Goblin

Synopsis:

Kim Shin used to be a general during Goryeo era. He was unjustly killed as well as his loved ones. He was rewarded but also punished for the sins he committed by becoming a Goblin, an immortal and protector of souls. He will only die when he mets is bride that can pull out the sword embedded on his heart. This can be only seen and done by the intended Goblin bride. He has live for 938 years and wishes already to die in peace. One day, a soul was supposed to be picked-up by the Grim Reaper, Wang Yeo, but, Kim Shin saved the woman and the unborn child. After several years, Wang Yeo, finally got the missing soul of the woman but not the unborn baby, who is now a child, Ji Eun-Tak. After escaping again from the grim reaper, she grew up in a difficult life with her aunt but she’s still became an optimistic high school student and known in the spirit world the legendary goblin’s bride with the ability to see and speak to dead spirits. Ji Eun-Tak unexpectedly met and fell in love with Kim Shin. Kim Shin knowing that Ji Eun-Tak is his way to die and finally rest in peace, now, wants to live. His dilemma is what the path should he choose and the fate he knows he has to face as Wang Yeo is also waiting to get the missing soul of Ji Eun-Tak. Kim Shin and Ji Eun-Tak will have to face the reality of their destiny.

Characters:

Gong Yoo as Kim Shin | Goblin
Lee Dong-Wook as Wang Yeo | Grim Reaper
Kim Go-Eun as Ji Eun-Tak
Han Seo-Jin as Young Ji Eun-Tak
Yoo In-Na as Kim Sun-Hee | Sunny
Yook Sung-Jae as Yoo Deok-Hwa
Jung Ji-Hoon as Young Yoo Deok-Hwa
Lee El as Samshin
Kim Sung-Kyum as Deok-Hwa’s Grandfather
Yum Hye-Ran as Ji Yeon-Suk
Jung Yeong-Gi as Park Kyung-Shik
Choi Ri as Park Kyung-Mi
Jo Woo-Jin as Secretary Kim
Hwang Seok-Jeong as Ghost Fortune Teller
Park Kyung-Hye as Ghost
Park Se-Wan as Ghost
Kim So-Ra as Ghost
Ko Bo-Gyeol as Ko Jung-Hyun
Lee Moon-soo as an Old Man from Goryeo Era
Yoon Kyung-Ho as Kim Shin’s Loyal Servant from Goryeo Era
Kim Byung-Chul as Eunuch from Goryeo Era
Nam Da-Reum as Kim Soo-Bok
Kim Nan-Hee as Eun-Tak’s Teacher
Kim Min-Yeong as Soo-Jin
Ma Min-Hee as One of Soo-Jin’s School Friends
Yoon Hee-Kyung as One of Soo-Jin’s School Friends
Choi Woong as Wang Yeo’s Junior Grim Reaper
Kim Ki-Doo as Grim Reaper
Jo Hyun-Sik as Loan Shark
Yoon Joo-Man as Loan Shark
Sung Nak-Kyung as Na Kyung-Won
Yoon Boo-Jin as Eun-Tak’s House Landlady
Hwang In-Joon as Detective
Hong Boo-Hyang as Mother of the Ghost with Glasses on Episode 5
Park Hee-Von as Ji Yeon-Hee
Kim Min-Jae as Goryeo Dynasty-Era Young King on Episode 1
Kim So-Hyun as Goryeo Young Queen on Episode 1
Lee Han-Seo
Lee Seul-Bi
Yoon Da-Yeong
Ahn Ji-Hyun
Choi Ji-Hyun
Ahn Doo-Ho
Yoo Yeong-Bok
Yoon Kyung-Ho
Kim Nam-Hee
Kang Jung-Goo
Seol Yoo-Jin
Oh Yoo-Mi
Ko Ja-Eun
Lee Na-Hyun
Kim Ian
Kim Do-Joon
Kim Mi-Hye
Ahn Sung-Geon
Seo Hye-Jin
Kim Seo-Jung
Kim In-Hee
Jung Ji-Eun
Lee Seung-Yeon
Kim Ji-Hoon
Kim Yoo-Jung
Jung Hae-In as Tae-Hee
Kwak Dong-Yeon

My Review:

