Alchemy of Souls (2022)

A Promising Future for Korean Fantasy

Curious how the Korean drama industry does when it has its own version of historical inspired fantasy? Then Alchemy of Souls is your fit.

The plot, acting, animation,set and costumes are all impressive and it's an enjoyable watch.

I'm an avid reader of Korean fantasy manhwas, and a murim world like Daeho is not unique when it comes to storylines like Alchemy of Souls.

I am however quite impressed with how they brought it to life via the live action lens. The creative freedom in hairstyles and set, and the fights and animations did not disappoint.

I am biased to this part of the story than part 2, but don't let that stop you from continuing on to finish the storyline!

All in all, given AoS' success, I look forward to the future murim inspired or webtoon adapted stories that will spring up in the coming years

I love me some world building 😌

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A MUST WATCH DRAMA OF THE YEAR BEFORE YOU DIE!!!!

So basically I am not a fan of historical or costume dramas. I prefer modern dramas over periodic ones but guys trust me this one is way beyond my imagination and expectations. Its not good its mind blowing good. This drama caught my attention from the very 1st episode and that was something rare for someone like me (as I mentioned above).
I started this drama because of the posters and trailers that were released for season 2. Definitely to watch season 2 I had to watch season 1 so I immediately started watching it to catchup with S2...... Not with too much of expectations I started watching episode 1 and then boommm..... I really didn't expected to complete this within 5 days (fast as in for me hehe). Every episode was worth watching. I just could not stop myself from switching to next episode.
What makes it special for me is that you can find all sorts of genre into one like it has romance, mystery, action,.... and so on.... I specially loved the way how brilliantly director made every sword fights soo interesting that I couldn't stop myself to replay them. I loved the way how they made the leads fall deeply in love slowly and gradually through all there bickering moments. How they successfully add humour to a serious scene..... Everything about this drama is worth appreciating.
I am really satisfied that I started this drama after its completed because it would be hard for me to keep myself away from thinking about every upcoming episode.
A complete worth my watch!!
Thank You!!

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A high quality drama

One of the best dramas I've ever watched.

The photography of the film is splendid: the colors, the saturation, the environment.

The script is good despite the fact that sometimes there are illogical elements. However, as a whole, you will be surprised by the twists!

I think the biggest strength of this drama is the acting. But what good actors and actresses! Two in particular caught my attention: Shin Seung Ho and Yoo Joon Sang are excellent. Obviously the others are all equally good.

I had found a weak point in this drama but it was removed very quickly: At first glance, the main character Mu Deok is sorely lacking in humanity. So the viewers have a hard time to share empathy for her but this is solved by the third episode.

Honestly, I don't understand how we can't enjoy this drama?

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Strong from start to finish!

Overall one of the best action fantasy k-drama. The story was about land of Daeho & its mages, fictional world which not existed in history & maps. Jang Gang, one of the best mage was tricked by the king to perform soul shifting. Once done, the dying king impregnated Jang's wife. Years later, Jang Uk, the son had grown up. Jang placed a barrier into his "illegitimate" son so he couldn't be a mage. Jang Uk desperately trying to find a master who could undo the barrier, until he met with Mu Deok, a blind girl which was actually Naksu, an assassin who just soul shifted to avoid death. Strange thing happened to Naksu because she lost all of her powers but regained her sight as Mu Deok. Together, the two made a mutual relationship, to help each other to gain their powers back.
The acting was what you could expect from a k-drama. The soundtracks were good. The fx was also not disappointed. The action scenes were exciting. If i had a complain, i noticed that Go Youn Jung performed fighting better than Jung So Min. When I saw JSM's fight, it gave me the c-drama wuxia vibe : lots of close-ups.
I'll give a solid 9/10. It's an amazing show. Recommended.

