Goblin (2016)

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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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There's a reason this one is everybody's favorite

==Breakdown==
Background plot- 35%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 25%

Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value and direction - Excellent

First, the script. The script and story are brilliant. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. There are a few people who point out the age difference between the main characters. This didn't bother me for a few reasons:
1) There's no romantic chemistry between them until she's older, but I loved the bickering friendship chemistry between them in the early episodes. And her young age at the beginning contributes to the absurdity and therefore comedy. You're not supposed to see adult love between the characters (at the beginning). You see a bickering, frustration, growing respect, empathy, eventual admiration and like between two humans, which is appropriate.
2) The main premise of the story is he's a hundreds-year-old Goblin; you're going to have to be willing to suspend disbelief, people! If the part of the story you're hung up on is the "age difference" between a 200+ year old Goblin and the "bride," then that's odd.
3) His character, honestly, wasn't very mature. LOL! I mean, he was old, but his maturity level wasn't commensurate with his age. He seemed petty and kinda tired of life when the show started. He continued to be petty (but less tired) as the show went on. The character was stuck (mentally and emotionally) at the age of his "death," likely 30 or so. That was made very clear. Thus, she grew up and so did he, eventually coming together when they were similar in mental and emotional age.

Second, third, fourth . . . one hundredth, the cast. Holy moly, there has never been a more perfect cast. My Drama List should allow users to apply a "11 star" option once. If they did, this show would've received it from me for its casting. Obviously, all the main leads were incredible. This was my first introduction to both Kim Go Eun and Gong Yoo, and I have become a big fan of both. Their chemistry with each other was incredible. Their chemistry with other characters was also incredible. The way they look at each other in later episodes (just look) will give you butterflies. AAAHHH!!

The music must be mentioned. This is the first (and only) drama where I still listen to the entire soundtrack. Each song is worth listening to on its own. 10+++ stars for the music. It has become the drama against which all other OSTs are judged.

I want to go back to the script for a second. I can't say enough about how great the dialogue was. Obviously, the actors' delivery was essential to bringing it all to life, but some lines / interactions were so brilliant. Funny, poignant, witty, engaging. So good.

Direction was good. Art direction, cinematography, and production values were also good.

Overall brilliant. Loved it. Have watched it 2x so far. I'll probably watch it 10 more times at least.

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Top Drama

I just finished watching the Goblin Special (lots of behind the scenes moments and bloopers) it reminded me how much I loved this drama so I felt compelled to write a review.
This drama was outstanding for me. It was directed by the talented Lee Eung Bok and it has a level of plot complexity that really appealed. I was hooked right from the start the music and cinematography brought the standard to a high level. In the early episodes the laugh out loud moments were wonderful and the ML's especially good at the deadpan, fast delivery and comic timing.
Special mention: Goblin has the most perfect OST ever!
The script writing is excellent apart from the humour there are also some esoteric ideas that are handled well.
I felt the pace of the episodes was steady, not too rushed and allowed me to care about what was happening. I felt for the characters and cried buckets over the painful parts.
Gong Yoo makes this drama outstanding (yes I am biased towards every role he has ever played) Kim Shin endures so much and does it with dignity (and a great wardrobe) he has lived over 900 years and never been in love so some of his reactions to the FL are quite clumsy and youthful. He has been focused on his plan without a thought for the 'goblin bride's involvement so initially comes across as very unfeeling.
Kim Go Eun is a brilliant actress and as Ji Eun Tak meets Kim Shin when she is a high school student studying to get into uni. She has led a very sad life with almost no support since aged 9 when her mother died. She is very believable playing this 19 year old who has been told repeatedly she is to become the goblin's bride so she latches onto him very strongly when they meet. Later she plays her own age of 29 and this transition is also well developed.
The Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) builds a close friendship with Kim Shin and their antics as flatmates, together with Yoo Duk Hwa (Yook Sung Jae) add some of the cutest and lighter humorous elements and assist later when some of the darker history is revealed.
The rest of the cast are also stand-out for me.
I do think I will rewatch at a later time because there is so much to take in and I must make a special mention that the baddie Park Jung Hun is particularly scary.

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What has already not been said about this show? I was expecting to be disappointed by it as there is too much hype around this drama and that always leads to a rise in expectations. However after completing it, I can say that I totally understand the hype but not without its issues.

