Unexpectedly good
So this is a drama that's been hyped up for so long that I went in thinking I was bound to be disappointed. So I'm glad that I wasn't. I've been doing an immortal-beings-falling-in-love binge, and this is where I arrived at after a sequence of DAYS, Del Luna, A Korean Odyssey, and Destined With You. Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of person who can watch something that's almost purely romance, so the first 9 episodes were bit of a drag for me. The peak of the show for me was 12-13-14 where most of the important things happen, and I enjoyed those episodes enough for me to look past the sweet albeit boring beginning, so I suppose I ended up being more forgiving with ratings. And while I was satisfied with the ending, I wasn't quite happy with it. It was good, but had had potential to be great. Also, I'm fundamentally not made for age-difference, and I could never fully enjoy the fluff either because that thought was constantly on my mind. Maybe why my favorite part of their romance was 14-15-16 (minus the ending).Was this review helpful to you?
I expected a lot....
I expected a lot of this drama.. In fact, the FL is one of my favorite actresses, discovered her in the movie Tune in for love and Kdrama The king eternal monarch.She was still pretty good in Goblin, but it was so boring.... a lot of flashbacks, a plot twist kind of dull...I do not understand the hype AT ALL.
The story didn't make any sense for me.. how is a "God" acting like a child and in love with a woman that is 20 years younger than him...
I was so blocked by the age gap.. for me it was huge and physically he looked very old, right? Bref. I had issues finishing it, it was very difficult for me. I hoped that next episode will be better, but I ended up skipping it..
I finally dropped it and I feel so at ease now.
You can try if you want but for me, it is a NO.
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love the romance and bromance.
and love Kim Go Eun's skill. She can potray her role.
Amazing
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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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What's the hype?
Another one that didn't enchant me.I've been stalling on this for ages, finally after getting back into kdrama gave this a watch and I am not in love. Yet? I dont know....10 eps in, probably not.
Gong Yoo isnt enough to keep me going, the Reaper I find more annoying than interesting, the "bromance" as some reviewers call it is not something I see at all, mainly because the reaper seems particularly lifeless to me. Didn't like the actors looks in this either, sinister in his suit, too boyband-like without. (Might be my hatred of korean forehead hiding mushroom haircut tho, dunno)
I don't mind the age gap between the leads but I have to second another reviewer's view that they seem more like father/daughter than a romantic prospect. Can't really get into it.
Later when they kiss I felt really weirded out tbh, almost like watching siblings kiss. The whole thing is just so rushed, like, she meets him, declares her love and just like that, bc she is the bride of the goblin suddenly he loves her and she loves him, this dude she barely knows, just met and has not a single thing in common with? What?
She's a pretty girl, that actress, but smiling and waving at her "lover" like a 7yo kid is just way too nope for me.
The music was engaging so far, I especially like the score/instrumental parts.
The plot itself could've given way to so much more than we got delivered. It was all very inconsistent to me, there are parts throughout almost every episode so far that bored me into playing with my phone instead of watching while others held my interest like a thriller. This might have benefited from not trying to be funny and comedic all the time but instead focusing on the dramatic/sad parts of eternal life and everyday death. The scenes whenever Reaper picked up souls were all really heartbreaking, how average people are ripped out of life, just like that...or how a fallen cyclist can cause that much damage....ouch! Instead the drama seems to focus on establishing and selling a romance that is anaemic and forced at best.
And for me, that's really all there is to this. I found myself most attentive during the parts that played in the past (the manipulative magistrate, the sister and the mislead king, all these were more interesting to me than Reaper and Sunny), and I will stop watching after ep 10 because I am bored. So bored.
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Yeap, all there. But damn, this was better than I ever could've expected. "Every moment shined." In deed. Ok, so maybe not *every* moment, but 89% of them for sure. I cried. I laughed. I wanted to group-hug the Goblin and the Grim Reaper and have a beer with them. They were friendship goals, level: immortals. Sometimes I actually wished there'd been more short arks with those two alone, because their interactions were both hilarious and heartwarming. The smartphone scene kills me every time, as does the one where they coolly go out of the tunnel with leeks and grocery bags. Bromance for the ages. Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-wook had the best chemistry out of all male actors I've seen so far. A+.
