The beguiling Kdrama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (aka Goblin) tells the story of Kim Shin (Gong Yoo of Coffee Prince), an acclaimed general during the Goryeo dynasty who is branded a traitor by his king. Ordered to be put to death, Kim Shin is killed with his own sword. Instead of moving on to the afterlife, he is cursed to become an immortal Goblin. It’s a curse that can only be broken when the Goblin bride appears and removes the sword. Nine hundred years later, the Goblin saves the life of a pregnant woman. Little does he realize that the child she carries is his destined bride.
Enter, Ji Eun-tak (The King: Eternal Monarch’s Kim Go-eun), a young girl who not only sees ghosts but is told by them that she is the Goblin’s bride. When her mother dies on Eun-tak’s ninth birthday, a Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-wook from Tale of the Nine Tailed) appears to take her as well. He needs to resolve the discrepancy in his records caused by Eun-tak. She is missing soul who is not accounted for in the annuals of life and death. With the help of a disguised goddess, Eun-tak escapes the Grim Reaper. Ten years later, she blows out the candles on her birthday cake, unwittingly summoning the Goblin to her side.
Jaded after living so long, Goblin finds it difficult to believe teenage Eun-tak is the one who will end his curse. As he grows closer to Eun-tak, he begins to suspect that there are those in their lives who are connected to his distant past. This includes his unexpected housemate, non-other than the Grim Reaper who appeared before Eun-tak, and chicken restaurant owner, Sunny (Yoo In-na of Touch Your Heart), the beautiful, young woman whom the Grim Reaper is inexplicably drawn too. Caught between the desire to end his lonely existence and his growing affection for Eun-tak, Goblin’s choice is complicated by an evil spirit who is out to destroy him once and for all.
- Series Title: Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (aka Goblin) (Korean: 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비)
- Starring: Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na and Yook Sung-jae
- Written by: Kim Eun-sook
- Directed by: Kee Eung-bok, Kwon Huk-chan, Yoon Jong-ho
- Network: tvN
- Where to watch in the US: Viki
- Year Released: 2016
- # of episodes: 16
- KafeNook Rating: 4.9 sips
Guardian: The Great and Lonely God — !! Spoilers Ahead!!
After watching The King: Eternal Monarch, Descendants of the Sun and Heirs/Inheritors I should know what to expect of a drama written by Kim Eun-sook. And yet – she surprises me every time. Kim Eun-sook is a skillful storyteller who artfully conveys an intricate plot, brings forth compelling characters, and dives into emotional themes. Add to that a stellar cast, impeccable directing, breathtaking cinematography, and a killer soundtrack. This makes Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (aka Goblin) one Kdrama not to miss.
Struck down with his own sword which is covered with the blood of thousands, the main character, General Kim, becomes a Goblin. Thankfully, he is not the kind of Goblin prevalent in Western cultures – small, monstrous creatures with bad tempers that can be mischievous, or even down right mean. Or like the Green Goblin from Spiderman with questionable sanity who uses a hoverboard to fly. This is a Korean version of a Goblin or a Dokkaebi (도깨비) – a deity or spirit possessing extraordinary powers and abilities.
Dokkaebi are known to possess an object stained with human blood– in this case a sword. Looking up information on Dokkaebi, I discovered that the object possessed might be a household tool like a broom. No wonder Eun-tak says Goblin will turn into a broom after she pulls out the sword! Dokkaebi also like buckwheat jelly. Buckwheat just so happens to be the field where Goblin died and where he and Eun-tak often return to. It is tiny details like this that add so much depth to Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.
Great Dramas Need Great Beginnings
I can count the number of shows on one hand where I watch the opening credits for each episode. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God is one of those shows. The opening credits are magical – from the character stills, to the background scenery (Quebec in the fall – here I come!), to the theme song Round and Round sung by Heize & Han Soo-ji. As I watch them, I feel as though an epic tale is about to unfold.
Beyond the credits, Episode 1 opens with a stunning battle, setting the stage of General Kim Shin’s backstory. General Kim’s sword drips with blood as he defeats enemy after enemy. He returns victorious, the citizens hailing him as a hero, but young King Wang Yeo claims he is a traitor. The young king is under the spell of a Gríma Wormtongue-like advisor, the evil Park Joong-heon (Dr. Cha’s Kim Byung-chul). With expert pacing, subsequent episodes gradually expand the initial historical scenes. The drama slowly builds out this fascinating background story as the characters in modern day begin to remember the past. And what a great choice to contrast the historical scenes with those set in the modern day by giving them a cinematic look using the wide screen.