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An epic Masterpiece in all proportions

An amazing drama that I'll never forget! Everything about this was amazing. The chemistry between Soo Ming and Lee Bae Wok, the characters, the character arcs and development, the worldbuilding and the acting. I got to say that both Jang Uk and Naksu/Mae-Duk are two of my most favorite characters ever in drama. And that has a lot to down to how both Soomin and LBW potrayed these characters with so much nuance and realism. They lived these characters and so did I thru them.
Uk and Naksu's character development was also a delight to watch. Nothing forced at all their changes they experience realistically, as they grow and change and grow as the story moves along.
Now onto the story, I'm a big fantasy lover and I was super excited when I found out AoS was a Korean fantasy drama. It had all the aspects that I love: magic, worldbuilding, the characters, the friendships, and of course the romance. I also loved the touch of comedy sprinkled throughout especially when the episodes were dark. It offered a nice balance.
Loved all the emotions AoS made me feel, I regret not watching this when it was airing I feel like watching live would have left me on an emotional rollercoaster every week! phew.
Got to say that Alchemy of Souls is one of the best dramas I've seen and one of my top ones too. Can't wait to get on and watch part 2. After that ending I need it lol.
10/10 for everything.

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High Ratings, But Just Average for Me

Let me start by saying that Alchemy of Souls wasn’t exactly what I expected. It’s not a bad series, but I found it a bit too long for my liking. At first, it was enjoyable, but then it started to drag, and I felt like the middle episodes were stretched out unnecessarily. The last few episodes were better and more engaging, but overall, the pacing could have been tighter.

I can understand why there's so much hype around the show, but personally, it didn’t captivate me as much as I had hoped. One of the main drawbacks for me was the relationship between the two main characters. I didn’t feel the chemistry between them at all. It didn’t really feel like I was watching a romance, and for a series that leans into that, it was disappointing.

Another downside was the lack of training scenes. I expected Mu Deok to have a more substantial role in teaching Jang Uk and for us to see more of his growth. Unfortunately, his development fell short of my expectations. Maybe he’ll evolve more in the second season, but in this one, his progress was underwhelming.

Mu Deok’s character, while bearable, could be quite irritating at times. The subplots also dragged unnecessarily, which made parts of the series feel slow.

On the positive side, I think the overall concept of the story was strong, and the last few episodes, when everything started coming together, were definitely the most interesting. That’s when the show really started to pull me in. However, I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters, which was a shame. I was hoping for more depth and emotion.

In summary, Alchemy of Souls could have been better with more focus on training, battles, and a stronger romantic element. Not once did I feel emotionally moved during the entire series, which is rare for me. I’m glad I finished it, but with the second season ahead, I’m hesitant to start it. Maybe it’ll improve, but right now, I’m not feeling very motivated to continue.

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Interessante

Alchemy of Souls tem tudo que eu gosto e procuro em um drama, como uma protagpnista forte, suspense, drama, ação e comédia mais tudo muito bem equilibrado sem exageros.

A história te prende do inicio ao fim, é cativante e empolgante, o casal principal são ótimo juntos, eu me diverti muito assistido os dois. A atuação da protagonista feminina estava incrivel. Gostei bastante do elenco e suas atuações.
Tenho que enaltecer também a direção, o CGI a fotografia e a ost que sempre era colocada no momento certo, gente essa produção foi nota 10.

Não vou te esconder que tem defeitos aqui pois tem sim, mais não atrapalha muito o desenvolvimento da história.

Este show é refrescante , leve e divertido de acompanhar com uma energia boa, eu honestamente apreciei o tempo assistindo ele, e com certeza eu te recomendaria ele.





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Alchemy of Souls has everything I like and look for in a drama, such as a strong protagonist, suspense, drama, action and comedy, but all very well balanced without exaggeration.

The story holds you from beginning to end, it's captivating and exciting, the main sasal are great together, I had a lot of fun watching them both. The performance of the female lead was incredible. I really liked the cast and their performances.
I also have to praise the direction, the photography and the ost that was always placed at the right time.

I'm not going to hide that there are flaws here because there are, but it doesn't interfere much with the development of the story.

