Uma Odisseia Coreana (2017)

I really, really, really wanted to like this drama. I tuned in every week to catch my favs Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won, but despite their star appeal nothing could save this drama.

Is the story entertaining? Enough.
Is the story good? Eh. It's a bit sporadic and doesn't tie up loose ends well. It tried to do something different for the ending, but it was just....meh.

Acting: My biggest issue with this drama was Oh Yeon Seo's character. I felt like she was trying to pull of a vibe similar to Tae Gong Sil from Master's Sun, but missed a major mark. Most of the time I ended up wanting to just skip her scenes all together because her character was too ambiguous, flip flopping from "strong and stubborn" to "meek and spineless." I just couldn't like her character. I don't know how much I can blame OYS as opposed to the writers who really made her character pretty much a sucker for the Monkey...but not in a good way.

I WAS pleasantly surprised by Lee Se-Yong's character(s) and acting. I saw her in the flop "The Best Hit," and liked her on-screen presence. She really stole the spotlight from Oh Yeon Seo in this drama.

As a huge fan of Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won I am both surprised and not surprised that they would sign on for a drama of this caliber. However cheesy it was, they both delivered great energy that we have come to know and love from their previous work. I was very satisfied to see them in this type of extremely corny role. They made Hwayugi fun. I can't imagine a better casting choice for their respective roles.

*side note* Lee Seung Gi was serving sexiness in so many scenes. I had to fan myself a few times.

Music: No comments here.

Final Thoughts: I have a feeling if they had either rewritten the main actresses role to be less...cute? gullible? clueless? confused? or if they had replaced the actress entirely, I would have enjoyed Hwayugi much better - cheesiness and all. I was really only watching for LSG and CSW, but several other members of the cast stood out as well such as the Dog demon played by Lee El and the Chairman of the phone company played by Jang Gwang. There was lots to appreciate about the cast and the energy they brought to the role, but unfortunately some aspects were difficult to ignore which impaired my enjoyment of the show. Will I rewatch? Probably never. But I'll always remember that in 2017 there was almost another show as mystical, magical and moving as "Master's Sun."

Leia Mais

My first ever experience of watching a "Currently Airing" drama. And it was worth it!I still remember the first time I read about this drama. Lee Seung Gi wasn't confirmed yet and all we really knew was that it would be a modern day adaptation of "Journey To The West". Oh boy, I was skeptical. Actually, I think everybody was. I remember commenting something among the lines of "This will be either loved or hated." And I have to shamelessly admit that I was right! Some hated it, others loved. I see some middle ground sometimes but the great marjority is one of those two extremes.I'm on the side that actually liked it, however I don't close my eyes for it's imperfections.I didn't read Journey To The West, but I had heard of it many times, and after beginning this watch I decided to do some research on the actual story. Turns out it's actually different but at the same time the Hong Sister's added some pretty clever references and similarities. The ggg for example (no, I don't really know how to spell the name and I'm too lazy to look for it), was very thoughtful since it actually opens an opportunity for romance to happen. And we all know that kdramas, no matter how non-romance focused, always try to push down our throats some kissy-kissy times.However I must admit that the consistence and overall pacing was a bit off for me. They decided to stick to the "Monster of the week" formula. Pretty similar to Master's Sun if you may ask me. But instead of compelling stories though, I felt they were...how should I put it...boring and paled to the main plot. There were some well done instances, but overall I ended don't really caring about anything at all.The romance aspect was something. Maybe the Hong sisters have a thing for emotional sadomasochism(or at least as far as I've seen on their dramas), and it either annoys or tortures the viewers. I found myself strangely curious about the relationship between Oh Gong and Sun Mi. It was like the relationship in the drama Secret, where you can't help but wonder how the f* will these two end up loving each other and to what extent? But they do in a rather twisted way that, admitedly, I don't really know how to feel about.What really shined on this drama were the characters. From the leads to the supporting cast, all of them were complex and multi-layered, with varying degrees of development. I didn't watch many LSG dramas, but here he delivers a pretty solid performance. His character is purely chaotic and you can sense that just by looking at his condescending smirk and that even reflects on his fashion. I've read a lot of complains about Oh Yeon Seo's character and performance, but honestly I thought she was actually pretty okay. Searching about the character that she was based on, their personalities (mostly the passivenes) were actually pretty similar. So yeah, kudos for faithfulness. Also, she had some pretty awesome and strong moments going for her, and her actual insecurities feel more than justified. Exaggerated maybe, but she still has things going for her.Talking about good performances, next we have Cha Seung Won. He was the perfect mixture of ridiculous over-the-top and someone you should actually fear. His extra behaviour was hilarious in some points, but you still didn't forget who he actually was and the lenghts he was willing to go to fulfill his goals. Actually, he was one of the most ambiguous characters because we are aware that he means "good", but only to reach what he really desires. And he didn't hesitate on changing temporary goals for that.And last but definitely not least I'd like to talk about the best scene stealer: Lee Se Young! After watching Hit The Top, I didn't think she was a good actress at all. She was bland and expressionless, and she lacked charisma. But here she's anything but bland, expressionless and definitely she has a LOT of charisma. Bu Ja was one of the cutest, most interesting characters I've seen in a while. I'm glad that LSY improved so much.The music was great. I loved almost all OSTs, and for me to say that is really rare. In my opinion, an epic dramas has to have good OSTs. The plot, acting, everything else can be great, but if the OST isn't at least memorable, I tend to take points off. Since I was betting so much in this drama (I don't usually watch currently airing ones), I was fearful that the music wouldn't be on pair with the greatness I was expecting. Luckily, it turned out to be good.The cinematography was also pretty good. It was beautiful, with dark tones but some light so that everything didn't turn so overly depressing. I also noticed the strong presence of strong colors like red, blue and yellow, which was an amazing addition to the more bleak atmosphere.Since it's such a recent drama, I don't know if I'll rewatch it, not on this year at least. I'm not one to rewatch dramas, but if one day I feel like it, maybe I'll pick this one to pass the time.All in all A Korean Odyssey isn't a perfect drama. But there was a reason for me, someone who never watches airing dramas, to turn back to this drama and wait for next week after next week: because in the end we don't really know why we like something. We just do. There are the pros and cons but in the end if someone asked me if I liked, if I enjoyed myself while watching, I would say yes without a second thought.

