The Silent Sea

 The Silent Sea

8.5/10

The Silent Sea

Genre:                                     Episodes: 8                           Year: 2021

Mystery

Thriller

Synopsis:

In the future, Earth suffers from a sever lack of water. Water is strictly rationed creating tension between the different socio-economic classes. A team of soldiers and scientists are sent to a research station on the moon to receive samples that were left behind when the station was abandoned due to a radiation leak.

Cast:

Bae Doo Na (Song Ji Ahn)

Gong Yoo (Han Yoon Jae)

Kim Sun Young (Hong Ga Young)

Lee Joon (Ryu Tae Suk)

Lee Moo Saeng (Gong Soo Hyuk)

Lee Sung Wook (Kim Sun)

Jung Soon Won (Gong Soo Chan)

Kim Shi Ah (Luna)

Heo Sung Tae (Chief Kim)

Gil Hae Yeon (Director Choi)

General Thoughts:

This was a great show. I really enjoyed every episode and highly enjoyed the creepy atmosphere that was built throughout the show’s run. There’s so much in this drama that was made to grab attention and draw viewers in. Being a Netflix show, its reach was a little further than K-Drama’s that are only shown in Korea and on smaller streaming platforms internationally.

It's SPACE

Netflix gives a lot of people access to international content that they might not otherwise have had access to, and over the last couple of years you can really feel Netflix capitalising on Korean content. As well as being on one of the biggest streaming platforms, ‘The Silent Sea’ also had a handful of cast members that viewers would have seen before- also on Netflix. Bae Doo Na, who is the leading character of ‘The Silent Sea’ got a lot of attention when she starred in ‘Kingdom’ and ‘Kingdom 2’. The tone of both these shows are also similar- ‘Kingdom’ was a tension building zombie series, and ‘The Silent Sea’ was a tension building space mystery.

This is not her first Netflix rodeo

A lot of people who tuned in to ‘Kingdom’ would be the target audience for ‘The Silent Sea’. Gong Yoo, who plays the main male character, and Heo Sung Tae would both be familiar to those who watched ‘Squid Game’. And again, ‘Squid Game’ is a series that has a similar dark, mysterious tone. The casting of the drama was definitely a big draw card, not just for dedicated K-Drama fans, but also for newer viewers whose only experience with Korean content is through Netflix. A large budget and a large audience is a great way to start a show. Obviously I’m late to the party as ‘The Silent Sea’ aired almost a year ago now, but I still think it’s one of the better Netflix K-Dramas I’ve seen. I’ve mentioned before how a platform like Netflix gives K-Dramas certain freedoms that shows aired on Korean networks don’t have, and I think this show really hits that perfect middle ground of not being too conservative, but also not being too dark. ‘D.P’ is another Netflix release that was at its core a great show, but the themes were so dark that it wasn’t actually that enjoyable to watch. ‘Sweet Home’ is a Netflix release that I didn’t even make past the first episode- the horror themes were just too much for me. ‘The Silent Sea’ is great for me because it sort of dances on the edge of being horror, but never actually crosses over. I like being drawn in and I like being nervous for the characters and anticipating what is going to happen next. I don’t like being scared. I especially don’t like still being scared even after I’ve turned the show off.

It's the perfect amount of scary for people who don't like horror

This drama was fabulous because it was so great at drawing you into the moment and holding the viewer in these tense, highly suspenseful moments, but very rarely resorted to things like jump scares or gore to heighten the tension. Instead, there was always this slightly uncomfortable feeling that something wasn’t quite right, but it was hard to pick out exactly what it was. Things like lighting, small character expressions and music were excellent tools that this show used to create suspense and build tension. Another excellent way the show did this was to have scenes linger for slightly longer than they needed to.

A+ for atmosphere

A character would leave a hallway or walk past a door and the camera would stay focused on supposed emptiness for just slightly longer than would be normal, leaving the viewer waiting for something to happen- something has to be there right, or why else would the shot still be ongoing? It was a fabulous way of creating the feeling that something else was in the station with the team and that the team was being watched without actually having to show anything at all. The actual plot of the show was pretty slow moving. Not a lot was really going on in each of these episodes. You couldn’t really build these small moments and create this spooky atmosphere if a hundred other things were going on at the same time. I didn’t mind this payoff at all- there was enough in each episode to keep me hooked and the viewers were spoon-fed small pieces of the mystery in each of the episodes. One thing I will say about the plot, is that while technically not a lot happened each episode, I liked that the characters faced threats from different sources. As the story progressed deeper into the mystery, the threats the characters came in contact with were more varied. This certainly helped to up the tension and keep the interest in the story. The different threats were also hinted at early on so it never felt like they came out of nowhere. Right as the crew arrived at Balhae station they saw a dead mercenary and the dialogue was able to give some exposition on the group and why they may potentially cause issues with the crew. Which of course they did in the form of Gi Soon and Tae Suk.

