A Korean Odyssey (2017)

Despite major broadcasting delays in the beginning – due to a serious editing flaw in the second episode as well as a staff injury – the show managed to break its own records with the highest ratings in its time slot across all channels. Usually, dramas of similar genres are set in a historical, pre-development, era. The fact that this one was based in a 2017 Seoul made it slightly relatable (and hence comfortable) to the audience.
Hwayugi's comedic approach to what would otherwise have been a highly melodramatic topic, helps it stand out. Initially, the drama did not seem to have any direction. It had a scattered storyline. What helped it get through were the absorbing sub-plots. The romance, let's be honest, was cringy. However, the bromance between Ma Wang and Son Oh Gong is probably the best one I've seen since becoming a K-drama fan.
Overall, the character development was definitely evident. But, there were poorly written characters. From the primary cast, Son Oh Gong was the only satisfying character. He is a powerful notoriously self-serving mystical creature who is feared by many. The character's mischievous personality resembled my image of Lee Seung Gi.
While Ma Wang's own story seemed incomplete, he was important as a support for Son Oh Gong, regardless of their differences. Ma Wang's extraness could only be acted this smoothly by Cha Seung-won. Even though disliked by many, it was exciting and hilarious. Viewers were also cynical of him backstabbing Son Oh Gong, however let’s keep in mind that the two weren’t supposed to be on very cordial terms from the get-go. Cha Seung-won's character may not have been up to the mark, but his acting did not fail us. He managed to pull it off superbly, which made us admire him all the more.
Though part of the main cast, the most disappointing character and performance was of Oh Yeon Seo's Jin Seon Mi. Jin Seon Mi, despite being the female lead, was a stiff character who mostly just complained. She was expressionless. That was especially frustrating in comparison to how active Lee Seung Gi was. It won’t be wrong to call her the weakest of them all.
This drama has a star-studded cast with some of the industry’s major names. While the primary cast receives the spotlight, in A Korean Odyssey, it is the supporting cast that steals the show. Lee Se Young, in particular, shocked the audience with her transformation from a dim-witted zombie to a charismatic seductress. Her performance was applaudable, especially when compared to her work in Hit The Top. Lee El as Ma Wang’s secretary is probably the most underrated of the lot. Kim Sung Oh's Lee Han Joo had me laughing till my stomach hurt with his unintentional comedy. Lee Hong Ki and Sung Hyuk are honourable mentions as well. Sung Hyuk plays two roles – General Frost and his sister the Summer Fairy with whom he shares his body. I have to say, not only was he convincing, he also looked gorgeous dressed up as a woman. Some even compared him to AOA's Seolhyun!
Overall, I’d rate the drama 3.85/5. The initial setbacks faced by the drama left many (including myself) sceptical of it. However, apart from a few glitches here and there, A Korean Odyssey is quite captivating. It is far better than the first impression left on the audience by the production team. The soundtracks if put together would make a good album. Nevertheless, its re-watch value for me is pretty low, probably somewhere around 1.5/5.

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Like:
For me the story is fresh and cute, like how can they have thought about that? But the highlight of the show is the characters, especially Ohgong. He's powerful, petty but surprisingly honest. If other dramas are willing to die for their love, not Ohgong. It's not that he's not willing but that he won't literally permit it, maybe because he got powers. Buja, my beloved zombie! I can't believe I'll be loving a zombie, haha. All those monsters are so enjoyable to watch. I can watch the show even all they do is interact with each other, especially Buja and Ohgong bickering.
Dislike:
I don't like everything about the drama, especially some of the awful cgi in the ending and how come there is no reward for Ssamjang?! Seriously, those so called gods messed up her life and can't even make her a demi-god. Like if they are angry to Oh Gong, then punish him but not at the expense at someone's pitiful life. And I still think her death is unnecessary.

I'll re-watch it for the funny scenes, and there's a lot. The end is fine with me. I am sure Ohgong can take Ssamjang out there. I just wish I can see it.
And I wish brighter days for that staff. Fighting!

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i rarely do a review...but, reading a few review in here, i think i need to do a positive review. i'll compare this to goblin (since both are supernatural) a Korean Odyssey (AKO) is 20 series long and i finish it in 5 working days, goblin is 16 series long and its been on hold for months. i like this more because the supernatural being in here is a lot more than goblin, and they act like they're not human...so its funny, and i think i like it more compare to supernatural being that act human. Timing (in my own opinion) also playing a huge part since Goblin was the first one coming with these genre (with extravagant setting and CGI and all), and AKO is almost a year later....so yeah, its getting colder.

