User reviews

Lives to the name the Hong sisters didn't disappoint us after failure of Warm and cozy drama. The romantic-supernatural beings is the main focus for this drama like their dramas before My girlfriend is a Gumiho and Master's sun. Once again the main casts including Cha Seung Won and Lee Seung Gi are the most important actors that breathing life to this funny yet memorable drama, while the heroine Oh Yeon Seo's acting is not bad.

The story itself is modernization of "The journey to the west" that I had watched like literally forever since they always remake this serial almost once every 2/3 years since I was little but none are like this where supernatural-beings live in modern time while the monk/sam-jang is portrayed as a girl. The great acting and the interesting plot that stays true to Sun Wo Gong's character are the main point why this drama receives high rating after Goblin, still the ending and the actress are much preferable than Goblin.

I even like the closing song which seldom happened to me.

The TV show doesn't really remind me of anything - it's unique; the acting is decent. There's a lot of characters to build upon and it seems that the show isn't limited (there's no end game) - could easily become a few seasons if it pulls in good numbers.

The story is vast and interesting, it seems to have a lot of genres built within itself - comedy, horror, romance. That being said - the show is most likely for the younger audience.

The only obvious flaw(s) that I can think of is music - they've recycled the same song 5 times in the first 2 episodes which was disappointing. The special effects are quite poor, although if you can overlook them - and you're just looking to relax/chill and watch something simple - this wouldn't be a bad choice.

The TV show is quite unique and the concept is pretty interesting. It has a lot of funny moments and it is really an amazing experience to watch it. The acting is quite good and so is the story. It combines romance, drama, comedy and also horror in the most unexpected way which makes you feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster. It is a very balanced mix and you end up wanting to watch more and more. The characters are very interesting and have the potential to grow. If you want a lot of CGI and a lot of special effects - this is not the show for you. There are some special effects and they are not that awesome, but they are not that important to the story line. I hope this show gets as many seasons as possible because it certainly has the potential to last long.

A wonderful story based on the monkey goes west legends with a beautiful twist and a totally ok ending. Actors exceptional in my opinion. As this is the third kdrama i have seen, starting late in life (76 years old) watching netflix, as i'm an old woman living in a country in europe, where people are getting too cynical, this drama really made me laugh and cry at the same time. Thank you all so much especial the monkey king.

The story is really interesting, from horror to love to adventure, :) It had the right amount of everything <3 For a person like me, who wants to watch stories like this, I'm full and very satisfied. The characters are great. The portrayal of the roles in the story were outstanding.. Everyone of them had amazing characters.. :) The story brought me to a different world.. and I love where it brought me.. I created IMDb account for Hwayugi :)

The chemistry of the main characters is the success of the serie. Fan romance fantasy plot.i wish to see season 2!

I usually binge watch kdramas, but no matter how hard i try to love this show, I cant seem to feel the connection between the leading actors.

Pleasant to watch and a fairly decent storyline but by no means the best of K-Drama. There wasn't really a whole bunch of chemistry; even as the series went on, it felt more like people playing a role than a story coming to life. The first - oh, maybe 9 episodes were rather more entertaining because they involved ghost chasing and had some pretty funny scenes. After that, there was a pivot away from the show's early premise, toward much deeper, philosophical themes that, sadly, were only shallowly explored. It could have been better - there was a lot to work with but, like trinkets haphazardly laid out on a bazaar table, there wasn't much to invest in.

This show which i kind of stumbled on while looking for something to watch on netflix got me hooked on asian series. I loved the characters, the plot that combines horror,drama, love, comedy and mythology. it is set in the present days which makes it even more real and more fun I am looking forward to season 2

What to think of this? In the first couple episodes I couldn't u/s this acid trip. I peeped Wikipedia & learned that it's based on the classic 13th century (some of the stories are older) Chinese fantasy-quest novel: Journey To The West. The most outlandish elements of KO are taken directly from this classic. Having ruled out KO being devised under pharmaceutical influence, (in the 21st century, at least) I trekked on.

KO opens with an adorable little girl, actress So Won Kal. She's wonderful as young Jin Seon-mi, who is duped by Devil King, or DK, who may look like isn't a man, but he's really a 'monster.' He asks her to to collect something for him that's inside a magical chalet. His warning: Never acknowledge that she can see the being living in there. Why send a little girl you ask? He *knows* she can do this, b/c she is able to see spirits, he noticed.

