Goblin (2016)

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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PERFECTION. What more is there to say? This drama has everything. From romance, to life lessons, to humor and then some. It has everything. It's visually great too! I am very proud to be one of those people who stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to watch this. I was with them when they cried, laughed, got angry or frustrated. That's how much this drama affected me. I found myself doing an ugly-cry more times than I care to admit. Goblin surely touches your heart with its life lessons. The entire cast and production team created a masterpiece. AWESOME JOB!!! The future of dramas is as bright as the Goblin's blue flames! :)
PERFECTION!!!!

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I'm writing this review because Goblin is my absolute favorite! I saw the last episode just now (I was postponing the episode 'cause I didn't want it to end but I couldn't take it any longer). The ending wasn't what I expected but it was nothing less than amazing.

The photography of this drama is the best I've seen in my whole life. Either in other KDramas, Chinese dramas, American dramas, American movies, French movies... Each frame of this drama is beautifully captured. My congratulation to the team behind this drama. They did a wonderful and beautiful job!

Story (10): Just to start... Gong Yoo. His my oppa! I really love him and his acting skills are amazing. However, his last dramas weren't my favorite, not because of his acting, but 'cause I thought they were too previsible. But this one, guys... I never got bored! The plot is phenomenal and each character has his own part of the story.
The story's about a goblin and his bride, a girl who sees ghosts; a grim reaper and a very strong woman and their journey to be together. Their past mixes with their future. The romance is cute and funny, not lame. It has it all: romance, mystery, fantasy and a lot of bromance and funny moments!

Acting/Cast (10): Gong Yoo... The words speak for themselves. He's the main character, plays the goblin. His bride is Kim Go Eun, also amazing but, between the main characters, the one I disliked more. Even so, 9/10! The Grim Reaper is my favorite character and is played by Lee Dong Wook. I didn't know him but I fell in love right from the 1st episode. He did an amazing job. Yoo In Na plays Sunny, that strong women, who the Grim Reaper falls for. The Grim Reaper and Sunny are my OTP! They have an incredible chemistry on set.
I won't be talking about the other members of the cast or else I won't finish this review today!

Music (9.5): I'm completely hooked on "Beautiful" from Crush. Also, on "You're so beautiful", from Eddy Kim; "Stay with me", from Punch feat Chanyeol; "I miss you", from Soyou, etc, etc.... I gave it 9.5 'cause it's not the best OST that I have ever listened to, however, it's completely made for the drama and addictive. And that's what matters!

Rewatch Value (10): I never rewatch a drama! The only thing that I do repeat is films. I sometimes also repeat my favorite scenes from the dramas I've seen. However, I never rewatch the whole drama.
Should I correct myself? I've never rewatched a whole drama but I'll definitely rewatch this one. Not now, I'm too sad that it has ended however in the near future I'll rewatch it and watch it with new eyes and fall in love with it all over again...

PS: There's a kiss between the Grim Reaper and Sunny that's very similar to a "statue kiss" (for some reason this type of kiss is a must in every KDrama). It's not a really "statue kiss" (thank the gods!) but it's similar. I just expected a little more at that point as they share great chemistry. But, cheer up! That was the only bad thing in this drama! 11/10!!

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Goblin was the first K-drama I ever watched. And I think it is the best drama so far, hands down. If you haven't watched it, you probably should...like now!
For you question why you should watch it? Here are my reasons :

If we talk about casting- though I'm new to this, I do Google a lot- I don't think their couldn't be any better then this.
Gong Yoo did an amazing job. I watched his movie 'Train to Busan' and one could say it hands down that he is an amazing actor, who knows how to do his job. And God his smile....Killer!!!
I loved the 19 year old, over enthusiastic Ji Eun Tak who was portrayed by Kim Go Eun. The way we get to see how her character grew throughout the series was a treat.
I love Lee Dong Wook as the Grim Reaper. I probably have a crush on the character and the way Lee Dong Wook showed his emotions in it, was amazing. I totally get it why he wanted this character so much.
Sunny was my favorite. She was strong and I'm probably never going to see a chicken shop owner the same way. Yoo In Na, changed that for all of us.
Duk-Hwa played by Yook Sung Jae was so cute and such an 'rich heir'

The story line was perfect in it's own. The fact that it was a fantasy drama, it lives up the name with romance, comedy and mystery.
'The lady in red', 'The king', 'How Duk-Hwa knew stuffs' there are questions that will make sure you stick by the TV screen.

