Alchemy of Souls (2022)

Basically perfect

This is my first high fantasy Kdrama and I demand to know why there aren't more in this genre. Everything about this was perfect: the production values, script/story/dialogue, acting of the whole cast and chemistry between the leads, direction-- everything. I loved the deep world building and it truly felt like a deep, immersive experience.
The FMC was such a complicated character, which is rare to find in any TV show (anywhere in the world). Likewise, the MMC was complicated and imperfect, but that just made him feel more realistic and relatable. Loved them both as characters and will really miss them.
This is my first Drama with the ML and I sought out more of his work after watching this one, which is why I can say definitively that this is by far his best work. He was funny, vulnerable, stubborn, irritating, and wonderful.
I've seen the FL in other shows and she's legit fantastic in everything. Even if I didn't like a drama she starred in, she was still amazing and made it somewhat worth watching. I will watch everything she's in.
The chemistry between these two was insane.
WATCH IT!! Or save it for when you need a "sure thing."

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A Mesmerizing K-Drama Journey into the Heart and Beyond

Prepare to be whisked away into a realm of captivating mystique and emotional resonance with "Alchemy of Souls" Season 1, the latest gem in the world of K-drama. This masterpiece weaves together fantasy, romance, and intricate storytelling to deliver an enthralling experience that lingers in the mind and heart long after the final credits roll.

From the very first episode, I was transported into a world where the lines between reality and the supernatural blur, much like the transformative process of alchemy itself. The narrative unfolds like a spellbinding incantation, taking us on a journey with characters whose destinies are interwoven with the threads of fate and magic.

Meet Jiwoo, a brilliant alchemist whose enigmatic aura draws us into the heart of the story. As we follow Jiwoo's trials and triumphs, we become emotionally invested in his individual struggle, much like the intricate stages of alchemical transmutation. His growth is beautifully portrayed, akin to watching the elements of his personality blend and evolve.

The chemistry between Jiwoo and Eunha, the ethereal enchantress, is palpable, akin to the fusion of elements that form the core of alchemical transformations. Their tender moments together are like the gentle alchemical reactions, while their intense scenes resonate like fiery reactions in the crucible of emotions.

"Alchemy of Souls" Season 1 is a treasure trove of heart-stopping moments, both romantic and dramatic. The fantasy world-building is a feast for the eyes, akin to witnessing the intricate instruments of alchemical laboratories come to life. Each setting feels meticulously crafted, transporting viewers to enchanting realms that mirror the protagonists' inner landscapes.

What truly sets "Alchemy of Souls" apart is its exploration of profound themes like destiny, sacrifice, and the interconnectedness of souls. As Jiwoo and Eunha navigate these themes, the layers of storytelling are as intricate as the steps of an alchemical recipe, revealing hidden depths and hidden connections that resonate on both a personal and universal level.

As the season reaches its climax, mysteries unravel with the precision of an alchemical reaction reaching its zenith. Questions are answered, revelations surface, and characters are brought to crossroads that keep us eagerly awaiting the next season's alchemical concoction.

In conclusion, "Alchemy of Souls" Season 1 is an enchanting tapestry of emotions, fantasy, and spiritual exploration that is quintessentially K-drama at its finest. If you're seeking a series that seamlessly blends supernatural elements with heartfelt human stories, look no further. This K-drama leaves an imprint on the soul, much like the art of alchemy itself. 🌌🔮🎬

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Worthy of all the praises, but still missing some elements to make this perfect.

Subjective/Gut Rating; 8.75

I will add to the many praises that everyone has for “Alchemy of Souls”. It is indeed a great fantasy, action, romance drama. As a veteran C-drama watcher, the story isn’t hard for me to follow but I could see how some can be confused. This drama has all the elements to be a highly rated production. I have an enjoyable time watching this.

What I Like:
1. Top notch production - sets, costumes, CGI. I actually want to see more CGI.
2. Love the OST. Took me by surprise in the beginning with the English lyrics, but the melodies give me all the feels.
3. Veterans Yoo Joon Sang (Leader Park Jin) and Oh Na Ran (Maidservant Kim). These two are hilarious and I love their dynamics.
4. I was worried about the comedy in the beginning because I don’t want a rom-com. But I find that there are enough comedic moments sprinkled throughout the drama, but not enough to make this into a comedy.
5. Bromance - The four actors have very distinct personalities but when they have scenes together, they are funny and have great chemistry.
6. Lee Jae Wook - He is not my kind of handsome, but I enjoy his acting very much. He is still so young and definitely has a great future ahead. I can’t believe I’ve seen all his dramas except “Move to Heaven”.
7. Glad the romance storylines are done well and maturely, and not annoying with evil men/women.
8. Good pacing.


