Why Goblin Gets to Be My First Post
Starting this blog, there was really only one drama I could possibly begin with: Goblin (also known as Guardian: The Lonely and Great God).
This isn’t just a drama I enjoyed once and moved on from. It’s my life drama – the one I still think about years later. I remember exactly how I felt watching the first episode, and I remember even more clearly how long it took me to shake off the feeling after the finale. Days, honestly. So when it came time to write my very first post here, there was no other choice. This is the one I wanted to write about first, and with the most love.
So What Is Goblin, Exactly?
Goblin aired on tvN in late 2016, starring Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, and Yoo In-na. It follows Kim Shin, an immortal goblin who has lived for over 900 years, and Ji Eun-tak, a young woman fated to become his bride – the one person who can finally end his endless life. It’s fantasy, it’s romance, and underneath all of that, it’s a quiet meditation on life, death, and what it means to be tied to fate. It struck a chord not just in Korea but across Asia when it aired.
What pulled me in wasn’t the fantasy elements, as fun as those were. It was the quiet, melancholic mood running through the whole show, and the way every actor brought so much restraint and feeling to their roles. And honestly, every time Goblin walked into frame, the backdrop behind him was so stunning I kept thinking, I need to go stand in that exact spot someday.
The People Who Made Goblin Unforgettable
A drama like this only works if the cast can carry it, and this one absolutely did.
Gong Yoo as Kim Shin
Gong Yoo played the 900-year-old goblin, and he carried the character’s centuries of loneliness in just his eyes – that deep, weary stare he’d get when the immortality really weighed on him. But he could flip that instantly into something warm and almost clumsy the second Eun-tak was around. This role cemented him as one of Korea’s most recognizable leading men internationally.
Kim Go-eun as Ji Eun-tak
Kim Go-eun played the girl fated to be Goblin’s bride, and she made the character feel completely real – bright and stubborn on the surface, but carrying real depth underneath. This was a defining role in her career, and it’s easy to see why.
Lee Dong-wook as the Grim Reaper
Nameless for most of the show, the Grim Reaper spends his time bickering with Goblin and falling slowly, awkwardly in love with Sunny. Lee Dong-wook made him equal parts deadpan and hopeless, and honestly, some of the biggest laughs and biggest heartbreaks in the whole show come from him.
Yoo In-na as Sunny
Sunny runs a chicken restaurant and somehow lights up every scene she’s in. Yoo In-na brought so much warmth and comic timing to the role, and the slow reveal of her character’s past life connection to the Grim Reaper became one of the show’s most emotional threads.
Jung Hae-in as Choi Tae-hee (special appearance)
Jung Hae-in was still a rookie when he made a brief special appearance as Choi Tae-hee, Eun-tak’s first love. His screen time was short, but it made enough of an impression that fans nicknamed him “Oppa Tae-hee” for a while afterward – not bad for a cameo. It was an early glimpse of the star he’d go on to become.
Yook Sung-jae as Yoo Deok-hwa
Yook Sung-jae, known at the time as a member of the group BTOB, played Yoo Deok-hwa – the fourth-generation heir of a family that had served Goblin for thirteen generations, and who’d built a business empire off that connection. He calls Goblin and the Grim Reaper “uncle” and spends most of the show getting teased by both of them, right up until a late-series twist reveals there’s a lot more to him than anyone realized. He handled both the comic relief and the twist with a confidence that didn’t feel like a first-time performance at all.
Between this cast, Goblin became more than just a fantasy romance – it became something people still talk about years later.
The OST and the Bromance You Can’t Forget
No conversation about Goblin is complete without the soundtrack. Crush’s “Beautiful” and Ailee’s “I Will Go To You Like The First Snow” are the kind of songs that instantly pull you back into a specific scene the moment you hear them, even years later. It’s one of the things international fans of the show bring up again and again – how perfectly the music matched the visuals.
And then there’s the bromance. Goblin and the Grim Reaper bicker like an old married couple, but underneath it there’s real, genuine affection, and it ends up being just as compelling as either romance in the show. When their paths eventually diverge, it’s one of the more quietly devastating moments in the whole series.
The Real Places Behind the Drama
This blog isn’t just about reviewing dramas – it’s about the places behind them. So here are the real Goblin filming locations you can actually visit.
1. Jumunjin Breakwater (Gangneung)
This is where one of the show’s most iconic scenes was filmed – the moment Eun-tak first meets Goblin. The breakwater’s colorful painted panels against the open East Sea make it instantly recognizable, and it’s absolutely worth the stop if you’re planning a Gangneung trip.
2. Nami Island
Some of Goblin and Eun-tak’s most romantic moments were filmed here. Nami Island is stunning in every season, drama fan or not, and it’s easily one of the most photogenic spots near Seoul.
3. Gyeongbokgung Palace
Korea’s most famous royal palace also shows up in the drama, and the combination of traditional hanok architecture with Goblin’s otherworldly presence made for some genuinely beautiful scenes.
4. Yeouido Hangang Park
This is where Goblin and Eun-tak spend some of their quieter moments together. Visit during cherry blossom season in spring and it genuinely feels like stepping into the show.
Wrapping Up
Going forward, this blog is going to be about exactly this – the beautiful real-world places hiding inside Korean dramas and films. And I couldn’t think of a better way to start than with my life drama, Goblin.
If you haven’t watched it yet, this is your sign to start. And if you already have, go stand in one of these spots yourself. That feeling from the show comes right back.
Next up: another Korean drama, and the places it left behind.