Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

? My Eternal K-drama: A Love Letter to Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) ❄️

I’m writing this here on MyDramaList, but no words could ever fully express how much Goblin means to me. 🥹 It’s been 8 years since I first watched it, and it still holds the #1 spot in my heart — untouched, unchallenged. ✨ This drama isn’t just a story... it’s a part of me now. I’ve rewatched it so many times that I honestly lost track, so I didn’t update the rewatch count here — please forgive me! 🙈 But every time I revisit it, it feels like home again. Every snowfall, every line, every moment just hits.

The bromance between Kim Shin and the Grim Reaper is EVERYTHING. 💀🕯️ Their dynamic was hilarious, touching, and genuinely one of the best male friendships I’ve ever seen on screen. From awkward roommates to ride-or-die soulmates — I laughed, cried, and absolutely adored them. Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-wook were the heart of this emotional rollercoaster, and their scenes together made the pain more bearable and the laughter more golden. 😂🖤

And of course, Kim Shin and Ji Eun-tak… oh my heart. 💔🌨️ Their love story was tragic, ethereal, and deeply moving. The way she called him “Ahjussi”, the way he looked at her like she was the light in his eternal night — I can’t describe how utterly beautiful their chemistry was. Ji Eun-tak wasn’t just a character; she was hope, she was healing. Kim Go-eun and Gong Yoo were pure magic together, and they made me believe in fate, miracles, and love beyond lifetimes. 💘☂️

Goblin is not just my favorite K-drama — it’s my emotional support drama, my standard, my forever pick. 💫 Even after all these years, “Stay With Me” by Chanyeol and Punch is still my ringtone — and hearing it still makes my heart ache in the best way. 🎧😭 I’ll never stop loving this drama. It's a masterpiece I’ll carry with me always — in every snowfall, in every quiet moment, and in every part of me that still believes in something greater than this world. 🕊️💭

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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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what is the hype about…?

Maybe it’s a product of its time, or maybe this should have been my first drama instead of watching it years after getting into the genre but I really struggle to understand the hype. I’ve started this drama three times. On the third attempt, I told myself I just needed to be patient and find the right mindset but that wasn’t it either apparently.

The age gap is the strangest part, and it’s made even more noticeable by the complete lack of chemistry between the main leads. Honestly, the only remotely interesting part of this drama was the Grim Reaper and his backstory. This is one of the slowest dramas I’ve ever watched?! it took seven episodes for anything to really happen. I ended up skipping a lot and I can confidently say I didn’t miss much, because there are only minor plot developments every few episodes.

Overall, this is one of the worst dramas I’ve ever watched, which is a shame because I did enjoy the bromance between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper and I was really hoping to be as hyped and excited about this show as everyone else around me. Hard pass.

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The last episode

This Kdrama is good, sorta, I just feel like some parts were unnecessary. For a quick example, why did the main character have to die just to be reborn looking exactly the same? it did not really change the story, in my opinion. I feel like they just had an extra 30 min for the last episode, and did not know what to add, so they just threw that idea. Also, the reaper and sunny relationship was lowkey annoying to watch. it felt endless to me.
This k drama did make me shed a tear when Eun Tak pulled out the sword from Kim Shin if I have to be honest, and the cinematography was very visually pleasing
The song slaps though, I still listen to it,

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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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This drama was amazing!!!!!
I first hoped that there would be more romance but later on understood that this drama couldn't get more perfect even if it tried. It made me laugh, cry, think, relate, clap my hands and so much more.

Goblin is rlly the definition of lonely and Eun Tak is rlly the best thing that happened to him.

Sunny and Reaper were also rlly amazing. Sunny was an amazing friend and sister and Reaper had the best character arc.
I loved the bromance and all the side stories!
I also rlly liked the friendship Eun Tak had later on with the class rep!! relly cute.
Deok Hwa, his grandpa, and assistant Kim were also a bonus <3

This drama is a classic even tho it came out a few years ago. I loved the so unpredictable ending even tho it left me with questions. (How many lives do they have, why did he come back for a long period even tho the contract said "every first snow/rain etc", will he always look young while she ages and dies and then gets reborn again? hmmmmm).

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BEST, MOST BRILLIANT, AMAZING KOREAN DRAMA HANDS DOWN!!!! ? IT'S MY TOP FAVORITE AND I WISH THE RATING OPTION WAS HIGHER THAN TEN BECAUSE THIS SHOW IS THE BEST EVER, LIKE EVER! Kim Shin is the most dreamiest person alive. The bromance with him and the grim reaper is the most adorable thing. I THINK EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD SHOULD WATCH THIS BECAUSE HANDS DOWN IT IS THE BEST BEST BEST. THE OST, THE VISUALS, THE PLOT, THE TWISTS AND TURNS, OMG JUST WATCH IT NOW YOU WILL LAUGH, CRY, AND THINK ABOUT THIS ONE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND EVERY NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP YOU WILL STILL THINK ABOUT THAT TUNNEL SCENE WITH KIM SHIN AND THE GRIM REAPER BYE!

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Goblin (2016)

A constant in the standard K-Drama diet and it's very easy to see why. An emotionally compelling story. Stunning and visually appealing cinematography. An OST that's still highly regarded in today's time and complements the screenplay perfectly. The cast have a clear chemistry with one another and do justice to their characters and the writing.

So, what's wrong?

Let me preface this with, I have zero, absolutely zero issues with actor or character age gaps whether physical or theoretical. Chemistry and acting chops over everything. If you can sell sand to a beach, I'm in. But something was off with the main "couple" in this show. The male lead and female lead just didn't click for me. They gave off a father/daughter dynamic as opposed to romantic interests. And as hard as the show pushed this relationship I just wasn't convinced. K-Drama fans love buying up fairytale romances so that's exactly what Goblin sold--- alongside those product placements, amirite?

I'm also very much in the opinion that the best parts of the show were the Goblin-Reaper (male leads) relationship and banter. Scenes that included those two generally meant a good time for the viewers and was strong enough to magnify any other characters in the scene. The show also went through a lot of "not much is happening" sequences and with the romantic aspects being more of the bittersweet, ill-fated variety there wasn't much left in the tank in terms of substance.

And as much as an emotionally-charged cluster bomb the ending sequences were, I thought it was both fine and fitting for all of the characters and especially for Mr. Goblin--- Guardian, the lonely and great god.

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The experience i got after watching this drama can't be expressed in words. It was one of the best drama i ever watched. First time i felt that it looks like an ordinary periodical love story and am not interested in it. But after reading the plot i give it try thats all. But Overall it was a worth watching for me because this drama makes me cry after the finale episode. The leading actors done their job perfectly. Goblin bride & grim Reaper and lover their romances are awesome.. it was a slow paced drama so the length may be an issue for some viewers... But am ok with it. U also give it a try. You will defenetly fall in love with all characters and also the plot

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When this Korean drama was aired, I was interested in the first episode. I could not take my eyes off the wonderfully scenes. Watching each new episode I felt like at the cinema, special effects and showing the story was better than many movies that I had the opportunity to see. This drama remarkably shows the thread how the fate of many people can interlace with each other over many years. Music reflected every scene correctly. Thanks to her, you could feel a lot more emotion and feel the same as the actors. If you like Korean drama with a fantasy story, you should watch it.

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