Words - Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

after finishing Coffee Prince and Pasta, i kept coming back to the beautiful words in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God or in short, Goblin / Dokkaebi.

they came mostly in the form of Kim Shin's monologues. even though he was always described to be a lowly warrior, i love that his character has a background in literature. i guess immortality really gave him time to brush up on how he articulated his thoughts and feelings.

(of course, beyond the world of Goblin, we'd also have to give credits to Kim Sook for writing amazing lines! i found out very recently that she also wrote The Descendants of the Sun—another crazy hit of a Korean drama.)


here's my favourite:

Life is walking up to me. Death is walking up to me.
From life to death, you walk up to me tirelessly.
Then I say something like this:
“I’m not in sorrow. This is good enough. It has to be."

the moment the Goblin realised that Eun Tak is really his bride, he panicked and thought about how he still wanted to live. out of the massive confusion, he realised that his will to live has shifted from a sheer desire of survival to the fact that he has fallen in love with this girl, who was full of hope.

this was what he thought when he saw her walking towards him. it was a deep revelation that he made continually to himself. it's tragically beautiful, because Eun Tak represents literally both life and death in this situation — on one hand becoming his sole reason to live, and on the other becoming the only end to his eternal punishment.

it's my favourite, because as the Goblin realised that he was caught in this place, he found the best in her joy, both in wanting to live and die for her.


and then there's this:

One day after a hundred years, when the weather is good enough,
I hope I will be able to tell [you, you are my] first love.
I ask above for permission. 

(But) not today.
It’s too nice out. I want to take a walk with you.
It’s nice talking a walk with you.
The weather stinks today. I’ll need to pick you up later.
It’s nice picking you up.
Tomorrow. One more day. Just one more day…
It’s nice looking at you.
What about today?

it started with truth. a very solemn truth that he told himself, hoping that he could tell Eun Tak one day. but as he faced Eun Tak in reality, he started to make up excuses that are made up of smaller truths. because it really was nice doing all these things with her. it was too soon for her to pull the sword out of his chest, for everything to end.

and with every excuse, he revealed his fondness towards her. it's nice, it's nice, it's nice. the repetition of these words reflected how much he wanted to spend all his days ('not today', 'one more day') with her. he never did get tired of repeating himself.

also, this:

Every moment I spent with you… shined.
Because the weather was good,
because the weather was bad,
and because the weather was good enough.
I loved every moment of it.
Even now, you shine brilliantly.

this is the best summary of Ji Eun Tak's character.

it sounds awfully cheesy, but if you watched the whole series, you'd understand why this made such an impact on the Goblin. i like that he used the word 'shined' because that's what she did. it's not like she didn't get sad or didn't feel pain, but every time she did, she was resilient. it was painful, but with a lot of strength and determination, she knew she would be able to get back up again. nothing was quite impossible for Ji Eun Tak.

for a normal series, her character might be deemed too perfect but in this fantasy genre, i think it tipped the scales just right. she was what we all—the audience as well as the characters—needed. a shock of hope that always comes through at the darkest hour.

i also loved that the Goblin often contrasted her with seemingly mundane, everyday happenings. the weather is a common topic that repeats in many of his lines with her. along with his immortality, he's come to appreciate the smallest changes in life, even something as boring as the weather.

lastly:

I’m saying this because today is just about right.
I’m saying this because you’re still shining.
I’m saying this because you were that first love.
On another day that’s just about right,
will you be my bride?

there are a lot of parallel lines written in this series. the couples often mirror one another (this is a lot more obvious between the Goblin couple) with their words, highlighting the fact that they were always paying attention to what they said to one another.

i love this as part of the ending because the Goblin repeated his own words from the past to form sentences with new meanings. from the poem about the weather being 'just right', to 'shining' Eun Tak, to his 'first love', he segues into 'another day' where he makes his proposal to her, for her to marry him, all while tracing back the tiniest elements in their time together.

all in all, this series is an exceptionally beautiful one. if you love fantasy, a good forbidden kind of love story, and you don't mind the extremely slow pacing in certain episodes, i would highly recommend this! honestly i've found so little to nitpick, aside from the pacing, haha. if you want to know more about what i thought, you can read my full review on this series here! (fair warning: spoilers ahead.)

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!

A Perfect World.

