ONE OF THE FEW KDRAMAS THAT CAN EASILY GET A 10
Goblin is just everything you want in a kdrama. You probably read all the amazing reviews about how beautiful it is so I;m not going to repeat anything.Goblin is a 10 for sure and just kinda perfect but also at the same time I had my few opinions.
And here they are
AGE DIFFERENCE (very controverial)
- The age difference is a little weird... but the romance is too beautiful and tragic to even look at that. I highly disagree with people who think they had no chemistry and instead had a father-daughter relationship. Ar first I was highly weird out and disgusted by the age difference but I looked over it and you will to. Hopefully. What's more weird is the fact that Gong Yoo looks 40 10 years ago and today's time as well. Koreans are usualy younger looking so I didn't expect him to look that old for a korean but hey not every korean is younger looking and so representation matters lol
SECOND COUPLE
- Second couple didn't really grow on me. It was just there... I would have loved it if the gream reaper and goblin fell for the same girl. Now how controversial and conflicting is that! However that would ruin the bromance and I refuse to sacrifice the most amazing bromance in the history of kdrama for that thought.
MUSIC
THE BESTTTTTTTTTTTTT. THE BEST OST EVERRRRRRRR
ITS BEYOND BEAUTIFULLLLLL
I LOVE THE OPENING SONG AND STAY WITH ME
the opening song lyrics make no sense tho lol
GOBLIN DESERVES ALL THE HYPE! AND THATS ON PERIOD!
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a tale of love and tragedy between a Grim Reaper and a Goblin-
I was here for the Grim Reaper and the Goblin. They kept my attention. I loved their relationship and these actors delivered. Forewarning, the main female character was a bit too much initially- I understand it was due to her age (she is a teenager). I LOVE THIS ACTRESS, even though I did not love her character. I feel the actress did a great job at portraying a very young girl, I just found the girl off putting. That just me. But please please please, get your tissue because when this actress delivers her tragic moment- JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH, She ripped the tears from the depths of my soul. I saw this clip before and STILL was not ready. The connections and storylines were well written. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY!!! THE SCENERY!!! Yessssssss. I recommend this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
I really love the fantasy/supernatural themed dramas and thought this story was very unique featuring reincarnation, grim reapers, goblins, demigods etc it was very in depth. My only gripe and it is a very small one...is that I found the romance unsatisfying for me. Ji Un Tak seemed so young to me compared to Kim shin that I almost felt uncomfortable. Also Ji Un Tak seemed a bit immature even though she had so many hardships.
The bromance relationship definitely interested me more than the romance, Kim shim and the grim reaper just have such a fun relationship and are so similar it was great. The cast was of course A-M-A-Z-I-N-G especially with Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook.
This is now one of my all-time faves, why are you reading this? Go watch this drama now! You owe it to yourself :)
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This review may contain spoilers
The premise of the show is interesting. The show centers around the growing and tragic relationship between a high school student and a 900 something year old warrior turned Goblin (Korean Goblin). The execution down the line is flawed like they were writing the plot while they were filming.Did they really have to make Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) a high school student? No, but I guess they wanted to get that demographic. She is fated to be the "Goblin's Wife". The relationship eventually turns romantic. The show glosses over the extreme age difference between the two and the Goblin (Gong Yoo) certainly doesn't look or act (most of the time) like 900. I found Ji Eun-tak to be very charming and the weakness to her character could be attributed to the forced writing. The romance between the two was very forced but when the tragedy hits, the two main actors are very good at conveying sadness. Gong Yoo is good comedic actor and the Goblin get's riled up comedically due to the new people he meets after his long life.
Another large plot element involves the Grim Reapers. The main Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-wook) is put into close contact through fate with the goblin and the high schooler. He starts off as a cold and stoic character. There are scenes interspersed throughout the series of GR sending off lost souls to their next destination. I found most of these scenes to be touching. Also, most of the funniest scenes involve him and the Goblin.
Past lives and reincarnation play a big part in the story. We slowly see the tragic past of the Goblin and what events led him to live a long unaging life. The Grim Reapers were once humans who have committed horrible sins while they lived and they work in death with their memories wiped of their past lives. Main GR's past life seems to be connected with the Goblin's life before the Goblin was cursed/blessed with immortality.
Unfortunately, we have the cliched Kdrama push and pull, and initial denial of feelings that plague even the best romantic dramas. I never really got why the two mains would fall in love, but once the plot moves past that point, the mains have good chemistry together. Tragedy comes at the hand of God (literally). It's not really explained well why the god wants these characters to not come together or die or whatever. The finale is a mess but it relies on the audience to follow it based on tragic emotions. All in all it was a fun time but thinking back on it makes the flaws glare out.
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Complicated
I liked this show. I came to care most for its characters because the actors made them lovable, unlike the story itself, which is sloppy and muddled in its lore.This is a fantasy romance, which are usually up my alley. However, this one could have been better had the story stuck to its own rules. What ensues are quite a lot of plot holes and overly dramatic performances. I suppose the writers are hoping you will overlook its many flaws and focus on the romance between our MCs. That is fine for some. I like my dramas to be a little better thought out and organized.
