In anticipation of Hwayugi’s run, I’ve been reading the (English-translated, unabridged) Journey to the West for the past several months, because knowing the Hong sisters’ style, I knew they’d be throwing references left and right and I wanted to be able to catch them. (The drama does, it must be noted, follow in tvN’s infuriating pattern of shows coming in at ungodly lengths-you want me to watch TWO 90-minute episodes a week? I can barely watch one 90-minute movie a month! As a result, I started drinking to help me get through the exhausting length, which on one hand sped up the watching process but on the other hand vastly slowed down the writing process. The source material is rich and plentiful, and I think the Hongs do much better when there’s a lot to riff off of and reinvent, rather than starting from scratch. It’s rather early to draw conclusions, but if you asked me which Hong sisters we’re getting with this drama, I’d say it’s much more of the Master’s Sun Hong sisters vibe, and not as much the Big/Warm and Cozy vibe. This hasn’t been the most thrilling drama season (or seasons), so it’s a bit of an understatement to say I was pinning a lot of hope on Hwayugi (or the faintly generic-sounding A Korean Odyssey) to lift me out of my doldrums, while also trying to keep my expectations to a minimum. Seung-gi’s back, rejoice! More to the point, Seung-gi’s back with perhaps the most perfectly cast role, which is a promising way to kick off one of the big buzz projects of the year. 142 DecemDecemHwayugi (A Korean Odyssey): Episode 1 by javabeans
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