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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This is my ultimate drama
I remember when I watched this drama for the first time, it was still ongoing. I looked forward to each episode with great enthusiasm. I was so curious about the continuation of the story. When this drama ended, there was a sense of loss in me, to the point that I couldn't watch other drama for a while. This drama has made a deep impression on me, and I can't find any drama like this again, at least until I wrote this review.I love every episode in this drama. It's so good from the start to the end. The story goes really well. It seems that the writer knows where the story is going and consistently follows it. The next important part that also makes this drama memorable is the characters. They all left impression on me, even the extras. Every characters are just right, portray by the right actors too. The chemistry between the leads is one of the best i can find in kdrama.
The production of this drama is also no joke. The production team really gave the best they could for this drama. The cinematography is breath taking, and the soundtracks are just so good. I even still play the soundtracks regularly and it still gives me the feels. I just want to thank the writer, director, actors and production crews for this masterpiece.
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Goblin
- The story is unique.- There are funny scenes.
- The music is very memorable.
- The ending is happy. (So.. yay!)
- Supernatural, Romance, Drama, Fantasy all in one.
- However, I felt like there was no climax in the k-drama, a lot of the scenes were romantic scenes, fighting and arguing scenes, and that's about it.
- If you have a bad commitment when watching k-dramas. (Unless you're really into the plot in reviews.) Then, don't watch it.
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I really love the fantasy/supernatural themed dramas and thought this story was very unique featuring reincarnation, grim reapers, goblins, demigods etc it was very in depth. My only gripe and it is a very small one...is that I found the romance unsatisfying for me. Ji Un Tak seemed so young to me compared to Kim shin that I almost felt uncomfortable. Also Ji Un Tak seemed a bit immature even though she had so many hardships.
The bromance relationship definitely interested me more than the romance, Kim shim and the grim reaper just have such a fun relationship and are so similar it was great. The cast was of course A-M-A-Z-I-N-G especially with Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook.
This is now one of my all-time faves, why are you reading this? Go watch this drama now! You owe it to yourself :)
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I will definitely rewatch this because I miss the characters so much, even after 15 minutes from seeing them lol. I recommend this to ANYONE who likes dramas as is is funny, romantic and have some action! It also teachers a lot of lessons and puts other people's lives into perspective. Thank you so much to the writers as this is my favourite and now I have high expectations XD
10/10
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Hit or Miss
ive seen so many rating of 10's for this drama, it was misleading or just wrong. im fine with the age difference in the drama but it didnt feel like there wasn't any chemistry between the two leads. someone pointed out that the relationship was more of a father and daughter relationship, and i can completely agree on that one.the story is indeed intriguing, but it went nowhere from the episodes i have watched. its like someone thought of a great idea but it kinda fell flat from the true vision that "Goblin" could have been. along with that, the episodes SHOULD not have been an hour long. it felt fluffed up or dragging out the slow pace that the drama didn't really start off with. the first two episodes are the highlight of the 6 episodes i watched, but after that the pace started to begin slow and i just couldnt take it anymore.
after the first few episodes. i sticked it out to see if it would change my mind, but unfortunately it havent and will end up in the drop pile >: but thank you Goblin for ur OST.
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It's not an issue of plot, it's more an issue with the main female protagonist for me. She comes across as an immature, whiny girl. I found her character completely annoying and entirely unrealistic when it comes to pairing her with a 700+ year old war general. It wasn't an issue of AGE for me, but rather, how her character was written. For example, in Cinderella and the Four Knights (a lovely watch, by the way), the main female protagonist is sweet, innocent, and overall, happy and good-natured. Even though both female characters in Cinderella and the Four Knights and Goblin had similar "Cinderella" circumstances, the writers executed their characterization very differently. Ultimately, while I recognize that the writer for Goblin was trying to get a happy, innocent girl despite her unfortunate circumstances, in comparison, I think Cinderella and the Four Knights female MC was so much better. She was someone I could respect, root-for, and empathize with - I just couldn't feel any of those things for the MC of Goblin.
