A Parable about Children's Journey through Life Cloaked in a Bold, Magical Musical
Kdramas themed around music are not uncommon, but true musicals are rare, and The Sound of Magic is a welcome entry into this realm. This show is constructed as a spectacular audiovisual event, and the aesthetics are so striking: the vibrant colors of the set pieces pair very well with the whimsical theme and musical numbers. I was definitely addicted to this show, watching it all in one sitting. However, ultimately, I still felt that it fell a little short in a couple of areas.The story is as straightforward as it sounds: a poor, struggling female lead has to overcome the adversities of poverty and happens upon a mysterious magician who tries to help her. I thought that this plot was acceptable, but nothing unusual for a Kdrama setup. In the end, the show seemed like it wanted to try to send a clear message about the meaning of being a child and what it means to forge your own path in life. The story is also carried by the puzzle of the identity of the magician as well as a missing persons' case. All-in-all, I appreciated that the short-form show had a beginning, middle, and end but didn't feel that it did any exceptional trailblazing: it was just OK to me. I did not read the webtoon this is based on, but am told that it is a faithful adaptation, so in a way, any power or shortcomings that come out are probably related to this, for better or worse. In particular, I felt that the ending tied up many of the loose ends, but also felt that it wasn't conclusive enough in explaining exactly what happened to everyone.
The main event, of course, are the songs and the spectacle and I felt that this was definitely executed at an above-average level. Each song takes you on a journey, and I appreciated how the setting changed into amazing locales and sets as they progressed. However, at the same time, I can't say that the songs were memorable to me: I can't hum any of the tunes and I can't even really tell you what the main messaging or name of individual musical pieces were. It's a little strange for me to describe this because I definitely enjoyed them while I was watching the show.
The acting is excellent: Ji Chang Wook apparently spent months learning magic and I can definitely believe it as his performance gave a true aura of a magician's tricks. Out of all the high schoolers, Hwang In Yeop sold his role the most to me, and ironically, he is one of the eldest actors at 31 years old. I can't fault Choi Sung Eun's acting, but I did have a minor criticism, in that she looked too old too me: maybe this was a fault of costuming/makeup, but personally, I couldn't un-see that she was an adult in real life (she's 25) - I think they specifically cut her hair to make her look younger, but it didn't work for me (there is a scene later where she has long hair, and I couldn't help but think to myself, wow, she looks so much more natural this way).
Overall, I found this show very well done. Of importance, it is really unique, which I appreciated. However, I didn't think that it's polish was perfect, so I'd probably categorize this Kdrama as "above-average"
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is a unique and top-of-the-class production with an excellent story, cast, cinematography, and music. No doubt this is a musical but I would call it a piece of art too. If you have read the webtoon, you would have known that the art in the webtoon was one-of-a-kind with many symbolism. I'm glad to say this drama was able to adapt the art and bring out the symbolism rather well. In fact, some scenes like the asphalt in episode 3 and the shadow art in episode 2 were way above my expectations.The cast is simply excellent. I love Ji Chang Wook as the charismatic Ri Eul but I want to give a shout-out to Choi Sung Eun for her amazing portrayal of Yun Ai. Although she is a rookie actress, I think she fared really well in bringing out the inner turmoil of Yun Ai. This being a musical meant that anyone weak in acting will be very telling and I'm so glad there were none. Overall, the choice of the cast was perfect.
While this is a fantasy, the story is very relatable--those who fall below expectations are marginalized at best or discriminated against at worse. Their struggle to fit in is very real. In fact, it's so real, some parts in episodes 4 & 5 felt too heavy and dark.
I love all the singing. I wish there were more and this is surprising considering I usually dislike musicals. So I can say this one is really well done. The lyrics of all the songs were very meaningful, so much so that I often find myself tearing up during those scenes.
Some people complained about the ending but I find the ending in the drama better than the webtoon. There were closures where closures were needed for me. And the disappearance of Ri Eul did not leave me feeling empty like the webtoon did. I saw it as the Ri Eul the magician being mysterious and enigmatic. There was a part I didn't remember reading in the webtoon and that is, the part where Ri Eul the teen met Yun Ai the kid. But I like it because it answered my question of why Ri Eul singled out Yun Ai.
Overall, I agree with many who calls this a masterpiece. One, it's a perfect adaptation of the webtoon, and two, it's a musical very well done. I'm sure there are many K-dramas out there that are more entertaining but they're good as long as you watch them. Typically, they're also forgettable. But not this. It affected my heart so much and left me thinking about it, wanting more. Definitely worth a re-watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Enchanting ride to the world of magic and music !
I cannot really explain in words how enchanted I was , throughout the series !There are so many real world messages portrayed beautifully through this fantasy drama. Messages like :
Flowers do not bloom on smooth asphalt paths , they do in mud and dirt.