Leia Mais

I can't believe that I left this show sitting in my "to be watched list" for so long!

I was not expecting this show to be as good as it was and I really wasn't expecting it to snatch all of my attention. If life allowed it, I probably would have watched every single episode in one day. So you can imagine my annoyance when there were times I had to cut it off. I love shows that can draw me in like this, it makes me wish they never had to end.

My emotions are still raw and all over the place so I admit my review probably won't be as long as they usually are because I'm sorting through feelings. ESPECIALLY THAT FREAKING ENDING!!!
Am I the only one upset with it? I mean, it's amazing but... not? I hate open endings with a passion. So I'm like "will there be a second season?" Then I remember this show was from years ago and realize if they haven't done it by now, they won't do it at all, which really sucks. I would be happy with even a mini extra episode that would explain where everyone is and if things worked out.

But all in all, I really did love this show... even the bad CGI. lol The show wouldn't be amazing without it. LOL
I loved all of acting. Even from those that annoyed the hell out of me, I know the show probably wouldn't have been as good without them.

**I'll update this more when I sort through my moods and thoughts**

Leia Mais

First of all I thought to write a review I need to watch this drama full so I can honestly know everything. First of all the only thing I liked about this drama were episodes 1, 17 & 18 except that I felt it was going round and round. I was too hyped about this drama so I think the expectations went higher and yes I was highly disappointed especially the ending. The only thing I asked from Hong sisters is a happy ending but they give us an open ending without any closure. The buja and PK story line too was not anywhere near end.
The chemistry between leads is okay , son oh gong(Lee seungki) and the bromance is good which are the only elements that can keep u watching it otherwise it is nothing.
OSTs are good.
It is watchable for those who like Lee seungki otherwise not recommended. But I can't re-watch it again for sure.

Leia Mais

This drama had much potential in the beginning and was much anticipated one....I liked the drama but there were certain flaws...it could not be denied

Likes :
1. The casting was awesome...each and every character was lovely....especially buja character was so good and funny at the beginning
2. The lead pair were good
3. Mainly the BROMANCE was great...it was enough for me to watch this show...lee seung gi and cha seung won stole the show as son oh gong and ma wang
4. The ending was nice...i think a different ending would not suit it (i don't want to spoil it)
5. The ost were good....especially "when i saw you"

Dislikes:
1. The villain role was absolutely nothing ....it was too boring
2. The story had many unnecessary side stories
3. There were many plot holes

Overall it was 8/10 for me.....had a nice time watching it....

