My First Impressions On Hwayugi Or Korean Odyssey

I've just started watching the fantasy series Hwayugi which runs for one hour each. I do have some catching up to do. I also considered that I may want to focus on this one (so, I may not write much about Kamen Rider Build except for important major plots or if anything gets my attention) for now. So what's the whole thing? 

This version's Sun Wukong (Sun Oh Kong in South Korean) doesn't appear to be a monkey but a man. I wonder what's with the directors making Doctor Man's son Lee Seung Gi play as another monster character? He was a Nagare Bouma in Gu Family Book. It's no surprise he plays as Sun Oh Kong who in here has an appetite for human flesh... something we don't often seen in adaptations of the said book! He was released by Sun Mi which explains one plot to why she is a "descendant" of Xuan Zang. She inherited his position after freeing the monkey from his prison.

Sun Mi the heroine is a damsel in despair and out of despair depending on the situation. She's tough on the outside but has insecurities on the inside. She was the one who released Oh Kong 25 years ago so he's probably near 30 or 30 at this point but she's still single. Oh Kong wants to eat her flesh to attain immortality but can he eat such a lovely maiden? I'd be hesitant if I were him to do so. I admit, I tend to watch a good story for eye candy even if I do enjoy good stories without them.

Woo Ma Wang is the Bull Demon King who may be the new meme king. Depending on which version of the book you're reading, he doesn't always get redemption depending on who writes it. Chinese movies tend to have him destroyed while others gave him redemption. In another version, the Elder Gods finally take him away to be judged by the Jade Emperor. He appears as a comical villain and he tries to get rid of Oh Kong but fails. He's trying to achieve godhood at a certain point. He also manipulated Sun Mi as a child to get the magic fan.


So far, I feel like there's some chemistry between Lee Seung Gi and Oh Yeon So. But I'd be lying to say that the main heroine Sun Mi isn't a distraction from the good story. Boy, I tend to forget that beauty is just a bonus in a good story. So much for me discarding idiotic teleseryes with eye candy while I tend to appreciate good stories for stupid reasons.

The drama is aired on Saturdays and Sundays on TVN.