And then there is the 'Bromance' The fling between Goblin & Grim Reaper will make you love them so hard. They are funny and cheesy and you are going to love every second of it. The scene where they walk together from the tunnel and the music going on the background, I laughed so hard.
Goblin and his bride - Eun Tak is second in the cute couple. They're cuteness will make you cheeks hurt.
The story between Sunny and Grim Reaper is a little sad compared to the other. But the beginning was full of fluff and sweet stuffs.

Each and every song in this drama is perfect with the story. They will stuck in your head for days and you will be forced to play them over and over again. I'm doing this my self - while re-watching the show for the second time. Especially loved 'Winter is coming' it is just a wonderful piece to listen too.

In short..
The songs were perfect. The cast was perfect. The story was incredible. And everything about it ...will make you fall in love with it.
So if you are one of those people out there, who haven't seen it yet, I would like to tell you....WATCH IT.

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I think this drama just stole the first place in my favorites list! I laughed, I cried, it moved me Bob! Go watch this amazing drama now! Stop reading! Honestly, this is the highest quality drama I have ever seen. Not just the best, but the cinematography, the sets, the costumes, yes EVEN the Visual Effects were magnificently amazing. I didn't have to cringe my way through a scene that looked fake! No, instead I would be thinking "Wow, what amazing camerawork, what an ingenious way to show that, look at that scenery!..." etc, etc, etc.

Story (10.0):
I have yet to give a 10 across the board, and rating the story a 10 is almost as rare. This story is literally gobsmackingly amazing! If you need some context, it reminded me of a mix of some of my other favorite dramas: Healer just for the vibe of secrets and connections to be found; Queen In Hyun's Man for the previous lifetime, man from another time sort of story with an impossible love; Legend of the Blue Sea with similar feels of previous lifetimes and fated character connections, touches of supernatural. But honestly, it was also completely its own thing. It reminded me of elements from those other dramas, but took those and transcended them!
Goblin was the perfect mix of romance and bromance, comedy and tragedy, love and heartbreak, life and death... This drama had way more than I asked of it and didn't ever once go off the rails. I won't spoil the ending or anything, but at the end of the drama I had SO MUCH FEELS I felt like I'd just watched a 50 episode Saeguk instead of a measly 16 episode package of awesomeness!
I've heard some complaints about the lead female roles characters, but honestly what really made me love this story and made it stick out from all the other dramas I've seen was the characters and the interaction between the characters, the ways they try to express their feelings and learn from those around them, the witty banter and dialogue! I can't say how many times I laughed in this drama! I think episode 10 was my favorite just from this one hilarious bromance scene... AHHH! I want to write more about this story because it was pure GENIUS, but I can't say much more without giving some spoilers. Read the plot if you--never mind just go watch this.

Acting/Cast (10.0):
Perfection. I can't say I've finished anything Gong Yoo has been in and I honestly couldn't deal with Cheese in the Trap; nor have I watched much with Lee Dong Wook... BUT THEY WERE AMAZING. All those main three... I seriously can't deal with it. The story and dialogue was my favorite part between these three and they delivered the heck out of this. The bromance between Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook was just the best. And I'm not forgetting the just as brilliant performances of Yoo In Na and Yook Sung Jae, on the contrary, I've seen these two in other dramas, most notably Queen In Hyun's Man and School 2015, and I loved them both there! How could I not like them here! I was always so sad to see Yoo In Na in the "evil" roles like in Secret Garden and You Who Came From the Stars, so it's a pleasure again to be rooting for her.
I mentioned I couldn't get through Cheese in the Trap, but it was nothing to do with Kim Go Eun. Seriously, she was perfect for this role and acted it out splendidly. At first I was wary of the romance between her and Gong Yoo, and while they aren't my favorite couple out there, they really did a great job together! It was just great.
As far as secondary actors go, I don't remember one bad actor... If I remember right, there may have been some of that classic KDrama cheesy English, but no biggie for everything else we get out of this show! Oh, props for Kim So Hyun! One of my favorite Actresses, I was so overjoyed to see her in this and she looks great in a historical setting! I'm so enjoying seeing her in Ruler: Master of the Mask after her role here in Goblin.

Music (9.5):
I really wanted to give this 10 all the way across the board and honestly this soundtrack is really good! I even listen to it on its own which I don't do unless I really enjoy a soundtrack. But it wasn't perfect for me as some of the songs didn't really fit with me. But I still gave it the highest possible rating I could without hitting that ten mark!

Rewatch Value (10.0):
Yes, a 10. Usually my rewatch values match pretty closely to the story value, and this is no exception. The story is just amazing especially the first time through when you don't know what's going to happen, but the interactions of the characters is just such a joy to watch that I've already started rewatching this! To be honest with you all, I watched the first half of this drama when it was first coming out; I loved it, but stuff happened and I never actually finished the drama... gasp! So when I was coming back to it, I was like whatever let's watch the first part again, and my rewatching hasn't stopped from there. This drama... I don't think I'll ever stop rewatching it. And I rarely rewatch anything, so yeah, it's good. Go watch it so you can rewatch it.