I will start with the good:
-Honestly at the heart of the show is the bromance between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper. They have a definite backstory and a connection that we see blossom as the two rely on each other and grow fond of one another.
-Grim Reaper. Yes. That is it. With the most interesting character arc, all the plot lines surrounding him were the most engaging and I would always look forward to his scenes.
-The romance between Sunny and the Grim Reaper is heartbreaking and endearing. They have great chemistry and I could totally see why Touch your Heart was made after this show.
-Strong supporting cast that added to the drama instead of working as an unnecessary filler. Each character had something to add in their own way.
-The humorous parts were well-placed and would help bring a lighter tone after heavy scenes.
-OST. The show is known to have a great soundtrack and it honestly contributes in making this drama better.
-Spot on acting by each member of the cast.
-Last but not definitely not the least, its outstanding cinematography. The colors and locations are just super pleasing to the eye.

There were certain illogical points in the plotline but I won't include any plot-related point in my dislike area. Now coming to my share of problems:
-THE MAIN COUPLE. Just like a few others have mentioned, the age gap here is very hard to ignore. And no, I am not referring to the age gap between the actors; the fact that a 900+ year old Goblin falls for a high school student just did not sit well with me. Their relationship at many points seemed more like a father-daughter duo, with him patting her head, buying her gifts as she squeaks and gets excited, telling her to be back home early and on time, paying for her meals- the list just goes on. It certainly did not help that Eun Tak was written as an innocent, bubbly young teenager and the 'wise' Goblin too lost all his composure around her. The actors of course nailed their parts so this is not on them but just on how the central love story was written. Even till the end, the weakest link for me was their romance plot line. They did have their moments, but that left a very temporary smile on my face unlike the second couple.
-Repeated scenarios, too many flashbacks and heck lot of slow motion shots (particularly between the Goblin and Eun Tak). I know all dramas have these, but this one takes it to another level.
-Lack of screen time for Yoo Duk Hwa and Sunny. These were two very interesting characters which in spite of being a part of the main cast were underutilized in my opinion.
-A lot of the essential and heavy stuff was revealed and given light to after episode 10 (with earlier episodes having repeated scenarios and flashbacks as mentioned above).

One might wonder in spite of not enjoying the main romance how could the rating still be an 8? Well even with my personal problems with it, there were many factors that kept me going and I was invested in the show. I was also very pleased with how the show ended. If you want to watch, give it a try. But if the main couple's interactions bother you in the start, it does not get better. If you can get past it, then there is the epic bromance and the second lead's love story. If the romance fits your bill, then the show will be extremely enjoyable for you.

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I never thought that there would be another drama that could compare to The Healer or Heal Me, Kill Me

but oh my GOD here it is..The Goblin is freaking awesome..If you have not watch it yet I would suggest that you do asap.

The cast was flipping amazing. So much chemistry..

The story line was amazing..I love it from the beginning to the end..I laugh when they did. I cried when they did.

I want to say so much more but it would be consider spoilers..

The sound tracked was amazing..

Would I watch it again. Yes, several times over..

Story 10+
Acting/Cast 10+
Music 10+
Rewatch Value 10+
Overall 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.....

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Goblin was massively hyped on multiple platforms across the internet, but failed to meet my high expectations.  It was a good series, no doubt, but somehow I just expected more out of it.  

Even though the story could have been improved at the beginning a lot as I was very close about giving up on Goblin, I am happy I managed to get through the first few episodes as this series improved a lot when it was nearing the end. Acting of the cast was up to standards, however I found the age difference between Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) and Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) bothersome and somehow found the secondary love couple more interesting; Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) and Sunny (Yoo In Na). Goblin's Music was top notch. Enjoyed it very much with these beautiful songs out there.

Now you can disregard my rewatch value ranking as I am absolutely not fan of rewatching series, cause the story is spoiled once you know most of it already.

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Goblin. Goblin. Goblin. Everyones known drama Goblin. Bet there is no person who has not heard that title. Grew my curiosity as well, began it, and couldnt really see what people would brag about this drama so much. So i thought to myself its just me. The romance was a bit weird to me at first the age gap would make me kinda uncomfortable since Ji Eun Tak would act a bit childish even tho she was a 19 year old woman. She was so demanding and clingy and the way she would talk annoyed me a lot. And as a person who doesnt enjoy comedy dramas the first episodes were i guess i should say, boring. I found myself skipping scenes a lot . Yet i didnt drop it. Thankfully. Even tho i thought about it a lot. When the story began getting explained and when things finally got more serious i realised why people love this drama. Its way more deep than it seems in the first approximentally 8-9 episodes. And it turned out that even the funny awkward moments this couple went through, had a very huge impact on them once seperated. The music is obviously the best and it only makes things more emotional just how it should. The ending was kinda sad to me because Goblin doesnt age and hes still immortal which means hes gonna witness Eun Taks death again and again and if she actually has 4 lives there will be a moment where she wont be able to be born again and that is one hella sad thought i just had. I am happy i didnt drop it even tho I'll definitely never watch it again. It was a nice story considering I love historical dramas. If there weren't that many unnecessary scenes I would have had a better opinion on this drama.

