Gong Yoo earned the top spot for January brand reputation rankings with a slight difference from his "Goblin" co-star Kim Go Eun. The two actors from the recently ended fantasy drama earned 7.2 million and 7.1 million reputation index, respectively.
According to Soompi, the "Goblin" stars were followed by "Moonlight Drawn By Clouds" actor Park Bo Gum who got a total reputation index of 4.5 million, while "Running Man" host Yoo Jae Suk earned the 4th spot.
Other celebrities who made it on the list were "Descendants of the Sun" actor Song Joong Ki, "The Legend of the Blue Sea" stars Jun Ji Hyun and Lee Min Ho, "My Love From The Star" actor Kim Soo Hyun, and more.
The popularity of "Goblin" may have affected the brand reputation ratings of Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun. In fact, the fantasy drama set a new record for the highest rated tvN drama with an average of 20.5 percent for cable channels, surpassing "Reply 1998's" 18.803 percent.
Not only that the drama was popular among Koreans, but also in several Asian countries as well as in the United States.
Allkpop reported several start-up sites started selling "Goblin" merchandise because of the demand. "Even merchandise featuring fake Gong Yoo autographs have been popping up, demonstrating the fans' passion for the drama," an industry representative said.
In fact, a viral has gone viral in online communities which featured students watching "Goblin" during class hours in a Chinese school. Supporters of the drama series they liked Gong Yoo's bromance with Lee Dong Wook.
While others commended the storyline of "Goblin." There were also viewers who took notice of the cinematography of the fantasy drama. "I've seen hundreds of dramas and this was by far one of the best dramas I've seen," a fan wrote.