Reviews

Almost lost my mind with the annoying dragging of the lie till the last ep

Was this a good BL series? - No
Was the script good? -No
Was it entertaining? - Not really
Did I like it? - Not really
Did I keep watching it? - well hell yes!!!
Do I know why? - I have absolutely no idea.

Still I don't know what i feel about this series. Like I said it was not the best one and probably I will never re-watch it. But something made me keep watching it every week and to my surprise enjoying it as well.

I think it is the acting of the leads. They are good and have great chemistry. The side characters acting was also good. Otherwise I was absolutely frustrated with the script.

1.First off all the pilot trailer seemed really thrilling, but the series itself was nothing similar to that. There was nothing new rather then the general troupe of twin swap and love story in confusion.
2. Omg!!! I can't even complain about the writing of the series, what could have been a really great plot.. they just ruined it by dragging the lie to the very last episode.
3. The plot of the spy seemed to be completely unnecessary. It did add some jealousy element but that could have been easily done without the spy plot as well.
4. Never fully explored the backstory of both the twins. Why is Zee so rude to his teammates. I really don't like him.

Anyway, In conclusion I absolutely loved Frame and Ryan together. I support them and hope they get better projects in future would love to see them again.

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Good Romance Drama

This is just idol romance drama.
I am smiling while I am watching this drama.
Although it is old typical idol romance drama, some of plot lines and characters are quite okay. Both main lead actor and actress are quite fine in acting skills and good in chemistry and their chemistry is so lovely and sweet!!

The main reason I watched this drama is because of main lead actor, who I know actor from goodbye princess drama.

Although he looks older than his age, he is good at acting and quite confident on screen.
It may be due to he started acting on drama since 3 years old.
I enjoyed and keep smiling while watching this!!
At the last 5 episodes, the plots are shown different perspectives of female and male characters which is good!! They show independent women character who is working as professional career, is quite well and respectfully..

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I watched this movie years ago but I still remember its events clearly.
I was mostly attracted by the story : there was Action combined with romance (which is one of the favorite genres that I like to watch).
The story was like a moving painting with all the bright and dark sides of it just like other chinese Fantasy-Wuxia films that manages to keep you interested especially when there are fighting scenes on the screen.
The ending wasn't what we all want it to be but it's sort of expected for this genre of film.
If you're action-romance lover then this film's for you.

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How a bad lead character can ruin a show

This story is about a 70 year old woman that finds herself not being needed and feeling unwanted by her own daughter after spending her life raising her while running a restaurant. One day after an argument she leaves home and ends up at a shop where her appearance is changed, taking her back 50 years to her 20 year old self. Now in a much younger body she must decide what she will do and if maybe this is her chance to follow the dreams she abandoned long ago.

First this show has great side characters. The two male leads are great and fun to watch, the granddaughter is multifaceted, and the overall concept makes the story interesting. The music is also great which adds to the appeal. But, while I enjoy aspects of this show the things I do not enjoy outweigh the things I do. The cinematography is mostly done very well but the repetitive use of the close ups on the faces at a downward angle are really unflattering. It is such an odd camera angle and used so frequently that it is hard to overlook at times. The styling of the show also feels unbalanced making the show that is set in 2024 feel more like its decades behind.

The show's biggest blunder, however, is that it suffers from two major flaws. First is in the execution of the the main character's transmigration. Time travel and transmigration can be a bit tricky to get just right but there are so many examples of stories where leads went back in time or were able to start their lives over that were complete successes and that is due to the way the performances were delivered. As a viewer I have no problem with a 70 year old becoming a 20 year old again and having a second chance at achieving their dreams but for it to work the character has to feel like they are young again. This show gives us Mal Soon/ Do Ri who is taken back 50 years to appear as her younger self but she never once acts young. She continues to behave, dress, and speak exactly like her 70 year old self. This approach feels like a miss to me because I find that I can not connect with the character when she behaves in this way as it never feels like she is trying to achieve her dreams or change her life. She is just trapped in this younger body and instead of actively pursuing her dream of becoming a singer she is being dragged into it. This is also where the romance feels wrong to me. I can accept her falling in love with a man the same age as her appearance if she behaved that way but since she never sheds her 70 year old persona then the romance with a much younger man gives me a bit of the ick.

That leads me to the second major flaw and that is in the way the main character behaves. Mal Soon/ Do Ri is not a likeable character. She is arrogant and stubborn but without just cause to be that way and the way she treats the people around her is selfish. Her not being likeable at first would have been fine and would have shown character development and allowed the viewer to grow to like her. But 10 episodes in and this character is still not likeable. Not liking the titular character of a drama for the entirety does not make it an enjoyable watch. Especially for a show like this that is supposed to be a romance and a second chance at life.

