This drama had a premise that could’ve been fun—a century old- goblin who needs to kiss ten humans to become human himself. Cute, right? Except the execution felt like someone wrote the outline, spilled coffee on it, and said “eh, good enough.” The pacing was rushed, the emotional beats barely landed, and the whole thing screamed “we had twelve episodes and five bucks.”
Let’s talk about Oh Yeon Ah, the female lead. She’s supposed to be strong-willed, but ends up tagging along while Ban Sook kisses other women like it’s a sport. What woman in her right mind agrees to be the emotional support buddy while her crush locks lips with strangers? Unless she’s a masochist with a martyr complex, this setup makes zero sense. And don’t get me started on the exorcist subplot—apparently, a regular human can protect a supernatural being from a trained assassin. Sure, dude.
The show tries to sell us on romance, but it’s hard to feel invested when the logic keeps tripping over itself. Loopholes everywhere—characters teleporting between emotional states, plot threads dropped like hot potatoes, and a goblin queen who shows up just to be cryptic and leave. It’s painfully obvious the budget was tighter than Ban Sook’s jeans.
In the end, Kiss Goblin is a meh watch. Not offensively bad, but not good enough to recommend. It’s the kind of drama you put on when you’re folding laundry and don’t want to commit to actual storytelling. Watch it if you’re curious, but don’t expect it to kiss your brain with brilliance.
I went into this drama with low expectations, but surprise surprise—it actually hit hard. The ratings were meh, but this one proved you can’t trust the numbers.
The noble idiocy here? For once, it works. Lin Qian hiding her illness didn’t feel like a tired trope—it felt real, painful, and kind of brave. No over-the-top self-sacrifice, just quiet heartbreak done right. Lin Qian’s character comes alive once she finds out she’s dying. Before that, she’s just going through the motions. After? She’s magnetic. Her choices finally feel her own, and watching her live like she’s running out of time makes you root for her.
Romance-wise, it’s slow but solid. She and Fu Yu Chuan don’t explode into love—they inch into it. Lots of awkward quiet, soft stares, and finally, some real feeling that doesn’t feel forced. This is understandable since they’re dating with death looming (granted, only one of them knows about it), but somehow this works.
Bittersweet’s the name of the game. Sure, it has some issues, and forgets about side characters now and then, but it delivers. Unexpectedly tender, just enough hurt, and a lead who finally gives us something to feel. Glad I didn’t skip it.
Review Summary:The central idea, that an unattractive girl desires to be perceived as beautiful, is not an original…
The central idea, that an unattractive girl desires to be perceived as beautiful, is not an original concept. Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder; we all know this cliché, right?
Although the message of self-acceptance was important, the execution fell short due to poor scriptwriting. I thought Ahn Hyo Seop did an adequate job playing the lead, Park Se Gun; however, the character itself was not well-developed, and I did not find him particularly engaging. His redemption arc felt manufactured and lacked authenticity. I think his affection for FL stems not from genuine love, but from a sense of ease and comfort he experiences in her presence, leading him to perceive her as “lovable.”
To Se Gun, who was used to a certain type of girl, Nan Hee was a refreshing change, a novelty like a shiny toy that stood out from his previous dating experiences. In addition, his concern appeared to be keeping Nan Hee’s best friend from getting the FL, and therefore, I am inclined to believe that he was only settling for Nan Hee until someone better comes along.
Speaking of shiny toys, Nan Hee is no different. While her preoccupation with appearances was understandable, given her low self-esteem, it frequently became intensely infuriating. The so-called “best friend” Mi Joo was no better. She just uses Nan Hee as a prop to highlight her own beauty, like how she uses Tae Hyun when it’s convenient. The only redeemable character here is probably Nan Hee’s mother, who is trying to teach her daughter a lesson in a roundabout way.
By the time I finished watching this drama, I couldn't care less about any of the characters and just felt relieved that I can tick this off my list.
The central idea, that an unattractive girl desires to be perceived as beautiful, is not an original concept. Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder; we all know this cliché, right? Although the message of self-acceptance was important, the execution fell short due to poor scriptwriting.
By the time I finished watching this drama, I couldn't care less about any of the characters and just felt relieved that I can tick this off my list.
