Watching the drama was an enjoyable journey. The various genres mixed in the drama gave a new way of thinking about various elements. It was scary right to the point, it was sweet right to the point, fantasy on the right amount. So there is no other thing to say. Everything was pleasant.
For the casting, in the beginning, I was afraid that the woman main lead was Oh Yeon Seo, but the story and her acting made me overcome my prejudice on her from other projects and programs. For Lee Seung Gi I had no suspicion on how he would be representing and delivering the character and story to the viewers. He confirmed one more time how capable he is.
I suggest to everyone that is interested in fantasy and horror dramas without forgetting romance on the way.
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Go on and try it !
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This review may contain spoilers
All It Needed Was Better Chemistry Between the Leads
I have updated my review after watching all 20 episodes. What I found out in the last three episodes is that there is nothing wrong with the acting of the two leads: they finally showed the palpable love and romance that I was waiting for. So it must have been the direction or script that didn't allow them to go to this place sooner. This is a serious flaw in the story. Often shows have the couple achieve "love" 50-60% of the way through a show, then there is a misunderstanding which is resolved in the end and "true love" prevails. This is so that viewers are not waiting past their patience tolerance for the romance. Because this romance was strung out so long, with a very, very slow burn in the first 60% of the show, it difficult, but ultimately satisfying.==========================
I am enjoying this program. It is filled with great actors and it has a great storyline. The writers are top-notch. I see many parallels between this storyline and Alchemy of Souls, which blew most viewers away. Overall, it is entertaining and fun. As another reviewer mentioned, the costumer for the men went all out to have them looking AMAZING. The costumer for the women was asleep at the wheel. Even if the women were not as dramatic as the men, they still deserved more. After all, the female lead is rich and can wear almost anything she wants.
As so many reviewers have mentioned, the main problem with KO is that there is no spark between the leads and no emotional depth in their portrayal of their love. By the time the FL started to show a tiny bit of softness when she looked at the ML, it was so far into the show as to not matter. The FL has a tough job, to make an emotionally and socially isolated, lonely career woman come to life through love and her power over her situation. Unfortunately, I don't think she was able to meet the challenge here, for whatever reasons. I can speculate: maybe she was sick during filming; maybe she knew that there was no chemistry with the ML and gave up; maybe she didn't gel with the ML because in the first few episodes, he wasn't a jerk who can be redeemed through love, he was just a pure, remorseless bastard with no redeeming qualities. It is hard to start developing loving feelings for a man like that. Perhaps the ML is a method actor and put the FL so out of sorts that they couldn't develop the "secret spark" needed for such a romance. Who knows. It is easier to have a romance bloom when the woman is hard on the man, because men tend to like Alpha Dog women (no comments, please) versus having the man be hard on the woman. It happens, but the man has to be seen as having some charm somewhere. Unfortunately, here neither of the ML's nor FL's faces or voices came alive when they were together in most of this show. In the show "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" FL Seo Yea Ji was able to present a standoffish FL with deep emotional depths just under the surface, but here we couldn't really see it. As for the ML, he seems to act in more action comedies than romances; maybe romance just isn't his strong suit. I don't know, since I haven't seen him in anything else. Being a jerk-with-a-redeeming-side is hard to play, unless there are some scenes early on where the character can demonstrate those redeeming qualities/softness that will allow both the FL and the audience to fall for him.
It could have been the direction. When actors veer off the mark, the directors are supposed to save them and help them realize the characters appropriately. I don't see evidence that the FL and ML got that guidance. OR.... maybe this is supposed the be a reflection of the title "Korean Odyssey." Maybe the script writers are conveying that Korean couples, for most of history, have been thrown together by circumstance just to survive, and are more similar to those in arranged marriages than are couples who are truly "lovey dovey." I do see many exemplars in dramas of loving Korean couples crabbing and yelling at each other and showing no or minimal traces of warmth or affection. Maybe, this is what they were aiming for?
And, the story does let the couple down in that there is no real reason for them to fall for each other. She is falling for the first person/monster to be "nice" to her (the ML), and he is falling for her "beauty" only because he is magic-ed into it (No other positive traits are mentioned about her, so I guess that is an FL's only requirement, to be beautiful.). The script doesn't really have them working together, learning together, appreciating each other's good qualities, and so forth. Even when the ML is saving the FL, it is supposedly because he has to. Somewhere along the line we ideally see on what basis he is truly falling for her. Usually, when we have a couple who are not sure if the other loves them, we, the viewers know that they do. Here, we really don't and are left as uncomfortable as the ML and FL are; it is not the "good" edge-of-your seat feeling a viewer should have.
Even so, with the other characters bringing the "heart" (shout out to Lee Hong Ki, Lee Se Young, and Cha Seung Won) it is pretty darned good.
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Overall, the side characters were really amusing and they brought light into a show that would have been otherwise boring.
((They say i need 500 words so here I am trying to lengthen this why does it feel like those word limits for school essays))
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To put it simply,this drama is about a few characters who try to catch some evil spirits.You throw in some bipolar romance,a very poorly depicted/acted/you name it heroine and some apparent "deepness"about some important life lessons(who fall appart when you try to think more about it) and some veeeery poorly explained fantasy events,connections and support characters(which again,if you think too deeply ,your brain explodes because it makes no sense whatsoever) and BOOM,you have hwayugi.The Hong sisters could have taken the best parts out of Journey to the West and made it into an awesome drama,but noooooo,let's take a very important piece of asian literature and write a drama with a plot as tiny as an ant.
The part that pisses me off the most is that it was announced as one of the biggest dramas of the year.SAY WHAT?Think again.
In conclusion,please don't watch it.Don't waste 20 hours of your life on it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful! Has fabulous & talented cast all sights for sore eyes!
