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Oh, how I wish they'd ended the drama with episode 19!
A complicated, convoluted, interesting, fast-paced story with lots of characters, CGI, stunts and color. It was beautifully filmed. I loved the color palettes used, the juxtaposition of the lights and darks to represent good and evil. The scenery was beautiful, the stunts and CGI were really good and I was all in until the end of episode 19. I will come clean and say that I’m not a historical drama lover and I don’t go out of my way to watch action/fantasy. Give me a good romance and we’ll call it a day. I loved how we got a bit of 21st century in the way they talked at times, as well as with the hair and makeup for the cast. THANK YOU for not putting all the men in the giant, ridiculous hats. The hairstyles were pretty much current, without all the extra, complicated ornamentation that they tend to use in historicals.THE CAST was really good overall, but the standouts for me were:
Lee Jae Wook as Uk. Played immature very well, and I really liked watching him grow into his powers. He’s gorgeous to watch and he’s subtle. I am fascinated by him for some reason, I've liked him in everything I've seen of his. PLEASE make him a ML in a true, honest-to-goodness 21st century romance!
Jung So Min as MuDeok. She did amazing things using only her eyes and facial expressions. I could totally buy into her role, and becoming more human as she went along. She was able to change from being the master to the servant in such a way that you weren’t pulled out of the drama. I have liked her in all the roles I've seen her in, she's very natural.
Hwang Min Hyun as Seo Yul. For the first few episodes, all I could think of was Che Eun Woo every time he was on screen. That eventually went away, and I loved his acting. This was another part that required subtlety, using eyes and micro expressions. My heart hurt for his character. Strangely, I cried for him.
Shin Seung Ho as Go Won. Initially, he was kind of a caricature, larger than life, obvious makeup, stiff hair that looked like a football helmet. I thought, “Oh, I’m going to hate him.” His character was wonderful, and I liked the bromance between him and Uk.
Jo Jae Yoon as Jin Mu. I think I’ve only ever seen him as a bad guy, but boy, does he do it well! With that silver hair and that ice stare of his, he was creepy.
Characters/writing: There was a lot to keep track of, but I didn’t really feel like anyone was a throwaway. The writing was necessarily confusing, with all that was going on and I felt like I needed a flow chart for the towns, the characters, and the convoluted love stories (past and present). I loved how the characters called each other by their first names.
Chemistry: I can see why romance is third on the list of tags. If asked, romance wouldn’t be the first word I would use to describe Alchemy of Souls. However, the romance was wonderful from the standpoint that the leads had absolutely no idea how to go about being in a relationship. Their foreplay was arguing, and they did it well. Kisses – just wow. I also really liked the chemistry between MuDeok and Seo Yul, and MuDeok and Go Won.
Music: Fabulous OST. From the haunting opening song, the powerful instrumentals that sound like they are making use of Taiko drums, to the vocal tracks, the music fit perfectly. BIG Naughty’s Love Letter, is beautiful and dreamy. Gummy whispers her way through Raindrops. Car, the Garden’s Scars Leave Beautiful Trace fit perfectly with the Joseon feel of the drama. Jeong Sewoon, Just Watching You – I think he could sing the dictionary and I would be enthralled.
Rewatch value: This is low for me, because romance wasn’t the driving force.
Ending: RANT and SPOILER!! From a romance standpoint, episode 19 was wonderful, because after all the darkness, bloodshed and evil, we got an episode full of sweetness and light. This drama could have ended on episode 19 and I would have been perfectly happy. But noooo, you had to go there, you couldn’t let people be happy! The ending was set up specifically for a second season, which really irritated me. I hate open endings, I hate cliffhangers, and I hate being forced to watch another season of a drama that pretty much tied things up. So, I’m thinking season two will create more of the same problems that our main characters have already gone through. Of course, I have to watch it just to see what happens, and I’ll try to reserve judgment.
Should you watch it or not? I’d say definitely, especially if you are into historical dramas, fantasy and action.
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Iconic, expressive, complex and full of well-written plot twists
If you're looking for a well-written story, with the perfect cast plus plot, then here we are! Alchemy of Souls is unexpected in a sense that it surprises you just around the corner when you don't expect it at all. And that's part of the magic. But, let's deepen the analysis based on some aspects:1. Story: quite simple at a first glance, however, as the plot thickens, there are many aspects of human behavior and profound desires being depicted and they're all relatable and even questionable. I mean, who doesn't want to live forever? That's the pretty basic premise of the series and it's been skillfully developed through 20 episodes. If you're looking for loopholes, let me tell you: there are next to none as everything in the plot is explained in details and hinted during the whole drama.
