A Korean Odyssey

Details[]

Title: 화유기 / Hwayugi
Also known as: Hwayuki
Genre: Fantasy, romance, comedy
Episodes: 20
Broadcast network: tvN
Broadcast period: 2017-Dec-23 to 2018-Mar-04
Air time: Saturday & Sunday 21:00
Original Soundtrack: Hwayugi OST

Synopsis[]

Since birth Jin Sun Mi could see evil spirits. When she was a girl, she met two supernatural creatures - Woo Hwi Chul and Son Oh Gong. 25 Years later twist of fate puts the three together again.
Jin Sun Mi is now wealthy, beautiful woman that has to handle with demons getting in her way. Woo Hwi Chul is trying to get a promotion to God and Son Oh Gong is desperate to unseal his powers. Things get tangled when the legend of a human being with a blood that can make any spirit incredibly powerful turns out to be true and Song Oh Gong decides to eat that human while Woo Hwi Chul has to protect it.
A reinterpretation of Chinese novel “Journey to the West” into the present days with a romantic-fantasy twist. -- AsianWiki

Cast[]

Main Cast

Lee Seung Ki as Son Oh Gong
Cha Seung Won as Woo Hwi / Woo Ma Wang
Oh Yeon Seo as Jin Sun Mi / Sam Jang
- Gal So Won as young Sun Mi
Lee Hong Ki as PK / Jo Pal Gye
Jang Kwang as Yoon Dae Shik / Sa Oh Jong

Supporting Cast

Sung Hyuk as General Winter / Summer Fairy
Kim Sung Oh as Lee Han Joo (Sun Mi's employee)
Lee El as Ma Ji Young
Sung Ji Roo as Guru Soo Bo Ri
Lee Se Young as Jung Se Ra / Jin Boo Ja / Ah Sa Nyeo
Lee Yong Yi as Jin Sun Mi's grandmother
Im Ye Jin as peddler
Jung Jae Won as peddler's grandson / Hong Hae Ah (Ma Wang & Na Chal Nyuh's son)
Kang Sung Pil as gangster
Yoon Bo Ra as Alice / White Dragon Horse
Kim Ji Soo as Cha Hee / Seo Yun Hee / Na Chal Nyuh
Song Jong Ho as Kang Dae Sung
Michael K. Lee (마이클 리) as Jonathan (Jin Sun Mi's first love)
- Kim Hyun Bin as young Jonathan
Ok Ye Rin as Han Byul

Cameos

Kim Hyung Suk (김형석) as Superstar Audition's judge (ep 1-2)
Kim Yun Woo as Superstar Audition's judge (ep 1-2)
Choi Dae Sung as broadcasting PD (ep 1-2, 6)
Yoo Yun Jung as Lee Da In (ep 1, Superstar contestant)
Park Sang Hoon as Eun Sung (ep 1, a kid possessed by Wooden Doll Ghost)
Baek Seung Hee as Wooden Doll Ghost's Bride (ep 1)
Lee Eun Hyung (이은형) as newlywed (ep 2)
Kang Jae Joon (강재준) as newlywed (ep 2)
Min Sung Wook as lust ghost (ep 2)
Jang Geun Suk as peacock (ep 3)
Seo Yoon Ah as Mi Joo (ep 3)
Ham Na Young (함나영) as Akiko (ep 5, 16)
- Park Seung Tae as Kang Myung Ja (older Akiko, ep 5, 16)
Bang Soo Jin as mermaid (ep 7)
Oh Ah Rin as Lee Soo Jung (ep 9-10)
Choi Seung Hoon as Lee Soo Jung's older brother (ep 9-10, 20)
Lee So Yun as bookseller evil spirit (ep 9-10)
Seo Eun Woo (서은우) as Summer Fairy (ep 15)
Oh Yun Ah as Egret (ep 16)

Production Credits[]

Production Company: Studio Dragon
Directors: Park Hong Kyun, Kim Byung Soo, Kim Jung Hyun
Assistant Director: Choi Hyun Sung
Screenwriters: Hong Jung Eun, Hong Mi Ran

Episode Ratings[]

See A Korean Odyssey/Episode Ratings

Notes[]

This drama is loosely based on the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (西遊記).
The Korean title Hwayugi is a play on Seoyugi (서유기), the Korean pronunciation of the title of the original Chinese novel. As such, it does not translate readily into English, so the official English title is A Korean Odyssey.
Park Bo Gum was offered a lead role, but declined.
Filming began November 2017.
After a serious injury to a production staff member on the set, filming was stopped from December 30 to January 2 for an internal safety inspection. As a result, 2 PD Kim Jung Hyun and Kim Byung Soo were added in the drama production.
Lee Seung Ki received more than 120 million won per episode thus making it the highest pay for a cable drama. He broke the previous record set by Ji Chang Wook for his role in The K2.

External Links[]

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