A lot is going on here. We have a young, high school aged girl who is lonely and looking to belong. We have a god/guardian who has been living in immortality since a tragedy caused him to be what he is. He is searching for his bride as she will have the power to end his long existence and give him peace. Enter grim reapers with complicated backstories and gods playing with human lives, and the story becomes a complicated mess because it doesn't stick to its own rules. Some things are never really explained and it leaves you with a lot of questions. Above all this, it's still highly entertaining and I am a sucker for a good romance, even though the first episodes exasperated me to no end. Our goblin likes to play games with the girl and their silly banter runs the gamut from idiocy to deep tenderness, once the nonsense between them is cleared away and Mr. Goblin realizes he is in love,
What makes this drama watchable despite its flaws are the beautiful actors that make up this ensemble. They are wholly believable, in the moment and completely invested in their characters. No one does this better than Gong Yoo, our handsome goblin. His expressive eyes make you feel every emotion emanating from within. His despair is our despair, his joy makes us feel warm. (Because of this ability to give himself completely to his role, Gong Yoo has won the top spot in my list of best actors in South Korea. He is also, in my opinion, the most breathtakingly beautiful man I have ever set eyes on.) There are some downright hilarious moments and clear messages of friendship, compassion, loyalty and forgiveness. The soundtrack is amazing. The songs range from typical pop pieces to some very different sounds which fit the drama perfectly. I would watch this again just to relive the dreamy spark of Gong Yoo's eyes.
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What happens when a goblin, and grim reaper become roommates? If nothing else, you can be sure that there will be lots of roommate drama, bromance, and funny moments! Special mention to the scene where they go out to get groceries like the supernatural beings they are, it cracked me up. Why is this special, you ask : Go watch the drama :P
On a serious note, Goblin was like a ray of sunshine that flickers through on a cloudy day for me. Although it had its flaws (with respect to pacing and few unresolved questions), it was beautifully written and portrayed. The story was built with a rich mythology, filled with elements of hilarity, romance and above all melancholy. Each of the characters, even minor ones, had an intriguing charm to them and fulfilled a unique purpose in the storyline. Cinematography, especially scenes in Quebec, were visually stunning (I cant wait to visit Chateau Frontenac and other places in QC during fall now). I also really liked listening to the drama's OST, especially Beautiful by Crush, and have of course added it to my Kdrama playlist.
Maybe this might not be a popular opinion but I loved the bittersweet touch to its ending. I clearly have a thing for sad love stories. But what I took away from the drama the most, was that at the end of the day, we do need to deal with life on our own even with or without the presence of your loved ones. But, why should that mean, living life unhappily. In fact, live each moment with great joy, sharing precious moments with your dear ones, if not for anything else but to respect the love that you have received so far. With all the limitations we have as mortal beings, you might as well make the most of each moment. I was left with some questions at the end but I am ok ignoring these minor flaws as it kept me hooked till the last minute while also being thought provoking. Now, if only I could summon "The One", by blowing on a candle ;)
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Hats off to the cast who played such great characters. It completely hard to think that they are just characters, and not real people.
And what a twist with "GOD". Being and atheist myself, it was a really great experience to watch this.
I would surely recommend this to people.
Honestly, this was my entry into the world of Asian drama, until now, I just used to watch Japanese anime.
But, guess, I have drowned too deep into dramas now.
And goblin was the first ever drama I have watched.
So this will be something that I will always love and recommend to others.
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Acting - 9
Plot - 8
The first episode was impressive -- the director was able to cover a large time frame and maintain the continuity of the story. That episode set the stage for the drama. Now, mind you, they are actors and adults, the couples' age gap should not deter your judgement of watching a spectacular drama. The actors/actresses were all amazing, I mean you can just really feel the sadness, the distress, the sorrow and then the sweetness (that does not go overboard to childishness), the happiness, the camaraderie...
Add to this, this was a great comeback of Gong Yoo to drama land and when he had his sad moments in teh drama you just want to tell him to not be sad because his face just makes you "aawww, don't be sad...".
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Agora, os problemas. E eles não são poucos. O primeiro grande incômodo é a quantidade de furos de roteiro. A história se apoia em conveniências absurdas e em resoluções que simplesmente não fazem sentido dentro da própria lógica da trama. Isso fica ainda mais evidente na morte forçada e sem propósito da protagonista, um dos momentos mais mal trabalhados do dorama. A cena, que deveria ser emocionalmente impactante, acaba sendo apenas frustrante, pois parece acontecer apenas por necessidade de drama barato e não como uma consequência natural da história.
Outro grande problema é a atuação medíocre de Lee Dong Wook como o Ceifador (Grim Reaper). O personagem tinha bastante potencial, mas seu desenvolvimento é praticamente nulo, sua personalidade é rasa e sua presença na trama acaba sendo bem menos significativa do que poderia. Sinceramente, não entendo o motivo de tanta idolatria em torno dele, já que sua performance não acrescenta nada de realmente memorável à obra.
No final, Goblin é um dorama que impressiona visualmente, mas falha em entregar uma narrativa coesa e emocionalmente envolvente. Sua estética grandiosa e trilha sonora impecável não são suficientes para sustentar um roteiro cheio de inconsistências e personagens mal desenvolvidos. É o típico caso de uma obra que tinha tudo para ser excelente, mas se perde em escolhas questionáveis e no excesso de melodrama sem profundidade.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great idea, bad execution
The concept of the story was great, the execution was terrible.Either the Goblin needed to be much younger or Eun Tak needed to be much older. The Goblin was a 39 year old man before his transformation, the FL Eun Tak is a 19 year old HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT whose parents died when she was young. She was living with neglectful, abusive family members, she comes off as vulnerable and naïve. She is in no way mature in looks or acts. It is hard to buy that a 939 worldly Goblin/man is going to fall in love with a girl who acts like an entitled toddler. The fact that he does is creepy. I have zero issues with age gaps in general, but the age gap is glaring since Eun Tak is written to be so immature and spends most of her time dressed in a school uniform. The whole time I watched there was no chemistry between the two, which I am glad for but also it is supposed to be a romantic fantasy drama, at least cast it so we don't feel skeeved out every time the leads are on screen together.
What I saw of the Reaper and Sunny was great. Deok Wha was enjoyable and should have more of a story line. The bromance is great and should have been more developed.
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