2. Characters (and cast): Do you crave for chemistry AND comedy? Well, come aboard, little one! The main characters are basically Naksu/Mu-Deok and Jang Wook, but there are many others as they are crucial for the story. Naksu/Mu-Deok goes far from what is expected of a woman in historical drama. She was an assassin and now possessed a body as Jang Wook's servant. I won't give any spoilers of the plot itself, but it's wonderful and refreshing to watch their interactions. They're fun, manipulative, and capable of anything as you'll see on screen. The other characters are also interesting and intriguing as there are lots of secrets and hidden things between the three great organizations and the royal palace. You are going to bite your nails and be on the verge of a collapse at the end of every episode after watching half of the drama. The acting skills of every actor in well constructed and alligns with their roles pretty well. The highlight is the shades of comedy and drama as the characters drive between them.
3. Soundtrack: just listen to the whole soundtrack on Youtube and blow your mind. Every chosen song fits perfectly the scenes, and the lyrics are fantastic!
4. What to expect on second season? The main plot of Alchemy of Souls is yet to be completely understood by both the characters and us. Are there things to be said and done in second season? Of course! And I'm down to binge-watch it as soon as possible.
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Lee Jae wook acting is top class. Also perfect body and voice for the role. So handsome above anything. As a drama student I wonder how he act so real like that. He is calm but you can feel fire. He is sad but you feel motivation in there. He is so playful and adorable like spoiled brat but you cannot hate but love him. And audience do. That's why he is so talented.
So min she is the other one in this drama. Eventhough she is older than main cast we didn't recognize it at all. She blended well. As her body and soul is different she has demonstrate that so well.
The chemistry of main couple is out class. I have to give that to Jae wook he is 24 and So min is 33 years old. But so matching chemistry both. I know Jae wook called as Noona killer. But even I wondered will this work out or not.
Then most important part ancient F4 Jang uk,seo yul,Dong gu and crown prince Go that's so funny and so delightful to see. Specifically uk and go couple those two are actually a couple 🤭🤪.
And scenes and OST blend so well. I cried once hearing OST but that scene was not sad.
Overall for the first time in history I felt likI am watching a fairy tale . I didn't do anything but stare at the TV whole time .Just lived in drama.
Fun fact my whole family watched the series and this is their first Korea drama ever.
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Shonen and shojo beautifully mixed
It's great.. s1 was fantastic and S2 ends on a satisfying note.
I don't like how fl cheated on ml.(Not actually, it is my personal opinion). Spoiler. She kissed the 2nd ml. Even though their lips barely touched and 2nd ml was unconscious. I hate how the writers just made the whole saving 2nd ml, part with the purpose of have them kiss...
What's more laughable is that, it is celebrated how apparantly no one(man) gets closer to fl except ml.. but she kissed another guy, hugged the same guy multiple times...
Her interactions with the other MLS, did not change much from S2, it specially becomes worse with 2nd ml..
This is the only personal grudge I have against this show which I might re-watch anytime because it is very hard to come but a action fantasy love story which is good
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Masterpiece
Loved everything from the story to the acting to CGI.Jang Uk is witty, smart, genius, carefree, jolly minded, lazy, lout, fickle. He isn't a great mage & lacking in power for some reason. Throughout, we'll see his growth. I liked that they didn't show him as a powerful mage who is unbeatable, which is why we can see development.
Mu-Doek is a mysterious person. She is straightforward, isn't afraid of anyone, brave, an expert at lies. I liked how her voice changed into a somewhat mocking tone, but in front of Jang Uk it's different. She has another name, which is Filthy Mu Deok.
Jang Uk & Mu-Doek have a master & maid relationship and also a master & student relationship. In the end, lovers. They focus more on the master-maid & master-student relationship. But there is love between them & it's shown by their actions. They do end up together in the end, but.....
Park Dang Gu is fun-loving, kind, speaks without thinking. Seo Yul is a serious guy who always stands for the right.
Love how Jang UK keeps on teasing Mu-Doek by giving her lots of work.
Loved how unbothered Jang Uk was after breaking Jin family heirloom. Park Jin fell down on the floor while chasing him because of it.
Laughed when Jang Uk asked Maidservant Kim to carry Mu Deok on her back & Seo Yul to carry him, their shocked faces after hearing it.
