Lee Seung-gi
Son O-gong
A Korean Odyssey
“I want just one bite”
2017
Ended • 1 Season • 20 Episodes
Director: Kim Jeong-hyeon
Overview
A self-serving mythical creature's bid for invincibility backfires when he finds himself at the mercy of a woman who can see otherworldly beings.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 20 episodes
- First aired
- Dec 23, 2017
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readA Fox, a Ghost, and the Trouble with Immortality
I kept thinking, while watching A Korean Odyssey, latestnetflix.com contends, that the show is less interested in “fantasy” than in the old Korean habit of letting the supernatural wander right into daily life and sit down at the table. A demon can wear a suit. A monk can be vain.
A house can be haunted by both spirits and bad decisions. That loose, comic permeability is the series’ real premise, more than the plot machinery about a powerful being trying to secure invincibility. What matters is the way the show treats myth as something unruly and intimate — a thing that complicates rent, desire, vanity, guilt, and the very practical problem of who gets to survive.
Kim Jeong-hyeon and Park Hong-kyun build the series out of that tension between the ridiculous and the elegiac. On paper, it’s a 2017 fantasy drama with romance and mystery trimmings. In practice, it sits in the same broad cultural conversation as other Korean productions that revived folktale figures for a modern audience — but this one has a more openly playful, almost self-mocking temperament.
There’s a lineage here, certainly, in the way Korean television has embraced gods, goblins, gumiho, and reincarnation stories as a way to talk about loneliness in a hyper-connected age. Yet A Korean Odyssey doesn’t behave like a solemn mythmaking exercise. It’s flirtatious, sometimes cheeky, occasionally messy.
I mean that partly as criticism, partly as praise. The show knows that immortals are more interesting when they’re a little embarrassing.
Lee Seung-gi is a smart center for that idea. He plays Son Oh-gong with a swagger that always seems one joke away from collapsing into pettiness. There’s a physical looseness to him — the slouch, the lazy hand flick, the expression that says he’s amused by his own brilliance — and then, every so often, a childlike irritation flashes through the performance and makes him feel less like a mythic trickster than a man who never grew past his most selfish instincts.
That fits his career oddly well. Lee has spent years moving between music, television, and roles that rely on a kind of dependable polish; here, he lets that polish crack. He’s funniest when he’s most offended.
His vanity is not just written into the part. He wears it in his shoulders.
What I admire most is how often the series uses spectacle to reveal character rather than to distract from it. The special effects are not always elegant — this is a TV production of its era, and you can see the budget choices in the creature work and in the occasional digital overreach — but the show’s visual language has a clear comic purpose. When Son Oh-gong struts into a scene as if the universe has been booked around his schedule, the camera often keeps him central and slightly exaggerated, giving his arrogance space to perform itself.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 6.6/10
"A Korean Odyssey emerges as an entertaining South Korean fantasy romance that secures a dependable 6.6/10 rating from hundreds of community ratings."
Navigating a distinctive blend of supernatural fantasy, eerie horror flourishes, and central romantic drama, the series commands attention through substantial 72-minute installments; [latestnetflix.com]( read is that the audience embraces the ambitious genre-hopping even when the extended runtimes test narrative momentum.
What viewers praise
- Rich Blend of Fantasy and Romance Audiences appreciate the imaginative fusion of supernatural lore, horror touches, and emotional romance.
- Solid Crowd Reception With hundreds of viewer ratings averaging 6.6/10, the series demonstrates steady and durable genre appeal.
Common complaints
- Demanding Runtimes Single episodes run around 72 minutes, which some viewers may find drawn out across slower dramatic stretches.
Recommended for
Fans of South Korean fantasy romances with supernatural and horror elements Viewers who enjoy extended-length Korean drama episodes mixing mystery and relationship drama
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of A Korean Odyssey: Cast Drama, Ratings, and Where the Stars Are Now
A Korean Odyssey (2017) blended fantasy, horror, and romance into a modern retelling of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West—but its real-life story might be just as dramatic as its supernatural plot. latestnetflix.com's take is that with a star-studded cast and mixed reviews, the series left fans curious about the behind-the-scenes dynamics and where its actors landed after the cameras stopped rolling.
A Fantasy Epic with Mixed Reception
The series, directed by Kim Jeong-hyeon and Park Hong-kyun, leaned into its genre-bending premise, mixing dark fantasy, horror, and romance over 20 episodes 
. Despite its ambitious storytelling, A Korean Odyssey earned a modest 6.6/10 rating on SensCritique, based on 356 votes . While the show’s visual effects and performances drew praise, some viewers found the pacing uneven—a common pitfall for high-concept K-dramas.
The Cast Then and Now: A Decade of Change
The ensemble cast was a major draw, featuring some of Korea’s biggest stars at the time. Here’s where they stood in 2017—and where they are now:
YTYouTube·A KOREAN ODYSSEY Casts Then (2012) & Now (2022) … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEtJAdbshi0YTYouTube·A Korean Odyssey Cast Then And Now 🔥 2023 | Rea… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DJLTxpTX_s- Lee Seung-gi (Son Oh-gong): The lead actor was already a household name, having starred in hits like The King 2 Hearts (2012) and Gu Family Book (2013). By 2022, he had expanded into variety shows and continued acting, though his career took a brief pause for mandatory military service .
- Cha Seung-won (Woo Hwi-chul): A veteran actor with a reputation for versatility, Cha had already cemented his status in dramas like City Hunter (2011). Post-Odyssey, he remained active in both film and television .
- Oh Yeon-seo (Jin Seon-mi): Known for her roles in My Husband Got a Family (2012) and Come Back Mister (2016), Oh’s career flourished after A Korean Odyssey, with subsequent projects in both Korea and China .
- Lee Hong-gi (P.K.): The F.T. Island frontman-turned-actor had already made waves in Bride of the Century (2014). His post-Odyssey work included more dramas and music releases .
- Jang Kwang (Sa Oh-jeong): A seasoned actor with decades of experience, Jang continued to take on supporting roles in high-profile dramas .
- Lee El (Ma Ji-young): Known for her striking performances in Signal (2016) and The Guest (2018), Lee remained a sought-after supporting actress .
- Lee Se-young (Jung Se-ra): A rising star at the time, she later gained recognition for The Red Sleeve (2021) .
- Kim Seung-o (Lee Han-joo): His role in A Korean Odyssey was one of many in a prolific career spanning film and television .
- Sung Hyuk (General Winter): A familiar face in K-dramas, he continued appearing in supporting roles .
- Yoon Bo-ra (Alice): The former Hello Venus member balanced acting and music after the series .
Rumors and Unconfirmed Drama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf0HtEMlQCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEAZphlscXk
While the evidence doesn’t reveal major behind-the-scenes conflicts, the cast’s chemistry was a frequent topic of discussion among fans. Some viewers speculated about tensions between leads, particularly given the show’s ambitious tone and effects-heavy production . However, no concrete reports of on-set clashes or salary disputes surfaced in the available sources.
**The Legacy of *A Korean Odyssey***
Despite its mixed reception, the series remains a notable entry in the fantasy K-drama genre. Its blend of mythology, romance, and horror set it apart from more conventional dramas of the time. While it didn’t achieve the same cultural impact as some of its peers, it gave fans a visually rich, if uneven, viewing experience.
For those curious about the cast’s post-Odyssey journeys, the YouTube deep dives into their careers offer a fascinating look at how far they’ve come since 2017 .
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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