This review may contain spoilers
Surprising until the very end
SPOILERS ARE MARKED, READ WITH EASEI've been waiting to write this review since somewhere around episode 10-12. Never seen such a well made drama in fantasy genre, so let me start to go into detail and be straight forward.
The story
Having a good plot doesn't mean viewers can't guess the ending, you can fully somewhat know the ending yet enjoy the show but having a plot and keeping the viewers at the edge of their seat until the very end is something else. At least I haven't encountered such show. The story was eye catching from the first episode. Characters were understandable since the very moment they were introduced. Their actions and way of logic was relatable. The story remained true to itself, clichés weren't involved, at least not to the point to ruin the unique story. I would say the story line kept getting better as time passed and the sub-plots were added smoothly. They all gracefully came together. Overall the story was unique and entertaining.
The characters
As I said before, characters were well made. They stayed true to themselves, their actions were based on the character NOT on the story. The character's choices made the story, there weren't out of character decisions just for the sake of plot.
For instance, (spoiler on this paragraph), Jung Uk's lack of motivation didn't magically disappear after Mu-Deok's entrance. As the love grew, we saw character development and it all made sense. Mu-Doek's character, unlike some opinions, was very well written and well used up until the end. (spoiler alert) For example the way she used Jung Uk to gain both of their powers, again, their love actually grew into them, it wasn't something to happen over night, yet I hope to see more of her own arc in the up coming season.
(spoiler ended.)
The action scenes were absolutely mind blowing, the casting was on point, the music was heartwarming, the only criticize I dare to make is the filler episodes, although it get back on track very soon.
I would say this drama was the best of 2022, probably be the best of 2023 if they maintain the same level of production in the next season, I keep my finger crossed and pray to have a well made 2nd season too.
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This review may contain spoilers
THIS SHOW IS EVERYTHING ❤️
i will just say that is show is a must watch!the story, the characters, the chemistry everything is literally perfect.
the chemistry between jae wook and soo min is literally everything.
they made the cutest couple ever.
all the lines in this drama grow together perfectly. there is no boring details or unwanted characters. every character is there for a reason.
little sad that jung soo min wouldn't be our main lead the next season but i am sure the real naksu would do a great job.
+
the OST are magical ✨️
i hope su yeol find someone that he can love and end up happy also the crowned princes i really don't want him to turn bad.
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Typical Hong Sister's script problems
Although this drama has entertainment value and good actors in the roles, the Hong Sisters script is full of plot holes as usual. About Avery 15 min, I stop and say ' wait, that doesn't make sense". Yes, I understand it is a fantasy world, but fantasy's still need to make sense within the context of that fantasy. I think viewers willing suspend disbelief and brush aside these plot inconstancies and frankly dumb moments because of the entertaining pace of the story and likable characters. It could have been entertaining and well thought out if they had just thought the storyline through in detail. The Hong Sisters don't bother to do that, because they have a large fan base that is willing to go will the sloppy flow, so they don't make the effort. This could have been much better than it was.Was this review helpful to you?
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Intricate world, great characters, unpredictable story, but pacing is inconsistent
WARNING: Don't watch this separately from part 2 if you can't handle sad endings, because it has a crazy angsty plot twist in the end akin to "red wedding" from GoT!Other than that this drama has a great mix of genres - fantasy, drama, comedy, action. The world is intricately built, all characters are given enough time to introduce themselves and most lead characters have great character development. The plot is very complicated and twisted, with deliberate hints about late spoilers dropped for attentive watchers from early episodes. It will keep you hooked and guessing what will happen next without you actually being able to figure it out, so unpredictable it is.
However, in later half of the show for the sake of dragging it out to 20 episodes the plot started to stall and meander around the issues with no real resolutions until the last two episodes, where everything was dumped on the audience - a common problem of many kdramas that just have no sense of pace and don't know how to end themselves properly. Some sub-plots especially took an egregious amount of screen time, like that "fake Bu-Yeon" plot. The ending was shocking for sheer shock value with lots of unresolved dangling loose ends. The sins of FL, who's occupying the body of an innocent girl, finally caught up with her in the end, but said innocent girl was done dirty, she didn't deserve any of this. In any case, stay tuned for part 2 to see the real ending, they're not done yet.
The cast did a stellar job at portraying their characters. Special props for FL who played a difficult 3 in 1 role.
OST and production value of this drama are also through the roof.
Overall, an 8.5. A very solid and unique kind of drama. But I can't give it a higher score in good conscience because of the problems with the plot I highlighted above.
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Fantasy with a lot happening, but why?
This show is a strange beast, because a lot happens in it, but it seems like less would be more in this case.First, THE STORY:
1. This is distinctly a fantasy show, and there is a lot of world-building that is happening -- maybe too much. Not sure if this is a translation issue (though I do not think that is the case), but a lot of elements are introduced that appear extraneous and distract from the main plot. The confusing bit is that the viewer does not know which part will be important; at first I tried to keep track of the terms and ideas, but after a few episodes I let go of that and just let the plot develop without really trying to follow it too closely; that helped.
