Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow

Butchered

Season 1 was not perfect. I skipped parts and rolled my eyes more than I care to admit. However, the actors, scenographers and CGI department did a good job, even the montage was adequate. But why, by god, did the writers and the director need to butcher the series as they did in the second season?

Having an amnesiac as a main character in the last third of the series (30 episodes in total) is never a good idea. It drastically halted the progression of the story and, in general, Bu-Yeon (who was supposed to be the fearsome Naksu) did nothing of her own volition to propel the plot forward. She was always a maiden in distress.

As a series written by two women, it sadly also had only two human-like and relatable female characters: Ju-Wol and Mu-Deok. All the other women were over the top jealous, over-subserviant, conniving or borderline crazy.

It would have been more satisfying if, at the end of the first season, everyone died and Jin-Mu took the body of a king. Sad, utterly tragic, but what a story it would have been.

If, in the first season, the writers would sometimes forget some of the character traits and made them act against their nature, then in the second season they decided to butcher almost all the characters, which was most evident in Mu-Deok / Bu-Yeon / Naksu. Pardon my French, but frikin Naksu / Mu-Deok could not have been contained for three years in that captivity.

Perhaps, it was too great to expect to see an interesting sword battle between Naksu and Jang Uk in the second season, but to once again be mainly subjected to the drawn-out "love triangle" and to witness the "back and forth" between main lovebirds (as well as the side lovebirds) was extremely, extremely dull.

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Alchemy of jokes

I am still processing how the drama with such critical theme like alchemy of souls turned into a silly childish romance!! This season was pure mockery of the shadow assassin girl that we fell in love with in season 1.
It was better if naksu had died than coming back in such a miserable way. The new FL should’ve been buyeon herself not naksu with amnesia. Trying to turn her into naksu where she easily could’ve had her own identity and be a completely different character is what went wrong in this season. Two souls in one body was total nonsense.
Another big fallback is the plot, ML just let jin mu be that easily !!! Very well knowing that he used naksu as a puppet. He should’ve avenged naksu but instead his actions made no sense and had no purpose. How killing soul shifters served any purpose to him or naksu !!!
And he fell for the new FL without knowing that she was naksu, he got over her and moved on just like that. 😭 Meanwhile, yul was living in soo much pain and guilt because he couldn’t help her and do anything. Yul emerged as a true lover here. He was planning to die along with her meanwhile our ML was busy getting lovey dovey with new FL.

This season is not just average it’s bad in every way possible compared to season 1. I wish I can go back choose to not watch it and had made peace with naksu’s death in season 1.

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Disappointed in FL and the story. Loved the actress.

I am very disappointed in what they did with the FL. I liked the actress though. All actors did a great job, and I loved the sets. I was super excited about the actress change, but it's just sad what they did to Naksu.

The overall story had so much potential, but it nosedived. Uk became Neo from the Matrix. I haven't been this disappointed in a series since GoT.

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potential lost and totally overrated

This is going to be short
to start with, what kind of bombastic and annoying drama is this!! yes it had an originally good storyline but what happened?
poor execution and prolonged story, to let people know in case they think I'm being bias,I know not a single actor or actress in this dramas so consider this me being honest.
they should have wrapped this up at S1 cos S2 is just like looking in a mirror with utterly frustrating inconsistencies,the almighty naksu completely became powerless and the ML now became so powerful,I thought this drama would be more focused on soul shifting plus the horrible sidelines and the incomplete stories.
to wrap it up,the story with so much potential became completely unsatisfactory, and it has a 9 out of 10 rating!!! what!! without playing favorite this is over the rooftop overrated

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A little weak compared to part 1

This was a big budget drama that borrowed a lot from Wuxia dramas and it's super obvious when you start watching. Personally I loved the effect and was immediately pulled into the story. The costumes, sets, effects and music were all on point and amazing. The amount of care and effort is so visible in every frame. This drama has a very typical underdog story that is also propped up by an underlying mystery which takes 30 episodes to fully unravel. I feel that the first season was fine for the most part and had a lot of satisfying “anime-like” moments that pulled you deeper and deeper into the world. The problems start becoming more apparent when you consider the romantic aspects of this show and it falls a little flat. The acting in this show is phenomenal from everyone involved when you set aside the romantic parts. In the first season I couldn’t help feel a distinct lack of chemistry from the leads… The secondary couples are not not even worth mentioning at all. The chemistry between the main couple does manage to improve in the second part due a major change in the depiction of the characters. Despite the fact that the romance manages to improve in the second part, the characters all get REALLY dumb. They also start saying and doing the dumbest stuff to move the plot along and some of the retcons (pertaining to reincarnation) were too much to be acceptable. All in all its a pretty good show but it wasn’t tied up well enough to be truly great, memorable or rewatchable.

