Alchemy of Souls

Cant believe this was hype up. Ok at everything but good at nothing.

It’s hard to put into words how I feel about this drama, but “mediocre” is probably the best way to describe it.

First, the props, world building, magic system, and overall concept are probably the strongest aspects of the show. It really does transport you into a fantasy world and makes it feel believable. But that’s where it stops.

We are first introduced to Naksu, who goes on a killing spree for an unknown reason, which we learn later. She is injured and forced to switch her soul through, you guessed it, “Alchemy of Souls.” Cue the outro music; we get the title of the show said as dialogue, I’m joking here. She then becomes Mu Deok, a “blind,” otherwise unremarkable girl. She gets sold to what is essentially a brothel, where she is then introduced to the Four Seasons, Jin Cho-yeon, Park Dang-gu, Seo Yul, and finally our male lead, Jang Uk.

We learn that Jang Uk is also an unremarkable person who has been kicked out by many masters due to the fact that his father sealed his energy channels, preventing him from performing spells or becoming a mage.

Then the story slowly unfolds, revealing why Jang Uk is unable to perform spells and what his father, Jang Gang, did. Naksu, now Mu Deok, also has her own secret. She is a soul shifter trying to regain her power, hiding her identity, and using Jang Uk to do so, while Jang Uk is using her to break the seal and become a mage.

The story continues to unfold, and the relationship between Jang Uk and Mu Deok drives much of the narrative. They attempt to keep Mu Deok’s identity a secret, while interacting with many supporting characters as they learn about the ice stone, the people behind the newly created soul shifters, and Jang Gang’s past mistakes.

Here is my problem with the show. Multiple times throughout the story, we are clearly teased that Mu Deok is Jin Bu-yeon, like when she magically opens the secret vault of the Jin family, which can only be opened by someone from that bloodline.

It became so predictable that it almost felt insulting when the characters later learned the “truth.” The music swells, faces look shocked, but as a viewer, I was just thinking, yeah, that’s exactly what I expected.

As for the romance, I don’t even know what to say. Why do the Crown Prince and the male lead have better chemistry than the female lead and the male lead?

Why does the comedic love triangle between Park Jin, Maid Kim, and Master Lee feel more compelling than the main couple?

It’s probably because the show created a more compelling first love story between Seo Yul and Naksu. I’m sure there are people rooting for that pairing. It’s simple, people love a good underdog story. There was never really a sense that the female lead might end up with someone other than the male lead, so the tension just wasn’t there.

There was just very little at stake, or the emotion was not built correctly. The drama didn't successfully convey to me why I should care about Jang Uk and Mu Deok's romance; much of it was due to circumstance. She needs help to get her power back, and he needs her to give him power. Yes, they both make sacrifices for each other and say cliché one-liners, but that is not enough to make me believe in their "love."

Or when Jang Gang returns, confesses his sins, and sacrifices himself, which was probably meant to be an emotional moment. It just falls flat. I suppose it was meant to show that even a “good” person can make the wrong choices that lead to all the problems in the story. So, in a sense, he ends up feeling like the main antagonist of the show.

Or Shaman Choi could also be considered one of the main villains. Why do I feel bad about her death? Because she was evil? Or a cause of circumstance and prejudice against the shaman? Like they had to add a line saying she descended from the bloodline of the person who caused the disaster 200 years ago to really nail home the fact that she is evil.

I'm not saying they are not wrong, I'm pointing out the fact, why do I care about these villains? And even when they are defeated, I still feel nothing like cool. We built it all up, and the climax was meh.

It’s sad because the show had the potential to go in a much stronger direction. But ultimately, the characterization of Jang Uk and Naksu, along with their lackluster chemistry, makes everything else feel less meaningful. When the central relationship feels lackluster, it becomes hard to care about the stakes, the conflicts, or even the resolution.

At the end of the day, no matter how strong the world-building or concepts are, if the characters and their relationships don’t resonate, then nothing else really matters. And that is why, despite all its potential, the drama ends up feeling just mediocre.