The story tries to establish that the main character is "extraordinary" because he manages to learn skills faster than others; this may have been impressive, except it is not clear what those skills really are or how he actually mastered them (the whole catching the fish thing was so unclear -- was it cheating? what did he actually learn in order to do it?). It felt a little like someone telling you that a song was the most beautiful ever written and expecting you to absolutely love it without hearing it or any other song ever.
2. I know this is asking a lot (and I am not being facetious -- it really is asking a lot for a complicated story over 20 episodes), but the "reality" of actions and reactions is tenuous. E.g., the female of the Four Seasons virtually sends the female lead to her death, and yet not only are there no real consequences for her, but also the audience is made to quickly get over and forget it.
3. Finally, the romantic tension. Don't get me wrong: The actors do a very good job interacting, but (related to point #1), at some point I lost track of what the heroine said she would do once she regained her powers and why (and I kind of stopped caring about the specifics). There will need to be a decision? or something? that will force the characters to separate? But is that something they can decide to do? Or something they would absolutely need to do? Something like that. Right now, it just feels like it's some kind of internal struggle thing for the heroine, but it feels like nonsense.
Regarding the ACTING, as stated, it's generally good.
The MUSIC is OK.
There are only two episodes to go, and I will absolutely watch them, but I do not consider those 20 hours well spent and cannot in good conscience recommend that others watch the show. Which is a shame.
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Slow Paced
The "alchemy of souls" magic spell, which permits souls to transfer bodies, is a forbidden magic spell that is used in the series, which is set in the fictional nation of Daeho and follows the love and development of young mages as they fight their twisted fates.It tells the tale of a renowned warrior named Nak-su, whose soul was unintentionally imprisoned inside Mu- eok's frail body. She becomes involved with Jang Uk, a member of a noble family, and becomes his slave and master. Uk learns her skills from her while they fall in love.
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Worst storyline, draggy, repetitive and has annoying characters. Not creative, just borrowed elements from Xaxia Cdrama. Bad writing is when the writer exposes everything in the first few episodes only to the viewers only to drag it and reveal it later..
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The ML is said to be a genius only when the writer sees it suitable for a particular scene. He is actually very slow and his fast learning skills are only due to the King's star under which he was born.
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amazing drama
jang yuk is the cutest I love him best period drama ever the story is amazing too so excited for next episodes ❤❤😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰❤❤❤😍😍😍😍😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊should really watch it atleast once.......
thankyou. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
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Something missing
Honestly, I expected a lot from this series. I am stuck between do I like this series or is mediocre? I love that the Hong sisters wrote this. I always enjoy their work. Just like every Hong sister series, the hype of wanting to continue each episode, how everything was execute perfectly between being serious and comical, it has a great storyline, awesome cast, and memorable music. BUT something was always missing for me, even from the beginning. For this series, I felt the chemistry between the leads missing. More so from the FL. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy her character. I think the actress makes it work but to be in love with ML with all that breaking heartache...I didn't feel it. I was disappointed because I was told this was a love story. I was expecting a bit too much from the series and was disappointed. I've seen snippets of the second season, so I am hopeful that I might get the heartwrenching love line I was looking for.The other downside to this was that the story started out slow, a lot happened within each episode but I skipped a lot. And the ending and the discovery of how things unfold in the last few episodes were fast. There were so many unexpected events that did not feel like the cliffhanger was necessary nor was it something that should have been put there. I felt disappointed even though I knew a second season was in place. I still felt it could have been handled a bit differently.
6.5/10 for me
Rewatch value: 1/10. I really wanted it to be higher. I really thought that my low rating might have been due to skipping a lot of content but I still got the storyline and the main points. I might go back if someone can point out pieces of information I may have missed.
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An Epic Fantasy Romance for the Ages
Alchemy of Souls has been well-written, amazingly acted, wonderfully directed, gorgeously scored. The cinematography was beyond beautiful and the CGIs could be envied by Hollywood blockbusters with 200 million budgets.The Hong sisters have shown the world how to write an epic tragic romance for the ages with a satisfying ending of season 1 - there is sadness and love and hope for the future that Wook and Naksu will find each other again with a second chance at love and life.
The story perfectly captures the meaning and message of trans-migratory stories - that true love sees past the trappings of one’s body and that the person who loves you will love you regardless of your appearance. The Hong Sisters understood the assignment. This is the opposite of the awful Mr. Queen final which ruined the whole drama and made no sense whatsoever.
It's been a complex, poignant story with multi-layered characters, a story about a love that overcomes death; the eternal struggle between good and evil; people overcoming their flaws and obstacles in life; about never giving up and trying even when everything seems lost; about friendship, hate, envy, happiness, loss; about finding one's purpose in life and place in the world; about losing it and finding it again,... and it's to be continued...
