Alchemy of Souls (2022)

Beautiful and light-hearted

Overall, this is a very beautiful and well made series.

The story isn’t perfect but it has its own charm. Although it’s mostly light-hearted with little twists, it has a fair share of funny moments, friendship, fantasy, romance and heartache. It would make a good heartwarming stress reliever.

The acting is good enough, nothing to complain about. The characters act pretty reasonable, relatable and in-characters, except for some funny comic relief moments.

The music is so beautiful and emotional, especially the ending song.
The special effects (water magic, glowing swords,..) look astonishing and realistic.

I do strongly recommend it if you’re looking for a fantasy romance drama that set in the ancient time, with a not so heavy story but exciting and interesting enough to make you keep wanting for more.

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YOU WILL NOT FIND ANYTHING LIKE THIS

NO SPOILER: Come on...
The story is full of twists and turns, with multiple plots all the time, which is incredible! A negative point for this work of art (Because not everyone likes Mona Lisa) is that let's be honest: They steal too much for the protagonist, but we clean up. The scenery, graphic effects and music are very engaging and fit with the plot, we dive right into the magic of the series.

The protagonists form an inseparable duo, the way they are loyal to each other is beautiful, their complicity and the way they are willing to die for each other moves us, and little by little this loyalty turns into a believable and indestructible love story. It's a real love, that's clear to viewers. It is not something that came out of nowhere, but something that was cultivated little by little, episode after episode. At various times this duo moves us with their acts of loyalty.

There is a lot of comic relief. The secondary characters sometimes steal the show, which means that the protagonists don't take the series on their shoulders, we actually root for the others because of the true friendships that form throughout the drama: The prince and Naksu have a very fun friendship to have. See, Dan-gu and Cho-Yeon are really cute, and even the villains we love to hate. I loved the details with which they inserted So-yi into the context of the story, it was perfect, so much so that I would believe the invented story and not the true one, congratulations to the screenwriters.

There is a change of main actress between the 1st and 2nd seasons. This exchange WAS ALREADY WRITTEN BEFORE THE SERIES WAS RELEASED, but it is felt by fans as it divided many opinions. There are fans of the 1st Naksu who refuse to watch the 2nd season, fans of the 2nd season who despise the 1st Naksu, and there are fans (Like me) who understand the poetry behind the actress swap. Who even prefer one of the seasons (I prefer the 1st) but who understand the importance of the other.

I confess that the only criticism in this regard of changing actresses is that they didn't maintain the mannerisms of the first actress who was always making faces, making jokes and was extremely expressive with her body, the 2nd actress didn't bring that to the series, and I really missed that. because if they are the same "person", no matter how many times they change bodies, their way of expressing themselves will be the same. There is an explanation for this drastic change in personality, but it still ended up disappointing many fans, so watch it now with that in mind as it will help you a lot:

"REMEMBER: If the soul is Naksu's, nothing else matters. The two "Naksu" (Jung So Min and Go Youn Jung) are part of a set, without one there is NO other. One COMPLEMENTS the other. Value both ."

Why 9.00? There were some loose ends, questions that weren't answered, but nothing very substantial, nothing that would make anyone say you shouldn't watch it. At the moment it's my number 1 drama, and I know I'll watch it again, because I'm in a very serious post-drama hangover. If you have an Alquimia das Almas fanfic to recommend to me, I would greatly appreciate it.

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Good world building

The world created by drama remain consistent on rules and possibilities they themselve set on. Story was good , actors character were immersive and behave the same way a normal human being behave under given circumstances. Characters were alive and behaviour were logical and responce were within bound to the characters.
World building - 10/10
Characters chemistry - 10/10
Immersiveness in story 10/10
Overall. -. good

Personal opinion:-

What I find repulsive - love triangle thing .
The female character interaction with second male lead. ( I find annoying)

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WATCH IT NOW!

THIS IS JUST AAAAAAAAGHH! Such a good kdrama. It'll give you hope for a happy ending, but sorry to tell you, you'll need tissues. I didn't expect this to happen, i mean, at all. I really wished they had a happy ending and they will be happy together. I HATE JIN MU. I hope he isn't in season 2. I was really confused with the start, but I got it fast. This is so worth it. GO WATCH IT! I already now a spoiler and didn't expect to cry, but I did, AND SO MUCH!!!!!! As much as I know, season 2 will also have a sad ending(crying internally). I was so in love with their love and they were so cuteee. Especially the scene where Mu-Deok was drank and kissed Jung-uk and told him she likes him a lot!!!!!!! All I need to say is that this story will give u a heartbreak, but the watch IS NEEDED!!!

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Alchemy of Souls

I cried really hard watching the ending scene of Jang Uk and Mudeok, even more so knowing that Jung So Min won't be back for season 2. I really cannot accept lead changes because it ruins the emotional attachment you build after watching the character.

