Goblin (2016) K-Drama Review: A Bittersweet Love Story Worth the Tears.

You know that feeling when a story emotionally ruins you… but you immediately recommend it to everyone you know? Yeah. This is that kind of story.

Goblin is one of those kinds of stories.  It was released in 2016, and I am watching it in 2025 lol…where the hell was I…now to think of it, I was obsessed with the TOG series and TVD…..I never watched any K-drama at the time. Recently I started watching, and each story tugs a little harder at my restless heart…..Korean writers have a remarkable talent for evoking deep emotions through their storytelling—they write and produce truly exceptional narratives…..gah!!!!…..I can’t describe in words. I went from obsessing with Kpop Demon Hunters to obsessing with Goblin in a week…….🤯

Story/Blurb

In his quest for a bride to break his immortal curse, Dokkaebi, a 939-year-old guardian of souls, meets a grim reaper and a sprightly student with a tragic past.

Genre

Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Theme and Tone

Aesthetic Perfection, Nostalgic, Bittersweet

Language

It’s Korean

Characters

The kind of characters you’d wrap in bubble wrap and guard like fragile treasures.

Starring

• Gong Yoo
• Kim go-eun
• Lee Dong-wook
• Yoo In-na
• Yook Sunjae

Tropes

• Age-gap
• Reincarnation
• Love that spans across time and space
• Paranormal Romance
• He is 900+ years old
• Tragic Past
• Swoonworthy

My Review

My mind currently can’t stop thinking about this story. It was amazing…..contains everything a story should have: romance, fantasy elements, friendship, found family vibes, fun and laughs, some wholesome cute moments, some drama, some action, and some sad moments…….well, for me it was a lot of sadness…lol.

I absolutely love the yearning element of Goblin, who can’t die because of a reward and punishment, and he has this intense desire to be with his family and friends, but human lifespan is well short……he has to see everyone he loves die….and this vicious cycle continues over centuries.

The acting was absolutely insane……Gong Yoo was impeccable with his expressions and his eyes….omg the pain he portrayed in the series was so real that I sometimes just stopped watching and was like taking a minute so I can process what I was watching. I have become a fan of Gong Yoo after watching Goblin….the guy was amazing in Squid Game, but after watching this, I was like….is he real? I mean……gah!!!!!

And Kim Go-eun….she was so cute……I loved her so much in the series…her portrayal of this girl who went through so much all her life but she never lost the spark…she is still lively…she still smiles….and wow…..her smile is beautiful…..and the fact she used her circumstances so cleverly so Gobin doesn’t get rid of her….perfect writing on the writer’s part.

The third character is Grim Reaper….he was hilarious….. his bromance with Gobin was perfection…..I haven’t seen this kind of bromance after TVD, seriously….. this was top notch. I keep watching their scenes on repeat; they both are so cute together. Backstory of Grim Reaper was also tragic…Also I am amazed how much similarity is between some concepts…like if you commit a great sin you become grim reaper…grim reapers are like souls that are stuck in between in this world and the next one they can’t be considered living or dead…the greatest sin is killing yourself….in Islam Suicide is also considered a biggest sin of all….we also have a saying ….that people who kill themselves are stuck…they will keep killing themselves and go through same thing in their last moment until the end of time. I wonder…how the belief is generated in Korean folklore..would love to read the history of it. 

The ending…….was happy……as happy as it can be……. but……..SPOILERS AHEAD!!!…

She still dies….that particular person with particular dreams, struggles, goals, love, heart, still died. even if she comes back in the next life…how can it be the same…that’s what hurts the most…..Euntak died in the end after living such a hard life with so few happy moments here and there. That’s what saddens me the most……and then I searched it how much Goblin has to wait for her to reincarnate…..it was 110 years after she died…….I mean….that fact doesn’t get out of my head…..I am stuck there……she practically just died……and left him alone…..sigh…..these kinds of stories never get out of my head ever….IDKY…

Anyways, the series is impeccable with amazing cinematography, acting, plot, aesthetics…..it’s a 6-star series……I highly recommend it. Go watch, and then my DMs(instagram) are open; come to me so we can cry together 😅

My Rating

Overall: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars

Plot: ★★★★★| 5 Stars

Romance: ★★★★★ | 5 Star

Characters:★★★★★ | 5 Stars

Cinematography: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars

Pacing: ★★★★★| 5 stars

Mystery: ★★★★★| 5 star

Banter: ★★★★★| 5 star

Ending: ★★★★★| 5 Stars

The Best part

• How Euntak never leaves Goblin’s side, and she was so persistent….I loved it.
• The Slow burn was efiing epic
• Episode 14 was the best one..
• The first scene with rain and he sees her and she sees him was 🤌
• Gong Yoo is one of my fav actors now 😏…… the guy can act…

🎵 SOUNDTRACK 

Have you listened to the music of Goblin…it hits different after watching the season…..Stay with me is perfection 🤌 and Amnesia…….sigh……it stirs feelings….

🎵 BOOK RECS

So your girl went on a little vibe-hunting hiatus, and—plot twist—I did not expect to stumble upon these gems. Buckle up, bookworms… here’s what I found! Two books that match the same vibe I am still on the hunt will read more so I can find more books and will keep updating this here!!.

The Bargainer Series by Laura Thalassa  (A spicier version)

Sword Heart by T. Kingfisher (similar lightheartedness and vibe)