Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God[4] (Korean: 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비; RR: Sseulsseulhago Chanlanhasin – Dokkaebi; lit. The Lonely and Great God – Goblin) is a South Korean television series starring Gong Yoo in the title role with Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na, and Yook Sung-jae. It was shown on the cable network tvN from December 2, 2016 to January 21, 2017. It was written by popular drama writer Kim Eun-sook.[5] As of February 2020, it is the fifth-highest rated Korean drama in cable television history.

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
Promotional poster
Also known as	Goblin[1]
Hangul	쓸쓸하고 찬란하신 – 도깨비
Revised Romanization	sseulsseulhago challanhasin – Dokkaebi
McCune–Reischauer	ssŭlssŭlhago ch'allanhasin - Tokkaebi
Literally	The Lonely and Great God - Goblin
Genre	Fantasy Romance Drama
Created by	Studio Dragon
Written by	Kim Eun-sook
Directed by	Lee Eung-bok (Ep. 1-16) Kwon Hyuk-chan (Ep. 5-16) Yoon Jong-ho (Ep. 3-16)
Creative director(s)	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
Composer(s)	Nam Hye-seung
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language(s)	Korean
No. of episodes	16 + 3 specials[2]
Production
Executive producer(s)	Kim Beom-rae Yoon Ha-rim
Producer(s)	Joo Kyung-ha Kim Ji-yeon
Production location(s)	Gimje, South Korea Gangwon-do, South Korea Seoul, South Korea Quebec City, Canada
Cinematography	Park Sung-yong Kang Yoon-soon
Editor(s)	Lee Sang-rok
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	60–90 minutes[3]
Production company(s)	Hwa&Dam Pictures
Distributor	tvN
Release
Original network	tvN
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Audio format	Dolby Digital
Original release	December 2, 2016 (2016-12-02) – January 21, 2017 (2017-01-21)
External links
Website
Production website

Guardian's final episode recorded an 18.68% nationwide audience share, making it the fifth highest rated drama in Korean cable television history.[6] It received critical acclaim and became a cultural phenomenon in South Korea.[7] The show won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize (Daesang) for writer Kim Eun-sook and Best Actor for Gong Yoo at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Synopsis

Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), a decorated military general from the Goryeo Dynasty, is framed as a traitor and killed by the young king. Years after his death, he is cursed by the almighty to stay immortal forever and endure the pain of seeing his loved ones die as punishment for the kills he committed in the wars to protect his country. He becomes an immortal goblin, helping people with his powers and being a kind man in spite of his grieving past. The only way to put an end to his immortality is the Goblin's bride, whose aid in pulling out the sword will end his painful immortality.

Ji Eun-Tak (Kim Go-eun) is a bubbly high school student who remains cheerful and hopeful despite her tragic life. She summons the goblin by chance and their fates begin to entwine. The Goblin's nephew Yoo Deok-Hwa (Yook Sung-jae) leases the Goblin's house to a Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-wook) and the two end up living under the same roof. Sunny (Yoo In-na) is a charismatic young lady who runs a chicken shop where Ji Eun-Tak works as a part timer.

As the lives of Kim Shin, Grim Reaper, Ji Eun-Tak and Sunny interweave, a deeper story unfolds, as they are not just strangers who met by chance but people with deep-rooted relations.

Cast

Main

• Gong Yoo as Kim Shin, also known as the Goblin[8]

A 939-year-old immortal goblin and protector of souls who is in search for his bride, the only one who can remove the sword piercing through his chest. Once the sword is removed, he may finally move to the afterlife and rest in peace. He possesses supernatural powers that come with his immortality, but he has to pay a huge price for this. He feels lonely as he has to watch his loved ones leaving him behind when their lifespan ends. He served as a General during the Goryeo era, where he was appointed as the regent with his sister being betrothed to the young King Wang Yeo. However due to corruption by a eunuch, the King's guards killed Kim Shin's sister, soldiers, and household. When his sword is finally removed and his body dissolves into ashes, he chooses not go onto the afterlife and instead decides to stay trapped in limbo for 9 years until he is summoned by Eun-tak and returns to Earth with his powers intact.

