Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin)
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin) (Viki)
Content Warning: Violence and Language (harsh language is only used maybe twice in entire show)
My Rating: A
Character Glossary:
Kim Shin: Goblin
Ji Eun Tak: Main Character
Grim Reaper: I know this might surprise you but... he's a Grim Reaper
Sunny: Owner of a chicken restaurant
Deok Hwa: Heir to a company
Guardian is about a 939 year old (Forgive me if I got the number wrong but I know it is definitely over 900 years old) goblin who is searching for his bride. His bride will be able to pull the sword out of his chest and give him the peace he so desperately craves. He meets a girl named Ji Eun Tak who claims to be that person but he is slow to believe her. Things get even more complicated when he becomes roomates with a Grim Reaper. Can Eun Tak save him from eternal misery? Or is he doomed to suffer?
SPOILERS AHEAD READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
OVERALL STORY: Holy crap was this show just full of ups and downs. You could be laughing one moment and crying the next. It was everywhere. That being said brief story time. I couldn't wait for this to be entirely released on Viki so I went and bought the entire series. I was worried at first that the show might turn out to not be worth the money I spent on it but dang it was worth every penny. The story was unique with its fantastical elements but the acting and the dynamic of all the characters really fleshed it out. I loved the bromance between Kim Shin and the Grim Reaper. They are so funny but their relationship got really complicated later on and I was worried the rift between them wouldn't be fixed. However it did work out and they ended on friendly terms which was a bonus that I didn't think I would get. That leads me to my next topic: the connection between present day and the past. This became more critical to the story then I thought it would be. Like you think that everything that is previously shown about the past is just to explain Kim Shin's character but that turns out to be entirely wrong. It is to explain multiple characters backgrounds and stories which I won't get into here but you will find more on it in the various character bios below. I wish I knew how to condense all of the information and stuff this show offers into this one section and be able to do it justice but that isn't working out too well. So I am just going to wrap this up by saying this was AMAZING. It had beautiful characters and the pace of the show was nice. I will note that there was this one character that seemed to only show up to make Kim Shin jealous and then he's gone. Which I felt like that wasn't realistic because he was starting to pursue Eun Tak so we should have gotten a scene where she friendzoned him or something for him stopping to make sense. But that wasn't a big deal to me it didn't affect the story at all. Lastly I want to talk a bit about the ending. It is a very bittersweet conclusion so I wouldn't really describe it as "they lived happily ever after." Grim Reaper and Sunny both die together and get reincarnated. We see them in their new lives with her being an actress and him a police investigator. With their past no longer hindering them they get to be together without any stress. Which they both definitely deserve! That made me so happy even though neither of them remembered Kim Shin or Eun Tak which was the sad part of that. Eun Tak is killed in a car crash (which is all sorts of heartbreaking. It brought me back to the PTSD I got from episode 13) and Kim Shin promises to wait for her to be reincarnated. He is sitting on a hill and she finds him and they are reunited. That's the ending. This show couldn't have any other ending but you are left with conflicting emotions. The equally happy and sad feelings tugging at your heart are a little confusing.
MAIN COUPLE #1: The relationship between Kim Shin and Eun Tak was the main focus in the story. (romantic wise that is.) THEY ARE ONE OF THE CUTEST COUPLES FREAKING EVER!!! I can't even believe how much I loved them. Even though they started out kind of rocky.... with her telling him that she was the bride and him not believing her and all. Slowly but surely you can see him start to care about her. Which that is a funny story actually. So anytime she blows out a fire (candle, lighter, burnt food, etc.) she summons him. And he started prepping himself to be summoned by making sure he has "smart" literature and a variety of other things. He tries so hard to seem cool to her. She never goes through that phase though I mean at the end of the first episode she tells him she loves him so there were no problems there. They go through A LOT of stuff before they officially get together though so if you are looking for a quick get together and stay together romance that is not what this is (If you want that though look into Love O2O or What's Wrong with Secretary Kim) but I don't think it would have been realistic with it not taking so long. The reason they have a longer period of time is mostly because of Kim Shin. He is super careful not to show or admit how he really feels about her. So it takes her leaving and all of this other stuff (including other dudes hitting on Eun Tak) for him to finally decide to open up to her. What I love about them is the way they balance each other. I know I often mention balance when I talk about couples but it is important to me that they have that. Kim Shin was protective, loving, absolutely adorable boyfriend. (eventually husband) Eun Tak is sweet, caring, and exactly what Kim Shin needs to be happy. Which I loved. Seeing both of them find happiness in each other was the sweetest thing. They had both had hard lives so they deserved that light they found.