Angry face of Park Jin when Master Heo tells him that he is a lonely person.
The way Park Jin & Maidservant Kim tease each other for having feelings for Jang UK parents. I love them together. They are my favorite couple.
Laughed at how Jang Uk made Park Dang Gu believe that Mu Deok likes Seo Yul.
Laughed my ass off when Jang Uk, Mu Deok, Park Dang Gu, Maidservant Kim offered that they'd drink the filthy water.
It may seem like Park Jin hates Jang Uk actually, he cares & loves him.
Love Park Jin & Maidservant Kim bickering. Loved the way they were stammering to say each other good-looking.
They way Jung Uk & Mu Deok firmly said they’re not married to Master Lee.
Jung Uk horrified face & reaction when he learns that he drank tea which could lower his libido.
Loved how easily & with a straight face Jang Uk said the Heo Yoon Ok that her looks didn’t impress him.
Laughed when Park Dang Gu asked Park Jin if he has any secret child or not & the embarrassed face of Park Jin.
When Jang Uk & Crown Price came to find their loved ones but ended up seeing each other, it was hilarious.
Park Jin acting like a kid to meet Maidservant Kim is so cute.
I laughed so much when Jang Uk & Mu Deok started acting to get punished. The confused faces of Park Jin, Jin Mu, Crown Price & Sang Ho.
Jang Uk scared face when his serect of having 7 exes was revealed in front of Mu Deok.
The face of Jang Uk when Mu Deok said, "she likes him a lot" & kissed him.
Loved everything. No Complain.
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İzlemezsen ağlarsın
Öncelikle bu review a bakacak kadar ilgini çektiyse git diziyi izle çünkü anlatılmaz yaşanır bu dizi. Karakterlerden Naksu kısa kesitler de olsa kalbimi çalmayı başardı Part 1 de, casting iyi yapılmış dizide. Mu-deok ve Jang-Uk'un atışmaları da tatlı. Arada Jin-Mu sinir de etse kötü karakter kısmı idare eder. Son bölümde de bizi merakla bıraktılar aralığa kadar uyku yok belli. Dizide kötü denilebilecek birşey bulamadım ben onu da başkalarına bırakıyorum. Heyecanlı, tatlı, nur topu gibi bir dizi. Kaliteli, eh CGI ağzını açık bırakmıyor ama çokta rahatsız etmedi beni. Hikayesi iyi , karakterler de maşallah. Ben bekleyemem Part 2'yi diyorsan aralıktan sonra başla diziye çünkü meraktan ölünebilir.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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Well damn
I had grat expectations for this one and it didn't disappoint. The story is pretty good and the premise definitely draws you in. I think the main couple has a very different dynamic than most of what you see in dramas, which feels very refreshing. I like how they made Naksu waver untill the very end to finally make her choice between love and power, it makes her choice feel earned. I was afraid they'd ruin her character by instantly making her switch sides and just become a nice girl, but fortunately this didn't happen. Her skill and power were still kinda underused, though.I also appreciate Jang Uk a lot. Behind his petty boy façade there was a very earnest and courageous character with whom was really easy to empathise. I enjoyed how the writers made him actually train and put in some hard work instead of him just miraculously getting his powers all the time.
There where other good characters, I have to say, though, I am a bit disappointed with the female mages. They were very few and the only interesting and I guess likable (?) one was Naksu. The healer was boring, the daughter of the Jin family was completely useless and the mother was an annoying dumb bitch. A character I am still very conflicted about is the prince. I don't really like what the writers did to him, I felt he was having a nice development untill the writers pushed him in the complete opposite direction and that just left me dumbfounded. I guess I'll have to wait untill the next season comes out to see how this will play out.
The costumes and styling of the cast were super nice, the acting on the most part was amazing (specially the leads), you could really tell the actors had great chemistry among them. I guess the pacing is ok, sometimes it seems a little draggy, but nothing that ruins the viewing experience. The plot is pretty good, but the worldbuilding could be more solid. Sometimes the show just takes some ground-breaking magic and magical info out of nowhere. Other things happen a lot out of convenience and at certain points the magical system and lore feel convoluted and confusing. But these flaws didn't bother me THAT much as the drama just has a way of keeping you hooked and I also think they balenced well the more serious and action packed moments, with some romance, some dorky and funny bits and sprinkles of drama.