Episode 20 is, in fact, just an incredible mid-season finale, the story hasn't ended in any way. One stage of the characters' journey is over, another begins. The story continues.
Jung So Min has been sublime as Mu-deok/Naksu/Yeong/Bu-yeon, hers has been a legendary performance. It's so sad to see her go but Go Yoon-Jung has been incredible as Naksu in episode 1 so it will be exciting to watch her resume her role.
See you in December...
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Worthy of being one of the top Kdramas of the year! :)
WOW! What a ride! If you love historical romance, fantasy, and action, this is the PERFECT show for you!!AoS is an incredible show that takes you through a series of thrilling action, good character development, great plot, and fantastic cinematography! (Plus, the OSTs are AMAZING!! And when the OSTs are good, that's when you know the show is good too 😏)
I took an interest in the show because of the strong, powerful Naksu that I was expecting. Although it doesn't quite turn out that way, her character development during the journey of the show has been incredible. Also, props to Jung So Min for her acting! She had to act two different characters who are in the same body, which cannot be easy. She did such a great job a portraying the emotions and actions of both Jin Bu Yeon and Naksu. In general, the cast of the show did a fantastic job at depicting their character's feelings, intentions, actions, and everything all with great chemistry. I will admit that there are some plot holes, but I did not feel like it took away from the story at all. The story was interesting (I mean we're talking about soul shifting here 👀) and took us on a great journey in Daeho. Thank you the director, writers, and cast for bringing this show to life!
I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the show. Can't wait for Season 2!!
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Lee Jae wook is just outstanding here. And compensâtes for her in my opinionThey have been so wise to cast him as the ML despite his limited experience at the time ….
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Great Build Up.. Disappointing Pay Off... Full of Huge Plotholes
Took two of the most powerful and badass characters in the show and combined them.. then turned her into a stupid useless damsel in distress for the whole season. I kept waiting for the moment she unleashes her powers and it never came.. when it finally came at the end, it was so frustrating and anticlimactic.. they just used it to set up season 2.The 2nd most powerful character spent the whole season being missing. They kept building up for his return. At the end when all hopes were lost he actually returned.. then just died without doing anything!
The third most powerful character spent the whole show drinking chaste tea.
Jang's return, Mu-Deok's real identity reveal, Bu-Yeon's power to control the ice stone, Naksu reveal... All of them were ruined and nobody seemed to care about these reveal.. these were supposed to be the big moments in the finale. The only meaningful fight was in the very first episode. The finale didn't have any fight. They used the last Naksu fight as an end credit set up for season 2.
The last 4 episodes didn't even have 15 min worth of story. I don't even think a 2nd season was necessary.
Whoever cast the child actors for the 3 brothers must be blind cuz they look so different from their adult counter parts that it's not even funny.
Then there's the plotholes.. every single plotline was illogical. I think the writers had go through some intensive mental training to come up with those illogical excuses to stop Naksu from using her power and Bu-Yeon from controlling the Ice Stone. I am going to list a few of them plotholes here ..
1. Everyone blaming Jang Kang for using the ice stone when it was lady Jin who forced him to use it for her own gain.
2. Everyone can use the power of the ice stone for everything except Naksu and Bu-Yeon (who is supposed to be the only one who can control it's power)
3. Bu-Yeon, the most powerful priest who can control Naksu's power and stop her from running wild couldn't stop her from running wild after some weak spell from Ji Mu
4. Ice stone can stop every soul sifter from running wild or being petrified expect for Naksu
5. The whole ice stone barrier episode makes no sense
6. Lady Jin not confronting her husband and Ji Mu full well knowing her daughter is fake.
7. Even after learning that Mu-Deok could be her daughter she did nothing to save her.
9. How could everyone (including Songrim) just agree to kill Mu-Deok to see the power of the ice stone just like that?
10. How is Ji Mu still alive? It makes no sense. When everyone was confronting the queen, he was just standing there and nobody said anything to him.
11. Kept talking about how the ice stone can unlock Naksu's power and keep her from being petrified permanently but after she used it she was back to being Mu-Deok
12. Naksu never caring about who is the blind girl that keep showing up in her vision.. or everyone else not caring about what happened to the original Mu-Deok's soul.
13. Lady Jin letting Ji Mu enter Jijiyoung even after knowing her daughter is fake (atleast she claims that she already knew)
and I can just go on and on..
The whole cast was great, even the actors who played the smallest roles did great. Vfx, action and cinematography were top notch. Comedy was very good. The main idea behind the story was somewhat decent.. but if you pay even a little attention everything falls apart.
Overall the show felt like "2 hrs of foreplay and 4 sec of actual sex or even no sex at all"
PS: Don't ask how I know what it feels like to have "2 hrs of foreplay and 4 sec of actual sex"
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