A Story of Journeys
Themes abound in Guardian: The Lonely and Great God but they can all be tied to the concept of journeys. Each of the main characters are traveling on their own journey – sometimes crossing paths with the others along the way. The song, Round and Round, hauntingly expresses the thoughts of a traveler on an endless journey through time. “Some days the sun will shine down. Some days the moon will cry. Tomorrow we’ll see. Tomorrow we’ll be. As we go on our way. . . Round and round and I never know why. Round and round and it will show us way out. . . ”
The Endless Journey of Kim Shin aka Goblin
From his emergence as a Goblin, Kim Shin embarks on a solitary journey of patient longing. For over nine hundred years, he waits for his bride to come and remove the sword so that his lonely existence can finally come to an end. No afterlife for him, just a dissolving into nothingness. His tale is not unlike that of alien Do Min-joon from My Love from the Star who spend hundreds of years surrounded by humanity but not living as a human. Both try not to fall in love as they wait for the end of their time on Earth. As their ends draw near, both learn it is love that makes life worth living. Goblin’s journey seems headed toward its prophesied ending when Eun-tak arrives in his life. Then everything changes. His longing to end his existence transforms into a longing to be with her.
The love story between Goblin and teenage Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) may not make sense to some people. But, the way I see it, he has been around so long – watching the cycle of birth, life, and death of the those around him – that age does not have the same meaning for him. He is simply drawn to Eun-tak’s beautiful spirit. Watching Goblin fall in love with full-of-life Eun-tak is a joy. Especially in that moment when he realizes his feelings. Being the physics major that I am, I love his words as he sits watching her cross the street in Quebec. “Mass is not proportional to volume. A girl as small as a violet. A girl who moves like a flower petal is pulling me towards her with more force than her mass. . .”
Eun-tak’s Journey of Carpe Diem
Unlike Goblin who yearns for an ending to his existence, Ji Eun-tak fills her journey with one thought – to live each day to its fullest – or Carpe Diem (sieze the day). From the moment in her mother’s womb when she nearly died, she continually escapes death’s grip. Then, she and Goblin learn the truth of their fated love. Only one of them can survive. If Eun-tak fails to pull out the sword her life will be over. If she does pull out the sword, Goblin, the man she loves with her entire being, will disappear into nothingness. It’s the Kobashi Maru all over again. (Star Trek speak for No Win Scenario.)
Eun-tak’s worst fear comes true when the evil spirit of King Wong’s advisor, Park Joong-heon, tries to inhabit her body to remove the sword. Thankfully, Grim Reaper succeeds in thrusting out Joong-heon’s spirit. Then, using Eun-tak’s hands, Goblin pulls out the sword, sparing her the choice. With the sword removed, he defeats Joong-heon once and for all. As Eun-tak cries her heart out, Goblin discovers that instead of ceasing to exist, he is trapped in frozen wasteland where he remains for nine years. Thankfully, the contract that he signed with Eun-tak keeps him tethered and provides him a way back to her.
On her 29th birthday, Eun-tak blows the candle on her cake – her wish pulling Goblin back to her side. Eun-tak has grown up well, but with her memories of Goblin lost, she is far from the happy teenager she once was. An imprint of their time together and all that she lost remains is crushing her soul. Once Eun-tak does remember Goblin, her joy of life returns, and she can again live each day to its fullest. This is the thought that fills her on what will be her last day in her current life. More to come on that.
A Journey of Atonement for the Grim Reaper
Not too many Kdramas feature a second couple who are as interesting to watch as the first. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God’s Grim Reaper and Sunny are the rare exception. From the moment that Grim Reaper first sees Sunny and begins to cry at the sight of her, it’s clear they have a connection. (Queue lyrics to I Miss You sung by Soyou.) Something in Grim Reaper recognizes Sunny even though as a Grim Reaper, he has no memories of his previous life.
How their story unfolds, from the Goryeo age to the present is like watching someone unwrap origami. I truly didn’t want Grim Reaper, someone Goblin (and I) were both growing fond of, to be King Wang Yeo. How could he be the man responsible for Kim Shin’s death, as well as that of his own Queen Kim Sun, Kim Shin’s sister? However, Grim Reaper’s journey is one of atonement.
It is devasting for everyone (including me again) the moment it’s revealed that he is Wang Yeo. Not only that, he learns that Grim Reapers are people who committed the ultimate sin – taking their own life. The weight of his choices from his previous life are almost more than he can bear. As Wang Yeo, he foolishly believed that no one loved him. Goblin, his friend, Kim Shin tells him otherwise. He was loved by his older brother the former king, by his general, by his own wife, and by his country. He was surrounded by love.
His work as a Grim Reaper is part of his atonement. He helps usher people to the next phase of their journey, whether that be a heaven, hell or to another life back on Earth. Some of the most touching scenes in the drama are those in Grim Reaper’s tearoom as people are given a choice to drink the tea that will erase the memories of their former life before they go on their way.
Sunny’s Journey for a Worthy Love
Despite her name, Sunny often appears melancholy in the drama. When Eun-tak first meets her at the chicken shop, Sunny seems to be waiting for something or someone. (Maybe it’s customers who don’t appear until well into the series!) The first time she sees Grim Reaper, she is attracted to him without completely understanding why.
