Well, that was interesting.
I find it intriguing thatthis musical was based on a webtoon. How did they get the music into the webtoon? Probably didn't , and it was my feeling that the show would have been better without songs. I didn't care for them - they struck me as uninspired and disrupted the flow of the narrative, But it was an interesting experiment, and I give them points for trying something new, even if I personally didn't care for it.I was pretty bored by the first 3 episodes but decided to stick it out. It took and unexpected turn and got darker - and much improved - as it went on. It's a theme that I'm sure resonates strongly with Korean teens, and probably with all teens under serious academic pressure from their families. A lot of what the parents said seemed over the top, but perhaps that is really what Asian parents feel. It's not a stance that , as a very liberal American parent , can imagine doing to my child, who dropped out of high school with my blessings and was earning more at 20 than I ever earned as a school teacher. For me, the real takeaway was, have faith in your children. They can figure out their own lives better than we ca.n
As for this show, it's original and well done. And if you are not totally in love with Ji Chang-Wook by the end, I can't imagine what you have been thinking.
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Annara Sumanara 'Do you believe in magic?'
A sound of magic is a drama combines elements of magic, musical, mystery. The story was a little boring at first, for some reason I didn't really feel it. Like.. something is missing. Maybe because the concept of disney kdrama is still new to me. Concepts like this are usually shown in theaters. I think it's better if the singing scene is reduced, so that the emotional story can be conveyed more.But the voice of the actors is good, the songs are also good. I like the song by Hwang Inyeop in eps 3 and IU-knees in ep 4. As the episodes add up, I'm curious about Ri Eul's character. He's so gray, I wonder if Ri Eul is a magician who uses magic tricks, or a human who actually has magical abilities. I also wonder if Ri Eul is a good person or a bad person. The story of Na Ildeung and Yoon Ah Yi is a common topic in Korean dramas. Na Ildeung with parents' demands to be the best in everything, Yoon Ah Yi who is a smart student but has financial difficulties and family problems. Hwang Inyeop's face is youthful and still fits the role of a high school student. Ri Eul serves to comfort and enlighten Yoon Ah Yi and Na Il Deung through his magic.
My curiosity regarding Ri Eul was answered in the last two episodes though not all. I didn't really like the ending where Ri Eul disappeared like magic and all the criminal charges against him were not proven. I need an answer where did he go? And the secrets behind the magic. Even so, this drama has a good message. There are many life lessons in it. worth it to watch because the duration is also short.
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Do You Believe in Magic?
What could be better than to have this mere question capturing the essence of this series? Sound of Magic, starring the all rounder Ji Changwook is one amazing masterpiece with a pinch of twists but tons of pixie dusts, that's fantasy. If you're a fantasy lover, this drama calls your name. The Sound of Magic plays with this idea constantly, combining elements of The Miracle on 34th Street, Goblin and Extracurricular, blending them together into a beautifully surreal and incredibly thought provoking series. What begins as a fantastic journey into the world of magic soon takes a dark turn as we’re left to question exactly what we’ve seen >•<I’m being careful not to go into spoilers here but suffice to say, The Sound of Magic is a magical series; a wonderful, hedonistic ride boasting strong themes at the heart of this one that gives it a good amount of depth.
Magic tricks aside, The Sound of Magic also has a smattering of dream sequences, interesting choreography and some breath-taking shots of Korea too.
The Sound of Magic won’t be for everyone but the series does a fantastic job fleshing out all of its characters, delivering a simple but effective story and layering all of that with thought provoking and relevant themes about society and our place in the world. The rest is upon your verdict! I could go hours for how perfect this show was and how massive potentials it holds for season2!
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Annarasumanara: Do you believe in magic? ✨
🎩 Review: The Sound of Magic (Annarasumanara)My Rating: 10/10 (A Masterpiece of the Soul)
The Heart of the Story
The Sound of Magic is a breathtaking musical drama that asks one central question: "Do you believe in magic?" But the magic it speaks of isn’t just about disappearing acts—it’s about the magic of believing in oneself in a world that demands we grow up too fast. It follows a girl forced into adulthood by poverty, a boy suffocating under his parents' expectations, and a mysterious magician living in an abandoned theme park who refuses to become the "villainous" adult society expects him to be.
The Emotional Core: A Rebellion Against the "Adult" Algorithm
The most profound message of this drama is its critique of the "Asphalt Road"—the rigid, grey path of fame, jobs, and parental expectations.
