Alchemy of Souls (2022)

A rare and FANTASTIC drama

Wow. AOS is truly, truly the most spectacular production I've seen in a while, especially from a rather dry K-Drama scene on the action romance side of things.

First off, I just want to applaud the Hong Sisters for crafting yet another masterpiece-- Hotel Del Luna was a huge disappointment to me writing, acting, and directing-wise, and I just feel like they made all the right moves with Alchemy of Souls. Not to stir up a fanwar, but Alchemy of Souls turned out to be the Hong Sisters' high-profile magnum opus that I thought HDL was supposed to be. And I couldn't be happier that it was a sageuk-style HIGH FANTASY! I have not seen this level of tight-pacing, enticing plot lines, affectionate characters, and balanced humor in a LONG TIME. And to top it all off, there's wonderfully appropriate acting levels here, as well as glorious CGI and art direction. I haven't seen a project so committed to a sense of epic grandeur since Moon Lovers (and say what you will about ML's plot, but the production was breathtaking).

Next, I would like to talk about how satisfied I am with the casting and acting. Not every single performer was a standout, but GOD I love Jung Somin. Truly, it's a relief they casted a veteran actress who's able to hold all the bubbling and conflicting emotions of Mudeok, Naksu, and Buyeong altogether. She has considerable depth, range, and truly immerses herself into her character in a way that is hard to find amongst seas of wannabe-starlets. The other standout performance I would like to name is Hwang Min-Hyun, who genuinely surprised me. Perhaps the character of Yul was so perfectly-written for him, or else he's talent that no one had recognized before. I had my doubts about yet another it-boy idol actor, but his calm tenderness and quiet strength are so delicately delivered. And man-- what GOT me was that teary-eyed stare he always held at Mudeok. His pitiful looks of longing were insane, I'd think he was actually hopelessly lost in a first love if I didn't know any better. 10/10 for him.

Now for my favorite part -- the creative decisions. I won't be reviewing the plot, because it's honestly a scaffolding that holds up everything else that makes this production great. First off, the lore is incredibly refreshing, as they've decided to go full high fantasy rather than historical fantasy, but still reserved some sageuk-style embellishments for the sake of genre stability -- very Tolkien style with an Asian twist. Going full fantasy allows them to write their own tales, to make their own rules and conventions-- even if they are inspired by Confucian civilization and existing superstition.

The next thing I would like to praise is actually how skilled the writing and execution is format-wise. What bumped it from a 9 to a 9.5 was solely the fact that they very cleanly wrapped up a lot in Part One, but set up SO much for Part Two, with the brave decision to have two separate female leads (especially in a romance!). I think what the Hong Sisters did SO right this time was, rather than center the story around lovers, to center the story around HEROES that are in love. The romance is there, but its not what everything hinges on. And before Uk and Mudeok are lovers, they share bonds of so many different dimensions: master and student, master and maid, savior and executioner. It's a fondness that is deeper that attraction -- it's respect, affection, survival.

And boy oh boy, I am PUMPED for the upped stakes of Part Two, especially with the return of Naksu via Go Yoon Jung. I'm counting on Jung Somin staying on to play her part as Jin Buyeon, because it would be a complete disappointment to see AOS without her incredible performance.

In terms of why I didn't give it a 10, I reserve that for my absolute favorite dramas that move me deeply (make me laugh and cry), so that's usually for more slice of life ones and so forth...but this drama makes me VERY optimistic for the future of Korean cinematic fantasy, all wrapped up in the Hong Sisters' satisfying writing. Yes, it can get a little predictable and some plot points seem a little too convenient, but that's what a fun story is all about! And honestly, the grim suspense and "realistic" tragedy that dominates television these days that was once a refreshing defiance against happy endings has become a tired and trite convention that just feels like a carrot on a stick these days. I'll gladly take happy endings (hopefully!!!)

Also, I think a whole star of my rating needs to be devoted to (1) the ambiguously lovable crown prince who is a fantastically confounding character and (2) the classical version of Oh My Girl's Nonstop-- it's gave Korean Bridgerton, and I mean that in the best possible way...