Help those , who reach out for your help !
Do what you want to do , along with the things you don't want to do .
World treats differently to different people .
Poverty is not the only pain !
Happiness cannot be measured by success .
and many more ....
This was my first musical drama , and i really felt connected to all the emotions that were paved through music . i dint want to skip a second even after the language barrier . The songs are so well written and most of them are sung by the original cast , which makes it even more connecting !
For once I could connect with each character and none felt annoying . The 3 main characters were astounding , and stood well in their places . Performance wise I feel they all did well !
Ji changWook was an epitome of elegance and mystery as a magician who wasnt understood by the world , probably because he was someone who wasnt successful in the eyes of the people ! He wanted to be happy and help others , when they cry out for help ! He went under the skin of the character . He was this sweet innocent kid at one instance , an elegant magician at another and a crazy man at yet another !! He has undefined charms which no other actor can compare .
Hwang in yeop was a perfect high schooler , with good grades and amazing looks ! But he felt short of happiness , along the path he was following ! He portrayed someone who was in search of love and happiness , someone whom the world considers perfect and lucky , but who is hurting deep inside to be imprisoned and not to be able to find is own way .
Choi Sung Eun was a poverty striken girl working hard to keep the ends meet ! At first she felt pathetic of her situation , but gradually she accepted it , and learned to walk a happy path along it ! A read few reviews saying she was not speaking up , but i think that was totally understandable , she was a poor girl with nobody to take care off , she wss just scared ! I think she played it really very well !
All the side characters did exceptionally well too !
I feel sad when people try to find logic in fantasy ! Guys this is tagged as fantasy for a reason . This drama almost answers all the open question , while few are left for the viewers imagination , which is what a fantasy does , as everyone's fantasy and imaginations and the way to perceive things are different ! Specially questions like was he a real magician ? According to me he wasnt , as Ah-yi also said that he could not take her out of her situation but he tried to do his best to cheer her up !
It dint let me down for a moment , so here I am giving it a 10/10 . Enjoy :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Too Much Ballad Songs for a Musical
Everything else was passed the Good teir so i won'tsay anything on that, but for a drama that's a musical all of the songs except two (the opening song and the yellow flower field sung by Hwan In Youp's) were actually good and memorable. The rest of the song were so bland and boring, I know they were mostly speaking through the ballad song but i had to skip them because they weren't captivating enough and since music is a top contributer to this drama since its a musical i was very disappointed to hear ballad arter ballad after ballad. That just my two sense of the downfallsof this drama otherwisethat that it was good, i do recommend.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not perfect but still enjoyable with a good last part.
1 / GOOD- Magician: Very interesting and intriguing character. A magician who is protective and charming but also dark and scary and weird at times. His backstory and the events around him towards the end is the best part.
- Female lead: She is endearing even if she is struggling. I liked her evolution from ugly and persecuted and struggling to understanding the world around and finding her own path.
- Final plot twist. Good. I did not see that coming even if it was an easy one.
2/ NOT SO GOOD
- SML ; I could not believe in his character. He had too few interactions and knew too little about the magician to change his path the way he did. I was never convinced by his new passion.
- SFL: She was annoying. Her actions lacked of clear motivations. So it looked also unrealistic at times.
- They tried to provide too many messages about life, choice, happiness... and some were messy and redundant.
3/ OVERALL
The drama almost lost me until the plot thickened with the thriller part. It is enjoyable. 8.5/10
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not simple or magical as it looks
First the bright side.Acting:-
I may give 15/10 if possible. I first decided to watch because JI Chang Wook looked extra cute here, but on second thought I think that is because he understood the Ri-Eul well, the always-bright magician with concrete faith in magic. Then there are Choi Sung Eun(Yoon Ah Yi) and Hwang In Youp(Na Il Deung). Both did an amazing job conveying all the emotions.
Music:-
I gave 7/10 to music not because of the songs it has. I pretty much skipped all the songs. What I admire is the background music. It toned perfectly with the emotions it was dealing with at the moment. That element added a lot of meaning to the drama.
Now not-so-bright part.
it looks magical, but is it really? There are several occasions where Ri-Eul( the magician ) gives some temporary peace to the disturbed minds of YAY and NID with his dazzling and cheerful magic. But in my pov, the drama is about the cause of those disturbed minds.
Throughout the drama, it points out how disappointing the majority of the "adults" (the left out ones are the father of two girls and the first love of Ri-Eul) are and how much they fail to protect the little lives around them.
The drama addresses several social issues in subtle yet powerful ways such as, how bad parental influence can be, the consequences of neglecting to give the mind a bit of rest, irresponsible parents, and partial teachers.