The Magician (Ri-eul): He is a "pure soul" who was treated as a mental patient simply because he didn't fit into the society's box. My heart broke for him; he became the person for these kids that he needed ten years ago—someone to hear his "shouts for help."
The Girl (Ah-yi): A girl who grew up before her age, taking care of her sister while waiting for parents who never showed up. She had stopped believing in magic because her reality was too cold.
The Boy (Il-deung): A victim of the "standard." His mother’s comment—that she wished he had passed out so he could retake an exam—was absolutely heart-wrenching. It showed how some parents value results over the very existence of their children.
What Stood Out
Symbolism: The butterfly and the necklace were beautiful markers of when "real" magic happens—which I believe only activates when Ri-eul helps someone truly smile.
The Bond: I loved that the bond between the magician and Ah-yi stayed pure. It wasn't a "rom-com"; it was a guardian-and-protégé relationship. They recognized each other’s sadness, and that was enough.
The Music: As my first musical drama, the OST is hauntingly beautiful. “Magic in You” and “A Curse of Asphalt” perfectly capture the darkness under the light.
The Lingering Questions (The Bittersweet Ending)
While the ending gave me goosebumps, it left me with a heavy heart. I am disappointed by the lack of closure regarding the magician's family—why were they never there for him, even at the hospital?
The ending is a "disappearing act" in itself. We see letters being sent, but we don't know if they are being read. We see the boy choosing his own path, but we worry about how he survives his strict environment. It’s an ending that forces us to believe in the magic of their survival, even if we don't see it.
Final Verdict
This is a story for anyone who feels like they are running a race they didn't sign up for. It teaches us that "thinking out of the box" is normal and that there is no standard for being us.
Favorite Quote: "You should do whatever it is you want to do just as much as the things you don't want to do."
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The moral of story is what makes this worthwhile
This is not the best but it's not the worst either. The production/story reminded me a bit of Willy Wonka. The acting was satisfactory but I was not blown away. But of course JCW's visuals did blow me away haha. What really stuck to me was the message it imparted. I think it is important to realize that following one's heart matters, even if that makes u different from everyone else. We don't have to conform to society's standard of what is acceptable and respectable. We should allow ourselves to be who and what we want to be, regardless of what anyone thinks.Was this review helpful to you?
Two things...
kept this drama from being 10 stars.One, I was disappointed with the ending. I know that it mostly faithfully follows the webtoon (and I think it's a great thing when TV or film adaptations do this), but I also found the ending of the webtoon a wee bit disappointing. I don't like that the magician disappears. Symbolism, and all that, but still, as a voracious eater of media, I like my endings satisfying. It's the same reason I don't watch dramas where my favorite characters die. It's just not my thing, and it's a very personal feeling.
Two, there were just a few small things that didn't add up. Who were the kids that were beating up Il Deung toward the end? He just all of a sudden started getting bullied when it had been happening to Ah Yi all show long? And then we never saw them again. This is just lazy writing, when characters appear out of nowhere to fill in the plot with no foreshadowing. And the way the murder was solved also just came off a little toooooo convenient for me. But that sometimes happen when you are literally writing with magic in your story.
Overall though, there was a lot I loved in The Sound of Magic. The length was exceptional. Often I feel dramas are too draggy with a lot of filler, and it causes me to drop them. Sidenote: I drop a lot of dramas. With the sound of magic, 6 episodes kept the plot moving at a quick pace, and it didn't feel like anything was rushed. The acting was impressive, with Ji Chang Wook blowing me away as always. The other two main actors were talented as well, and I am fast becoming a fan of Hwang In Youp.
Music and singing were blow me away fantastic, yet not inaccessible. I like that I could sing any of the songs if I wanted to because singers weren't trying to reach the highest notes or singing with too much vibrato. I've always been a fan of Wookie's voice, and I loved him here.
Special effects were well done as well. I loved the butterfly symbolism.
Spoiler Alert:
I didn't love the way Bella was treated by the writers. It's not that she died that I have a problem with (though I do feel it was entirely unnecessary and cheap), it's that Ri Eul specifically asked Ah Yi to take care of Bella while he was away, and then we never saw her again until she had passed. There was no scene of them caring for her, and I found it strange, but I know that in Korea, domesticated animals are not revered as much ad they are where I am from, so maybe that was it.
I do feel this drama is worth watching, but maybe my expectations were a little too high. It's definitely short enough to give it a watch and see how you feel.
