Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow

Alchemy of Souls 2: Light & Shadow (2022) – I was so behind watching this drama because I was not really attracted to it. After watching the first 2 episodes, I stopped and just pick the remaining episodes if I remember it, usually 1 episode only as much as possible. I can’t seem to continue watching it, I don’t know why, maybe because season 1 is so good. I believe the season 2 is necessary for the questions to be answered but that I was hoping that they should have added the episodes in the first season. I think I just finish this one to have a completed drama and to settle some remaining questions to be answered.

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why so many bad reviews?

strangly, so many hateful comments and reviews towards FL. who have we become? i really enjoy the character growth in this SS2 childish Uky has grown up and I really fall in love, Go Youn Jung portray « one sided love » very well.
so where all the hate reviews coming from?

The story is reset and restart, it’s fresh delivered for the new FL. she is cute and did the new Naksu character very well. imagine Naksu without a revenge? she would think ordinary, falling in love like an ordinary person and Go Youn Jung delivers. I don’t get bored watching her at all, she’s geogous!

Jang Uk in this season is mature, I was very annoyed in SS1 because he acted like a baby all the time. so I’m glad to see the character development after the « losing » experience.

Love it 💕

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Why so underrated?

After reading the reviews here I doubted if I would watch it. But boy was I glad I did! The story wasn't shallow, as commented by many of you. On the contrary. Jang UK has a hard time because of what happened and it's only natural that he is aloof and cold. His love for Jin Buyeon grows because she reminds him of Mu Deok. She looks completely different, but has her feisty moments and I don't agree with those who say that she's just a pretty face and cries a lot. She was confused too. The memories that came back didn't seem to be hers. There are a lot of layers here. I didn't find any big plot holes either.

SPOILER ALERT:
Mu Deok actually had 2 souls. It was Buyeon's body, but when Naksu entered her, the soul of Buyeon remained as well. This was possible because Buyeon's mother had used the ice stone to keep her unborn child alive. Thus Buyeon's was the reincarnation of JinSeol Ran the great goddess. The soul of Buyeon's prevented Naksu from getting wild. That only happened because Jin Mu controlled her with a special drink and bells. He had done the same to her father and other opponents.
After Mu Deok killed Jang UK she started to was petrify, so her body could not be repaired. But spirit and soul were still alive. And so was Buyeon's soul. But the body was beyond repair, so master Lee used Naksu's energy to make a new body. With both souls again.
When the council wanted Buyeon to take the ice stone from Jang Uk (which would cause him to die), she refused, because there was one soul changer he had not killed yet (meaning herself). Jin Mu the big badass, wanted use the firebird from Jinyeong to dry up the world, in order to obtain the icestone from rain. They stole the bird and awoke it, so it could wreak havoc upon the world. Jang Uk and Naksu then had difficult choices to make. Only Buyeon had divine powers, so she could stop the chaos. But that would mean Naksu would disappear. Jang Uk could prevent that, but then the chaos would prevail. They both choose to save the world, and (I think because of that, they are rewarded and Naksu returns. She is no longer a soul changer then, because the body was made with her energy and soul.

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STOP THE HATE! STOP THE HATE RIGHT NOW! ITS BEAUTIFUL IT WAS AMAZING AND WE WANT MORE!!!

As expected, they are taking a darker turn with this season.
You can tell from the angle of the shot and saturation of the screen of how they are trying to build up a moody air around it, and even the makeup is done to suit the darker theme of this season. Where the first season was a far warmer shade, dealing with Jang Uk’s entry into the world of magic and his growth as a mage learning the ways of ryusu, tansu and chisu. This one deals with how much he has suffered due to the aftereffects of S1 and the ice stone currently in him

I like the premise of it, the long-lost daughter of the Jin family being locked up in her tower by her obsessive-possessive mother (Rapunzel style) finds the dark and mysterious Jang Uk with his own dark past and unknown future who can help her escape her trapped and confined life, very nice very nice, not very original but I liked the SFX so I’m willing to give it the benefit of doubt.

(THOSE WHO HAVEN’T WATCHED THE SHOW DON’T READ AHEAD CUZ SPOILERS)

One thing I want to say to everyone who was disappointed with JSM not being in this season and GYJ taking the main lead’s role I don’t think you understood the premise of the season very well, for whatever reason JSM couldn’t play Naksu/Buyeon GYJ’s character gelled perfectly with the plot and her character was the most properly developed character in the entire story.

But damn that first episode fight scene was epic. I’m impressed by this small detail they added, in the first season Jang Uk’s fighting was flashy and showy, it was impulsive and depended on hard, fast and quick movements, this shows power but lack of experience. In this fight scene Jang Uk’s movements are slow, calculated, his facial expressions do not change, they show mastery and technique and quick foot work it is a contrast between the Uk of the first season and Uk now to show us how much he has matured in the three year time-skip

I love Yul so much!!! It pains me to see my beloved forest-prince Yul suffer with second male lead role so much because baby is literally perfect 🤣 he’s smart, funny, handsome and he loses all sense of direction when he’s flustered 🫠🫠 it doesn’t get better than that. I would very seriously PAY to watch a 20 episode spin of series of JUST SEO YUL MY DARLING as the male lead because he deserves so much betterrrrr<3333

The content was so good and the last episode LEFT SO MUCH SCOPE for a season 3 if they have the proper writers for it. I feel like Alchemy 1 and Alchemy 2 both had the same problems; they both had AMAZING plot and AMAZING VFX but their writers didn’t know how to handle it, they kept dragging out minor plots for 5-6 episodes on end and then squished the main plot into the last 30 mins of the last episode.