story : About the story line...its well written, each character is well presented and yes...there's a boring moment (a few minute) but for a drama that contain 20 episode in it...its already really great. i want to keep watching it and finish it soon, its good enough for me if i have that kind of feeling. they can keep the pace steadily from the beginning, its more melodrama in the end but since the story is well connected, i dont feel bored. one thing i want to comment is when the monkey fight the dragon, its not good enough, from the CGI, how to conquer the dragon, and the story about the dragon itself. its a little bit on the 'meh' side.

acting : now this is hard...i don't like main actress, i think she isn't on par with Lee Seung Gi. the chemistry is there, but i feel it come from Seung Gi a lot more, since his acting is really good, really really good (if you think that's because Seung Gi is handsome, you know there's a lot more 'out of this world handsome' Korean actors out there). the monkey that's rude, never care about others, arrogant are presented really well from beginning until the end...i don't feel the same from the actress. she's pretty but her acting just look flat, pessimist, gloomy. when she say that she love him, i can't feel it in her eyes. and, she look older than Son Oh Gong, and the monkey is 1000++ years old, how come ? on the other hand, i really love zombie girl, man...she can act!! she's been given a lot of challenge in one drama, with a lot of different character, and she nailed it all. i like Ma Wang, but he can be a little overact sometime....but since it funny, i don't mind. the other character is well presented as well.

music : i like bumkey song and the others too. they always put the right song on the right scene. the song itself...keep on playing in my head.

rewatch : absolutely...for a few first episode when theres a lot more funny moment. im already begin to watch it.

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It was my 1st ever Kdrama and I must say am impressed. It's definitely a must-watch. I highly recommend this drama to all who have a soft spot for a fantasy storyline with a heart-fluttering romance. Actually, the main thing I like about this drama is that it is a balanced mix of all genres :
A world with supernatural beings in it, check
Thriller storyline, check
Comedy, definitely check
Exciting romance story, check
Arrogant ML, check
FL with a special fate, check
Some horror scenes, yes
Totally unexpected, finger-crossed, suspenseful ending, check

I also liked that the story was not always revolving around the main characters, the side ones also had their background stories. In many other dramas, I have noticed that the side characters are sometimes ignored, their stories being displayed halfheartedly. But this was not the case here. They all were involved, which also added more sense to the drama. The plot can be at times messy, yes, but I guarantee you'll understand it all in the end. Fine...the ending was also not satisfying for some but I kinda ignored it as I am sincerely hoping for Season 2.

Your time is definitely worth it!!

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Actually, it's a pretty amazing drama.
Now for the things I liked about this drama.
Of course, the main lead girl - Jin Seo Min(Oh Yeon Seo) is amazing. Her acting is impeccable. I really loved all her outfits and her simple hairstyles in this drama. It was not over the top and very natural, showing even more how her character is well put together from the outside, but actually, it's just a facade. Jin Seo Min is actually really lonely and scared. She is feared by all people that surround her because of her abilities to see demons. So she grew up alone and separated from kids at school. No one wanted to be friends with her. And as she is now an adult, her only living family despises her and calls her a freak, unlucky girl. One thing I didn't like about her is her selfishness. She actually didn't think about the feelings of Son Oh Gong and how much he might be hurt by her trying to trap him. She only thought about herself. And you might think that a woman, who has went through so much shitty stuff in life at least would be considerate of others, but no!
Main guy - Son Oh Gong(Lee Seung Gi)...He's...how should I say it... Very different from other main lead guys in other k-dramas that I've watched. Maybe that was why it was so refreshing to see such new character and his persona. And I still can't forget about his iconic coat - it's amazing. And so is his style. In this drama all of the characters have amazing style which I love and adoooore.
Minuses. There was one annoying minus. Special effects. Why did they make all the magic and supernatural things look soooo bad? For example, when Ma Wang shows his real self by floating surrounded by fire he looks very comical and the effects are very badly done. Don't know, maybe that is the joke, maybe it was supposed to be this way but it bothered me a little bit. All the magic and non-realistic stuff are pretty bad, not going to lie. If you can look past all that then it's definitely worth watching it.

Now, a bit ending spoilers ahead:
The ending was anticlimactic, if you compare it to all episodes before. WHY? Because Jin Seo Min basically was not important at all. Through the whole episodes it was hinted that she will be the cause, that only she can change the ending,...but basically...She wasn't needed. And as usual, the guy saves the day and the world. Because we can't have a different ending where a female girl FINALLY DOES SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT!!!!(I'm writing this just as I finished watching this, so excuse my ranting). So overall... I didn't enjoy the ending. It was not...pleasant at all. Things that should have mattered didn't, and things that shouldn't - were made important...At the end...I was more interested in side character stories than the main lead couple.

NOW SHOULD YOU WATCH THIS DRAMA?
Simple answer - yes. If you are okay with so-so ending, but very cute episodes in the middle and series that happen in these times but also jump back to the past. If I knew the ending before, probably I'd still watch it, because chemistry between the main couple was very good and I loved side-characters.

