This review may contain spoilers
A fantastic drama minus the love line of the main leads if I'm being honest. If the writer just focused on the story of Kim Shin, Wang Yeo/Grim Reaper, and Sunny then it would have been meatier. I just find their story more engaging and ripe with conflict starting from 900 years in the storyline. But well, what's a KES drama without cheesy romance, right? Also, the chemistry between the cast (sorry, main leads not included - I just can't see/feel it) is superb! The bantering Goblin and GR, Deokhwa and his samchons, Sunny and GR, even Sunny and the Goblin. The overall concept and story are done well. I'm even invested in GR's tea house. I think that if GR has a drama of his own, focusing on the souls coming to his tea house, I'd watch it. From the few scenes we've seen, it was both heartwarming, funny, sad, and sometimes infuriating. Who could forget about the dog who waited for his/her pawrent so they can both go to the afterlife? It also touches on the concept of life and death and rebirth, how in life, we are presented with choices and it is us who ultimately chooses which to take. The angst between GR and the Goblin, and of course, GR and Sunny are well done as well. You understand each character and why they chose to do the things they did. At the end of the drama, I just can't help but feel something bittersweet about the Goblin. He made his choice and that entails being alone forever when the time comes that Eun Tak can't reincarnate. The drama just left a taste of sadness.
I remember we were in Korea when this drama was airing. Everywhere we go, I hear the OST being played. It's one of the few dramas that I liked all OSTs. The songs really left a mark and it was used well in the drama. Even now when I hear Stay With Me, I still feel a little bit of sadness.
It's not a perfect drama but it's good in all the right places.
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Love never dies it helps one live
Well this was amazing I can't say anything bad about it, it's a beautiful story. The music is amazing I download all the songs after seeing the movie.The actors did a great job, it really feels great when you see it you feel like it's really you can't wait to see the next episode.
I cried the tears of joy and happiness and sadness but it was all worth it I would recommend everyone to see this.
My favourite song is beautiful by Crush followed by who are you by Sam Kim.
Story line was the best, it reminds you or us why we love and remember the ones we love or once loved, all the acts of good and bad they are part of one to make a choice this what we see here.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama truly is something else, from someone who loves watching dramas to see how plot could potentially develop/ how characters could potentially develop; this is probably one of my top 3 dramas of all time.I'll start with simple aspects like the cinematography, background music and OSTs are breathtaking, I cannot flaw them in that aspect. The directors were truly genius with the way they decided to film, cinematography in this drama held a lot of meaning behind it, sometimes it would take someone to look twice to notice.
Plot wise I must say it one of the most original things I have ever watched, the plot developed well and contained no visible holes that I could criticise, usually creators would fill those holes with unnecessary side plots or love triangles or underdeveloped characters, however, the plot of this drama is complete in every way. Just the right balance between reality and fantasy, a very thin line that not many dramas were able to hold onto very well. The plot stayed true to itself; when said thing is going to happen, it will happen. No shortcuts or exceptions just because the main characters where involved, that's what I like about this drama, it refused to stick to resolving the plot and dismissing main points just for fan satisfaction. All in all, the plot is incredibly thorough and captivating, heart wrenching but also somewhat warming.
I think the thing that surprised me the most about this drama is how the characters are all so developed, no one is completely good, no one is completely bad and they all have their own struggles. I don't think there's a single watered down character or a character that did not suit the plot. They were all so attached to one another and that's something you rarely in see in dramas, usually it's the male character attached to the female character and the 2nd lead attached to the 2nd lead female. However, you get to see them all relying on one another, physically and emotionally attached to one another. The chemistry between the main male leads was invincible as well as the chemistry between the female leads, this drama truly showed that love was an umbrella to many different types i.e. brotherly love, platonic love, romantic, etc. Likewise, the romantic aspect of it was also very well thought, the chemistry between the actors felt so real I almost thought they were dating in real life.
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❤️❤️
Absolutely one of my favorite dramas! I’ve watched drama three times now! LOL! The comedic chemistry between the two maleactors had me in stitches! Their banters
were hilarious! I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story, and lost many sleeps trying to watch episodes!
The acting and storyline were fantastic! I believe this has to be one of the best Kdramas I’ve watched!
The OST contains my favorite songs! I hope this drama won many awards, including acting and OST!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pcKR0LPwoYs
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yUo9WMPmEpE
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When 949 years you reach, look as good you will not... yes, yes.
And many more yesses for this melodramatic goblin-reaper drama that will spook you out for a few centuries, at least. The tension between the reaper and chicken-restaurant owner is fun to watch, and brings balance to the teeny-bopper crushes and tears of the main protagonists. A plodding, philosophical drama on life, the supernatural, and our timely existence. Breathtaking views of the walled fortress of Quebec City bring back fond memories. Good acting by all, though I preferred the supporting couple.Was this review helpful to you?
