This review may contain spoilers
Super famous but didn't convinced me...
Watched this drama about a year ago because it was literally everywhere,and seemed like a must-have if you like K-Drama like me! So i said to myself:"Why not give it a try!?". It turned out to be a pretty basic K-Drama. Music's and places were gorgeous,and the story in itself had a strong basement for a really wonderful and well made show but sadly turned out to be the classic dramawith a good add of romance. Also I've founded it really confusing since they didn't closed al lot of questions, like the one about the headstones and the relationship with the place in Canada. Plus they added A LOT of repeated scenes nearly the end of the show, especially the one pf him walking in the snow tempest. Sadly I'm notgonna give this show a rewatch was reallyhard and boringto follow in many pieces...Was this review helpful to you?
A Spellbinding Journey of Love, Immortality, and Redemption in a Must-Watch Korean Drama!
"Goblin" is an absolute gem of a Korean drama that I couldn't get enough of. From the very beginning, I was drawn into the enchanting world of fantasy, romance, and drama it beautifully crafted. The story of the immortal goblin and his destined bride was both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, taking me on an emotional rollercoaster. The chemistry between the lead characters was simply electric, and their performances were outstanding. The drama's stunning cinematography and haunting soundtrack added a magical touch to the whole experience. Even after finishing the series, I found myself thinking about "Goblin" and its powerful themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption. This drama has rightfully earned its place as one of my all-time favorites, leaving an indelible mark on my heart and soul.Was this review helpful to you?
Astonishing visuals, hollow story
First few episodes were kinda cute. Characters were well written, great chemistry between main characters with smart humour with surprisingly good bromance. But after few episodes you gonna ask yourself: Hey, how come these episodes are THAT long (almost 90 mintues each) and we are in the middle of the show and nothing actually important happens? Well thats the main issue with this show. Im used to slow paced story in korean TV shows and im ok with it but this is just over the top. The thing is that screentwriters didnt come up with a strong story in the first place so as with many other korean dramas, they make up some lazy plot twists in the middle of the show without giving you any clue whatsoever. I dont really like that cause it makes the show cheap. The story feels extremely slow, the main twist is very sudden without any deep reason and the last few episodes are just straight up slow torture cause at that point nothing makes sense. If the show had like 8 episodes 1 hour long, it would be much better.Neverthless the show was very well shot with strong soundtrack, great interiers, design and everything and thats probably the reason why so many people really like this show. Also i really enjoyed realationship build of main couple
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Character development, which is crucial for a good drama, felt disappointingly shallow. The important characters just didn't get the depth they needed, making them feel kind of distant and undeveloped. The romance was generally bad and forced, lacking that genuine chemistry that should've pulled at the heartstrings.
The story itself got a bit messy sometimes, throwing in inconsistent mythological bits that interrupted everything. Even though "Goblin" had its moments of grandeur and some heartfelt acting, it couldn't keep up a consistently engaging storyline or build compelling character arcs.
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Almost paradise but not perfect!
19-year-old girl Eun Tak does her best to survive her monotonous life with her aunt and cousins. One day, she blows out her birthday candle and accidentally summons a goblin. Not just any goblin, but a world-weary 900-year-old immortal Goblin named Kim Shin, for whom she is fated to remove the magical sword from his chest and finally let him rest in peace, or else death will come to her instead. Kim Shin wanted to end his immortal life but in order to do that, he had to give up his only love and then he had to end his life to save her. Now, how can this end happily?At it’s core, Goblin is a high-stake romance with unsolved past conflicts that centers around death, reincarnation, grief, and forgiveness. Not only it's hilariously charming, it’s also painfully soul-crushing. Watching each scene feels truly magical and for me it is thanks to the God-tier OSTs that are played in the scenes so flawlessly, it amplifies all the emotional beats. Other aspects are also top-notch: acting, characterizations, camera work and cinematography. My favorite part is, of course, all the bromance moments between Kim Shin and Grim Reaper, their funnies and their long-lasting bond. They gave fresh comedies that I love to rewatch and laugh again.
