Acting: 7
Storyline: 7
Overall: 7
Grade: B-
Starring:
Lee Seung Gi as Son Oh Gong (孙悟空)
Oh Yeon Seo as Jin Seon Mi (Sam Zang/ 三藏)
Cha Seung Won as Woo Hwi-chul / Woo Ma-Wang (牛魔王)
Lee Hong Gi as PK / Jeo Pal Gye /猪八戒
Jang Gwang as Yoon Dae-sik / Sa Oh-jeong (沙悟静)
Lee Se Yong as Jung Se-ra / Jin Bu-ja / Ah Sa-nyeo
Lee El as Ma Ji-young (Secretary Ma)
Song Jong Ho as Kang Dae Sung
Sung Hyuk as General Dong / Fair Ha
Yoon Bo Ra as Alice / Ok Ryong
It’s a journey full of roller coaster rides, misadventures, heart-breaking, heart thumping moments, but also an expedition to discover love, jealousy, courage, the good & imperfections of humanity.
除了人物性格和原著一样，我想你可以用轻松的心情来看这部爱情，抓妖喜剧。既然连唐三藏都可以变成女人和孙悟空谈恋爱了, 那就不要太执着于原著，用更放宽接纳 creativity 的心情来看这部”花游记”。
只要是华人，应该至少都有看过”西游记”的小说，电视剧或电影。虽然已经重复拍摄了几十年, 但这神话小说依然深入民心。印象最深刻的应该是我们儿时看的六小灵童的版本。
起初知道要拍摄韩版“花游记“时, 觉得反应会是两极端。
第一，韩国人对西游记的认知究竟有多深厚? 如果拍摄古装版，会不会没那么生动? 但一知道他们拍摄的是现代版本，而且除了人物特征和大的版图是一样之外，其他故事内容已经颠覆了我们所流传几百年的“西游记“。
或许忠于原著神话故事的人, 会觉得这是不伦不类，甚至不尊重神明的行为，但换另一个角度来看，把它当作是一部 Korean Fantasy Drama + Rom Com 来观赏，也是还蛮新鲜的题材。
在现代生活，孙悟空和牛魔王依旧是互相交恶但又互相依赖, 易敌易友的关系。 孙悟空依旧高傲，目中无人，且是个无业游民。
三藏竟然是个从小能看见鬼怪的女生，职业是房地产代表。
最颠覆众人印象的应该是猪八戒吧? 在原著里, 他沉迷女色，但却长得丑。 在花游记的版本，他是个人气超高的偶像歌手，努力聚集粉丝给他的人气。染了一头 Blonde hair 的 Lee Hong Gi，再次扮演偶像歌手，是不是有点似曾相识的感觉呢? 他也曾在 “原来是美男子” / “You’re Beautiful” 里有着相同的造型。
沙悟静则是企业 CEO，但却只爱为孙悟空烧菜做饭。
牛魔王 则是 Lucifer 经纪公司的老板 (也是八戒的老板)。牛魔王依旧对铁扇公主情深如昔，为了不让她受尽100 次轮回的痛苦，而尽量积分成仙。
Some other supporting roles:
Lee El as Secretary Ma who’s loyal to Ma Wang
Sung Hyuk as General Winter and Fairy Ha who occupied the same body
Song Jong Ho as Kang Dae Sung who tried to join forces with Anh Sa Nyeol to become “King” of the modern world
这部剧真的蛮逗趣的。It really makes you burst out into laughter and their CGI is impressive (just like Goblin). 除了金钢箍，和人物的一些特征，这部剧比较像是韩国的 Fantasy Drama。
Selling points of the show:
- Plotting & scheming between the demons – depict of the modern day 尔虞我诈
- Gods, Deities, Ghosts, Demons, Mermaid, Zombie
- Love story of Son Oh Gong & Sam Zang
- Bromance between Son Oh Gong and Ma Wang
- Loveline for PK and Buja
Morale of the story:
平凡是种幸福。
所有的关系，无论是亲情，友情，爱情，都需要用心经营。
所谓“爱的真谛”, 就要必须很爱, 很痛过, 而且懂得牺牲奉献。
You don’t need a reason to fall in love, but you just need one reason to keep it going.