The drama provided us with not just romance, but also fantasy, history, tragedy and comedy at once and nailing them all in one go. It delivered an outstanding and picture-perfect plot that will leave an unwavering impression on you in the end.
The plot was the absolute star in the drama. It was so complex yet so brilliantly woven. And not all writers could do that. It was honestly, one of the best plot I've ever known. It delivered everything you would want from a well-written background story to the plot holes and cliffhangers, the unexpected plot twists, the intricate mixed emotions delivered in every scene, to the moving romances.
Gong Yoo paired up with Kim Go-eun was surprising and refreshing. It was a pairing we did not see coming but it was a perfect pairing for the drama. I was initially relecutant with the two as their huge age gap was evident in the beginning. But the drama and the story were able to ease up that awkward phase and soon faded away. It didn't matter anymore as the plot was just too good to even nitpick those very few flaws.
I have high respects to the writer, Kim Eun-sook,for creating such an original, quintessential script. I fell in love with the story before I even realized it. And the way she carefully and cleverly weave the subplots to the main plot was a stroke of genius.
And with strong leads, it would've been easy for the minor characters to fade into the background. But with the drama, everyone seemed to be the main character. Each character had a story to tell that is relevant to the entirety of the plot. Every one was charming and ultimately earned a place in my heart.
For one, Lee Dong-wook's brilliant portrayal of Grim Reaper was hard to miss. He was first introduced with a villainous vibe but soon became a loving character that tugged our hearts in the most beautiful and tragic way.
Even with a minor character such as Yook Sung-jae's Deok-hwa, he definitely delivered like a main character in the drama. He stood side-by-side with the bigger characters and earned his own spotlight. An artist cannot always be a good actor, but Sung-jae was an exception.
The OST was also one of the best I've ever listened to. I was never into a drama's music, much less the entire soundtrack. But with Goblin, every song was a perfect hit. It was melodious, haunting, eerie, and beautiful.
Overall, Goblin is a picture-perfect drama that definitely deserves a spot right next to the timeless classics. It was pure poetry painted exquisitely for everyone to indulge.
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If you're hesitant to start it please have faith and take the plunge. I can almost guarantee you won't be disappointed. The hype around it is well deserved. Everything from the intricate and complex storyline, to the breathtaking acting, the superb score, the setting, the beautiful cinematography interweave to tell a heart-aching story about fate, love that can transcend time, karma, the power to change one's own destiny and the strong bond of friendship. Everything in this drama is intentional and everything serves a purpose. Every scene helps set the tone of the overarching story and helps develop the characters in meaningful ways. You will find yourself holding your breath more than once!
I will however warn that this drama is not for the weak of heart. The story is heavy with emotion and you will find yourself crying almost every episode. So if you are not looking for an emotionally heavy drama, this might not be for you. But in my opinion every tear is worth it. You will be sucked into a world that you will never want to get out of.
Truly a masterpiece! I think I will be hard pressed to find another drama that can evoke the kind of feelings this one made me experience.
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Good diversity of characters and personality. Actors and their performance were Ok. My favorite duo was the Goblin and the Grim reaper. Their scenes are great fun.
The soundtrack was fantastic and fitted well with the drama.
I would like to re-watch this in the future. Overall an enjoyable experience.
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Every Moment of Goblin Shined
This is one of the few series that I wanted to rewatch immediately after finishing it.The first half of the first episode had me unsure if this was the right series for me but as the story unfolded, I was captivated and amazed by the cast. The Goblin's sadness is palpable and my heart ached for him; Eun Tak's innocence was charming, her wisdom surprising and the Grim Reaper was a sight for sore eyes. Sunny seemed to be one of those characters you look over and don't pay much attention, but she surprised me early on. The actors did an amazing job bringing to life these characters (either main or supporting ones) and they all shined through.
The story itself was magnificent and compelling. It isn't as simple as it appears with its twists and turns. Until the final episode, you just are never sure about anything. I loved how I went from tears of sadness to tears of laughter and how balanced the sad/dramatic scenes are with the funny ones.
The relationship between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper was perfectly developed. In fact, I can definitely say that there is concise development to every relationship in this show and it was a joy to watch. Be it the relationship between the Goblin and Eun Tak to the relationship between Eun Tak and her 'out of this world' friends.
Overall, I can't recommend this enough. I dragged out the last couple of episodes because I did not want it to end and, even as I write this review, I am considering changing my evening plans to accommodate a rewatch of Goblin (sorry current shows...).
I will end this review with one of my favorite quotes (hope this will entice you to watch Goblin!):
“Mass isn’t proportional to volume.
A girl as small as a violet, a girl who moves like a flower petal – is pulling me toward her with more force than her mass.
Just then, like Newton’s apple, I rolled toward her without stopping until I fell on her with a thump.
My heart keeps bouncing between the sky and the ground.
It was my first love”
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