Review Summary:Over the last 4-5 years, I’ve adopted a policy of dropping dramas that fail to engage me early…
First, I had issues with the pacing. Although the cinematography in this low-budget drama was undeniably beautiful, I unfortunately found myself compelled to repeatedly fast-forward through numerous excessively long shots of rain and snow, which, while visually appealing, ultimately proved to be somewhat tedious and distracting from the narrative.
Secondarily, the drama presented the ML as an unlikeable character. I understand the rivals-to-couple-back-to-enemies-to-lovers trope, but I wouldn’t date someone who repeatedly tried to kill me. Therefore, I deeply admired the SML’s sacrifices for the FL and his unwavering loyalty.
Thirdly, since I had no intention of continuing with this drama, I checked the ending and discovered both main characters died. Mind you, I am not against a tragic ending if the plot calls for it. I knew, in fact, that at least one had to die, but not both, particularly given how it concluded. Their deaths would have been acceptable if logical, but abandoning their child is infuriatingly selfish. The idea of supporting someone who would resort to suicide after their partner’s death fills me with an immense sadness. As a parent, leaving my child because of my heartbreak is unacceptable; my child deserves better than to be orphaned.
Given what I know now, I’m happy I didn’t waste my time on a mildly interesting drama—or I would have burst a coronary.
Over the last 4-5 years, I’ve adopted a policy of dropping dramas that fail to engage me early on. There’s probably over 300 dramas that I rated 7.0 below, and in a lot of these cases, I regret having finished these low-rated dramas solely to avoid the social pressure or sense of obligation or just for the sake of saying that I’ve watched them.
In retrospect, I could have allocated my time to alternative entertainment options; however, my viewing habits were less discerning in the past due to a limited selection of high-quality dramas, whereas the current proliferation of excellent dramas has enabled me to cultivate a more selective approach to my viewing choices.
This rather long segue for a drama that I dropped is perhaps unnecessary, since I have already exceeded my tolerance and continued despite my disinterest, hoping I would change my opinion, but I didn’t.
interested to know which other drama that does the “segue between first n second life” better. because if…
I'm walking back my comment on the transition in SKP after watching Supervisor Husband.
I think SKP did the best they could because of Chinese censorship. If it weren't for these regulations, I doubt that these scenes would be included. These are only obligatory scenes to pass censor,so; I just have to ignore these scenes, and all will be fine. But sadly, it dampens the experience. But oh well, it is what it is.
Leave him the f++k alone! None of your business whether he has a child, married, dating or whatever,!!! Unless he did something criminally punishable, his private life is none of our business!!!
I’ve watched three eps, it’s a very pretty show, great cinematography and beautiful set designs. However with…
same, I thought I was the only one. it was cinematically beautiful for such a low budget drama however I could not watch endless minutes of rain dropping or snow falling without falling asleep.
Review Summary:This short drama was headed for a perfect 10 until a particular scene disappointed me. Though I…
The specific scene I’m referring to was how Qin Zhan dealt with Jiang Xi after she unknowingly consumed a date-rape drug. Instead of continuing with soaking her in the tub, or at least bringing her to a hospital, or even letting her “get off” by herself, he “generously” helped himself and took advantage of her vulnerability. Even though the drama shows Qin Zhan explicitly asking Jiang Xi what he should do, this does not absolve him from blame. Someone significantly under the influence of drugs cannot give true consent. I fought the urge NOT to roll my eyes the following morning upon hearing her thank him as her savior.
Furthermore, regardless of a woman’s vile actions, rape is never a justifiable retribution. This only reinforces the harmful idea that rape victims are somehow responsible for their assault.
This short run production would have been perfect in terms of execution, plot, and performances, aside from those two details.
This short drama was headed for a perfect 10 until a particular scene disappointed me. Though I don’t usually care for Republican-era dramas, this one unexpectedly exceeded my expectations. The leads’ performances were both excellent, and perhaps the visuals were a great help. Unexpectedly, the film was both funny and clever, and the rest of the cast delivered stunning performances in this exquisitely told tale of revenge and redemption.
Even the villains were multi-faceted, that I couldn’t help but be sympathetic to one of their plights. Though some deserved their endings, I felt the handling of one punishment was egregious.
Nice little film. Amazing what some directors manage to convey with six minutes. Ignore the second reviewer above.…
If everyone liked this as you did, it would not have a rating of 6.6. I can't imagine that 1 bad review out of hundreds would have skewed the rating that much. The algorithm takes this into account and uses weighted mean (plus some secret sauce), and not a standard average to determine its ratings. So essentially you are saying, that anybody who disagrees with your opinion has issues. Good to know.
