The Story of Bi Hyeong: Enchanted Master of the Goblin

folklore meets BL, but it failed to deliver.

I like a premise where fantasy/folklore is part of the story and in the beginning they did well. Till episode 4 they had an animated intro which did explain bits of the tale which played out 1000 years ago. With ep 5 this part was gone and we had to wait till ep 9 where a lot of the background was explained. This episode was the best of the series, but I felt they should have given us more background. The part of the BL was also a long time in the background and overall I think the couples lacked the chemistry needed to "sell" it to us. It got better in the later episodes but imho it was not enough. I would have liked to have seen more of the past and less in the current time.

In the finale we got a quite satisfying happy end for the main-couple, but the side-couple was just a 2 minute insert without any details or depth. Overall I felt the series lacked a constant pace, some episodes felt a bit streched and genereally I missed the focus of both folklore & BL. We also have an antagonist and with his smirk in the last scene (and with a scene before), there is even an open end for a season 2.

Production quality was very good, which felt a bit of a waste considering the script. I think the actors did lack chemistry with each other. They did kiss, the side couple landed in bed together (but we did not see what happened there), which was fine, but I never felt a longing for each other. So I'm a bit disappointed with the outcome of this series, because they have tried to do a good show, but I think the script was too weak to do so. For me it's an ok show but not a show I will watch again, except if there is a season 2 to refresh my memory. This show will not leave a lasting impression.

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interesting premise with underwhelming execution

Overall: I really liked the fantasy elements, but the rushed/choppy storytelling lowered my score. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/the-story-of-bihyung-enchanted-master-of-goblin-episode-1-1zvs3hjpsvs?lang=en_us (in the Americas Oceana, Spain, UK and Portugal); GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5817/the-story-of-bihyung-enchanted-master-of-goblin-2025 (in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau or the rest of Europe); Heavenly & Watcha (South Korea) and FOD (Japan)

Content Warnings: non con kiss, dreamed sexual assault at the end of ep 2, slaps, attempted suicide (it's complicated), jump scares/scary make up

What I Liked
- premise
- though I didn't love world-building/exposition dumps, the drawings/animations were nice
- visuals
- quirky vibe

Room For Improvement
- many characters introduced, confusing start
- started with the present and then jumped back 36 hours
- didn't understand why it was bad that a ghost didn't get the 1st guy
- between 1 pair, have they not communicated in hundreds? thousands? of years??! then towards the end, more bad communication and suddenly they make up
- didn't feel the chemistry with the main pair, I think goblin was reluctant for too long
- should have shown the background earlier than halfway through episode 9 so I could better root for them as a couple
- 1 year time jump for the finale, rushed/things not fully explained

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The myth, the meh!

The premise of this drama is very new - a bunch of mythological creatures in the modern world continuing their love story. Sounds interesting ? It was until it wasn't. When it came to execution, it was messy around the edges. It was an okay one-time watch even though the whole thing played out like a fever dream.

Starting with positives, the animated sequences were AMAZING. Each episode opens with this striking myth-style narration that feels like a moving storybook drenched in colour and mystery. I could have watched 12 episodes in that animated style. It elevated the whole lore.

Story-wise, it was confusing. The tonal whiplash was evident, and I feel the whole backstories were dull or not fully developed. The show starts with deep symbolism with destiny, rebirth and somehow doesn't do justice to it. The whole fantasy element just lands with a thud. Like if you skip the narration at the start, there are no traits that resembles the present day characters to the mythologicals being they were/are. We have few sprinkles of horror element but they just felt out of place.

Coming to the two couples and the romance, the main couple, unfortunately, doesn't move me much. There were barely any sparks at all, or at least they were very fragmentary. It was awkward but not in a cute way. Their historical story was also mild. Like interesting in parts, but overall I was bored. Meanwhile, the second couple were oddly interesting. Together, they manage to make even the most chaotic plot turns feel oddly intimate. Though I didn't like the fast tracked resolution to their story. We could have spared a few more minutes on them.
Romance as a whole was okay. In the middle it got intresting but then it was sappy romantic moments with comedy that was a hit or a miss. The whole combination of romance + myths and fantasies somehow felt absurd.

Acting-wise, it was uneven. I think that is what didn't sell the characters for me. It wasn't outright bad, but it was not consistent. The production seemed decent, and the editing was also okay between flashbacks and present timelines. The costumes of the period era could have been way better.

Overall, this drama isn’t one you watch for airtight storytelling, which is disappointing considering how strong and unique the setup was. You watch it for the bizarre appeal. Would I recommend it? Honestly, no. Not because it’s terrible .. ummm far from it but because it never truly hooked me. It looks solid on paper yet lifeless and boring in execution.

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Fantasy and romance that works together...but do they still work separately?