This is the first romance kdrama that I completed after a long long time. It isn't a perfect story by all means, but it is a very special drama to me. The connection felt between Jang Uk and Mudeok is utterly beautiful. The acting by the leads was exceptional. I love the growth both characters have shown throughout this 20 episodes.
Lee Jaewook has become an all-time favourite actor of mine. This is his best performance to date, and Jang Uk has become one of my favourite Male Leads of all time. I've always adored Jung So Min's acting and it's gratifying to see the praise she got after this show.

I had a great time watching this drama, reading the theories, the many amazing parallels this drama had. All the actors did a great job. Jang Uk, Mudeok (Naksu), Crown Prince, Seo Yul, the Queen (aka Shaman Choi), Jin Mu and all the other casts. Really great piece of work with brilliant fight scenes!

I wish the best for the casts in Season 2.

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Terrible

The Hong sisters are now on my must-not-watch list as I disliked Hotel Del Luna as much as this one. Their attempt at writing atmospheric, romantic suspense got lost in translation because the pacing was hella slow and there's barely any plot progression.. even after 12 episodes. The push and pull of the lead characters were at first endearing but after watching 13 hrs of them not moving beyond being disadvantaged and unmotivated, there's really nothing left to care about. I don't understand why the creators took the decision to just string the viewers along. Did Netflix demand a certain episode quota and is that why the already thin plot was stretched beyond the capabilities of the scriptwriters?

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How much pouty petulant can you take?

This is the first time for me to watch a quasi-historical Korean fantasy and to be honest I was totally underwhelmed. Which is a pity because there are probably some really good ones out there. There is a simplistic naivety about this one that perfectly defines the phrase, dumbed down. It starts with a script that has zero sophistication, explains even the most self evident motivation in words and never passes over an opportunity to state the obvious. It offers bland, predictable, two dimensional characters and a direction so wooden that any dynamism the actors might have produced is squashed by a requirement to stand still and spout. And just to round it out nicely the editing in the early stages is unbelievably bad, hacking off chunks of story and throwing them roughly together. But to be fair it does have a plus side in the production values—great costumes, beautiful sets/locations and credible CGI.

The rigid division between good and evil does not help. In order to create interesting tension there needs to be ambiguity and the central character, Naksu, simply doesn’t have enough real-world edge to her. Assassin? Pouty, petulant tweenager more like. And that’s the irony of it. In a story all about power, the power has been sucked out of everything: her, the story and all the characters.

It’s all far too nice with the result that nothing is too far from that bland (and to be honest, boring) middle ground. Very little light and shade, zero depth and no emotional impact. Safe, safe, safe. A let’s pretend world that has about as much tension as a teddy bears picnic.

Okay, it’s not Game of Thrones and is aimed at a totally different and much less emotionally resilient audience, but does it really have to be quite so impotent? So concerned to keep the viewer safe inside a bubble watching on from the sidelines. So scared of itself that it pulls back from every opportunity to have some balls and make an impact? Everywhere it pulls punches, particularly by not following through on the consequences of actions, either emotionally or physically.

I like Jung So Min as an actress, I thought she was very good in “Because this is my first life”, but I think she was miscast here. She lacked the necessary edge to make her character believable. The actress who plays the original form of Naksu (Go Yoon Jung), did a better job of delivering credibility to the part. Even if Naksu lost her magical power she would not have lost her attitude or her edge and this could have been an opportunity for great character development and depth. But Jung So Min’s scripted lines did nothing towards this, often being subservient when they should have been authoritative, victim when they should have been master and bland when they should have been vulnerable.

It also puzzled me why, in a world which is quasi-historical fantasy and not reality, there should be so few women occupying decision making roles. In the main it utilised boringly predictable stereotypes and missed a huge opportunity to be creative. The relationship between the M and F lead was not master/pupil but something out of a fluffy romcom with a dominant, emotionally stunted male and a petulant, subservient female. There’s nothing ostensibly wrong with writing fluffy romcom relationship dynamics, but why pretend to set it up as master/pupil and then make it unbelievable?

Ok enough, I got half way through and then had to wait for the next episode. It will be an eternal wait...

What my rating means: 5+ Meh! Don't bother, it's full of platitudes and clichés with boring characters and plots.

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INCREDIBLY UNDERRATED.

EDIT: WTF WAS EP20??? MY REVIEW BELOW IS ONLY FOR EP1-19 BECAUSe EP20 was absolutely RUBBISH that it will ruin the whole score of the drama

Plot & Scriptwriting: A+
The plot is insane, exploring a universe where too much power can influence the lives of others, teaching us to stay humble. As quoted, "With power comes great responsibilities". One simply cannot delve into the world of sorcery without there being temptation. What we can control however, is the way we respond to it. In this case, this drama showcased how good can triumph over evil for the overall betterment of society. I felt like the dialogues used in this drama was also particularly relevant in shaping characterization, which is essential as it allows us to rationalize the decisions made by every character.

