Goblin (2016)

J’ai fini goblin , est j’avoue que , je suis un peu déçu que ça ce termine . Mais bon, sinon on se lasserait non ?
Goblin est une super série , pour plein de raisons .
Tout d’abord ,les jeux d’acteurs.
Les personnages principaux : gong Yoo ( kim shin ) à très bien joué le goblin , je trouve , car on sens les émotions, ce que ça fait d’être « emprisonné  » depuis si longtemps sans pouvoir rien faire , de voir tout les gens que l’on aime mourir etc ... Ensuite, Kim Go Eun ( ji eun tak ) on a très bien compris et vécu avec elle les moments durs, avec la famille ( tante ) le goblin ... ce que j’aime , on voit évoluer, le goblin, et Eun Tak , l’un grâce à l’autre . L’un qui n’a plus envie de mourir, et l’autre qui reprend goût à la vie. Maintenant, Lee Dong Wook .(qui sera tooouujoouurs mon préféré) (le faucheur) je ne suis pas très objective sur lui car c’est mon chouchou et je défendrais toujours,mais je tiens à dire que Lee Dong Wook à très bien joué le faucheur, sans émotion, rien qui passe sur son visage . Très bien joué. ( tant dit que dans Touch your heart il jouait l’avocat timide , dans Stranger from hell le méchant qui donne la chair de poule , dans tale of the nine tailed , le ghumio imposant etc ... )
Ensuite l’histoire. Pas trop de romance , et ça c’est bien car : trop de romance tue la romance .
Je comprends que cette série peut ne pas plaire , en tout cas , moi j’ai adoré 🤗

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L'éternité c'est long... surtout vers la fin...

Donc, j’ai fini Gobelin (oui je l’écris à la française ^^)et j’ai vraiment bien aimé.
Alors, j’avoue que sans l’aura magique de Gong Yoo, sa grâce, son élégance, sa voix vibrante, son talent riche et varié,  je ne sais pas si j’aurais tenu jusqu’au bout, le début était vraiment broussailleux et labyrinthique et il a bien fallu tout le drama pour finir par comprendre les tenants aboutissants de tout ce petit monde magique !
Bref, une fois franchis ces buissons épineux la suite m’a vraiment plu ! Toute une bonne partie du drama est tressée de tragique et de comique, avec la relation excellente et tordante du Gobelin et de l’Ange de la Mort jusqu’au moment où les réincarnations se révèlent et où la tragédie prend le pas sur la comédie, sans pour autant qu’elle disparaisse complètement : (les adieux de Wang Yeo, si bouleversants, qui se terminent sur le conseil de ne pas oublier d’étendre la lessive...)
L’histoire de l’Âme perdue, épouse du Gobelin m’a vraiment touchée, de sa naissance à sa mort, sa capacité à assumer un destin implacable, sa force et sa clarté d’âme, j’ai trouvé que c’était un très beau personnage et une belle idée scénaristique.
Mais l’actrice m’a souvent tapé sur les nerfs par son ton pleurnichard ou « petite fille », parlant toujours comme si elle était enrhumée… enfin, je suis très difficile avec les actrices coréennes, je l’avoue !
L’idée de la punition divine changeant les pêcheurs (graves, hein, pas les voleurs de poule ! )en Ange de la Mort, qui doit exister dans la mythologie coréenne parce que déjà vue, jumelée avec la problématique de la réincarnation, ça m’a aussi énormément plu ! Un bon point pour Lee Dong Wokqui est beaucoup remonté dans mon estime, surtout après l’avoir vu dans Life !
Il faut dire que je baigne dans la mythologie japonaise, et que chez eux aussi les yokaï  et autres monstres peuplent le quotidien et les fantômes ne sont jamais loin ! Donc ça aide !
Je n’ai donc pas eu de mal à suivre tout ça et particulièrement le tout dernier épisode, où, je pense qu’il s’est passé bien plus de trente ans quand reviennent Sunny et Wang Yeo, enfin réunis grâce aux nombreuses lanternes magiques envoyées par Kim Shin ! On sent bien que le temps passe, dure, s’éternise pour Kim Shin, qui erre et traine sa solitude douloureuse, puis apaisée.
Et bien sûr que la nouvelle Eun Tak le reconnaît ! N’a-t-elle pas refusé le thé de l’oubli ? Ne le cherche-t-elle pas ? ça c’est une idée qui me plaît, et qui est bien consolante ! (cependant ça ne durera qu’une vie, ou même 3, et ensuite, la solitude éternelle pour Kim Shin… ça c’est moins drôle, mais peut-être remplira-t-il son éternité de bonnes actions ! ) 
J’aime beaucoup le personnage de Sunny,bien dans la ligne de Kim Sun, qui refuse l’oubli salvateur, mais qui maintient la punition de Wang Yeo jusqu’au bout, bien que Kim Shin ait fini par lui pardonner.
Toujours dans les compliments, la musique, vraiment belle, les chansons très supportables et même belles pour certaines, la beauté des images, l’élégance des effets spéciaux, … et la magnifique garde-robe de Gong Yoo, d’une classe et d’une élégance peu courante dans les dramas (d’ailleurs il doit avoir un costumier attitré, depuis longtemps, je m’étais fait la même remarque déjà pour Coffee Prince !)

