Aramintai

Yea, I totally agree. It's a difficult thing to accept. Especially how brutally and nonchalantly the writers wrecked the leads happy ending, it just adds to the sting of JSM's Mu-Deok being ditched.

Well, that whole character/actress swap experiment after 2/3 of the show was harmful to begin with, they should have foreseen the fallout even while reviewing the script. I've seen in the news fans are going wild and are badgering TvN for doing Mu-Deok dirty, trying to kill off their favorite character and asking to return JSM back as the lead, etc. I can totally unerstand them, this plot decision doesn't sit well with me either. But there's nothing to do, but to wait and trust it will end well...

They could have shot all her part 2 scenes while finishing part 1 or during transition between her agencies. So new agency may have nothing more to say, since that contract may have been completed already.

I feel yea, it's less than ideal, indeed. *hug*

Well, naturally everybody cared only about who Naksu, the FL, will be in part 2. Nobody thought of JSM possibly returning for a minor role as a different character. But as this Bu-Yeon character gradually got so much attention in part 1 and still needs closure after this kind of ending she'll get at least a cameo role in part 2.
Still, it's understandably less than ideal for many people who got attached to Mu-Deok and can't see anybody else with Uk.

Yea, her agency confirmed she'll play a minor role in AoS part 2. Bu-Yeon needs to have closure.

Btw, with the shaman gone Jin Mu can destroy the magical bells after they serve their purpose and finally use those cursed soul ejectors. He said he hasn't soul shifted yet into a younger body exactly because of it. I'm thinking, him being chummy with CP and grooming him as his teacher, he may soul shift into CP - the man with ultimate power in Daeho.

Yea, I feel ya, it's very understandable to feel like this about Mu-Deok.

JSM will still have a minor role in part 2 according to this article:
https://www.kdramastars.com/articles/126431/20220829/alchemy-of-souls-part-1-finale-disappoints-fans.htm

Quote:
"A representative from the agency shared that Jung So Min isn't totally leaving the cast in the second part of the series, but will appear with a minor role whilst Go Yoon Jung takes over the drama as the female lead character."

Of course she will with that ending 🙄.

Well, after this ending she's gotta be there as Bu-Yeon at least as a cameo.

Yea, JSM carried this drama. GYJ will be riding the coattails of her success. Does sound unfair, especially if Bu-Yeon will be completely ditched. But I don't think so, after this ending JSM at least has to make an appearance to show us how Naksu will be separated from Bu-Yeon's body. And at best, she'll have a support role as Bu-Yeon who'll return to Jin clan finally.

Btw, part 2 has an official title now:

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow

Source:
https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=079&aid=0003679498

I don't think so. When Naksu's soul was dominant in her body she wasn't blind. It's definitely the soul of JBY - no matter which body she'll inhabit it will go blind.

That would be funny actually and explain Naksu's sword in his hands even better. But I doubt it will happen. This soul shifting bs has to stop - it's a deathtrap for life judging by what happened to Jang Kang.

She's still there in part 2, hopefully not simply as a third wheel though.

I don't think JBY will be in Naksu's og body, or they'd have shown her blind in the preview.
I think both girls will return to their respective bodies, as they should. Not sure how Naksu's body gotta be revealed though. But hey, if dead Uk can resurrect from the pyre like a Mother of the f**king Dragons, I'm sure they'll come up with something as implausible.

There are multiple antagonists in this drama, keep watching.

Uk's not gonna go to the dark side. He just finally grew up into a fine adult.
He came a long way from the playful troublemaker boy he was in the beginning. After all he's been through he came out of it a better man. What I've gathered from the ending and preview - he's mad at what happened, but also determined and confident in his abilities. He'll set things right again, get to the bottom of what happened to Naksu and punish the bad guys with no remorse. No more playing around, time to get serious. And color contrast is there - dark serious clothes and white Naksu's sword. There's light in every shadow.

Same goes for Naksu. Her transformation is even greater - from a cold, ruthless assassin with no morals into a kind woman who managed to find a heart in herself. She's shown with white clothes in the preview to reflect that change.

Especially amnesia, that's one of the dumbest and most distasteful tropes out there.

They don't have as much time in part 2, so hopefully it will have a more tight plot without dancing so much around the issues like in part 1. Practically none of the plot lines were resolved there, just hype, hype, hype...

They've a lot to cover:
-Naksu and Bu-Yeon separation;
-Bu-Yeon's fate - death or return of Bu-Yeon to Jin clan;
-Uk's destiny as King's Star;
-the ice stone's fate;
-CP's fate - generous king or his whole family dethroned for dumbassery;
-Jin Mu needs to F**KING DIE already;
-Park Jin and maidservant Kim's ship resolution;
-Naksu and Uk's ship resolution;
-Dang Gu and Cho Yeon gotta get married;
-So-i and Yul's worm problem;
-etc.

So there's no time for any of that tropey shit. But I bet Hong sisters will still try to squeeze some dumb tropes in there to waste our time, they especially just can't help themselves with polygonal ships.

JBY's body was able to protect Naksu from running while by blocking her soul's powers from the inside. But Jin Mu applied much of his own powers and forced them out from the outside. For some reason that was too much for JBY's body to handle.