Chemistry: A+
Based off a pupil-master relationship, the chemistry between Jang Uk and Mudeok shoots past the sky's limit. We get to see evidently how Mudeok is secretly dependent on Uk, how Mudeok would go to the extent of using her powers to save Uk from a soul shifter, protecting him. Similarly, Jang Uk's constant drive to push himself to his limits with the guidance of Mudeok/Naksu has enabled their chemistry to grow like that of a plant, from a seed to a beautiful plantlet. We see obvious signs of their affection towards on another, and their chemistry is amplified with their kisses and gazes. Not to forget, the way Jang Uk and Mudeok had 'telepathy' through telling the same confession to leader of Songrim by saying that they both are in love with one another demonstrates their chemistry, and it is without question that their chemistry gets an A+. Moreover, I must say the bromance between the crown prince and Jang Uk was rather endearing!

Acting: A+
The characters generally played their roles well, with micro expressions to highlight how each of them are feeling at each time. Some hits and misses but not enough to undermine the nature of the show. Extremely well-acted and strengthens the believability of the show.

Believability: B+
Some plot digressions may seem slightly odd, but not enough to undermine the crux of the story.

Music & SFX: A++++++++++++++++++++.
Crazy OST, always apt for any moment and suitable for certain context(s). Overall, it does make the whole experience of watching the drama that much better! Love the way they strategically made use of OST to instill fear at times, especially with the scenes concerning Jin Mu's malicious intents.

Editing, props, setting, atmosphere, mood/vibe: A+
Really insane editing that transports us to a whole new dimension! Props like ice stone, water (for tansu), even the dressing of each character suited the whole theme and vibe of the show! Nothing felt out of the ordinary, and I particularly liked the fact that blue was always used to depict either Mudeok, Uk and green for Yul and yellow for Danggu. Very consistent dressing and I could very easily identify which character was who, without having to rewatch certain scenes again. Everything was edited in a very chronological manner, and for scenes showcasing flashbacks, they were usually distinct from the present, illustrating different time stamps in the movie.

Impact on society/Impressions on audience: A+
This drama has taught me that greed can drive even the best of people to spiral down a hole that they can't run free from. Even the crown prince, someone of high authority, can fall short in many tasks and when opportunities arise, he highlights the way human nature is like-- that we have selfish intents, but what is in our possession is the decisions we make to mitigate them as well.

Rewatch Value: A+
Would I rewatch this? DUH. I will be rewatching this for the thrill since almost every scene glued me from start to end. No regrets starting this show from a classmate who had told me about it! Will rewatch to take note of any hints and clues in the show~

A show that piques my interest, and is comparable to kdrama 'Tomorrow'. Well done steak of a drama I must say! Can't wait for Season 2 that releases in late December 2022. :)

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Lost in a/Maze; Quit or Power Through?

Hong sisters are back again with fantasy-historical genre (on steroids, I would say). The world of mages; And magic was seen as a normal and high-praised status in their social standard. However, I'm having a hard time engaging with such world. Why? Because so far, it felt so alien and puzzling to be honest. The reason why I'm still giving this show a chance is because I am still curious about Mu-deok's origin. But if the story chose to neglect and pro-long its development, I'm considering to drop it anytime soon. Why? Because the story is set to a potentially biased or misleading outcome; Particularly the arc of Mu-deok, the blind girl (I hate what the writer did to her so far).

Story
The story is actually inviting and has a strong attraction, however its introduction fell flat. I think it's a mess and were all over the place. I was having a hard time to comfortably settle in and digest its grand-other-wordly setup. The mystery of each plot/ characters were briefly shown (but poorly) then jumped from one another almost incoherently. And as the story keeps progressing, I was left-behind feeling more puzzled than with awe. It's too overwhelming to keep me from moving forward, to move along with the story as it was being developed. As it keep on building and building, somehow my curiosity is shrinking and deflated at some level.

So far, I'm not invested with the characters at all except for Mu-deok (the blind girl not Naksu). Why? Because the story chose to neglect the blind girl's existence from the get go. The story focused solely on Naksu entirely. Nobody cared for that poor girl soul and I find it to be disturbing and intentionally biased and misleading. The 'Four Seasons' didn't affect/ amaze me in a way as it should be. And when that happen, I know that the story is flawed in my book. In the beginning, there are too much puzzles (questions) in the back of my mind to let me focus and sink in for whatever it is that being presented. It prevented me from engaging with the character development; It didn't make me curious. Actually it is doing the opposite; It's discouraging me from being interested in discovering it. And fuelled with the overdosed fantasy-historical aspect in the centre, the puzzles becomes bigger and harder for me to comprehend. I even had to go back to rewatch some scenes so that I could understand it better and it's getting annoying rather than enjoying.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of supernatural, fantasy and historical genre. But somehow I still didn't connect with this show. So far judging from how big scale/ grandeur the whole setup is, it was design to prevent me from really care about them. I was distracted with yet another and another puzzle thrown in. I'm somewhere lost in this huge beautiful-amazing-but-confusing maze. Yes, it has everything, the well-executed and crafted exterior are no doubt mesmerizing; As it should but I'm having a hard time to connect, understand and explore its depth. I'm left with this unnerving struggle; Either to quit or power through the journey till the end. And right now, I feel like I'm out of gas.