Review Summary:As I’m still quite new to the world of “duanju” dramas (having watched fewer than two dozen),…
As I’m still quite new to the world of “duanju” dramas (having watched fewer than two dozen), I don’t recognize many of the actors. But I was instantly captivated by Wang Yi Lei and Zhu Xiao Xue’s respective performances as a top lawyer and an ambitious law student. Clearly, they tried their best to work with the material they were given, which I must say wasn’t the greatest to begin with.
Their mutual dependence and the way they “cured” each other was heartwarming, but their initial encounter left me unconvinced. However, I think the show unfairly portrayed “cheating”, making the ex-boyfriend seem far worse than Wen Yue, despite their similar actions. Granted, Han Sheng kissed Wen Yue, despite her not being his partner, an act that could be interpreted as forced. In this situation, I’m unsure why we’re expected to excuse them simply because they’re the endgame.
Regardless, I think a stronger focus on Wen Yue’s prowess as a law student would have improved the show. We got a glimpse of her intelligence at the beginning, specifically when she first met Han Sheng at that party. I wished they had explored that more fully in the drama, maybe even having her help Han Sheng with his cases. Time constraints likely prevented them from doing so, but the plot contains too much unnecessary redundancy, such as the ex-boyfriend’s interactions with the socialite.
Overall, my feelings about this drama are a bit conflicted. Its quality is unremarkable; neither good nor bad, so I will settle for a “decent effort,” mostly kudos to the main leads.
As I’m still quite new to the world of “duanju” dramas (having watched fewer than two dozen), I don’t recognize many of the actors. But I was instantly captivated by Wang Yi Lei and Zhu Xiao Xue’s respective performances as a top lawyer and an ambitious law student. Clearly, they tried their best to work with the material they were given, which I must say wasn’t the greatest to begin with.
Overall, my feelings about this drama are a bit conflicted. Its quality is unremarkable; neither good nor bad, so I will settle for a “decent effort,” mostly kudos to the main leads.
Review Summary:Before beginning my review, I must admit that my frustration with finding a translated version…
What was expected to be a 36-minute watch (if the 18x2 detail is accurate) stretched to 3 hours. Was it worth all the trouble? NO. Absolutely not!! I am sparing you the effort!!! I assigned myself as one of the sacrificial lambs to tell you how this drama isn’t worth it unless you find a source where it can give you everything in one shot.
First of all, the poster is misleading. Nowhere in the show did they dress up remotely like they did in the poster. Shen Hao Nan spent 90% of the show in a pale blue wig that made him like a 17-year-old version of Vic Zhou if Vic Zhou was into cosplay. Second, Tang Xin spent half the drama evading her friend’s weak advances; however, the drama presented Wei Lai’s similar stalker-like behavior, including several uninvited visits to her house, as a romantic pursuit.
Third, the play’s message is that you shouldn’t pursue your passions unless it pays the bills, thus implying that you should work in a “real” job; or better yet, rely on your parent’s wealth if they have some, because that’s all you will be ever be good enough to do.
A better title for this drama would be “Curb Your Ambition” or “Don’t Be Stubborn,” highlighting both my and Wei Lai’s fruitless efforts.
Before beginning my review, I must admit that my frustration with finding a translated version of the drama influenced my opinion; so I watched the raw version instead. The problem wasn’t my language comprehension (I grasped about 75%), but the messy video organization—51 links for a mere 18 two-minute episodes! It was incredibly frustrating searching for the episodes, which weren’t in order, and I had to sift through related videos just to find them.
2 
Let’s talk about Oh Yeon Ah, the female lead. She’s supposed to be strong-willed, but ends up tagging along while Ban Sook kisses other women like it’s a sport. What woman in her right mind agrees to be the emotional support buddy while her crush locks lips with strangers? Unless she’s a masochist with a martyr complex, this setup makes zero sense. And don’t get me started on the exorcist subplot—apparently, a regular human can protect a supernatural being from a trained assassin. Sure, dude.
The show tries to sell us on romance, but it’s hard to feel invested when the logic keeps tripping over itself. Loopholes everywhere—characters teleporting between emotional states, plot threads dropped like hot potatoes, and a goblin queen who shows up just to be cryptic and leave. It’s painfully obvious the budget was tighter than Ban Sook’s jeans.
