This review may contain spoilers
A waste of great casting
I went into Mantis mainly for the cast, and honestly, that was the only reason I managed to sit through the whole film. If it weren’t for them, I probably would’ve dropped it halfway. The action scenes were flashy and entertaining at times, but the storyline was such a letdown that it made the movie feel like a waste of talent.The story follows Han-ul, also known as “Mantis,” a legendary assassin famous for his skill. After taking a break from the killing world, he comes back to find his former company, MK Enterprise, in chaos following the death of its leader. From there, the film throws us into a power struggle where killers fight to claim the top spot. Han-ul starts a company with Jae-yi, his long-time friend, supporting her from the beginning and even requesting his chairman to give her a chance. However, their venture doesn’t last long, as Benjamin, a wealthy and manipulative young CEO, convinces Jae-yi that being Han-ul’s vice-chairman is a loss for her, prompting her to open her own company. Another retired assassin, Dok-go, also enters the fray, raising the stakes and making the competition even more intense.
On paper, this setup had so much potential. A story about rival assassins, power struggles, betrayal, and twisted loyalty could have been thrilling. Unfortunately, the execution just wasn’t there. The plot often felt messy, rushed, and sometimes illogical, leaving me more confused than invested. Instead of building strong character arcs or an emotional backbone to the story, it leaned too heavily on stylized action sequences that, while fun in the moment, didn’t carry the weight the movie clearly wanted them to.
What made it worse is how underutilized the incredible cast felt. With such a lineup of talented actors, you expect sharp writing and layered storytelling to back them up. Instead, the weak narrative wasted their potential, and even the dynamic between Han-ul and Jae-yi didn’t get the development it needed. Their friendship could have been the heart of the film, but it was overshadowed by plot holes and forced twists.
That said, I can’t deny the action scenes were entertaining. They were choreographed well enough to keep me from shutting the movie off completely. But action alone can’t carry a movie when the story feels this hollow. By the end, I wasn’t satisfied—I just felt like I had watched a film that could’ve been great but fell short because of poor storytelling.
Mantis isn’t the worst movie out there. I don’t really recommend it, but you can watch it if you want to see the cast in action or if you just want some flashy fight scenes.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Only Show That Never Disappoints
Alice in Borderland is honestly the only series that hasn’t disappointed me in all 3 seasons. Season 3 was another absolute masterpiece. The story was so well written, full of tension and twists that had me hooked from the very first episode to the last. The games were on another level creative, unpredictable and so intense that my heart was racing the whole time. What makes it even better is how deeply I found myself emotionally connected with the characters once again. Their struggles, their bonds and their growth pulled me in completely. Few shows manage to balance action, suspense and emotion the way Alice in Borderland does. Season 3 never let me down—it only reminded me why this show is truly one of a kind and a definite must watch.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Must-Watch
After such a long time, I finally watched Alchemy of Souls!! I honestly feel like I should’ve seen it earlier, but better late than never. I’d been watching rom-coms on streak and this drama completely shifted my taste. It’s the perfect mix of romance, fantasy, mystery, and history, and I was completely hooked.Storyline:-
The drama was kinda slow at first, but never boring, and actually really fun to watch. Most of the story built up slowly, which was enjoyable, but the real major events happened in episodes 17–19, which felt a bit rushed after the slow pacing. I was really excited to see the real Naksu fight, but… I wasn’t fully satisfied.
I didn’t like how she gave up her power so easily. I feel there could have been more drama or a bigger showdown—she could have kept the power longer or faced a proper fight that made my heart race. The fight with the soul shifter just didn’t hit as hard as I wanted; it wasn’t as thrilling as I imagined.
Characters:-
The characters were still great—every lead and side character had depth, and their interactions kept me engaged. The romance, friendships, and rivalries were all well done, which made the slow parts enjoyable.
Episodes:-
20 episodes, about 80 minutes each. Slow build, fun moments, but then a rushed climax. Even with that, I binged it because I wanted to see it all, and the world-building and relationships were satisfying enough to stay hooked.
Music:-
The OST is beautiful—“Scars Leave Beautiful Trace” is so good, and every lyric felt like it perfectly portrayed the characters’ emotions. I’m in love with it.
Final Thoughts:-
Alchemy of Souls is an experience. Intense, emotional, magical, and mostly unforgettable. After the finale and seeing the hints for Season 2, I had to give it a full 10/10. Even if some parts left me wishing for a bigger showdown, the drama still left a huge impact, and I’m beyond excited for what’s next. Though it wasn’t fully the way i wanted it to be, still i wanna say that, this is a must watch. It was worth watching.
Rating:- 10/10 — a must watch
Was this review helpful to you?
Worth watching only without expectations
I was so excited and had high expectations before watching this drama as people around me were praising it so much but after started watching it, i saw that i had it all wrong.The story line wasn’t so bad, I would say the storyline was good but this drama would have been far better if the acting of the casts were better, the female lead of this drama, her acting didn’t feel like real to me, I think its because i had so many expectations from it.
I couldn’t finish the whole drama cause it felt like a time waste totally, still i tried so hard to finish it and watched till 16episodes but it bored me. Some scenes were good, i have to agree, like the scenes from the beach and the scenes from aquarium, I liked those scenes. aside these it was pretty boring.
I think this drama would be good to you if you watch it without any expectations, don't watch it if you have too much expectations, then you will feel boring like me. This is a high school drama so it would be good to you if you are in school, maybe its worth one time watching. I don't know if I can but still I will try watching the rest episodes and see if it gets better after 16 episodes.
To be honest, the ost was pretty good and I'm kinda addicted to it<33
Was this review helpful to you?