I'm not hating it entirely as there are some interesting dynamics especially the leader of Songrim and the maid servant, but sadly its not enough to carry the show and I'm struggling. For those who love the show, I'm jealous actually. I wish that I could feel the same way. Probably I will continue to watch for the sake of the blind girl that nobody in the story seems to care.

Cast
I love Jung So-min. I think that she is a wonderful actress. As Mu-deok/ Naksu, she is convincingly being portrayed as this strong-willful shadow assassin who you don't want to mess with. However I was having a hard time to fully engaging with her as I was more curious about the blind girl's origin. The unknown is more intriguing than what was being presented. So, is it a an advantage? Maybe coz I still stick to the show.

Lee Jae-wook as the trouble-maker Jang-uk is commendable. He is the pretty boy with clever-wits-smooth-talker that always manage to get out from any troubles comes his way. His origin is vaguely misleading and purposedly crafted to engage but it fell short at certain level, I'm not drawn or care much about his character. His drive to be the greatest mage didn't resonate much to me.

The rest of the casts are pretty good. Few are just eye-candy and few are better and well portrayed as mages and villains. No wow performances yet.

Music
Pretty good and well suited for fantasy-historical genres. No memorable piece yet.

As always; Would I rewatch it all again?
Probably but not for the pleasure, just to understand the story better. It's pretty annoying to rewatch a story so that you get a clear picture not because you actually care.

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“Nothing could go wrong! Nothing could go wrong!….oh no! It all went wrong!”

*******Spoilers ahead! You are warned!*****

Using my personal rating system of "loved," "liked," "meh," & "nah," this rates a “liked”. It would have been a “loved” but…that ending!

Things I liked:
This is the first true period fantasy Kdrama I’ve seen. Occasionally there’s a made-up king (like Moon Embracing the Sun, 100 Days My Prince) or even a dynasty (Lovers of the Red Sky), but I’ve never seen a truly made up country/world before in Kdramaland (correct me if I’m wrong). And I loved it. I liked the world-building, the costumes, and even applaud the stylists for making short hair a part of the ‘look’ of that world so they did not have to mess with wigs (though I am a sucker for a guy with long hair…). Nearly all of the characters felt three-dimensional. I liked the bromances—especially with the Crown Prince and the ML. At first, I thought the CP was going to be another evil guy, but he grows on you after a while (he was clearly entitled and arrogant, but he never forced Mu-deok to come be with him and he could have). I wanted to punch the evil dude every time he smirked—which meant he was doing his job right. I loved that Park Dang Gu and Jin Cho Yeon got married despite everyone's objections. I also liked that Jin Cho Yeon only did the awful jealous girl thing for a couple of episodes and then got over it. I hate the jealous bat $*** crazy woman trope and am glad they did not use it for long. I thought they did an excellent job of mixing comedy with seriousness—in the way that real life can be hilarious but also tragic at the same time. I liked the magic system (though outside of ‘soul shifting’ it was not all that well fleshed out).

Things I did not like and/or remaining questions:
Why did you have to do my girl Naksu like that!? Wasn’t the whole benefit of her having taken over a divine priestess body so $*** like that wouldn’t happen? She has been used and manipulated her whole life and then at the end she’s forced to kill the one she loves!? Pfftt, I say! Pfft! Season Two had better make up for it! And why was everyone always going on about how weak Mu-deok was!? She was a slave whose daily life consisted of hard physical labor. There’s even a scene where she’s carrying all kinds of luggage up a mountain. And why would you lose your martial arts ability even if you lost your internal power? You could still fight, but just not with magic. Why did none of the ‘grown ups’ realize that just telling the ML he could not do magic was never going to be enough? That it had the opposite effect? They kept taking the ‘because I told you so’ route—and when has that ever worked? And, seriously, it did not matter whose soul was in Jang Kang’s body when the ML was conceived, it was still JK’s body that did the work meaning that the ML was JK’s biological son. I get why he denied him in the end, to save his life, but it was stupid that he had been denying him since the beginning—and even blaming his wife for somehow not knowing that her husband had been soul switched!? Pfftt, I say! Pfft!

Anyways, slight inconsistencies aside, I loved this up until about the last 20 minutes. Season Two has a LOT to answer for....

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