If you were wondering who the script writers with such great creativity and imagination are, they are the renowned Hong Sisters who have written many good drama scripts, such as “Couple or Trouble”, “You Are Beautiful”, “The Greatest Love” and “Master’s Sun”.
竟然能把流传千年的西游记改成这样 Modern，可以说是几乎脱离了原本的故事，但人物线还是有跟着原著。You would be assured of an interesting drama, though the last episode seemed pretty much rushed into and there are many unsatisfying plots.
The new version of 金钢箍 is not on the head anymore, but on the wrist so that it can control Oh Gong’s heart. That’s also the initial reason why he could only helplessly fall in love with Sam Jang no matter what she does and he couldn’t bear to kill her, even if he wished to. His heart would be tearing apart if he tried to defy the wishes of Sam Jang or tried to harm her. He wants to kill but protect her at the same time and you will have to watch him fight that urge.
For a monkey god who has a heart of stone, he slowly learn to soften, be more considerate to others and learn to love.
调教猴子的方法，就是也让他感受一次真正的痛苦。
但, 这未免也太狠了。
Much as Sam Jang’s lotus-scented blood is a magnet to all demons & spirits, including Son Oh Gong, the bad guy/monkey is like an irresistible magnet to Seon Mi as well. He’s downright bad to her, but she still loves him.
We call this “Deadly/Fatal Attraction”, right from the beginning.
Good girls love bad boys and when bad boys turn good for the girl, she loves him even more.
The all formidable Son Oh Gong’s only weakness, is Jin Yeon Mi.
在他眼里，她是最漂亮的, 只因为他爱她。
也只有她能让他痛彻心扉, 痛不欲生, 彻底拿她没辙。
As you watch the drama, you also learn to recognize and revive those emotions when you used to or still love someone.
Isn’t that just love being portrayed in the most apt way?
You have no idea why, but the other party just looks so pretty to you and her every smile or action would either make you happy or feel sad. You want to be around her all the time, to love and protect her, to keep her safe from harm.
她的一个笑容，能溶化你的心。
她受伤，你会撕心裂肺。
也会想代她的承受所有的痛苦。
就连平凡的一起吃棉花糖和冰淇淋都会感觉无比幸福。
I like how they depict the demons in the modern world.
现代的妖魔来自于 “心魔”。不管是人和妖精，都会有正和邪的一面。
There will be people who are jealous of you and will spread fake rumours, to make you feel down. There are demons who feed on inferiority complex, making people suffer from anorexia, depression, etc.
Some of the stories included a demon who feeds on whatever its victims are eating, and they will not grow fat but become anorexic and eventually die. There are those demons which feed on negative thoughts, made people spread bad rumours on social media (netizens) and drove people to depression and suicides. There’s also this ghost who captures the souls of young children who are suffering in reality and lock their souls in fairy tale books.
It is also pretty fascinating to see how our main characters, particularly Son Oh Gong, Ma Wang and Sam Zang could get into photographs, movie films into a different world dimension or era.
The CGI is pretty interesting, except for the last episode, for the finale battle. I’m sure those of you who have watched the drama would be disappointed like I was when you were anticipating a very interesting and fierce battle of the century.
Can Lee Seung Gi act?
论到演技方面，我想 贵为男主角的 Lee Seung Gi 离齐天大圣的霸气和魄力，还差了一大截。He’s not as powerful or mischievous enough as the Monkey God, but he is supposed to be more “humane” in this version, else how would we get the romance element?
不过幸好这部剧有许多角色和人物关系，所以整体来说，大家的默契倒是挺不错的。 虽然是寒冷的寒冬，但感觉上拍摄过程是很欢乐的。
无所不能的孙悟空 become lovelorn.
