coming soon.

If you are a kdrama fan, this drama is a MUST WATCH.

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•I was searching for a new drama and on the home page of MDL i saw the top 10 drama list, i thought of completing that entire list as many of them i had already watched. So i started with Goblin the lonely and great god. As soon as i started it i was stuck and intrigued by its amazing tale.
•The historic era with a goryeo warrior was an amazing start with all the supernatural elements perfectly blended. The bromance more than romance was total mindblaster with all those quick and witty situations i had my stomach ache laughing immensely.
•This tale was perfect, for me its flawless. I always thought that for kdrama the lead shoud be handsome and beautiful, this drama broke my pretty boy syndrome. Gong Yoo outshined as dukkebi and i became a fan of him. His acting was just awesome. As for kim go eun, i had watched her in cheese in the trap where she played a university student was excellent but here as a high-schooler it left me with speechless. She looked like a high-schooler. I dont understand what kind of makeup the artist do that they actually give you a younger feel. Lee Dong Wook!!! Ouch he was real masterpiece. His eyes were more speakable, splendid acting and expression. And his chemistry with yoo in na was very nice. Next am gonna watch theirs touch your heart.
•Ost is nice especially stay with me.
• As for rewatch i already had watched it thrice.

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For my first ever drama review, I wanted it to be a review for Goblin. Personally, Goblin was an amazing journey for me. When I watched the first episode, I felt like waking up from a sleep I didn't know I was in. To some, it is overrated. And, yes, maybe it is. But it's the kind of drama that you need to experience before dwelling into other genres. I felt a personal connection to all the characters and to the story itself. It has great production value and an amazing cast.

STORY
The storyline of Goblin is simple, but throughout the episodes, you get to see different aspects of it. It branches out in a lot of ways, but stays the same until the end. Scenes from the past get repeated a bit too much, but I felt it was necessary because each time they brought some new emotions and even paralleled with scenes in the present time. Story of the past ties nicely with the present (and eventually future). The show doesn't leave you confused and, although it is in times predictable, leaves you wanting to know why certain things happened.

ACTING/CAST
A set of amazing actors who portray their characters so well that you will laugh with them, cry with them and even be agitated by the same things as they are. Gong Yoo is without a doubt perfect for this show as is Lee Dong Wook, Kim Go Eun and Yoo In Na. Others in supporting roles are great as well. All secondary characters actually have interesting backstories that go well with the main story.

MUSIC
The OST is simply amazing. One of the best soundtracks I've ever heard. Each song is beautiful and appropriate for each scene. I find myself playing the OST on repeat a lot. Music is always a big part of shows and here it really emphasizes all the emotions. (Sometimes you hear a specific song and you just KNOW what's about to happen - you will either cry or die of laughter.)

OVERALL
I will most definitely rewatch Goblin. Tbh, it's my favorite drama of all time (probably because it's my first). Honestly, with the writing and the production value, it's no wonder Goblin is a fan favorite. It really touched me and opened my eyes to so many things. It often left me laughing and crying at the same time which no show so far has done for me. Definitely recommend to everyone, even though it might not be everyone's cup of tea. For me, it wasn't just a cup, it was a whole bowl of tea.

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