While we have seen a lot of music-orientated themes in Korean dramas and productions, it is less frequent to see the genre of musicals being tackled. Therefore, when news was released that the six-part Korean miniseries ‘ The Sound of Magic’ would be marketed a “ musical fantasy drama” based upon the fantasy webcomic "Annarasumanara” (안나라수마나라), there was certainly intrigue and hype around its upcoming release.

The series focuses upon main female lead Yoon Ah Yi ( Choi Sung Eun- ‘ Start Up’, ‘ Beyond Evil’). Despite being a top student in her school, Ah Yi has had it rough after her parents walked out on her.

Ah Yi secretly yearns that all of her problems will be solved by magic. However as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Ah Yi’s Life is turned upside down when she meets Lee Eul ( Ji Chang Wook- ‘ Healer’, ‘ K2’ and ‘ Backstreet Rookie’).

Lee Eul is practically perfect in every way. Helping to lift Ah Yi’s spirits up despite hard times, Lee Eul finds herself conflicted between fantasy and reality when she develops feelings for classmate and fellow hard-achiever Na Il Deung ( Hwang In Yeop- ‘ Freshman’, ‘18 Again’ and ‘ True Beauty’). However things become more complicated when Ah Yi discovers that Lee Eul is more than he seems.

Adapted to the small screen by Kim Min Jung ( ‘ Love In The Moonlight’, ‘ Imitation’), ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ is able to attain what many would probably define as “ lighthearted melodrama and fantasy ”. While the screenplay would occasionally dip into certain issues such as poverty, inequality and bullying, these topics were rarely discussed or brought forward prominently, instead used background themes to propel certain events of the series.

Admittedly this isn’t always necessarily a bad approach per say in a series. It certainly allowed ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ to maintain an easygoing charm. On the other hand, it is fair to admit that while the premise of the series was certainly engaging and the storyline boasted an intriguing array of characters, the production wasn’t without its more noticeable loose ends either.

Choi Sung Eun is an upcoming actress in the South-Korean film and TV industry. While some viewers may have seen her before in productions such as ‘ Beyond Evil’, it is likely most will be unfamiliar with her name. Nevertheless despite a few awkward line deliverances at times, Sung Eun delivered a fairly decent performance at main female lead Yoon Ah Hi; a downcast and hardworking girl who finds herself encountering a mysterious magician.

As an onscreen character, Ah Yi is admittedly a mixed-bag of writing tropes and strengths. The “ hardworking” female lead is a cliche that has often been overdone in Korean productions and dramas. Admittedly it would be wrong to suggest that Ah Yi was an entirely “ bad character” per say.

Her genuine doting and sincerity for her sister, her disillusioned beliefs surrounding her mother and yearning to get her back, and certain levels of her personal struggles such as being bullied and financial struggles, did add a touch of relatability and engagement for the audience with Ah Yi’s character.

On the other hand despite the unlimited potential for Ah Yi to become a fully likeable character, it was hard to ignore that Ah Yi’s character-arc felt somewhat poorly put together at times, especially with regards to her ineffable muteness as well as delving further into her feelings towards her parents . ( To explain this further, it is important to acknowledge that being reserved and struggling with anxiety or trauma are certainly separate and complicated issues. However rather than connecting this succinctly with her own emotional struggles as well as in reality, Ah Yi’s personal problems could often feel shoehorned rather than explained in detail. In addition to this nuanced issues such as her living or financial situation not being noticed by others such as teachers or at least by social services seemed a little odd also.)

Then of course there’s the subject surrounding Ah Yi’s potential love interest and supporting male lead. Since his popular roles in ‘ True Beauty’ and ‘ 18 Again’, Hwang In Yeop had become a familiar face and name for viewers. However rather than playing his associated “ bad boy” roles, In Yeop took on his onscreen part as hardworking student Na II Deung, adding a fairly consistent performance to his onscreen role.

As a character, II Deung suffered a similar fate to the female lead when it came to screenwriting. The role as the “ potential love interest” for Ah Yi was surprisingly subverted at times when intriguing glimpses were provided into II Deung’s own personal life and struggles.

On the other hand while chemistry certainly was prominent between the leading actors and certainly easygoing , it was difficult at times to really see or allow this onscreen relationship to develop further outside of lighthearted banter or “ necessary plot moments”. Of course, later episodes certainly relished in exchanges between the two main characters but it was difficult to see this relationship having been developed particularly through evident common ground or growth.