Bon, les défauts :  la longueur des épisodes, avec des review longs et inutiles, des pauses-regards, des ralentis excessifs (surtout dans les deux premiers épisodes), l’usage du bruit sonore des pas trop répété, une prise de son qui ne laisse rien passer des bruits secondaires (papier froissé par exemple) mais tout ça n’est pas grand chose, et surtout une fin un peu décevante après la magnifique, flamboyante et déchirante fin de l’épisode 13 !
Il fallait pourtant régler des questions, mais là il y avait un choix à faire :
retour ou pas pour Kim Shin ? moi, je suis radicale,ma fin :
il ne revient pas, la vie continue pour les autres, qui ont tout oublié (sauf L’Ange) le dernier départ de l’Ange aurait été celui de Eun Tak très longtemps après…. pour terminer sur la rencontre d’une autre Eun Tak, d’un autre Kim Shin, qui bien que ne se connaissant pas et n’ayant aucun souvenir l’un de l’autre, ne peuvent s’empêcher de tomber amoureux au premier regard…ce qui évite au malheureux Gong Yoo une éternité de solitude inéluctable, ce qui est long, surtout vers la fin, comme chacun sait !


La fin, je lai trouvée mollassonne jusqu’au départ de l’Ange et de Sunny, très réussi et touchant, alors que  celui de Eun Tak ne m’a pas convaincue, trop long et surtout l’air de ravie de la crèche permanent de l’actrice me gênait, malgré le talent de Gong Yoo dont le chagrin était déchirant et  profond.
Pourquoi fallait-il la faire mourir à ce moment-là ? je n’en vois pas trop la raison ! ça leur fait perdre 50 ans sans raison !

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Dans la lignée des dramas à voir.

Quand on aime l'univers des dramas, et ceux des coréens en particulier, Goblin fait partie de ceux à voir.
L'histoire est très belle, bien romancée, et écrite.
Les 4 acteurs principaux sont magnifiques : Gong Yoo, qu'on ne présente plus, Lee Dong Wook, égal à lui même, un de ses meilleurs rôles à mon sens. Et chez les femmes : KimGo Eum, très juste et touchante, et Yoo In Na, qu'on ne présente plus, non plus.
Ils forment à eux 4, un quatuor irrésistible et touchant.
De plus, ce drama est plein d'humour simple, mais rafraichissant, et pas "bebête" comme cela peut l'être parfois dans certains dramas.
Enfin, je tire mon chapeau pour la OST : MAGNIFIQUE. On ne se lasse pas de l'écouter, une fois le drama fini d'être vu.

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This drama will forever be etched in my heart.?

🥰🥰🥰

This drama, released in 2016, is a true gem that I only discovered in 2024. I deeply regret not watching it when it first came out 🥹.

The story is captivating, with absolutely perfect actors in their roles. Kim Go-eun, who plays Ji Eun-tak, and Gong Yoo, as the Goblin, are simply extraordinary. I can’t imagine anyone else in their place. Their acting is so natural and poignant that it completely transported me. Ji Eun-tak especially touched me: unhappy and alone before meeting the Goblin, she still smiles, showing an incredible strength.

And the Goblin... his eyes 😭. I will always remember Ji Eun-tak’s line: “He looks sad when he smiles.” 💔. And it’s true...

Some viewers were bothered by the age difference between them, but I think that if the characters had been the same age, the story would have lost some of its magic and intensity.