Of all the ways you could die in this station, getting shot by a human sure seems the least cool

We also had Luna herself attacking the crew in the middle episodes in an effort to prevent them from taking the Luna Water away. And then of course there was the Luna Water itself that could instantly kill any of the crew if they came into contact with it. Having a range of threats and different types of danger kept the show engaging and suspenseful, and I enjoyed how it wasn’t an obvious enemy for the crew to go up against all the time. Much like the atmosphere in each episode built, the story built itself in a similar way, gradually upping the stakes and the tension until we made it to the final episode.

Is she a fish? Is she a human? Nobody knows!

The story itself I thought was good- we knew something had happened on the station and we knew it had something to do with the strange Luna Water, and enjoyed the gradual unravelling of what really happened at Balhae Station. I appreciated the final moral issue that the characters were faced with, and I didn’t feel like the viewers had to make too many assumptions about what happened on their own. I still have no idea what the hell Luna Water is or how Luna came to be the way that she is, but I’m not sure we are supposed to know those things by the end of the show. The lack of answers to the final issue raised by the drama is probably the show’s only weak point. I can see some people potentially being put off by the slow pace, but as I mentioned before, that was a price I was willing to pay for the creepiness in each episode. I also think the lack of explanation at the end may annoy some viewers and the science didn’t seem very science-y. The mystery substance just was and interacted with things we knew, such as people, just because the was what the show needed it to do. No reasoning and no explanation. I found this to be a minor flaw though, and it didn’t really have ay impact of my enjoyment of the drama as a whole. 

What Was Great:

Cinematic Experience:

This show is gorgeous. You can tell it had a high budget. The landscaping of the moon was absolutely beautiful and all the CGI with the space and violence and water was all very realistic. To add to the stunning cinematography, the acting was all top class.

The moon landscape was just absolutely stunning 

While the characters themselves weren’t exactly integral to the story, which was more focused on location and events, it certainly didn’t hurt to have actors of such high caliber filling out the cast. The score as well was done beautifully- the music added to the feel of what we were seeing on screen, both the setting and the characters, and certainly assisted with creating the dark, unsettling mood that the show was building. All the elements that supported the plot and storyline were absolutely top shelf, and gave the drama a clean and polished look that can sometimes be lacking from smaller budget shows. All the scenes and various locations we were shown as the story progressed felt so rich and real, and had great detail focus.

Spooky station with spooky lighting

All the areas inside the Balhae Station were populated with smaller details so that we knew where in the station we were. The smaller details all added up to build the bigger picture and add depth to the show. Each and every aspect of the drama came together to increase the foreboding atmosphere and worked together to build the tension that the plot of the drama was riding on. This show was a great experience all around, but visually it was really a cut above other K-Dramas. 

What Wasn’t:

Inconclusive:

As I've said in many a drama review- I’m not really a fan of open endings. While I understand it can be there to allow the viewer to imagine the story to go in any direction from that point, a big part of me has always felt that this is a slightly lazy way of ending a story. Sometimes I’m on board- such as the ending of ‘Inception’ where it’s unclear if the main character has made it back to his family or if he’s still in a dream.

We just kinda threw science away for that last episode, huh

Because there’s only two options and the story that we’ve sat through isn’t really impacted by which of those scenarios are true. But the ending here in ‘The Silent Sea’ was just too open. It’s unclear who is in the spacecraft that arrives for Ji Ann and Dr Hong. It’s unclear why Luna can live on the moon without the need for a space suit. It’s unclear if Luna is going to taken for more experiments and research. It’s unclear whether the moral quandaries the characters have experienced have any impact on wether the Korean government continues the research into Luna Water and if the cloning experimentation continues. It felt like the show spent all its time on uncovering the mystery of Balhae Station (which it did extremely well), but then did nothing with what was left after our characters had all the information. Is it setting up for a Season 2? I mean, probably but I don’t really like that either. Almost everyone from Season 1 is dead and any ongoing seasons are unlikely to have that same level of unsettling atmosphere and curious underlying mystery that made this series so good. Not a fan of open endings, and not a fan of banking on second seasons, so either way- not a huge fan of the way this drama wrapped up.