This was my first time seeing Lee Seung Gi act and I was smitten. Never have I ever seen someone rock that hairstyle in the same way. No one can do it better, while Park Sae Roy in Itaewon Class came close, he still ranks second. Normally, I do not like characters who dress like Son Oh Kong, not because of the clothes but because very few can pull it off, especially as well as he did. The character was just wow!Cha Seung Won's Ma Wang was just as incredible to watch. He is another actor that I enjoy watching. The plot was simply perfect. Since I have just watched it for 2nd time and am more happy with it this time around, I can't find fault.
During my first watch, I was frustrated with the ending, but seeing how motivated Son Oh Gong in getting Jin Seon Mi back, I'm 100% sure he succeeded. Would I love to watch a second season with him following her to netherland and rescuing her in the process? Hell yes, but I don't mind that it wont' be coming since I have gotten my closure.
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Know as 'Hwayugi' -- an Odyssey none the less
AKA: Hwayugi and considering how long this series is, and how many scenarios it covers that makes absolute sense it be called an odyssey. This is definitely a must watch for anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾This is yet another tale about relationships between human and supernatural beings. And it's the fabric and quality of these relationships that give all the substance for this feature. However the love story is both its strength and its weakness - long, drawn out and in the end melodramatic.
Our main supernatural character is well written, and superbly acted by Lee Seung Gi. Our main female is also well written but I found actress Oh Yeon Seo a disappointing choice (she seemed wooden at times in her portrayal & was not a convincing kisser) 🙄. Most other actors were fantastic. The soundtrack was good and the cinematography was great. All in all a great tale to watch and enjoy.
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This review may contain spoilers
One classic
Without a doubt, A Korean Odyssey is the best fantasy K-drama I've ever watched in my entire life. The story is totally captivating as are all the characters.I died and laughed (and cried even more), it's definitely a light drama to pass the time. The kind of K-drama that you watch and don't even realize that fifteen episodes have already passed.
I admit to watching it whenever I can, and I made everyone in my family watch it too lol
I sincerely hope that A Korean Odyssey gets much more recognition in the future, because like it or not, not many people know a drama as good as this one.
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THE ENDING?
I think this is one of the best k-dramas I watched (sad,sweet,lovely,funny and a little scary) 😍 I like the love story of the main characters it is so sweet and amazing... BUT I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE ENDING is really sad and it maked me cry😿👍🏻 I really enjoyed every episode💞 PLEASE WATCH THIS K-DRAMA BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER REGRET WATCHING IT !!! I hope I can see more k-dramas like this one with an amazing story-line like ,,A korean odyssey". ILY😍🥹🩷😞😻💞💋😘🥰😍🤩🤭💙💙💙❤️❤️🧡🧡💛💛💜💜💗💗💓💓💞💕💌🫂💋❤️🩹💌Was this review helpful to you?
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at the beginning i thought i was going to be bored cause the length of the ep. was 90 min. and 20 eps.i thought it's going to be as Reply1988 no events and very boring but i was very wrong
i enjoy every min in it although its long
i loved the idea of we r going to be what we believe in the most
this drama has a great idea and lesson
that we shouldn't fill our soul wz envy and negative thoughts
we shouldn't focus at others life or we r not going to be satisfied at ours
cause what we believe in is going to be real and affect us so much
but i really didn't get if the octopus was girl or a boy according to the translation
it was a boy and that disgusts me alot when he tried to seduce PK
i convinced myself it was a girl and the mistake was from the translation (LOL)
and what bothered me the huge contradictings many times about the events
like
they were Gods how they can't know the events before happening
and how they can't find each other or can't find a normal human being when they decided to hide
or recreate creatures and human beings like zombie girl and sam jang
THEY WERE GODS how can this be ???
the end as usual bothered me sooooooooooooooo much
why they should kill zombie girl and sam jang it wasn't necessary at all
as if they are allergic against happy clear endings
it sort of happy open end i dislike that kind
but in general i enjoyed much really specially the love between Lee Seung Gi & Oh Yeon Seo
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A wild supernatural ride of a drama
The cast of this drama are varied and interesting. The fantasy is that the majority of main leads are either from heaven (deities) or demons. mix in some humans and ghosts and then the plot takes off at a gallop.There are other sub plots, a snappy bromance, a slow burn romance, a fairy sharing her brothers body in a male female swap, an idol who is actually a demon pig who falls for a zombie and let's not forget the black dragon that could disrupt the world unless the FL sacrifices herself.
It is a fun mish mash of ideas held together by the cunning and charming monkey Son Oh Gong played marvellously br Lee Seung Gi. His romantic feelings for Jin Seon Mi / Sam Jang are triggered by a magic bracelet that binds his heart and weakens him. There are many manipulations that often backfire and evil doers flourish but not too scarily.
I didn't warm too quickly to the FL until the zombie is taken over by an evil spirit who then manages to swap souls with the FL. The transition from a fairly staid person working as a real estate agent into a femme fatal was an eye opener. She transformed her body language and voice and was very believably a dangerous evil woman.
20 episodes packed with plots, back story, great visuals and sometimes weird CGI meant I was never bored and the OST is lovely too.
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Just my opinion:)
From the first episod I said "This is gonna be my fav series. And after 5 years is it still my fav kdrama. This drama is worth all the time. The story is a little bit sad but it's a very beautiful one. The OST is phenomenal, at least for me. This drama made me cry and laugh. In my opinion this is the perfect kdrama I ever seen. It gives u chills, joy and even sad moments but in the end its finishing a little to sad and it leaves us in a hope that maybe he will find her. I realy hope that it will come a season 2 cause we definite need one.Was this review helpful to you?