Overall (10.0):
How could I not give this drama a ten? The story was astounding, the acting was incredible, the music was amazing, everything was practically perfect in every way! I feel like I've said everything up above but that I still have so much more to say! I'm having trouble expressing how much I enjoyed this without posting spoilers... I'll probably be coming back to post new stuff in this review because I know I have more to say about this but it's all fled my mind to be replaced with the desire to go watch this again. Annyeong!!! Salanghae!!! P.S. Not my longest review, only coming in at a little over 1.1k words, but it's still a great effort. Hope this convinced you to go watch this drama.

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First of all, I think one of the most important thing for a drama is the pacing. How many times have you watched a drama and it's only when you finish the 3rd or 4th episode that it's starting to get good ? In Goblin in episode 1 you are introduced to all main characters without an "in your face" introduction. The world building is enough for understanding the story, but keeps just enough mystery and details to catch the attention. The music is amazing and, from I remember, well timed between scenes. In some dramas you feel like by episode 2 you heard them all already, in this one it takes more and the ambience is fitting (plus I think they are very good, even though it's not really my type). The casting is phenomenal and every character have a story that is relevent and interesting. The second roles are not just a distraction from the main cast's story. I could talk about Goblin all day, but finally, The plot and ending, you dont see it comming and it's more and more rare these days I think, that's all I'm gonna say.
I'm a grown man in my twenties and I cried many times and that's what I want from dramas, to reach my emotions. whether it was from sadness, hapinnes or both is for you to find out.

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When a series has such a high rating, there is only one explantion for it: It appeals to a majority of people. And what appeals to a majority of people? Something that's simple. Well, honestly, Goblin is really beautiful. If you want to watch something nice, calming and beautiful - watch Goblin. I cannot imagine that there are people out there who don't like it or don't enjoy it. The cinematography, the music, the scenery - spectacular. The best I have ever seen in any Korean drama to date. So why the rather low rating? It has no substance. The story isn't very exciting. After four episodes I felt like I knew everything I had to know about the main couple. What keeps you watching then? The love story of the Grim Reaper, I guess. Unfortunately he and Sunny only had a few scenes in every episode while the main couple is going back and forth. Again and again. There were so many recaps later on (I don't know when it started to annoy me), many flashbacks, I felt like they recycled scenes. The end product was somehow very artistic (I will admit that), but the story in general wasn't very deep. The emotions couldn't reach me. If I compare Goblin to the drama Korean Odyssee I recently watched I must say that the latter made me cry and weep like a baby many times while I had a hard time feeling sad for the Grim Reaper or the Goblin. I cried when the old men climbed the stairs to heaven and his dog was there waiting for him - just saying. That was sad. Maybe it was because of the comedy between the two characters (there was comedy between the couples too), but even though they had a tragic past, they lived pretty good lives for a very long time. I mean even if they would have died at the end of the series (for real) they had a satisfying life. This series was in general very "satisfying". Every single moment felt satisfying. I just think there was no real reason for being sad. I felt like they shared too many tears that couldn't reach me. So to make it short:
Story: 4/10 (not much depth), but the execution was 10/10, so I wil give it a solid 7
Acting: 9 (because I think Lee Dong Wook could have done a better job, I liked him a lot more in "Scent of a Woman")
Music: 10 (it cannot get any better)
Rewatch value: Well, if I want to relax and enjoy something that's beautiful for the sake of being beautiful ... 8.

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This drama is really something special and after watching it I feel kind of lost to find something similar amazing.

The story was kind of clear from the start but the cast made it very interesting and very very very emotional. Every character had it's own habits and weirdness but that made them even more loveable.
At first I had my trouble with the female lead Kim Go Eun because sometimes it seems as if she's trying to hard and it made me cringe but maybe that's because we meet her in different stages of her life, as a highschool senior and a college student and at her later work. So it is kind of understandable that she goes through some changes in life and in her personality and that made me really like her later on.
The relationship between the Goblin and his Bride developed with some ups and downs and even more interesting was the relationship between the Grim Reaper and Sunny - SO HEARTBREAKING! I loved the fact that the Grim Reaper probably went through the biggest and hardest change during the series as he starts off as an emotionless weirdo.

I loved the music! I even added it on my playlist and I'm listening to the intro song all the time!

I would rewatch it but this drama made me so emotional!! I think that I was crying all the time through the last 3 episodes...that's almost like 5 hours of crying.
It had kind of an ending I could be happy with but before I could be happy it had to punch me in the face and heart and everything came so suddenly...so I will wait until I have the nerves to watch it again.