However while Hwang In Yeop may certainly have attracted attention for certain viewers, it is likely most viewers will be intrigued by the starring role of Ji Chang Wook as the beguiling magician Lee Eul.

As an A-lister actor, Chang Wook has respectfully had his fair share of good and bad performances over the years. Nevertheless his performance as main lead Lee Eul was certainly decent enough, adding a surprising charm to his onscreen persona which admittedly could’ve been taken further by the writing .

To a certain extent, screenwriter Kim Min Jung captivated this well by Lee Eul offering an air of mystique for most of the series. Despite seemingly being introduced as a seeming “ heroic” figure for Ah Yi, it is soon proven that Lee Eul is certainly not a knight in shining armour as truths come to light.

On the other hand, it often felt as though while viewers did not entirely have to know the precise events of his backstory to work out his character-arc and role in the series, it often felt as though ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ rarely brought forwards Lee Eul’s seemingly “ unpredictable” edge and mystery. It often felt as though this could’ve easily have been done by at least foreshadowing or helping to boast his onscreen presence through different mood lighting or cinematography.

Then of course aside from the main characters, there is also the topic surrounding supporting characters. The majority of the supporting characters were often placed as merely background characters for storylines or events ( such as Ah Yi’s parents, her younger sister and II Deung’s parents). Admittedly the supporting cast’s performances varied somewhat dependent on ability. However it is hard not to talk about side characters without at least acknowledging “ Ah Yi’s bully” Baek Ha Na. Unsurprisingly, Ha Na’s role as Ah Yi’s tormentor is rarely explained or justified aside from Ha Na being “ shallow and mean” and helping to intensify angst and drama during “ necessary moments”.

The execution of ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ is a fair mixture of slow-paced angst and quick-paced storyline. Although this was necessary at times for helping to establish characters and storyline events, it could often lead to parts of the miniseries feeling somewhat slow and dragging in parts and rarely fleshed out at certain points of the narrative. ( Therefore often leading to certain events of the narrative feeling overly predictable or convenient.) In particular, this was evident through the formula of musical compositions being given in episodes. Although they were often lighthearted or melodramatic,certain compositions could sometimes feel arbitrarily placed in the trajectory of the series.

In addition to the main storyline surrounding the female lead, there were a few noticeable side storylines such as Ah Yi’s internal monologues addressing her mother, the male lead’s hone life and his relationship with his parents as well as the mysterious disappearances of students at the school. Although they were certainly intriguing subplots, they were rarely fleshed out. Of course while it is hard to create an entirely flawless adaptation of a work or webcomic, it often felt as though ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ could’ve flourished more by sticking to fewer storylines and developing them well.

The ending of the series will admittedly remain a subject of debate for a lot of viewers. While some viewers may enjoy an uplifting finale, others may feel let down by the sudden rush of plot events and failing to answer a lot of continuous questions and resolutions for the characters.

Naturally there is also the discussion surrounding the OST of the series. ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ was composed of a mixture of angst-ridden musical compositions and lighthearted pop tracks, ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ can be said to have an admittedly odd mix of genuinely memorable and generic songs. Tracks including “ 아저씨. 마술을 믿으세요? “(Annarasumanara), “회전목마” (Merry-Go-Round) and “잘자” Have A Good Night) remained particularly memorable.

Perhaps a certain virtue of ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ came through the cinematography approached by director Kim Seong Yoon ( ‘Who Are You:School 2015’, ‘ Lovers In The Moonlight’ and ‘ Itaewon Class’). High quality and stunning in parts through a blurring between reality and illusion, Seong Yoon’s lighting and mood certainly helped to captivate a lot of the characters’ emotions and struggles. Admittedly it felt as though the series could’ve benefited by delving deeper into a phantasmagoria of dreamlike or magical sequences in later episodes.

Overall ‘ The Sound Of Magic’ offered viewers with slightly “ darker” lighthearted angst and melodrama wrapped into a guise of magic and fantasy. Although the series certainly boasted an intriguing array of characters and skimmed-over issues and topics, the narrative often felt like a patchwork of narrative events and pacing rather than succinct. ( Especially by the ending of the series.) Nevertheless Ah Yi and II Deung’s potential onscreen chemistry remained entertaining and certainly offered viewers with an indulging and certainly magical binge-watch.