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Magical Kdrama
Sound of magic was an fantsay genre and it was my first Korean fantasy with magic. Brillisnt acting, beautiful songs and the setting was gorgeous. one flaw wsd the profanities in the final episode. Had it been without it, it could have been an all age entertainment. Ji Chan Wook stoke the spotlight.Was this review helpful to you?
Definitely worth the watch!!
I went into watching this drama with the thought that it wouldn't have much substance and it would be a quick watch without much thought put into it, seeing as its only 6 episodes. Boy was I wrong! The casting was perfect for this drama! Ji Chang Wook did such an amazing job and I really enjoyed watching him act with Hwang In Yeop. This drama was surprisingly impactful for only having 6 episodes that are only an hour long. It had the perfect background music to make sad parts truly sad and the actors did such a good job portraying their feelings and thoughts with their facial expressions! This drama made me actually feel for the characters. And clearly some of the actors did a fantastic job because they made me so angry!The only thing I didn't LOVE about this drama was the music. I really liked the songs (although by the end it felt like they were just reusing songs) and the singing was lovely and I liked to hear it all but the songs just felt so out of place! It was a good musical though. Maybe the songs just felt so out of place because I was expecting just a normal k-drama but then it turned out to be a musical. Other than the songs feeling completely random and as if they weren't really a part of the drama they were really good. I had no idea that Ji Chang Wook could sing! Overall this drama was amazing and definitely worth the watch! It may only be 6 episodes, but they are jam packed with substance that you wouldn't normally get with such a short drama! Don't miss this one!
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Lovely Watch!
I really enjoyed this mini-series. It was 6 episodes and it was long enough for me. I know there are some negative comments about unanswered questions and so on...but I don't feel the same way. everything wrapped up nicely to me with just enough mystery left. I don't care to know where the musician is and I know that the magic isn't real, and I also get where the story was going. I loved that he swooped in and save these two teens from their miserable lives, by helping them to change their mindset. I'm a big believer and doing things that make you happy and enjoying the happy moments even while you struggle. life is too short to just follow the routines and as cliche as it sounds 'life is what you make it'.The show does give that broadway feel to it which Wookie nailed, ofcourse. It did add a heartwarming feel to what started out as a very depressing drama. I am not sure that there is proper character development or that the writer showed the changes in the ML properly. Yes, it showed him dropping out of school and so on, but the main people were his parents.
All in all, I really enjoyed it! Do I need to rewatch? Probably not.
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Mr. Magic is a stud muffin...
I prefer series with a bit more depth than this one. It was a bit saccharine and sentimental, but for what it was - it worked. Even the sound track was enjoyable. I'm a sucker for magical special effects, so I was able to excuse the simplistic message and just enjoy the visuals. I know the poor kid didn't have a mother, but someone needed to tell Ah-Yi to keep her mouth closed and trim her bangs. For 4/5ths of the series she could have done with a personality transplant. She was a little too bland and vapid for my taste. On the other hand, Ji Chang-Wook more than made up for it. When he says, "Do you...believe...in...magic?" it's to die for.Was this review helpful to you?
journey of healing in a musical
I think this is the only kdrama of its kind that’s set in musical standard. It was such a refreshing watch because I LOVE musicals.To think JCW can still get better. The haircut in this was just on another scale of handsomeness, and his singing was so captivating.
The story is a good story. It’s not great, but the music really made it stand out. Personally, I’m not a fan of Hwang In-Yeop’s character. He did grow throughout this story, but I feel like he was useless to the plot. His plot line was kind of weird too because I wanna know what happened to him… If he wasn’t in it, the story would’ve been find.
I know it’s not a romance but there was definitely some chemistry between JCW and the main girl. Sorry, Hwang In Yeop, you had no chance. Zero sparks there.
Main girl had a wonderful voice. Angelic I might say.
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Great cast and...
First of all, I want to point out that the cast was great. Really perfect. This is a musical drama, so it should contain good music that fits the theme. And it had it all.Magic in this drama symbolizes joy, even the small one. When we are children, we have something we dream about, but over time we stop thinking about it and we often become ordinary adults who adapt to the expectations of society and are afraid to be original. We forget about these seemingly small things that give us joy.
But each of us needs some magic in life, which will make us feel better at least for a moment. So let's keep at least a little of this childish joy in us to the end. Even if the public finds us weird, it's worth it.
This drama is really good and it covers an important topic.
I have to subtract one point, however, because especially in the first episodes the relationship between the magician and the high school student was shown in a strange way at times. And I didn't like it. Fortunately, this was changed later. But don't get me wrong, there was no romantic relationship between an adult and a student.
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