Goblin (2016)

“Goblin: The Lonely and Great God” which aired from December 02, 2016 to January 21, 2017, stars a very wide range of actors and actresses in its cast lineup. From the Original Soundtrack to the cast, to the way this drama was filmed, I could tell that this was going to be a hit from the moment I sat down to watch it. From the very first 5 minutes of this drama, I was already hooked and ready to ride it out. I remember I watched the first 9 episodes in 1 night. An addicting and emotional story of the Goblin, his bride, his friend, his enemy, his sister, and his family is an amazing drama that I really enjoyed with all my heart.

The story, the tragic story at that, of Goblin, is really compelling. Kim Eun Sook is really a master storyteller. She writes characters and situations that make your heart skip a beat or even break. I found myself extremely emotionally invested in the love and friendship of the characters in this drama. However, I will be honest, I didn’t know if I actually liked our main female lead until about episode 11, I was on the fence about her, but in the end, I did really enjoy her. There were no characters that I thought were poorly written or not worth the emotional investment, I found each of them to be extremely well thought out and very realistic. Well, as realistic as you can get for a fantasy drama that is.

This drama had so much going for it. It was literally the most aesthetically pleasing drama I have ever watched. The cinematography, the lighting, the color correction, just everything was so beautiful. The way they made this drama look fit the fantasy aesthetic of the drama as well, everything seemed so dream and wonderland like. The original soundtrack for this drama did have me on the fence for a while as well. I was wondering if I really enjoyed the music for the drama or not, but in the end, I found myself humming and singing along to all the songs. They all fit the drama well and put a certain tone and mood to each scene which is what I always say I want. I love OSTs that can give me songs to sing later in life and that make the scene more impactful, and it gave me both.

The acting in this drama was fantastic for the most part, there was one part where I was iffy about it, but it was a really minor character crying so I will let that slide. Gong Yoo was fantastic, it is great to see him in another drama, not just movies, since BIG which was a total flop for me. I have always thought we were a great actor and that BIG was a bad choice on his part. Perhaps that is why he has strayed away from dramas for a few years, but I am glad to see him back in action. His sad smile and his eyes always filled with pain were really convincing and I hope I see him in more and more drama now that he is back in the drama game. It was my first time encountering Kim Go Eun, I know that her first drama was Cheese in the Trap which I know a lot of people loved, but I also heard the ending to the drama was pretty lame, so I have yet to go and see it. She is a young woman, my age (I’m trying to say I’m young at 26 lol). I did have questions about my liking for her character at times, but I thought she did a fantastic job either way. Lee Dong Wook never lets me down, he always brings his A game, and I was happy to see him again after my long drama hiatus. His character was possibly my favorite, I felt his pain and I loved the way his character developed throughout the entire drama itself. He was just great and there really isn’t more to say about that. Yoo In Na surprised me, I really liked her. The last drama I watched her in was You Who Came From The Stars which I actually don’t remember her in, so I don’t know what that says about her role. All I can remember is Queen In Hyun’s Man which I was really not that impressed with, so I’m kind of happy to be discovering her like she is fresh and new in my mind. Overall, the acting was just fantastic and everyone portrayed their characters well.

This drama was an emotional roller coaster. From laughs to tears within the same episode, this drama really had a way with playing with your emotions. You can get extremely invested in the characters of this drama and you hope and pray for a happy ending for them all, and I found myself truly infatuated with it. From the scenery to the story itself, and the music that will forever be ingrained in my mind, the drama was just plain old fantastic. This time, the hype train didn’t let me down, and I am proud of it for that. There is drama out there that are truly worth the hype. I would assume that everyone has already seen this drama. But, if you haven’t I hope that you will settle down for 16 episodes of pure fantasy, magic, and beauty that this drama has to offer. It is worth the watch and worth a re-watch while you are at it.

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If you want to watch this drama, be ready for an emotional rollercoaster! This is the first drama that makes me cry a lot, but also laugh a lot. It combines both dramatic and funny elements wonderfully.

Spoilers ahead:

The cast and acting were A+!! I was really happy to see Sungjae in a drama and I'm so happy he was such a great actor! I usually am a little skeptical when I see idol actors because I've seen some who weren't that good, but he was really great and I'm happy for him!
Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook were exceptional! While I wasn't that impressed with Lee Dong Wook's acting in Hotel King, I found it to be exceptional in this drama and I feel like he improved a lot! His friendship with the goblin was hilarious and wonderful, I loved it!
This is the first drama with Kim Go Eun I watch and she was great, I think she did a good job and I will surely watch other dramas in which she played!
Before Goblin, I knew Gong Yoo from Coffee Prince and I can't say I had any opinion on him, but after this, I'm in love! His ability of conveying emotion is fantastic!
I know Yoo In Na from 'My Love From Another Star' and I couldn't really form an opinion on her, especially since I can't say I was impressed with her acting, but I really liked her in this drama!
The subject was a new an interesting one for me, but I couldn't really understand why he was cursed even after she pulled the sword out and summoned him back. I would have expected him to age again, but idk. And if you think about the fact that he's cursed to lose her in all of her 4 lives and then never meet her again, it makes it even sadder!
Overall, it was a wonderful drama and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

