Review: Guardian: The Lonely and Great God ~Goblin~ (2016-2017)

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God ~Goblin~ (2016-2017) is a Korean fantasy-romance television series. Also known as Goblin, the hit series was broadcast by tvN and consisted of 16 episodes + 3 special behind-the-scenes episodes. In addition to the unique storyline (written by popular drama writer, Kim Eun-sook), the drama starred a lot of popular and talented actors and actresses, including Gong Yoo as Kim Shin, Kim Go-eun as Ji Eun-tak, Kim Dong-wook as Grim Reaper, Yoo In-na as Sunny, and Yook Sung-jae as Yoo Deok-hwa. Such an all-star cast had an influence on the quality of the drama. Every one of Goblin‘s episodes was full of twists and surprises, and the setting took place in South Korea and Quebec City, Canada. The hit series received critical acclaim and became a cultural phenomenon in South Korea.

Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is a victorious military general during the Goryeo period. But the young king is jealous of Kim Shin and frames him as a traitor, amounting to a death sentence. Years after his execution, Kim Shin is cursed by the almighty to wander the earth as a goblin (dokkaebi) for 900 years as a protector of souls. In Korean mythology and folklore, goblins are nature deities that possess extraordinary powers and abilities. This new life is both a gift and a punishment. Kim Shin must forever stay immortal and endure the pain of seeing his loved ones die for the kills he committed in the wars to protect his country. As centuries pass, Kim Shin becomes a kind man who uses his extraordinary powers to help people in spite of his grieving past. Finding his own peace comes with a huge price. It is told that only a human bride can remove the sword piercing his chest. Once the sword is removed, Kim Shin can finally move onto the afterlife.

In the present day, Ji Eun Tak is a high school senior who remains optimistic and cheerful despite her tragic upbringing. Due to the circumstances of her birth, she sees ghosts and hears them whisper that she's the goblin's bride. On her nineteenth birthday, she summons the goblin by chance and their fates begin to entwine. At that time, Kim Shin suddenly appears in front of her. Kim Shin does not know why, but he can hear her voice and appears in front of her against his will. Goblin's rebellious but kind-hearted nephew Yoo Deok-Hwa (Yook Sung-jae) leases the Goblin's house to an amnesiac grim reaper (Lee Dong-wook) and the two end up living under the same roof. Sunny (Yoo In-na) is an attractive and charismatic young lady who runs a chicken shop in which Ji Eun-Tak works as a part-time server.

Ji Eun Tak tells Kim Shin that he is a goblin and and she is his bride. Kim Shin initially denies this possibility, but later discovers that Ji Eun Tak is immune to the goblin's powers. Things get complicated when he starts to actually fall for her, and in turn, finds a new reason for wanting to stay alive. Meanwhile, Grim Reaper has no memory of his own past lives. But he develops a strong friendship with the goblin ("bromance"). Deok-hwa--a third-generation chaebol heir and only grandso of the Yoo family, who has the responsibility for taking care of the goblin--eventually learned of their true identities. As the lives of Kim Shin, grim reaper, Ji Eun-Tak and Sunny interweave, a deeper story unfolds as they are not just strangers who met-by chance but people with deep-rooted relations.

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God was one of the best television series I have ever watched. I have no doubt that Goblin will go down as one of the most epic Korean Dramas of all time. The plot was excellent and straightforward: Kim Shin, former Gorygeo general turned immortal god, needed to remove the sword from his chest and repent for his sins. I thought no other k-drama could affect me so deeply like my other favorite, My Love from the Star. The CGI visuals and cinematography (along with the on-point acting and OST selections) were beautifully embedded in telling the story right from the first episode. The flashbacks to the historical period of Goryeo provided necessary context on how Kim Shin became a goblin and how those memories will play a major role in the present with Eun Tak, Sunny, and the Grim Reaper. Even the original soundtrack was surprisingly wonderful in Goblin, featuring a lot of top South Korean singers. My favorite song was the opening theme, "Round and Round" by Heize and Han Soo-ji, whose lyrics provide a good overview of the series.


Opening Theme: Heize - Round and Round (Feat. Han Soo Ji)


Ending Theme: Chanyeol (EXO) and Punch - Stay With Me FMV (Goblin OST Part 1)

For two weeks, I binge-watched this 16-episode series, feeling the excitement, melancholy, and sense of grief and loss among the main cast. I felt so many emotions as we watched the goblin wrestle with the gift and punishment that immortality bestowed upon him. I also loved how the romantic relationship blossomed beautifully between Ji Eun Tak and Kim Shin. Some people might complain about the age gap between the main actor and actress (Eun Tak is 19 and Kim Shin is in his mid-30s), but I thought the pair displayed good chemistry as soulmates. Their fateful love was meaningful and impactful. No matter what obstacle was thrown against them, it was their fateful love that vanquished the centuries-long evil. They promised to love each for eternity.

Drama writer Kim Eun Soo did not disappoint. The writing for this series was superb. Each episode was difficult to predict and full of surprises--making us sad, angry, and happy. What I enjoyed about this drama was the bromance between the goblin and the grim reaper. There are scenes where they fight, scold each other, and support each other when they are involved in a problem. Besides the comedic banter between the grim reaper and the goblin, I also liked how the plot focused on the themes of forgiveness and healing. As much as I would like for a sequel (more Gong Yoo please!), I was satisfied with the finale in episode 16. We must remember Kim Shin is a lonely and immortal god, and he volunteered to put himself into a purgatory-like state because he loved Eun Tak too much to leave her -- thus the signed contract he held onto for ten years so that he could grant her wish. I thought the final episodes brought closure and relief to both couples (Eun Tak and Goblin; Sunny and Grim Reaper). This story is about death and second chances, illustrating that what started as a tragedy and betrayal that spanned centuries eventually evolved into redemption and atonement.

If you are unfamiliar with Korean dreams (more popularly known as K-Dramas), I will provide a very brief overview. K-Dramas are television series in the Korean language and made in South Korea. Since the late 1990s, K-Dramas have become popular worldwide, partially due to the South Korean government supporting its creative industries (e.g., radio, television, film, music, and fashion) and their widespread availability via popular online video streaming services (e.g., DramaFever, Viki, Netflix, and Hulu), which offer subtitles in multiple languages. As Japanese culture became a cultural phenomenon through anime (e.g., Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z) in the 1990s, Korean culture (hallyu) gained global recognition through K-Dramas in the 2000s and beyond (for examples of K-Dramas, browse The New York Times' Starter Guide to Great Korean Dramas for more details).

I was introduced to K-Dramas in 2010 during my graduate studies (browse my list of favorite K-dramas here). I discovered the online streaming service, Viki, which gave me access to live-action Asian dramas that were both entertaining and high-quality in plot development. In particular, I noticed K-Dramas covered genres that I typically looked for in Japanese anime -- romance, fantasy, mystery, and paranormal. As a long-time fan of Japanese anime, I was thrilled to add K-Dramas to my collection. Over the years, I tend to follow the work of several talented actors (Gong Yoo, So Ji-sub, Lee Min-ho, Lee Dong-wook, and Kim Soo-Hyun) and actresses (Jun Ji-hyun, Park Min-young, Yoo In-Na, Kim Go-Eun, and Kim Tae-Hee). Overall, I believe the release of Goblin represents the best aspects of the South Korean entertainment industry. Watch the trailer below: