Ending doesn't disappoint, but I was confused by it!
I love, love, love the cast. Big fan of Jo Seung-woo and Park Shin-hye, neither of whom disappointed.Seen a few complaints about age difference, but it's only 10 for goodness sake and their chemistry/interaction is far more important. I thought they were great together and came across very natural and comfortable ~ I could really imagine them having fun making this.
It's a different role for JSW and I liked seeing him as a cockier, livelier character, for a change.
None of the supporting cast disappointed either; although when an actor more often than not plays the baddie, it can kind of give it away a little, the minute you see them walk 9n set!
The action was great and the time travel story a little different; not so complex that it makes one's head spin.
It is a fantasy, so some debatable parts of the story just have to be accepted; for example, just how long does the atmosphere remain dangerous from nuclear fallout and would you drink rain water? Not to mention living years cooped up and the general logistics / mechanics around that.
The romance side was integral to the story, but not fluffy; it was more about trust, reliability, loyalty and then love. Much more practical 😉
Not a few surprises and some interesting friendships, relationships and family drama.
I thought the ending was good up to a point, but didn't get the 'how' at all, never mind how much I thought about it (perhaps I'm dim). Quite moving too, though.
Not sure I'd watch it again, but I'm glad I picked it and enjoyed the ride.
I am just a little smitten with the character, Sun, and actor Chae Jong-hyeup.
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Slooooooooow
Liked the idea / story, but sadly, for me it was poorly executed.Mike He and some supporting actors carried the story, but otherwise I found the lines delivered far too slowly and the acting wooden. The lead female seemed to mumble most of the time and conveyed little emotion, even when crying. This made it hard for me to connect with many of the characters.
The story seemed to twist and turn more to extend it than enrich it. When some characters were having a tough time or their personalities changed, it often went unnoticed by those closest to them, which I found odd.
I didn't find it at all gripping or exciting, but did like Mike He, Anson Chen, Johnny Yang and Amanda Chou.
I liked the music too, especially the title song.
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There's comedy, thrills, mild threat and some violence/blood, but nothing too graphic.
Whilst an enjoyable watch, none of the cast were stretched, but still gave us likeable characters and so many possible villains that working out the main baddie took some time.
Very little on the romantic front, but watching Kim Bon's heart get thawed by the adorable Joon-soo and Joon-hee was cute.
Loved Yong-tae and the very capable KIS members.
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Twists and turns part 2
We're back with Eun-sol and Baek-beom, whilst there are several cast changes, with 2 central characters having moved on and been replaced, plus some additions.The plot is thickening as we pick up on the corruption and cover ups that were being brought to light in series 1, together with some additional side stories. Familiar villains resurface and crimes overlap again as things begin to come to a head.
I found series 2 to have a better pace than the first and Eun-sol really comes into her own.
I really couldn't warm to Sally Kim at all though and thought the interaction between her and Eun-sol was over the top.
I just loved actor Noh Min Woo in this series and I really felt for his broken character, who is so badly manipulated.
There are more unpleasant crimes and the spin on what seems obvious, that the post mortems uncover, shows some really clever story writing.
Many questions are answered, but the conclusion is far from favourable and whilst there was no "We'll be back" or "To be continued" (like the end of series 1), there is a definite door ajar for either a series 3 or even some kind of spin-off.
The rewatch value is pretty good just because there was a lot going on.
I really hope we see Eun-sol, Baek-beom, Do Ji-han, Yang Soo-dong, Jang Chul, et al, again in 2021 (fingers crossed).
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Drifting story
Started off great; humour, emotion, a touch of the supernatural. Unfortunately, the story became a little too fanciful for me, with attempted murder and hiding the birth of a child, being treated like they're common occurrences and nothing to take seriously!There is forgiveness and turning the other cheek, but then there's being a martyr and Doo-rim sadly became just that, regardless of her generally feisty and strong character. She made some really dumb decisions.
I liked Kang-joo's emotional development.
Great seeing Jung Hae-in earlier in his wonderful career, too.
I also found the same actors playing several characters (especially in latter episodes) to be confusing as well.
Could've been a 9 or 10/10 had the story been given a little more thought and wasn't stuck between being a rom-com and [over-acted at times] melodrama.
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Gets emotional
Overall I enjoyed this show, especially the cast (big fan of Sung Joon), with nice performances from all of them. I loved Lee Joo Hyung's character portrayal - I just wanted to climb into my laptop and mother him! I also loved SJ's understated acting in this. He portrayed a quite complex person, who starts out as a seemingly selfish, immature, snob of a psychologist (but not cold - even though he is emotionally stunted) really well, as the character could have been completely unlikeable, but he managed to keep me on his side, though not all the time.In general they are all pretty selfish characters at times, but that's where their similarities end, as it's a great mixed bag of people.
I liked the various psychological issues that were visited through Prof Choi Soo Hyun's clients, with some very emotional stories amongst them.
The huge importance of support and understanding needed by those suffering mental health issues underpins the whole series, I felt. As is the equally important need to address and seek help for anyone suffering severe changes in behaviour.
Childhood trauma is at the forefront of many of the individual stories and some are quite upsetting. The devastating affects mistreatment (whether it be psychological or physical) can have in later life is made blindingly obvious.
Soo-hyun's character development made this drama for me, to be honest and Sung Joon played him perfectly. The last episode was so very moving.
What let the drama down for me was the times when humour was mistakenly added in the form of silly, childish dialogue and behaviour. It is possible to prevent a story from sliding into melodrama, by adding even dark humour, which doesn't resort to immature behaviour that just didn't fit with the rest of the storyline. Felt like it was plopped in to prevent the story from becoming too heavy. More creative writing could have provided laughs on a more adult level, befitting of what the drama is about at its core.
One of my favourite friendships was between Choi Seung-chan and Dr Bae Mi-ran. It was writing like that, when compared with what I've just said, which made me wonder whether the author of this drama doesn't have two personalities, like one of the characters!
Worth watching, although I probably wouldn't revisit it.
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Modern Romance, Intelligent Women
More mature portrayal of the career driven lives and very different relationships, friendships and families of the main 3 female characters.The hurdles of being in a relationship with a man 10 years younger are portrayed differently from the usual ones, which was so refreshing. The real issues that are hard to face or tackle, even when in love, are considered and doesn't have to do with the judgement of others for a change.
The women in this are all very different, but what links them is their drive, passion, focus and intelligence.
I very much liked the more mature conversations and interaction between Tammy and Park Morgan, which was befitting of a woman and man in their late 30s and 20s respectively.
I loved how one central female's frankly abusive parents and arrogant, audacious, overbearing mother-in-law, were portrayed; such good acting. Loathed them!
My personal favourite character was Scarlett, fabulously brought to life by Lee Da-hee.
The main male characters have an equally modern representation, as none are either phased nor jealous or intimated by clever, feisty and outspoken women. Breath of fresh air.
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Epic, gripping, fabulous!
April 2026.Where did those 40 episodes go?!!! Apart from The Untamed, this is the first C-drama I actually found it REALLY hard to stop watching! In fact I only just completed it, after binging in 3 days... my excuse for neglecting everything else?... I wasn't well either and slept on the sofa! 😅
Fabulous story, full of intrigue, lies, palace politics, secrets and cover-ups, and a near perfect pace. It's 100% one of the easiest-to-get-through, of the lengthy dramas, I've watched.
Stunning cast and characters ~ the women in this are all 💯 as are the men.
I was hooked from the start, and loved Fan Chang-yu. Another self-reliant, stubborn, practical, motivated character. Whilst not educated, lacking in etiquette, and very often misunderstanding proverbs (hilariously at times), she is very clever in a practical way, tactical and savvy. She is also sharp tongued when needed, and fabulously outspoken.
Our ML is drop-dead gorgeous, as a character as much as the actor is facially. He's so down to earth, his back-story (like our FL's) is one of tragedy, but again like her, he doesn't play the victim.
Supporting characters are many and varied; some that have developed into absolute ba5tards by their circumstances, with others driven by the usual craving for power and absolute domination... some a bit of both.
The vibrant (but seeming to be eternally in winter) village that a lot of the earlier story is set in, has a wonderful array of characters. There's hardship, gossip, spite, camaraderie, and many laughs, too.
This is another story busting with appropriate (and excellently written) humour, warmth, action, emotions and love of family/friends, as much as romance... which whilst an important part, of course, does not swamp the story.
There are some aspects that might have been a bit better done... mostly around a few storylines that felt incomplete, or 'buried', which I thought could easily have been incorporated/addressed at little to no extra time. However, for me these weren't enough to spoil my viewing.
I seriously loved it, will definitely watch it again, and it's another firm favourite now.
.....juicy BONUS ~ in the latter part of ep38 and early ep39, are 3 linked, seriously smoking scenes, between our leads. Their chemistry throughout was really good, but here it was 🔥. I was almost melting! At one point, he looks at her like she's his about-to-be-devoured favourite food ðŸ«
I just feel the need to add, that recent articles and comments around how the Marquis character is too good looking, is ridiculous. This is an action romance, not an historically correct story. It's fiction! When does anyone complain that the FLs are too attractive for their role?! Paradoxically, if the Marquis, being the ML, were less than attractive, that would prompt complaints, too, for sure. This is escapism, not real life... surely we all get enough of that!
(After watching Love in the Clouds, and then this, I fear it's going to be hard for my next C-drama to match up!)
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Blues in various shades
A stonkingly good, multi layered story about life in a close community where many characters were childhood friends.Ups, downs, successes, failures, secrets, love, heartbreak, family, friends, regrets, dreams, forgiveness ~ it is all here.
I never got bored and loved how, whilst there were multiple stories connected to characters, there was a focus in each episode.
The tribulations of life that this series covered, were vast and highlighted issues rarely found in other dramas.
Depression, grudges, a husband beater, aging and pregnancy, to what really impressed me hugely, the challenges of living with and caring for someone with a disability.
The first actress / character I have ever seen in a K-drama, with Downs Syndrome. The prejudices and ignorance faced, in this day and age, which really exist, was shocking and heartbreaking to me. It both hurt me and made me so angry.
I sincerely hope that anyone with a warped attitude and stupidity towards this and other conditions, that watch it, will see how disgusting their behaviour is and educate themselves.
I laughed throughout and in the final episodes, cried. So moving.
Fabulous acting from the whole (GREAT) cast (the kids on it were SO good) and a soundtrack that fitted the style of the characters, their community and lives.
One I would highly recommend and would happily watch again.
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Simply beautiful story
Such a believable story, understated acting, superb characters. Moving, emotional and funny at times. All aspects of relationships and human frailties and strengths are explored. Just perfect.Jung Hae-in is a wonderful, natural actor.
The entire cast were perfect and give the viewer wonderfully varied, 'real' characters. A joy.
With 12 episodes, this is shorter than most dramas, but the story never felt rushed or packed in and neither was it dragged out. I felt the pace was perfect.
The locations were unusual too and it made me want to visit the coffee shop, buy a eucalyptus plant and a ticket to Oslo!
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Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow
8 people found this review helpful
My kind of Drama
It's over; the final episode has aired and overall, it did not disappoint. I will so miss my weekly fix.Equalling S1 and very similar in its slow build, with the action, intrigue and surprises, increasing with every episode.
The shift in Jang Uk's character and the effect on all the characters of S1's finale, was immediately felt from ep1.
There's more obvious romance in S2 as the eps role out, but it was never out of place or eye rolling. Quite the opposite.
I loved Go Yoon-jung's portrayal and the character of Naksu/Jin Bu-yeon. Still feisty, independent, capable and witty. Her interactions with Uk were as amusing, touching and frustrating, in turns, as S1. Subtle differences, as after all, the character has suffered and undergone a big change, but just as strong. Both actresses brought so much to their roles and credit has to go to everyone involved for making it pretty seamless.
There are twists, turns, revellations, just deserts and some shocks in S2.
There are some flash backs featuring Jung So-min's character, Mu Deok, in later eps and I'm really pleased these were included, as it stitched what was unfolding in the story together and was a reminder that the souls and their bodies had shifted to start with.
The ending was thrilling and all gets neatly tied up. It wasn't rushed, but did feel a bit like a conclusion, rather than extension of the story. Some characters and their stories did take a back seat in S2, which was a shame, however, it was still pleasing and unless S2 was to run for another 16+ episodes, the only way to complete the central theme.
With the closing 2 eps, there were a very few times the dialogue felt a little lazy and it only stood out for me because I never thought that in all the other 28 eps.
The special effects, soundtrack and sets were spot on all the way through and Car, The Garden's "Scars Leave Beautiful Trace" is now a favourite song.
An absolute favourite drama of mine now too, which in its entirety of 30 eps, is possibly top of my list. Ticked all my boxes!
All involved did a great job.
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Fabulous!
April 2026I loved this drama ~ Xanxia is my favourite C-drama genre.
Great production quality, and beautiful to look at in every way, including the cast.
Both leads were excellent, and I am so relieved that I'm seeing less of female lead roles lately, where they behave, and worst still, speak, like 5-year olds!
Definitely not the case in this one. She's feisty, focused, practical, and often very funny.
ML character is stunning, mysterious, accomplished, powerful, feared, equally focused, and with a very sad back story, which has left him somewhat convinced he'll always be let down.
It's an epic tale, with some very moving moments that brought tears to my eyes, and others that had me laughing out loud; a proper roller-coaster of a ride.
It has plenty of humour (not slapstick), but also lots of action, breathtaking moments, and a great love story to boot.
Often with C-dramas, even good ones, with so many episodes, it isn't surprising when the story gets somewhat drawn out at times. With this, however, I never felt that, and the episodes flew by.
I would definitely watch this again, very happily.
Highly recommended.
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Loved it!
October 2025This drama was SO good! KDM is fab in it, as is SSK, and I actually loved their chemistry, which surprised me for some reason.
The character of Yu I-na, is both strong, and yet fragile, at the same time. She is unique, clever, infuriating, troubled and utterly likeable. I thought KDM captured her perfectly.
Kim Han-saem is a traditional, dedicated, tenacious, and principled detective. He has always believed that Yu I-na was responsible for the death of her ex-cop Uncle.... so when, as a profiler, she ends up working with him, he isn't impressed, to say the least.
Thankfully, she is very single-minded in that respect, and disarmingly frank, so he slowly gets beaten down.
Together they begin to unearth truths that lead to some shocking discoveries.
I was totally grabbed by this. I loved the acting, characters, writing, pace and plot. The episodes flew by and there's a lot of story, which didn't feel compromised by the relatively few episodes.
Any shortcomings, I honestly didn't care about.
I kept changing my mind about who the baddie was, too... it never felt obvious!
I SO hope there will be a S2.
A favourite of this year, for sure.
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Utterly captivating
Jan 2025I absolutely loved this period drama. The episodes flew by and I will definitely watch this again one day. Fab characters, and, what I loved most.... great women!
The main female experiences a tragedy as a child and subsequently becomes an assassin, with the goal of exacting revenge.
The male lead was involved in the same tragedy and the two are fated to forever be around each other's lives.
The very first episode is one of the best ever openers, and had me hooked immediately. There is a bath scene towards the end that is just SO good!
The script is more mature than usual, and this made such a difference.
I realise voices are generally dubbed, but I also didn't notice the 'breathiness' that so often stands out to me, especially with the actresses. What I did notice was how bloody cold many of the sets were, with the steam from their breath often being visible!
I honestly didn't find any parts that dragged. The pace was mixed, from battles, fights, and daily life, to the romantic scenes. Whilst romance was an integral part, it didn't swamp things, or feel out of place; at least not to me.
I had so many favourite characters that I cannot list them all. Some grew, some lost their way, others seemed to lose their senses at times. The character I got most whiplash from was the General of Yan, Luomei. Her character was all over the place, purely to move the story in the right direction, but I could forgive that.
I really like the actress, Wu Jinyan, in the FL part of Meilin. There was nothing childish about her at all. Her expressions were subtle when necessary, with her eyes often conveying incredible fierceness. Her character was driven, tough, stubborn, lacked some of tge finer social skills early on, yet was also incredibly lost in so many ways. I felt she craved love, but even as her circumstances changed, she was never weak.
Now, the ML and his character... I have fallen for both! Liu Xueyi was fabulous as Murong Jinghe. Cold on the surface, playing a part, maniacal at times, and totally captivating. He never lost sight of his aims and was a tactical genius.
Concubine Yan was young, immature in life experiences and used to being admired for her looks, BUT, she grew, was sassy, intelligent and not horribly spoilt. I liked her a lot! The slow build of her love was very realistic.
The 'evil' characters were heinously good too, and well acted.
An excellent cast all round.
However, there were several let-downs...
The assassin side of Meilin was lost in the story. There was an occasion near the end where I felt her attire, for example, was all wrong. Regardless of her strength by then, her look just didn't fit.
It was the same with the General of Yan, whose actions didn't fit her personality and outlook, in terms of where her heart took her. Family honour was everything to that character, until it wasn't.
I also found having a younger version of Meilin in some scenes from the past, but then the adult actress in others, bizarre. Meanwhile, the General was portrayed by the same actor throughout. This was noticably inconsistent.
However, in terms of sheer enjoyment and not wanting it to end, I still think this is amongst the best C-dramas I've watched and would recommend it, especially if you're new to them... you'll be spoilt!
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Some different aspects for a Sageuk drama
December 2024Overall, I loved this. It's a classic sageuk drama. However, it is never OTT and all the characters are really good. I didn't find any annoying, although many were absolute barstewards, with others being too easily deceived, and/or misguided.
It does have a gentle pace, but whilst it lacks the action of many other dramas of this type, the plot is clever and aspects were extremely refreshing. There is plenty of intrigue, and intelligent plotting, with those trying to control the King and that position, mistakenly underestimating the person on the throne.
The love side of things is very subtle, but integral to the story, and I found it very romantic at times. The kisses were not at all steamy though, ever. The final one especially, really should have had far more passion. Kang Hee-soo was like a board! Is that the actress, or the director? One really needs a pinch for that :/
It was also very moving on occasion, especially early on, when Jin-han returned from Qing.
There is understated humour from many recognisable supporting character actors, as well as from the King and his guard, Joo Sang-hwa. Two of my favourite characters.
I loved Jo Jung-suk in the lead role; his expressions and habit of slowly closing his eyes when things started to press in on, or anger him, was so good. I really love his acting and find him easy to watch. He rarely fails to draw me in and I've liked a lot of the dramas he's appeared in. Two Cops is still a big favourite.
I don't dislike watching Shin Se-kyung, but I do find her acting quite bland at times. She rarely expresses emotion well and displayed too little passion, which this role was really all about (not just romantic passion, butcthatcof a cause too).
The most annoying character for me was Kim Myung-ha (Lee Shin-young), whose behaviour at one point, coupled with that of his father, made his reasons for hating the King and seeking revenge, somewhat hypocritical. Such a pious character, when he had little reason to behave that way.
I also felt that later into the drama, Mong-woo (Hee-Soo) should have had more faith in the King... but then, these suspicions are needed for tension and added angst, I suppose.
I must say that the Gidaeryeong was much, much too feminine to be taken as a man, so that might marr viewing, a fair bit, for some. I could overlook it, but at the same time I thought the role should have been acted with at least a glimmer of masculinity. There are many pretty men, but their gender is still recogniseable and in this drama that was needed.
The ending had a number of gaps, but was acceptable, and the latter part of the final episode did feel rushed, in comparison to others.
However, I would still recommend this for sageuk drama lovers; overall, it does not disappoint and there are a few things different to the norm, which gave it that bit more.
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