个人最喜欢的3段感情线:
1) 孙悟空 (Son Oh Gong) & 牛魔王 (Woo Ma Wang)
2) 孙悟空 (Son Oh Gong) & 陈善美 (Jin Seon Mi)
3) 猪八戒 (PK) & 富子 (Buja)
1) 孙悟空 (Son Oh Gong) & 牛魔王 (Woo Ma Wang)
It’s a love and hate relationship between these 2, and they just tickle you when they start bickering or fighting.
The untamed Oh Gong would hang his coats on Ma Wang’s Bull statue or even paint on it to become a milk cow, while Ma Wang would spit on the monkey statue in a fit of anger. It’s hilarious how childish they could get to irritate each other. They would also plot and scheme towards each other at times, to get what they want, showing their “demonic” natures.
Nonetheless, Son Oh Gong would not let Sun Mi come to any harm.
But in times when they needed help and support, the other would be there to provide some aid in their own ways.
That’s probably what we call “Bromance”. It’s the 2nd time that Cha Seung Won & Lee Seung Gi collaborate, thus you can feel their chemistry since they are good friends in real life.
2) 孙悟空 (Son Oh Gong) & 陈善美 (Jin Seon Mi)
Because Sun Mi freed Oh Gong from 五行山 when she was a kid, her life as Sam Jang began after meeting him many years later as an adult. As he had removed her memory, she just couldn’t recall his name and thus couldn’t summon him as and when she needed help, till she has the geumganggul.
Sam Jung is his “master” in another way in this drama. She taught him how to love, be more considerate and kinder to others, think from others’ perspectives.
They started off as predator vs prey, 欢喜冤家 kind of relationship but it eventually sparked to a romance.
It all started from Oh Gong falling hopelessly in love with her ever since he had the Geumganggul on. However, over time, it became real feelings. Though there were many episodes of them fretting if they should take off the Geumganggul, lest that his feelings would also disappear with the Geumganggul, we as the audience, could tell very well, that no, love would stay.
They started off as a 欢喜冤家 and Oh Gong wanting to feed on Sun Mi’s blood which apparently is “lotus” fragrance to the demons.
Since he has a heart of stone, he would not be empathetic, sympathetic right from the beginning. It took time for him to start doing things that he could not decipher by feeling that she is the most beautiful in the world no matter what she does and having to stick around her all the time.
They have some sweet dates near Namsan Tower, eating candy floss or watching night scenery and stars, but many of these dates were in an attempt to capture evil ghosts or demons. It was all in the name of “Work”, thus not too many scenes where they actually dated out of their own free will.
However, here are some of the sweeter 平凡 moments when he was trying to dress her wound, had the ring around her finger, or even during sad times when he had to find strength and ways to avoid their “destined” fate aka 孽缘, where they are fated to kill each other or be killed by the other.
Oh Gong and Sun Mi shared about 8 Kiss scenes in the drama.
My Favourite Kiss Scene: The one where Son Oh Gong managed to find Sun Mi at the library after she resumed her role as “Sam Jang” and him seeking another kiss after the “Activation” Kiss. It’s also like a 认证 Kiss whereby they both felt the genuine love from each other.
I like Oh Yeon Seo’s acting in that she is able to establish good rapport with not just Lee Seung Gi, but also the other characters in the drama. She also captivated the hearts of the audience.
Their loveline got a little draggy towards episode 15, but luckily here and there, there would be Sun Mi’s 青梅竹马 or Anh Sa Nyeol to come into the picture to 搞破坏.
Love can indeed make someone irrational and childish. Look at the things that Oh Gong did to “spy” on Sun Mi…
I also enjoyed this half episode or so when Anh Sa Nyeo possessed Sun Mi’s body instead and she became a totally different person. At least this allows Seo Yeon Mi to 过过戏瘾.
Much as we do like their main loveline, it just makes me feel that it’s NOT that strongly built enough to hit the kind of big, dramatic changes we see in the last episode.
While yes, it’s good they tried to do something about their love line and in a way, it’s appropriately 交代, but the leads were not able to express more how their love was 惊天动地 during the finale fight scene and those short moments with each other.
They decided to make big sacrifices for each other and so, I think that period of time could have been better portrayed with deeper feelings (with more justifiable story line).
