Editorials 
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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1st Episode
I feel so confused right now, I just finished the first episode and I really enjoyed the plot and the characters of Ripper and Goblin a lot. Even the visual effects too, BUT and here comes the big but, I didn’t like the almost 20 years age gap between the main couple, it’s so cringe. During the whole episode I was waiting for a time skip or something where we would have an older female lead actress, don’t get me wrong, I really like all the actors, but Kim Go Eun is too young for Goong Yoo (who I'm really fond of), they should have had more of a father-daughter relationship, not a romantic one (very uncomfortable to watch) in my point of view. I still don’t know if I'll continue watching it, I thought it was important to bring this up beforehand, so you can decide, otherwise you would feel as frustrated as I do.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is a good show overall!
I watched this after a really long time, because I tend to ignore shows that are more hyped!The concept is fantastic, nothing original, but good. The whole romance story was weird as hell in the first half. I mean, the girl is 18 and the Goblin is 900+ but even if we don't care about that because this is a fantasy, his real age is around 30+ or something. The chemistry between Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun in the first was more like a dad and daughter, and when the romance started for real it was even more weird, because she always called him "Ahjussi". After the 9 years time skip, it was much, it was like two adults. I feel they should've start with Eun Tak as an adult already.
Also, like with many other Kdrama, especially with fantasy, the plot was all over the place. I hate when characters don't speak up and say what they want to say.
Some of the problems they had to face were solved pretty easily. When he finally dies, I thought he might get a second chance to live a normal life, but no. He came back as a Goblin again. Why? Makes zero sense. If they bring him back as a Goblin, at least let them live together till she dies in old age.
She spent 9 years "waiting" for him, she even wrote a note for herself, yet in all these years she never mentioned it or moved on? Come on now. Only 2 people remembered him, so she should've moved on. Especially, because Sunny never said a single thing. She watched her friend suffering, even had to take pills for her heart, yet she didn't do anything. This whole amnesia plot was messed up. The way they brought him back is even worse! In 9 years, she never blew out a candle? Who believes that? It's not like she lived alone. No one ever bought her a cake in 9 years?
The most frustrating part of the story is probably the fact that they killed her in the finale, so they can have like a 2 minute long scene at the end as a child again. What the heck?
At least the story with Sunny and the Reaper was better.
The bromance was funny as hell, and there were so many good things on the show, it's just frustrating, because with a little more focus on the writing, this show could've been perfect.
Even with all the problems, I think I will rewatch it once or twice.
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I have to start off with the storyline. I've always been quite a fan of mythical creatures, especially stories about Japanese deities and gods in anime. When I first saw that this story revolves around similar folklore beasts and spirits, I was swiftly drawn into it. It was quite a ride seeing the mythical creatures being portrayed by the amazing and super talented actors. I mean, the Goblin and the Grim Reaper's bromance speaks for itself. At first glance, I thought that the main couple, the Goblin and his bride, was kind of strange and unrelatable, but they made such a cute connection during the series. I've been familiar with Kim Go Eun's acting in Cheese In The Trap so it was quite a surprise seeing her act as a bubbly and fun character, unlike the other drama. However, my biggest appreciation of romance goes to the ultimate Grim Reaper and Sunny. Their screen time is so strong and made me quite anxious each and every episode... Their chemistry is unbelievable, they definitely need a separate series! *totally would watch*
The OST was selected perfectly. Loved the little touch of incorporating classical and pop music. The breathtaking shots of the nature and Quebec made the visuals of this drama out of this world unforgettable!
Not only does this drama combine polar genres like comedy, romance, history and tragedy into one harmonized series, but also it combines existential and every day problems with the perception of time. Never has a Korean Drama changed my views on death and love like Goblin. This is worth appearing onto national television it was that good! I'm gonna miss it, but it's also in a need of a re-watch sometime soon!
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