My advice is if you are looking for a drama that can cheer you up and keep your mind at ease, this is not your cup of tea. Very addicting so start watching only if you are ready to see and understand the brutality of society for can leave you depressed for several hours straight.
Was this review helpful to you?
⚜️Magical Reality ⚜️
Drama that requires thinking.It shows the cruel reality of our world and people who go beyond stereotypes.
Still here? Great, so keep reading.
The drama, despite its six episodes, in my opinion doesn't need unnecessary prolongation, so it's worth taking the time to watch it. I certainly don't regret it. And even though I couldn't get down to the last two episodes because of the many emotions.
I identify with this series. It's one of the few dramas where I showed any emotion. It's not a universal drama.
Also, great choice of actors.
Also, great choice of actors. And coolest of all, they're not made into models or appearance gods, as is often the case. They look natural. With facial scars, imperfections and real problems.
I can recommend this drama to anyone who is mature to understand it.
BUT most importantly it has the best ending I have ever seen.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Sound of Magic – A Story That Believes in Wonder, But Not Itself
There are dramas that make you think, dramas that make you feel, and then there are dramas that ask you to believe. The Sound of Magic falls into the latter category, a visually stunning, musically enchanting tale that wants you to embrace wonder—but somewhere along the way, it forgets to fully believe in itself. Featuring a star-studded cast with Ji Chang-wook, Choi Sung-eun, and Hwang In-youp, this six-episode Netflix series is an ambitious blend of fantasy, music, and coming-of-age struggles, wrapped in a world where magic feels just within reach. But while it dazzles in moments, its story sometimes feels as fleeting as a disappearing act, leaving you mesmerized but wanting more.At its heart, The Sound of Magic follows Yoon Ah-yi (Choi Sung-eun), a struggling high school girl burdened with responsibilities far beyond her years. Living in financial hardship, abandoned by her parents, and shouldering the weight of survival, Ah-yi longs for an escape—something, anything, to lift her out of her suffocating reality. Enter Lee Eul (Ji Chang-wook), a mysterious magician who lives in an abandoned amusement park. He appears as a whisper of the impossible, asking a simple yet profound question: Do you believe in magic?
This premise alone sets up a drama filled with wonder, heartache, and existential dilemmas, and Choi Sung-eun carries it beautifully. Her performance is nothing short of mesmerizing—fragile yet resilient, lost yet yearning. She brings depth to Ah-yi, making her struggles feel raw and immediate. Hwang In-youp, playing Na Il-deung, a top student suffocating under the pressure of expectations, serves as an excellent counterbalance. While his role isn’t as fleshed out as it could have been, his portrayal of a boy learning to break free from the rigid world he knows is compelling.
Then, of course, there’s Ji Chang-wook, the heart of the fantasy, the embodiment of wonder itself. His portrayal of Lee Eul is magnetic, whimsical yet profoundly sad, as though he himself is caught between believing in magic and fearing that it might not be real. Every time he appears on screen, the drama lights up with an ethereal glow. His musical performances, particularly his duets with Choi Sung-eun, are some of the series’ most enchanting moments. There is a childlike sincerity to his portrayal—he isn’t just performing magic; he wants desperately to be believed in.
Visually, The Sound of Magic is a feast for the senses. The cinematography is breathtaking, filled with soft glows, dreamlike sequences, and intricate set designs that blur the line between reality and fantasy. The abandoned amusement park feels like a character in itself, an echo of lost dreams and forgotten wonders. Every frame is crafted with the precision of a fairy tale painting, pulling the viewer into a world that exists just slightly outside of reality.
But for all its beauty, The Sound of Magic stumbles where it matters most: its narrative. With only six episodes, the drama feels rushed and underdeveloped, as though it’s trying to weave a grand story without enough time to let its threads fully form. Important emotional beats don’t land as deeply as they should, and character arcs feel glossed over rather than deeply explored. Ah-yi and Il-deung’s struggles are set up brilliantly, but their resolutions feel abrupt, as if the story is cutting itself short just as it’s about to soar.
And then there’s the issue of the magic itself. The drama constantly asks its audience, Do you believe? But it never seems entirely sure of its own answer. Is Lee Eul truly magical, or is he just a man clinging to illusions? The ambiguity is intriguing at first but ultimately frustrating, as it leaves key questions unresolved. Instead of fully committing to its theme, the drama wavers between fantasy and reality in a way that feels more like hesitation than deliberate storytelling.
Despite these flaws, The Sound of Magic still holds undeniable moments of brilliance. The musical numbers, while not overly abundant, are beautifully integrated, offering glimpses into the characters’ souls. The emotional weight of Ah-yi’s struggles is palpable, and the drama does an excellent job of portraying the quiet desperation of youth caught between dreams and survival. Even when the storytelling falters, the performances and visuals carry the experience, making it worth watching for those willing to overlook its flaws.