This show is refreshing, light and fun to watch with good energy, I honestly enjoyed the time watching it, and I would definitely recommend it to you.

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This is the best Korean drama I have ever seen

I have watched a lot of Korean dramas because they are my favorite thing to watch, and I have fallen in love with a lot of them. I mostly like suspense dramas or psychological thrillers, but I saw the trailer for this drama and I loved it so I decided to give it a chance. It was the best deduction ever. Since the begging, it caught me, all the characters are so good, even the evil ones, they carry out their roles so good, the acting is amazing, the actors make you feel what the character is going through and the love story is one of the most heartbreaking yet precious one I have ever seen. It doesn’t have any plot holes and it has a really good ending, pace and the OST is also amazing. I absolutely recommend this, it became my favorite Kdrama and I hope many more people watch it.

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Meraviglioso drama fantasy

Un drama fantasy ambientato in un passato lontano lontano fatto da re e regine,regni e tutto ciò che comporta con magia,tanta magia.
Maghi e sacerdotesse bravi e belli con costumi meravigliosi e magia nei movimenti, nei combattimenti,il tutto reso magnifico dai effetti speciali pazzeschi.
La storia narra di una potente maga trasformata in una crudele assassina che però con l'alchimia delle anime viene intrappolata nel corpo di una domestica bella e imbranata che però saprà fare di tutto per far diventare il suo signiorino e poi amato in un grande e potentissimo mago.
La loro storia nasce piano piano ed è molto bella a tratti buffa.
Contornata da altre storie d'amore e tanti intrighi che rendono questo drama accattivante e interessante mai noioso.
La prima parte non ha proprio il happy ending aspettato.
Una bella e piacevole visione che consiglio.

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this broke my heart and I'll never recover from it

theres two things i must say before i proceed with my review.
1) promises are made to be kept, and in this drama all promises were kept, at least the one that jang uk made with mu deok.
2)liars and soul-shifters will never have a happy ending. no matter what happens they'll always end up suffering. lies will come up to their surface and soul shifters will somehow go wild and die.

now for the review :
for the first 15 episodes, i would've given this drama 9/10. the reason is clear : it was hard for me to watch this. i sped through parts and i kept taking breaks.

but what was the reason i changed it to 10/10? the story. the characters. the plot twists. the sadness. the sorrow. the cries. the beautiful yet heart wrenching romance. everything was portrayed in such a well manner that it's quite difficult to not fall in love with it all. after ep 15 , things started getting better and better. especially episode 19 was my favorite episode and the kiss mudeok and janguk shared in that episode was probably one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen in my whole life. as a certified hopeless romantic i can say that jang uk is the standard.

that boy would die for mudeok. he protected her, he saved her life countless times, he risked it all for her. he didn't even seem to mind that he was killed by her but instead embraced her tightly. it was their promise after all.

the side characters, oh my god. i fell in love with every single one of them. they were so well written. no flaws. the humor, the romance, the sad parts everything was amazing. i enjoyed it all.

and i also adored how everything made sense. everything was connected. the plot twists, the sad parts all made sense. they weren't made up or completely different from the main story line no no. every one of them completed the other and trust me, details are everything. if you have an eye for the details, you'll notice them as the story progresses.

nobody can say alchemy of souls doesn't have an amazing storyline and that the characters aren't top notch. what can i say? i fell in love with all of them.

i cried, i laughed, i got mad, insanely mad. that ending. that ending made me cry so hard EVEN THOUGH I KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN. i spoiled it for myself yet it still hit me so hard i sobbed. it screams loudly that the acting was impeccable. the anger i felt was unexplainable and while at the time i saw the ending i thought to myself that i hated it, now that i come to think about it, it was beautiful. and it made so much sense. it was ought to happen. mudeok was a soulshifter.

all in all, i had a blast watching this even if i sped up some parts, some moments will be unforgettable for me and I'll never forget them.

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