Goblin is actually a melo fantasy drama that disguised itself on the surface as a funny/hilarious drama. Despite the drama ends with a happy notes to all the characters, the ‘happy ending’ leave a bitter taste in my mouth tbh. Kim Eun Sook made Shin such a sad, pitiful and full of misery as a character. All he ever did from the beginning right until the end is waiting and waiting. He waited 900 years for his bride, he then waited another 9 years in coldness and nothingness yearning and trying to get back to her, and at the end, he waited another 60++ lonely years waiting for her to be reborn again. What kind of lonely and sad fate is that? There’s nothing cool or poetic about it. The writer just want to make the ending more ~dramatic~ but it turned flat instead.

But despite the bittersweet ending, I love the drama as a whole. It did have its flaws and questionable plot line like Eun Tak being a 19 years old high school student but the drama as a whole is hilarious and has amazing cinematography consistently throughout. It was beautifully shot in all angles but I do feel it is so slow sometimes. I still cant believe that this is the same writer who wrote the disappointing 'The Heirs’ and the embarrassing 'Descendant of the Sun’. I just cant believe that the same writer is capable of writing such a good drama like this. Her usual style of writing which focuses on pop-culture references (Eun Tak asking Grim Reaper to name himself Park Bo Gum which means 'Precious Sword’ to tease Shin was brilliant), amazing bromance between the male leads and interesting 2nd leads’ love story can be seen in this drama but somehow she has upped her game when she wrote Goblin – its like she has matured in her writing style which is very surprising and unexpected.

I thought Gong Yoo did an excellent job as Kim Shin. His loneliness, sadness, sad smiles and happiness can be felt when you see him on screen. I understood Shin’s loneliness and desperation clearly and all of this thanks to Gong Yoo amazing portrayal. Many people have complain with Kim Go Eun as Eun Tak but I really like her. If other actress is playing this role, I would definitely find them annoying but Go Eun played this role naturally. Her crying scenes are amazing and as usual, she always play all of her movies/dramas’ characters differently each and everytime. Whatever wrong decision or bad acting Lee Dong Wook made in the past (ehem Hotel King ehem Blade Man) is redeemed in this drama. I feel like I cry with him everytime he looks at Sunny and all the sadness he feels inside. I don’t know he has it in him so I’m mildly surprise. And what can I say about Yoo In Na? She just look extremely gorgeous in this drama. Her hair flip, lips, and everything just look totally beautiful and her monologue when she is writing the letter to the radio shattered me. Sung Jae as Yoo Deok Hwa (reference to Andy Lau and Infernal Affairs) is just hilarious. He’s my fave character in the show and he got the best scenes in the whole drama hands down. I’m so proud of him!

Generally, I just dislike this whole next life/reincarnation thingie. It made people didn’t live their live to the fullest with the hope of meeting each other again in their next life. Its your own life, you can control it so throw all of it out of the window and be happy. You don’t have to live a lonely life longing for each other and hope that your next life will be better – I’m looking at you Wang Yeo and Sunny. But despite that, I found its interesting how their love starts. While Shin and Eun Tak rely heavily on destiny (her as his bride) and memory, Wang Yeo and Sunny will fall in love with each other at first sight each and everytime. No matter which life times, they just attracted at each other without any reasons at all – that 'one look’ sealed all the deals for them.

What I find most interesting while watching this drama is that the ability of it to made me shed tears many times. I just randomly shed tears at random scenes or at random script. I cried a lot watching episodes 15 & 16 which is crazy lol. I shed tears at the blind man and his dog, the soldier and his wife and at other random scenes. And the scene of Wang Yeo meeting Sunny after 9 years, Sunny’s letter or when Eun Tak remembering back all her memories, all of it made me cry like a baby. I certainly didn’t expect all of this. Due to this fact alone, I give the drama 8/10. The drama has its flaws (King & Queen underdeveloped relationship, everyone reincarnated with the same face, everything still look the same even after 100++ years has passed & etc…) but the good feelings it gave is unforgettable and as much as I hate to admit it, the script has many magic lines and it just worked in the right scene and at the right time.

The OSTs hasn’t impressed me much truthfully. But I totally love Crush’s Beautiful, Urban Zakapa’s Wish & Han Soo Ji’s Round & Round. Beautiful & Wish are melancholy beautiful (with awesome lyrics) and upon watching the MVs after the drama ended, I just realized how the drama has so many sad scenes. :(