In the end, Kiss Goblin is a meh watch. Not offensively bad, but not good enough to recommend. It’s the kind of drama you put on when you’re folding laundry and don’t want to commit to actual storytelling. Watch it if you’re curious, but don’t expect it to kiss your brain with brilliance.
The noble idiocy here? For once, it works. Lin Qian hiding her illness didn’t feel like a tired trope—it felt real, painful, and kind of brave. No over-the-top self-sacrifice, just quiet heartbreak done right. Lin Qian’s character comes alive once she finds out she’s dying. Before that, she’s just going through the motions. After? She’s magnetic. Her choices finally feel her own, and watching her live like she’s running out of time makes you root for her.
Romance-wise, it’s slow but solid. She and Fu Yu Chuan don’t explode into love—they inch into it. Lots of awkward quiet, soft stares, and finally, some real feeling that doesn’t feel forced. This is understandable since they’re dating with death looming (granted, only one of them knows about it), but somehow this works.
Bittersweet’s the name of the game. Sure, it has some issues, and forgets about side characters now and then, but it delivers. Unexpectedly tender, just enough hurt, and a lead who finally gives us something to feel. Glad I didn’t skip it.
Although the message of self-acceptance was important, the execution fell short due to poor scriptwriting. I thought Ahn Hyo Seop did an adequate job playing the lead, Park Se Gun; however, the character itself was not well-developed, and I did not find him particularly engaging. His redemption arc felt manufactured and lacked authenticity. I think his affection for FL stems not from genuine love, but from a sense of ease and comfort he experiences in her presence, leading him to perceive her as “lovable.”
To Se Gun, who was used to a certain type of girl, Nan Hee was a refreshing change, a novelty like a shiny toy that stood out from his previous dating experiences. In addition, his concern appeared to be keeping Nan Hee’s best friend from getting the FL, and therefore, I am inclined to believe that he was only settling for Nan Hee until someone better comes along.
Speaking of shiny toys, Nan Hee is no different. While her preoccupation with appearances was understandable, given her low self-esteem, it frequently became intensely infuriating. The so-called “best friend” Mi Joo was no better. She just uses Nan Hee as a prop to highlight her own beauty, like how she uses Tae Hyun when it’s convenient. The only redeemable character here is probably Nan Hee’s mother, who is trying to teach her daughter a lesson in a roundabout way.
By the time I finished watching this drama, I couldn't care less about any of the characters and just felt relieved that I can tick this off my list.
The central idea, that an unattractive girl desires to be perceived as beautiful, is not an original concept. Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder; we all know this cliché, right? Although the message of self-acceptance was important, the execution fell short due to poor scriptwriting.
By the time I finished watching this drama, I couldn't care less about any of the characters and just felt relieved that I can tick this off my list.
Full Review in the Spoiler below:
Secondarily, the drama presented the ML as an unlikeable character. I understand the rivals-to-couple-back-to-enemies-to-lovers trope, but I wouldn’t date someone who repeatedly tried to kill me. Therefore, I deeply admired the SML’s sacrifices for the FL and his unwavering loyalty.
Thirdly, since I had no intention of continuing with this drama, I checked the ending and discovered both main characters died. Mind you, I am not against a tragic ending if the plot calls for it. I knew, in fact, that at least one had to die, but not both, particularly given how it concluded. Their deaths would have been acceptable if logical, but abandoning their child is infuriatingly selfish. The idea of supporting someone who would resort to suicide after their partner’s death fills me with an immense sadness. As a parent, leaving my child because of my heartbreak is unacceptable; my child deserves better than to be orphaned.
Given what I know now, I’m happy I didn’t waste my time on a mildly interesting drama—or I would have burst a coronary.
Over the last 4-5 years, I’ve adopted a policy of dropping dramas that fail to engage me early on. There’s probably over 300 dramas that I rated 7.0 below, and in a lot of these cases, I regret having finished these low-rated dramas solely to avoid the social pressure or sense of obligation or just for the sake of saying that I’ve watched them.
In retrospect, I could have allocated my time to alternative entertainment options; however, my viewing habits were less discerning in the past due to a limited selection of high-quality dramas, whereas the current proliferation of excellent dramas has enabled me to cultivate a more selective approach to my viewing choices.