Desperate to find out if Sunny is Kim Shin’s sister from a previous life, Grim Reaper kisses her and her past life memories return. Though he tries to use his Reaper powers to make her forget, Sunny keeps her memories. To her, even the dark moments of her past life are times she cherishes. Sadly, though she loves Grim Reaper as she loved Wang Yeo, she has no choice but to punish him in this life the only way she can – to live without him. Sunny knows that she deserves someone who is worthy of her love. Her journey is to wait, even into the next life, for that person.
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Ending
Once Goblin returns from the frozen wasteland and Eun-tak’s memories return, the two of them are able to move their relationship to an adult level. Golbin doesn’t waste much time proposing and their intimate wedding takes place on a day Eun-tak describes as perfect. The following day, Grim Reaper and a colleague have the sad job of ushering the souls of a group of school children destined to die in an accident. Then, Eun-tak pulls up where Grim Reaper is waiting and waves. Grim Reaper’s colleague, who has stepped away for a call, returns saying the task is cancelled. Grim Reaper watches Eun-tak drive away, his eyes widening. There is one thing that no one, not even God can change and that is a willing sacrifice. When Eun-tak sees the runaway truck headed for the bus of children, she makes the heartbreaking decision to drive in front of the truck.
Best Tear-jerker alert: After Eun-tak’s sacrifice, a woman watching the events on the news says to her friend that the person who drove her car in front of the truck was truly an angel. My tears are flowing at this point. The tears keep coming when Goblin meets Eun-tak in Grim Reaper’s tearoom and knows that she must move on without him. Sorry for leaving him this way, she promises to get back to him as soon as she can. Most importantly, she refuses to drink the Grim Reaper’s tea so that she will remember Goblin in her next life. Goblin is left to continue his journey of patient longing, this time to await the return of his first and only love, Eun-tak.
Thirty years later, Sunny reaches the end of her life and comes to Grim Reaper’s tea room. She will be his last case. They leave together, Grim Reaper’s atonement journey at an end. As for Sunny, she has the chance in her next life to experience a love that is worthy of her. Sometime later (it’s not clear how long), Goblin sees reborn Sunny, now an actress, and Wang Yeo who is a detective, working on a drama set. In this life, they are finally free to be together.
On a visit to Canada, Goblin sits on a hill with the magnificent views of Quebec behind him. An exuberant teenager who looks exactly like Eun-tak appears and waves. She has found him. His patient, longing journey is finally at an end.
Best Roommates Ever
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God’s has not one, not two, but three amazing pairs. The third, of course, being General Kim Shin, aka Goblin, and his king turned Grim Reaper. These two win the prize for the best roommates ever. I could not stop laughing during the scenes where the Goblin runs into Grim’s room every few minutes asking for his advice on what he should have in his hand when he is summoned by Eun-tak. He starts with books, moves on to CDs/Albums (until Grim Reaper tells him everyone listens to music on-line nowadays) then moves on to works of art. Their relationship is part of what makes this drama so fun to watch.
Side note: I would like to stay a while in the Goblin’s amazing house and spend time sitting in the windowed hall with exposed brick walls. Or visit the Grim Reapers Tea room and marvel at the massive wall of teacups.
Random Things I Liked
One of my favorite scenes in the drama occurs when Eun-tak is taken hostage by the men who want money from her aunt. Lights on the road begin to go out as Goblin and Grim Reaper appear, walking down the dark street toward the car. The song, Round and Round, plays to their slow-motion steps. This scene is poked fun at later when Eun-tak tells Goblin and Grim Reaper that it was kind of cool to see them walking down that dark street. The two of them are then shown walking through a tunnel in slow motion, Round and Round, once again playing. Bags of green onions in their hands, their walk until the song ends abruptly when someone crosses their path. “Coolness” ruined.
Yook Sung-jae as third generation chaebol heir, Yoo Deok-hwa brings some comic relief to the show (can he finally have a credit card?) – and some mystery. In an unexpected twist, it’s revealed that he is inhabited by the Almighty God for a time as God intervenes in Goblin’s life. While everything wraps up for the other characters in the series, I wish the ending would have included what happens to Doek-hwa. Does he become the exemplary chairman he promised to be?
And finally – when the Grim Reaper wants a name that he can tell Sunny, he asks Eun-tak for her opinion. She tells him that girls like names like Hyun Bin, Won Bin and Kim Woo Bin. So funny – and true!
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Guardian: The Lonely and Great God is one of the best that I have heard for a Kdrama. I love listening to it – on repeat. Each song is thoughtfully placed in the series to enhance the meaning and emotions of the scene.
Round and Round (Heize and Han Soo-ji), Stay with Me (Chanyeol & Punch), I Miss You (Soyou), Beautiful (Crush), Who Are You (Sam Kim), Winter is Coming (Han Suji), I Will Go to You Like the First Snow (Ailee) – there is not a bad song in the bunch!