Lowkey, though, that scene with the crown prince and Jang Uk on the bridge with the yin yang stone... LMAO WHY do they have better CHEMISTRY?!?!

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YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SOMETHING AS WORTHY AS THIS BEFORE.

Well as the headline says, you probably haven't watched a drama so worthy of your time, energy and resources as this one. I had rated a 9.5/10 before I watched season 2 because I feared the Hong sisters would disappoint me in the next season. But today, after watching the finale of season 2 yesterday 08 Jan 2023, I came to correct my rating and award it a 10/10.

I'll start with the story, and there's no story so perfect and unique as the one in the Alchemy of Souls. What a transition, and a quick one, from Jang UK a powerless reject that could not practice magic to a man that was fastest to reach Tansu and later the highest level of Hwansu. And the parallel transition of a high reputation Naksu to a feeble Mu Deok and the love story between the master and student. I won't spoil a lot you need to watch if you haven't. And the suspense at the end of each episode is worth a mention. You'll die to see what happens next. Very unpredictable making it a top notch.

Acting/casting. Whoever chose the cast should probably cast all dramas we would like to watch. So perfect that actors actually become the characters to an extent you won't imagine anyone better for the role. Such casting I've only seen in western series like The Game of Thrones, The House of the Dragon, and in Asian dramas like Who Rules the World, Zhao Yao the Legends 2019, Ju Mong, and some more of others. Lee Jae Wook as the male lead Jang UK is the most beautiful thing you're going to see onscreen, very tender no matter the situation. And Jung So Min as Mudeok is the prettiest woman you'll ever see staring at you. OMG I love the way she stares. Makes me wanna be Jang UK. Some moments of the show will haunt you forever like Uk's surprise, Mudeok's stare, Jin Mu's smile, Maidservant Kim's voice and tenderness, Jin But Yeon's smile and stare as well, Park Jin's seriousness, the fight scenes, the dialogues.

Up next is Music. You'll fall in love with the OST and the SFX. And guess who sings the ending theme song? The answer is Lia and I swear that song was for the show and vice versa. You'll love, cry, blush, your heart will race at the scenes the song is used. For the OST it's the best that could be made for the drama. Pure instrumental, no vocals. The SFX at the battle scenes and intense scenes will make anyone go crazy clutching tightly on whatever is near and at the edge of your seat. The same applies for calm and tender scene, the SFX will make you wish for a few additional seconds. Such perfect musical scores I've only seen in a few dramas like Royal Nirvana, Nirvana in Fire, and the western Game of Thrones music by Ramin Djawadi and other composers like Hans Zimmer.

Rewatch Value. Now this is something am not supposed to explain. As I've done with the above aspects, it's clear that this is a show you will want to rewatch infinite times. You'll never get of redoing this show and it gets addictive even though you know what's coming. Like right before I started this review I was on episode 4 of season one. This I think is the 9th time am redoing season 1. I don't want to believe am leaving this cast and story and world.

To wind up. A question of if you've ever wanted to write something onscreen or if a show has ever made you wish you could. AOS has made wish I could write a story onscreen. I am gonna miss this show and I don't wanna get sentimental. So I'll stop here wishing you all the best moments and I envy those that haven't watched it yet because you still have an unfolded world right in your grasp. For those that we've finished let's hope to see our cast once again in a traditional drama. See you soon and remember to get a Jin Mu smile for yourself.

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A Beautiful Fantasy Historical Drama

Ah, where to start with this drama. I think it's one of, if not the best fantasy historical drama of all time. We are introduced to the world of Daeho which is full of mages and magic. The world-building is beautiful. The story is amazing, it kept me on the edge of my seat from either the beautiful romance or the intense action. The characters are written perfectly. I would like to point out, especially the villain, the number of emotions he pulled out of me is just incredible. The character development of the characters is amazing, especially the FL's. I liked the fact that it was 20 episodes because it gave the main leads time to develop their relationship deeper, it did not feel like it was dragging out at all. The OST was pretty good as well. The only complaint I may have is probably the VFX, you'll know when you see it. But other than that, if you want an amazing historical drama with an amazing story that you can lose yourself in, go for it, I highly recommend it. :)

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Where is season 2 already?

