My new favourite fantasy drama
This story is a perfect combination of very good fantasy and breathtaking love story. I find it very hard to find a show that can do both without ruining any of the aspects - this show was what I was looking for. It was funny, it was exciting, it was captivating, it was sad - all of it. The main leads as well as the rest of the cast did a great job in delivering the story and all the emotions. I very much fell in love with so many characters in this show. The ending was WOW - I am so excited for the season 2.Was this review helpful to you?
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q história boa
uma atuação maravilhosa, muita química entre os personagens da primeira temporada. Eu amei a primeira temporada e super reasistiria ela, mas a segunda eu não gostei tanto não sei se foi pela substituição da atriz q eu não senti tanta conexão com o ator ou se só foi pq ela é meio irritante e burra no caso a personagem, mas é isso.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This drama is doing many things right, the leads have good chemistry with each other & their endless bickering is plenty amusing. Some annoying saeguk things are absent (awful hats for example) & in many ways this is closer to a Chinese xianhuan show than a saeguk. Instead of clans like the fox clan, fairy clan etc we have mage clans, but their interactions with each other are pretty similar to what we see in those Chinese shows. Overall it's a really well produced drama with a decently interesting premise & world building.So then why is my rating so low? To summarize I just don't like the plot, there is so much I don't like about it really. Sure the final 2-3 episodes were incredibly bad, quite possibly due to the team scrambling to deal with their actress switching shenanigans, but it's more than that. I don't like the plot device that is the "alchemy of souls", I don't like how the FL does not much else for 19 episodes other than being a maid doing chores and I don't like the love triangle, though admittedly I've seen far worse triangles. I already implied that the lead actors were great fit for their roles, however their romance is flowing rather strangely. Live filming is not great when it comes to consistency & the writers were really not on top of their game here, despite a couple rather epic scenes in the show, the buildup often failed in my eyes. Almost forgot the main point I wanted to make, excuse my ramblings! What I think is the worst here is that this is supposed to be power fantasy. A master who lost their powers meets a disciple who is unable to cultivate powers & then at the very least one of them is supposed to grow strong, right? Despite all the time spent on training, not in this show, no! Our hero born under the king's star remains a weakling throughout the entire time and then the crappy final episodes come ruining everything even more.
Could have given a lower score, but decided not to, since at least the comedy is pretty good most of the time..
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The story of "Alchemy" is truly a very exciting concept and a new one for me, and the acting of all the characters is mind blowing. Also the OST is also top notch. The lovely chemistry between the lead male and female for me is the BEST. Loved this drama 🥰❤️
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Good
The series is good, and the acting is also good (especially the chemistry between jsm and jw).The story/plot itself is refreshing, however, the ending makes me lose interest in it, and for me, the 'comedy' part of the series doesn't suit it.
For me rewatching this series is probably 20% with the max of 50%.
Anyways excited for season 2 (especially for gyj)
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The ending made me lose interest in continuing it however I found out that naksu original body will be back (meaning more gyj) also the next season plot summary seems promising and I can't wait to see how they will pull the ''Amnesia" part on naksu
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Too many cliffhangers to end Season 1
Unfortunately, I didn’t read reviews of this drama and just tried it out based on the overall rating I saw. Otherwise, I would not have started it as it did not have a fair amount of closure and wrap up. Go ahead and have a second season or more, but each season must be able to stand on their own. Too many questions left unanswered in the last episode made for a disappointing end. So if you’re like me, don’t start this drama until season 2 has aired and ended without a teaser for a season 3.That being said, I did find this to be a uniquely entertaining drama and was mainly let down by the way it ended or rather… didn’t end.
The imagination behind the story was fantastic and the story telling was fast paced although a bit too repetitive in parts. Cinematography was great and I enjoyed the CGI used to display their powers. While this was a fantasy setting and all manner of hairstyles should be accepted, I still could not get used to the modern day looking hairstyles for the ML and his two friends.
I also did not appreciate how some parts were not fully explored and conveniently wrapped up very quickly - one of the most annoying one was when the ML’s “father” turns up only to have it all settled in a matter of minutes. I was expecting more explanation on his motives behind his actions and how he was tempted to dabble in sorcery.