• Kim Go-eun as Ji Eun-tak[9]
  • Han Seo-jin as young Ji Eun-tak

An optimistic and bubbly 19-year old high school student and the legendary Goblin's bride. A "Missing Soul", she can see ghosts and summon the Goblin due to her way of birth; her pregnant mom was in a hit and run at the time to which the Goblin intervened to save them both, before Grim Reaper Wang Yeo could take them. Orphaned at age 9 and pursued by the Grim Reaper, she was forced to live with her abusive aunt who was seeking her mother's insurance policy. She immediately falls in love with the Goblin, who takes her in his home so she can pass her exams and enroll in university, while he rediscovers the joy of living. She eventually helps him to remove his sword, although her memories are wiped as a result of his apparent death. Nine years later as a radio producer, she reunites with the Goblin when she inadvertently summons him, and he helps her to regain her lost memories and they marry. However, she is killed by a truck when sacrificing herself to save a bus of schoolchildren. She is reincarnated with her memories intact and reunited with the Goblin.

• Lee Dong-wook as Wang Yeo / Grim Reaper / Kim Woo Bin / Lee Hyuk[10]

A good-looking, cynical yet humorous grim reaper (Angel of Death) (grim reapers receive their jobs as a punishment for committing the greatest of sins in their past lives) who guides souls to their reincarnations or afterlives. Along with many other grim reapers, he has no memory of his past lives. He was a young king named Wang Yeo in his past life. Under the influence of a power-hungry eunuch, he betrayed General Kim Shin and killed his wife, which he regretted for the rest of his life, and eventually committed suicide, which was his ultimate sin. He falls in love with Sunny, who is his reincarnated wife, but she decides to part ways as she finds it too painful, and he accepts that they will not be together in this lifetime. He is reunited with Sunny when she dies and becomes the final ghost he has to guide to the afterlife. Later, reincarnated once again as Detective Lee Hyuk; the "Grim Reaper" of the Violent Crimes Division.

• Yoo In-na as Sunny, also known as Kim Sun[11]

The attractive owner of a chicken restaurant who hires Ji Eun-tak. The Grim Reaper Wang Yeo falls for her and she soon returns his affection, although she is constantly confused by the Grim Reaper's constant social awkwardness. In her past life she was the younger sister of General Kim Shin and she became Queen upon marrying King Wang Yeo (now the Grim Reaper). However, when the eunuch urged the King to exile her brother, she sided with her brother upon his return and was killed. When everyone else forget their memories, she is the only one who remembers. Later, reincarnated once again as a film actress.

• Yook Sung-jae as Yoo Deok-hwa[11][12]
  • Jung Ji-hoon as young Yoo Deok-hwa

A rebellious yet kind-hearted chaebol heir and the only grandson of the Yoo family, a household that has the responsibility of taking care of the Goblin. Living with the Goblin and the Grim Reaper, Deok-hwa learns of their true identities, and the trio grow to be strong friends. It is later revealed that God had taken over his body for a period of time.

Recurring

• Lee El as Samshin, Goddess, the creator of birth and fate
• Kim Sung-kyum as Chairman Yoo Shin-woo, Deok-hwa's grandfather
• Yeom Hye-ran as Ji Yeon-suk, Eun-tak's aunt
• Jung Young-gi as Park Kyung-shik, Eun-tak's male cousin
• Choi Ri as Park Kyung-mi, Eun-tak's female cousin
• Jo Woo-jin as Kim Do-young, Deok-hwa's secretary
• Hwang Seok-jeong as triplet sisters; two of them as a shaman fortune teller and a ghost
• Park Kyung-hye as ghost trying to take Eun-tak with her
• Park Se-wan as ghost wearing glasses (Ep. 5)
• Go Soo-jung as ghost
• Kim So-ra as Lee Jung-hwa
• Go Bo-gyeol as Kim Yoo-na, Eun-tak's class president
• Lee Moon-soo as an old man from the Goryeo era who kept Kim Shin's body
• Yoon Kyung-ho as Kim Woo-sik, Kim Shin's loyal lieutenant from the Goryeo era
• Kim Byung-chul as Park Joong-heon, a cunning and manipulative official from the Goryeo Dynasty
• Nam Da-reum as Kim Soo-bok, boy who met Kim Shin in Canada
• Kim Nan-hee as Eun-tak's teacher
• Kim Min-young as Soo-jin, Eun-tak's schoolmate
• Ma Min-hee as one of Soo-jin's school friends
• Yoon Hee-kyung as one of Soo-jin's school friends
• Choi Woong as Wang Yeo's junior grim reaper
• Kim Ki-doo as one of the junior grim reapers
• Jo Hyun-sik as Loan shark
• Yoon Joo-man as Loan shark
• Yun Da-yeong as a female grim Reaper
• Ahn Ji-hyun as Go Jung-hyun; Eun-tak's ghost friend
• Lee Seul-bi as vain woman at cafe
• Kim Hye-yoon as the young era of a widowed old lady (Ep. 15)

Special appearances

• Park Hee-von as Ji Yeon-hee, Ji Eun-tak's mother (Ep. 1, 7)
• Kim Min-jae as Wang Yeo (Ep. 1, 7-13)[13]
• Kim So-hyun as Kim Sun (Ep. 1, 7-13)[14]
• Jung Hae-in as Choi Tae-hee, Ji Eun-tak's first love (Ep. 7, 8)[15]

Production

Lee, Gong and Kim at the drama's press conference, November 2016

The series was written by Kim Eun-sook, who also wrote the popular series Secret Garden (2010), 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.[16][17]

The first script-reading was held at Nuri Dream Square in Sangam-dong, Seoul, South Korea, on 30 August 2016.[18] The Goryeo-era flashback scenes were filmed on Gimje, North Jeolla Province on September 22[19] for the battlefield scenes, while the palace scenes were shot at Naju Image Theme Park.[20] Goblin and Grim Reaper's house (external shots) was filmed at (formerly) Unhyeongung's Western House,[21] presently inside Duksung Women's University (utilized for administration offices).[22]

Overseas filming mainly took place in Quebec City, Canada in October,[23] 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.[24] 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.[25]

The crew was awarded a special vacation to Phuket, Thailand after the end of the drama.[26]

Original soundtrack

Guardian (Original Television Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album
Studio	CJ E&M Music Studios
Genre	Soundtrack
Language	Korean, English
Label	CJ E&M, Hwa&Dam Pictures Pony Canyon (Japan)[27] Able9 (China)[28]

Original soundtrack (Part 1-14)

Part 1

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Stay with Me"	Chanyeol, Punch	03:13
2.	"Stay with Me" (instrumental)		03:13
Total length:			06:26

Part 2

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Only in My Eyes" (내 눈에만 보여)	10cm	02:37
2.	"Only in My Eyes" (instrumental)		02:37
Total length:			05:14

Part 3

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Hush"	Lasse Lindh	04:20
Total length:			04:20

Part 4

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Beautiful[29]"	Crush	3:48
2.	"Beautiful" (instrumental)		3:48
Total length:			7:36

Part 5

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"You Are So Beautiful" (이쁘다니까)	Eddy Kim	03:16
2.	"You Are So Beautiful" (instrumental)		03:16
Total length:			06:32

Part 6

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Who Are You"	Sam Kim	04:16
2.	"Who Are You" (instrumental)		04:16
Total length:			08:32

Part 7

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"I Miss You"	Soyou	02:50
2.	"I Miss You" (instrumental)		02:50
Total length:			05:40

Part 8

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"First Snow" (첫눈)	Jung Joon-il	04:57
2.	"First Snow" (instrumental)		04:57
Total length:			09:54

Part 9

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"I Will Go to You Like the First Snow[30]" (첫눈처럼 너에게 가겠다)	Ailee	03:50
2.	"I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" (instrumental)		03:50
Total length:			07:40

Part 10

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Wish[30]" (소원)	Urban Zakapa	03:56
2.	"Wish" (instrumental)		03:56
Total length:			07:52

Part 11

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"And I'm Here"	Kim Kyung-hee (April 2nd)	04:08
2.	"Winter Is Coming"	Han Soo-ji	02:30
3.	"Stuck in Love"	Kim Kyung-hee (April 2nd)	02:39
Total length:			09:17

Part 12

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Heaven"	Roy Kim, Kim EZ (GGot Jam Project)	04:20
2.	"Heaven" (instrumental)		04:20
Total length:			08:40

Part 13

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Love[31]"	Mamamoo	02:58
2.	"Love" (instrumental)		02:58
Total length:			05:56

Part 14

There was a controversy surrounding the release of the song "Round and Round". Originally, the song was sung by Han Soo-ji. However, when the song was officially released, Han was merely a featuring on the track, which was sung by Heize. This caused dissatisfaction among fans, who loved Han's voice. CJ E&M released an official apology, saying that Han was enlisted to record just the first 50 seconds of the song, but the writer of the song, Nam Hye-seung, requested since the beginning that the full song be sung by another vocalist.[32]

No.	Title	Artists	Length
1.	"Round and Round"	Heize and Han Soo-ji	03:22
2.	"Round and Round" (instrumental)		03:22
Total length:			06:44

Disc 2:

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Amnesia"	Various Artists	3:09
2.	"Butterfly"	Various Artists	1:13
3.	"Dark Walk"	Various Artists	4:34
4.	"Eun Tak's Waltz"	Various Artists	3:04
5.	"First Love"	Various Artists	5:54
6.	"God's Supper"	Various Artists	3:01
7.	"Memory Loss"	Various Artists	3:07
8.	"Prayer"	Various Artists	1:45
9.	"SamShin and Deok Hwa"	Various Artists	2:16
10.	"Small house near the beach"	Various Artists	1:25
11.	"Sparkling Wind"	Various Artists	3:09
12.	"The glittering wind"	Various Artists	3:13
13.	"Their Only Memories"	Various Artists	2:06
14.	"When the time Stops"	Various Artists	2:05
15.	"When you open the door"	Various Artists	3:15
16.	"Whistling"	Various Artists	2:35
17.	"Warrior's Sword"	Various Artists	1:04
18.	"Warrior's Song"	Various Artists	3:33

Chart performance

Songs

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Sales	Remarks
		KOR Gaon	US World
"Stay With Me" (Chanyeol (EXO), Punch)	2016	3	3	KOR: 1,792,463+[33]	Part 1
"My Eyes" (10cm)		7	—	KOR: 796,044+[34]	Part 2
"Hush" (Lasse Lindh)		6	—	KOR: 745,412+[35]	Part 3
"Beautiful" (Crush)		2	7	KOR: 2,051,618+[36]	Part 4
"You Are So Beautiful" (Eddy Kim)		5	—	KOR: 1,258,363+[37]	Part 5
"Who Are You" (Sam Kim)		3	15	KOR: 1,081,090+[38]	Part 6
"I Miss You" (Soyou (Sistar))		5	11	KOR: 1,253,414+[39]	Part 7
"First Snow" (Jung Joon-il)		9	—	KOR: 1,034,874+[40]	Part 8
"I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" (Ailee)	2017	1	10	KOR: 2,488,341+[41]	Part 9
"Wish" (Urban Zakapa)		2	—	KOR: 816,149+[42]	Part 10
"And I'm Here" (Kim Kyung-hee (April 2))		34	18	KOR: 170,382+[43]	Part 11
"Winter is Coming" (Han Soo-ji)		56	—	KOR: 91,003+[43]
"Stuck in Love" (Kim Kyung-hee (April 2))		63	—	KOR: 81,075+[43]
"HEAVEN" (Roy Kim, Kim EZ (GGot Jam Project))		16	—	KOR: 292,137+[44]	Part 12
"LOVE" (Mamamoo)		4	—	KOR: 444,958+[45]	Part 13
"Round and Round" (Heize & Han Soo-ji)		4	4	KOR: 482,693+[46]	Part 14
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Album

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales
		KOR [47]
Goblin OST Pack	Released: January 25, 2017 Label: CJ E&M Formats: CD, digital download	1	KOR: 75,397+[48] CHN: 20,005,638+[49]

Reception

The drama consistently topped cable television viewership ratings in its time slot. 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.[6] It became the first cable drama to surpass 20% ratings.[50] It was also popular among the international audience,[51] which led to parodies of the drama on various social media sites, notably by both celebrities and political figures.[52]

The drama has also sparked various fashion trends.[53] Items and accessories worn by the cast members, such as the Lanvin coat worn by Gong Yoo, Lancôme lipstick used by Kim Go-eun[54] and Fedora worn by Lee Dong-wook[55] 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.[56] There was also an increase in visitors at the various filming sites of Guardian, which contributed to a positive economic effect on the country.[57] Additionally, original soundtracks featured in the series also topped local digital music charts.[58] Since 2017, it has surpassed Descendants of the Sun (2016) in video-on-demand sales.[59]

The Korea Times stated, "Its success was attributed to the creative plot" and "...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."[60][61]

Despite its success, Guardian was criticized for its several consumer product placements which drew an estimated 2-4 billion KRW from revenue.[62][63][64] TV and cultural critics also criticized some aspects of the drama; such as the Cinderella complex feature in the series, where female lead is able to summon the male lead, who has supernatural powers. Furthermore, the female lead portrayed a poor high school student attracted to the male lead's rich 30-something man, which the show poked fun of when a classmate described him as a "sugar daddy".[62][65] The drama was also criticized for its over-dramatic plot.[63]

Ratings

In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Average audience share
		AGB Nielsen[66]		TNmS
		Nationwide	Seoul	Nationwide
1	December 2, 2016	6.322%	7.540%	6.7%
2	December 3, 2016	7.904%	10.024%	8.1%
3	December 9, 2016	12.471%	14.274%	12.0%
4	December 10, 2016	11.373%	13.768%	12.7%
5	December 16, 2016	11.507%	12.075%	14.0%
6	December 17, 2016	11.618%	14.772%	13.0%
7	December 23, 2016	12.297%	13.993%	13.8%
8	December 24, 2016	12.344%	14.748%	11.6%
9	December 30, 2016	12.933%	13.333%	14.6%
10	December 31, 2016	12.702%	14.551%	13.3%
11	January 6, 2017	13.894%	15.749%	14.8%
12	January 7, 2017	13.712%	15.680%	14.6%
13	January 13, 2017	14.254%	16.525%	15.3%
14	January 20, 2017	16.043%	17.767%	16.3%
15	January 21, 2017	16.917%	18.829%	17.7%
16		18.680%	20.986%	19.6%
Average		12.811%	14.663%	13.6%
Special	January 14, 2017	9.427%	11.786%	9.1%[67]
	February 3, 2017	3.606%	5.050%	3.9%[68]
	February 4, 2017	4.075%	5.582%	4.2%[68]

• Episode 14 was postponed as additional time was needed to work on the special graphics.[69]
• Episodes 15 and 16 were shown back-to-back on January 21, 2017.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
2017	First Brand Awards	Special Award	Guardian: The Lonely and Great God	Won
	11th Korean Cable TV Awards	Best Drama		Won	[70]
		Best OST	Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow)	Won
		Rising Star Award	Yook Sung-jae	Won
		VOD Broadcasting	Guardian: The Lonely and Great God	Won
	5th Annual DramaFever Awards	Best Actor	Gong Yoo	Won	[71]
		Best Supporting Actor	Lee Dong-wook	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Yoo In-na	Won
		Best Couple	Gong Yoo & Kim Go-eun	Won
		Best Melodrama	Guardian: The Lonely and Great God	Won
	53rd Baeksang Arts Awards	Grand Prize (Daesang)	Kim Eun-sook	Won	[72]
		Best Drama	Guardian: The Lonely and Great God	Nominated
		Best Director	Lee Eung-bok	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Kim Eun-sook	Nominated
		Best Actor	Gong Yoo	Won
		Best Actress	Kim Go-eun	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	Won
	12th Seoul International Drama Awards	Outstanding Korean Drama OST	Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow)	Won	[73]
	1st Soribada Best K-Music Awards	Best Hallyu OST		Won	[74]
	10th Korea Drama Awards	Best Drama	Guardian: The Lonely and Great God	Won	[75]
		Best Production Director	Lee Eung-bok	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Kim Eun-sook	Nominated
		Top Excellence Award, Actor	Lee Dong-wook	Nominated
		Top Excellence Award, Actress	Kim Go-eun	Nominated
		Excellence Award, Actress	Yoo In-na	Nominated
		Best New Actor	Yook Sung-jae	Won
		Best Original Soundtrack	Crush (Beautiful)	Nominated
			Soyou (I Miss You)	Nominated
		Star of the Year Award	Yook Sung-jae	Won
		Popular Character Award	Kim Byung-chul	Won
			Park Kyung-hye	Won
	3rd Fashionista Awards	Best Fashionista – TV & Film Division	Gong Yoo	Nominated
			Yoo In-na	Nominated
		Global Icon	Lee Dong-wook	Nominated
	2nd Asia Artist Awards	Best OST Award	Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow)	Won	[76]
	22nd Asian Television Awards	Best Drama Series	Guardian: The Lonely and Great God	Nominated	[77]
	19th Mnet Asian Music Awards	Best OST	Chanyeol (Exo), Punch (Stay With Me)	Nominated	[78]
			Crush (Beautiful)	Nominated
			Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow)	Won
	9th Melon Music Awards	Song of the Year		Nominated	[79]
		Best OST Award		Won
		Kakao Hot Star		Nominated
			Crush (Beautiful)	Nominated
2018	32nd Golden Disc Awards	Best OST Award	Ailee (I Will Go to You Like the First Snow)	Won	[80]
	27th Seoul Music Awards	Best OST Award		Won	[81]

International broadcast

• In Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the drama aired on Oh!K with subtitles. It was retitled as "Goblin" in promotional materials and during broadcast.[82] It was premiered on December 3, 2016, 24 hours after its original broadcast in South Korea.[83]
• In Sri Lanka, Brunei, Malaysia, the Maldives and Vietnam, the drama is available to stream on-demand on Iflix. It was retitled as "Goblin" in promotional materials.[84] During its original run, episodes of the drama were exclusively streamed on Iflix within 24 hours of its original South Korean broadcast with subtitles between December 3, 2016, and January 22, 2017.[85]
• In Japan, the drama was premiered in March 2017 on Mnet Japan.[86] Later in 2018, it was premiered both on TV Tokyo with Hanryu Premiere on 21 May and BS Fuji on 13 September, both channels with the Japanese dub.
• The series is available on-demand on Viu in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia with English, Chinese, Indonesian and Malay subtitles.
• Outside of Asia, the drama streams on DramaFever and Viki with subtitles.
• In Thailand, the drama aired in early 2017 on True4U.[87]
• In the Philippines, the series was premiered on ABS-CBN on May 8, 2017, replacing Love in the Moonlight on its Primetime Bida block. On November 13, 2017 the series was re-aired on its Kapamilya Gold block, dubbed in Filipino.[88] It was re-shown on Asianovela Channel, starting on July 30, 2018.
• In Cambodia, the drama was premiered on July 24, 2017 on Town TV.
• In Indonesia, it was shown on GTV, on Mondays to Fridays at 14:00 starting on October 2, 2017.
• In Singapore, it aired on Channel U, on Mondays to Fridays at 10pm starting on November 27, 2017.[89]
• In Hong Kong, Macau, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, the drama began on tvN Asia with a variety of subtitles on January 23, 2018.[90]
• In Bangladesh, the drama is available to stream on-demand on Iflix. It was retitled as "Goblin" in promotional materials. It is also dubbed in Bengali in the app.
• In Bulgaria, it premiered on May 21, 2020, from Mondays to Fridays at 21:00pm.

