Posted by FB finally figured out that I’m watching Korean dramas. This is the first ad I’ve seen in my feed.
I am watching this show and it is, by far, the best I’ve seen. A wonderful combination of intriguing story, fantastic humor (wait for it), and an entire ensemble cast that work very well together on screen. The slapstick and spoofing are hilarious.
There is one aspect I would normally complain about: older male (34/936) character being matched with younger (19) female. However, the actress playing the female is older than the character (in the beginning, the character ends up being 29, which changes the dynamic), the relationship is not sexualized and the characters directly discuss the discomfort of the age difference. (Its fantasy, so the Goblin is 936 years old.)
There is a bright line in Korean culture, apparently, between being a child at 19 and an adult at 20. The two main adult male characters are quite clear that her age presents a problem. Also, the Goblin character’s original life ended when he was 34 or so, but his entire life was training and being a warrior. He had no romantic relations. Socially, he’s a teenager. In that respect, she is the elder and is teaching him. And that is depicted so well. The actor is quite good at having that come through. These aspects softened my original recoiling.
For best relationship depiction I’ve seen in just about anything I’ve watched anywhere, I’d say “On the Way to the Airport.” There are some problematic secondary characters, but the relationship between the main characters is amazing. The proactive defining of boundaries and consent and the gentle, kind, patience, along with their openness is absolutely enviable. Their chemistry is so palpable. They can be thirty feet away in the scene and you can feel the magnetism.
But, for sheer entertainment, “Goblin” is worth it, even if you don’t like subtitles. Don’t you think, Aaron Ennis?
[shared post of a Drama Fever ad for “Goblin”]
from FB post 1/7/17
una muses 