Goblin was an ambitious drama-a high production value drama with gorgeous cinematography-and TvN pulled it off well. Granted, the ~90 minute episodes were a bit hard to adjust to and the drama did linger on some moments. Nevertheless, I never thought the drama was overhyped.
The combination of the breathtaking way scenes were filmed, and the wealth of heart Goblin possessed was enough to pull me in. I don't usually talk about editing but I have to say that Goblin's editing and stylistic filming are one of my favorites out of all dramas. I love the historic backstory, sometimes even more than the present. The historic story was the anchor of the emotional resonance of the present timeline.
Goblin's world of fantasy was fun, woven well, and interesting. The rules aren't always the most clear but I can accept that. The core of the story lied in the actions and consequences of the Goblin, and the lives he touched. Of course, the bromance between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper is my favorite relationship by far. The dry insults they pass back and forth amongst themselves are the best because under the insults lies affection, as much as they hate to admit it.
The romance in Goblin wasn't the most important to me until the second half of the drama, when the stakes were raised higher and the emotions felt heavier. Admittedly, I didn't love the romance between the Kim Shin and Eun Tak in the beginning because their relationship seemed to be more of a lost soul to lost soul connection, and not a romantic one. It wasn't until later did I finally feel their subtle chemistry, then I fell head in for them in the second half. Disclaimer: I cried so much, so freaking much. Be prepared to cry in the latter half of the drama. (This is a good thing, I think!)
The romance between the Grim Reaper and Sunny is poignant and heart wrenching. Their history lent their romance more weight but their present romance is filled with charged, tense chemistry all on their own. I loved them together honestly! SO much chemistry.Everyone's performance was fantastic. I have no complaints.
The soundtrack is AMAZING. OST's of a drama are so important to me in creating a more emotional bond with the scene and Goblin's is just on point in every take. Every song is utilized so well in the dramas and just add so much depth to the scenes.
Now, the not so good:
As I mentioned in the beginning, the drama did tend to linger and prolong many moments, which made them feel long. There were also times, especially in the beginning, where I feel like the plot became a little repetitive. However, the drama definitely became better and faster as the episodes went by, maybe because I got used to the length of it, but the plot also got tighter and more emotionally thrilling.
The ending, to me, felt very bittersweet. I cried loads and I feel somewhat unsatisfied. It is very memorable though, so there's that.
I definitely recommend Goblin to everyone, if anything, at least to try to see if it fits their taste. Disregarding the complaints about this drama, especially about the age gap controversy, I still think Goblin is a drama for everyone to at least try because Goblin is so much more than just the romantic relationships.
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