Verdict: In the end, The Sound of Magic is a drama that shines brightest in moments but struggles to maintain its glow. It is a beautiful illusion, a trick of light and emotion, but one that leaves you wishing for a little more substance behind the spectacle. For those willing to embrace the fleeting nature of magic, it’s still a journey worth taking—just don’t expect all your questions to be answered when the final curtain falls.
Final Score: 7/10
A visually enchanting, emotionally touching drama that dazzles in moments but fades too soon.
Was this review helpful to you?
Annara Sumananra ??✨️
Wow! So I started this drama because it was Jessie's favorite and I understand why; it was whimiscal, magical, beautiful, sweet and healing. I will say I felt like the beginning was like...I think you just had to get used to it. It was a bit dissociating, because every time you forgot it was a musical they would start singing. The first 2 or 3 episodes felt very kiddish. Almost to the point where you really just had to try to absolve into the illusion. For someone who has a hard time just letting go because I just want to figure out what's going on at the beginning. I wasn't really into the magical stuff, because in my mind I'm like, "What is actually happening?" But once you get past all that, and you get some answers and things start to come full circle, you really see the impactful, youthful and honest message that it's trying to send. Which is this idea that society is wrong. There is not an age or a status or a specific position that you need to be in as an individual in order to be of value. Because at the end of the day you aren't what you do. You are who you are, what you do is just a branch off of who you are, and only if you let it be. Whereas a lot of people they've lost who they are in order to do. I think the message was so profound and needed. I was just truly touched in a very magic like way in those last 2 episodes, especially as someone who constantly feels like a failure and like she is unworthy of everything and will never be worth anything, because she hasn't reached certain standards that society has sent for her to have reached at this point, it was something I needed. It will hopefully be a lesson that I don't quickly forget and because of that, because it was more than just entertaining, because it was comforting and enlightening, I gave it a high score. If you are someone who feels lost in a sea of people that seemingly know exactly what they need to be doing, and are doing it, this drama, is perfect for you. It was so meaningful and magical. "No one is useless is in this world who lightens the burden of another."-Charles DickensWas this review helpful to you?
Worth watching! Very good advice!
Great short drama, which is a slice of life, and easy to watch. Great life lessons, and philosophies throughout the series. I still want to know more about both the male leads at the end. But overall great storyline. What was a bit too much was the songs/singing, the relevance, and direction of it in relation to the web toons ect. And I wish they would have developed the main plot a bit more/sooner. But, the final episode was amazing! Just a bit too much focus on the side plots. So I would give the show 7 for overall direction. But 8.5 just for the main storyline!!Was this review helpful to you?
As the title stated, the highlight of this show is the musical and fantasy aspects. I enjoyed those musical performances, especially The Curse of Asphalt I think it’s a masterpiece. The cast, especially the Sung Eun & Chang Wook, delivered strong performances. Ji Chang Wook as Ri Eul looks weirdly charming with his eccentric look and his shady & a bit creepy behavior. The songs I enjoyed most are the ones performed by Ri Eul himself. As his power is reality-altering, Ri Eul performing the magic, singing and dancing matches well with him as a magician. However, I found his backstory was underwhelming and wish there is a satisfying closure for him, but for what he was given, he played his part really well. I think our female lead Sung Eun has a better arc. Her encounter with Ri Eul leads to her emotional transformation and I love seeing it. Overall, I like this drama for all its' fantastic visuals and the unique experience that is rare in kdramaland.
thanks for reading!
you can find me on instagram @kdramajudge
Was this review helpful to you?
AnnaraSumanara✨️
"The Sound of Magic"- AnnaraSumanara✨️Actually i was not interested at first. I started watching due to Ji Chang-Wook & Hwang In-youp, but i must say dynamic acting from Sung Choi. Her skill and portrayal of the chatacter kept me captivated.
Atfer watching I must say AMAZING series....👌 I was soo addicted that I finished all the episodes in one go & in one night. Actors were really casted very well and you can feel the connection. The dialogues, VFX (seems so real), transitions, few magic tricks, emotions and specially casting was awesome. This drama portrayed psychological twist, life lessons and struggles that nowadays society pressure, how high class treats low class, how parents wanted their children to be, always comparing with others and also life lessons like 'never give up no matter how hard times are'/'no matter what others say always follow your heart'/'every flower is different has their own essence & importance'.
Music: Very comforting n soothing songs & music + JCW voice give more power.
Disappointment is only 6 episodes wanted to see more. Really wanted PART 2, continuation of mystery like something about the butterfly pendant, where Ri Eul went, what happen to Na II Deung. ?
Recommended if you like fantasy or musical stories or if 'do you believe in Magic' ??? ✨️
Was this review helpful to you?
