Goblin

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

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.

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

• Crash Landing on Youromantic fantasy with an immortal being, comedic warmth and melancholic destiny
• My Girlfriend Is a Gumihosupernatural romance with a reaper figure and mortal love, bittersweet fantasy tone
• Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeofated love across centuries and a cursed immortal, sweeping melodrama with comedy

Created by

Lee Eung-bok, Kim Eun-sook

Release Date

2016-12-02

Episode runtime

77 min

Rating

8.5 / 10 (3138)

What is Goblin about?

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.

What is Goblin like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Goblin as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Goblin violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Goblin as mild.

What did critics think of Goblin?

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

Which shows are like Goblin?

Shows with a similar feel include Crash Landing on You, My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

How long is Goblin?

Goblin: 1 season, 16 episodes.

Is Goblin still running?

No, Goblin has ended.

Where can I watch Goblin?

In United States, Goblin streams on VIX , Rakuten Viki, WeTV.