About the love stories.. though it was pretty hard for me to get with the program and support the Goblin and Eun-tak relationship at first because it was, frankly, wrong, to my great surprise (and maybe, a bit of disdain as well), I did like how they were written by the end and how their interactions were dealt with. I don't want to be hypocritical, I've enjoyed many a vampire romance in which the differences in terms of age were probably greater, but Gong Yoo was just so obviously older and the way they dressed him (op.ed. wonderfully) made him seem super serious. On the other hand, Eun-tak was.. a girl - this characterization is something I struggle with the most, because it both prevented me from rooting for them from the start, but was also a pretty realistic portrayal of the character, which I appreciated. By the time we got through the age gap though, I was totally on board. Well, a bit before that as well, just in time to bawl my eyes out to the rooftop scene. Her character really struck a chord with me in the end and I wish they'd done the jump a bit sooner and shuffled the stuff a bit so we could see more of older-Eun-tak's moments with Shin.
The story between the Reaper and Sunny was hilarious, I loved them together and I'm super happy that they got the ending they did, both of them. Eye-bawling moment #2. I especially loved Sunny's confidence which maybe made her come over as shallow at the start, but when you later realize how much she cares about him, and the history they share, it breaks your heart. The Grim Reaper was definitely my favorite character and that didn't change throughout the series. The deadpan comedic delivery, the whining, his brotherly love for Eun-tak and his "clients"... some of the short scenes in the tea-room were my favorite parts of certain episodes, especially the one with the soldier and his sweetheart who was waiting for him for 70+ years.
Overall, the series was wonderfully imaginative, poetic, with beautiful photography and lovable characters. It did seem to drag at certain times, but never enough to even consider dropping it or putting it on hold. The fantasy world created in the show was rich and magical. Love, love, LOVE. A must-see.
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Cringe
I am a person who usually watches shows without bias and I usually just enjoy the story. The first time I read the synopsis I was like "sure why not" with the mindset that the female lead will be much older when she and male lead fall in love.I particularly did not enjoy how she and the male started their whole love thing when she still wore uniform 80% of the time. I have no problem with dramas where there is an age gap between the characters but I have a huge issue when one of them is a minor and the other sees and views them in a romantic way. So if that ticks you off too, I suggest you don't watch it but if not then go ahead.
The casting was great however, both actors and supporting cast were amazing.
The story is very comedic and keeps you entertained (save for the part where the 1000 year old man falls for a 19 year old).
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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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Overused tropes in fantasy genre
I have been watching Korean dramas since my early teens; it has been close to 20 years. I'm genuinely quite sick and tired of the same old plotlines where there are two leads that are bound to end up together, and two supporting actors who may or may not end up together. Writers continue to churn out these repetitive storylines for mindless entertainment to appeal to lonely, horny, swoony, young (and older) women. Goblin, is just another one of these dramas.I absolutely hated this drama: I actually dropped it halfway around episode 8 and continued with my life for the next 6 months with little intention to return to it. I only forced myself to finish the series so it won't keep showing up in my "Continue Watching" list in my Netflix account.
Its redeeming qualities are the CGI stuff, and the performance of the supporting actors. I thought their love story was slightly more interesting and bittersweet. I was irked by the weird semblance to the awful Twilight series, where an undead male figure falls in love with a teenage girl. EEEWW. Sorry, no matter how dashing Gong Yoo is (I am one of the few who never found him charismatic), I shudder to think how anyone could find this romantic, even suspending all logic.
If you are a newbie into the Korean drama universe, this could be a sample drama for you to let your heartstrings be tugged. But for longtime K-drama watchers like me, I am always looking for something new and refreshing.
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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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