Finding Peace in Fiction: How Goblin Became My Comfort Drama

Do you know why I love K-dramas? More specifically, why Goblin: The Lonely and Great God has remained my favorite drama for years?

I’ve asked myself that question many times, and I think I’ve finally found the answer.

In a way I still can’t fully explain, I relate to Ji Eun-tak.

Our lives are completely different, but that never stopped me from relating to her. I’ve learned that the characters who stay with us aren’t always the ones who share our circumstances. They’re the ones who understand emotions we’ve never been able to explain ourselves.

That’s exactly what Ji Eun-tak became for me.

I don’t just love Goblin because of its romance or its beautiful cinematography. I love the world it creates. I love how Ji Eun-tak continues to smile even after everything she has been through. I love how people who begin as strangers slowly become a family. Watching them care for one another, despite their different lives and complicated relationships, gives me a sense of comfort that I can’t quite explain.

Over the years, Goblin quietly became my comfort drama without me even realizing it. Whenever I felt lonely, misunderstood, or simply needed a break from my own thoughts, it was always the drama I found myself returning to. I never rewatched it because I wanted to relive the romance. I rewatched it because it made me feel safe. Somehow, spending a few hours in its world always left me feeling lighter than before.

I’ve realized that we don’t always relate to characters because we’ve lived the same life as them. Sometimes we relate to them because they make us feel understood. They express emotions that we’ve never been able to put into words ourselves.

That’s exactly how Goblin makes me feel.

In real life, I don’t always feel understood. Maybe no one can completely understand another person’s feelings, or maybe everyone is simply busy living lives we know nothing about. Whatever the reason, there are moments when I feel like no one truly understands what’s going on inside my mind.

When that happens, I usually do one of two things. I write down my thoughts, or I watch or read something that I can relate to. Somehow, seeing a fictional character experience emotions that feel familiar makes me feel a little less alone.

People around me often think I’m just obsessed with Goblin or with the actors. I don’t blame them for thinking that because it’s difficult to explain why a fictional story can mean so much to someone.

For me, it was never really about the actors.

It was about how the drama made me feel.

I often look for validation of my feelings in books and dramas because I don’t always find it in real life. Over time, stories have become more than entertainment. They’ve become a place where I can breathe, where I feel understood without having to explain myself, and where my emotions feel acknowledged instead of ignored.

I was actually going to write all of this in my diary. But then I thought, why not share it online instead? Maybe someone else has also found comfort in a fictional world. Maybe someone else has watched a story that made them feel seen when nothing else did.

If you’re one of those people, I hope this reminds you that you’re not alone.

Sometimes, the peace we struggle to find in reality finds us quietly through fiction.