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Personally, I was expecting to fall in love with this drama but that sadly didn't happen.

The production, score, and acting were SO well done and the backstory in the first episode made me very excited to watch this drama. But, I could not get behind the main couple. Firstly, the age gap b/w the ML + FL was so vast that it made it hard to believe their relationship would ever work. I felt like the FL lacked most appealing qualities - since she was young for most of the drama, she came off as very whiny + immature which was a weird contrast w/ the ML who is much older than her (not to say he was incredibly mature, but there's def a difference in how the FL + ML handle situations). I found the chemistry lacking and honestly just didn't care about their story line once I reached episode 8 (as far as the relationship goes; however, the background of the life of the ML and the lore was interesting). The secondary couple was MUCH more interesting and I really focused on their parts - the chemistry was there and it was much more believable that they would be together. I must say, the relationship between the two male leads was SO good - well acted + the friendship was incredible. Don't recommend beyond watching it for than the production.

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This was my first introduction to Gong Yoo and I can easily understand why he's so loved. He's gorgeous, emotive, and captivating in his scenes.

This series easily had one of the strongest openings I've ever watched. The first few episodes hooked me in with its OST, masterful cinematography, special effects, and script. I loved the backstory and how it explained the Goblin's origin in a way that made me think of old bedtime stories, or even a Guillermo del Toro opener. I was curious and enamored by Goblin right away.

The show isn't perfect. I wouldn't say it's "over-hyped" like some of the other reviews say, but I do feel like the show had some issues that even made me skip through a bit with the last couple of episodes.

The pacing was a huge issue. It became very obvious by episode 7 or 8 that the show lacked its main antagonist. That could have easily been remedied by introducing the evil spirit a lot sooner (and with less Halloween-y makeup) and less meandering with the "will she or won't she" pull the sword out. I also had an issue with the age gap. I had the same issue in My Roommate is a Gumiho. Why must the writers use a minor to captivate the heart of our 900+year-old protagonist? Ick, guys. Even making her college-age at their intro would have been a whole lot better (maybe mid-20s?). Her maturity level and the school uniform constantly gave me the creeps whenever he looked at her in a romantic way (although, I'll give the series credit that they waited until she was technically legal until he made any physical move on her...but still, ick! 900 vs just-legal. What is this, a Pornhub storyline?)

I was able to suspend disbelief a little bit ONLY because I knew the RL actress was actually 26 (to Gong's 38 - which is still a bit much, but still totally acceptable and not 19yr old vs 900+).

Kim Byung Chul bothered me a lot. His character, Park Joong Hun, was ultra campy in both appearance and behavior as an evil spirit. I assumed it was due to poor writing (which came as a surprise because the writing was excellent up until then). He was a lot more sinister in his introduction as he whispers into the king's ear. He seemed formidable and insidious.

I loved the bromance and the humor that the show inserted to give moments levity. I didn't really like the Cinderella syndrome our FL had with her constant need to summon Goblin to solve her problems instead of fight back and out of her own dilemmas (even though it was always fun watching him come to her rescue or show up disoriented and caught off guard).

The ending was bittersweet for me with respect to Goblin's fate, but knowing he's no longer existing purely because of his punishment tells me he'll leave with her once she's lived through her 4th life, so in that respect it was beautifully written.

Despite its issues, I was sad to finish the show. I'm having a hard time finding something else to watch that matches even close.

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"Every second in this Drama Shined" (areum-dabke-nan) Beautifully & Brilliantly"
Once in a very long while, the stars align to create truly transcendent art on screen. "Goblin" is an example of this, as the maturation of talented writer Kim Eun-Sook blends with nuanced directing, breathtaking cinematography and the formidable acting skills of Gong Yoo and the rest of the stellar cast.

This is great art and great television, regardless of the country of origin. That is not to minimize the South Korean expertise that created it, but simply to avoid the sometimes- backhanded compliment of "great...for a KDrama." It's just great TV, full stop.

I've watched KDramas for about a decade, and this one is the best I've seen. Highly recommended, not just for drama fans, but for all fans of quality cinematic art around the world.

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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. :(

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If this were 100% less pedo it would be a 10.

This drama gets MASSIVELY great reviews and for good reason, it's incredibly well done with a compelling story and great acting. It is, however, at its core a story about a super old dude in love with a minor at various stages of her life. In some of those stages she's for sure an adult...but in most of them she's a minor. I'm gonna be honest, I found it super hard to enjoy the really fun story this show depicts because I was so completely cringed out by the pedo aspects in probably 10/16 of the episodes. If you can get past that part, it's a really great watch.

I wouldn't be able to rewatch this ever, because the pedo thing is super icky and I think I can only make myself overlook it the one time.

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