I have to say, I truelly like the last episode, the writers made some bold choices and the ending was pretty epic, very well-suited for a season finale, it makes you want to see the next season immediately. So yeah, although it has some minor negative points, this drama was great and definitely worth the watch, anxiously awaiting the next season!
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Alchemy of Souls Review
Alchemy of Souls is a captivating fantasy story about a young mage journey to turn emotions into real objects. Set in an imaginative world, the tale explores the magic of human feelings and the protagonist's growth as they face inner and outer challenges. With its mix of magic and emotion, the story leaves a lasting impact, offering a thought-provoking adventure.Lee jae wook as janguk delivers a captivating performance , skillfully portraying the character's evolution from curiosity to mastery. His ability to convey a wide range of emotions and inner conflicts makes him relatable and engaging, ensuring the audience is invested in their journey
Jung So Min as mudeok/naksu/buyeon portraying the mentor brings gravitas and wisdom to the role. Her charismatic presence and authentic delivery create a strong mentor-mentee dynamic that adds depth to the janguk growth.
OST adds a special touch to the drama. It fits perfectly with the story, making emotional moments even more powerful and the magical parts feel real.
The story has many layers, and you might catch things you missed the first time. The characters grow and change, so it's interesting to see their journeys again. The magical world and cool visuals are worth seeing multiple times, and the music and emotions make it enjoyable to watch over and over. It's a drama that keeps giving, even after you've seen it once BUT changing buyeon face is disappointing
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The best kdrama I've watched in a very long time!!!
I don't even know if this drama would have any bad reviews but if it does ignore them and watch it right now!!!There are literally no words to describe how amazing this drama was omgggg. I never like historical dramas and usually, drop them after a few episodes if I even watch them to begin with...but this hit differently. I loved the story and the fantasy aspects of it with soul-shifting it was very entertaining. The character of Naksu omgg is literally perfect I love herrr, the chemistry between the leads is everything. the male lead does such a good job he's so charismatic. this whole drama is so wholesome and funny I loved it and I'm so glad it was 20 episodes because the whole time I was watching I was already dreading having to finish it lmaooo. this is the first time I'm writing a review for any show..even though I'm probably repeating what everyone is saying I had to cuz it was that good!!!
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a REAL romcom
i really really enjoyed the story, the romance, the casting and the music. everything just fits so perfectly that i wanna give chef's kisses to the people who came up with this story and who made this drama possible 🤌🏼i watched this drama after the first season finished but i had to rewatch everything since i was having problems with understanding the plot of the second season lol anyways, i still loved it since the beginning
AND speaking of rewatching, i wanna say that, at first (the very first time i watched it), i didn't like go won's character cuz he seemed rude and mean idk but the more i watched it i started to love him so much and he's like my baby and i want to protect him from everything so i hope ya'll can see more than what he's showing. he's a good and caring person ♡♡
this drama had a good balance with comedy that made me laugh a lot (like that one part where go won and jang uk have the blue and red jade and they both think it was mudeok), cry a lot, also being annoyed at jin mu because i hated him so much but also loved mudeok and jang uk's relationship. they had an special way to confess to each other, to confess their feelings and i loved that :(
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Could’ve been soo much more!!
Once i drop a kdrama, i never go back to it. I watched 2 episodes of alchemy of souls last year and then dropped it. The story looked like a typical superhero movie where the main character possesses special abilities. Not that there is anything wrong with it but I have watched this plot a hundred times in western movies/tv shows, and it bores me now.I was still curious as to why this drama is soo popular. So i gave it another try and this time i felt connection with the female lead. I was interested in her journey as an assassin who lost her powers. I figured that she will fall in love with the guy with special abilities but i still wanted to know how she will navigate her journey in a new body. But all i got was her being a tool to help the male lead in his endeavours and that was it. We didn’t got to see the exceptional shadow assassin in action. No display of her powers and abilities till the end. Her story could’ve been soo much more than just being a love interest of the male lead. If this show was just a romcom with little backdrop of magic then I would’ve been okay with it but we are introduced to a new world of alchemy of souls, all just for a romance story!!
The male lead was way too lucky every time and I wasn’t very fond of him as his character lacked the effort and hard work required or worthy of all the power he came to possess. Meanwhile FL was pushed back in the corner to cheer for him.
