Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

Synopsis

Kim Shin is a legendary general from the Goryeo era who is betrayed by his king and killed despite his loyalty. Instead of passing on, he becomes an immortal goblin with a sword lodged in his chest. What first seems like a blessing soon becomes a curse, and he waits for the human bride who can remove the sword and end his endless life.

Near the present day, he saves a pregnant woman who was meant to die. She gives birth to Ji Eun Tak, a girl who grows up able to see ghosts. After her mother’s death, Eun Tak is mistreated by her relatives, yet she stays hopeful. The ghosts around her whisper that she is the goblin’s bride.

As a high school student, Eun Tak makes a birthday wish by the sea and Kim Shin appears in front of her, drawn by her call against his will. From then on he shows up whenever she puts out a flame. She claims she can see the sword in his chest and insists she is the person he has been searching for. Their connection deepens as they become involved with the Grim Reaper, who shares a home with Kim Shin, and the two face the truth of fate, love, and the cost of ending his curse.

15 Views

Is There Romance? YES

Watch Status Finished

Type Strong

Chemistry 4/5

Who Liked First Male Lead First

Ending Mixed

First Kiss Episode

Triangle Yes, but not really
(Background Only)

Triangle Details

Short-lived, mostly symbolic, and does not affect the ML/FL relationship in any meaningful way.

My Notes / Opinions

Overall a long, slow-paced drama with a mature, dialogue-heavy tone. The romance builds gradually, with the ML warming up first and the FL’s sincerity taking longer to read. The very long episodes create a slow-burn feel even if the plot itself isn’t strictly structured that way. Some emotional moments hit hard, especially around Episodes 13-15. The show leans heavily on time skips, lore mechanics, and memory resets, which can make the experience feel dragged out or repetitive. The major shift in the final episodes is dramatic but handled vaguely, and doesn’t always make complete sense within the show’s own rules. The ending is emotional and partially satisfying, but also abrupt and strange, and it’s difficult to decide whether it should be labeled as happy, mixed, or sad. Despite these issues, the drama is more grounded and enjoyable than most chaotic rom-coms, and several key scenes land very well. Quick note: I put the chemistry at 4 mainly because the FL carried hard early on, otherwise I’d probably rate it closer to 3.5.