I really didn't expect to love this series as much as i did. Jang Uk and Mu Doek have chemistry that is off the charts. Whether she's his master, or his maid, every interaction is absolute gold.
The 4 seasons, tho iconic in their own way, pales in comparison to the ....unique, lets say...bromance between Jang Uk and the crown prince. The beginning of the 'Filthy Mu Doek' bit was strange at first. But that particular relationship was one i came to fully appreciated as it continued. Even towards the end. It really was quite a solid, though, not to be, relationship.
Where is season 2 already? Why did they have to leave us hanging off a precipice?

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Good enough...?

I started watching with no expectations other than "I'm probably going to hate this one", but after watching 20 episodes I can say that I actually enjoyed myself. There are also some things that I found really annoying about it as well, but I wouldn't say they ruined my experience entirely. I'll list what I didn't like first.
- The worldbuilding isn't very solid and it shows on multiple occasions. The magic systems of Daeho are never properly explained, which allows a lot of freedom for the writers to get creative with the events, but also lots of plot holes. There were multiple moments when I thought "wait, they could do that all along?!", and also moments when I wondered why didn't certain characters do anything.
- For a show that is supposed to be based on magical swordmasters, there's not many fights overall, especially for the main characters. It's even worse if we consider that the FMC is supposed to be one of the most powerful mages in the country AND an infamous assassin.
- The introspection of the characters was pretty awful. I could have ignored this if it was just for the secondary roles, but Naksu/Mu Deok herself is never explored as a character all that much. Since she's a protagonist I was expecting better for her.
- Some of the interesting ideas that were introduced during the first episodes were never used later on. One of them is the idea of the Four Seasons mages: I was looking forward to see them shine each in their own way, or at least to see an interesting synergy between the four of them in some fight, but none of that happened. It made me wonder why they got that introduction in the first place.
- The female characters are, for the most part, all imprisoned in the same old stereotypical roles. I was looking forward to see some beautifully written female characters, but they all resulted pretty flat. Mu Deok herself wasn't properly explored even though she's the main character, but she's also the only female character who is an actual swordswoman. Jin Cho Yeon's sole personality trait is her wish to be a wife, Kim Do Ju is just a parental figure, and I'm still trying to understand what was Heo Yoon Ok's reason to be in the story at all. So Yi seemed kind of interesting, but she got so little time on the screen that even her story turned out unsatisfying.
- I'm SO TIRED of love triangles, seriously. They weren't necessary at all. I'm starting to think that the writers include them in the plot just to get on everyone's nerves.
- I'm not mentioning anything specific here so that I don't spoil anything, but the resolution of many sides of the story were very unsatisfying in the end. I felt like some characters were given greatly important roles for no real reason, and also that some other crucial situations of the story got resolved very quickly and quietly. The last two episodes in particular felt extremely rushed compared to the rest.

