Review - Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

The lead cast of Goblin, from left to right: Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na, Yook Sung Jae, Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun.

A Summary

when you choose to watch a k-drama, you are automatically signing up for a bucket of cheeseball moments, slow-motion multi-angled scenes involving snowfall, rainfall, or even petal-fall of characters looking at each other, as well as a lot of crying (more so by the characters than me, in this case).

this series was recently up on Netflix, and i've heard so much about it since it ended, so i decided to give it a watch. i was mostly curious about the Grim Reaper's arc, and having a familiar face (Gong Yoo) definitely helped me navigate through this series. also—this is, i believe, the first time i've ever completed a Korean drama series! woah.

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (this is the official English title, but i'll be referring to the series as Goblin) is a 16-episode series about Korean folklore concerning the deities and supernatural moments incorporated into a love story.

Favourite Things 

Overall concept
i loved every bit of this fantasy genre! the transition from the old Korean dynasty timeline up till a modern-day tale of the gods was smooth and explained thoroughly. i especially loved each character’s introduction and how we’re directly peering into these deities with specific backstories and functions, as well as a dash of mystery that you need to stay on to find out about.

the Grim Reaper's tea house with an exceptional array of tea cups.

i was most curious about the grim reaper story when i first watched Goblin, and it certainly did not disappoint me. the concept is very well-thought-out, with complete reasons to support the punishment as a grim reaper, as well as how they do their jobs to guide people through their deaths. i loved the details behind the tea house and even the yearning for an identity.

the only thing i didn’t like was the Grim Reaper’s kiss. it was conveniently written in to return a person their past life’s memories, ensuring that Wang Yeo and Sunny had their moment. it came out of nowhere, but it’s something i’m willing to overlook since everything else was so cleverly-written.

Nothing is an accident
the entire plot and story felt very carefully tied together for the most part. a lot of characters that didn’t seem important at first were brought into light and made prominent later on to justify their presence. i was very impressed by this.

timelines were carefully curated and we see how the Goblin’s actions keep bringing himself the same consequences — like taking away Tae Hee’s piano but he ends up in Eun Tak’s life for a short while as a love interest. It’s brilliant.

my favourite moment was how Eun Tak finally died / left her first life. the fact that the Almighty couldn’t foresee her death was epic; she made her own choice to die and save the children. the story reveals that humans have some power over gods to decide their own fates. this was beautifully done.

Exceptional casting
all characters were casted SO WELL. I am so impressed! from the lead characters to even the child actors and actresses, everyone played their roles so wonderfully. some of my favourite side characters and arcs include The Almighty Deok Hwa, Creator Unnammed Red Lady, childhood first love Tae Hee, and CEO Kim.

although the side characters had very little screen time compared to the lead characters, their presence was so full of wonder i could not help but to love the entire series even more. even antagonists such as Kim Joong Heon, the aunt’s family, and the gangsters who kidnapped Eun Tak, they were all amazingly casted for their small yet significant roles.

the grand moment of reveal for The Almighty Deok Hwa.

my favourite side story has got to be The Almighty Deok Hwa. something was very off when he mentioned that Kim Sun is Kim Shin’s sister in his past life, and it was immediately revealed afterward that the Almighty had been using Deok Hwa, slipping in and out of the characters’ lives without them noticing. It’s a lovely touch because it shows me that God can be close to us, even when we think He’s far away from us.

Things I Wish that Could Have Been Better

The ending
it was way too rushed especially for Sunny and Wang Yeo’s arc. only one time change was stated in the last episode: 30 years later (if i’m not wrong) and everybody’s ageing seems to have messed up. CEO Kim is in his 60s but Lee Hyuk and Sunny come back as their previous mid-30s ages?

even the waiting done by the Goblin himself seemed really lacklustre, in contrast with the 9 years of walking in the snow. when she returned as a Korean student visiting Canada, it didn’t feel as satisfying to me.

