I think I made a mistake when I first picked up the series. I was probably focusing on the "cheese" and not the "trap" on the title. But could you blame me? I just finished watching Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo where I was mesmerized by Nam Joo Hyuk's smile and moved on to My Love from the Star where I fell in love with the brilliant Park Hae Jin. I've disregarded this series so many times but I wanted to see those two again so here I am, trapped like an unsuspecting mouse because of the very vague summary presented above.

I finished the series within three days. Then, I had to take a one-hour breather before I could write this review because I couldn't form coherent sentences.

I didn't read the webtoon so please don't judge me but I couldn't understand why some people thought the story went downhill midway. For me, it didn't. It got darker yet at the same time had more substance. The scary part though was that I'm convinced that the writer and the actors were able to show logic out of insanity. What does that make me?

Anyway, here are the actors who are to blame if ever I get admitted:

1. Park Hae Jin - except for MLFTS, I haven't seen any of his other projects although I've planned to watch Bad Guys for a while now. MLFTS really didn't do much for me if not for his performance as the second male lead. I thought he could be the next Gong Yoo. This series intensified that belief. From the beginning until the end, his character was simply captivating. I was torn between loving Yoo Jung and being cautious of him. His character was so strange and so complex and PHJ portrayed him brilliantly.

2. Lee Sung Kyung - there had been a lot of issues about her overacting in this series. I'm sorry but I have to disagree. LSK's portrayal as Baek In Ha is possibly the best I've ever seen her do. I first saw her in Doctors and thought she was so-so if not a bit annoying. Imagine my surprise when I saw her as Kim Bok Joo. Gone was the stylish chaebol. She was instead replaced by a short-tempered and impulsive eating machine. Now combine the two personas and add a little bit of crazy to the mix. The result? A completely flawed character that you want to hate and pity at the same time.

3. Ji Yoon Ho - I first saw him in Sweet Stranger and Me and thought he was rather cute. He wasn't cute at all in this series though. He portrayed his role quite well that I can't wait to see him with bigger roles.

In case the other three escape, here are the rest of the reasons behind my strange behavior:

Seo Kang Joon - Baek In Ho is probably the only normal person among the main characters. He easily captured the hearts and sympathy of the viewers and even though I love PHJ, I seriously wouldn't resent it if In Ho ended up with Seol.
Kim Go Eun - I still maintain that Hong Seol isn't as innocent and normal as she pretends to be. She has her own air of cruelty around her; enough for her to plot her own revenge or look the other way when her boyfriend does it for her. On a lighter note, can someone give KGE a break already! If she isn't surrounded by a goblin, a reaper, and ghosts, then it's another kind of crazies!
Nam Joo Hyuk - Eun Tak and Bo Ra's characters and romance were so heartwarming. NJH is simply so adorable! Can I adopt him?

I almost forgot the amazing portrayal of Lee Na Yoon as mini In Ha. She definitely had the same expressions as LSK, don't you agree?

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This was the drama that kickstarted my addiction. I wasnt into kdrama that much back then although Kim Rae Won, who I thought was adorable in Attic Cat and My Little Bride, and Park Shin Hye, who is insanely famous in our country, are two names that I remember. The chemistry they had in this series was really good and not to mention that I am partial to age gap and teacher-student stories.

I must admit that the main story did drag on a bit. The pacing noticeably slowed down as the main plot had to give way for the patients' stories to be shown. But while waiting for the main plot to develop, I was rewarded with the discovery of great actors such as Kim Min Suk and of course, Nam Gung Min whose guest appearance was so amazing it broke my heart. There are other supporting and guest performances worth mentioning in this series but I think KMS topped the list.

The OST in this drama was pretty good too. I wasnt into kpop but while watching this series, No Way kept playing in my mind that I had to download it.

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My Girl's Lee Dong Wook. Coffee Prince's Gong Yoo. Admittedly, those two names were the initial reasons why I got curious about this drama. Later on, it was my 30-second glimpse of episode five when the male leads were going to the apps store (really cracked me up) that sealed the deal. Because of that, I was under the impression that this will be just another light rom-com drama with a touch of fantasy. Boy was I wrong.