...is what Pushing Daisies is all about. well, no, who am i kidding. if a series were set in a perfect world, the P and W should only be capitalized to imply on the irony of how imperfect it really is. no one lives in a perfect world. but in the world of Ned the pie-maker, one would think his powers to be perfect. 

Pushing Daisies speak of one Ned--without a last name--who has the abilities to wake the dead. of course, there is a catch. the catch is that when the being he raises from the dead stays alive for more than sixty seconds, another being of the approximate size dies. the SECOND catch : Ned can never touch the being he has un-dead, for if he does, they return to their former state of breathlessness. 

first touch, life; second touch, death.

the main reason why i came to watching this series is not for the quality of the story, the humour, the wit, or the interesting concept of the series. it all comes down to one actor with the sexiest and most attractive brows i have ever set my eyes upon. ladies and gentlemen, i present to you : Lee Pace.

mostly because i had recently watched a brilliant film, The Fall, which also stars the lovely Lee Pace. which is a brilliant movie you should absolutely watch.

anyways, getting back to waking the dead. the series is quite... how should i put it? it's a lot more like a novel or a realistic cartoon with random adult jokes rather than a live-action series. it's comical in a sense that it is very far from real, but you can tell that the writers try to keep the fantasy-like genre to be as close to reality as possible, in a rather surreal way. 

i think what makes the entire series great are really the characters. from the synchronized-swimmers aunts, to the cynical private eye who's in love with knitting then pop-up books, to the anti-social taxidermist who finally wins the waitress' heart. (or does he?) i find myself realizing that i have never seen characters so novel-like like these, be brought to life in a live-action series. it's absolutely like living in a real Dr. Seuss universe.

my favorite character? Ned the pie-maker, of course!

Ned is your typical blunt introvert Clark Kent. except unlike Superman, he's always Clark Kent. he is the most honest fictional character i have ever come across, the sweetest, and often the most conflicted character on the show. you would always find him contemplating over issues as he's easily influenced by others' opinions, and he would be stress-baking, and everything about him is just so nerdy and geeky and so perfect. he is the sort of guy who smiles at the person he loves simply because he recognizes the fact at that very moment that this person is the very person he loves, and he cherishes the fact, and he smiles. he is that person who will focus all his love on that one person and although he forgets about the other people around him sometimes, he apologizes and pours out his true feelings and asks for forgiveness, prepared to be shunned for life. he is not a liar. and i suppose that is what i love most about him.

Ned is someone i wish i could be. i want to be as blunt as he is, but alas, he lives in a world where everything works out perfectly in the end somehow, he lives in a world where everything is scripted according to his existence. 

i really like how none of the minor characters are ignored or shoved aside, and they are all given their fair share of background story. Olive is a great example. she starts out as this waitress whom you would deem as 'the annoying one', and as the story progresses, you realize she is not a flat character at all, and you even find herself loving her more and more. this is what i think was great about the series, even though it seemed like stories were made up along the way. well, at least they're pretty plausible stories!

what i disliked about the series was this : everything ends up okay.

every time you think something big is about to happen, it dies down almost immediately, mostly thanks to Ned's ultimately-forgiving personality. there is no drama in this drama. well, there is, but not the kind that lasts for a few episodes and gets solved finally. because with a guy like Ned around, problems are instantaneously solved. the forgiveness is so overwhelming that is almost infuriates me. you would find yourself sitting at the edge of your chair, screaming at Lee Pace : "NO NO NO NO WHY DID YOU DO THAT SHE DOESN'T DESERVE IT NOOOOOOOOOOO YOU GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT" 

as opposed to the lack of drama in this series, i suppose it is a good time for us to learn to be more forgiving, like Ned. 

conclusion? i'm more glad than disappointed that the series was stopped, because the story was completely spinning out of control. even though i was looking forward to more Ned and perhaps Ned getting kidnapped for his powers, the entire plot was rather weak to me and albeit the cleverly-designed characters' presence, i don't think it's possible for the series to get any better. 

but boohoo, no more Ned. ): 

p/s: this doesn't mean you shouldn't watch the series! watch it all for Lee Pace, good puns humor, and just a good ol' fashioned ridiculous romantic comedy. (:

p/p/s: confession- i really, only, love the show for Ned. because seriously. Ned.