Recommend?

I would recommend this drama. Particularly for those that enjoy atmosphere building and the tension that comes from a mystery slowly unraveling. 

I sure hope they don't go back to Earth for a second season

Coffee Prince

Coffee Prince

9/10

Coffee Prince

Genre: Episodes: 17 Year: 2007

Romance

Comedy

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Han Gyul is the son of a wealthy family who only likes to play around and hates work. He is ordered by his Grandmother to operate a cafe for three months, and if the cafe is a success he can return to his carefree lifestyle. One of the employees at the cafe is Go Eun Chan, a girl who has had to become the primary money-earner of her household after the death of her father. As Eun Chan needs money and the pay at the cafe is good, she continues to work there disguised as a boy as the cafe only hires males to match its ‘prince’ theme.

Cast:

Gong Yoo (Choi Han Gyul)

Yoon Eun Hye (Go Eun Chan)

Lee Sun Kyun (Choi Han Sung)

Chae Jung Ahn (Han Yoo Joo)

Lee Eon (Hwan Min Yeop)

Kim Jae Wook (No Seon Ki)

Kim Dong Wook (Jin Ha Rim)

Kim Chan Wan (Hong Gae Shik)

General Thoughts:

This is a rather special review, as it’s the first drama I’m reviewing after watching it for a second time. ‘Coffee Prince’ is one of the first K-Dramas I ever watched, and so my reviews hadn’t even begun at that time. I’m glad to say that not a lot changed watching it the second time around- it was still immensely enjoyable, and still remains one of my favourite dramas.

It's hilarious

While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that this drama has aged well (it’s pretty dated), it’s a feat in itself that the drama can feel a little old and yet still be so highly entertaining. The characters are all so delightful- particularly Han Gyul, and they’re all acted so well. Gong Yoo never puts in a half-hearted performance so there was no surprise there, but this is really the only time I’ve seen Yoon Eun Hye put in a decent performance.

The start of a weird, but interesting relationship 

Sure, she still overacts the banoonoos out of everything, but it sort of matched Eun Chan’s personality. Lee Sun Kyun was an excellent second male lead, and was the perfect choice for Han Sung. Lee Sun Kyun really expressed Han Sung’s feelings well, despite how convoluted and confusing they were. As an audience we never became too confused with how he was feeling, because Han Sung didn’t really know himself, so it was easy to take his actions at face value- he did what he did because he wanted to and it made him feel good, not because he was a sneaky, manipulative character. I didn’t love the relationship between Han Sung and Yoo Joo the first time, and I didn’t like it any more the second time, but it was a satisfactory direction for the two second leads to take. Han Sung has always loved Yoo Joo, and it’s always been obvious that he has, but Yoo Joo herself was less convincing. It also didn’t help that Yoo Joo just didn’t seem like a nice person. She’s already cheated on and dumped Han Sung once, and has been continually flirting with his cousin for 10 years- and it’s so not just the two of them being close as Yoo Joo does some really obviously flirtatious things that she is obviously aware of, despite already knowing how deep Han Gyul’s feelings for her were.

What a total player

And if that’s not enough to make you dislike her, she also gets furious with Han Sung for liking Eun Chan for a short period of time. And while I know that how Han Sung acted wasn’t great either, and two wrongs don’t make a right, it was a little hypocritical of her to get so angry at him for it when she actually cheated on him for a whole year. But moving on, the rest of the boys in the coffee shop were super cute. Manager Hong still grosses me out, but his underlying personality is rather sweet. The three young boys are just so fun to watch and are a large part of the reason why the show is able to stay so interesting despite not a lot actually happening.

The show had just the right amount of boy bonding

A large bulk of the drama definitely focused on Eun Chan and Han Gyul and their relationships with the second leads, but these scenes were often padded out with side stories of the other coffee boys. While the side stories weren’t insanely interesting, they were enough to keep your interest so that the main conflicts had time to breathe.