I didn't watch any trailer before I started this drama and I wasn't prepared for the emotional roller coaster that it put me in. A salad of fantasy, romance, drama, and comedy, Goblin was able to make me laugh, smile, and cry all in one episode. There was no boring episode although I must admit that the last three dragged on a bit.

Though sometimes a bit forced and repetitive, the romance in this drama was good. The actors definitely knew what they were doing in that area. Now the bromance, a favorite of most Goblin fans, was just AMAZING. (All caps, people!). Having Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook acting adorably awkward and goofy in the same screen is now my second favorite thing next to chocolate fudge cake. More importantly, this drama is more than just about love that transcends time and death or about "destiny outside of man's boundary." Beyond the witty exchanges and the most poetic lines I've heard - or read (hurrah, subtitles!) in a drama, Goblin tackles deeper themes about friendship, life choices, and regrets.

Not to mislead you though, this drama is not perfect. There are a lot of underlying storylines that are undeveloped and could have made the story more awesome than it already was. By the time you realized it though, you've fallen in love with the drama and its characters that you won't have a choice but to overlook and forgive these plot holes.

The best part that I like about this drama (except for Goblin's and the Grim Reaper's bromance) is the music. Simply put - PERFECT. I don't understand Korean but the melody and how the songs were laid in each scene was so effective I would rate it 11 if possible. There were also some important scenes when I expected a background music but instead I was given raw acting and raw dialogue making the scenes more effective.

Last but definitely not the least, I was in awe of the cinematography of this drama. If not for Gong Yoo's face in the first episode, I wouldn't have been sure if I was watching a k-drama or some Hollywood/Chinese fantasy movie. They definitely spared no expense in making this drama. Then again, they probably also earned tons from all the advertisement they had.

All in all, Goblin is a strange and beautiful drama that is definitely one of the best k-dramas I've seen.

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A novel with ripped out pages

This is the best nor is this the worst C-drama I've watched recently but somehow I feel compelled to write a review about it. I started this with a warning from my sister who dropped it on the first episode because she thought it was boring. It wasn't.

The production of this drama is far from perfect. There were a lot of shaky and unpolished shots that reminded me of low-budget indie works. The actors weren't as flawless as you would see in some mainstream dramas either and the acting was a bit awkward at times. Nonetheless, these actors and shots came together to make one point - this isn't your ordinary school-life drama.

This is a slow-paced and realistic story that follows four college dormmates as they navigate through their university life. With warm tones that invoke a sense of nostalgia, watching this drama almost felt like reading a book. Each episode is comparable to finishing a chapter of Little Women had they been Chinese instead of Westerners and dormmates instead of sisters.

The concept of this drama is generally good. I could have rated the story higher if not for these reasons:

First, I absolutely hated Bai Lin. I admire how loyal she was but honestly, she was the type of person whom I would have slapped had she been my roommate. There was a hint of character growth towards the end of the drama but it was hardly enough.

Second, there was no conclusion at all to Zhao Xiao Tang's story. I love a good open ending but this wasn't just a giant loose end - this feels like the story was left unfinished midway and what I know so far makes me imagine that things can definitely get worse.

Third, the ending was just - to put it simply - disappointing. I would have preferred an open ending to the one that was shown. It wasn't even about the pairing; it was about how the build-up was made. All the hints were pointing to the pair closing their chapter; and except for the fact that she didn't take her assessment or submit her drafts, there wasn't even a hint of confusion on the female lead's end. She had seemed so resolute only to make a decision that was totally unexpected.

So what happened? I felt like some parts of this story were missing, like pages of the book being ripped out right before the very end.

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Most comments about this series on drama sites are about it being hilarious. Honestly, I just watched it because I wanted to find something I can watch with my brother. The next thing I knew, we were both caught line and sinker. By the fifth episode, I couldn't understand why this was even labelled as comedy. The story line is original. The scenes are unpredictable. The acting, even of those with supporting characters, is great. There were loopholes at the end but with the emotion overflowing, you wouldn't even have energy to question them. All in all, a must watch for the whole family.

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