Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
An immortal goblin seeks his bride to end his curse.
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God is a South Korean television series that aired on tvN from December 2, 2016, to January 21, 2017. It starred Gong Yoo in the title role alongside Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na, and Yook Sung-jae. The series became a cultural phenomenon in South Korea and won the Grand Prize (Daesang) for writer Kim Eun-sook and Best Actor for Gong Yoo at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Fantasy
- Romantic comedy
- Drama
- Creator
- Studio Dragon
- Writer
- Kim Eun-sook
- Director
- Lee Eung-bok (Ep. 1–16)
- Kwon Hyuk-chan (Ep. 5–16)
- Yoon Jong-ho (Ep. 3–16)
- Creative director
- Yoon Jong-ho (Ep. 1–2)
- Jung Ji-hyun (Ep. 1–16)
- Kim Sung-jin (Ep. 1–16)
- Starring
- Gong Yoo
- Kim Go-eun
- Lee Dong-wook
- Yoo In-na
- Yook Sung-jae
- Opening theme
- "Round and Round" by Heize and Han Soo-ji
- Ending theme
- "Stay With Me" by Chanyeol and Punch
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Disc 1
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Round and Round | 3:27 |
| 2 | Stay With Me | 3:12 |
| 3 | My Eyes (내 눈에만 보여) | 2:37 |
| 4 | Hush | 4:20 |
| 5 | Beautiful | 3:47 |
| 6 | You Are So Beautiful (이쁘다니까) | 3:15 |
| 7 | Who Are You | 4:21 |
| 8 | I Miss You | 2:49 |
| 9 | First Snow (첫 눈) | 4:56 |
| 10 | I Will Go to You Like the First Snow (첫눈처럼 너에게 가겠다) | 3:49 |
| 11 | Wish (소원) | 3:56 |
| 12 | Heaven | 4:19 |
| 13 | Love | 2:57 |
| 14 | And I'm Here | 4:07 |
| 15 | Winter is Coming | 2:30 |
| 16 | Stuck in Love | 2:39 |
| Total length | 57:01 | |
Disc 2
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark Walk | 4:34 |
| 2 | Butterfly (나비) | 1:13 |
| 3 | First Love (처음사랑) | 4:54 |
| 4 | When You Open the Door (문을 열고 나가면) | 3:15 |
| 5 | Eun-tak's Waltz (은탁의 왈츠) | 3:04 |
| 6 | Sparkling Wind (반짝이는 바람) | 3:12 |
| 7 | Small Beach House (바닷가 작은집) | 1:25 |
| 8 | When Time Stops (시간이 멈출 때) | 2:25 |
| 9 | One Day After A Hundred Years (그렇게 백년을 살아 어느날) | 0:18 |
| 10 | Amnesia (hangul=기억상실 · labels=no) | 3:07 |
| 11 | Their Only Moments (그들만의 시간) | 2:06 |
| 12 | No God's Sword (무신검) | 1:02 |
| 13 | The Future I Saw Was Right (내가 본 미래가 맞았구나) | 0:34 |
| 14 | Whistling (휘파람을 불며) | 2:35 |
| 15 | Samshin & Deok-hwa (삼신과 덕화) | 2:10 |
| 16 | Feast of the Deities (신들의 만찬) | 3:01 |
| 17 | Pray (기도) | 1:45 |
| 18 | For That Excuse, I Wish I Could Stay Alive (그 핑계로 내가 계속 살아 있었으면 좋겠어) | 0:54 |
| 19 | Warriors Song | 4:34 |
| Total length | 46:08 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stay with Me | 03:13 |
| 2 | Stay with Me (Inst.) | 03:13 |
| Total length | 06:26 | |
Track listing from the source article.
Plot
Kim Shin, a Goryeo Dynasty general, was framed as a traitor and killed by the young king. After death, he was cursed by the Almighty to remain immortal, enduring the pain of watching loved ones die as punishment for the soldiers he killed. He becomes a kind goblin who helps people with his powers. The only one who can end his immortality is the Goblin's bride, who can pull the sword embedded in him. Ji Eun-tak, a high school student who can see ghosts, summons the Goblin by chance. Their fates entwine as the Goblin's nephew leases his house to a Grim Reaper, and Eun-tak works at a chicken restaurant run by Sunny.
Cast
Gong Yoo plays Goblin / Kim Shin, a 939-year-old immortal Dokkaebi who protects souls and seeks his bride to remove the sword through his chest. He served as a general during the Goryeo era and was appointed regent, but after a eunuch's corruption, the king's guards killed his sister, soldiers, and household, then killed him with the sword now lodged in his chest. The Almighty granted him immortality as both reward and punishment. He feels lonely and depressed until he falls in love with his bride. Kim Go-eun plays Ji Eun-tak, an optimistic 19-year-old high school student and the Goblin's bride. A 'Missing Soul', she can see ghosts and summon the Goblin because her pregnant mother was in a hit-and-run; the Goblin saved them both. Orphaned at nine, she lived with an abusive aunt who wanted her mother's life insurance money. She moves into the Goblin's home to study, and he rediscovers joy through her. She eventually learns her duty to remove the sword and struggles with it. Lee Dong-wook plays Grim Reaper / Wang Yeo, with Kim Min-jae as young Wang Yeo.
Production
The series was written by Kim Eun-sook, who also wrote Secret Garden, The Heirs, and Descendants of the Sun. It marked her second collaboration with director Lee Eun-bok after Descendants of the Sun. The first script-reading was held on 30 August 2016 at Nuri Dream Square in Sangam-dong, Seoul. Goryeo-era flashback battlefield scenes were filmed in Gimje, North Jeolla Province on September 22, and palace scenes at Naju Image Theme Park. The Goblin and Grim Reaper's house exterior was filmed at Unhyeongung's Western House, now inside Duksung Women's University. Overseas filming took place in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada in October, using locations including Château Frontenac, Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine, Petit Champlain, and Fontaine de Tourny. The red door, an emergency exit of Théâtre Petit Champlain, and other sites have attracted many fans. The crew received a special vacation to Phuket, Thailand after the drama ended. A controversy arose over the song 'Round and Round': Han Soo-ji recorded the first 50 seconds, but the official release featured Heize as the main vocalist with Han as featuring, prompting an apology from CJ E&M.
Reception
The series was popular internationally, leading to parodies on social media by celebrities and political figures. It sparked fashion trends: Gong Yoo's Lanvin coat, Kim Go-eun's Lancôme lipstick, and Lee Dong-wook's Fedora saw increased sales. Kim In-yook's poetry book The Physics of Love gained renewed attention after being featured. Filming sites saw more visitors, contributing positively to the economy. Original soundtracks topped local digital music charts. Since 2017, it surpassed Descendants of the Sun in video-on-demand sales. The Korea Times attributed its success to the creative plot and the depth of perspective on the goblin's eternal life. Despite success, it was criticized for consumer product placements estimated at 2–4 billion KRW in revenue. Critics also noted a Cinderella complex, with the female lead summoning the wealthy male lead, and the drama was called over-dramatic. It consistently topped cable television viewership ratings in its time slot, and its final episode recorded an 18.680% nationwide audience share, making it the second highest rated in Korean cable history at that time and the first cable drama to surpass 20% ratings.
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