Han Gyul had zero idea what was going on

Each story was well written and gave the characters room to grow and develop, and all of them were tied up in satisfactory ways. When it comes to the main plot, there’s not actually a lot going on. Girl dressed as boy is the main hook of the show, but the series is really more about the male lead’s confusion as a result of the set up. Yes, there’s an abundance of comedy to stem from our heroine pretending to be a man, but ‘Coffee Prince’ is actually quite a melodrama, with Han Gyul’s resistance, shock, and then acceptance to him developing feelings for someone he believes is male. The first time watching I didn’t really appreciate how long the misunderstanding went for. Now that I’ve seen a few more (a looooot more) dramas, and more crossdressing dramas, I now know that this is a rarity. Other dramas tend to let the male lead know that the heroine is a girl pretty early on, even if the heroine isn’t aware of his knowledge. ‘Coffee Prince’ is truly unique for letting its hero go so far down the ‘gay’ path, particularly as it’s an older drama and really one of the first of the crossdressing kind. There were many good things to mine out of Han Gyul’s predicament, both comedic and heartfelt, and I’m confident that the reason this show has remained so popular through the years is that it’s really the only show (that I’ve seen or heard of) that let its male lead struggle that much with his sexuality.

So cute, so confused

It made Han Gyul a truly sympathetic character. We could understand why he was having such a difficult time accepting his feelings- he’s always liked girls, not to mention Korea isn’t the most gay-friendly country, and although he’s struggling he never really denies his feelings to himself.

She really just didn't think anything through

Which just makes him so unbelievably endearing. On the other hand, Han Gyul’s struggle did serve to make Eun Chan come off as a little dumb and non empathetic. She seemed to have no comprehension that Han Gyul was confused about his feelings (despite his pulling her close then pushing her away), and it didn’t even cross her mind that SHE was the source of Han Gyul’s turmoil. It might just be because as viewers we were privy to scenes of Han Gyul breaking down and thus understood him, meanwhile Eun Chan didn’t have that experience, but it still felt like she should be picking up something. Overall, Eun Chan as a character felt highly immature. While most of the time she came across as quite funny and cute, there were also times that she just seemed to be acting far too young for her age. It wasn’t a huge downer, but I did often find myself thinking that Eun Chan was acting more like a child than an adult. However, despite the immaturity of Eun Chan, the romance was still highly believable. Eun Chan’s affections moving from Han Sung to Han Gyul was done in a gradual, believable way, and Han Gyul’s growing affection for Eun Chan was the highlight of the show. 

What Was Great:

Believable Crossdress:

Of all the gender-bender dramas I’ve seen ‘Coffee Prince’ is the only one where it’s honestly believable that people would mistake the heroine for a boy. Yoon Eun Hye’s face with short hair and no makeup does look remarkably like a young boy, especially when she's dressed like one.

She looked like a dude and she acted like a dude

Despite her tendency to overact, I will say that Yoon Eun Hye really nailed the male mannerisms. The way she walked, slouched, sat and interacted with those around her was very masculine and really helped sell the idea that people could mistake the character for a boy. Having such a successful crossdress made it that much easier to relate and understand Han Gyul, because quite often it was easy to forget that Eun Chan was a girl. It prevented Han Gyul from coming across as stupid, and increased viewer sympathy for him.

Selling the Hurt:

In every drama where the main plot centres around a deception, there’s always the fallout after the lie comes to light.

Poor sad Gong Yoo

Quite often the fallout can seem too extreme for the level of the lie, or the deceived party carries on their hurt for far too long. This wasn’t the case in ‘Coffee Prince’ at all. Han Gyul’s hurt is completely understandable as we see him struggle with his feelings for Eun Chan, and understand that being gay is a much bigger deal in Korea than in western countries. So it’s understandable that Han Gyul is angry when he realises that all he went through and was willing to go through for Eun Chan didn’t really matter because she was a girl and not a boy. Han Gyul’s pain and anger are easy to understand, but the drama also doesn’t drag it out for too long. Han Gyul is appropriately upset at Eun Chan for a time, but then forgives her before the fight becomes annoying to everyone watching. I only wish that the reason Eun Chan lied about being a boy was a little more solid- because frankly, wanting to work in a boy-only coffee shop is a pretty weak excuse. 

What Wasn’t:

Second Party Reveal:

The biggest bummer in this drama by far is that Eun Chan didn’t tell Han Gyul that she was a girl herself. Instead Han Gyul gets this information from Ha Rim, which only adds to the deception. Eun Chan never came clean- she was discovered.