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A Mess

I just created an account, just to review this mess of a drama. Don't know why it's rated so high on dramalist.
STORY
The story was all over the place and so inconsistent. The FL forgot that she already had a miserable life before she met these demons but blame them for everything that's happening to her. What's up with that.
The ghost stories made no sense at all and were just a bunch of mumbojumbo mashed up together. A poor knockoff of Goblin
ACTING
The FL character was the most selfish human. Worse than the "so-called" demons. The main leads had no chemistry and their love was not believable at all, knowing that it's all cos of a bracelet and she should know this too.
The other side characters like PK and Zombie girl had more chemistry.
Devil king was a bit much and so annoying.
MUSIC
The only thing I enjoyed in this drama is the music.
REWATCH VALUE
I'm never going to rewatch this, I'm never going to suggest it to anyone.
I feel people rated it high here cos the male lead is popular if not I see nothing.
And cos of this I will really research on a high rated drama(especially by a lovable actor) before I watch to avoid getting so annoyed as I was watching this mess.

NB: I'm so glad the FL dies. I was so much at peace with that. It's like the gave me a present for wasting more than 20hours of my life

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I generally enjoyed this show, the music and story were great and the actors all had great chemistry. Although the FL seemed to fall flat on occasion compared to her male counterpart. He really worked his arse off to keep the scenes alive when this happened. I assume she is a little emotionally stunted due to her childhood and the things she sees, which is probably the reason the actor comes across as flat in some scenes?

The comedy from Ma Wang (Cha Seung Won) is just great, especially when he bounces off of Son Oh Gong (Lee Seung Gi). Their whole love/hate/respect relationship is gold.

Overall it was a great watch as kdramas go; action, romance, comedy, supernatural, etc. - There's a lot of genres this show falls under! I would recommend giving the show a watch and it's definitely one I would rewatch, in fact, I already have.

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I wish for a season 2

Not going to lie... At first I was super annoyed with the FL, she was annoyingly selfish and never thought things through before acting and became a puppet for others. She had reasons but there were obvious ways around it.

The ML? I love him! He's the main reason I watched it anyway.

Anyways I loved the all cast, especially the Zombie (i wish she got to speak to piggy before)
I loved all the supernatural beings.
The story was okay as well
The ost is bomb, the songs are one of the reason i keep missing the show and cannot move on in peace. Lol.

The clothes were okay, the romance part, lived for it.

It was a slow romance but it was okay.

Bottom line I reccommend, I love it a lot
Hoping for a seaon two.

The ending is bitter sweet, you can either feel satisfied or want a continuation or both at the same time like me.

Go try it out and see what you think, you'll like it

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I usually watch pretty everything without expecting too much, but I waited for this one for two reasons; 1: Oh Yeon Seo , 2: Hong Sisters. Oh Yeon Seo was in my radar after her acting in Please Come Back Mister. Hong Sisters have been always in my radar because I like their indescribable touch in their stories.

A Korean Odyssey had a very promising and exciting storyline, but there certainly were flaws...For instance; I can understand, that for many people the last episodes were the flaws itself. But I actually think it was pretty well wrapped up. It could be different, or may not be for everyone's cup of tea but still, to me it was just ok.

Honestly, it was the caracters and the acting that made me wait for 20 episodes. I totally fell in love with the double sided caracters, and their acting.... Their dialogues, their humour, their expressions, their actions, supports and betrayals always had the touch of the representative animal. As for Jin Sun Mi...I could always see, that no matter how grown up she is, she was simply an alone, scared teenager, surrounded by the monsters, who can not dare to trust anyone but deeply wishes to do so... To me the best acting is the one, that you do not notice and the actors literally wore their caracter.

The music was just good. I would not call it epic but it definietly was fitting, especially the ending song Let Me Out, with some lyrics giving a hint of the story but with some sound that does not depress you,

The humour....Well humour is something that varies, but to me it was epic ..The small references to real life, quotes or songs, a very cute zombie.. I litearally enjoyed them. Somehow I always had an absurd humour-vibe like I had in Gintama....

Overall I would call A Korean Odyssey a good told fairy tale. The caracters, the acting, the dialogues, the storyline , the music and even the love-story , they all complement and fit with each other perfectly.

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I finished this drama one week ago and I am still not over it. I love it so much and it quickly became one of my favorites. The plot is very interesting and I loved watching the relationship between Son Oh Gong and Samjang develop. I also liked the bromance between Oh Gong and Ma Wang. This drama has everything you could ever wish for : great lead romance, humor, funny love-hate reationships, great casting and good ost. Through this drama I discovered actor Lee Seung Gi which fitted perfectly in the role of Son Oh Gong.
This is one of the best dramas I've seen so far and I thoroughly recommend it.

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Its important to note that I’m a huge fan of the Hong sisters. They provide pure escapist television and that is the very best kind of television in my eyes and Korean Odyssey is just pure escapism on steroids.