MAIN COUPLE #2: This was such a heartbreaking couple. At first they were simply cute. Sunny would flirt and the Grim Reaper would be super awkward. It was a couple that you don't expect to work but they actually do. They had some super precious moments mainly because the Grim Reaper is super adorable in the way he interacted with her. Then because he couldn't come right out and tell her he was a harbinger of death and all, they drifted apart a bit. THEN it all just falls apart. They end up finding out that the Grim Reapers previous reincarnation and Sunny's previous reincarnation had been married. That would have been great and all except that he was also the one to order her execution. So once they both regain their memories it is understandable that they would want their distance. (at least Sunny wants it.) They end up not being together because Sunny is not eager to make the same mistake as she did in her previous life. It leads to a lot of sad moments between them. Like I mentioned above things to end up happily for them but until they die together it is really sad.
KIM SHIN: First of all can I just say he is super adorable when he is drunk. Not that I'm advocating drinking or anything but he is just really cute when he lets go. Now that, that is out of the way Kim Shin was a really good character. He has a lot of depth and his character was so complex and real. He had a very difficult backstory and that very much shaped what kind of person he is. He could be kind and merciful yet when the people he loved got hurt he was unforgiving. But he wasn't cruel. Which was nice to have that balance. He never could be considered evil and that is really cool that no matter what he wouldn't dive off the deep end. He was crafty though in the ways he got revenge like he made that couple fall in love knowing that they would make each other miserable. (In order to protect the people they were cheating on.) But he was also genuinely a good guy. He watched over people and occasionally had moments of "divine intervention" where he stepped in to help someone else. He was such a funny and great character. The actor portrayed him to perfection and I adore him.
JI EUN TAK: There is no one out there quite like her. She has his innocence about her without being naïve. She is kind to the ghosts that she can talk to but she is brave to the more crazy ones. In fact she is just brave about a lot of things. Although she does find herself in the "damsel in distress" position a lot no one could really call her that. She is totally courageous and she just brings this happiness to others. She is the one who brought all of the characters together both physically and emotionally. She connected everyone and really was the one who made a lot of the friendships occur. Because of her the Grim Reaper and Kim Shin became better friends. Because of her Kim Shin got to meet his sister again. Because of her Kim Shin got to be happy again. She has got to be one of the best main characters ever. I really did love her and she only got better as time went on.
GRIM REAPER: Okay so he is literally the most adorable awkward dude ever. Like I don't know how he could be so awkward and yet still accomplish his flirting goals. And friendship goals. And life. And before the whole reincarnation issue he really did have a bit of a child like edge to him. He saw the world in such a unique way and you can't help but love him. He, of course, loses that when he finds out about his previous life. Which is INCREDIBLY sad I just want you to know. Like okay so when we first meet him he is the king that killed Kim Shin and Sunny's previous reincarnation. (Kim Shin's sister) Which I freaking hated that dude I mean he did all of that because of selfish desires and jealousy. What's a more lousy reason than that? But then you find out more because that wasn't the last of the kings story. So little note: Someone who committed a great sin in their previous life becomes a Grim Reaper. His sin was the fact that he killed himself. Which is horrifying and heartbreaking that his choices drove him to do that. And seeing him have to come to grips with that was really hard to watch because it was so tough on him. However he did get a happy ending and I was really happy about that.