Little Jin Seon-mi has gotten herself into the middle of a cosmic, centuries long game being played by I'll-do-anything-that-makes-me-look-cool Son O-gong (SOG) & DK. SOG is the being that's trapped, & Seon-mi is no match for him - yet. He makes a protection deal w/ her: If she will merely set him free, he'll come help her whenever she calls out for him. He'll always protect her. Once free, Mr. Slyboots removes his name from her memory. She won't be able to call his name now, & he'll never have to honor the deal. He didn't realize they were destined to work together to save the world, however.

Fast forward a couple decades. They meet again, & SOG is not indifferent this time. This time, he has the illest of intentions: He wants to eat her! She is, as it turns out, a Samjam - she's one-off-a-kind special. Consuming her will make any spirit or monster vastly stronger: Her very scent is intoxicating! He soon discovers their deal, actually does protect her...He can't proceed with said contract in effect. How about a new, #much-better-deal🤥? NOPE. She ain't trusting him again😶. He tries to get her to willingly agree- she's going to get eaten. At least he'll be gentle... Not a working strategy either. Aigoo, until he can figure something out, he'll have to protect her, so nobody else can get a bite in first.

I know, right? So WRONG.

Under his wing, the delightful world of monsters & spirits opens up to Seon-mi. They occupy the most coveted positions in the world: entertainment, business, politics, and so on. Though there are bulls, monkeys & pigs, etc, they look just like us. That allows them to blend in, while keeping the populace at large blind to their existence. Even Hyun Bin (from Crash Landing On You) is one! We mortals are powerless against them😅. When a CEO shows up to cook & clean at DK's house, we get a sense of the privileged life they lead.

KO is a visual extravaganza. The fashion is bold & exciting (yet Seon-mi is always understated). Much of the show takes place at DK's house. That's a good thing, because anyone would want to hang out in this glizy, luxurious, uber opulent abode. From the marble floors to the intricately composed walls of beveled mirrors & 1930's streamline gleam, everything shines. Most of us have never seen the like. Yet it still seems comfortable - a design marvel.

They add numerous touches to fill out the space nicely, such as putting Mrs. Ma (a dog) in purple lipstick to make her mouth look more dog-like. Another example is when they are looking for a mermaid. The hallway they walk is lit to look like wavy water. It's such details that separate the mundane from the marvelous.

There's clever juxtaposition. The other kids know she can see ghosts, so Seon-mi is picked on horribly at school as a child, because she's different. She sits down at her desk, taking note of the insulting hate inscriptions carved by her classmates, and slaps her ETHICS book down. This is the beauty of film. One could write volumes on the topic of bullying, and they were able to reduce it all to one slamming book. I always need a moment to geek out over morsels like that...

Ok, I'm back. The acting is good or better. Lee Se-young has 3 parts total, including Richie (my favorite character in the series). Cha Seung-won, as Devil King, must go through Samjang fits & display all manifestations of rage. They both just knock it out of the volcano.

We get a look at some fun relationships. SOG is a capricious, mean, surly, brat of a being. He & DK don't hate each other; they've just been playing tit-for-tat for centuries because they're bored. Neither one wants the other to perish, as that would make life even more boring. Hanging around the two of them when they're acting up is like a carnival ride. SOG & Seon-mi's dynamic goes from predator & mark to something quite different, over the course of the series. It's truly special.

There's heavy foreshadowing. Familiarity with this director and writer prompts a caution: Believe their foreshadowing. These two value Duty Over Pleasure. Here may be sniffles. Tears, even. In the scene that shows the darkest augury, black is the theme. It's heavy & dark feeling. Both characters are in black. As we get closer, we can see that one's wearing a shirt with gold trim over black on one half, & gold trim over white on the other. There is still optimism.

Now for some of the fun stuff.

°We meet the cutest, hot zombie ever. Lil sumpum for the boys.... °There's a group chat that's a well done running gag.

°SOG moves into DK's place without even asking. What he likes, he says, is that "Parking's not an issue." He's using 3 spaces, it turns out, & DK is in trouble with the manager over it. Parking's an issue, just not for SOG.

°There's oodles of ice cream.

~l°We see a CEO cleaning & cooking at DK's. He makes snacks for the kids. The CEO even cleans Seon-mi's fridge! Her assistant would have fainted over that.