Overall - I LOVED IT!

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One of the best

This drama is one of the best out there for story, acting, music, and production value. If you haven't watched it yet you should! The acting was absolutely amazing. All of the characters had chemistry and you could tell they enjoyed what they were doing. The bromance between the Goblin and the Reaper even became famous, but this time it actually seems like the actors truly became friends. The story was great, it pulled at your heartstrings. I laughed, and cried, and was scared (there are some spooky parts and I was watching this alone in the dark at night, so don't judge me -_-). The ending was sad, yet wonderful. The especial effects are actually really good. The music is great. All in all a well made drama, and I highly recommend it.

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Goblin was the first k-drama I saw. Until that moment I had just only watched Japanese dramas, but at the time I already knew Gong Yoo for "Train a Busan" and I had heard so much about the show that I gave it a try.
After this, I watched lots of k-dramas, so I guess this show is to blame that now I'm a k-drama addict. And even having watching so many of them, anything could be compared to Goblin. Without any doubt it's the best drama I've ever seen in my entire life.
Everything is wonderful. The story (from a non-used to k-dramas point of view) is kind of unusual. The photography, the settings (oh, Quebec, one of the most wonderful places I've ever been), the dialogues, the humor, the bromance, the romance...
I love Gong Yoo in every one of the things he has done, but here he is amazing as the lonely tokebi. For the rest of the casting, they are all perfect, overall Lee Dong Wook as the Grim Reaper (his bromance with the Goblin is mythic, so funny!)
Other thing that I really liked in this show is that you don't have a love triangle, nor the tropes so used in other dramas, and you have the opportunity to see the evolution in both couples.
The only thing I complain is that the main couple does not have much explanation time at the ending  as they should have. There were too much time to explain the Grim Reapers and Sunny (not Sun Hee) future and not so much for the main couple... Dommage!
This show taugh me so many things I could continue for hours explaining why everybody should watch it.
I have read some bad reviews explaining that it's so slow that is boring. I don't know but for me it wasn't slow at all. It had the right pace for a perfect development of the story and the characters.
Music: loved it. One of by k-drama OST.
Rewatch value: I've watched this show three times already and I watch it every now and then while I deciding what to see next.
So, last advise, DON'T MISS IT, BEST DRAMA EVER!

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This drama hit me like a truck, I heard it was good but I was really not prepared. Note to anyone who is even vaguely emotional: You will need tissues, you will probably cry. A lot. And hopefully laugh a lot too!

The actors chemistry for this drama was perfection, they gelled so well and the stories intertwining with one another was amazingly well written. I wasn't as keen on the Grim Reaper at the start but I warmed to him as the drama continued and he became a firm favourite, although in fairness, I loved them all, apart from that Aunt and her kids, they can go away! Although a lot of it is serious and deals with a lot of difficult subjects/themes, there's a lot of hilarious moments too and you get to witness budding friendships between an unlikely group of characters which also results in some very funny sections of the drama.

The story is full of twists and turns which leave you at the edge of your seat, I for one am SO glad that I didn't watch this whilst it was airing where I'd have to endure waiting for the next episode week to week, it would have been torture!

I've only watched 23 dramas, giving 2 including Goblin a 10 (the other being "It's ok, that's love" because of the difficult topics it deals with incredibly well) but honestly, I'd give Goblin a 100+ if I could, I've never laughed and cried so much for one drama. You will feel happiness, sadness, elation, loneliness, grief and heartache at various stages of this but it's worth it thousands of times over. I'd rewatch this over and over again when I need a good dose of feels or just a laugh at a certain secretarie's dance moves and super serious bromance moments.

The OST is beautiful and I have got it all saved on my Spotify for when I need a Goblin moment! It captures the mood of the drama so well, it's worth a listen away from the drama to fully appreciate it.

I've seen people complaining about the age gap which I can kinda understand but at the same time, in this day an age there being an age gap in a relationship isn't uncommon, she's 19/20 in this, I don't see it as being particularly 'creepy' as her character is immensely mature and has a lot of depth. Love isn't confined to age.

There has also been criticism of product placement but it doesn't bother me anywhere near as much as the obvious sticky tape over brand labels that I see in man other dramas. I'm so used to product placement in TV shows and movies that it doesn't really bother me, some of the placements were quite funny anyway. If anything, Goblin has done a great job at making me want to go back to visit Canada again ;3

I held off from watching this for ages as the plot sounded a bit weird but I regret not watching it sooner as I would have been able to re-watch it a few times by now so if you are hesitating, please just go and watch it and you will understand what all the fuss is about.

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