To best appreciate the charms of this 12-episode series, a prior acquaintance with Korean folklore around goblins (dokkebi) and nine-tailed foxes (gumiho) will help.* The BL romances featured in The Story of Bi Hyeong: Enchanted Master of the Goblin King build out from a scaffolding of fantasy folklore. In fact, the series falls in line with other genre hybrids like Khemjira (ghosts), or Manner of Death (murder mystery), or Spare Me Your Mercy (legal/medical thriller) as a BL series where the romance unfolds in secondary moments because the characters’ primary objective is to resolve plot threads created for the OTHER genre to work. If the viewer understands the series is fantasy first and romance second, they are more likely to find it enjoyable.

Like so many other Korean entries in the fantasy pantheon, the story frame entangles a human with immortals. Rural country boy Guem Bok, an aspiring actor, moves to Seoul. The naïve youth finds himself overwhelmed with city life, victimized by shady real estate agents, shady street thugs, shady talent agents, and shady shades. Oh, yes, like the human protagonists in other dokkebi stories, Guem Bok can see ghosts—phantasms who threaten his life. Enter Bi Hyeong, the goblin king. A transactional dynamic emerges when Bi Heyong’s loyal dokkebi minion Gildal realizes the human has the unique ability to revitalize the goblin king’s waning magical powers. In exchange for supplying “essence” that reenergizes Bi Hyeong, Guem Bok can live rent-free in the nice Seoul home the two goblins share. As a bonus, the goblin king will shield Guem Bok from otherworldly dangers. This cohabitation soon draws the attention of Ji Gwi, a longtime rival of Bi Hyeonng. A gumiho who has camouflaged himself in human society as a plastic surgeon, Ji Gwi wants to respark a lost relationship with Gildal. Guem Bok’s sudden intrusion into their closeted lives (closeted, in the sense of hiding their true natures from mortals, mind you) reignites lingering passions and resentments among the immortals.

Vivid worldbuilding determines the success of fantasy TV series. Do the writers have firm control over the lore? Do the powers wielded by supernatural characters crop up consistently? Do the limitations? Do their backstories make sense, including a long reach into the distant past? Since these magical immortals tend to live (invisibly) in contemporary society, does the fish-out-of-water trope provide the expected amusement? Does the mortal human have a backstory (sob story?) that warrants drawing the attention of an immortal? The answers comprise a mixed bag. Episodes could and should have put more effort into fleshing out the circumstances that govern the lives of the dokkebi and gumiho characters, particularly as the ending left room for a second-season that would be even more dependent on the fantasy elements. The series’ best episode was the ninth, when the writers dispatched Guem Bok into the past, thereby playing many of the backstory cards concealed close to the vest up to that point. Finally, we gain a glimmer of understanding of the mysterious bond between goblin (Bi Hyeong) and human (Guem Bok). One suspects the writers felt constrained by having only six total hours to unspool their tale. While action moves along—the plot pace is brisk—events often occur for little discernible reason. More detailed unpacking of the supernatural world hidden in plain view would have remedied this deficiency. Leaving the viewer wanting more is not a bad thing; starving them on purpose is quite another.

The light touch on the fantasy story carries into the romantic plots. In early episodes plenty of physical contact ensues between Guem Bok and Bi Hyeong. But why? The touching is ambiguous. Does Bi Hyeong touch Guem Bok to illustrate sexual tension? Or, is the contact merely instrumental, to remind the viewer that the human can transfer essence that the goblin needs? Whichever, the constant contact creates a plethora of sweet moments—the lifeblood of any successful BL series—but without any definitive sense that either character has caught romantic feeling. The sweetness of their moments of physical interaction is therefore nearly superseded by the transactional understanding each has of their relationship (essence traded for protection). Because the fantasy story requires that neither Guem Bok nor Bi Hyeong recognize the reason for their unusual connection (until ep 10), neither interacts with the other from any motivation resembling romance. That dynamic improves in the final quartet of episodes, but viewers tuning in for the BL may already have bailed, while viewers enjoying the fantasy will wish for even more backstory. Rather more successful in the early stages is the long-simmering romance (centuries worth of simmer!) between Gwi Ji and Gil Dal. One does sense that these two lost something precious at some point in the past. But will they be able to regain it? Like the fantasy, the success of the two romances is somewhat mixed.

On a final note, I cannot make sense of the subtitle. The English grammar suggests that “enchanted master of the goblin” refers back to Bi Hyeong. But Bi Hyeong is the goblin, not the goblin’s master. The master is Geum Bok, whom I would not have described as “enchanted,” as that description better suits the supernatural ability of the goblin. Except maybe Geum Bok is enchanted with how handsome Bi Hyeong is? But I don’t think that’s the sense of “enchantment” the title bespeaks. Anyway, perhaps something was lost in translation, or there is some Korean nuance I failed to discern. Or, like the rest of the series, perhaps the title’s wording serves to intrigue without fully paying off.

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Funny cute, but.....

