Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun star in the tvN fantasy drama 'Goblin.' (Photo : YouTube/tvN Drama)
tvN's Friday-Saturday drama "Goblin" saw a major leap in its ratings when the network aired its 11th episode on Jan. 06, Friday. In the on-going show, Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun plays Kim Shin and Ji Eun Tak, respectively.
"Goblin," also known as "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," hit a national TV rating of 15 percent, topping at 17.2 percent during the 11th episode, according to Nielsen Korea, as cited by Soompi. This was after Kim Shin informed Ji Eun Tak that she will die if she will not remove the sword.
As the story continues, Ji Eun Tak faces the ghost of a cunning and manipulative eunuch from the Goryeo Dynasty, Park Joong Won (Kim Byung Chul), who drove Kim Shin and her younger sister Kim Sun (Kim So Hyun) to their deaths. Hence, many are hoping that Park Joong Won's appearance will bring some new twist and turns for the lead stars.
However, despite its growing popularity, "Goblin" has been criticized for stereotyping women are meant to be the damsel in distress; never the hero, according to a drama review posted on The Kpop Herald. While other Korean dramas have already featured a strong independent woman, the tvN series offers a female lead who is downtrodden and naïve.
"Female viewers find comfort in these characters," culture critic Ha Jae-Geun said. "But their very support of such characters could lead to a decline in women's social status."
Further, the paedophilic love story between Gong and Go Eun's character did not go down to well with viewers. They even stressed that the dialogues between the two characters are uncomfortable to watch.
"The system of fantasy blocks any guilt and allows viewers to accept, without being repulsed, the romance between a minor and an older man," TV critic Hwang Jin-Mi said. "But the image of a young girl ... hanging onto a rich, 30-something man ... lingers."
Viewers have also scrutinized the tvN drama for what some describe as distracting and excessive product placement. Its latest product placement seemed unnatural to the point that it affects the show's overall flow.
"Goblin" airs every Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM (KST). Check out the preview for the show's next episode here:
