Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 - 도깨비 ‧ Drama ‧ 2016 - 2017
Completed
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48 people found this review helpful
Feb 28, 2025
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5

THE HYPE FOR THIS DRAMA IS ALL TRUE!

AWESOME IN ALL CATEGORIES!
The HYPE for this drama is all TRUE!

No doubt, Now, this is One of My All Time Favs!! :)

The Plot is Good and the Characters are Well Written. Every Character is Lovable.
Direction, Production, Cinematography, Visual effects, Acting, OST/BGM, Pacing, EVERYTHING IS DONE VERY WELL AND RIGHT TO THE POINT!

OST is the BEST.

Both the Couples are Lovely.
The Bromance of Kim Shin & Grim reaper is Cool .
These two along with Deok Hwa, the Trio is Funny 😂

But at times, it's just Repetitive or a Content filler, prolonging the number of episodes mindlessly.
(It's like an unnecessary REVISION to the Viewer, haha).
Without those repetitions, Could have wrapped up very well in 16 hours instead of 20+ hours.

***
Overall, THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE! 👌🏻

My RATING is 9.5/10.
Without those so called revisions, it's 10/10 ! :)

P.S.1: That content filler repetitions KILLED ME but this OST HEALED ME! 😂
P.S.2: I can still hear the OST song , ringing in my head and hum, while writing this review, even after many years of watching this drama (BTW, it's my phone ringtone now :) )

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Completed
kingsqueen
511 people found this review helpful
Jan 22, 2017
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 12
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
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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Completed
Mridu
26 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Alternatively titled as: We've Got The Best Bromance!

It's been a couple of days since I completed watching Goblin and might I just say am so not over it. I've been reading a lot of its reviews, stalking the fuck out of Lee Dong Wook and basically just obsessing over this one a little too late. I usually try to stray clear of fantasy genre but I hate that I didn't give this one a chance sooner. It's like one of those overly popular dramas that have got the mainstream vibe to it because almost everyone has watched it already and I guess now I know why.
I've got so many things on my mind regarding the series, the good things and the bad ones too that it's a bit hard to formulate them properly into words so I'll probably just rant my way out.

Starting off, Goblin was an extremely whimsical watch to say the least.
The first few episodes were absolutely breathtaking with immaculate cinematography both in the historical flashbacks and in current timeline, interesting choice of characters and plot will force you deeper into this drama, and once you're in well, there's no going back thereafter.

The plus point of the drama was definitely its character interactions with underlying but hugely effective humour. I personally prefer things to be serious and funny both at the same time, too much of just one set of emotion gets boring for my attention span. So needless to say Goblin nailed this one requirement of mine perfectly.

Each and every character dealt with the other in such a playful and satisfying way for most part of the series that I couldn't help but connect with them on a deeper, more intimate level.
That said, don't even get me started on the (b)romance between the Goblin and Grim reaper, probably the best I've seen yet (that says a lot considering bromance is a fairly common trope in K-drama world) they were just so entertaining together that at one point I was just watching the drama, waiting to get a glimpse of their quirky interactions (which were a lot thankfully). So if anyone asks me why I loved this drama as much as I did, I'll gladly put my hand on my heart and just think of all the cheeky moments between these two extremely good looking hunks.

Now coming to the romance, I found the story of Grim Reaper and Sunny a lot more captivating and emotionally investing than the protagonists despite the limited screen time. Not to belittle the leads or to say they were lacking or anything, they were good too in their own way. While the Reaper and Sunny had a heavy hot dose of chemistry sizzling through; the Goblin and his bride were the cutesy heart fluttering couple. The show got a lot more interesting seeing these two romantic parallels unfolding side by side. Not to mention the very evident age gap didn't bother me at all, if more I found it quite endearing and romantic since one of the involved party was a lonely immortal being while the other was an equally lonely but warm hearted magical soul. So whatever works for them in this life and after am all for it without any second thoughts whatsoever.

As much as I was intrigued by the plot and the never ending suspense of how things were going to pan out in the end, the last few episodes were a let down as compared to the heavy plot build in the previous ones. While the story went a full circle it failed to actually make sense. The logic and reasoning shredded into nothingness just like how Goblin was supposed to? But after a short amount of separation he reappeared as if nothing happened only god knows how (pun intended). Many other plot points came off as mere convenience which I possibly couldn't ignore at the end. The story of the Reaper got a whole lot diverted and complicated but I suppose it's a given since rounding up a fantasy takes an even more fantastical on the spot thinking. The writers could have done better because the plot turned out to be a sore spot for this one for sure.

Focusing on the actors, obviously they did a fine job on this one. The emotion transitions were perfect, the comic timing even more so and the inner turmoil in each of the 4 leads was something I actually felt and sympathised with especially in the case of Reaper's identity revelation. Lee Dong Wook has got me spellbound and am probably off to binge watch on his other remaining dramas.

Last but definitely not the the least. The OSTs! Oh my lord the OSTs are so on point in every damn scene and the fact that I absolutely love every one of them tunes (still humming round and round) is something that happens rarely.

