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A more traditional K Drama

To be clear, this contains spoilers so please view it as more of a discussion rather than recommendation - although I do recommend it.

Firstly to get it out of the way: I was so disappointed they changed the FL The chemistry between Jung So-min and Lee Jae-wook; and the character development that Mu Deok went through was well earned and amazing. I missed them just being together.
Secondly: Go Youn-jung is one of my favorite actresses and I thought she did a fine job here.

If they had of kept Jung So-min, the story would have been completely different. I get the need for a different actress or "face" to make the plot work.

Little did I know at the time of watching, was that Alchemy of Souls 2 was much more like a typical Korean drama. It was only the second K Drama I'd ever watched and I wasn't totally fed up with amnesia plots, interfering parents, miscommunications, and 3rd act separations.

This is a romance (A plot) with a fantasy backdrop of scheming & plotting (B Plot).

The show starts with introducing the two main leads (and supporting cast in a classic Joo Wol monologue.) It efficiently shows Jin Bu-yeon's isolation, and Jung Uk's heart ache and incredible power. Any viewer paying attention at the end of season one would understand that in season two Jin Bu-yeon is Mu Deok straight away. The eventual convoluted exposition about Jin Bu-yeon's energy and Naksu's soul and Naksu's face was too awkward and I believe most people would just accept that it happened without thinking too hard on it.

The fact that it started with Jung Uk being miserable and emotionally unavailable is great. The perfect continuation from season one. The audacity of having to continue living after all that sorrow. I like to imagine I could feel his relief at getting stabbed to death after Naksu returned. I also liked the idea that Jin Bu-yeon is an optimist. It's nice to think that she is who she might have become if not for the childhood trauma and being groomed into a lonely assassin.

I like how they get married straight away in a fateful continuation of their love story. I was disappointed that they diluted it later to an engagement. I also would have liked to see them stay together more solidly to tie in with that theme.

Whilst i understood Jang Uk had to express his sorrow and unavailability; as The Viewer, it was painful to watch how coldly he kept rebuffing Jin Bu-yeon knowing who she was and seeing her so earnest.

Whist I don't like amnesia plots now, back then I didn't find them so frustrating. Even so, I feel a better story would have been Jin Bu-youn discovers who she is much earlier - even if she didn't immediately tell Jang Uk, and so her efforts to quietly help heal and protect him would have carried much more weight. Instead they just bounce off each other a few times due to poor communication, parental disapproval etc. like a regular Kdrama.

I love-hated the idea that Seo Yul's response to dealing with his regrets in season one is not to help Naksu this time, but to kill her. I did not see it coming. I liked his relationship with So Yi and felt the tragedy of her death.

Jang Uk and Jin Bu-yeon sort their feelings out; learn who they are in time to be tragically separated again to save the world and then ultimately live happily ever after due to a Deus ex machina from Jin Seol-ran / actual Jin Bu-yeon. Which was mighty kind of her.

Park Jin was a lot more fun in this season providing more of an advisory humanistic roll. His and Maidservant Kim's arc was cute.

I did enjoy seeing the Unanimous Assembly along with Jin Mu get wasted although I would have liked a slower, more painful death for him.

Jang uk being super powerful and wiping everyone with a few sweeps of his sword was both cool and anticlimactic.

In conclusion, I'm glad they had a happy ending although A bigger epilogue would have been nice.

I wait with bated breath for Cha Beom's spinoff series where he's balding and middle-aged, living in some far-flung village, still trying to gather his energy up bit by bit whilst fighting off brigands and watering crops. Team, make it happen!

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Despite All That, I Watched It Anyway

Much of this show was confusing and silly. The fun potential of the show was overshadowed by the villainous plotting of everyone - including (especially) the people who were supposed to be on the side of the FL. So many secrets where the only result was going to be pain.
The ML came across as forced, awkward and cold to the point I thought he was a jerk and stopped rooting for him.
"I'll never leave her." *Leaves her in the next episode.*
"I'll never leave her this time..." Sure buddy.
Amnesia plots are the worst. Seriously. (Except Alchemy of Souls -YOU PASS!) Just going over the same ground but with silliness.

From watching K dramas, it seems there is an intense amount of social and familial pressure on any given relationship. This is crazy to me. But I guess that's the flip side of the conservative culture that makes K dramas so engaging in the first place.