What I want more or with mixed feelings:
1. I want more fight scenes, not enough for an action drama. The few scenes they have are good but not long enough.
2. I wish they could showcase more of FL's badassness. There weren't enough flashback scenes when she's Naksu, and when she's MuDeok, she's a sidekick. I wanted them to show more of her wit, even if she's weak physically.
3. Missing the chemistry between Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min. Jung So Min looks like an older sister to me. Maybe because I am aware of their real life age gap.
4. Jung So Min’s acting is a hit-or-miss. I know she’s a cold-hearted assassin and could be emotionless. But I see bored eyes instead of assassin eyes. Of course, this is very personal and I know many love her.
5. Hwang Min Hyun’s acting could have been better - borderline bland and decent. . He’s handsome though. Each time I look at him, I think he’s Cha Eun Woo and it takes my brain a few seconds to adjust. I think Cha Eun Woo has prettier eyes though


Completed: 1/26/2023

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A very neo take but the surge for the second season is what takes it to the doom

I just loved this drama so much from the very moment it began. My main reason to want to watch it would definitely be Jung So Min and Lee Jae Wook. I've seen them in their other dramas and is very much knowledgeable of their outstanding performances that they have already delivered. I was naturally drawn to it when I got to know the cast. Also, the hype around AoS was something that made me really curious.

I'll just cut to the chase about all that "I" felt.

It begins with an intriguing plot, with properly explaining what Alchemy of Souls as a spell actually is and how it differently affected both the male and female leads differently in their own stories. Now you are no more confused about the basic concept. Which I think is a great add on to this drama.

Soul shifting might get to become a very clumsy and messy thing when not shown properly but you won't have that problem here. It is very properly depicted.

The show starts off with a great chemistry. It is not your typical romance. Its a love that gradually grows till the point where they are ready to give all that it takes. I was just so happy how the chemistry just shone in the drama.

The comedy is ELITE! There is no dull episode. Even in the serious of the serious episodes it still makes you laugh. This brings out a very light and fresh air to the whole drama that has to happen in the drama, perfectly balancing out the spice.

Every character is a piece of art. Very very very well built as the person who they are and the core character doesn't change until the very end of the drama.

All of the links and relationships between the characters are perfectly woven and tied together. Not a single loose end.

All these perfect characters were given the justice they deserve by the actors who portrayed them. Props to the leads. Jung So Min's switches with her characters being Mu Deok and Naksu in a perfect cocktail..... she nailed it. Lee Jung Wook amazingly showed his naivity, innocence, valour and determination that the character required. All of the other actors aced their roles to a 100%.

The plot was intriguing. It seemed cliche' but wasn't. You'll think you know, but you won't. Yet you are still fully aware of what is actually going on. This explains the quality of the story and direction.

To a fantasy like this to come to life, it needs a solid made-up story which still makes sense. IT DOES! The Writers, Director, Cinematographer, Actors, all the people who did the CGI, the Singers all made their rightful efforts and brought it to life.

OSTs are BEAUTIFUL!

This is supposed to be your regular Wuxia but is not. It takes a modern take to it, which is very newly brought to the world of dramas.

And after all the happiness that I got from 19.7 episodes, I became utterly disappointed with that last 0.3 episode. All the things that should never ever happen, happen in the last few minutes to the end of the drama. Like whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? The answer is to build the story to the next season which doesn't even make sense to me. I am sorry to say this, unlike others, I am not excited for the second season with the female lead change and all. How can Naksu get her original body when it was actually burnt in front of her eyes and not Mu Deok's body? However, its a personal preference. I don't like sequels with the change in leads. Utter Disappointment. This is the reason why my overall ratings fell down. I was devastated and I think it literally took away all the charm of the drama for me. I would've been happy with one season with a proper ending. So in my opinion, the last episode was rushed badly only to give the surge to want to watch the next season and that, for me, brings the doom upon a perfect drama. Again, it's my personal opinion.

If you are okay with this single thing, bro you need to watch this drama as soon as possible. It is a killer!

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The mix of romance, action, drama and comedy are excellent but slowly the plot bloats and pace slows . .

At the start, the romance with power games and the switching of who rescued who was a lot of fun. The main couple were fully fleshed out with clear motivations and back stories, and you bought the tension between them. In addition, who doesn't like the secret hero who is destined for greatness? By the end, though, the pacing seemed really off and bloated at 20 episodes. The older generation of mages got a lot of screen time and largely were boring and onenote. The villain also got a lot of screen time and was more annoying or slimy than compelling.

