Is it better to live forever or to finally be able to die?
Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is a decorated military general during the Goryeo Dynasty who is betrayed by the jealous king he served. When Kim Shin is faced with death instead of honor after fighting a mighty battle, God turns Kim Shin into a goblin instead, tasked with protecting certain people from the life of misery. But immortality is wearing on Kim Shin, and he longs to find the prophesied human bride who can set his soul free.
Can Eun Tak be the true "goblin bride" with the power to release Kim Shin from his eternal misery? [1]
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Episode | Title | Aired | Average audience share | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGB Nielsen | TNmS | ||||
| Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide | |||
| Episode 01 | "What Kind Of A Guardian Are You?" | December 2, 2016 | 6.322% | 7.540% | 6.7% |
| A former human turned goblin is cursed to remain immortal and alone for hundreds of years. Ji Eun Tak, a girl who can see spirits, accidentally summons him, but she's not what he expected. | |||||
| Episode 02 | "I'll Become Your Bride In 200 Years" | December 3, 2016 | 7.904% | 10.024% | 8.1% |
| Eun Tak is happy when her life begins to change for the better, but then finds out Kim Shin has been lying to her. | |||||
| Episode 03 | "I See The Sword" | December 9, 2016 | 12.471% | 14.274% | 12.0% |
| Kim Shin pushes Eun Tak on whether she can see something about him nobody else can, but Eun Tak has other things on her mind. | |||||
| Episode 04 | "I Won't Leave You" | December 10, 2016 | 11.373% | 13.768% | 12.7% |
| Kim Shin meets with an old friend, and Eun Tak considers what her newfound responsibilities will mean for her future. | |||||
| Episode 05 | "I Have To End My Life" | December 16, 2016 | 11.507% | 12.075% | 14.0% |
| Eun Tak helps one of her visitors pass on to the other side, and Kim Shin makes new sleeping arrangements. | |||||
| Episode 06 | "Tomorrow" | December 17, 2016 | 11.618% | 14.772% | 13.0% |
| Kim Shin is still struggling to get Eun Tak to do what he needs her to do, while the Grim Reaper tries to act like a human. | |||||
| Episode 07 | "I Think It's Your Face" | December 23, 2016 | 12.297% | 13.993% | 13.8% |
| Eun Tak attempts to pull the sword out of Kim Shin's chest, but something holds her back. The Grim Reaper is thrown in jail. | |||||
| Episode 08 | "You Gave Her That Fate" | December 24, 2016 | 12.344% | 14.748% | 11.6% |
| The Grim Reaper and Duk Hwa must clean up after Kim Shin's reaction. Eun Tak takes her exams. | |||||
| Episode 09 | "He'll Vanish Forever From This World To Another" | December 30, 2016 | 12.933% | 13.333% | 14.6% |
| When Eun Tak learns of Kim Shin's fate, she tries to run away and avoid her own destiny. The Grim Reaper is at a loss with how to date. | |||||
| Episode 10 | "Is She Really Your Sister?" | December 31, 2016 | 12.702% | 14.551% | 13.3% |
| It's almost the new year, so Eun Tak asks Kim Shin to spend her first day as a 20-year old adult with her. The Grim Reaper struggles with the knowledge about Sunny's past. | |||||
| Episode 11 | "The Deity Is So Cruel To You And Me" | January 6, 2017 | 13.894% | 15.749% | 14.8% |
| The Grim Reaper confronts Sunny, as does Kim Shin. An old "friend" introduces himself to Eun Tak. | |||||
| Episode 12 | "Forget About Me" | January 7, 2017 | 13.712% | 15.680% | 14.6% |
| Sunny holds the key for the Grim Reaper to discover his past. Eun Tak begins college despite the threat on her life. | |||||
| Episode 13 | "Protect Her" | January 13, 2017 | 14.254% | 16.525% | 15.3% |
| Sunny, Kim Shin, and the Grim Reaper come to terms with their pasts. | |||||
| Episode 14 | "Whom Have I Forgotten?" | January 20, 2017 | 16.043% | 17.767% | 16.3% |
| The sword is out, and everything changes. Nine years pass, and we find out what has happened to everyone. | |||||
| Episode 15 | "Will You Be My Bride?" | January 21, 2017 | 16.917% | 18.829% | 17.7% |
| Eun Tak travels to Quebec to try and figure out why she can't remember a section of her past. | |||||
| Episode 16 | "Goodbye And See You Again" | January 21, 2017 | 18.680% | 20.986% | 19.6% |
| Both Sunny and Eun Tak inadvertently hurt their partners, who must come to terms with their decisions. | |||||
| Average | 12.924% | 14.729% | 13.7% | ||
| Special | January 14, 2017 | 9.427% | 11.786% | 9.1% | |
| February 3, 2017 | 3.606% | 5.050% | 3.9% | ||
| February 4, 2017 | 4.075% | 5.582% | 4.2% | ||
The series was written by The Heirs (2013), and Descendants of the Sun (2016). The drama marked her second collaboration with director Lee Eun-bok after both worked on Descendants.