I watched this K-Drama because of Gong Yoo. I love him in the Coffee Prince K-Drama, which happens to be one of my all time favorite K-Drama. However, in this K-Drama, Goblin, Gong Yoo somehow looks old and exhausted. Maybe it is because he is portraying his character who’s been living for more than 900 years on this earth but they should’ve gotten a different lead actress for him. I really can’t connect with Kim Go-Eun as an actress even in Cheese in the Trap. Don’t get me wrong, she can act but she and Gong Yoo simply don’t match well. At least in Cheese in the Trap she had some chemistry with Park Hae-Jin. Anyway, Goblin started good and interesting but as it progresses I am feeling a disconnection from the entire story and its characters. Many are complaining of the slow story development of the Legend of the Blue Sea but the Goblin is even worse. I don’t know exactly what happened but it simply became an ordinary K-Drama with a fantasy involved in it. Totally was disappointed of how the story and the leads seem to be getting worse as the story moves to its ending. Honestly, I will take the slow development of the story of the Legend of the Blue Sea any time than Goblin. It is truly too bad that it went downhill from starting really strong on its 1st episode. Maybe Kim Go-Eun is cursed of always having a K-Drama that starts with a lot of promise but goes downhill from there.

So, What do I Like About this K-Drama?

(1) I like the relationship of Gong Yoo and Deok-Hwa’s Grandfather. I didn’t even know I was crying when the old man died. This is one of the few things that made me connect with this K-Drama.

(2) I like the special effects. It was quite well done.

(3) I like the OST and quite nice to listen to especially when an episode is getting a bit boring for me.

What I do Not Like About this K-Drama?

(1) What’s with the patting of the back and the touching on the hair only for the lead characters to show loving emotion with each other? I don’t mind once or even twice but most of the time? It just made me feel as an audience the age difference Gong Yoo as Kim Shin and Kim Go-Eun as Ji Eun-Tak. It has improved a little, though, on the last few episodes. Thank goodness!!!

(2) Too much obvious product endorsement scenes.

(3) There are quite many useless scenes between the leads that supposedly cute for some but not for me.

(4) Gong Yoo and Ji Eun-Tak simply don’t have a chemistry. Even their scenes together feels like they are brothers and sisters rather than a couple. Ji Eun-Tak is much better playing the role of Sunny rather than the Goblin’s wife. Each episode as it progresses becomes a bit boring for me.

(5) Since it is fantasy in genre, one can expect certain unrealistic situations. However, even when it is unrealistic there’s still something logical about it due to consistency of its basis why it is happening. But, Goblin has lost its total logic for me especially why the characters the way they are. The last 3 episodes seems to just want to make the audience happy and even if I am a certified romcom girl and prefers happy endings, I also hate it when the writers make the audience feels simply stupid. Let me just take one issue that I hope I won’t give too much spoilers. The goblin character is supposed to be the way he is because even if he did a lot of good, he also did a lot of bad things, thus, the curse of living and never dying until the sword that killed him is pulled out by the fated goblin’s bride, born to pull out the sword and let him finally die in peace. Well, that did happen but because of his request, he wonders around in a godforsaken place that nobody knows for 9 years and when he returns back to life, he’s back to where he was? Living and never dying? He has received an even worst punishment than the grim reaper, who supposedly committed such unforgivable sins. Does that make really sense? Well, if you ever do watch it, please let me know what’s the sense of it all. Because even if Ji Eun-Tak comes back for the last and fourth time as the premise of coming back is having 4 lives, then, the Goblin will still be left alone forever. What a really load of crap.

(6) It would have been a great story if the director and the writers put a little effort in making us believe something unbelievable. There are some great K-Dramas like that such The Master’s Sun or even the Legend of the Blue Sea.The premise got lost in too much advertising and even details have been thrown out of the window such as Sunny looking still the way she is 30 years later. It also quite bothered me that there’s some religious connotation on it and I’ll be the first one to say I am not that religious to easily get offended but this one seems to project the way we are judged and punished. It is like “Deity” seems to be playing with our lives and it doesn’t reflect pretty well even to a non-religious person like myself.

Would I recommend this K-Drama? It is just okay but if you are a k-drama addict like me with limited time to spare to watch, then, I rather recommend you watch something else.

My Rating to this Drama
( See My Rating System: ) 3/5 Stars

OST:
01. The First Snow – Jung Joonil

Play Me:

02. I Will Go To You Like The First Snow – Ailee

Play Me:

03. Beautiful – Crush

Play Me:

04. I Miss You – Soyou

Play Me:

05. My Eyes – 10cm

Play Me:

06. Who Are You – Sam Kim

Play Me:

07. Stay With Me – Channel (EXO), Punch
08. Hush – Lassie Lindh
09. Wish – Urban Zakapa
10. And I’m Here – Kim Kyung Hee
11. Winter is Coming– Han Soo Ji
12. Stuck in Love – Kim Kyung Hee
13. Heaven – Roy Kim, Kim E-Z of Ggotjam Project
14. Love – Mamamoo
15. You’re Pretty – Eddie Kim

For Lyrics in English, Romanization and Hangul, CLICK HERE

Search

Quick Look

Recent Posts

Archives

Submit a Comment Cancel reply