Jo Sa-ra's plot was both tragic and exhausting. I really wanted a solution that left her living happily ever after with some kind of accepted access to he son's life. But instead she went full crazy and ruined all her chances (and half the drama). Ultimately she was pretty insufferable, but no more so than half the other characters. It would be quicker to list all the characters who weren't insufferable (Children excepted): Dan Dan; Dae Beom. That's it.
I initially liked Park Su Cheol but he proved himself to be a complete jerk.

In the end, there we're a lot of episodes and not a lot of feel-good payoff. All the characters just grind against each other the whole time which as a viewer is emotionally exhausting. There we're plenty of external conflicts the main couple could have faced as a devoted unit rather than have those externalities drive them apart again and again.

Sure it was a happy ending, but at what cost? Over 50 hours mostly angst. I'll be wary of this screen writer in future. I feel they don't understand what the people want and are too preoccupied with their own cleverness.

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Surprisingly, They Stuck the Landing

Spoilers - I can't bang on freely without sharing some secrets.



Firstly, the actors were appropriately beautiful and handsome.
Im Ji Yeon has this ability to be quite disarmingly normal looking when needed and then stunning for modeling scenes. Also, her character has an amazing maniacal laugh & smile - most notable when drinking. So fun.
Heo Nam Jun initially presents as very cool and classy but has some very cute facial expressions as his character starts to let his feelings out.

Props to how menacing they made the villain Choi mun Do. I mean, he had a great smile and was handsome enough but there was just something off about him. was it make-up? Or was his teeth slightly grey? i don't know but he definitely had a sinister aura about him.

This show really started off well. It was very fun to watch. The characters have great personas and interacted so well together.
The comedy of their meeting and early interactions was on point. I enjoyed Sin Seo-Ri's attitude and how she was presented early on as this fun, larger-than-life personality - getting memed and becoming an influencer.

I like how Cha Se-Gye Was locked in and focused on perusing her quite early. Then she initially came around pretty quick too. I did have an issue with Sin Seo-Ri being hot and cold towards him, even after she knew her feelings but this is a K-Drama staple.

I would've liked to see more fighting from her as she initially pitched herself as this anti-assassination savant, Joseon baddie but then ended up being quite reactive and ultimately getting caught herself.

The scene where she was keeping him distant but then had an instant meltdown when she found him in cardiac arrest on the plane was really well done and entertaining. I laughed out loud. I must say, they really leaned into the slapping in this show and I'm here for it. It's like their love language. The fact she got electrocuted too was perfect.

I loved how the music was used in the show. The delicate lighthearted piano intro of Losing My Heart playing throughout the episodes as they slowly got to know each other was used diabolically, building to crescendo as the white truck of death plowed into the restaurant. So good. So devastating. Props to the writers for making it a white truck. Classic K Drama. Everyone knows it; everyone respects it.

The latter episodes we're a bit hard to get through when Seo-Ri was always gloomy with her anticipated departure. Having said that, when she did go back, I liked how it played out very much. Point's for Cha Se-Gye who in hindsight recognised her depressed lack of response to his enthusiasm and treated it with compassion instead of recrimination.

Also in the latter episodes, it wasn't clear to me what was happening with the 'soul shifting' and had to go to the comments section and then watch the episodes again to understand it. Ultimately it was cleared up with the scene in the water where the souls are swapped but before then, I was scratching my head.

Endings like this always feel a bit deus ex machina to me - like Alchemy of Souls where the happy ending was nothing to do with the leads agency and entirely up to Jin Seol-Ran's decision to depart etc. but in this case, even though Seo-Ri was in limbo, I could get into the idea that Cha Se Gye remembered her coming back to save him in his past life and called her back. That was a great way of handling it. Then what I always like to see - the leads working together to solve that dramatic tension - in this case, the Choi Mun Do arc. I almost feel sorry for him.

As an aside, I really enjoyed seeing Lee Se Hee again after Young Lady and Gentleman, a show in which I really enjoyed her acting & character but thought overall it wasn't great. I'm looking forward to seeking out more of her past and future works. She really nailed it here.

In summary, A++. I always judge a show by how much I am enjoying myself while watching. A happy ending isn't very satisfying if you have to grind through 8 episodes of unhappy trauma to get there. In this case, I enjoyed watching at least 90% of it.

A simple trope handled in a fun and clever manner.

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Just watch episodes 1-9.

Overall I enjoyed the drama. The pacing was great, the acting was very good, the characters were engaging and likeable. the plot while convoluted, was easy enough to follow.

In my opinion, the first nine episodes provide a complete and satisfying story with solid beginning, a well developed middle and a happy ending.