If you can overlook this and are not bothered by an ending riddled with cliffhangers then you will be one of the many fans of this drama unlike myself.
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This review may contain spoilers
Idk what anyone says, I'll never stop loving this drama with my whole heart.
I keep my reviews short so although I could talk about this series for hourls irl, I'll keep it short here.First i'd like to play a bit of an advocate. I see many comments complaining about how Naksu, who was introduced as a badass assasin overtime became nothing more than male lead's love interest. While I do see where is this opinion coming from. I don't think that Naksu became totally soft and unimportant as Mudok. She always was an important character, literally 90% of is about her trying to make a mage out of Jang Uk, toying with the Crown Prince and meddling in everyone's buissnesses. She might come off as weak and just all-talk but the reason for it is not her falling in love. After changing bodies she is not THE Naksu anymore. Not only she loses her magical powers, her new body is super weak psyhically so no matter how much she would train she could never be her dream self anymore. Even if Buyeon gave up and let Naksu use her (Buyeon's) powers, it would be a mix of two people in one body- not the real Naksu herself. It is really not surprising that all she could do through the series is to "fight" with her words and share the knowledge she obtained in her glory days.
Sorry for geting worked up, I have no critical thinking when it comes to this drama haha
Anyway, I liked all the characters, some melted my heart, some made me giggle, some got on my nerves, everyone played their role just right. I personally was the most annoyed by how Crown Prince was so easly influenced and couldn't think by himself in the most cruicial moments and by Heo YunOk as a whole.
I see people complaining about filler episodes too but honestly the show is so fun that until someone pointed it out I did not even noticed. Pacing was fine for me.
[a bit of a season 2 spoiler]
As a happy-ending lover I was left with my mouth open after the last episode. At first I was very dissapointed that Jeong SoMin won't be taking a part in the season 2 but I like how the film crew wriggled out of the problem. Too bad that Naksu didn't get what she orginally wanted but at least she found another happy ending for herself. I'm glad to see most of the characters finding love and peace (poor Seo Yul, I'll remember you forever)
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naksu
The best fantasy historical drama in my opinion that I have ever watched, Actually, I don't really like historical dramas, I'm always picky when I want to watch historical dramas. and this is the best drama.. Starting from season 1 and 2, each episode doesn't make you bored at all.At first I was confused when I saw scane clip reviews from other, between Naksu, Mudeok, Jin Buyeon, Choyoung, but after watching it is not confusing at all.
There's comedy, there's romance, let alone action, everything is perfect.
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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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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.Was this review helpful to you?
Amei!
Rating: 10/10Absolutely amazing! Alchemy of Souls (Part 1) completely stole my heart. I loved everything — the genre, the storyline, the soundtrack, the cast… everything pulled me in from beginning to end! It’s the kind of drama you just know you have to watch slowly, at normal speed, and savor every moment — and I’m so glad I did. Best decision ever!
The chemistry between Jang Uk and Mu-deok (Naksu!) was perfect. The world-building, the magic, the secrets, the plot twists… I was completely captivated. It's one of those stories that stays with you long after it's over.
Without a doubt, I loved the first season way more than the second. Part 1 had a special glow that truly left a mark on me. Definitely a new favorite!
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Enchanting fantasy crafted with precision
With its fast-paced plotting, engaging characters and resplendent wardrobe, Alchemy of Souls was a compelling escapist fantasy that helped us fly through the sweltering summer.Plot wise, the show revolves around the lives of people residing in a place not known to regular humans, Daeho. There, mages, sorcerers, assassins, maids and all manner of other imaginable people ply their trade, helping the numerous areas of this restricted world function. Continuing, the whole series looks fantastic visually. Bringing life to this fictitious world, director Park Joon-hwa emphasises the expansive area he has to play with, immersing the viewer in every scene. Complete with some rather solid CGI, visual effects and use of pathetic fallacy, the show has some undeniably sleek appeal.
Overall, the first season of Netflix’s Alchemy of Souls was an enticing, consistently solid introduction to (and journey through) the complex world of Daeho. It might not have been perfect, nothing ever is, but there’s plenty here for anyone to sink their teeth into, as well as enough substance for those looking for something comprehensive to enjoy, with season 2 down the line.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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