A Writers View

Goblin, the 2016 tvN international Korean phenomenon. WATCH IT!

Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is the guardian Goblin, an immortal being with extraordinary powers who has lived a long and lonely life. He was once a man, a general in the Kings army, who was unfairly executed. After his death he became a Goblin, his immortal life a curse that can only be ended when he finds the Goblin Bride, the only one who can remove the sword of betrayal from his breast and grant him the eternal rest of death.

Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun), is the daughter of a woman that was saved by the goblin. Unbeknownst to her, it was his actions that gave her the ability to see ghosts – and turned her into the Goblins’ Bride.

Joining the cast of characters we have Lee Dong Wook as the Grim Reaper, and Yoo In Na as the elegant chicken restaurant owner Sunny. The Grim Reaper becomes roommates with the Goblin, and Sunny hires Ji Eun Tak as a part time employee. The foursomes lives intertwine in a tale of fate in this funny, beautiful, tragic drama that is a MUST WATCH to be started on the first snow of the season.

I was waiting to post this show for the first snow of the season, but it’s been such a warm winter so far! Finally, finally we have some snow!! 😀

Goblin is truly a masterpiece, for 3 specific reasons – the filming, the soundtrack, the story.

The filming – first off they filmed in multiple locations, all over South Korea but also in parts of Canada too! The lighting and the angles were just as much of a character as the rest of cast.

For example, there’s this one specific scene with Lee El (affectionately nicknamed Goblin Lady), who is a mystical protector character, where she goes to visit Kim Go Eun (the goblin bride, Ji Eun Tak) at school, and she addresses the teacher. She asks the teacher, “couldn’t you have done better?” or something like that, and the camera focuses full-on on her face and then on the teachers face, and the teacher starts crying. You really get the message that her question isn’t just about the class, it’s about something on a much more personal and deep level. It really connects you with that character in a way that is surprising and raw, and while of course the acting plays a huge factor, that is down to the way it was filmed.

Next, the soundtrack – it is rare to find a soundtrack where every single song is a slam dunk, but Goblin managed to do it. There is not a single song that I dislike on the whole soundtrack! Of course, taste is subjective – but, I think you’d agree with me too! Not only is every song so good, but tonally they match the feeling of precious, supernatural, lonely love that the whole show has.

Finally, the story – what’s so great about Goblin’s story is that it’s not just one persons, or one couples story, it’s 4 people and 2 complete love stories. It’s a fantastic 2 for one special! One, the fated pre-destined love, a cursed prince & Cinderella storyline, the other a broken-hearted, twisted by outside factions, tragic love story. I won’t tell you which is which, although you might’ve already figured it out. 😉

And bonus, something I’ve noticed about Korean Dramas is that each actor has a tailored storyline, specific trope, stereotyped perfected over time character, that they play in almost everything that they’re in. It’s that way in America too – but it’s not really encouraged, or even allowed. But, an example of an American actor that has a specific style is Harrison Ford. Everything that he plays is Han Solo-esque, with a touch of the “I want my family back!” spice, and it’s great! It’s part of why everyone loves him! If you’re casting Harrison Ford, it’s because you WANT Harrison Ford.

That is what Goblin did masterfully!

It catered to each actors Style flawlessly! Gong Yoo usually plays the rich but playful yet sad character, Kim Go Eun (I’ve seen less of her stuff, but from research…) usually plays the poor and sad but scrappy and strong characters. Yoo In Na generally has a storyline of a past relationship that went bad, but now they’re trying to get back together, while Lee Dong Wook tends to be the type of character who has a controlling manipulative patriarchal figure that he has to deal with.

It is a rare treat to find a show that hits the nail on the head in all 4 of these categories – but Goblin does it easily.

You can watch Goblin these days over on Viki.com, where you can watch the first 2 episodes for free (with commercial breaks), and then the rest after signing up for Viki Plus.

Stay warm out there, and don’t forget to subscribe for future drama recommendations! 🙂