Leia Mais

Ok, after this Drama will End i will see it from the beginning again. Why? Because every week i watched just two epis and every week i waited again for the other two ep....so was my life....now i can see the end from this Drama <3 And i will rewatched it again<3

So after the first Ep i was thinking like "ohhhhh the same as goblin!!" no problem, i liked goblin. ^^
But i was a little bit scary that most of the Drama will be like goblin, and i was thinking "god pls no give me something else"...
And time passed and so the epis.....and it was really amazing!!!!!!!
The more i watched the more it good better, no more thinking about goblin or other drama... i was just O_O wow
The Cast is amazing, i really like Lee Seung Gi and its really good too see him back.
I got some new music the osts are amazing i hearing them all the day <3 <3


I hope you could understand me, I can't write so well in English :'( ;-)


Hwayugi is an amazing Drama but this is my opinion and everyone has a different taste

Leia Mais

I know there's a LOT of negativity around this drama but I really enjoyed it. As always, I have NO EXPECTATIONS when watching dramas. I wasn't bored and I wanted to watch the episodes back to back.

It had everything I enjoy that comes with a drama: great cast, great OST, bromance, romance, fantasy and comedy. The story itself is a bit meh but I don't expect everything to be perfect. I will also say that the female lead was a little bland for my taste but there were other things happening that manage to make me not pay so much attention.

This drama did make me shed a few tears but it also made me laugh and I will definitely be rewatching this drama but not the final episode. First time I've broken the review rule but I felt like I needed to state my views on this drama.

Leia Mais

For such an amazing cast and a really promising start, this show really flopped towards the end for me. I'm not saying don't watch it, however, because there were so many hilarious and beautiful moments that it's definitely worth watching, especially if you're a fan of Lee Seung Gi, Oh Yeon So, Cha Seong Won or literally, any of the cast members. But it definitely lost fuel towards the end.

STORY -

Let me start off by saying that the premise of this show was so good! I saw a short one minute clip of the intro episode on Facebook when I was scrolling through and became so intrigued I ended up bingeing the rest of the drama until I caught up and then I was anxiously waiting every week for a new episode. It was funny, it was heartwarming and you instantly fall in love with every single character. I think that's what made the drama soooo good because each character had their own quirks that made them feel real and believable, so even when the two main leads weren't on screen, you were still interested in what was going on with the other characters. No moment on the drama felt wasted. And my goodness, the chemistry between all of the characters was so great. I think it rivaled the kind of group chemistry Goblin had on their show. It just felt natural and it really did feel like a large dysfunctional family.

The romance as well was super believable and my heart ached and rejoiced for Son Oh Gong and Jin Seon Mi. I really really loved them together and I flailed every time they had a heartfelt moment. Likewise, I wanted to rip out my heart every time things went badly for the two. They just had incredible and electrifying chemistry together.

However, towards the end, the story started to lose fuel. It started feeling like a cheap imitation of Goblin's plot, but where Goblin's ending was beautiful and bittersweet, this one just felt... rushed and unsatisfying. The choices the characters made didn't make any sense or it was rendered futile by the end. It was like the writers couldn't decide how to end it but had no time to come up with a good ending so they rushed everything and was like, 'ta-da! isn't that neat!'

ACTING/CAST -

Wow, the acting was phenomenal!! As was the cast!! Whoever was the casting director for this drama deserves an award because each character was perfectly cast! Although the story was lacking in ways, I feel like this was an awesome comeback for Lee Seung Gi. He was hilarious, adorable and just so charismatic in this drama. And wow, his bromance with Cha Seong Won was so good that it made me go watch You're All Surrounded for the two of them again. Although, I think the most commendable actor on this drama had to be Lee Se Young. She may have just been a supporting actress but she did soooooo good in her role.

MUSIC -

I LOVED EVERY SINGLE SONG ON THIS DAMN DRAMA!!! I gave this a 10/10 because of it. I honestly couldn't get enough of the music from A Korean Odyssey. Everything was so good and everything fit so so well. Like it just made those scenes so much more poignant and emotional. Beautifully done!

REWATCH? Uhh... I don't know. My disappointment at the end makes it unlikely that I'd rewatch but there were a lot of great scenes that I'd rewatch again on YouTube.