On the other hand, there were multiple things that I liked.
- First of all, the themes of the story were portrayed pretty well: the struggle for power and for survival, life-or-death situation, the will to sacrifice something important in exchange for something else that is just as important... all these themes keep coming back in multiple situations of different characters and they were pretty consistent.
- The idea of a dangerous mage being stuck in a weak body and the son of a powerful mage who can't use his powers needing to team up was VERY compelling. The dynamic between the two of them was also amazing, with Mu Deok being a very strict, even cruel master and Jang Uk being a talented but also terribly spoiled disciple. They made a great duo and also complemented each other very well. I would have loved them even without their feelings being remotely romantic - I believe they worked just fine together as master and disciple. The way Jang Uk managed to develop his skills over time was also very entertaining, making me root for him all the way.
- Mu Deok is a merciless assassin, but she's also smart and good at acting as a certain role. The way she switched between being a meek and pandering servant to a strict and firm master was fascinating, I always looked forward to see her on the screen.
- The dynamics between other characters were also very good and endearing. The friendship between Jang Uk, Seo Yul, and Park Dang Gu was lovely to see in their interactions, and the tenderness between Park Jin and Kim Do Ju was another favorite of mine (along with their bickering). Jang Uk and Go Won were also a duo I didn't expect to love as much as I do.
- I believe that every single actor was chosen perfectly, really. Everyone did amazing. Jo Jae Yoon was the perfect antagonist, charismatic and scary at the same time. Props to Jung So Min as well for being amazing in her role, despite how difficult it was.
- Last but not least, this drama is visually amazing. The sets, the props, the costumes, and even the styling of the characters is varied and always beautiful. I really appreciated how characters had both long and short haircuts, even with different colors and accessories, instead of the usual period drama styles that can be seen everywhere else. I want to shake hands with whoever decided to give Yoo Joon Sang a beard: I kept thinking how handsome he looked every time he was on the screen.

My conclusion is that, while it's not a perfect drama nor a masterpiece in any way, it was a fun watch. If sword magic is your thing, you will have fun - if not, you might not find anything worth your time here. I'm looking forward to see if the second part of the story makes me change my opinion.

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Absolutely fantastic and I usually don't watch romance/fantasy shows

So I finished this show today after like a million weeks atp (jokes on me it was only 2 weeks or so). This is my second time writing a review on anything so please bear with me here. I'll try to keep it as short as possible and in chronological order of the ratings (first story, then acting/cast etc). I will give a few points of my own before the "overall" mark.

Story: The story is very engaging and mysterious(?) as in "i need to know what happens next and how it unfolds". The story is compelling and stays consistent to the end. I can't wait for the next season. The reveals of identities could be shocking but also make you say "ha, I KNEW it". The writers really outdid themselves on this one. I want to read the novel now..

Acting/Cast: Perfect. That is all I can say. I can't imagine anyone else play the characters other than their actor, excellent choice!. Especially Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min delivered a splendid performance. No one, not even mild support characters or guest roles butchered their roles as far as I can see.

Music: I love the music here, the OST and everything was fantastic, zero complains. The song that plays at the end of the episodes is in my spotify playlist now. The music usually matched with the scene on screen I just don't remember too much other than the few sang songs because I was too into the story and visuals to pay too much attention to what wasn't sang but nothing threw me off so there is that.

Characters: A big and strong part of the show are the characters. There are so many different personalities, goals and "quirks" which make them unique and either likable or unlikable to the viewer. You will definitely find someone you like and someone you disklike in this show.

Romance: Let me say this first; I am not a huge romance fan or like at all so it's a miracle I even watched something with a romance tag on it BUT my mom put the show on and I liked it so much that I had to watch it, by the early stages I was rooting so hard for Mu-deok and Jang Uk, it was unreal. If even someone like me, who isn't into romance but more into the thriller/horror/action genre was rooting FOR the romance to finally happen, you did something right. Also, you most likely will find a pairing to your liking, be it our main couple Jang Uk/Mu-deok, the old love Park Jin and Kim (these two are hilarious) or even something outside the pairings like Yul/Mu-deok. It's all there.

Visuals/Production: BREATHTAKING HOLY SHIT. One of the best produced kdrama or show in generall. The visuals of the CGI is magnificent, absolutely stunning. The work put into this was definitely worth it!

Rewatch Value: You can rewatch it, though I'm not someone who genreally rewatches shows only rarely which is why I gave it an 8

Overall: Overall I give it a 9.5 because there were times where I was like WHY ARE YOU NOT SAYING ANYTHING and WHY ARE YOU SO LONG. Granted it did take me like two to weeks finish, when I usually only need a couple days to a week for such long shows but it dragged a bit for me and work came in between so yeah... two weeks... Shoudn't stop you from watching it though, this is not a marathon on "who watches the most shows in the least amount of time". Take as long as you need to watch a show, this is for entertainment only, after all it stops being enternainment if it becomes a chore and stressfull!