The flaws are made more glaring when you see Park Jun become his younger self and actively accept the change and dress and behave as a 20 year old would. He still gives advice or makes comments with the wisdom of years as he would as an older man but he is believable as a young man and easy to root for. Mal Soon's daughter is another horrible character that you never find yourself feeling pity for because she is just as awful as Mal Soon. Even with the reveals that give some reasoning behind their actions I find that they are given too late in the show so there is no impact. The change in the characters occurs far too late in the series and is rather sudden instead of the gradual build up throughout that would have given the viewer more attachment to the story.

Could have been a good story but ultimately fails to capture any of the magic and 'what if' energy I usually get from watching transmigration stories. The last two episodes are touching but also confusing and ultimately underwhelming ending the series with many unanswered questions.

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one of the best thriller!

..... selama ini gw ngerasa ini salah satu thriller terbaik yg korea punya. Emang sih, cuma setelah gw rewatch untuk yg ke-2(?) kalinya malah ngerasa plotnya gampang ketebak(?) Semacam ada hintnya gitu knp si yooseok bisa semarah itu. Tapi balik lg sih, kalo baru pertama nonton pasti ga nyangka jalan ceritanya begitu awokwowko 🤣 sinematografinya ok sih, gelap2 gitu sesuai genre dan pengambilan gambarnya juga keren. Suasana thrilling sama horornya dapet. Terus bgm!!!!! Kacau banget, 11-12 ama parasite. Beneran sebagus & setepat itu momentnya. Untuk acting gausah ditanyain lagi la ya, gw mah percaya aja kalo yg maen kang haneul sm kim muyeol 😃👍🏻

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Many people would say why did they have to do a remake, others thought of it as an irritating act while they haven't even gave it a try !!
I hate judging something without giving it a try so I watched the remake; At first I was confused about the cast, it took me two episodes to get used to it then as the episodes went on I had great feelings for this drama: it's much faithfull to the manga than the original.
There were some personalities that differs from the original one ; some were great and some weren't, I didn't get disappointed while watching plus the ending was a little better than other versions.
Anyway , seeing Hana Kimi's story all over again deserve wasting my timee on it so don't care what people who haven't watched it say just give it a go and make your own conclusion.

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I would really commend the production and cast of the show since portraying a story within just 4 episodes is really not an easy task especially for the director and the cast who would convey the feelings of their character. Specifically this part of En of Love--Love Mechanics, I personally liked the #VeeMark. In my opinion, VeeMark visuals surpasses the TOSSARA, and there's a lot of emotions being poured by the character so i really commend the talent of War and Yin. The OST are sad, the opening song is sad, the ending song is sad, and Mark is sad :( I'm looking forward for more series that shall come to Mark and Yin. I hope this series becomes a success. I will recommend this.

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Alchemy of Everything...

Honestly, I was a little excited because of So Min and Jae Wook when the news broke out, and that was fair, but that’s it. I thought I’d check it out when it drops. When it premiered and the response was huge, including in my circle, I wanted to try out soon. Very happy to announce that it went beyond my expectations. Such a well-made drama with mind-blowing plot development and intriguing elements. If more of such dramas are made in Korea in future, this will definitely be in the top 5, along with “Arthdral Chronicles”.

Produced by ‘Studio Dragon’ & ‘High Quality’, “Alchemy of Souls (환혼)” is an adventure fantasy, set in an alternative period drama. Written by Hong sisters (Jung Eun & Mi Ran) and directed by Park Joon Hwa, the drama ran for 10 weeks, originally on tvN and internationally distributed by Netflix. The principal photography was done in the filming set worth 5 billion won, constructed in Maseong-myeon city of North Gyeongsang Province.

The show takes place in the backdrop of Daeho, a fictional country, and follows a tale of the mages protecting the world against the evil that is trying to bring back a legendary object that will be accompanied by chaos and destruction. ‘Alchemy of Souls’ is a prohibited process used to switch souls between bodies. It keeps at center, Naksu (Go Yoon Jung), an elite mage with unbelievable power, who gets trapped in the body of a mysterious girl, Mu Deok (Jung So Min), and loses her power. Then she meets Jang Uk (Lee Jae Wook), a young master who is in search of a master to learn spells as he was prevented to do so immediately since birth. Together they try to gain and regain their power, as they keep discovering the intertwined fate, they were in bound to come across.