OVERALL... I do think it's worth a watch because 70-80% of the drama was amazing and if you're a fan of any of the actors in this drama, definitely watch because everyone was great in it!

Leia Mais

first of all, i don't understand why other people find a lot of loophole in this kdrama when i thought that it was very good. i found myself laughing whenever ma wang and oh gong banter. Their bromance is exceptional!. all the characters portrayed their role in a brilliant way. It may not be considered as a perfect drama but if you will just look on a way how it was crafted, i can say that all the elements of the drama had been put there. The giggles whenever oH gong and sam jang expresses their love to each is beyond compare. the manly gesture of Oh Gong is something you can look forward to. The humor,friendship and family relationship is one of the highlights of this drama. There is an open ending. but it was properly explained . second book is a must

Leia Mais

It’s such a fun premise with a great upbeat, playful tone, but this series has issues developing some storylines so the second half goes in circles.

This is sort of like Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Buffy — it has the same premise of demons and gods living like humans and a similar humorous/scary tone. It sets up a lot of fun and stylish characters with clear motivations which sets up a great series.

Then...then we get to the love story which is short-changed. Things are assumed and not developed and then the writers didn’t know what to do in the second half of the series. The series starts to chase it’s tail and I lost interest.

Too bad since there was a lot to like, but it just didn’t follow through all the way.

Leia Mais

I will keep this as short as possible, as i kind of hate getting too much into details, plus details will spoil everything.
To be honest, this is my first drama review. EVER. Just that amazing this was.
This drama had it all - great and really interesting plot that keeps you going with every episode because there wasn' t a single episode where i would've thought to myself "this is quite boring and slow" - NONE. Also the character development, back story and just chemistry between the main lead characters was simply beautiful, it made me look up if they are not a couple irl, but sadly-they aren' t haha.
This is one of the dramas that made me laugh, cry, smile and just feel full with emotions with each episode.
If you're still hesitating whether to watch this or not - Just go for it! I am truly happy that i decided to give this a try, definitely one of my favourite dramas (if not the most favourite).

Cheers! ^_^

Leia Mais

Korean Odyssey had all the ingredients to be this epic fantasy adventure but instead is boring

My Korean Odyssey had all the ingredients to be this epic fantasy adventure, supernatural beings, ill fated lovers, bromance and interesting side characters but surprisingly it was incredibly boring. I am going to be honest it just felt like a cheap copy of Goblin (although I now that this is based on an a classic Chinese story). A supernatural being falling in love with the person who will “kill” him and a bromance between to bickering supernatural beings.

I am not sure what went wrong here but this show failed to grab my attention from the very beginning.
First of all I had an issue with the FL. Not sure if it was the actress or the way the character was written but I had a huge problem connecting with her. She was just soulless, absolutely no emotions or expressions. Even when she tried to act cute or funny, she came off as cringy and there was no chemistry between her and the ML, which is hard to do, taking in to account that the ML is Lee Seung Gi who up until now has proven that he is capable to have chemistry even if paired against a rock!

But even him in this drama felt like he was phoning it in! There was no spark or passion in his character. It was like he didn’t want to play this role or lost his interest half way through. Having said that, even an average Lee Seung Gi is better than most.
The couple had small to no development and the bracelet thing just went for too long making it so hard to root for them. Additionally, the lack of chemistry did not help make you swoon over them and anticipate their next scene. I mean the ending was supposed to be heart wrenching and impactful but in contrast it was just meh, thank God this drama is over, on to the next one, type of ending!

The bromance also did not work. With the exception of few moments between the 2 Male Leads that actually made me laugh and like them, everything else just felt flat!

The only characters I liked and cared for in this drama and kept my attention and wanted to see where their arc will go, were the PK, the zombie girl and the Frost General/Summer fairy and somehow the writers managed to completely ruin them as characters by the end which really made it hard for me to not drop this!!

Also, this drama was WAY to long! 20 episodes, with an average of 1h and 10min running time each, with this kind of writing, Oh no!! Even 16 episodes, would have been a stretch if you ask me! I mean I barely paid any attention after the first 5 episodes and when a few scenes/episodes came along that grabbed my attention , I could still follow the story with only a few questions that always got answered along the way. This means that there was no story direction or proper character development here and most of it was filler.

One good thing about this drama is the OST. Let me out is quite the ear worm and found myself hamming it multiple times!

Leia Mais