STORY:
Hmmm. In a nutshell it’s a story about Jin Seon Mi who is a human who can see ghosts and her escapades with a cadre of fabulous monsters of the very best kind. I know it sounds simplistic but truly, it’s the characters that drive this story (which is indicative of Hong Sisters shows). If you are looking for a standard drama with a love triangle (ok this has one) and a second male lead that you love (ok this show has one) and childhood flash backs (ok there is that as well) and amnesia (oh alright, there is that) but all of that aside, whatever might be a trope……just doesn’t feel the same in Korean Odyssey.

CHARACTERS:
This is where my mind is blown. There is not a character in the entire show that isn’t crazy fun. From Son Oh Gong, the Great Sage and monkey monster to Ma Wang the devil king and their litany of side kicks like P.K. the pig monster who is adorable, Secretary Ma the loyal and blood thirsty dog monster, or the incredible Zombie girl so nicely done by Lee Se Young, this show is chocked full of incredible characters or more. At one point, there is a billionaire chaebol doing house work and cooking to an octopus monster possessing the body of a ditsy actress and the lone non-supernatural person, Lee Han Joo, alternating between being horrified at the strange things around him and star struck with all the celebrities visiting his boss.

I especially loved the two male leads and frankly I think the Hong Sisters wrote this for these two men. Lee Seung Gi plays Son Oh Gong and Cha Seung Won plays the devil king and the two play off each other from the first episode. Lee Seung Gi creates a compelling character on the screen and frankly I couldn’t not stop watching him every moment he was on the screen. Same went for Cha Seung Won. He played a completely different type of character than Lee Seung Gi but the two just worked together. Truth be told, I still like the Goblin bromance better, but this one was one for the books, especially the fighting.

In the end, there is not a bad character in the bunch. Love or hate how the simplistic story plays out, each character is incredible, even Jin Seon Mi who is quite bland next to the liks of Son Oh Gong and Wa Wang, she is what is called the straight man in the comedy team. While all the monsters act and react around her, she remains calm, cool, and collected……there had to be at least one calm person in this show of crazy monsters.

MUSIC:
The music was incredibly good (again my opinion). My favorite song was Let Me Out by Nu’est W. I’m pondering downloading that one. The rest was good and not too cliché or repetitive. It worked well with the storyline.

REWATCH VALUE:
Heck yeah! Whether its fun scenes or just watching this again for a deeper dive into the characters…..its worth another go ‘round.

OVERALL:
Korean Odyssey is worth your time just for the characters alone. The rest is not as important but a nice addition. Its not perfect….Jin Seon Mi wasn’t written as well as the 2 male leads (kinda sad). Plus I’m not sure many actresses outside Gong Hyo Jin, Yoo In Na, or Kim Go Eun could go toe to toe with such strong male leads like Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won. Now wouldn't that be a fun show to watch?

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Let me just say that I really enjoyed this drama, but It's not easy to rate it. Firstly, it is ridiculously over the top. The humor is over the top, the special effects are ridiculous, and the characters are caricatures of themselves. There are zombies, fairies, humans that have paranormal properties, messengers from heaven, spirits and other things that sometimes just show out of nowhere. It is overacted, overplayed, overdramatic and cheesy at the same time. That being said, if you understand the genre that you are watching and take it for what it is, it is actually really enjoyable.

The story is somewhat new if you don't know the "Journey to the West" or the mythology behind it. It seems to me that some of the themes are based on folk tales and old stories, but it was all fairly new to me. I really enjoyed the fast pace of the show. While I absolutely loved the first 15 episodes, the last 5 were completely unnecessary to me. I understand what the writers were going for, I just would personally prefer if everything surrounding the priestess and the events leading to the end of the show were cut out. I think that 20 episodes were probably a bit too much.

I liked the acting, but one needs to keep in mind that the characters were supposed to overact. Lee See Young was amazing and her role was not an easy one. She made it possible for the people to love and hate her at the same time. Cha Seung Won was probably my favorite character, though. He was just the perfect amount of crazy, charming and mischievous. I liked the main couple, but the chemistry between them could be a bit better. I didn't mind the FL, but sometimes she seemed to be a bit stiff.

Some people drew parallels between the Goblin and The Korean Odyssey and there certainly were some. The bromance was kind of similar and the stories had similar elements such as the main girl having a way to call her guardian when she needed him. The major difference that I see between those two is that The Korean Odyssey did not try to take itself too seriously with it execution whereas Goblin intended to have a very serious, even solemn, feel to the story.

I was hesitating between 8.0 and 9.0 for this drama and I can't quite decide. I think the first 10 episodes would be a solid 9.0, even 9.5 for me, but since I ended up fast forwarding many scenes in the second half of the show, I settled on 8.5

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