What I loved was the bond between the main characters: the Goblin’s fiancée, the Goblin himself, the Grim Reaper, and Deok-hwa. Seeing them live together and form bonds deeply moved me. I wish the ending had brought them all back together. But that last scene, where the Goblin is alone in that empty house, without Ji Eun-tak or the Grim Reaper... My heart literally broke 😭😭💔.

The music is beautiful and fits perfectly with the story, enhancing the emotions at every key moment. The story is rich and original, though I found some parts a bit exaggerated, especially with the reincarnations and the appearance of other characters. Despite that, this drama made me cry many times and will forever remain in my heart.

I gave it a 9, mainly because the ending was a bit disappointing. I would have preferred a different ending, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of this masterpiece. This drama is timeless, a must-watch that I recommend to everyone, even in 2024.

After watching this drama, I searched hoping they were together in real life, but no... 😣💔.

I’m going to miss this drama so much… I’ll never forget these characters 😭😭😭😭😭.

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Ce drama, sorti en 2016, est une véritable pépite que je n’ai découvert qu’en 2024. Je regrette profondément de ne pas l’avoir vu à sa sortie 🥹.

L’histoire est captivante, avec des acteurs absolument parfaits dans leurs rôles. Kim Go-eun, qui incarne Ji Eun-tak, et Gong Yoo, dans le rôle du Goblin, sont simplement extraordinaires. Je ne peux imaginer personne d’autre à leur place. Leur jeu est si naturel et poignant qu’il m’a complètement transporté. Ji Eun-tak m’a particulièrement touchée : malheureuse et seule avant de rencontrer le Goblin, elle sourit malgré tout, ce qui montre une force incroyable.

Et Goblin… ses yeux 😭. Je me souviendrai toujours de cette phrase de Ji Eun-tak : « Il a l’air triste quand il sourit. » 💔. Et c’est vrai…

Certains spectateurs ont été gênés par la différence d’âge entre eux, mais je pense que si les personnages avaient eu le même âge, l’histoire aurait perdu une partie de sa magie et de son intensité.

Ce que j’ai adoré, c’est le lien entre les personnages principaux : la fiancée du Goblin, le Goblin lui-même, le Faucheur et Deok-hwa. Les voir habiter ensemble et tisser des liens m’a profondément émue. J’aurais tellement aimé que la fin les réunisse tous à nouveau. Mais cette dernière scène, où le Goblin est seul dans cette maison vide, sans Ji Eun-tak ni le Faucheur… Mon cœur s’est littéralement brisé 😭😭💔.

Les musiques sont sublimes et s’intègrent parfaitement à l’histoire, renforçant les émotions à chaque instant clé. L’histoire est riche et originale, bien que j’aie trouvé certains passages un peu exagérés, notamment avec les réincarnations et l’apparition d’autres personnages. Malgré cela, ce drama m’a fait pleurer à de nombreuses reprises et restera gravé dans mon cœur à jamais.

Je lui ai donné la note de 9, principalement parce que la fin m’a un peu déçue. J’aurais préféré une autre fin, mais cela n’enlève rien à la qualité de ce chef-d'œuvre. Ce drama est intemporel, un incontournable que je recommande à tout le monde, même en 2024.

Après avoir regardé ce drama, j’ai fait des recherches en espérant qu’ils soient ensemble dans la vraie vie, mais non… 😣💔.

Ce drama va trop me manquer… Je n’oublierai jamais ces personnages 😭😭😭😭😭.

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If you are hesitating to watch this at all, please....just throw out your reservations and watch this. Goblin has just made my favorites list. Even my husband got sucked in and loves this show. The cinematography was gorgeous, the music was amazing, the actors were perfect (Hello, Gong Yoo!), the story was heartbreakingly beautiful.

This is the first time I've watched any of the main actors except Yoo In Na. I have now officially developed a Gong Yoo crush and understand why drama fans are enamored of him. Gong Yoo as Kim Shin/ Goblin was mesmerizing. I could listen to his voice for days. Every scene he was in was a treat. Every emotion that his character had was palpable, and his smiles could light up the sky.
And Kim Go Eun as Ji Eun Tak was super cute. She had a lot of detractors and the writer got a lot of flak for making her so young. But the character and her age were perfect for this story and how it unfolded.
Lee Dong Wook as the Grim Reaper had the perfect deadpan (heh) delivery. And he may be the best male "crier" I've seen yet.