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The good things turned bad and the bad things turned worse

[SPOILER-FREE PART]
I enjoyed watching the first part of the series (I wouldn't call it a masterpiece and it's not even a favorite, but definitely fun!) and I was hoping to see a somewhat worthy conclusion for this story in the second part.
Unfortunately, it looks like everything about the first part that I liked so much was nowhere to be found in the second part. On top of that, the writers somehow managed to worsen the aspects of the drama that were already bad to begin with. At some points while watching I started feeling like they were just making a fool of me.
For these simple reasons, this time around I don't have a list of things that I liked about the drama: the list of the things that I don't like just got horribly long.
[END OF SPOILER-FREE PART]

Starting with the things that were already bad that got even worse:
- The worldbuilding wasn't solid from the get-go, but I was at least hoping that things would stay relatively tame in that regard. Well, I was wrong! This Part 2 managed to produce a new magical artifact and create new magical powers at every turn, all while making the characters completely unable to use their magical means for no reason, all based on what the plot needed from them. The number of times I thought "wait, did that exist all along?!" and "why are you not using your powers/artifact?" might not be infinite, but it's still embarrassingly high.
- While P1 was not rich with fighting scenes, their number was still reasonably high. In P2 there's even less fighting. Also, while the FL used her sword in a couple of instances in P1, here in P2 she barely touches the sheath once and never again. I was looking forward to the rebirth of Naksu and hoping for some badass fights involving her, but I got nothing in the end.
- Introspection doesn't exist, which is amazing considering the amount of time that the characters spend talking about nothing in P2. Most dialogues are just a bunch of poetic lines thrown there for dramatic effect, which only made me feel more alienated. Even Naksu/Bu Yeon wasn't explored at all, which says a lot about how her potential was wasted entirely in the end. Overall, there was a lot of material that the writers could have used from P1, so I can't understand why they chose such a terrible plot for P2.
- I was hoping for the female characters to get better at the very least, but they didn't change for the most part; if they changed it was for the worse. Naksu/Bu Yeon turned from being mature, witty and a little grumpy to being the cardboard cutout of a sheltered princess who whines and pouts whenever things don't go her way: it was painful to watch because her character was actually the most interesting part of the entire series and P2 just ruined it completely. Jin Cho Yeon had the chance to grow from being a plain aspiring wife, but she didn't develop in the least. Heo Yoon Ok turned from being useless to just being annoying. So Yi also had the chance to be more interesting as a character, but her motives revolved entirely around Seo Yul and it got boring very quickly. There's no meaningful bond between women unless it's between a mother and her daughters or just pure hate, which was just sad.
- The love triangles made even less sense in P2. Seriously, WHY?!
- The writers seem not to have learned anything from the ending of P1, because the ending of P2 felt just as rushed and unsatisfying, other than being excessively over the top. I felt like I was watching an Alchemy of Souls parody of some kind.

I wish this was over, but no. The following are the good parts of P1 that were ruined in P2:
- Theme? What theme? This time around the plot is entirely about pointless romance and magic stuff being thrown here and there. If someone could put some fantasy and romance tropes in a blender to make a random plot, this would be the result.
- The dynamic between Bu Yeon and Jang Uk was terrible. Since their master/disciple relationship was nowhere to be found, it really felt like they stayed together all those episodes for the sake of the plot. Her moments with Jang Uk didn't catch my attention at all.
- Bu Yeon/Naksu's personality is nowhere to be found in P2. The fact that she's like that because she lost her memory made sense, but she felt like an entirely different character (a very frustrating and boring one!). The wit and the charm of her character are completely lost here, as well as her mature attitude that made a good contrast with Jang Uk. She turned into a spoiled lady who is obsessed with the idea of eloping for romance and it made me wish she just disappeared from the series for good multiple times.
- Jang Uk's training and rise to the top during P1 made his few fights and adventures very interesting, but in P2 he just became too OP and his fights became very boring. Even the final episodes weren't interesting, because I already knew he would win easily and save the world. The only result was that all the times he conveniently forgot about his powers for the sake of the plot were even more annoying.
- For some reason the props and the special effects looked worse this time around. I also hate how they decided to give Park Jin short hair out of nowhere.

In conclusion, I can't say that I was heartbroken over this (again, Alchemy of Souls isn't even a favorite), but I was definitely disappointed. I can't even recommend watching the series for fun at this point, because this Part 2 just ruined it all.

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The sequel that shouldn’t be made

The first season established solid chemistry and relationships, especially between the lead, which is one of the most engaging element of the show. Although changing the female lead fits the narrative of the story, it also inevitably forced the audience to reacquaint with a new character. The personality of the new female lead is so vastly different from the first season that it no longer feels like a continuation but seems to be a completely different person. And because Jang Uk’s attraction to this new Naksu was not clearly explained, it doesn’t feel like he is drawn to elements of Mu Deok that he finds in her but appears more like he is simply attracted to the comfort she offers. Their rekindling feels more like a betrayal of Mu Deok than a reunion and is extremely unsatisfying to watch. The general writing is sloppy and the scenes are mostly unnecessary and does not add value to the narrative.

