TV ratings soared high for Gong Yoo's new drama series "Goblin" on tvN. When the show premiered on Dec. 2, the ratings were a record-breaking high for the network.
The first episode of "Goblin" secured an average of 6.9 percent rating and a total of 9.3 percent, Soompi reported. The Gong Yoo drama series toppled previous record holder "Reply 1998," since its first episode only scored 6.7 percent and 8.6 percent.
The drama series had a total of 5.8 percent viewership ratings for the 20-40 male and female demographic, which is tvN's target audience. Even when compared to shows on public broadcasting stations, "Goblin" still had the highest ratings for its time slot.
Some of the scenes on "Goblin" were filmed in Canada. Gong Yoo and co-star Kim Go Eun were spotted filming in the country in October this year.
"Goblin" is a romantic fantasy drama series about an immortal goblin named Kim Shin, played by Gong Yoo. He sees his immortality as a burden and wants to die. The only way he can do that is by finding a human bride. Kim Go Eun portrays a girl who was supposed to have died but now claims to be the "goblin's bride." Lee Dong Wook, on the other hand, plays an amnesiac grim reaper.
The series also stars Yoo In na and BTOB's Sungjae. "Goblin" sees the reunion of screenwriter Kim Eun Sook and director Lee Eung Book, who both worked on 2016's biggest South Korean drama series "Descendants of the Sun."
According to allkpop, the "Goblin" cast and crew praised Gong Yoo for his "top notch acting skills." It was also said that although he was nervous about filming his first "fantasy romcom," the "Train to Busan" actor was still all smile at the end of the first filming day.
Interestingly, "Goblin" also marks Gong Yoo's highly-awaited return to the small screen. The 37-year-old actor wowed audiences across the globe in his zombie thriller "Train to Busan." The critically acclaimed film has earned over $99 million worldwide and has become the highest-grossing South Korean movie in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.