The last three episodes that followed was just a tacked-on unnecessary unpleasantness for the viewer to sit through. I didn’t enjoy watching it and was disappointed that the the whole story that was wonderfully told was just undone. Why?

Them having a ‘fated’ meeting again in the last minute was unsatisfying as a ‘happy ending.’ it’s just not enough.

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My Favorite Drama - & here's why...

Just to be clear, this contains spoilers; so it's more for discussion rather than a recommendation - Although I do recommend it.

This was my second Asian drama series ever watched and having now watched about 70, I recognise it has unfortunately set a high bar.

The acting is good if a little wooden at times, but I think that is more due to the dialogue scenes being set up like a stage play. (Probably while standing on a bridge.) I think Jung So-min and Lee Jae-wook have great chemistry that builds authentically over the 20 episodes making the payoff in episode 20 so SO GOOD. The supporting cast really sold their roles too. Lot's of different personality types portrayed really well. I hated Jin Mu just the right amount; was wary but hopeful of the crown prince just the right amount; Cheerful with Park Dang Gu just the right amount; Intrigued by Seo Yul just the right amount. Really well cast.

Also a nod to the English dubbing. These days i find most dubbing awful and watch with subtitles but I thought these guys sold it.

The OST is amazing. I listen to it all the time. My only complaint is I can't find on Spotify, a version of Scars Leave Beautiful Trace that has the slightly off-beat metal ringing that's in the actual show. I'll keep looking.

World building: The incorporation of Korean history with fantasy elements to create the setting is really amazing. the personal and power interaction between elemental energy and divine powers is very cool. The background strife, drought and relics give the writers plenty of tools to help flesh out the story.

Story: The ML & FL have their mutual problems (Mu Deok a once powerful mage has lost her energy. Jang Uk has incredible potential but has no one will unblock his gate of energy.) They by chance meet and decide to help one another within a disguised symbiotic relationship. Their backgrounds inform their actions; Naksu / Mu Deok is ruthless and calculating and Jang Uk is clever, privileged but also somewhat naive. Their joint mission is to train Jang Uk up so he can transfer his power back to Mu Deok. They always move forward, with Mu Deok throwing Jang Uk into danger again and again and him 'failing-forward' to the best of his ability. This culminates in episode 18 where for reasons, they both decide to give away all their hard won achievements, leaving them only with each other and a new shared fate as husband & wife. I love the part in ep 19 where Jang Uk has to tell his 'mother' Maidservant Kim that who he's marrying. Classic.

Now; the crux of why I really like the show and - in hindsight - why I like it better than other k Dramas:
Both are resolute in their commitment to their cause and to each other. As their relationship evolves from one of convenience to one of dependence and then love, their honesty and commitment to each other never wavers (Except for the part with Kil Joo but that is a great relationship development moment for them both.)
I love it how they are both open and honest with each other,
Mu Deok Casually, "Yeah I stole and tried to sell the spirit plaque" Jang Uk just accepts it without comment even though he had been beaten severely for loosing it;
Mu Deok to Seo Yul, "I stole Jang Uk's money to go drinking and buy nice things. Do you want to come in?" leaving him dumbfounded.
Jang Uk always being forthright with his feeling towards Mu Deok, "I missed you too."
Step by step, the pragmatism and devotion of their relationship leaves no cracks for others. Even Seo Yul who has significant leverage has a tough time.

Seo Yul: "I like pine pollen tea snacks"
Shop Keeper to Mu Deok, "Would you like some?"
Mu Deok: "No." (Boom, shut down.)

Heo Yoon Ok to Jang Uk: "I made you a hangover cure, would you like..." *Jang uk has already turned and walked 20 feet away.*

One of my favorite parts (ep 10) is when Jang Uk finally gets into Songrim and they belatedly realise that it's separated them. All goals are put on hold and independently, both of them hyper-focus on getting back together again. It's really fun to watch.

It's also fun to see the friend circle evolve and recognise Mu Deok's special status as more than just Jang Uk's servant and they start to include her more as their own friend. An important evolution which has an impact in episode 20. (SO GOOD.) This is often recognised by other characters as, "Mu Deok, the servant that's always by his side."

So unlike a lot of dramas where the ML & FL constantly bounce off each other to unconvincingly end up together in the finale, Alchemy of Souls shows their relationship evolving and strengthening from within. All the drama is them leaning on each other to fight external conflicts together. I like this framework best.

Confession: I've literally watched this show - without exaggeration - ten billion times; and I still love it.

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