A Korean Odyssey (2017)

Son Oh-gong is the best

Premise: I love rom-com-fantasy so maybe I'm a little biased. This is one of my favorite kdramas because of Son Oh-gong, my favorite character of all time. Lee Seung Gi here is gorgeous. After seeing this series I went to see all his other dramas! FL, Oh Yeon Seo, I didn't like, I disliked her from the beginning. But her character has good chemistry with Son Oh-gong and that's enough. The other characters are so strong that they take up her slack. Also the imaginary world created is fascinating. Unfortunately the ending is pretty unsatisfying (and this is why I can give a 10 to this drama) but the journey that leads to the unhappy conclusion (in the sense of script quality) is fun and engaging therefore I recommend it to anyone who loves the fantasy and rom-com genre.

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A Tale of Wasted Potential

"Korean Odyssey" began with a lot of promise, offering a captivating storyline and well-paced episodes that made the first half of the series fly by. The characters were intriguing, and the narrative seemed poised for a memorable ride. However, as the show progressed, it became bogged down by unnecessary subplots and drawn-out pacing. The excessive number of episodes felt like a drag, and the once compelling storyline started to lose its charm.

One major issue was the development of the main female character, who grew increasingly irritating in the latter half. This shift made it hard to invest in the central romance, and I found myself losing interest in the lead couple altogether. The magical bracelet, which was supposed to play a significant role, didn’t work for me either. It felt contrived, and as a result, the chemistry between the leads fell flat.

Additionally, there were several unresolved plot points that left me feeling unsatisfied, especially given how much potential the drama had. The ending was disappointing, leaving a lot of unanswered questions.

However, not all was lost. The storyline of Ma Wang, portrayed by Cha Seung-won, was genuinely interesting. It’s unfortunate that it wasn’t explored further, as it could have added a deeper dimension to the series. Son Oh Gong, played by Lee Seung Gi, was another standout character. His charisma carried much of the show, and he was the main reason I stuck with it until the end.

In summary, "Korean Odyssey" had the potential to be a fantastic K-drama. With tighter pacing, fewer unnecessary subplots, and a more natural romance, it could have been a standout series. Unfortunately, the second half's missteps and underwhelming conclusion turned what started as a promising show into a missed opportunity.

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After watching this drama I came to this point that I'm in love with the idea of love.

STORYLINE: As for this department, I would say that, the title and the briefing of the drama is nothing in front of storyline. I mean, after reading the briefing I thought it going to be sappy story but no, no, no, it turned out to be the most twisted plot. Every episode's ending is like a cliff hanger. No words to describe my feeling. In every episode when I thing that it's going to be fine now but then something appears and my mind went crazy. I can bet on that, you'll never get bore in any episode.

ACTING: I love their acting, character, figure, face in short whole soul of the actor and character.

MUSIC: As for the music, my favorite songs from this drama are, "Let me out" and "When I see you". They are even in my playlist.

You must watch it, then you decide the re-watch value.

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What I liked about this show was the interpretation of both Cha Seung Won and Lee Seung Gi. They made the characters so real. They were funny or tragic when they had to. I watched the show only for them. I could say the way they acted created the whole show. What I didn't fancy was the acting of Oh Yeon Seo (she was to quiet...sometimes I was feeling that she is just a piece of glass... the light just passes through the glass...just like the action of the shows...it doesn't affect the feeling you get from her). Every time I saw her I was appreciating more Cha Seung Won and Lee Seung Gi.

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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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