Listen, I love happy endings as much as the next person BUT- when there was such a good opportunity to pull in an apocalyptic vibe after they brought in the fire bird!! Then Jang Uk and Go Won (who is no longer the crown prince) can team up with Jin Seol Ran/ Bu Yeon to deal with the post-apocalypse world and that would have given us more depth into the King’s Star storyline that they spent SOOO MUCH TIME since like season 1 emphasizing and we would have gotten more content, the ending just felt really rushed and the SFX of the fight scene of Jang Uk and the fire bird was underwhelming at best. Considering all the amazing fight scenes they gave us (ref; Seo Yul’s fight scene when he went to protect So-I, Park Jin’s fight scene in ep 10) they could have made the Jang Uk-fire bird fight scene a little longer and flashier and could have showed off Lee Jae Wook’s skill eitht he sword a little more is what I felt.


And I just want to say before I wrap up, how passionately all the actors played out their roles to perfection the characters all were well-written, had depth and understanding and made y’all feel something, On that note there was the scene where Park Jin has to lock up Kim Doju (Kim Yeon) inside jinyowon and you reference back to that scene in S1 where she had asked “if I was in a very dangerous room and you had to choose between saving me and closing the door what would you do?” it makes you wonder if the whole thing had been planned from the start. I got literal goosebumps watching that scene because it was so emotional I actually started tearing up because Kin Doju and Park Jin’s relationship was my very favourite throughout the show, my poor clueless little Jin (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

Have I mentioned every character I liked— oh wait I forgot!! Our best friend Eunuch Go and his best friend the tortoise. The highlight of watching this show was watching the prince and his turtle. The prince himself was such a vibe throughout the whole two seasons of the show and I know he will make a veryy good king.

And that brings us to the end of the review.
As always, my review is just my personal opinion a d not meant to offend anyone.
I loved the show, it’s a very good show, definitely go watch it don’t listen to anyone else (especially the hate. Its not worth it.)

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Overrated, so dragging and boring

Seriously who wrote the script? So foolish , completely ruined story, complete nonsense. Waste of time, i eagerly waited for months but this is all I see. Now I get it why Naksu jumped into lake ,cause she don't want to live to watch season 2.Naksu is smart enough .you should have atleast considered season 1 before making this,I got nothing from this show now, no love , no sense, FL acting seriously was she acting, I thought she is bystander.i haven't seen any comedy , if you think we should laugh at those jokes oh comeon what's wrong with your humour sense.Why such dragging, I am loosing interest in season 1. Don't go for season 2. Why villans always win, boring. I loved season 1 , now I lost interest completely, dropping it .what are they doing childplay?what kind of story is this? Female lead is like"I AM UNBEATABLE BEAUTY" but she is unbearably annoying, I never saw any expression on her face, why they took her in first place, go and learn acting then comeback. Firstly , they could have wrapped the show with good ending in season 1 itself instead of spoiling story. Ruined the show.

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Story
My favorite and least favorite part of this drama was the story. I loved its moral—how evil people continue to harm others without sacrificing nearly as much as the good people, who endure so much to protect what’s right. It felt unfair at times, but even so, the good people persevered and ultimately found happiness. Justice prevailed, and that made it all worthwhile.

Romance
The main characters’ chemistry was amazing! It wasn’t just about their banter but also how they consciously chose to love each other through countless challenges. The story beautifully emphasized that what truly matters is what’s on the inside, not outward appearances, and that love is ultimately a choice.

Loyalty
I also appreciated how clearly the lines between good and evil were drawn. Watching this gave me a sense of security because I knew the good characters wouldn’t betray one another. The last time I felt this way was while watching Demon Slayer XD. The good characters in Alchemy of Souls were genuinely likable, and I loved the relationships among them.

Especially the Crown Prince—he had so many opportunities to get jealous or join the evil side, but he stayed true to his beliefs and overcame his struggles. By doing so, he was able to build meaningful friendships and surround himself with good people. He truly deserves a happy ending (even beyond what we saw in the drama)!

What Could Have Been Better
Now, onto what I didn’t like—or rather, what I think diminished the drama’s potential—the lack of episodes! The plot could have been developed more thoroughly, allowing us to follow the story at a better pace. Instead, it felt rushed.

Why? I wanted more of Uk and Naksu—UKSU <3. I also wanted to see Uk mourn for Mudeok and uncover Buyeon as Naksu. However, the rushed pacing made it difficult for many viewers to accept Buyeon’s character. It felt like such a missed opportunity.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I loved the drama! Even though it could have been better, I truly appreciated the story’s intention and message. Every actor gave their all, and it was evident in the way they brought their characters to life.

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Why Part 2 Totally Steals the Show

I found Part 2 to be far more enjoyable than Part 1! The love story is richer and more nuanced, resonating deeply with its theme of longing for a partner. The emotional complexity of the characters’ relationships beautifully encapsulates the highs and lows of love and desire, making it incredibly relatable and profound—I simply can't look away!

While I appreciated Part 1 as well, I don't quite understand the criticism regarding the change in the female lead. This decision was outlined in the script from the start, and everyone was aware of it. Part 2 is more streamlined, focusing less on side characters than its predecessor, which results in a tighter narrative, even though Part 1 wasn't necessarily slow-paced. Moreover, it wraps up all the mysteries in just 10 episodes instead of 20!

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SUPERB

I highly recommend this historical drama to everyone. Actually, I'm not really into historical kdrama yet because of the undeniable chemistry of the main leads I forced myself to watch it. Never did I regret of this. The best decision I have ever made. I love all the actors—they portrayed their characters ecstatic. The acting skills are beyond what I forsee them to do. They never disappoint me when it comes to the plots, acting skills, and most of all the story and cinematography of this genre. Though, in as much as I badly want a 3rd season but I'm super satisfied of the finale. I have so mixed emotions finishing this drama.

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