tvN’s 20th anniversary special Goblin 10th Anniversary Trip delivered a wave of nostalgia as the stars of Goblin reunited a decade later for a special trip down memory lane.
The first episode followed Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook, Kim Go Eun and Yoo In Na as they traveled to Gangneung to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the global hit drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, better known as Goblin. The July 4 broadcast averaged 3.3% in nationwide household ratings, ranking No. 1 in its time slot across cable and general programming channels. The July 5 episode dipped slightly to 3.1%.
The special also revealed behind-the-scenes stories fans had never heard before. Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun shared that their kiss scene was actually their very first shoot together, recalling how they had to film the scene before the buckwheat flowers disappeared, despite still being awkward around each other.
The July 5 broadcast also brought in Kim Byung Chul, Lee El and Park Kyung Hye. Lee Dong Wook surprised everyone by pulling out the Grim Reaper costume he had kept for the past 10 years, saying, “I kept it all this time thinking there would be a day when I’d get to introduce it.”
When Kim Go Eun tried on Lee’s coat, she was surprised that it fit a woman and asked, “Why is it so small? Were you really that skinny back then?” Yoo In Na recalled, “At our first cast dinner, both of them barely ate and were practically starving themselves.” Kim Go Eun agreed, saying, “That’s right. We were eating chicken breast in Canada.”
Over dinner, the cast also opened up about why the drama had to take a one-week break with just four episodes left in its original run. Yoo In Na remembered that despite back-to-back overnight shoots and constant travel, everyone tried to keep smiling. She then surprised the group by revealing of Gong Yoo, “He collapsed near the end. He caught a really bad flu.”
Gong Yoo said, “Everyone went through a lot. That’s why we took a week off, didn’t we? It felt like it was bound to happen. But we still held up well,” looking back on the grueling but happy set.
At the time of Goblin’s broadcast, the production team explained that the break was needed to maintain quality amid difficult filming and heavy post-production work, including CG. When rumors later spread about Gong Yoo’s health, his agency denied them, saying they were not true.
>> ‘Guardian: The Lonely and Great God’ Cast Completes Filming 10th Anniversary Special in Gangneung