Pacing and timing 
some scenes are unnecessarily prolonged. i understand when it happens with the romantic scenes, but i was really confused why the first episode took so long! Kim Shin’s backstory was superbly interesting to peer into, but the boat scene was way too long and he didn’t even save his kid servant on screen in the end. sheesh.

yes, the scene was to show how powerful he was as a god with his new-found powers, but i still think it could have been done a lot better. poor pacing of the show means that all those extra time taken to do slomo multi-angle snowfall / petals fall scenes could have been used more wisely to put in more story or to pace something else better.


Sunny and Wang Yeo’s arc
there were SO. MANY. BREAKUPS. i was so confused by these two. yes, i get that their story is an epic tragedy of misery and love, but every awkward meet-up would eventually lead to the end of the relationship. Sunny would continually break up with the Grim Reaper and they’d all just be very sad. at some point i stopped cheering for them even though i really wanted them to come together. i was so tired of it (like Sunny was) and wished that the pacing for these two characters could have been better.

i think Sunny’s character was written off quite conveniently. i was very curious as to what life did she live for 30 years without Wang Yeo. did she have to go through the same heartbreak each day like he did? did she live a happy life like Kim Shin hoped for her to do? we weren’t shown any of these and Wang Yeo just meets her as his last job being a grim reaper.

the loveable Ji Eun Tak—fearless and full of hope.

Unexpectedly Enjoyable

Leading female
Eun-Tak is a happy-go-lucky teenage girl who seems undefeated by any hardships or challenges. i was contemplating whether or not to write her off as a two-dimensional character that seemed too good to be true, but i was, almost always, hooked on her joy and light like Kim Shin was, so i have to commend the writers for doing a pretty good job.

in spite of the tough life she had to endure, she was always full of hope. i can relate to her because she was the girl next door who had normal looks. (i love cheering for underdogs) she wasn’t Yoo In Na: shockingly beautiful and always charming. honestly, i found it hard to relate to Sunny because of her good looks.

i was very captivated by Kim Go Eun’s performance as Eun Tak. she truly shined in every moment. even at her saddest, she was cheering others up. even in her pain, she was bringing people through their own sorrows. she was strong not just in the sense that she put others’ needs before her own, but also because she often felt these feelings strongly herself.

my favourite moment of her was when she finally regained her memories, was crying her eyeballs out and screaming on the streets that she missed the Goblin. i think she really deserved that moment. after having to comfort the Goblin, the Grim Reaper, and practically everyone around her, she could finally say that for herself. i was so happy when Kim Shin appeared to hug her!

Eun-Tak’s presence is what made the series much more grounded, believable, and realistic. she’s the core reason why Goblin is such a great series—i could imagine myself in Eun-Tak’s place quite easily, rather than just watching the story from afar.

Kim Shin's enjoyable but not-so-justifiable shy moments.

Not Sure If

Out of character-ness
Kim Shin is a formidable war hero from Goryeo. Yes, he’s had 900 years to get to know himself a lot better, but i find it hard to believe that he’s never fallen in love before. was he so consumed from the death of his people and the betrayal of his king that he only spent time with the Yoo family, his servants all this time?

yes, i’m talking about the handful of moments where he would think “she said ‘my man’” or “she said “married woman’” and giggle giddily after. it’s incredibly adorable to watch Gong Yoo act this out, but i honestly don’t think it’s very realistic and in character for Kim Shin. i suppose it fed into the fan service quota that the audience needed. meh.

i guess to me, the most acceptable cute moments were when Kim Shin was bickering with the Grim Reaper. that was a really good plot device to build up that relationship to eventually reveal that the Grim Reaper was Wang Yeo. their funny moments then became a part of his struggle, completely justifying those cute moments that we all enjoyed.

TL;DR / The Verdict

Would I watch it again? 
yes. it’s a surprisingly philosophical k-drama that touches on important topics such as death and life. i love how profound it gets in spite of all the cheesy scenes where i get really impatient and just want them to get on with it.

Why? 
i love the fantasy genre, this series did not overdo the love parts, the characters are very well-casted and formed, and my heart belongs to Gong Yoo. simple.

Would you recommend it to others? 
yes. as i’ve mentioned before, this is my first time finishing a K-drama. i honestly enjoyed the fantasy genre a lot and that helped me get through the usual k-drama bits.

P/S: i'd love to write about the philosophical aspects of this series. 'til next time!