# Goblin (2016)

> A 939-year-old goblin bound by an immortal curse searches for a human bride while a grim reaper and a student with a painful past enter his life.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/59660

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 77 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: fantasy, romance, comedy, drama
- Created by: Lee Eung-bok, Kim Eun-sook
- Network: tvN
- Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na, Yook Sung-jae, EL, Kim Seong-gyeom, Kim Byong-chul
- TMDB rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5994364/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: wistful, romantic, whimsical, melancholic, comforting

## What critics say

Audiences broadly acclaimed the series as a moving, witty romantic fantasy with strong lead chemistry and a poignant mix of comedy and melancholy.

## Synopsis

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016-2017) is a South Korean fantasy romance series created by Lee Eung-bok and Kim Eun-sook for tvN. Gong Yoo plays Kim Shin, a 939-year-old goblin guardian whose immortal curse can only be broken by the hand of his bride, and he searches for her with growing weariness. Kim Go-eun plays Ji Eun-tak, a sprightly student carrying a tragic past, who becomes the candidate he cannot easily dismiss. Lee Dong-wook plays Wang Yeo, a grim reaper whose dry wit and duty to escort departed souls keep tangling with the goblin's life. Yoo In-na and Yook Sung-jae round out the central circle. The engine of the sixteen-episode story is the push and pull between a bored immortal hoping to end his existence and a young woman learning to live, with each episode layering comedy onto ache. Flashbacks reach back into the goblin's earlier life, showing how his curse began and what it cost him. Its shape is one continuing romance rather than a case-of-the-week format, moving between warm domestic scenes and supernatural encounters. Set in contemporary Seoul with folklore threaded through, the series balances whimsy with melancholy and longing. Its tone is wistful and romantic, with bursts of humor and a steady undercurrent of mortality. Fans of Crash Landing on You, My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo will find similar resonance in its blend of destiny, comedy and tender melodrama.

## Shows like Goblin

- [Tale of Arang (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/40839)
- [Master's Sun (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/51602)
- [My Demon (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/138454)
- [Gu Family Book (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/42661)
- [Hotel Del Luna (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/76661)
- [Genie, Make a Wish (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/146836)
- [My Roommate Is a Gumiho (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/95091)
- [Doom at Your Service (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/96915)
- [The Bride of Habaek (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61607)
- [The Story of Bihyung: Enchanted Master of the Goblin (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/1105005)

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