SUNNY: I liked her from the first moment we met her. She... wow I really don't know how to describe what kind of person she is. She doesn't take crap from anyone and yet she does it in this really unique way. Like I don't know how she does half the things she does without largely insulting the people she interacts with. But she is also such a great friend to Eun Tak. She is super understanding about Eun Tak's situation in life and is a constant support throughout the story. I didn't expect her to be as critical a part as she was to this story. I mean I knew she was important I mean she's on the front cover and all but like she was critical. She was the reincarnation of Kim Shin's sister and once she discovered that her character changed a bit. She carried herself a little differently and was... softer I guess you could say. But she was still her and the actress was phenomenal at making this change realistic and amazing. I loved her character and this show wouldn't be complete without Sunny. I was glad she got to live "happily ever after." Oh also she low key stood up to a deity so if that isn't legit I don't know what is.
DEOK HWA: He didn't get as much character development and stuff as the others but he was still hilarious. Like he literally spent the entire show trying to get his credit card (well most of the show but ehhh close enough.) from everyone. I mean he was endearingly whiny which is a mix that shouldn't have worked but for me it did. After his grandpa died his character shifted a little and he started making more of an effort to be the heir that he is. He was more responsible and his world view shifted a little. Like I mentioned he didn't go through a lot but what little he did go through made an impact. Also he got possessed by a deity which is pretty crazy and I didn't even realize it until Kim Shin did. I wish he had found someone though cause it would have been interesting to see him find someone who could make him see past his more selfish default.
*I do want to note that there was a lot of other stuff I could have talked about but for the sake of not taking up to much room I am going to just say that you should watch it because although I got a lot there is still more to be had*
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"Every moment I spent with you...shined. Because the weather was good, because the weather was bad and because the weather was good enough. I loved every moment of it." - Kim Shin
SHIP VIDEO + BROMANCE VIDEO: (May Contain Spoilers)
Content Warning: Violence and Language (harsh language is only used maybe twice in entire show)
My Rating: A
Character Glossary:
Kim Shin: Goblin
Ji Eun Tak: Main Character
Grim Reaper: I know this might surprise you but... he's a Grim Reaper
Sunny: Owner of a chicken restaurant
Deok Hwa: Heir to a company
Guardian is about a 939 year old (Forgive me if I got the number wrong but I know it is definitely over 900 years old) goblin who is searching for his bride. His bride will be able to pull the sword out of his chest and give him the peace he so desperately craves. He meets a girl named Ji Eun Tak who claims to be that person but he is slow to believe her. Things get even more complicated when he becomes roomates with a Grim Reaper. Can Eun Tak save him from eternal misery? Or is he doomed to suffer?
SPOILERS AHEAD READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
OVERALL STORY: Holy crap was this show just full of ups and downs. You could be laughing one moment and crying the next. It was everywhere. That being said brief story time. I couldn't wait for this to be entirely released on Viki so I went and bought the entire series. I was worried at first that the show might turn out to not be worth the money I spent on it but dang it was worth every penny. The story was unique with its fantastical elements but the acting and the dynamic of all the characters really fleshed it out. I loved the bromance between Kim Shin and the Grim Reaper. They are so funny but their relationship got really complicated later on and I was worried the rift between them wouldn't be fixed. However it did work out and they ended on friendly terms which was a bonus that I didn't think I would get. That leads me to my next topic: the connection between present day and the past. This became more critical to the story then I thought it would be. Like you think that everything that is previously shown about the past is just to explain Kim Shin's character but that turns out to be entirely wrong. It is to explain multiple characters backgrounds and stories which I won't get into here but you will find more on it in the various character bios below. I wish I knew how to condense all of the information and stuff this show offers into this one section and be able to do it justice but that isn't working out too well. So I am just going to wrap this up by saying this was AMAZING. It had beautiful characters and the pace of the show was nice. I will note that there was this one character that seemed to only show up to make Kim Shin jealous and then he's gone. Which I felt like that wasn't realistic because he was starting to pursue Eun Tak so we should have gotten a scene where she friendzoned him or something for him stopping to make sense. But that wasn't a big deal to me it didn't affect the story at all. Lastly I want to talk a bit about the ending. It is a very bittersweet conclusion so I wouldn't really describe it as "they lived happily ever after." Grim Reaper and Sunny both die together and get reincarnated. We see them in their new lives with her being an actress and him a police investigator. With their past no longer hindering them they get to be together without any stress. Which they both definitely deserve! That made me so happy even though neither of them remembered Kim Shin or Eun Tak which was the sad part of that. Eun Tak is killed in a car crash (which is all sorts of heartbreaking. It brought me back to the PTSD I got from episode 13) and Kim Shin promises to wait for her to be reincarnated. He is sitting on a hill and she finds him and they are reunited. That's the ending. This show couldn't have any other ending but you are left with conflicting emotions. The equally happy and sad feelings tugging at your heart are a little confusing.