The curse of 2nd lead strike again. Seo yul known to be the 1st among his fellow mages to achieve high level magic skills yet he was caught up in one sided feelings and did nothing the entire season. He was adorable but his character plays little to no part in the story. Did him knowing the real identity of mudok changed anything at all ? No
Even in the last episode when mudok run wild,I thought he will do something now but no, nothing at all!! Crown prince emerged as a character better than my expectations. I liked his presence in the show yet he also didn’t had much to add in the main story. There are some characters that were the soul of the drama like Master Lee, Park Jin and maid servant Kim. Jin family’s relics were soo fascinating, they can make an entire show on the Jin family’s relics. Lady Jin was a such an badass lady, really liked her.
Overall I will praise the writers for introducing us to a new world of mages. It was very creative yet characters had much more potential than what we got from them.
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Entertaining to watch...at 2x speed
The 1st episode was just the "bomb" in terms of action, suspense, and intrigue. I was frequently on the edge of my seat on almost every scene and I was curious on the story behind the epic that is this kdrama's 1st episode. In short, it was purely exhilarating.For the succeeding episodes, I really wanted to be emotionally-invested to the plot, and its characters, and it was convincing on some aspects. The pacing was actually great during the first few episodes when the focus was just on Jang Uk's (Lee Jae-wook) character development from a lazy bum young master to the great mage he is destined to be. Mu-deok (Jung So-min) was essential in said development, and I won't divulge anymore to more details, but that story arc was really this kdrama's strongest point. Jang-uk's character development reminded me of Aang's in "Avatar: The Last Airbender". However, I was disappointed when the skillful assasin Naksu (Go Yoon-jung) was seemingly relegated to a weak side character in the name of Mu-deok. It made sense when the original Mu-deok was weak physically, but considering that Naksu's soul went inside Mu-deok and in turn, also becoming weak mentally, did not make any sense.
There were also quite a lot plot confusion here but I think the question with the most impact to the plot was that how were they not able to defeat Jin-mu (Jo Jae-yoon) already here? He was not even powerful in the first place. Furthermore, how was he able to escape the mages with their power all the time? Jin-mu's objectives and him being the antagonist was already obvious even to them and there were already ample evidences that would point back to him as the culprit but the Songrim just didn't confronted him? Even Master Lee (Im Chul-soo) knew all along, and if he truly wanted for peace in Daeho, it would've been wise for him to deal Jin-mu early on. But then again, what would happen to the plot if he was dealt with already?
Furthermore, there was a lack of firm direction that this story wanted to go. At first, it wanted to dig up Naksu's past, then it was overturned by the sorcery which Jin-mu wanted to get ahold with, then the Bu-yeon story, all in the while there were romances blooming on several sides. It was clear from the start that the writers wanted to make this series into 2 parts, and honestly, all of the episodes (including seaon 2) could've been encapsulated into a 20 or 24-episode format. In this case, the 20-episode format as shown here could've been enough to properly convey the overall plot. But even with the many sub-stories that this kdrama wanted to incorporate, it felt draggy that for every next episode I watched, I felt dreadful and was just conscious on the time run rather than the story itself. I felt that this show wanted to compress different genres into one main story whilst in a fantasy setting, but the execution just felt short to my expectations, especially after watching the first episode.
That is where I already played it on 2x speed, and honestly, it made me appreciate this series more as a whole. The pacing became faster, and the messy build-up was already glanced over quickly. It wasn't boring anymore since there are already swift transitions between scenes that otherwise would've felt boring. I don't have to remember the filler scenes anymore, and there was an awful lot of them, especially during the middle part and the last episode. The climax could've been put on the last episode, but the last episode itself was a "good" transition for the 2nd season, despite being uninteresting anymore. Please note that "good" in this context means that it is now necessary to have a 2nd season since it would be bad if they ended it with that. To be fair, I really don't recommend watching something in 2x speed as it diminishes the effort of all of the actors/actresses and the production team in coming up with this show, but in this case, I wasn't able to hold myself back.
On a positive note, I was just enthralled with the production value especially on the 1st episode. The effects were truly convincing and the action scenes were just mesmerizing to watch. It's sad that they weren't able to showcase more action on the later episodes, but I will try to be optimistic that there would be more action and suspense on the 2nd season.
Will I watch the 2nd season? Yes, I have to otherwise, this is a bad cliffhanger ending. Will I appreciate the 2nd season more? I hope so. Will I recommend this season as a standalone? Perhaps, if you don't agree with what I said.
Alchemy of Souls was not totally bad, just not that captivating for me. Although, it is still entertaining to watch...at 2x speed.
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