It seemed so natural in the way that she smiled and cried etc. However, I think they could have made Sam Jang a more powerful lady or at least when she was to unleash her Sam Jang power, don’t make her look so much like a damsel in distress even till the very end.
She should have her chance to really shine, for the sake of mankind and saving the world.
It’s supposed to be noble, but the way the story unfolded, it seemed a little silly for her to live her life so differently from others for so many years, to get that type of treatment ultimately.
While viewers are asking for a Season 2, I thought it might just be good if they can have 1 or 2 more special episodes, to see what Oh Gong will do to get her back from where we “lost” her.
Nonetheless, given Son Oh Gong’s nature, he would not stop till he wreak havoc at whichever place that he’s gonna find her.
3) 猪八戒 (PK) & 富子 (Puja)
My heart goes all out to this pair with a bittersweet storyline and I’m sure most of the viewers would hope that they could have a less 忐忑 journey. You could see that love was blooming right from the beginning but there could never be a happy ending between a zombie and a pig demon.
It’s sad that Puja’s body was taken over by a evil ghost but I think Lee Se Young’s done well in her role as 2 different souls in one body.
If you recall how blur and funny Puja was with her Zombie dance, you would hope that the kind-hearted soul, who didn’t even want to punish those who killed her, would have a happier ending. Those funny moments when everyone found her smelly and she would quietly hide inside the fridge or bathroom, were equally hilarious.
PK as the pig demon, would be silly enough, not to use his brains but based on his impulse whenever it comes to extending Puja’s “life” in the already rotting body.
Thus when it comes to the Anh Sa-nyeo possessing Se Ra’s body and Puja’s soul gone, the viewers were “cheated” of their feelings that Puja could still sense what was going on.
I also like Lee Se Young’s switch to an evil Anh Sa-nyeo and how PK tried to 感化 her a little at at time.
I would think that despite being such an evil spirit, Anh Sa Nyeo does have a soft spot in her that’s also good by nature, but it’s just that she was betrayed by mankind and refused to trust anyone again. Of course, till she meets PK who is so genuinely good to her though it was only because she was in Se Ra’s body.
It’s also funny how the dragon prince who possessed another celebrity’s body (Alice), began to like PK as time goes by. It’s a little weird since the dragon prince is a guy but since he possessed Alice’s body, he would be affected in the way that he also likes PK. It’s supposed to be Bromance, but it seemed more like Romance as time went by.
So, if you ask me, I sincerely hope to have a Hwayugi Special to have the love lines for Son Oh Gong, Sam Jang, PK & Buja and even poor Ma Wang , better paced for their respective endings.
My Vote goes to Cha Seung Won for the best acting in this drama.
牛魔王 is so funny! 他应该是有史以来最帅和有魅力的牛魔王吧? 还真是第一次觉得牛魔王把孙悟空的风头都抢尽了。
姜不愧是老的辣! 演技派大叔真不是盖的!
He might take on a very 搞笑 role with his many funny expressions at the beginning, but he could just switch so well between becoming evil, scheming, loving and sacrificial. It’s like so many 转捩点 for 牛魔王 and you can feel his struggles.
He only had 3 scenes or so with “铁扇公主” who doesn’t even remember him during her incarnations, but he was able to display that love and affection for her throughout the drama.
Then when he realized that his son is still living in this world, he tried to take care of him from a distance. It was just a few short scenes but he was able to portray the role of a protective father.
I also like this part when Sun Mi and Son Oh Gong were discussing about the differences between demons and humans.
She mentioned that human feelings are fleeting and they don’t stay the same forever, but Oh Gong mentioned that for demons, once they have ascertained that you are a friend, they will fight alongside you till the end. Once betrayed, they will pay with their lives.
Well, I guess that’s why there’s a saying that 人是善变的。
All in all, I enjoyed this drama, despite the very bad CGI for the Finale Fighting scene with the black dragon and also some draggy portions.
In conclusion, it’s a fantasy rom-com that teaches you how to love and also believe in yourself.