This was a funny cute series but.... Yes, the but is there and glaringly so. I don't think this was delivered with the right formula. Placing Cheoyong throughout the series would have given it a little more balance and might have made the hap hazard scenarios funnier. Gil Dal's dramatic seriousness would have weighed heavier and not felt as tho, he alone was bringing the drama. Geum Bok and Bi Hyeong felt like a continuous joke, enjoyable yes, but their plight seemed trivial.

Overall, their moments were humorous. The love between the both couples were unique to themselves and didn't feel generic. I liked the way Ji Gwi's presence was introduced within the main's love story. I didn't like the interjection of the ex who wanted more. Gil Dal and Ji Gwi's story didn't need this. Please, stop with the random pathetic exes. The playful banter between Geum Bok and Bi Hyeong was really funny. Bi Hyeong's ego was on a bigger scale but easily put aside for Geum Bok. Their moment of anguish appropriately done.

The ending implies their trials are not over which suited their 1000 + year old relationship. Gil Dal's and Ji Gwi's final meeting showed how easily all could be forgiven in the name of love. Tho the implication is there, I'm hoping this is the end. The cast and storyline didn't grab me as much as it could. Still, it was a nice watch.

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I can't believe this series is so underrated.

This is definitely the most entertaining and sweetest kbl series I've watched this year.

Okay, the story starts off completely cliché: a boy living in the moves to Seoul with dreams of becoming an actor.
But the course of the scenario is completely different. I was happy to see a goblin in a kbl scenario for the first time.

Bi Hyeong is definitely the cutest goblin I've ever watched. The cute story of both couples made me so happy and moved me in so many ways while watching it that I can't even begin to describe it. You know those weird moves you make behind the scenes when you're texting someone you're in love with? I was imitating those moves while watching the series.

12 episodes seemed so insufficient to me. If Korea paid attention to the bl industry and produced one-hour episodes like Kdramas, I think they could produce great scripts.

Watch this series and let each episode make you laugh like lovers.

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Unexpected Surprise!

I still have unanswered questions about this so I hope for season 2 with this cast!!

This story provided a fresh flavor for the BL genre. It was a happy surprise given I had no expectations going into it.
Even the poster wasn’t indicating anything spectacular, yet I really enjoyed it overall.

Written with some supernatural elements, this wasn’t overdone with CGI or other flashy effects. Its simplicity and short length time kept it even paced with a stronger character/story focus.

A sweet tale wrapped up in some confusing elements early on, but definitely evolves and progresses with each episode. While it doesn’t check off every mark for me, the creative writing kept me watching and I could see the real efforts put in.

The handsome cast and some light humor added in made it very enjoyable, so thank you to everyone involved in this production!

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A Gem in Cognito

Firstly, this offering is on the condensed side compared to what is typically created. { and i have no patience for the now new trending short crappola series !} As such, this is a truly masterful creation from the beginning opening, which you mustn't miss ... This animation's subject is always different, where the lyrical story ties in with the history or folklore of the modern-day characters. So, it's not the norm of wasted "cookie-cutter" repetition, but instead, genius usage of limited time.
The story is masterfully written with all levels of humor, which is all carried out by top drawer actors, who ALL have chemistry with each other... AND ...you as the viewer. { you know it's special when you can't tell who is doing a great job...the actor ?, the writer ?, the producer ?, or the director ?....because it ALL fits to perfection, where you are just enjoying the entire ride. }
The romantic story arc types in this are so enjoyable. Even the different levels of side characters all have depth & weight, which is so rare anymore. Simple fun !... with different characters harmony & contrast all carried out by incredible talent, of professionalism on all levels, which truly makes this series a rarity ....and a future repeat-watched favorite ❣️

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Lacked spice

The plot,acting, chemistry was there but it lacked spice to make it flavorful. It's a pretty okay BL but by today's standards it's kinda meh. Needed more angst and real things put on the line. The plot was unique but it didn't really have anything else other than that. The execution was meh. The chemistry between the characters was also okay but still not enough. This series tried to play it too safe imo and I am disappointed because it had a fairly good runtime and episodes but still it failed to make more intresting. Welp I'll still be nice and give it a 7/10 I guess.

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Whimsical & Lighthearted

A truly whimsical tale done with love and executed well. Animations provide backstory and they are illustrated with a classic timelessness that truly sets the mood for the early episodes.

It is a fairytale plopped right into the contemporary world and much like Secret Vampire, offers a humorous glimpse into how otherworldly creatures acclimate to being a part of- yet apart from- the human world.

The acting stays solidly grounded in realistic performance, ensuring the fantasy tone and story elements also stay grounded.

This is a lovely piece to watch on a cold night with your favorite blanket and a cup of cocoa with marshmallows.

It was delightful.

While it does complete the narrative arc, the slight open ended final moments leave the door open for a second season or a few special episodes.

Fresh characters, fresh folk tale presentation and some adherence to trope and genre does make it a little predictable, but the cast is so likable, you won't mind that you know where it's going.

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