Alquimia das Almas 2: Luz e Sombra (2022)

Thoughts about the switch...

All the things that made part 1 worthwhile are still there and I have not much to add to that front. If you've seen part 1, watch part 2 :).

About the female lead actor switch. The switch was nicely integrated in the story (albeit somewhat convoluted, but not annoyingly so). The only thing which stuck out for me was the lack in personality continuity. Mu-Deak was extremely sassy, hands-on and she struggled quite a bit with choosing for herself or for others. While this rendition of Naksu was more of a passive moral compass type of person, especially in the second half of the season. I liked the interpretation well enough (although I did enjoy the first rendition more), it was just hard to believe they were supposed to be the same person.

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Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for me

*Walks out nervously* I enjoyed Season 2 more than Season 1.

Story
In a way this was a continuation of S1 but also a different story. This is a great example (for me) of why the multi season arch can really work in the drama space. As with Dr Romantic, which had 3 seasons and I would love a 4th, there is something comforting about knowing the characters and seeing them grow beyond the 10 to 16 episode lifeline. In this season we get the very satisfying badass version of Jang Uk right from E1. The joy that I felt from watching him in the first scene was euphoric. His brooding was not only deserved but was the perfect amount. The person you loved literally killed you. Go sit with the rocks my little emo man. But also, can we talk about those steamy scenes when he finally gives in to being 'crazy' with Bu Yeon?! The lantern?! I need the other romance dramas to take note! Loved the play on soul shifting with Naksu/Cho Yeong/Jin Bu Yeon. It kept things moving along but played with the gray molarity of the characters as they find or, or helped. Again, having more time with the characters gives you the ability to see how the previous actions butterfly affect to their decisions later on.

Acting/Cast
I'm ready for the pitchforks that will come out with my next statement. I'm saying this with my full chest. Go Youn Jung was perfectly casted for this role. She brought about an ethereal lightness to the character. I loved So Min in Season 1 but for the story to play out, they needed someone else. Ideally it would have been the actress who originally portrayed Bu Yeon but whatever. In my S1 review I shouted out the Prince and Seo Yul but I forgot about Mr Dang Gu! He was fantastic in both seasons but also had a bigger role in S2, which I appreciated. To be fair, this cast is loaded with so many actors that I've seen in other roles that I respect (Seo Hye Won, my English/Korean queen from Business Proposal and Lovely Runner, I see you!)

Music
As with the first season, I really liked the music.

Rewatch Value
I am going to rewatch season 2. There is no doubt in my mind.

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