So if you're looking for a feel good, fanciful world with beautiful and funny people roaming about it, be sure to delve into this one, if you haven't already.


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Completed
Musarrat Mahjabin
24 people found this review helpful
Aug 26, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Mind-blowing

First, the cast and the acting are superb. Truly, Gong Yoo is perfect for the role of goblin(Kim Shin). The other characters have also shown their charisma. Moreover, I'm in a love with its OST. The OST will definitely touch your heart. Also, This is not only full of sad romance and emotional feelings, but the comedy used in this drama was also epic. Especially, the plot or storyline of the story is so much interesting and heart-touching. I will give thanks to Kim Eun-Sook for writing this mind-blowing drama. I cried more than thrice while watching this drama. Also, I laughed countless times. I have watched many dramas but still, it is a drama which I can't forget just for a moment. You should obviously watch this drama at least once.

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Completed
NgocHienLinhLe
24 people found this review helpful
Jul 10, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0

Sometimes it's slow-paced and uneventful, sometime it's so good it's the best Kdrama ever

It's hard to wrap it up in a few words. But i would say this is probably the longest buildup i have ever seen.
It has 16 episodes, and the actions and dramatic parts start at around ep.11 12. Before that it was about character building and bonding (those memories will be used effectively against us later).


The fantasy romance story is intriguing. It has good plot twists and back story. Although the pacing is sometimes a bit slow, overall it sends meaningful messages of love, hate, afterlife, regret, loneliness and forgiveness. It can break your heart and also make you smile

The acting is good, nothing to complain about. The chemistry between the second lead couple is so good at all time. At the beginning the main couple feels a bit lacking, near the end it gets a lot better. But the best chemistry has to be the bromance between Goblin and Grim Reaper!
The characters are well built and developed, relatable and make reasonable decisions. But mostly they are madly driven by love.

The music is so beautiful and sad, wished they had kept the ending song till the end though. The special effects feel natural (the glowing sword and the power of grim reaper), but the flying moments were a bit off.

The atmosphere changes so fast. One moment it's fluff and romantic (with a little too many staring-straight-at-each-other-for-a-century), and a second later it's heart wrenching and full of dramas and actions. It's was well-balanced, i just wished it was more consistent.

Overall, i would recommend this series if you are looking for a romance story sets in the present, with wholesome bromance, fantasy elements and a tragic backstory from a past life, which would now affect the choices and emotions of the characters.

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Completed
Hoshimaru25
23 people found this review helpful
May 10, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
When I watched this, I had no expectations what the story will be. But after watching ep 1 I got hooked! It was a different and unpredictable story that will really capture the audience's attention. And let's not forget the OST which is also amazing as well.

In terms of the cast they picked and their acting, nothing else need be said as I don't find it lacking on any part.

What I also enjoyed about this series are the amazing production set they used in terms of the houses, rooms, etc of the characters.

If you are however not really that invested in minor details when watching then you may find the story quite confusing. For me, I found it really entertaining as I do appreciate the extra effort of really getting into more on the details.

In all honesty I'd rewatched this series usually on a cold and rainy weather as I feel that it will really compliment the feels and aesthetic of the series.

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Completed
Maliya
21 people found this review helpful
Jul 12, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

A charming modern fairy tale with a fresh love story

I refused to watch Goblin for a long time, kept skipping it until it finally ended up on my "Not Interested" list. A few days ago I came across an article about it, the topic was Korean fantasies on Netflix, and this time it piqued my curiosity and I decided to give it a chance. I didn't regret it.

What did I like so much about this "Goblin"? It wasn't the main character by any means, though he was a nice guy. It wasn't the chemistry between the couples, which was teased in the story of a larger-than-life fate that brings two couples together over several lifetimes, because I didn't feel that chemistry.

I'm a fan of the fantasy genre, but I wouldn't prioritize this series as fantasy because I missed it driving the main thread of the story.

And the love story was kind of weird - no strong passion or heartwarming scenes.

Finally..... Without hesitation, I rated "Goblin" a 9/10.

I wonder, I really wonder, how this series won me over. Now, as I write it, it may crystallize for me. First of all, the two main female characters were just adorable - sweet, pure, sparkling, gentle, with a fragile feminine air, though not fragile characters. The "goblin bride" was such a fresh image - a woman-child oozing energy that floods you with good feeling. Actress Kim Go Eun (the second season of "Yumi's Cells" is currently running with her) is super cute. The other lead actress whose performance I liked is Yoo In Na, who later starred with the same partner in "Touch My Heart".

The men, aside from the sole villain, were gentlemen with a history of tragic bad guys - a king and a general who endure punishment while living the lives of a goblin and an angel of death. However, the viewer sees nothing wrong with them. They are so considerate, caring, sensitive, sacrificial - every woman's dream men. There was also a cute minor character - a young boy, a third generation heir, who added spice to the story without his character actually undergoing development.
Aside from the king's uncle and the main character's aunt, the typical spiteful, ugly, morally repugnant lost Korean souls that are so stifling in any series were absent. Two cursed enemies become good friends, outgrowing loathing and revenge.
There is no shortage of humor in the crisp dialogue between all the actors.