They should have extended 1 or 2 more episodes to season one and wrap up the show. Watching season 2 took away so much of my enjoyment of season 1 that I wish I could unwatch it.

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Disappointing Sequel, Poor Editing, but Great Leads Chemistry for a romance drama.

Subjective Gut Rating; 8.0
Objective Rating as a sequel: 5.0-7.0

Rating this drama is interesting because I can go either way. Did I have a good time watching it? Yes, I did because I enjoyed the romance in the first 8 episodes quite a lot. But is this a good sequel to an amazing season 1? Absolutely not. No more badass FL and poor editing and storytelling.

I reviewed in Season 1 that I find the chemistry between the leads a little lacking. I might be in the minority, as I don’t mind the lead actress changing to Go Young Jung and I find her beautiful and perfect as the amnesiac and inexperienced FL. Jang Uk (ML) has gone through a lot in the last three years, and his personality is totally different than in season 1. Meeting the sunny and optimistic Jin Bu Yeong (FL) is what he needs at that point in his life. I like how she’s the one to recognize him (unconsciously), chase after him and want to be there by his side protecting and supporting him. It’s like a role reversal from season 1. I enjoyed their interaction, their banter and the great kisses. It’s so nice to see two willing partners going at it and being passionate when the plot requires them to put a lot of emotions in those kisses. They look good together!

However, the romance-focused storylines took up a majority of the screen time, and thus not leaving enough time to develop the fantasy and mystery part of the plot. As a sequel to an amazing plot-driven season 1, this drama is actually very disappointing. If you are attracted to “Alchemy of Souls” because of a badass assassin FL, there’s not much badass-ness in this season. FL is reduced to a lovely Cinderella, waiting for prince charming to save her and love her. Her powers and memories were recovered too late to showcase her prowess as the priestess. There actually isn’t a whole lot of substance aside from romance in the first 8 episodes.

Episodes 9 & 10 seem to have a big tone shift back to what season 1 was like. All of a sudden, we’re talking about power, revenge, saving the world, different identities/souls in a very rushed manner. Without previous indication, all the baddies team up together. So much happened that I needed to concentrate hard so as not to miss anything. The editing was choppy and weird. What happened to Jang Uk’s love for Jin Bu Yeong in the first 8 episodes? Without going into spoilers, the romance doesn’t make sense anymore.

On a positive note, I think both Hwang Min Hyun (Seo Yul) and Shin Seung Ho (Crown Prince) improved their acting. I see a little more emotions in Hwang Min Hyun’s eyes. My favorites continue to be Leader Park Jin and Maidservant Kim. They are golden, but slightly more cringey than in season 1.

Overall, this is a disappointing sequel but if you watch it as a standalone romance-focused drama, you will have a better time.


Completed: 1/27/2023

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Truly disappointed with what they did to ML and FL

The way the relationship between ML and FL was made surprised me completely in the negative. At least they could have kissed for the first time after their identity was revealed. It would have been much more beautiful. It looks like ML is dating another woman when his heart obviously belongs to someone. Thinking that ML may have just been a man who said he would love only one person, but ended up falling in love with another. Sad, but these things happen. -he didn't know it was Naksu until he saw the eyes mark-.
There were so many ways to do that..... There are other problems here that I noticed, but ok.
In my opinion, I wanted ML had stayed true to his love for mudeok until the end. Than to see him basically move on............... :(
This show surprise me of how we can have such different perspectives.

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Truly disappointing

I gave a 7 to another drama which was also very hyped (you are my glory), but not even that one disappointed me as much. I expected so much and all I got was:
---- A shallow, silly plot. Plus plot holes galore.
---- Cartoonish villain, and other stupid characters (even leaders like the king, crown prince, queen).
---- No characters' development.
My rating is for the acting of ML and both FLs, the Art Direction, and OST. At least the silver lining with overhyped dramas when my rating differs from the majority, is that it’s easier for me to spot users whose rating also disagree with the majority, so I can add them to my list of members with similar tastes to mine.

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Not what I expected :(

Seeing a lot of mixed and extreme reviews on this S2 Sigh… not what I expected at all. Yes- we all wanted the badass assassin, probably not fully back to her old self but definitely not this priestess with divine powers but can’t even cross the river without help! Sorry to say.. I did like the idea of JBY and Naksu sharing the body, but I really really wanted more from Naksu.

The storyline and pace was a little draggy. It focused too much on Naksu and Jang Uk finding each other and falling in love all over again. Probably not the best main plot for a season 2. I wanted to see more conspiracy theories, more slashing of swords and fighting, more mages using and abusing their powers… but 80% of the time was lovey dovey and humorous scenes. Don’t get me wrong- I loved the relationship between the Crown Prince and his turtle! ;);)

Anyhow, S1 was better for me, but I preferred Go Youn Jung as the FL. :)

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