This rather long segue for a drama that I dropped is perhaps unnecessary, since I have already exceeded my tolerance and continued despite my disinterest, hoping I would change my opinion, but I didn’t.
Full review in the spoiler below:
I think SKP did the best they could because of Chinese censorship. If it weren't for these regulations, I doubt that these scenes would be included.
These are only obligatory scenes to pass censor,so; I just have to ignore these scenes, and all will be fine. But sadly, it dampens the experience. But oh well, it is what it is.
https://www.koreaboo.com/news/popular-idol-chases-sasaeng-fans-away-after-following/
Stalking him is NOT what a sane person does!!!
https://www.koreaboo.com/asia/sasaengs-berate-rising-actor-flight-following-rumors-secret-girlfriend-child/
Leave him the f++k alone! None of your business whether he has a child, married, dating or whatever,!!! Unless he did something criminally punishable, his private life is none of our business!!!
Furthermore, regardless of a woman’s vile actions, rape is never a justifiable retribution. This only reinforces the harmful idea that rape victims are somehow responsible for their assault.
This short run production would have been perfect in terms of execution, plot, and performances, aside from those two details.
This short drama was headed for a perfect 10 until a particular scene disappointed me. Though I don’t usually care for Republican-era dramas, this one unexpectedly exceeded my expectations. The leads’ performances were both excellent, and perhaps the visuals were a great help. Unexpectedly, the film was both funny and clever, and the rest of the cast delivered stunning performances in this exquisitely told tale of revenge and redemption.
Even the villains were multi-faceted, that I couldn’t help but be sympathetic to one of their plights. Though some deserved their endings, I felt the handling of one punishment was egregious.
More on these points on the spoiler below:
Their mutual dependence and the way they “cured” each other was heartwarming, but their initial encounter left me unconvinced. However, I think the show unfairly portrayed “cheating”, making the ex-boyfriend seem far worse than Wen Yue, despite their similar actions. Granted, Han Sheng kissed Wen Yue, despite her not being his partner, an act that could be interpreted as forced. In this situation, I’m unsure why we’re expected to excuse them simply because they’re the endgame.
Regardless, I think a stronger focus on Wen Yue’s prowess as a law student would have improved the show. We got a glimpse of her intelligence at the beginning, specifically when she first met Han Sheng at that party. I wished they had explored that more fully in the drama, maybe even having her help Han Sheng with his cases. Time constraints likely prevented them from doing so, but the plot contains too much unnecessary redundancy, such as the ex-boyfriend’s interactions with the socialite.
Overall, my feelings about this drama are a bit conflicted. Its quality is unremarkable; neither good nor bad, so I will settle for a “decent effort,” mostly kudos to the main leads.
As I’m still quite new to the world of “duanju” dramas (having watched fewer than two dozen), I don’t recognize many of the actors. But I was instantly captivated by Wang Yi Lei and Zhu Xiao Xue’s respective performances as a top lawyer and an ambitious law student. Clearly, they tried their best to work with the material they were given, which I must say wasn’t the greatest to begin with.
Overall, my feelings about this drama are a bit conflicted. Its quality is unremarkable; neither good nor bad, so I will settle for a “decent effort,” mostly kudos to the main leads.
Full review in the spoiler below:
First of all, the poster is misleading. Nowhere in the show did they dress up remotely like they did in the poster. Shen Hao Nan spent 90% of the show in a pale blue wig that made him like a 17-year-old version of Vic Zhou if Vic Zhou was into cosplay. Second, Tang Xin spent half the drama evading her friend’s weak advances; however, the drama presented Wei Lai’s similar stalker-like behavior, including several uninvited visits to her house, as a romantic pursuit.
Third, the play’s message is that you shouldn’t pursue your passions unless it pays the bills, thus implying that you should work in a “real” job; or better yet, rely on your parent’s wealth if they have some, because that’s all you will be ever be good enough to do.
A better title for this drama would be “Curb Your Ambition” or “Don’t Be Stubborn,” highlighting both my and Wei Lai’s fruitless efforts.
Before beginning my review, I must admit that my frustration with finding a translated version of the drama influenced my opinion; so I watched the raw version instead. The problem wasn’t my language comprehension (I grasped about 75%), but the messy video organization—51 links for a mere 18 two-minute episodes! It was incredibly frustrating searching for the episodes, which weren’t in order, and I had to sift through related videos just to find them.
Full review in the Spoiler below: