Few K-dramas have left a mark quite like Goblin (also known as Guardian: The Lonely and Great God). The 2016–2017 tvN hit, starring Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun and Lee Dong-wook and written by Kim Eun-sook, mixed a centuries-old curse, a quirky grim reaper and a love story shaped by fate. If you finished it and felt a hole in your watchlist, you are not alone. The good news: Korean television has produced plenty of fantasy romances with the same mix of magic, melancholy and humor. Here are ten of the best dramas like Goblin to watch next.
What Makes a Drama “Like Goblin”?
Before the list, it helps to know what we were looking for. Every pick below shares at least a few of these ingredients:
- A supernatural or immortal lead carrying the weight of a long, lonely past.
- A destined romance where love has real consequences, often tied to life and death.
- Found family and comic relief to balance the heavier moments.
- Beautiful visuals and an emotional soundtrack that make the fantasy feel real.
1. Hotel del Luna (2019)
Probably the closest match on this list. IU plays Jang Man-wol, the sharp-tongued owner of a hotel that serves only ghosts, bound there for over a thousand years because of a past sin. Yeo Jin-goo is the human manager who slowly softens her. Like Goblin, it is about an immortal being learning to let go, and its gorgeous production design and moving ending make it a fan favorite.
2. My Love from the Star (2013–2014)
An alien who has lived on Earth for four centuries falls for a self-absorbed top actress. Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun share wonderful comic chemistry, while the story’s core — a lonely, near-immortal man counting down his final months on Earth — carries the same bittersweet tone Goblin fans love.
3. Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020)
If you missed Lee Dong-wook as the grim reaper, you will enjoy seeing him as Lee Yeon, a gumiho (nine-tailed fox) who has spent centuries searching for the reincarnation of his lost love. It leans more into action and Korean folklore, but the theme of waiting across lifetimes will feel very familiar.
4. The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
Another fantasy romance from writer Kim Eun-sook, and it reunites her with Kim Go-eun. Lee Min-ho plays an emperor from a parallel Korea who crosses into our world and meets a detective. The parallel-universe plot is more complex than Goblin’s, but the destiny-driven romance and grand visuals clearly carry the same creative DNA.
5. Doom at Your Service (2021)
Park Bo-young plays a woman facing a terminal diagnosis who makes a fateful contract with Myul Mang, a being who embodies destruction itself (Seo In-guk). It is darker and more melancholic than most romances, which makes it perfect for viewers who loved Goblin’s deeper meditations on mortality.
6. My Demon (2023)
A charismatic demon loses his powers, and the key to getting them back seems to be a prickly heiress. Song Kang and Kim Yoo-jung lead this contract-romance-meets-fantasy story. It is lighter and more playful, with plenty of banter, but still delivers the “powerful immortal falls for a human” setup.
7. Alchemy of Souls (2022)
Set in a fictional kingdom where mages can swap souls between bodies, this epic fantasy blends martial arts, magic and romance. It is longer and more action-heavy than Goblin, but if what you loved was world-building and a slow-burn romance with high stakes, it is one of the most satisfying fantasy K-dramas of recent years.
8. Mystic Pop-up Bar (2020)
A spirit runs a street food cart where she enters customers’ dreams to resolve their grudges, all to fulfil a long-standing punishment from the afterlife. With its episodic “healing” stories, eccentric afterlife bureaucracy and warm humor, it captures the gentler side of Goblin, especially the grim reaper scenes.
9. Destined with You (2023)
A cursed lawyer and a civil servant who discovers a forbidden book of love spells find their fates tangled together, with roots going back hundreds of years. It combines rom-com energy with a curse that stretches across generations — a lighter spin on the idea that love and fate are inseparable.
10. Hi Bye, Mama! (2020)
A woman who died years earlier gets 49 days back in the human world to see the husband and daughter she left behind. This one is less of a romance and more of a family tearjerker, but its gentle take on ghosts, the afterlife and saying goodbye will hit the same emotional nerve as Goblin’s final episodes. Keep tissues nearby.
How to Choose Your Next Watch
Not sure where to start? Use this quick guide:
- Want the same bittersweet mood? Go with Hotel del Luna or Doom at Your Service.
- Want more comedy? Try My Love from the Star or My Demon.
- Want epic world-building? Pick Alchemy of Souls or The King: Eternal Monarch.
- Want a good cry? Hi Bye, Mama! is the one.
Streaming availability changes by country, so check platforms such as Netflix, Viki, Prime Video or Kocowa in your region. Our guide on where to watch Korean dramas can help you track them down.
Final Thoughts
Goblin set a high bar for fantasy romance, but its influence lives on in a whole generation of K-dramas about immortals, reapers, spirits and love that defies fate. Whether you want to laugh, swoon or sob, one of these ten shows should fill that Goblin-shaped gap in your heart. Have a favorite we missed? Tell us in the comments, and keep coming back to Drama Online for new lists, reviews and streaming guides every day.