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I also recently finished watching Goblin: The Lonely and Great God. This show is also by tvN. It was beautiful, poignant, lyrical (to borrow Christina Bertani's descriptor), and all around wonderful. It stars the always amazing Gong Yoo (who I first loved in my first K-drama, Coffee Prince) as the Goblin cursed with immortality and Kim Go Eun (who did her television debut in 2016 in Cheese in the Trap) as the Goblin's Bride, who can see ghosts and is the only one who can break his curse. It also stars Lee Dong Wook (who, I will be perfectly honest, I feel in love with while watching him on the variety show Roommates and have loved in everything I've seen him in) who plays a Grim Reaper and his love interest is played by the very beautiful Yoo In Na (who I've seen in several shows and I'm very glad she finally gets to play a character who is not an utter bitch). There is no one on this planet who is as good at the wounded, kicked puppy look as Lee Dong Wook. You just want to hug him and carry him around in your pocket. I give this drama 5 out of 5 on DramaFever (where I watched it) and 10 out of 10 on MyDramaLIst. I'd give it 1000 out of 1000, even. The bromance between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper is amazing and would make this drama a joy to watch even if everything else in it sucked. Luckily, nothing in it sucks. Except maybe the age difference between the Goblin and his bride. But given how chaste k-drama romance is, I am easily able to give that a pass. :)

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Goblin is a good drama, but even though I gave it a 9, it is not the best in other ways. I'll talk about what was good about the drama first, then I'll talk about what I disliked about the drama.

Characters

The characters were all great, especially the two male leads. Their interactions with each other were especially entertaining. I can't say for sure that I really disliked any of the characters, though I think I liked the second leads better than the male leads. They were more entertaining and they made a little more sense than the main leads, which I will get back to later.

Actors

I loved every one of the actors. Usually there's an actor I hate, but not in this drama. They were all enjoyable to watch and they all did a splendid job.

Plot

The story was interesting, especially with the grim reaper stuff. In the end I kind of wish that the way life and death work in the show would work similarly in real life too. The plot always kept me interested throughout the show and there were a lot of cliff hangers. Stupid plot devices were used sparingly and they partially made sense.

Visuals

The cinematography was fantastic. Even if you don't like everything else about this show, you will just like looking at it. It is beautiful and a sight for sore eyes.

Music

I love the majority of the music in this show and I've listened to many of the songs multiple times. The soundtrack really stood out and I don't think I really disliked any of the songs.

What I Disliked

I felt absolutely no chemistry between the male leads, personally. I thought they made great friends, but I always grimaced at any romantic moments. I just couldn't see them together romantically. I see them as inseparable friends, but no more than that.

Also, the main male lead kind of irritated me. He's supposed to be like 800+ years old but he acts like a child. Also, you cannot tell me that he never fell in love with anyone until he met the main female lead. I think it is an excuse to blame his childlike behavior on his personality. In You Who Came from the Stars, the main male lead had lead a similarly long life like the main lead of Goblin, but he was not childish in any name of the word. I felt that his personality was far more realistic for someone that had lived for a long time. As a character the main lead of Goblin is great, but when you realize how long he's lived he just doesn't make sense.

Overall

Of course I recommend that you watch Goblin. Overall it was a really good show and there are plenty of reasons to watch it despite my negative comments at the end. Give it a try and you'll probably like it.

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I had put off watching Goblin for a long time as I knew it's epic so I needed a devoted time to watch it till the end.
Goblins becomes the highest standard of my reviews on dramas I completed (mostly for Kdramas).
What I learned from this drama: forgiveness (past events of Goblin/Grim Reaper/Sunny) and that there is timing for everything you encounter in life (Goblin waits for 900+ years for a 19 year old bride to show up in her first life)

Tons of previous reviews posted already, so I will just point out what I like about this drama:
Story: No boring scene, no skipping for me who likes skipping scenes. Side stories of dead people and ghosts are also meaningful and touching.
Directing: Just perfect, won't say much, check out other Director Lee Eung Bok's cinematic work
Editing: Details are woven perfectly, and all related. Pieces of flashback are not boring.
Screenwriting: witty, deep, poetic. Follow Writer Kim Eun Sook for other high quality dramas.
CGI: Battle, fight, and snow scenes of Goblin are epic
Location: Quebec Canada, can't have other perfect location than fall season with French touch
Make up: Can transform one actor/actress to different roles. For examplem Kim Byung Chul as Emperor advisor, modern secretary, ghost, and cameo CEO.
Costume: Classy and stylish. For example: 19 year old Eun Tak does not look poor and childish. Personality symbols thru costumes, for example Shamsin Lady's red dress, Sunny's bright colored clothing, and Eun Tak's red scarf
Cast: Perfect selection for every main roles and supporting casts are not bad either. Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook supernatural roles don't need to talk much but their facial expression shows deep communications. Kim Go Eun's natural beauty fits for 19 year old girl, Yoo In Na's cheerfulness matches Sunny lively personality.
Acting: Lots of scenes with no dialogues just facial expression and physical movements speak louder than many dialogues
Music: songs are created and picked perfectly support the popularity of the drama and songs themselves
Rewatch: perfect, but I will wait for a while until I can spend a large portion of my time to watch it

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