If you ask for a must-watch drama, do you know which drama is going to pop up in most of the fans’ minds? It’s Goblin. The full name of the drama is Guardian: The Lonely God and is mostly known as Goblin among the fans. I am going to give Guardian: The Lonely God full review because this drama is one of the most hyped and most-rated dramas ever in the history of Korean drama. 

For a rom-com or fantasy lover this drama is a blessing. The super amazing plot, masterly chosen visuals and even the setting of this drama together made it a masterpiece for sure. I’m going to give a full review of this drama, with a hope that my writing will help you to find your desired answer. And if you are a newcomer then I’m afraid my review contains any spoilers.

Plot Overview

The story follows a mystery of the connection between the past and the future. A lonely God waited over 900 years for a human who would help him to get rid of its curse. How did a general from the Joseon era become an immortal being? Mysterious right? Again, why is he looking for a human being? What’s the connection of a Grim Reaper and a Goblin as well as with a mere human being? All these mysteries made this drama one of the best dramas of all time. 

 

The key characters of Goblin:

Guardian: The Lonely God full review can not be full if I don’t mention the characters in it. There are countless characters in the whole drama, are all of them important? No, not all of them but there are some certain characters without whom the drama is incomplete. Let’s have an idea on some of them.

• Kim Shin:

Kim Shin aka Goblin is the protagonist of the drama. The role was played by a veteran actor called Gong Yoo. A warrior who was cursed with immortality is lonely because all the people he knew as family or friends are no more, but he can not die. Apparently, it looks like a blessing as no one on this earth doesn’t want to die. But actually, it’s a curse because when someone is lonely they have all their willpower to live. As a god, he has some responsibilities so he struggles with emotion and responsibilities. His struggle is vividly shown when he saves a pregnant woman who was meant to die that night. The story follows him everywhere, as we can feel his presence in every scene even if he was not physically present in all those places.

Gong Yoo played this role so skillfully that we can see Kim Shin’s pain in his eyes, the loneliness in his face and the love in his body language. I can not dare to imagine this role played by any other actors instead of him.      

• Ji Eun Tak:

Did I tell you that Goblin saved a pregnant woman? Ji Eun Tak was in the womb of that woman. That very night Eun Tak and Kim Shin’s fate got connected. As Eun Tak was fated to die that night she got connected to Grim Reaper too. She can see ghosts. One day she heard about the goblin and found out that she is the goblin’s bride and has the ability to get rid of his curse. Though she didn’t know what his curse was. 

The role was played by Kim Go Eun, her charm and innocence were loved by everyone. As so many fans still call her Eun Tak.

• The Grim Reaper:

Same as the goblin, the Grim Reaper was also cursed by his past deeds. With his supernatural power and sense, he collects the souls of the dead people, all of the main characters are connected by that one night incident. That night when the Goblin saved the woman who was about to die he got connected with both the goblin and Eun Tak. Anyway to develop the story we see the Grim Reaper and the goblin and the goblin’s bride live all together in the same house and it is their friendship that every audience adores. And Lee Dong Wook was loved as Grim Reaper more than any other character.

• Sunny:

Sunny is one of the central characters that is connected with all the other main characters in different ways. But with the Grim Reaper, she has a special connection, the connection of love and because Sunny is a normal human human character, so she doesn’t remember her past life at all. Still in all his incarnated lives she falls in love with the Grim Reaper. Safe to say she is meant to be with him. Sunny is one of the main reasons why all the central characters stay connected till the end of the drama.

Yoo In Na with her beauty mesmerized the audience and compelled them to love Sunny too. 

• Yoo Deok Hwa:

For over the centuries, the Yoo family was assigned to take care of the Goblin. Yoo Deok Hwa is the last member of the family. Previously he lived with his grandfather and he doesn’t know anything about his parents. The name was given by Kim Shin aka Goblin after a renowned Hong Kong actor. Here the fun fact is he didn’t know the real identity of the Goblin and as for that he never treated him as a god but treated him as his uncle. The role was played by actor Yook Sung Jae.

There is a fan theory about Deok Hwa that some fans think that he is the original deity as in some of the episodes we see him talking with another deity. Some other fans think he is not a deity but is possessed by the deity.

• Park Joong Heon:

Kim Byung Chul as Park Joong Heon is the only antagonist of the drama. He is the root of all evil. He is the reason for why both the Goblin and the Grim Reaper were cursed. Even after 900 years, he didn’t leave the goblin alone. In the Joseon era, he manipulated king Wang Yeo to an extreme level that as a result he became the Grim Reaper. Also, he was the reason for the Goblin being cursed. He even reaches the goblin bride after 900 years.Also, he was the reason for the Goblin being cursed. He even reaches the goblin bride after 900 years to declare his presence to the Goblin. He was hated by all the fans so much.