Daeho have different lineages of families of mages, each of which play specific positions and are connected with the leadership of the royal family. Seo family owning Sejukwon the grand infirmary and hub for hospitality, Park family owning Songrim, the most influential space training best of mages, Jin family owns Jinyowon, the place of rarest items and host of powerful priestesses and Jang Family, the hire to the Danju of Chunbugwan , the record keeping organization.

Seo Yul (Hwang Min Hyun) and Park Dang Gu (Yoo In Su) are Songrim mages with ParK Jin (Yoo Jun Sang) as the leader. Heo Yeom (Lee Do Kyung) is the leader of Sejukwon and Maidservant Kim (Oh Na Ra) is the housemaker at Jang Family. Jin Ho Kyung (Park Eun Hye) is the leader of Jinyowon with her daughter Jin Cho Yeon (Arin). Jin Mu (Jo Jae Yoon) is the Asst. Danju at Cheonbugwan. Go Won (Shin Seung Ho) is the crown prince, whereas Go Soon (Choi Kwang Il) and Seo Ha Sun (Kang Kyung Heon) are the King and the Queen of Daeho. Ju Wol (Park Soo Jin) is the leader of Chwiseollu, the place of gisaengs.

Plot development is amazing, very balanced at that, with fair share of twists, peaks and revelations in each episode, that are well-explained at their due time. The connecting plots have been arranged and embellished in a way that it intrigues at each point. The introduction itself was gratifying, indicating an appealing journey ahead, and the furtherance in next few episodes was smooth and engaging. The plot elements get intertwined soon after and everything seems intricated, as intended by the makers and the paced revelations of key facts is what makes the audience to keep going with the show throughout.

Hong sisters never disappoint. Just like their previous dramas, this was amazing and probably their career best, for the story and concept is unique, the elements are intriguing as well as overwhelmingly outstanding, the plot development is pleasing and the twists plus revelations are astonishing to core. Some facts were a bit assumable but considering the number of key elements and lengthy runtime of the drama, that’s very low. The characters have been built-up with great care and have fair shares of depth to themselves and the development of the ML Jang Uk was visibly very gratifying. The process of unveiling the mystery bit by bit was entertaining and satisfying.

Park Joon Hwa PDnim for the ace he is, has come back stronger after 3 years with the drama, which prolly is his first period fiction even though its an alternate fantasy; this should go to one of his best dramas list. The amount of time taken for the production is definitely worth seeing the outcomes, both the quality, the experiences and the response of audience, i. e. the popularity. The scenario setup for all of the major places were aptly done, along with the maintained and regulated changes to the actual culture. Both the CGI & VFX work were well-incorporated as necessitated which should be sufficiently commended. The cinematography also deserves an A+.

Composed by Nam Hye Sung PDnim, the show has a good set of OSTs
# “Scars Leave Beautiful Trace” by Car, the Garden felt like a force of motivation to me than a confession of love. The lyrics is beautifully coded to empower someone’s willpowers and is my most favorite for the way its been used in the drama.
# “Aching” by Kassy is soulfully melancholic song about foregone adversities that have caused immense pain until achieving prosperity. The notes of the chorus is gut-wrenching.
# “Just Watching You” by Jung Se Woon is a touching divulgence of sweet memories to create with someone you are in love with. The lyrics is very well-versed.
# “Raindrops” by Gummy is heartfelt rendition of one’s emotions of being loved at times of odd.

The other 3 tracks are…
# “You’re Everything to Me” by Shin Yong Jae
# ‘Breath” by Kim Na Young
# ‘Love Letter (with you)” by Big Naughty

The concept of alchemy and controlling earthly elements with the flow of energy, rather than citing it as just magic tricks, came as a very fresh illustration of fantasy in Kdramas and the idea od ice stone as well as the process of performing soul-shifting were as beguiling. I loved how this basic aspect were incorporated throughout into an interconnected and intricate narrative, involving the characters and to ease the murkiness in the ambience, we got moderate comedy, teen romance, heartful confessions and everything else that we see in modern drama.

The drama and its alternative world gave the makers the advantage of altering and introducing aspects historical without any hesitation, hence bringing out unique propositions, from outfits to cultures and from architecture to laws of the land. The modification of hanboks into solid and designed clothes, while preserving the basic outlines plus the various hairstyles and dyed hair, and then the simple accessories, all of them felt very fresh. I particularly loved them not abiding to the strict-law formulas, that we often see in real sageuk dramas, which also included no class differentiation among people though there were poors and riches.