The story will make you laugh and make you cry. Not only is the love story epic, but so is the bromance between Goblin and Reaper. I've found that I'm quite fond of this fantasy genre and this has been done so well. I have hardly any criticisms of this show at all because even the flaws faded into nothing noticeable for me. It's sweet, funny, romantic, sad, tragic, beautiful...

The music was perfect and perfectly lovely. I don't always pay much attention to the music, but this show utilized it so well and chose the perfect songs. So many people loved even the intro song that they made a special recording of it to make it a full length song (Round and Round, but may also be found under Never Far Away). Beautiful by Crush was the best song in my opinion, and I believe that it was the theme song for our main couple. And Stay With Me by Chanyeol and Punch was another favorite.

Rewatch value is high - if not everything, then there are many, many favorite scenes that I'll go back to and relive the feels. :)

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Every moment of it indeed shined!
Goblin is a great drama. I went into it with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised, or more accurately, I was blown away. You can recognize a good drama by the way it makes you feel exactly what the characters in the drama are feeling. That's the way Goblin was for me, with each character, I laughed and I cried.

I'll TRY to keep the review sweet and short, so here are the reasons I enjoyed Goblin:
-The premise is unique. It's one of a kind. I haven't seen any other Kdramas with a similar plot-line to Goblin, so that was a plus point.
-The actors do a superb job. I could feel their emotions from across the screen. then again, nothing less to be expected from such a spectacular cast.
-The drama has everything, ranging from bromance, romance to mystery and suspense.
-The bromance is spectacular. One of the most epic bromance I've ever seen in a Kdrama. It made me laugh a lot, but it also had its heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments. Goblin and Grim Reaper's relationship is one of the best reasons to pick this up.
-The two couples- Goblin & Eun Tak and Grim Reaper & Sunny. Both couples had their own story. The sweet and cute moments of the Goblin couple & the sizzling chemistry between Grim Reaper and Sunny was enough to keep the 'romance' meter of the drama pretty high. You won't be able to get enough of the cuteness of Goblin & Eun Tak.
-The mystery of the characters. From 'the lady in red' to the king and queen, each episode just gave enough glimpse into their lives to keep us engrossed. It'll drive you crazy in a good way.
-Each minute of every episode was enjoyable. I didn't skip a single moment of any episode.
-The unexpectedness of the drama was really great. Just when you'd think you had something figured out, some twist would come along and surprise you. The writer sure did a tremendous job.
BONUS: Beautiful and addictive OST

I personally didn't find anything even remotely bad about it, but that's not to say other people won't, so here's a few things you should keep in mind before venturing into it.
-The age difference between Goblin [ (~939) he was 39 when he died and then immortal for 900 years] and Eun Tak (19).
-Comparatively less screen time for Sunny and Grim Reaper couple. But I suppose that's to be expected specially since the title alone indicates that Kim Shin (Goblin) is the main lead, so it's no wonder they get the most screen time.
-Worst product placement you'll ever see in a Kdrama. You might think I'm kidding but sometimes even the smallest thing can annoy you. I personally found those scenes amusing though.

So, to sum up- I LOVED this drama! Do give this one a chance, you won't be disappointed. Once you start it, chances are, you'll end up loving it. Happy Watching!

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Overrated

I feel compelled to write a review for Goblin because I'm finding all the perfect 10s to be misleading and, if I can be honest, completely confounding. Let me first say the best thing about Goblin is the acting. The cast is fantastic. The worst is the age gap. I know most people talk about the age of the actors; however, the issue to those of us that have a problem with the age isn't the actors, it's the characters. The lead female character is a 19 year old girl. The lead male (taking out the fantasy of his living 938 years) is a grown man who appears almost 40. Personally, I find that the Korean's have been dancing too close to the line in the young girls with adult men in dramas for at least a year now and I'm not a fan. They're more daddy issue characters.

There are many times when the relationship between the 2 leads are most like Father & daughter. She speaks to him like a father figure. And he speaks to her as a child. It's off putting when it becomes clear that he has fallen for this high school girl. Part of me believes the part of Kim Shin (the Goblin) was written for a younger man. Considering the life expectancy of the period and his postion, in his late 30s he should have had a wife (and concubines I would guess) and children. I think the character should have been at least 10 years younger (again the 900 years undead aside). The romance of the leads just did not work for me on any level. Conversely, the romance between the supports is a completely different story. It was endearing and very moving. I rooted for them.