I really couldn't move past the female MC in Goblin because of her characteristics that I mentioned above. And it really sucks because I really liked the other aspects of this drama. The Goblin has such an interesting story and history. The Grim Reaper was entertaining to watch. The interactions between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper were HILARIOUS. I also really enjoy Gong Yoo's acting and he's extremely attractive, which is a plus! But I just couldn't get over the insta-love and unrealistic romance between the girl and the Goblin.
Again, I'm really bummed and I really really REALLY had hoped that I would like this drama on the second try, but I guess it just wasn't in the cards.
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1) Cinderella complex - the female lead was frustratingly dependent on the male lead. Didn’t see any good character development in her.
2) Awkward chemistry - no build up to the romance. Portrayal of the gap in itself was really awkward.
3) Extremely slow - gave up watching in the middle of the show with how little the progress was on the story.
The music and cinematography were good but those factors weren’t even enough to save this show.
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Unlike other vampire/immortal concepts, Kim Shin looks 40, acts 40 and he has the power and wealth of someone who is 40. Meanwhile, Ji Eun Tak looks 17, acts 17 and she has no power or wealth at all to her name.
The fact that Ji Eun Tak is world-weary due to a traumatic life, and Kim Shin is currently on a playful/mid-life crisis streak does not solve this fundamental problem. All the cinematography and production budget in the world couldn't solve this problem.
I really liked the character of Wang Yeo (the grim reaper), and his scenes somewhat redeemed the show for me. . . but not by enough.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes - 3
In fairness to the show, I didn't watch far enough to see any complex themes. But, in the first five episodes it is your typical vampire/immortal romance (except more highly morally problematic than normal). There were hints of complexity developing.
Character Growth -3
Not up to the point I watched.
Nuanced Women -7
Ji Eun Tak is competent in her wise beyond her years but still has bursts of childishness. (The burst of childishness did NOT help with the romance hinted aspects).
Cinematography/Production Values - 10
It's really really gorgeous, with lots of real life sets and large production values.
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I have to start off with the storyline. I've always been quite a fan of mythical creatures, especially stories about Japanese deities and gods in anime. When I first saw that this story revolves around similar folklore beasts and spirits, I was swiftly drawn into it. It was quite a ride seeing the mythical creatures being portrayed by the amazing and super talented actors. I mean, the Goblin and the Grim Reaper's bromance speaks for itself. At first glance, I thought that the main couple, the Goblin and his bride, was kind of strange and unrelatable, but they made such a cute connection during the series. I've been familiar with Kim Go Eun's acting in Cheese In The Trap so it was quite a surprise seeing her act as a bubbly and fun character, unlike the other drama. However, my biggest appreciation of romance goes to the ultimate Grim Reaper and Sunny. Their screen time is so strong and made me quite anxious each and every episode... Their chemistry is unbelievable, they definitely need a separate series! *totally would watch*
The OST was selected perfectly. Loved the little touch of incorporating classical and pop music. The breathtaking shots of the nature and Quebec made the visuals of this drama out of this world unforgettable!
Not only does this drama combine polar genres like comedy, romance, history and tragedy into one harmonized series, but also it combines existential and every day problems with the perception of time. Never has a Korean Drama changed my views on death and love like Goblin. This is worth appearing onto national television it was that good! I'm gonna miss it, but it's also in a need of a re-watch sometime soon!
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Plot of this Drama is unique & strong, extremely amazing!!
Acting... What to say... Everyone did their job PERFECTLY ... but i praise Gong yoo & Kim Go-Eun .???????? She is Amazing seriously... and bromance between Lee dong wook and Gong yoo is cute though.
And Mesmerizing OST... specially Stay with me, Heaven, Beautiful life, I miss you, best background score..
Hats off to the makers and everyone who made this drama so special.❤️????????
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One of my favorite things about this show is the character development. The chemistry all the actors have with each other is amazing and it's so exciting to see how they change throughout the series.
Yes, Kim Go Eun was young compared to others but I think she fit the role perfectly and really brought Ji Eun Tak to life.
Even though I cried watching Goblin, I would definitely watch this again and recommend it to everyone!
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