References

1. "'Guardian' -- not 'Goblin'". Kpop Herald. December 7, 2016.
2. "Special episodes reveal 'Guardian' behind the scenes". The Korea Herald. February 5, 2017.
3. '도깨비', 1·2회 90분 특별 편성. Star E Daily (in Korean). Retrieved December 1, 2016.
4. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. tvN Drama via Youtube. December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
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5. "Highlights of fantasy drama 'Goblin' starring top star Gong Yoo". Yonhap News Agency. 23 November 2016.
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6. "January 21, 2017 Nationwide Cable Ratings" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. 1st (tvN) 쓸쓸하고찬란하신도깨비<본> 18.680%
7. "Goblin Rom-Com Sets New Milestone for Cable Soaps". The Chosun Ilbo. January 23, 2017.
8. "Gong Yoo nabs lead role in romance drama". Korea JoongAng Daily. April 22, 2016.
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9. "Kim Go-eun nabs lead role in 'Goblin' drama". Korea JoongAng Daily. May 27, 2016.
10. [단독] 김고은, 공유의 여자 된다…김은숙 신작 주인공. 네이트뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2016.
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11. "'Goblin' will star Yoo and Yook". Korea JoongAng Daily. August 31, 2016.
12. "BTOB's Yook Sung-jae cast for new drama 'Goblin'". Kpop Herald. September 6, 2016.
13. "[XP초점] '도깨비' 김민재♥김소현, 짧은 분량 긴 여운…이토록 애틋하다니". Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved January 22, 2017.
14. 김소현 측 "'도깨비' 특별출연… 캐릭터 비중 높다" [공식입장]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2016.
15. "[Oh!쎈 톡] '도깨비' 정해인 "잘생긴 태희오빠?..공유 선배가 더 멋지죠"". Osen (in Korean). December 30, 2016.
16. "극구 부인하던 tvN ´도깨비´, 결국 ´태후´ 이응복 PD가 연출 – 일간스포츠". Joins. August 29, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
17. "'Descendants' writer, director team up for new fantasy piece". The Korea Herald. November 22, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
18. '도깨비' 대본리딩 현장, 공유-김고은 케미 어땠나 (in Korean). Newsen. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
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26. "Guess where the 'Guardian' cast is going on holiday". Kpop Herald. January 17, 2017.
27. 「トッケビ～君がくれた愛しい日々～」オリジナル・サウンドトラック [Guardian: The Lonely and Great God OST]. Pony Canyon (in Japanese). Retrieved March 1, 2018.
28. "쓸쓸하고찬란하神-도깨비 OST (孤单又灿烂的神－鬼怪 OST)" [Guardian: The Lonely and Great God OST] (in Chinese). QQ Music. April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
29. "Crush sings soundtrack for 'Guardian'". Kpop Herald. December 16, 2015.
30. "Ailee, Urban Zakapa join drama soundtrack". Korea JoongAng Daily. January 7, 2017.
31. "Mamamoo to sing 'Guardian' soundtrack". Kpop Herald. December 7, 2016.
32. "Artists point fingers over song controversy". Korea JoongAng Daily. January 26, 2017.
33. Cumulative sales for "Stay With Me":
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34. Cumulative sales "My Eyes":
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35. Cumulative sales for "Hush":
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36. Cumulative sales for "Beautiful":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Month 12". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
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37. Cumulative sales for "You Are So Beautiful":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Month 12". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
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38. Cumulative sales for "Who Are You":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Month 12". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
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39. Cumulative sales for "I Miss You":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Month 12". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
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40. Cumulative sales for "First Snow":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Week 53". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
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41. Cumulative sales for "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Year 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
42. Cumulative sales for "Wish":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Year 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