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I watched this drama for the main lead Jang Uk, but fell for all 4 charming princes. the story was very good, the acting and CGI were also good. this might be a bit lagging for those who watched all the episodes at once. but I didn't experience any inconvenience. I loved it!!!! Can't wait for the next season and can't wait to see how the story enfolds.

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Got more than I bargained for

This K-drama took me by surprise, as I didn;t think i would be so invested with it, but it turns out really good.

Such a well-made drama with mind-blowing plot development and intriguing elements. If more of such dramas are made in Korea in future,
◽ The characters’ personalities and the chemistry between them. The variety of amazing interactions we’ve got depending on who was on screen was perfect.
The production quality. This show is simply beautiful. I have no complaints about CGI either, which is a surprise, since I always complain about some details related to it.
◽ The acting from the majority (but not the whole) cast.

I feel like the drama overall failed its female characters. They failed at setting it up in an interesting way and failed to show how connected it is to everything happening. Which is sad, because from the few scenes we have seen with Jin Bu Yeon, she seemed like an extremely strong, brave and worth watching character.

Overall : It was a nice paced out drama, not sure if I could do a rewatch of it, but we will see

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Bu yeon

For me AOS the best kdrama 2022!!I really love the CGI..the visual unbelievable! The storyline,the cast even the support role really gave ?.hope for part 2 bu yeon will back to her family.and jang UK and naksu will together?king also I hope he will not listen to him .his friendship with jang UK really fun.

For those haven't watch it,I really recommend this drama..
I hope for part 2 they will be more interesting thing and maybe writer can make for season 3?hopefully. This AOS will give fans such unbelievable vibe.

And now I felt sad cause part 1 was end..after this I will rewatch AOS!

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YES GAWD!!!

Absolute perfection! If this drama isn't worthy of 10 stars, I don't what is. Brillant writing, acting, but most of all casting. I don't think people give enough credit to those who cast dramas because without the OFF THE CHARTS chemistry between Lee Jae-Wook and Jung So-Min, as well as the unbelievably great supporting cast, this drama might have been good, but it would not be the masterpiece that it is. Hwang Min-Hyun reminds me so much of V from BTS which was an unexpected bonus.

They also nailed the right number of episodes. There was never a dull moment nor any episodes that felt like fillers. Every one of the 20 episodes "counted" and transitioned beautifully into the next. The ending was SPECTACULAR! I was screaming! The ending IS NOT a cliffhanger, but rather an intermission before the next act. Alchemy of Souls is a flawless blend of drama, fantasy, romance, and comedy. It is the best drama I've seen since Empress Ki, and more recently, Word of Honor (so underrated). I cannot wait for Season 2!!!

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FAVORITE. WORTH IT. SO EXCITING.

Was initially interested in this one because of Lee Jae Wook (way to redeem him from Dodosolsollalasol!), and totally won with the fact that he was alongside the very amazing Jung So Min (and can we talk about how elegant she moves with her sword????)!!!

The show was actually lighter than I expected and the story was well-balanced — comedy, romance, and plot —, save for the last few episodes which sort of felt like there were a lot of filler moments that didn't really add much to the main storyline. My only negative comment about this though is probably how in the first few episodes, characters would often think out loud and converse about very sensitive topics with people nearby, but it got better eventually (or I probably got used to it by that point).

Characters were complicated and I love them for it, and the storyline overall was just so fresh and unique. Hilariously, I walked into this one completely blind and ignorant to the story and I literally watched it for the actors, but it was well worth it. I'm so excited for the next season! Apparently Jung So Min won't be there but I'm actually quite excited to see the original Nak Su played by Go Yoon Jung. The ending trailer just had me so hyped and ready and I CANNOT WAIT!!

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STUPID FUCKING BELL

Sept 2, 2022

Whoa, this is such an amazing drama. As someone who struggles to finish historical dramas, Alchemy of Soul just hits different. This season is so good that I cannot wait for the next season in December. I have so many theories right now on what possibly might happen and I having high hopes for what the Hong sisters will bring in terms of writing the script for season 2. I think other reviewers here have already mentioned what I wanna say but I just really wanna emphasize my love for Yul. I think Yul is such an amazing character, I feel like all the things that he did for Mu-deok/Naksu was just amazing. I think Yul is an under appreciated character within the viewers. As for Uk and Naksu (because yk ? ), I love their chemistry and now that we are switching from Somin to Young-jung is really hyping me up for season 2.

