I saw memes of the bromance, and i had to watch it. That and I recognized Lee Dong Wook from “Roommate,” and he is just a sweet little cupcake ❤
“Goblin” or, “Guardian: The Great and Lonely God” is a 2016-2017 tvN drama that ran from December to January. The drama runs 16 episodes. 16 heart wrenching, tear jerking yet funny, sweet, beautiful episodes.
Anywhoodle-doodle-poodle, the series starts off plainly enough, Joseon warrior Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) who’s been betrayed, granted immortality. When he passes a seemingly normal girl, you think nothing of it. But that girl is Ji Eun Tak, a girl who can speak to ghosts, all because he saved her then pregnant mother.
Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go-eun) lives a (cliche) tragic life. She lives with her cruel aunt and cousins. She’s the Cinderella character, chores, misery and all. Until they finally come face to face thanks to a birthday wish by the sea, and she announces that she is the Goblin’s bride, as told by ghosts all her life. She even shows him her birthmark (a goblin).
He doesn’t believe her because only his bride can see and remove his burden, and she hasn’t revealed that she can.
This is just a small rundown, but it’s a LOT more complicated than that. See below
Yeah, Kim Shin saves the pregnant woman, who gives birth to Ji Eun Tak. On her 9th birthday, her mother tragically dies, and as she’s packing, the kind ahjumma (character listed as ‘maternal grandmother,’ which technically isn’t false) who sells trinkets on the roadside protects her from the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) who has come to claim her after she wasn’t supposed to live.
However, she does. Unloved and unwanted, she grows up hopeful despite this. When she meets Kim Shin,she finally begins to hope for a better life. In fact, the first time she goes to his house, instead of being awestruck at his wealth, she simply says, “This is a nice house to raise children in.”
Which I cackled at because oh my god, she’s a teenager. That and I love how the writer stayed away from the -awestruck-at-wealth-poor-girl stereotype, because I hate that stereotype so much.
In fact, one of the first things she does when she gets to his house is plop down on a chair look him in the eye and say, “This is a nice house for raising kids.” #savage not really, but that gave me a good laugh.
Kim Shin fights this ‘relationship,’ but one night, she figures out how the Goblin showed up at the dock in the first place; she blew out candles. In fact, she can blow out candles, lighters and even digital candles to call Kim Shin.
This leads to some funny moments in which he’s in the middle of doing stuff while she calls him, like making dinner while she’s at work.
This relationship dynamic is beautiful because he never once calls her ugly or insults her being in any way. He might have called her annoying in the beginning, but it wasn’t abusive in the slightest.
Let’s move on to the bromance. The whole reason the Grim Reaper and Kim Shin are brought together is because Kim Shin’s nephew Yoo Duk Hwa (Yoo Sung Jae of BtoB) thought Kim Shin was leaving for a long time, so he decided to rent out the house while he left to a mysterious man he decided to call, ‘Uncle Tenant.’
At first they hate each other, of course. They annoy each other and bug one another, but it turns out to become the best of broships that ever sailed. Like ever. It’s the bestest, hands down. #forreal
One of my favorite moments is when Ji Eun Tak asks Kim Shin for wishes, which are a job, a boyfriend, and money. Frustrated, he keeps asking her why she’s wishing for a boyfriend when he’s right THERE (meaning himself). Ji Eun Tak becomes embarrassed, because she thought he didn’t like her.
Their relationship unfolds beautifully, and the pacing of the drama is really well done.
There’s so many details that it would take so long to tell you. There is:
- Betrayal is huge in this, it’s all apart of the reason Kim Shin is immortal, of course. Ghosts come back to haunt and identities of the betrayers are revealed, leaving wounds on my heart that even Kim Shin’s smile can’t heal.
- The bromance is the best, the jokes are bomb and even though Death and Sunny’s relationship left me shaking my head sometimes, I still loved it.
- the ending was beautifully done, and while it left it sort of open for resolution and a possible sequel (if you believe the rumors) it can stand alone as the actual ending. It’s really beautiful and the ending for both couples just melts your heart.
- I have never cried so hard over a drama. I thought I cried hard during “Master’s Sun” and “Faith,” nothing compares to the tears I shed during “Goblin.” Hunched over, tears streaming down my face, practically screaming, eyes swollen type of sobbing. I loved it.
- The OST is bomb and will leave you in tears. A sad, miserable puddle of your own salty tears because nothing will ever come close to the abuse I have suffered at the hands of this drama
I highly recommend watching “Goblin,” on DramaFever and Viki of course.
Watch the trailer below:
Ms. ThugBear 