43. Cumulative sales for "And I'm Here", "Winter is Coming" & "Stuck in Love":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Week 02". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Week 03". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
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    • "Gaon Download Chart – Week 06". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Week 07". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Week 08". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Week 09". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
44. Cumulative sales for "Heaven":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Month 01". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
    • "Gaon Download Chart – Month 02". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
45. Cumulative sales for "Love":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – First Half 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
46. Cumulative sales for "Round and Round":
    • "Gaon Download Chart – First Half 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
47. • "Goblin OST Pack". Archived from the original on August 27, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
48. "Gaon Album Chart – Year 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
49. Goblin OST Sales in China's two major music platforms:
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    • "Goblin OST – Kugou". Kugou. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
50. "'Guardian' finale breaks viewership records". Korea JoongAng Daily. 23 January 2017.
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51. "Korean Drama "Guardian" lures Asian and US viewers". The Korea Times. 5 May 2017.
52. "'Guardian' fever continues". The Korea Times. February 7, 2017.
53. "Gong Yoo wore 182 different outfits in 'Guardian'". Kpop Herald. February 3, 2017.
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54. "Female leads of hit dramas spark lip makeup trend". Kpop Herald. 11 January 2017.
55. "Thanks to hit show, fedoras are must-have accessory". Korea JoongAng Daily. February 1, 2017.
56. "Book sales jump as Guardian's popularity soars". The Korea Times. December 27, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
57. "'Guardian' filming sites become hot tourist spots". The Korea Times. 18 January 2017.
58. "Music speaks volumes in hit TV show 'Guardian'". Yonhap News Agency. January 11, 2017.
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59. "Goblin beats Descendants of Sun in video-on-demand sales". The Straits Times. April 27, 2017.
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60. "Fantasy drama "Guardian" enjoys unprecedented popularity". The Korea Times. 20 December 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
61. "Creative plot key to K-drama success". The Korea Times. April 26, 2017.
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63. "Despite flaws, 'Guardian' reaches new heights in rating, themes". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
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67. "TNMS Ratings" (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
68. "TNMS Ratings" (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
69. "14th episode of 'Guardian' postponed". Kpop Herald. 11 January 2017.
70. "'Goblin' Sweeps the 2017 Korea Cable TV Awards". Korea Daily. 10 March 2017.
71. "Announcing the winners of the 5th Annual DramaFever Awards". DramaFever. April 27, 2017. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
72. "'Guardian,' 'The Handmaiden' win big at Baeksang Awards". The Korea Herald. May 4, 2017.
73. "[SDA 2017] 에일리, 한류 주제가상.."박보검 다음 작품도 부르고파"". osen (in Korean). September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
74. ""'도깨비' 첫눈효과 여전" 에일리, OST상 주인공". m.entertain.naver.com. September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
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78. "2017 MAMA Announces Nominees + Voting Begins". soompi.com. October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
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81. "Winners Of The 27th Seoul Music Awards". Soompi. 25 January 2018.
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90. https://www.facebook.com/Ch.tvNAsia/videos/vb.457035864347219/1756303331087126/?type=2&theater

External links

• Official website (in Korean)
• Guardian: The Lonely and Great God on IMDb
• Guardian: The Lonely and Great God at Daum (in Korean)
• Guardian: The Lonely and Great God at HanCinema