That said, I'll always be a little bitter that they wrote Ji Eun Tak as a high-schooler who wears her school uniform with her freaking bowtie most of the time! I never understand and I feel really bad about it. Plus, Kim Shin is just a very immature rude jerk at first. I see Goblin and Eun Tak as friends more than lovers. This is why romance is not my main enjoyment watching this drama, and while the chemistry between Sunny and Grim Reaper is unmatched, they deserve more couple moments! It’s a bit waste of potential and frustrating to watch them meet and part ways repetitively just for exchanging biodata and unrevealing a tiny bit of mystery. Regardless, I recommend Goblin to anyone as plot is uncomplicated and you’ll be amazed by the beauty of it.
Dec 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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Enjoyable and Light
A lot of drama bite off more than they can chew when tackling plots and after binge watching show after show that couldn't neatly tie their story lines together, Goblin was a happy surprise. Goblin focuses one two couples and their epic stories of growth, tragedy, and just daily life. The plot itself is rather simple and thin, but still enjoyable. The show is full of cute and funny scenes that will keep you watching. Keep in mind, the show feels more like a slice of life rather than a supernatural adventure, so if you're out for some magical battles, Goblin isn't the show to watch.An issue that prevented me from fully immersing myself in the story was the main protagonists' love story. There is no real build up to help you understand why Eun Tak and Kim Shin fall in love. They both need something from on another, whether it's to end an immortal life or just have the support of someone, but it's not enough to help solidify why they eventually fall in love. There's something lacking in their budding romance leaving it awkward and strange until you simply decide to accept it for what it is and keep watching.
Overall, having simple story lines to follow allowed Goblin's pacing to breath leaving a ton of space for a lot of the funny moments I mentioned earlier. And, like many other dramas, the flashbacks are overused. Couple of ticks on the fast forward button and you've got a light and enjoyable drama.
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A hugh miss from the story to the execution
Since the drama received so much love from the people watching it, maybe I went into with too high an expactation. Nevertheless, I'll try to be as objective as possible, despite the fact that this is still a subjective opinion of a person.Personally, I find the romanticism of most scenes too cheesy and long. It's not because I dislike the type in general as I'm a regular consumer of kdrama and I quite like the time the show gives for the audience to process the emotions. However, the age gap lead to a large portion of the scene being unused because they can't physically do anything to lovey dovey as it's not appropriate. In the end, I didn't find myself emotionally attached and invested into the character.
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This review may contain spoilers
Watch it for the Bromance!
Top notch cast - checkGreat music - check
Dramatic (and very well made) background story - check
Bromance - check
Secondary couple - :)
Chemistry between main leads - :(
Started watching for Gong Yoo, who is daebak as always but
*SPOILER AHEAD*
halfway through the series the plot becomes an endless loop of 'when will the sword be taken out'
i was hoping this will be resolved soon but no, it seems to become the main couple's only obstacle and issue
as the main couple circles endlessly around the sword - the second couple gains steam with the ring! the meeting on the bridge! the grim reaper trying enter dating scene!
honestly i continued watching for the second couple instead since the main couple seems to lack spark.
as the series continued, the plot thickens around the second couple and i became so invested in them that i started to skip all the scenes containing the main couple
tried rewatching and found that even the bromance between the goblin and the grim reaper is still more entertaining than the goblin and the bride :(
conclusion: watch it for the second couple beautifully tragic story and the super fun bromance!
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Sometimes it's slow-paced and uneventful, sometime it's so good it's the best Kdrama ever
It's hard to wrap it up in a few words. But i would say this is probably the longest buildup i have ever seen.It has 16 episodes, and the actions and dramatic parts start at around ep.11 12. Before that it was about character building and bonding (those memories will be used effectively against us later).
The fantasy romance story is intriguing. It has good plot twists and back story. Although the pacing is sometimes a bit slow, overall it sends meaningful messages of love, hate, afterlife, regret, loneliness and forgiveness. It can break your heart and also make you smile
The acting is good, nothing to complain about. The chemistry between the second lead couple is so good at all time. At the beginning the main couple feels a bit lacking, near the end it gets a lot better. But the best chemistry has to be the bromance between Goblin and Grim Reaper!