I cant waitttt, so for those who are reading this, go WATCH ALCHEMY OF SOUL ON NETFLIX RIGHT NOW ?

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BEST KDRAMA OF 2022

If you’re also a fan of romance anime and loved Yona of the Dawn (*cough* like me), then you’ll most likely LOVE Alchemy of Souls. There’s action, romance, fantasy, and comedy along with heartfelt and heartwrenching moments and such a good looking cast all combined into one! It’s the best of ALL worlds!

Let me start off with the CGI/Special Effects. I’ve watched many different kinds of kdramas, and there were some where the CGI/Special Effects were so bad that I kind of just had to ignore it or accept it simply for the sake of the plot. This kdrama was nothing like that at all, and it is probably the best you will ever see in a kdrama to date.

The story itself is a ROLLERCOASTER and I loved every minute of it! There was never a dull moment in this drama, but it definitely requires you to pay attention or you might miss important details to the story. The cast did an amazing job at portraying their characters and the plot as well and it was easy to develop an emotional connection to them. I will not give any spoilers but all I can say is because of this cast and the production, it is 1000000% worth your time to watch it.

I rated the music a 9/10 which I feel like isn’t too important. For me the soundtrack didn’t stand out too much and it wasn’t as memorable as the OST for something like Crash Landing on You or 2521 (at least to me), but this kind of detail is so miniscule compared to what Alchemy of Souls offers.

Overall, this has become one of my favorite dramas of all time and it’s definitely going to be hard to top this.

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A fresh overview for K-dramas

This drama is absolutely a roller coaster ride. The story itself is refreshing to the K-dramas audience. I'm talking specifically about K-drama audience. I haven't watched that many C-drama fantasies. But I have a feeling there would be much more similar C- drama titles.

I absolutely love this drama. Combining all 20 episodes it was a good drama and I'm looking forward for part 2 in December.

This drama is special for so many reasons.
1. A very high quality production
2. A good casting selection with best acting
3. A heart grabbing fantasy story line
4. Some lovely OSTs (one of my fav OSTs ever)
5. One of the best comedy plots ever. Yes this drama is not all about fantasy and action.
6. Some of the best action scenes for a fantasy drama

The cons of the drama
1. Not enough action scenes for this type of drama.
2. Drama has a lot of comedic elements for a fantasy action drama. (some people may not enjoy it)
3. Filler scenes can get annoying for some people. (Binge watching might help)
4. The storyline can have little plot holes (but hopefully will be answered in part 2).
5. The complex storyline can be too much for some people.
6. The wait for season 2 (yes you have to absolutely watch it)

Similar dramas
This drama seems like the COMBINATION of following dramas (from what I have watched)
1. Mr. Queen (Yes, this drama includes a lot of comedy. But not to the point of Mr. Queen / Soul shifting is involved just like Mr. Queen).
2. Hotel del Luna (After all this was a Hong sister's work. Definitely have some parallels).
3. Bulgasal (ML and FLs love /hate fate is KIND OF similar).

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The Acting & OST

I feel like this show is underrated, in my personal opinion I think this is one of the best kdramas in 2022. This whole show keeps you wanting for more, the acting is amazing, the OST IS BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING, I fell in love with the music that was in this show, the actors are very talented and the chemistry was there. It also contain some humor which I also adored. If you're still debating if you want to watch this Kdrama, I 100% recommend. It hard to understand in beginning but by episode 2 or 3 you will understand! Overall the production was amazing and I would definitely rewatch the show again ?

p.s. I'm not a big fan of historical dramas but this drama just hits different ? All the actors are also good looking !

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All Around Perfection...

I'm going to be completely honest when I first saw the trailer I thought "wow this looks interesting" but it wasn't to a point where I was dying to watch it. BUT after starting it, I have not regretted it one bit.

The story, casting, cinematics, and pacing were all magnificent and this would still be an understatement. If I could be given the opportunity to forget everything and rewatch it from the start again, I would do it in a heartbeat.

This show has everything from the light and comedic scenes all the way to the heartbreaking scenes. This is the definition of a production that did it so RIGHT. I assure you that you would not regret picking up this show.

Arguably the best k-drama I have ever watched.

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