The writing was inconsistent. It was great in some parts and just passable in others. Toward the end it almost turned into melodramatic schlock. Goblin works best as a bromance. The scenes between Goblin, Reaper(s), and the male humans were precious golden nuggets to hold onto until the next time 2 or 3 of them were in a scene together. Had the writers held on to that chemistry and nourished it, Goblin would have been much better.

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I was going to give it a 7 but there were too many things that bothered me, too many plot holes.

I enjoyed watching this drama more times than not. It was relaxing to look at, with the great cinematography and breathtaking sceneries. Music was great and very fitting. The actors were more or less very fitting in their roles and felt natural. The chemistry between the male cast was flawless.

I guess my main and only issue here is the writing. There are two types of supernatural dramas: the one that explores human emotions through the supernatural; and the ones that use it to tell your usual story. I think Goblin was somewhere in between.

I still appreciate some points of the writing. What I dislike is the plot as a whole. I liked the overall idea but not the execution. I like the idea of supernatural and powerful beings, like ghosts, goblins, grim reapers and gods, are living normally among humans without being noticed. I liked the story of the little boy we meet early in the drama to see his fate and effect on the Goblin (and vice versa). I loved the heartfelt story of Eun Tak's ghost friend, and enjoyed the company of the group of Ahjuma ghosts.

What I greatly disliked is the way the main story arc was handled. At first it felt overly dramatic, but later it felt so underwhelming that it removes and intensity felt before. When it ended the way it did, I felt there was no point to the whole story. Essentially were back to point zero.

I think the writer has some original ideas, but no guts to go deeper. As a result interesting topics were touched lightly, but never went beyond, hence felt shallow. I wish more time was spend in exploring the world, getting more concrete information on how demons are created and how to deal with them. Instead you just follow the characters' daily life of not doing much, and supernatural elements were just used as a convenience.

When it comes to romance, I didn't care much about the age difference due to the supernatural part of it, but I just didn't enjoy it, I didn't feel it. I don't know when it happened. Also Goblin was beyond childish. He was too moody and unbearable at times. While I was more invested into the secondary couple, I still felt the same, as in a missing episode of them going out and truly falling in love with each other was missing. I didn't like the way both couples went.

The non-romance relationships were great. The bromance, there was more than plenty. It was perfect. The focus and the growing relationship felt authentic and real. I also loved the relationship between Grim Reaper and Eun Tak. I did enjoy Deok Hwa's presence, but man was he so underused!

Other things that bothered me but not necessarily cause any deduction to the rating is over the top product placement. At one point it looked like subway was about to save the world, one sandwich at a time. And the wardrobe of poor little female lead, I just wonder how she manages to fit all those clothes in such little luggages and how she can afford them. I love how they presented Quebec at first, but I got mad that they didn't try to be accurate as to how the city looked at this time of the year. Worst of all is the episode length. It was needlessly long.

I don't regret watching this drama. I still had a great time watching. Although the last three episodes felt too draggy and less enjoyable, but it still had some good moments. Well all moments with GR for me are great lol. Enjoy! And don't hate me too much for the rating :P

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My review will be short and sweet with a link to my very extend review at the bottom if you wish to do some extra curricular reading!

The Good:
1) Reaper and Goblin's Bromance
2) Soni and Reaper's Relationship
3) The theme song
4) The cinematography
5) The locations shot in

And that is ALL!

The UGLY:

1) 60% of the episodes are completely plotless.
2) The last 5 or so episodes are completely rushed with about 6 major plot points in each of them
3) The cringey, over-obvious product placement
4) EunDak is the worst character ever. She's so selfish and so stupid and she gets so lazy once the boys take her in.
5) Eun Dak and Goblin's relationship should NOT be romantic. It would've been much better as a Father/Daughter realtionship
6) The editing was rough in a lot of parts
7) Deok Hwa's character was so undeveloped and so underused. he deserved better!
8) The lack of relationship and character development for all of them actually
9) The ending is an absolute mess. Why did the not all die so they could start over again?!
10) So many scenes felt half done. I feel like so much was either not filmed or just simply edited out and I feel like I was missing whole chunks of scenes that were needed.
11) The over the top ridiculousness such as the SnowBoard accident, and the Goblin pushing EunDak and causing massive problems in the car park scene. Those scenes were so stupid. Those scenes were far beyond being able to suspend disbelief.
12) Completely ruining Soni and Reaper's personality and all their charm in their new life in the final episode.
13) Rushing through the final. Those last 15 or so minutes DESERVED and entire episode. Not the rush through that it got.