All in all, this is a drama of pure relationships and genuine people - like a brochure of life as we would like to live it, labeled "Feel good story". There's no intrigue, no attempts at someone wanting to take someone else's man/woman away, no parents opposing the relationship - well, there's no intrigue overall, but I didn't miss it. And the ending was nice - I won't spoil if anyone hasn't watched it.

Overall, I recommend anyone who hasn't seen it and likes romantic fantasies to give it a try. It leaves a nice feeling in the heart and is watchable in one breath.


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Completed
Marzia a drama lover
21 people found this review helpful
Aug 4, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
It's pretty surreal for a show to bring change in a person but this stirring show has brought change in me. I could realize the beauty of life, death, love & punishment by this show. The acting was very touching . In my whole life it was the 1st show that made me cry( it was my 3rd Korean drama) Even though I gave myself spoilers & tried my best not to cry, the acting of the cast failed me. Even though there were plotholes & some part of the story didn't make any sense, I'd love to watch this heart fluttering show again & again. The chemistry between the leads was on another level. Definitely worth watching.

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Completed
mochi
21 people found this review helpful
Nov 20, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
One of the best drama ever .
Reasons to watch-Wanna cry ,this is your drama.it will make you cry an ocean of tears.Grim reaper-my favorite character .he is one of the reasons why it made you cried, fantasy ,best second-lead couple, awesome ost, humor-it makes you laugh as much as it cries, every single character portrayed beautifully ,happy ending
enjoy watching

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Completed
Osaf
30 people found this review helpful
Jun 27, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
I just finished watching Goblin today, It was an amazing experience. I got to know that never judge a book by it's cover. I can surely say that it is one of the best Korean drama ever, I watched till date. Definitely you wont regret watching it. I am in love with the each and every character in it. This drama consists of each and every element you are looking for whether it might be comedy, romance, action, suspense, love, emotions. Each and every scene in this drama is drawn with some feeling in it. Especially it has a lot of emotional scenes which are worth to watch it. Gong yoo has made an expectional mark in this drama with his acting skills. The writer has done really a great job, the whole drama just flows like a river by revealing the past very smoothly.

Absolutely stunning series! Get ready to laugh and cry during each episode. Best K-drama I've ever watched. It's very emotional, poignant, and hauntingly beautiful a Korean fairy tale of sorts mixed with an amalgamation of beliefs. Every lead performance and supporting performances are amazing.

I won't give any spoilers but enjoy the show for its perfect cast and their tailor made performances for their roles, the amazing ost and art work, VFX and more. This show would be a memorable experience for me to remember in my life.

Definitely go and watch this drama it's truly a work of art and perfection ❤ Must watch and highly recommendable!

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Completed
Lynn Felix
20 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Tearjerking is an understatement.

I postponed watching this for a while, everyone was talking so highly of it that I was scared it was not gonna reach my expectations, but oh boy. It was totally the opposite.
This might be probably one of my favorites genres, but the fated trope didn't disappoint me.
I loved the speed it was going, the way emotions were portrayed, honestly a masterpiece.
I must say I'm sad we didn't get more of some side characters, but the two romances the story gives out are so well put, they made me cry more than once.
And honestly I didn't expect the happy ending, but I was so relieved.
This will probably end up taking a sweet spot in my heart cause it just got me so emotional.
The cast is amazing, they made me fall for each one of them. Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na made such a spectacular performance, their tears were my tears.

The ost was great, also there's not once I skipped the opening or the credit song cause they were SO good.

I'll probably rewatch it often cause it was just way too good to be forgotten.

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Completed
Always Waiting for the n
20 people found this review helpful
Jun 16, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Loved everything about this!

I just finished this and it’s going to take a couple of days to recover. This was SOOOOO GOOD!!!
It ranged from suspenseful to cheesy to funny to heartbreaking. Every character in the show was great. The bromance between the male leads was hilarious and I laughed so hard I cried. They played off of each other beautifully.
The Reaper’s romance was adorable and heartbreaking. It seemed hopeless and yet I couldn’t stop cheering them on.
Deok Hwa was cute and entertaining. The sidekick ghosts were a riot. And the evil ghost was creepy as hell. They all did a fantastic job.
The main romance was thrilling to watch as they worked to overcome endless challenges. I know a lot of people have issues with the age gap, but let’s be real. Dude is 930 years old. No mortal woman is going to be close to that, ha. But they did handle it well, I think. There was a New Years kiss and a goodbye kiss when she was 20 (NOT a child). Without getting into spoilers, this show spans a LOT of time and there was no real physical interaction until she grew up more. He knew he was supposed to die, so he tried to avoid getting attached. It’s not like he was creeping on a high school kid.
There were a lot of extra things that tugged at the heart, like the old war couple being reunited in the reaper’s office. All those little side bits added a lot of depth to the show. Also, the music was incredible.
This is definitely in my favorites and I’ll be watching it again at some point- but not for a while because.. wow. It was a lot and I’m kind of exhausted now.

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