You should have just told him yourself 

It’s not like there weren’t plenty of opportunities to tell Han Gyul the truth, and once Eun Chan became aware of Han Gyul’s feelings for her, she really should have come clean. Because continuing the lie past that point just became cruel. I mean, it’s not like you can be ignorant of his feelings after he says he’ll love you whether you’re a man or an alien. That makes it pretty obvious. And it was really at that point that Eun Chan should have revealed herself.

It's a super cute show

There was really no excuse to continue the lie, and was only setting up for a bigger fallout. Eun Chan’s choice to continue to lie to Han Gyul made her seem manipulative, and made her hard to relate to.

It’s A Tad Draggy:

The first time I watched the show I was so onboard with all the emotions that the show never felt slow. However, after watching it for a second time I will admit that the show tended to drag its feet a little. Most of the time the drama moved at a nice, steady momentum, but there were times were not a lot was happening, and because I knew where we were going I just couldn’t wait to get there, and found the buildup a tad too slow.

Recommend?

100%. This drama has remained so popular for such a long period of time, and there’s good reason for it. The characters are mostly fun and charming, and Han Gyul’s emotional journey is really one of a kind in K-Dramaland.

The time skip annoyed me significantly less the second time around

The Lonely Shining Goblin

The Lonely Shining Goblin

7/10

The Lonely Shining Goblin

Genre:                                     Episodes: 16                          Year: 2017

Romance

Melodrama

Fantasy

Synopsis:

In Goryeo, General Kim Shin is unbeatable in battle. His skill gives rise to vicious rumour, and in a state of jealousy and fear, the young king orders Shin executed as a traitor. At his death, Shin is cursed to become a Goblin- a magical being with immortal life fated to watch his loved ones die. It is said that only the Goblin’s Bride can end his curse. In the present day, the Goblin lives with a Reaper- a soul cursed due to the heavy sins of their life, but with no memory of what those sins were. The two meet Ji Eun Tak, a young girl that escaped death as a child, who claims to be the Goblin’s Bride.

Cast:

Gong Yoo (Kim Shin)

Kim Go Eun (Ji Eun Tak)

Lee Dong Wook (Reaper)

Yoo In Na (Sunny)

Yook Sung Jae (Yoo Deok Hwa)

Kim Byung Chul (Park Joon Hoon)

Kim So Hyun (Kim Sun)

Kim Min Jae (Wang Yeo)

Lee El (Birth Grandmother)

General Thoughts:

This is kind of a weird drama, in that I don’t really want to talk about it that much. Like…I enjoyed it (didn’t love it, but I mostly enjoyed it), but I’m kind of content to let it just slide by without saying much about it. But, you know, I'm going to write a long-ass review anyway.

I don't really want to talk about you right now, mate

Like most dramas there were good parts and not so good parts, and thankfully ‘Goblin’ managed to avoid having any sections that were completely unbearable. It got off to a wicked start where EVERYONE DIED. Which does sound kind of depressing and macabre, but at the same time it set the stage brilliantly.

Between this and that other drama, Goryeo seems like a sh*t time to be alive

We want to see how our Goblin will live now that everyone he loves is dead, but we also want to see what events led up to that opening scene. Things get twister with the introduction of the Goblin’s Bride and the Reaper, and sets us up for what looked like a thick, juicy story. Unfortunately, after Episode 1 the pace of the show slowed right down and we focused a lot more on Eun Tak than the Goblin. As cute as their scenes were, and much as I enjoyed the banter they exchanged, I was never quite on the same wavelength as the romance. With Eun Tak being so determined to be the Goblin’s bride, it was hard to pinpoint the time when she actually started falling for him for real. Suddenly she was just very, very in love with him, and I was a little confused how she got there.

Do you love him because he's the Goblin, or do you not care that he's the Goblin because you love him?

It was an acceptable development cuz they are our main couple, but I did feel a bit disconnected from the love-line. Unlike that other love-line which I totally connected with. Sunny and the Reaper were a really interesting pair, and their story was riveting. I didn’t mind at all when the show took the focus off of the main romance (‘should I pull out the sword or not?’) to focus on the reincarnation story. Not only was the past aspect of their romance intriguing, but their present day romance was just too funny- Reaper’s despair at not being a regular man with a name and a business card was always good value.