°Speaking of said assistant, Lee Han-joo, he's comical. He's always terrified, as he can sense the ghosts around them, but can't see them. Ms Jin has kept him in the dark about her capabilities, but he knows things aren't quite right. °He's always thinking about quitting, but then something amazing will happen. As Jin Seon-mi gets tangled up with dieties & their agendas, mega stars & other mysterious beings start showing up at the office. He's not leaving now!

°One day he due to an emergency he leaves his kids with Ms Jin. When he picks them up, they refuse to leave at first. They saw (real) dinosaurs & PK, (the pop idol) the CEO made them snacks... and they got to play with a girl that can pop her eyeballs out! Ha! That one made me suddenly laugh so loudly, I scared the cat.

Now for a couple examples of how they bollixed it up.

~The undisciplined dialogue is the bigest flaw.

~There's too many contradictions.

~There's too much wavering back and forth, forth and back, and forth. And so on.

~Yet some things that weren't said were even more vexing.

~There's dead ends running amok. For instance, we're told that SOG has never felt real pain, but they also had informed us earlier that his heart was broken after being betrayed by a human. Later, that sunk to the bottom never to be heard from again. In the world of film craft, that's basically inexcusable. Quality productions don't do stuff like that.

~Finally, Lee Seung-gi looks Waaay better with the long hair. Why'd they cut it?

Here's the journal I kept while watching KO, until I gave it up, being at a loss~>

°It's so bad. Undisciplined, running amok all over the place. It's awful.

°Oh, look. Even Ritchie's in the group text. Look at SOG, trying to act like he doesn't care. It's too much for him. That's hilarious.

°This is so wrong. If he says he doesn't like to see her hurt, then why is he telling her he can't wait to get rid of her? He's the only one hurting her. This is frustrating.

°Ha! That one was outrageous. What fun.

°They all stab her in the back. They are all #monsters. She needs to run away. Go grab Jonathan, please! Save yourself!

°Hey, that kiss was something. They truly seem to care about each other. Sweet.

°PK, really? Feed (X) to (Y)? You're rotten!!

°(W), how could you work with a goddess to steal (A's) soul!?!

°That's so cute.

°No, it's awful.

°Just look at the way they look at eac..ch...othr.

°It's funny.

°It's turrible °Why du I like it °°I don... No do. Nonn em Emmmm Augh!!!!! My head's exploding!

°°°Get out of my head!°°°

Conclusion: like dieties, it's up & down, but it dons the guilty pleasure genre like sweet smelling, comfy slippers. This show slapped a Guemganggo on me, and I'm liking it against my will. I hate it too. ...Maybe. It's doing to the audience what the characters do to each other. (Not for a second do I believe that's by design, but it would be awesome if it was).

Finally, there's an exploration of the idea of being forced to love someone. We aren't talking about a love potion where somebody's drugged into an obsession. In KO a flawed and selfish character is either forced to (truly) love, or given the gift of love, depending on how we look at it.

For the character, this is a wonderful feeling without losing the sense of self. Said character becomes a better, deeper person. If God gives us love, are we to enjoy it? Are we to be angry that it didn't originate from ourselves, or that we don't have a choice? No.

Love is a gift💝It's always a gift.

QUOTE: It's dangerous to assume others think the same way you do. Thinking you're Ultimately different from others is also dangerous.

The reduction of the universe to the compass of a single being and the extension of a single being until it reaches God. This is love. Victor Hugo.

IMHO... 🎬7 🎭8 🤔5 ⚡6 💓8 🦋7 🎨9 🔚8 Suggested Age 15+

🍂

This is probably the most boring and worst KDrama series I've seen....you just want to get over it so you can move on...I watched this mainly because of the Vagabond star but he's so dis-appointing here. The lady star has no appeal at all and they don't have any chemistry ...The romance was the worst....There were too many useless characters...but they are very annoying specially the Devil King....The name SAMJANG was so over-used...as eat Samjang...kill Samjang...There was actually no major plot or story....the episodes are mainly sub-plots that doesn't give any excitement...and then it suddenly change to another sub-plot....I don't understand the hype or the over-rated reviews...these people must be kidding....