I came to admire the narrative surrounding the mighty “ice stone” and how both Jang Uk and Mu Deok utilized their knowledge to decipher the underlying meanings and take actions as necessary. The idea of defining it as a medium for the flow of energy between the sky and the earth, in an indescribable form than a mere stone of ice, did strike me to core. The use of elements like Gwigu and ‘Word of Hearts’ as props were very well-handled. The legend of Master Seo Gyeong and the charismatic acts of Master Lee plus his discovery of certain other elements were both entertaining and enticing.

The storytelling was able behold everyone’s interest for its way of defining characters, elements and sub-stories, all combined into a beautifully appealing script. Hong sisters got wise about dividing the entire development of the current time with multiple narratives: the 200-year-old chaos, the 10-year-old misfortunes, the past of Naksu and Mu Deok, the current tragedy, Jang Uk’s journey, Jin Mu’s pans, etc. The careful establishment of connnections between different subplots and explanations for each suspicion have been very adequately done.

The incorporation of the swords and using it as a part of casting spells, controlling energy and performing different tricks was another intriguing element that I loved the most. The way the sword demanded the master’s competence to get activated and their appearances as in the designs sketched over were beautiful. Every duel between the mages were absolute treats with the well-organized actions. The performance of “alchemy of souls” and the graphics used to represent were bewitching to begi with and Naksu did it the best, be it in her own body or in Mu Deok’s.

Jung So Min and Lee Jae Wook chemistry will surely be a favourite, for the manner in which the relationship between them developed with two dimensions was an amazing experience. It was like two people altering their moods on two sides of a sheet in the same room. The way Jang Uk’s mood changes from Seonsaeng-nim to Mu Deok-ah in just seconds, I could not help but laugh until my stomach hurt. I guess those unsettling boundaries made them fall in love without their conscious and I particulary loved Uk’s way of showing his emotions.

Jung So Min is actually talented and I really hope she gets to play roles of different spectrum from now on. The duality she carried in two contrasting moods, Naksu and Mu Deok, was tremendously delivered; I can say she has improved a lot in a decade and this will be one of his best performances. Escalating the country-style habit of speech to behavior of Mu Deok to the solid and steady manners of Naksu, and vice versa, wasn’t really that smooth of a task.

Jang Uk had evidently the best character development among all bc of how his character was built-up from the scratch; from a guy with no power to turning a powerful mage who can outrank everyone else easily, we saw a engaging jouney, with Naksu obviously. Idk what but I presume it was his love for Mu Deok that also nourished him to be a thoughtful and wise man and made him carry out tasks that nobody thought he’d do or be able to. His expressions are something else; one moment he’s too serious and then he becomes an innocent puppy; his playfulness around Mu Deok were admirable. Lee Jae Wook deserves all the praises and appreciations for his acting, I hope his era is finally here.

Shin Seung Ho as the Crown Prince was developed with good amount of attention and honestly his character grew in an unexpected direction; be it his bromance with Jang Uk or his tease-party with Mu Deok, I loved his interactions with others, when I thought he will not have much to do in the story. But at the end, I ended up admiring him so much. Arin and Min Hyun as rookie stars did deliver nice; Cho Yeon had limited time but she appeared so geaceful and Seo Yul as a handsome and talented mage, might not have much importance in the story, but he shined very bright within his character. Yoo In Su as Park Dang Gu was a great source of humor and his presence in the scenes did lighten the mood, for sure.

Final Remarks… I don’t think I have much left to confess about the drama but I can say with confidence that everything about the drama has influenced me a lot, in various ways and various points. The fact that most of aspects from writing to direction and acting to outcomes, have been a good experience, we must appreciate the team for their efforts in making a nearly flawless piece of art. I also wanna commend them for bringing this amazing cast together and it will stay in the memory forever.

If you are fan of sageuks or fantasy or alternate realities and adventure, this is a very good compilation of all of that, presented in a gratifying manner. There should be no doubt in starting it if you are still in the dilemma due to the longer runtimes and 20 episodes bc the time invested will be worth. I am happy they cleared the air about the possible 2nd part with confirming its arrival late this year, before finishing this one, so I will be eagerly waiting for my new year treat, hehe. Also, its needed bc the original script is that long and the makers had already decided on it, even before beginning the project, so no complaints.

PLEASE WATCH THIS!

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A spoonful of sugar helps the dodgy script go down

This show aimed high, but ultimately missed the mark. Much of the blame lies with the script.

Let's take a step back and look at the fundamentals. Early plot progression feels like bullet points in a presentation. It leaps about rather than flows.