Edit: Typos, grammar, wording etc

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We have one of the Sweetest ML with a great character development. (2nd watch)

It is hard not to like Jang Uk. There are so many reasons to like the character, including that he was such a understanding person even to those who hurt him. The creators did a wonderful job picking the cast, especially, Lee Jae Wook who is too damn attractive and charming in all his roles. He was such a green flag in the first season and had great character development throughout it. Even though he started out a bit childish and lazy, he grew into his role and it was just amazing to watch. During my first watch, the story got a bit boring with the other characters but I still completed it. However, during the 2nd watch, I'm focusing on the scenes that include Jang Uk, Mu Deok, & Seo Yul.

Naksu, who soul shifted into Mu Deok's body, sometimes failed to convince that she used to be an Assassin who a lot of people were scared of. While she dropped the ball in some places, there were others that were very convincing. This includes all the crazy ticks she pulled to ensure that Jang Uk grew into his power. (For some reason, this time around, they reminded me of the Sae Roy and Yi-Seo from Itaeon Class, Yi-Seo and Mu Deok's character share similarities in the way they out of their way to ensure that their partners succeed no matter how it happens. Both Jang Uk & Sae Roy had to teach their partners about loyalty & care)

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Alchemy of Souls: The door opening for a new K-drama genre

I've been watching this drama since it started airing till the end, what attracted me to it was the fact that it's a fictional land that looks like a mix of Joseon and ancient china, beeing a new fan of historical C-dramas and a big fan of K-dramas for many years, I was happy to see this mixed style. The fact that it's "fictional" gave it freedom to creat a newlook for the characters, costums, hairstyles... that felt unuasual at first, but I got used to it and ended up loving it.
_Naksu's character was so badass in the first episode, the fighting scene was enough to sell the drama for me, the CGI is so cool too.
_Jang Ok's character is the type that I saw it a lot in animes, starts from the bottum and rises slowly while surprising the people who underestimated him.
_Jung SoMin did a wonderful job portraying different characters, she will be missed in the second season.
_I liked the comedy and romance even though there is an age gab between the two main leads, I didn't feel it at all, JSM looks younger than her age and LJW has a mature look, their chemistery was good.
_The few action scenes were so cool.
_Some character's scenes were not needed (definitely not the CP, he was really needed, one of my favorite supporting characters)
_The drama could have been shorter, it was moving too slow in some parts, the events from the final episode could have happend before that.
_The final episode was so cool and I'm happy about the cliffhanger at the end, how can we wait to December? I hope I'll still have interest in the drama by then, and that we will see more of this type of historical fantasy in K-dramas.

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alchemy of everything i didn't know i needed

i'm gonna be honest, i pushed off watching this for 3 or 4 months, because i was simply just not interested, like i did not think i was gonna like this. but then, as season 2's release date started to come closer, it slowly began taking over my tiktok and i was like "oh, wait - this seems sort of good" (aka, i didn't realize minhyun was in it before then, and my wannaone heart forces me to watch everything they do).

let's just say i binged all of season one in a little under 3 days (while doing an exam - it was hell to say the least), i just could not stop watching this for the life of me, so i sacrificed a shit ton of sleep, and powered through - and i am so happy that i did, because this serious is truly a masterpiece, i don't think i realized just how good of an actor jaewook is, when i watched extraordinary you, because i didn't vibe with that one very much - but jesus christ, he can act.

let's just say, that part of me is happy i put it off for so long, because i only had to wait a week for season 2, and i almost died - idk, how some of y'all waited MONTHS. but i salute your all - i am deeply impressed.

it was everything i didn't know i needed, and i loved every second.

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