MAIN COUPLE #1: The relationship between Kim Shin and Eun Tak was the main focus in the story. (romantic wise that is.) THEY ARE ONE OF THE CUTEST COUPLES FREAKING EVER!!! I can't even believe how much I loved them. Even though they started out kind of rocky.... with her telling him that she was the bride and him not believing her and all. Slowly but surely you can see him start to care about her. Which that is a funny story actually. So anytime she blows out a fire (candle, lighter, burnt food, etc.) she summons him. And he started prepping himself to be summoned by making sure he has "smart" literature and a variety of other things. He tries so hard to seem cool to her. She never goes through that phase though I mean at the end of the first episode she tells him she loves him so there were no problems there. They go through A LOT of stuff before they officially get together though so if you are looking for a quick get together and stay together romance that is not what this is (If you want that though look into Love O2O or What's Wrong with Secretary Kim) but I don't think it would have been realistic with it not taking so long. The reason they have a longer period of time is mostly because of Kim Shin. He is super careful not to show or admit how he really feels about her. So it takes her leaving and all of this other stuff (including other dudes hitting on Eun Tak) for him to finally decide to open up to her. What I love about them is the way they balance each other. I know I often mention balance when I talk about couples but it is important to me that they have that. Kim Shin was protective, loving, absolutely adorable boyfriend. (eventually husband) Eun Tak is sweet, caring, and exactly what Kim Shin needs to be happy. Which I loved. Seeing both of them find happiness in each other was the sweetest thing. They had both had hard lives so they deserved that light they found.
MAIN COUPLE #2: This was such a heartbreaking couple. At first they were simply cute. Sunny would flirt and the Grim Reaper would be super awkward. It was a couple that you don't expect to work but they actually do. They had some super precious moments mainly because the Grim Reaper is super adorable in the way he interacted with her. Then because he couldn't come right out and tell her he was a harbinger of death and all, they drifted apart a bit. THEN it all just falls apart. They end up finding out that the Grim Reapers previous reincarnation and Sunny's previous reincarnation had been married. That would have been great and all except that he was also the one to order her execution. So once they both regain their memories it is understandable that they would want their distance. (at least Sunny wants it.) They end up not being together because Sunny is not eager to make the same mistake as she did in her previous life. It leads to a lot of sad moments between them. Like I mentioned above things to end up happily for them but until they die together it is really sad.
KIM SHIN: First of all can I just say he is super adorable when he is drunk. Not that I'm advocating drinking or anything but he is just really cute when he lets go. Now that, that is out of the way Kim Shin was a really good character. He has a lot of depth and his character was so complex and real. He had a very difficult backstory and that very much shaped what kind of person he is. He could be kind and merciful yet when the people he loved got hurt he was unforgiving. But he wasn't cruel. Which was nice to have that balance. He never could be considered evil and that is really cool that no matter what he wouldn't dive off the deep end. He was crafty though in the ways he got revenge like he made that couple fall in love knowing that they would make each other miserable. (In order to protect the people they were cheating on.) But he was also genuinely a good guy. He watched over people and occasionally had moments of "divine intervention" where he stepped in to help someone else. He was such a funny and great character. The actor portrayed him to perfection and I adore him.