So cutely awkward

I liked that Sunny wasn’t exactly like Kim Sun. Sure, she was the reincarnated soul, but she still seemed like a distinct person all on her own, which was nice as Reaper himself had lost his memories of his life and also seemed like a slightly different version of himself- like this is who he was when he didn’t have an evil advisor whispering in his ear from birth.

So majestic, our Reaper of Death

The whole progression of Reaper and Sunny’s story was just brilliant- everything seemed to come at the right time. The humour, heart, and sadness all came in the right dose at the right moment, and made for a really addictive story. Similarly, the smaller side-stories really hit the right note for me as well. The small ghost stories, death stories, and miracle stories around Eun Tak, the Reaper and the Goblin were often just as (if not more) touching than the main story. It was interesting how the show dealt with death- often it was a relief or a reuniting rather than something horrifically sad. It fit in well with the thoughtful, melancholy vibe of the series and gave the show a very unique, distinct feeling. While I’ve seen lots of series and movies that deal with the idea of death and afterlife and reincarnations, I think ‘Goblin’ has been the most thoughtful and well-planned. There were rules for both death and reincarnation, and even when those rules were bent it made total sense and the show was clear and quick to explain why the rules were able to be broken at that time. The show also didn’t overuse rule breaking. Originally I was a bit worried, as some shows that include deities in its set-up tend to use them as a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free card, but ‘Goblin’ didn’t. There was no magical way that prevented Kim Shin from dying, he just got summoned back when Eun Tak blew out a candle and made a sincere wish- something that we’ve already seen is a rule of this fantasy world. There was also no magic way to save Eun Tak. If I could have something magical, I wish that the drama would magic in more screen time for Sungjae.

My love for you knows no limits

What Was Great:

Acting:

The acting really made up for the less riveting aspects of the story. While I might not have been on the same page as the two lead actors romance-wise, I did at least believe there was a romance. I was just confused as to how it came about. Gong Yoo in particular smashed it- there were multiple shots of nothing but Gong Yoo’s face for several minutes, and even in those long, drawn-out passages I never doubted his sincerity.

It was pretty to watch even if real people never actually behave that way

Kim Go Eun delivered a strong performance herself, but it was obvious that she wasn’t as seasoned as those around her. While her happy scenes were very cute, they could come off a tad forced- but I believed her completely in the more dramatic moments, which is more important anyway. In particular, she really sold her grief during the scene of the Goblin’s death. It couldn’t have been an easy scene as it was quite long in comparison to other scenes and all she did was cry really hard- and she performed it brilliantly.

We have a new contender for the saddest sad-face

I’ve always liked Yoo In Na as an actress and she was no disappointment. It was nice to see her turn her energy into a likeable character as I’ve mostly seen her play slightly nasty second leads. Sure, she always adds a layer of humanity to her characters, but it was nice to see her in a role where her confidence was used to make her loveable. She had brilliant chemistry with Lee Dong Wook, and her responses to his hilarious oddball character were just flawless. Lee Dong Wook himself was phenomenal. I’ve never actually seen him in anything else, but he blew me away here. I was so connected to the Reaper as a character, and felt every snippet of emotion he did. And Lee Dong Wook had to do a lot of crying for this role. A lot. But it never became over-used or annoying. Often I find continually weepy characters irritating- but Reaper was just even more endearing due to his tears. He never seemed to be crying simply for the sake of tears, and always seemed to have a different reason to cry. Each new scene brought new conflicts to the character, and Lee Dong Wook brought forth each new emotion with such perfect anguish. He never overplayed his role either in the comedy or the melo, but hit that sweet-spot right in the middle.

The Reaper:

Lee Dong Wook’s acting was indeed superb, but it’s not the only reason Reaper was such a success. He’s just a fantastic character. Out of all the characters we had, Reaper really had the most development by far.

'I love you and I'm totally sorry that I killed you and your entire family in your past life.'

He went from an emotionless robot who was so disconnected from everything around him to a man that so yearned for love that the memories of his past life were tearing him up. His relationship with Sunny was so adorable yet heart-breaking, and he really became a character that was impossible to not love.

I love this magical, immortal bromance. So. Much.