There were a few standout actors as the episodes went on. Both, Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min were excellent at both the comedy and drama and had an endearing softer, buddy romance. In addition, there was a few standout side characters that did a lot with their roles mainly Seo Yul 'Autumn,' the Crown Prince, and Maidservant Kim. Shoutout to Master Lee as well.

The music was fine and worked well esp. with action scenes, there may be an occasional scene I'd rewatch esp. the more comedic or fun points.

I grade on other elements as well:

Complex themes: 7.5
Talented people can be motivated in different ways - don't hold talent back just because they can't learn steadily and linearly. No one is immune from greed - elders included. Being grounded in human relationships and human costs makes you less likely to succumb to fights of power.

Character Growth and Development: 8.5
By the end, the characters have to wrestle with whether they buy into the values they held at the beginning. Our main male character struggles with this the least, and fairly quickly realizes he cares much more for those who have helped and believed in him than any sort of ideological battle, but for most of the other characters it is a struggle.

Complex Women/Women centered plots: 6.5
This was abnormally bad for a show in 2022. While there were great women characters (indeed the female secondary villian was much more interesting than the male villian) none of them shared meaningful screen time with each other except to move plots forwards.

Cinematography/Production Values: 8.0
The fights scenes were thrilling and had an excellent musical score to them and were of high quality. There's a good amount of shooting outdoors by water or trees. The sets, costume etc. however were only average.

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Female lead Jung So Min ( Mu-Deok) will not return in season 2

The first season of this drama had everything right:
- good story,
- brilliant Female lead Jung So Min as Mu-deok/ Naksu
- sympathetic Male lead Lee Jae Wook as Jang Uk
- well written characters
- impressive villains

So watching Season 1 was a really pleasant experience ... until it became known that for season 2 they will replace female lead Jung So Min with Go Yoon Jung. She is the actress who appeared as Naksu for a few minutes in the first episode ( Lake scene ). To put it mildly I think her performance in that episode was expressionless and emotionless with no charisma.

Indeed I was not at all impressed of this drama before Naksu's soul shifted to Mu-Deok and Jung So Min game along. She is talented and charismatic actress who is also able to express all needed emotions.

I suppose that season 2 will be a big disappointment for me.

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Hit me like white wine

This was a lovely surprise. The world building was fantastic along with the a interesting story line. I would easily recommend this to anyone, in or outside the drama community.

Story
I love a strong female and Naksu/Mu Deok was not playing around. I enjoyed watching how everyone dealt with her constant scheming and involvement. I found myself slightly annoyed that Jang Uk was always on the edge of being a badass but didn't get his full moment (see season 2.) I also loved that there was more that one villain. As in life, there is usually more than one person willing to stomp on others to get what they want. Someone commented on how they felt sorry for the Prince and I totally agree. That continued into S2 for me. The ending on this caught me completely off guard. My jaw was on the floor. I was not well. I don't think I ever rushed to start another episode faster that Season 2, Episode 1.

Acting/Cast
High rankings here as well. I found myself really into the the B stories and characters. So Min nailed the sassy spirit of Naksu stuck in the body of MuDeok. You could feel her frustration with not being able to do what she was use to. This drama also gave me a while new appreciation for Jae Wook's range. I'll be doing a deep dive on his filmography for sure. I also had so much sympathy for Seo Yul. Probably the only second ML that I almost wish would have gotten the girl. Special shout out to Seung Ho who surprised me as the Prince/Go Won. Just enough arrogance to be royalty but human enough to fall for MuDeok's mischief.

Music
The music did help push the tense moments along. The funny affects added to the comical moments were also well timed. I also recall enjoying the outro music, strangely.

Rewatch Value
This definitely has rewatch potential. As a spoiler to my review on season 2, I'd say season 2 is the one I would actually prefer to rewatch vs season 1.

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Crying bleeding loosing SLAY and left no crumbles, be sure to watch this drama cause it’s like something beyond this universe🫕🥘🍛🍲🍜ㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄲㄱ

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Wizards and Great Nonsense!

This show is so much fun, I'm a stickler for styling so the gratuitous K-pop hair made for a really entertaining watch in a Korean, and I use this word loosely, "historical" setting. Discovering tons of wacky terminology, following these decently fleshed out characters, and the queen that is Naksu... it's a great time!

Hell, it even reminds me vaguely (maybe more than vaguely) of Mo Dao.

Highly recommend to anyone curious, I looked forward to every week when they aired an episode and I am excited for the next season starting Dec.10th!

I'll keep it spoiler free, but I think my one issue is the joke they kept making about the prince and the main lead. It was kinda hurtful at times that they kept making fun of their interactions and how they could be perceived by others.

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