Our FL went from hero to zero in a few scenes. Her whole backstory was summarised on the back of a napkin and took about as long to play out on screen.

Two issues are soon apparent. Firstly, this drama is based on a web novel, but it cherry picked key scenes and subplots. The connective tissues between plots feels weak.

For instance, the FL in the novel died and soul swapped with a girl from a poorer family. This is the foundation of her story arc and eventual growth. Our FL didn't die so it is more a sidestep than a do-over. It fundamentally altered the depth of her struggles. I understand changes are part of adaptation. However, this seemed to be the low road.

Secondly, whatever tracking device the FL is using, I want one! Any time the FL is in mortal danger, either the ML or her sifu will come to her rescue. It is uncanny.

A case in point, our BLIND female lead "stumbled" up a mountain while being chased. Really? After falling down a cliff, she is found by her sifu who happens to be tramping there. Really? The plot armour is next level!

There are also serious plot holes. From a young age, the FL was forced to take on the identity of her stepbrother, He Ru Fei. I have nightmares about masks now, just saying.

Her brother returns at the beginning of this series. Pushes her aside unceremoniously and subsumed all her glories and merits. He then poisons, blinds and tries to silence her with extreme prejudice. What brotherly love!

Then this "fake/real" General He arrives in court to accuse the ML's dead father of traitorous acts. The man has a different voice, is a head taller than the FL. Nobody notice that?! Including those who fought next to her for years. That plot hole is big enough to drive a Big White Truck of Doom™ through!

But wait, there is more! The first dozen or so EP has the FL playing Mulan in a training camp. We have all the cliché moments. They are low hanging fruits.

My jaw dropped when the ML suddenly realises the FL is a girl the moment her chest touches his back. Holy Mother of Drama Gods! How? Did the FL not bind her chest? She dressed as a man every day and nothing "shows". Inconceivable!

I almost sloth quit several times by this point but I hung on with grim determination. Sunk cost fallacy is real, my friend.

The show changed tack and sends them on an undercover mission as a married couple. Yes, you guessed it. All the couple/dating tropes got an airing. Oh, the sugar hits, I gave it a second chance. I'm weak, ok? Don't judge me!

I can't deny our OTP have their swoon-y moments. It did drag on for too long. When we finally get THE confession, the skinship blossoms. It was rainbow and unicorns for a while, but another problem looms.

Normally, we would get a final confrontation with the antagonist just before the HEA ending. In this case, it happened several eps too soon. We did get an episode of fan service, and I can't complain. There is no way we are going to get 4 eps of fan service. I'm not that naïve.

Sure enough, the show hit us with the angst train. To wit, the SML manipulated the King so that he can wed the FL by royal decree, thus sundering our OTP.

Speaking of the King, he is the ultimate plot device. Need someone punished, the King! Need someone send to the frontiers, the King! Need a wedding planner . .

To cut the story short, the FL marched into the palace and told the King this is total BS. Think Éowyn from LoTR. ;) Instead of sending her to the salt mine, he capitulated. Just. Like. That.

Our leads simply sworn to forsake all others and carries on. Geez, that's a win-win for His Majesty. Did we just wasted an episode?

The predictable ending arrives. I'm not going to spoil it. One hint, the show came full circle. ;)

It pains me to pen this. I had high hopes. It should be a slam dunk. When it is good, it is watchable. The battle scenes are mostly style over substance, but they are well done. The romance is sweet with a decent amount of skinship. Acting is decent. The sets, costumes and OST are solid. It just needs a good script. Did no-one proofread it?

So close, yet so far. Peace.

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Story: 5/10
* Most brownie points goes to the 2nd lead's story development.
* Minus 2 for Se Ri's foiled escape plan on multiple repeats plus a lot of cheesy unnecessary (although I acknowledge that cheesiness is subjective. lol)
* Minus 3 for the senseless tragedy towards the 2nd leads. They sacrificed the 2nd leads story just to inject a sob story which isn't even necessary. We know it's unnecessary because the main story will still stand even in the absence of GSJ's death.

Cast: 10/10
* I'm feeling generous because everyone did deliver and no obvious flaws. Most brownie points goes to Ye Jin, Jung Hyun and Ji Hye.

Music: 7/10
* I like classical music so it is a plus.. But the scoring, in general, does not really evoke a remarkable emotion--like when you hear the background music, for example, in your mind you see a flashback and you suddenly remember the emotion it evoked.

Rewatch Value: 1 (Just seeing clips of Seo Dan and Seung Jun hurts so nope, not gonna watch it again).

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