He was earnest and sincere and his relationships with the other characters were just so genuine. Reaper developed a sweet little friendship with Eun Tak, but it was his bromance with Goblin that was the absolute killer. Even though everyone loves a good bromance, this was definitely a cut above the rest. It wasn’t a friendship based solely on proximity and skinship (though who doesn’t love a boy-cuddle?) but on understanding and emotional investment. The two men were both more-or-less immortal, and so the only people they could really confide in about their long lives and mortal girlfriends was each other. It was a sort of begrudging friendship, but that just made it even better as it was obvious that the men had really come to care for one another. They were so opposed to it, but after spending so much time around each other, they couldn’t help but care. Just like us.

CGI:

CGI isn’t something that comes along in your every-day K-Drama, and when it does it tends to be a little bit shoddy. But ‘Goblin’ didn’t hold back. When they went CGI they meant it, and it was awesome. It really helped to hammer in the fact that the Goblin was special when you could see a glowing sword skewering him or he sinks an entire ship solo. It was badass. It was like watching a full-budget Hollywood movie it was that good.

Oooooooo it seems so real

Soundtrack:

I can appreciate a good soundtrack in a drama, but every now and then a soundtrack comes along that makes me think ‘yeah, this is what an A-Grade soundtrack is’. This was one of those dramas. The last soundtrack I loved this much would have to be ‘My Love from the Stars’, and ‘Goblin’ comes at a close second. The music was thoughtful and carried an air of wistfulness that was lovely to listen to. It enhanced every scene and fitted with the director’s style perfectly.

Now imagine the really sweet soundtrack while looking at the picture

The director tended to love these small lingering moments, and the soundtrack really helped to capitalise and beautify these moments. Again, it was something that seemed more like movie quality than drama quality.

What Wasn’t:

Unanswered Mythology Questions:

Hmkay. This was a bit of a bummer. What I look for most in a good fantasy drama is a mythology that holds up from start to end. For the most part the mythology of the show was pretty flawless- it was only right at the end that I was a touch confused. I loved that Eun Tak died at the end.

I was actually totally prepared for a sad ending

It was a weirdly satisfying sort of conclusion for her character with just the right amount of heartache. I loved the whole situation- how it came about, Reaper’s commentary, and of course the way it was filmed. But my favourite thing about Eun Tak’s death is that she chose it herself. She’s spent her whole life dodging death, but then stops right in its path to save a bus of children. On paper it sounds kind of cliche, but in the drama it was poetic and beautiful. The only issue was- what does this mean for our Goblin? I mean, it was all nice to have Eun Tak leave him to go be reincarnated and that she could hold on to all her memories of him, and it was nice to think that the two had three more (hopefully long) lifetimes ahead of them to be happy and in love. But then- what happens when Eun Tak lives her fourth life? There’s no reincarnation after that, so does Goblin just go back to being lonely and immortal forever? If so, that kind of defeats the whole point of the show. Not to mention that it's bloody depressing to think that he has to watch his bride die a total of four times and then spend years and years waiting for her to be reincarnated. 

So, um...what does Goblin do when Eun Tak's four lifetimes are up?

So Slow:

No drama needs episodes that are over an hour long. I’ll allow up to an hour and ten minutes, but beyond that you’re just pushing it. Most of the reason I could keep back-to-backing the episodes was that a whole episode's worth of excitement often came in the last 10 minutes, and I NEEDED to know what happened next (even if it did take 500 years to tell me).

I don't want to be rude, but can you guys get in some real danger or something?

The length of ‘Goblin’s episodes had me thinking back to ‘Answer Me 1994’- it’s all interesting stuff, but my attention span only lasts so long. And you’ve only got so much story to tell. There were times when ‘Goblin’ was starting to feel a bit too drawn out, and I was figuring out the twists before the drama arrived there. The characters and acting kept the series engaging enough, but it could have been truly addictive if everything had happened just a little bit quicker. Sure, the lingering moments were melancholy and sweet- but after 6 or 7 episodes I kind of just wanted the story to get on with it. I kind of wish that the drama had either introduced the ghost villain earlier (because my goodness that was exciting- a BAD GUY!!) or spent more time fleshing out the Goryeo relationships. I won’t lie, a little part of that desire is just wanting to see more of Kim So Hyun and Kim Min Jae- because they are fabulous, and they were fabulous together.

Re-watch?

Unlikely. I loved Gong Yoo and Lee Dong Wook so I might revisit if K-Dramaland seems to be running dry on bromance. But otherwise I’ll probably avoid a re-watch. Yet another drawback of having episodes that go past that hour mark.

Worth a watch but I won't bust my guns to go there again