The first script-reading was held at Nuri Dream Square in Sangam-dong, Seoul, South Korea, on August 30, 2016. The Goryeo-era flashback scenes were filmed on Gimje, North Jeolla Province on September 22 for the battlefield scenes, while the palace scenes were shot at Naju Image Theme Park. Goblin and Grim Reaper's house (external shots) was filmed at (formerly) Unhyeongung's Western House, presently inside Duksung Women's University (utilized for administration offices).
Overseas filming mainly took place in Quebec City, Canada in October, using locations such as the Château Frontenac, Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine (the Yoo family cemetery), Petit Champlain (Goblin's door to Canada), and the Fontaine de Tourny. The red door, which in reality is the emergency exit of the Théâtre Petit Champlain, and other sites in Quebec City associated with the show have begun to attract numerous fans of the series.
The crew was awarded a special vacation to Phuket, Thailand after the end of the drama.
The drama was a hit and consistently topped cable television viewership ratings in its timeslot. Its final episode recorded an 18.680% nationwide audience share according to Nielsen paid platform, making the episode the second-highest rated in Korean cable television history. It became the first cable drama to surpass 20% ratings. It was also popular among the international audience, which led to parodies of the drama on various social media sites, notably by both celebrities and political figures.
The drama has also sparked various fashion trends. Items and accessories worn by the cast members, such as the Lanvin coat worn by Gong Yoo, Lancôme lipstick used by Kim Go-eun and Fedora worn by Lee Dong-wook saw an increase in sales. Kim In-yook's poetry book, The Physics of Love, gained renewed attention after one of its verses was featured in the drama. There was also an increase in visitors at the various filming sites of Guardian, which contributed to a positive economic effect on the country. Additionally, original soundtracks featured in the series also topped local digital music charts. Since 2017, it has surpassed Descendants of the Sun (2016) in video-on-demand sales.
Its success was attributed to the creative plot. The Korea Times stated, "[. ] the depth of perspective looking at life of the goblin that bears a bloody sword in his chest and has been given eternal life as punishment, immerses the audience into the fantasy story. The twist and complexity of life and death make the story more interesting."
Despite its success, Guardian was criticized for its several consumer product placements (as well as Kim Eun-sook's previous hit-drama Descendants of the Sun in 2016) which drew an estimated 2-4 billion KRW from revenue. TV and cultural critics also criticized various aspects of the drama, such as its strong emphasis on Cinderella complex and the huge age gap of the lead characters, which might lead to a decline in female's social status. It was also criticized for its over-dramatic plot.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | First Brand Awards | Special Award | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Won |
| 11th Korean Cable TV Awards | Best Drama | |||
| Best OST | Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow) | |||
| Rising Star Award | Yook Sung Jae | |||
| VOD Broadcasting | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | |||
| 5th Annual DramaFever Awards | Best Actor | Gong Yoo | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Lee Dong Wook | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Yoo In Na | |||
| Best Couple | Gong Yoo & 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Lee Eung-bok | |||
| Best Screenplay | Gong Yoo | Won | ||
| Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| 12th Asia Model Awards | Asia OST Popularity | Chanyeol (EXO), Punch (Stay With Me) | Won | |
| Brand of the Year Awards | Actor of the Year | Gong Yoo | ||
| 12th Seoul International Drama Awards | Outstanding Korean Drama OST | Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow) | ||
| 1st Soribada Best K-Music Awards | Best Hallyu OST | |||
| 10th Korea Drama Awards | Best Drama | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | ||
| Best Production Director | Lee Eung-bok | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Lee Dong Wook | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Yoo In Na | |||
| Best New Actor | Yook Sung Jae | Won | ||
| Best Original Soundtrack | Crush (Beautiful) | Nominated | ||
| Soyou (I Miss You) | ||||
| Star of the Year Award | Yook Sung Jae | Won | ||
| Popular Character Award | Kim Byung-chul | |||
| Park Kyung-hye | ||||
| 3rd Fashionista Awards | Best Fashionista – TV & Film Division | Gong Yoo | Nominated | |
| Yoo In Na | ||||
| Global Icon | Lee Dong Wook | |||
| 2nd Asia Artist Awards | Best OST Award | Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow) | Won | |
| 22nd Asian Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Nominated | |
| 19th Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best OST | Chanyeol ( Punch (Stay With Me) | ||
| Crush (Beautiful) | ||||
| Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow) | Won | |||
| 9th Melon Music Awards | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Best OST Award | Won | |||
| Kakao Hot Star | Nominated | |||
| Crush (Beautiful) | ||||
| 2018 | 32nd Golden Disc Awards | Best OST Award | Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow) | Won |
| 27th Seoul Music Awards | Best OST Award |