The characters are well built and developed, relatable and make reasonable decisions. But mostly they are madly driven by love.
The music is so beautiful and sad, wished they had kept the ending song till the end though. The special effects feel natural (the glowing sword and the power of grim reaper), but the flying moments were a bit off.
The atmosphere changes so fast. One moment it's fluff and romantic (with a little too many staring-straight-at-each-other-for-a-century), and a second later it's heart wrenching and full of dramas and actions. It's was well-balanced, i just wished it was more consistent.
Overall, i would recommend this series if you are looking for a romance story sets in the present, with wholesome bromance, fantasy elements and a tragic backstory from a past life, which would now affect the choices and emotions of the characters.
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Complicated
I liked this show. I came to care most for its characters because the actors made them lovable, unlike the story itself, which is sloppy and muddled in its lore.This is a fantasy romance, which are usually up my alley. However, this one could have been better had the story stuck to its own rules. What ensues are quite a lot of plot holes and overly dramatic performances. I suppose the writers are hoping you will overlook its many flaws and focus on the romance between our MCs. That is fine for some. I like my dramas to be a little better thought out and organized.
A lot is going on here. We have a young, high school aged girl who is lonely and looking to belong. We have a god/guardian who has been living in immortality since a tragedy caused him to be what he is. He is searching for his bride as she will have the power to end his long existence and give him peace. Enter grim reapers with complicated backstories and gods playing with human lives, and the story becomes a complicated mess because it doesn't stick to its own rules. Some things are never really explained and it leaves you with a lot of questions. Above all this, it's still highly entertaining and I am a sucker for a good romance, even though the first episodes exasperated me to no end. Our goblin likes to play games with the girl and their silly banter runs the gamut from idiocy to deep tenderness, once the nonsense between them is cleared away and Mr. Goblin realizes he is in love,
What makes this drama watchable despite its flaws are the beautiful actors that make up this ensemble. They are wholly believable, in the moment and completely invested in their characters. No one does this better than Gong Yoo, our handsome goblin. His expressive eyes make you feel every emotion emanating from within. His despair is our despair, his joy makes us feel warm. (Because of this ability to give himself completely to his role, Gong Yoo has won the top spot in my list of best actors in South Korea. He is also, in my opinion, the most breathtakingly beautiful man I have ever set eyes on.) There are some downright hilarious moments and clear messages of friendship, compassion, loyalty and forgiveness. The soundtrack is amazing. The songs range from typical pop pieces to some very different sounds which fit the drama perfectly. I would watch this again just to relive the dreamy spark of Gong Yoo's eyes.
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It's not perfect. The faults I mentioned (and those that have been and will be mentioned by others) are present in Goblin. Yet Goblin isn't the sort of artwork to reveal these faults to the engaged viewer.
Again, much will be said in the way of critique and analysis, as it should be. But if you come across this show and ever find yourself immersed — hopefully in the first episode — Goblin will refuse to release you until its final moment. It does what every artist hopes their work will do: it submerges you in the world it constructs and, when it ends, leaves a part of its world with you.
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goblin starts out with a fantasy story that is really damn good, first episodes takes a while so u scroll down to find goblin's episodes r actually 90 minutes long, okay so thats a fancy sneaky way to advertise a 24 episode show being 16 longish episodes,
acting is great , nearly every actor/actress feels perfect for the role except for the little important main lead actress Kim Go-Eun, she feels so wrong casted on so many levels, something just feels off from first time u see her on the screen, 12 years difference between her and gong yoo just adds oil to the chemistry on fire already.., every other single relationship between the characters is perfect, the chemistry is just amazing inbetween the rest of the cast
execution: this drama was amazingly executed but it suffers horribly from the most common trend korea does, IT DRAGS THE HECK OUT, if u thought 90 minutes can be tolerable at first 5 episodes w8 till u reach some filler episodes around 12~ holly molly how can there be literally Many filler scenes in such a drama?
overall: this drama is well written, it drags Alot,if u can get over that and Kim Go-Eun, its enjoyable
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