Romance with a divine being is always intriguing, yet never simple or safe -- at least in Korean dramas.
"Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," aired through tvN from December 2016 to January 2017, is a series that reinterprets beings from Korean folklore into a modern, touching love story.
The male protagonist, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), an immortal being that can be roughly translated as a goblin, is a general wrongfully killed a thousand years ago, who now longs for rest.
He meets Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun), the only person who can grant him peace and his destined partner. Although he steps closer to the death he yearns for, he falls in love with her.
The characters’ journey of rediscovering each other and falling in love again demonstrates the power of love transcending fate, time, and space.
The mystical allure of the story is also captured in the soundtrack.
"Who Are You," sung by the vocalist Sam Kim, represents the character Kim Shin. According to the soundtrack album, this song was the first track created by music director Nam Hye-seung and composer Park Jin-ho after reading the series script. Sam Kim's soulful voice combines well with the deep, echoing background sound.
The lyrics reflect the characters' determination to find each other despite threats of life and death: "I will find you, I will recognize you / Wherever you are, no matter what you look like, I will recognize you / Even in places where you are not, even after countless sunsets, I will not forget."
Another noteworthy track is "I Miss You" by Soyou, a member of the girl group Sistar known for her evocative voice. This song, with its minimal guitar and piano arrangement and Soyou's sorrowful vocals, enhances the emotional immersion of the viewers into the drama.
The song was used in a scene where the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-wook), another main character, sheds tears upon seeing a portrait of the woman from his past life. The song added to the mystery and emotional depth at a point when many secrets were yet to be revealed.
The lyrics reflect the story of the secondary couple, who cannot forget each other despite transcending time and life: "You’re the one destined for me / even if I am born again several times / even if you hide somewhere / I will find you."
The powerful diva Ailee sang "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow." Starting gently and building to a climactic intensity, Ailee’s vocals convey Kim Shin's desperate wish to be with his beloved. The song, entirely in Korean, features poetic lyrics that reflect Kim Shin's agony between his death drawing near and his wish to stay by Ji: "It was incredible, watching over you, feeling my heart race, even the ordinary moments feeling jealous"
The lyrics encapsulate Kim Shin's yearning to have an ordinary life with the one he loves, even over his eternal life and great powers: "I desire; I want to live with you, grow old together, hold your wrinkled hands, and say that my life was warm."