The excessive overhype this show gets. It's really not that good.
If you really want my Essay-long review of this show, check it out here: http://sambart93.tumblr.com/post/179925136539/dokkaebi-goblin-its-not-bad-but-its-not-good

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It must be said that Goblin is very much a somewhat cliché rom-com disguising itself as something else, but ultimately, what appears to be an interesting premise is cast aside for a romantic plot that I'm going to be honest is a little creepy and at times feels very fatherly to me. This makes it very hard to love the romance especially when the female lead is a bubble of cutesy energy and also she borderline looks twelve. There were moments I wanted to run into the scene and tell Gong Yoo, you get the hell away from her and date someone your own age. Yes, that, 782 age gap was at times hard to swallow.

What makes Goblin good is it's featuring. It stars longing looks, teary-eyed longing looks, bromance, ignoring that he is 800 years old, trying to pretend you are not watching this because of the bromance and good looking leads and KES's obligatory three good episodes towards the end that makes you think this is so good. It also stars a very good performance by Lee Dong Wook. I'd like to say the rest of the cast were just as good, but I'd be lying. Gong Yoo is someone, I watch because he is in good movies (The Crucible/Silenced, etc) but not because he gives an actual good performance. He's like a Brad Pitt type in that regard. I was quite surprised by LDW as I find him heavily attractive and have for a long time but I've admitted he's a terrible actor. Suddenly he is Matthew McConaughaying me. The female lead is literally a copy paste of all rom-coms. Especially from this writer.

The intro of this drama is unique and creates what has the potential to be a very good plot, but ultimately this is a meandering slow stream of a journey that I heavily recommend you skip some episodes. Yes, skip from ep 5 to 13 and you'll miss very little. The juicy parts of the plot are thrown aside for a slew of teary-eyed longing looks and cliché romantic scenes that at ep 4, I started to wonder when they were actually going to focus on the juicy premise.

Character wise, the bromance sells this stale plot as personally, the romance between the male and female lead just looks awkward. I should be gushing at romantic scenes but they look as uncomfortable as I do and when Gong Yoo pats her head, he at times feels like her father. The drama has a lot of potential but the writer didn't seem to know what to do with it and I feel like a traitor who deserves to be hanged for saying this, but as a huge lover of bromance, dare I say it, I actually got bored of the bromance. I started tuning in to cast longing looks at Lee Dong Wook. My obsession made me run out into the street and jump in front of a car, but I heavily recommend you don't do that as the Grim Reaper never appeared and now I'm writing this in the afterlife.

The writer here also inserts her I suckered you into thinking this was good by having her obligatory three good episodes that make me think, Oh this has potential. It's always towards the end too. Melancholic episodes with good editing that make me wonder where was this for the previous ten episodes? I feel the drama is a seven at best as in, I would be very generous to give it a 7. It has its good melancholic and humorous scenes but it ultimately never quite gets its pacing right and never seems to know what to focus on making this really not as good as it could be.

PS. I also urge you to cast aside any logical questions you might have especially towards the end. They will not be answered.

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Somewhere inside Goblin, buried under a mound of PPL and tears, is a good show trying to get out. The first two episodes suggest what might have been, deftly mixing intense action and off-beat humor in a dark world filled with ominous reapers, wounded goblins, ghost-seeing teenagers and cabbage-wielding grannies. The stage seems set for a life and death clash of epic proportions. Alas, it soon becomes apparent that the writer forgot to include an antagonist. The goblin-reaper face-off devolves into a chummy bromance, leaving “fate” to play the role of spoiler. Unfortunately, it’s hard to fight disembodied destiny. Whole episodes are spent weeping in pretty scenery and eating Subway sandwiches. The talented cast tries to up the urgency, but with nothing tangible to battle, the pacing slows to a crawl. The extended episode lengths and the director’s tendency to linger a little too long on every moment exacerbate the problem. Even the romance falters on the uncomfortable age gap between the protagonists.

Every so often. interesting ideas pop up about guilt, redemption, and the role of kindness in a cosmos more random than rewarding. Alas, the fickle gods that rule this universe stay above the fray. A drama that actually allowed its characters to take them on rather than simply lamenting their cruelty could have been powerful indeed.

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