Genre and Themes of Goblin:

The drama is a tremendous mixture of romance, fantasy and mystery. The plot is set in history and modern-day life. Following the immortal God the story presents so many other characters connected to the immortal god that made the drama a solid masterpiece loved by all types of viewers.

Genre:

In this part of my Guardian: The Lonely God full review, now let’s talk about the main genres of the drama separately.

        Fantasy:

          The story takes us to a world that is so different from our regular life. There we see the presence of immortal beings, God, deities, ghosts, reincarnation and superpowers everywhere. For a fantasy lover, this drama is a gift. 

        Romance:

            The drama shows us some overflow of different emotions, love, heartbreak, crying and so much more. The chemistry of both main couples is absolutely praiseworthy and admirable. The main leads especially make us feel loved more than the others. On the other hand, the other couple makes us feel pity for them. We laugh with them and we cry with them too. We feel a strong connection with the characters which is no doubt a success of the drama.

         Melodrama: 

           Love, sacrifice and betrayal are the direct elements of melodrama. All of the emotions were present in the drama. The past life betrayal, the curse and the tragedy of the couples are narrated in the drama which makes the drama a melodramatic one.

Themes:

There are various themes in the drama that make the drama effortlessly accepted by everyone, such as:

         Fate and Destiny:

           An immortal soul that needs a mortal human to lift its curse. Fate plays an important role in making the two souls be together. The other couple of the drama is also destined to be with each other in every life. Fate made the goblin and its bride together on the other hand it was destiny which binds the Grim Reaper and Sunny together.

           Immortality and Loneliness:

At the first glance we see immortality as a blessing because nobody wants to die. But immortality is followed by loneliness. So, ultimately it’s a curse when you see your close people die in front of you, then every day becomes a burden. The same thing happened with the supernatural souls here. Which is nothing but a curse to them and to lift this curse they pledge to do everything they can do.

          Love and Sacrifice:

                                     

            The drama shows us a selfless and deep love of the leads. We can also see the brotherly love and sacrifice here in the drama. The characters portray a strong sense of love for each other. On the other hand not only sacrifice for lovers has been shown but also sacrifice for other human beings is also present in the last episode of the drama.

         Redemption and Forgiveness:

           As you know the characters are cursed for their past deeds, they are tormented by regret and redemption. When grim reapers first saw a portrait of Kim Sun he cried his heart out, even though he didn’t remember his past. Again whenever he sees Sunny in the present time he cries without his conscience. It was his redemption that was flowing from his eyes. The redemption and forgiveness were significant to make the drama enjoyable for everyone and to have a smooth ending.

Why You Should Watch:

If you are not convinced enough then let me tell you why exactly you should watch Goblin.

Unique Blend of genre:

If your purpose of watching is entertainment then watching a romantic or fantasy drama is the best and here you are getting to in one. The superb blending of different genres makes the drama even more enjoyable. For entertainment purposes, this drama is for sure worth watching.

Compelling Characters:

As I previously said, Guardian: The Lonely God full review will not be complete without praising the character and their development throughout this drama. The character development is great in the whole drama. The characters too bind you with them. You get lost in their inner story, their dialogs even in their visuals. They will compel you to know about them and have the urge to know what their ending will be.

Stunning Visuals and Cinematography:

The beautiful setting, the colors and other elements create a magical atmosphere throughout the whole drama. The beauty of the seasons like the winter, summer, the spring and most importantly the beauty of the rain was used skillfully which is so commendable. The best part is that it leaves such a picture in one’s mind that whenever it rains one is constrained to think of the drama.

Powerful Themes:

The themes of fate and destiny, love and sacrifice, and redemption are universally powerful and evokes our deep emotions to connect our hearts with the drama no matter which corner of the world we live in.

Memorable Soundtrack: 

If I use only one word to define the soundtracks or song of the drama then it’s “Iconic”. The OSTs are so legendary that they have a huge fan base. Even though it is 2024, while I’m writing this article for you I’m listening to one of the OSTs. If you don’t watch the drama, I suggest you listen to the OSTs if you can. 

Before we conclude this Guardian: The Lonely God full review article, I will urge you to give a chance to the show. If you are a new drama fan or even if you are not new and haven’t watched the drama then i will suggest you give it a watch. Though there are some people who say Goblin is an overrated drama then I will say not every drama is for everyone. A legal or action drama lover can never enjoy a romantic or a fantasy drama. So if you like fantasy type of drama then I can’t guarantee that this drama is meant for you. Without any further delay watch the drama and fall in love with the lonely god and a handsome grim reaper, also two beautiful and bubbly humans.