Each series made me tense, what would happen next?! What the heroes will do, what they will choose... Sometimes their choice disappointed me, but that's because I and the writers have different mentalities. What is normal and clear for a Korean is not clear and sometimes it takes time to accept and understand for Russian. The difference of upbringing, culture and worldview, that's why I liked this drama. The actors were beautiful, so I have great respect for them for their work. I hope that the creators of this TV show will remove the continuation. After all, in this series everything is fine, from the script and Director's work to music and costumes, makeup. And another, this serial reminds me of the Goblin serial. These serials similar energy, and the emotions and feelings that I have from viewing them.

The budget effects are cheap, the acting is very theatrical, the episodes are over an hour long each, but it's a really amazing story worthy of binge watching.

How to rate this series?! The plot is weird, the story so full of inconsistencies and the special affects are poor.

But the chutzpah is immense! The central relationships are entertaining. I was particularly taken by the character of The Monkey King, played to perfection by Lee Seung-gi. And I enjoyed it immensely.

The romance between Lee Seung-gi and Oh Yeon-Seo felt like a tug of war of give and take. It was some times funny, sometimes sad and sometimes warm. Their chemistry on screen was perfection. Cha Seung-won's performance was the best I have ever seen in my whole life when it comes to comedy. Comedy comes to him so easy and the range of what he can do feels limitless. His relationship with Lee Seung-gi's characters was the icing on the cake, always fighting and always funny.

Ist half's awesome but second half's meh... It started well and becomes trash in somewhere middle. It'll concentrate in unnecessary romance which is not at all needed. Basically, it's like watching SAO(90% romance and 10% drama). I only liked zombie girl and Ma Wang in this series rest all are meh... So, at the end it is not at all worth watching. There must be some other dramas which are worth the time. I hope my review helps you.

This drama so unique because each actor and actress playing they role perfectly. Also, Hong sister always superb in script. There are horror, comedy, dan romance scene in the same time. Also, Le Seunggi and Oh Yeon So very perfect couple both in drama and real life. I hope they have real relationship and soon to be seungyeon couple.

I found it to be kind of a drag .. It was like I was waiting for it to get better every episode but it fell short every time. It's not completely awful just the storyline wasn't that interesting also the ending ruined it completely for me.

There's 19 episodes that are all around 80 mins long each, but don't let that put you off watching this. It's such a beautiful and tragic series with a lots of funny and quirky moments in it. The acting is very theatrical, the effects are cheap and low budget, but it grows on you over time and is worthy of binge watching. This goes to show that you don't need amazing special effects to make a great story.

A Korean Odyssey walks in the footsteps of Goblin, but with less cinematic value. Where the Goblin rocked with the visuals and special effects, creating the exact atmosphere for a fairy tale story, Korean Odyssey lucks good special effects and those scenes that would have made it perfect. They do make up with the mythology of the world they are introducing. Korean Odyssey has so many stories embeded in it, and whether the main story was just so so, with some intense romantic moments that were lost in the length of the drama, as they were too thinly spread out, the many characters that were likable and interesting helped keep it entertaining. Again, though, the romance was a bit tiring after a while and the drama itself is tiring as well. Finally, the performances were really good, as well as the costumes and settings, part of the special effects again. Also, the twist in the end was very original, so kudos for that too.

As someone who grew up with the story of the Monkey King as part of my cultural heritage, I can safely say that this is the most boring re-telling and/or re-imagining of the story I have ever seen.

Let me start by explaining the Monkey King: He is a completely mischievous, charismatic, self-centered, oft-times intoxicated (alcohol) reluctant hero who constantly pisses off the gods due to his behavior. He is constantly causing trouble and getting into trouble. Does this show's portrayal of the classic character hold true? Maybe for 10% of the show. Otherwise, he is a stick-in-the-mud brooding fellow who can't drink and is constantly pissed off. He is a completely reactionary character to all the happenings around him in this uninspired story.

Don't even get me started on his toxic relationship with the heroine of the story who flits from multiple damsel-in-distress moments in the overly long 20-episode run. There is a lot of over-acting by the Devil King and lot of side plots that take too long to develop and resolve. The production value isn't that great either. A single cohesive story told over 5-8 episodes would have been much better.

Just watch the drama. Lee Seung Gi and Oh Yeon Seo acting was very good. Love their chemistry. Love Cha Seung Won too.

This TV show has a little bit of everything, comedy, drama, horror and romance. I was constantly laughing as well as crying. I would love to see more seasons of this.