JI EUN TAK: There is no one out there quite like her. She has his innocence about her without being naïve. She is kind to the ghosts that she can talk to but she is brave to the more crazy ones. In fact she is just brave about a lot of things. Although she does find herself in the "damsel in distress" position a lot no one could really call her that. She is totally courageous and she just brings this happiness to others. She is the one who brought all of the characters together both physically and emotionally. She connected everyone and really was the one who made a lot of the friendships occur. Because of her the Grim Reaper and Kim Shin became better friends. Because of her Kim Shin got to meet his sister again. Because of her Kim Shin got to be happy again. She has got to be one of the best main characters ever. I really did love her and she only got better as time went on.
GRIM REAPER: Okay so he is literally the most adorable awkward dude ever. Like I don't know how he could be so awkward and yet still accomplish his flirting goals. And friendship goals. And life. And before the whole reincarnation issue he really did have a bit of a child like edge to him. He saw the world in such a unique way and you can't help but love him. He, of course, loses that when he finds out about his previous life. Which is INCREDIBLY sad I just want you to know. Like okay so when we first meet him he is the king that killed Kim Shin and Sunny's previous reincarnation. (Kim Shin's sister) Which I freaking hated that dude I mean he did all of that because of selfish desires and jealousy. What's a more lousy reason than that? But then you find out more because that wasn't the last of the kings story. So little note: Someone who committed a great sin in their previous life becomes a Grim Reaper. His sin was the fact that he killed himself. Which is horrifying and heartbreaking that his choices drove him to do that. And seeing him have to come to grips with that was really hard to watch because it was so tough on him. However he did get a happy ending and I was really happy about that.
SUNNY: I liked her from the first moment we met her. She... wow I really don't know how to describe what kind of person she is. She doesn't take crap from anyone and yet she does it in this really unique way. Like I don't know how she does half the things she does without largely insulting the people she interacts with. But she is also such a great friend to Eun Tak. She is super understanding about Eun Tak's situation in life and is a constant support throughout the story. I didn't expect her to be as critical a part as she was to this story. I mean I knew she was important I mean she's on the front cover and all but like she was critical. She was the reincarnation of Kim Shin's sister and once she discovered that her character changed a bit. She carried herself a little differently and was... softer I guess you could say. But she was still her and the actress was phenomenal at making this change realistic and amazing. I loved her character and this show wouldn't be complete without Sunny. I was glad she got to live "happily ever after." Oh also she low key stood up to a deity so if that isn't legit I don't know what is.
DEOK HWA: He didn't get as much character development and stuff as the others but he was still hilarious. Like he literally spent the entire show trying to get his credit card (well most of the show but ehhh close enough.) from everyone. I mean he was endearingly whiny which is a mix that shouldn't have worked but for me it did. After his grandpa died his character shifted a little and he started making more of an effort to be the heir that he is. He was more responsible and his world view shifted a little. Like I mentioned he didn't go through a lot but what little he did go through made an impact. Also he got possessed by a deity which is pretty crazy and I didn't even realize it until Kim Shin did. I wish he had found someone though cause it would have been interesting to see him find someone who could make him see past his more selfish default.
*I do want to note that there was a lot of other stuff I could have talked about but for the sake of not taking up to much room I am going to just say that you should watch it because although I got a lot there is still more to be had*
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"Every moment I spent with you...shined. Because the weather was good, because the weather was bad and because the weather was good enough. I loved every moment of it." - Kim Shin
SHIP VIDEO + BROMANCE VIDEO: (May Contain Spoilers)
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