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Since i am a big fan of Sports in series i had to give it a shot!.
Let me start about the cast which is totally build of new actors from which it is the first drama they made.The acting was So-So and you could clearly see that some of them are still lacking.
The story is about a player Kang-San who is struggling his ways trough the bad era to become a successful basketball player.In the very first episode its starting of pretty good and tempt you to watch more episodes.Right after the first episode its becoming insanely slow and very dramatic,so much that its clearly not only about basketball anymore but about powers of the japanese goverment.Finally after the first 4-5 episodes the ball starts rolling and you get some basketball action which where i was waiting for.It was a very short happy time i can tell you and it went back into the pace of Govermental powers and betrayal.In that part i was very dissapointed and this series lacks allot of sport action!
However it still became kinda interesting at some point and was worth to follow trough with it and also became kinda fun to watch from episode 5 on till the end i would say.I enjoyed it atleast.
The romance in this series isn't as bad as in the comments i read but WAYYYY TOO DRAMATIC! The people cry way to much and at some point you get really sick of the over dramatic reactions and that is then exxactly the point where the acting was not so good.Its really irritating when someone Talk-Stop-talk,wait3sec and talk again!.The first few times you wont notice this but at the end of the series you will get irritated a bit and just wanna skip that part.As end-result i would say its a bearable romance but i wouldn't wanna see more of it.
I'm not going to spoil any of the series and i wont but the ending! OMFG!
i dunnow whether you would call it an ending xD.So i would highly suggest you watch it yourself and decide upon it haha.
I know the series was cut-down to 18 episodes and would leave out some after-part,but they could have atleast putted some effort in finishing it of which they clearly didn't i am not sure whether they ever will continue this series or just leave it as it is.
Conclusion: For the people who cant decide to watch it yes or no? i would say just watch it because it ain't as bad as the people say and for sure have some enjoyable time in the series however if you are looking for hardcore basketball action just stay away from the series and try to watch a good sports-anime!.
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Visually stunning, Tragically beautiful.... Unsatisfying ending
If you a fan of mystery thrillers, then this is a must watch. It's got a similar feel to "13 years of Dust", "Bad Kids", "The Pavillion" so on....Well directed & perfect casting! The synopsis already explains what the story is about, so I won't recap that.
What I loved:
Entire Cast:
1. Young Nan Ya matches the mature Nan Ya. I loved that they didn't use the same actress trying to play down. Obviously, you can't really fake youth and all that collagen. Young Na Ya had the innocence slowly lost.
Mature Na Ya is played by Tong Yao who to me has a 70% resemblance to Zhang Zi Yi's facial features, but she definitely has her unique beauty and acting style. Physically, the natural makeup, lighting, camera works captured her best angles & every curve. She's definitely got that mature beauty that younger boys can fantasize about. Acting, I think she nailed the character Nan Ya perfectly.
2. Zhang Xin Cheng playing Zhuo Luo. He's one of the few talented actors that can play young mature characters that tend to internalize all emotions and explode one day.
3. Ye Zu Xin playing the cop that returned to the town. Nan Ya was his first love and there are definitely regrets in his gaze.
Actual Story: Everyone is intertwined. There are secrets, jealously, lies, betrayal, love, lust, obsession, every human emotion possible. However, it's not for the faint of heart as there are some serious disturbing subjects.
Set/lighting/makeup/production quality: Visually stunning. The small-town feel is uniquely beautiful.
Poetry & Music: It's very artistic. The music elevates every emotional scene.
Decent pacing until ep 14 then felt slow. Ending...... Hate it....... A moment of "Did I just spent 28 x 53 min episodes for this kind of ending? ...... Tragic on its own.
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This review may contain spoilers
one of the few positive responses. i loved this drama A LOT!
Honestly, this drama DIDN'T disappoint. I have decently high expectations for dramas, and this drama was absolutely amazing for me. I found very little complaints, but I really enjoyed watching this drama. Never have I been SO obsessed with a drama before. I'm sure everyone has their own expectations and opinions though. I watched this drama because of my brother, he recommended it to me. I was supposed to watch it when it was done airing, but seems not. I never regret waiting for it to air or watching it before I was supposed to. I was instead, grateful that I decided to watch it.The acting was absolutely amazing. Seo In Guk portrayed emptiness in Myul Mang before he met Tak Dong Kyung, and it just seemed like his world lit up when they started dating. He did it perfectly, from beginning to end. Park Bo Young also did a brilliant job, portraying a character with limited days left before she dies, who ends up making one of the biggest risk of her life. While Shin Do Hyun, Kang Tae Oh, and Lee Soo Hyuk didn't have as much screen time, they did a decent job. I liked Cha Joo Ik and Lee Hyun Gyu's brotherhood and Na Ji Na's relationship with Tak Dong Kyung's family.
The OSTs were out of this world. I liked every single one, from Part 1 to Part 7. They reached top tracks on my Spotify, and I guess that shows something. The music and sound effects were really nice. I liked how each song kind of showed a certain part of the drama. Breaking Down by Ailee showed when there was tension. Love Sight by TXT showed happiness and it played on their dates and sweet moments. U by Baekhyun played the more sad, sweet scenes. I Wanna Be With You by Gummy plays like U, sad and sweet scenes. All of My Love by Davichi is more towards happy scenes, where the couples are just together, enjoying their time. This is Love by Sondia plays during the 2nd lead scenes. Distant Fate by Seo In Guk has that really sad sound and I guess plays during the emotional scenes. But anyway, I really love the OSTs for this drama!
One complaint, yes I only have one. It is that the 2nd lead storyline is kind of poorly developed. Yes, Na Ji Na ends up with Cha Joo Ik in the end, but it was a little confusing. Maybe not confusing, but it could get boring at times. In the beginning, Na Ji Na really needed to get her feelings sorted out. The kind of jump with the love triangle between ep 1-14 and ep 15-16 was kind of like a "wait wtf happened." But anyways, this was a minor complaint of mine.
I would recommend this drama to anyone who asks me, as I personally LOVED it. I've read others reviews and majority of it are a 6.0 or lower, but it's okay. I don't mind ratings or other reviews, because I understand everyone has personal preferences. I just know very well I love this drama a lot, and yeap, I think that's all iIhave to say.
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On the other hand, Jang Hyeondo, his friend is the opposite, a not so perfect human being who comes from a rich household, and is the son of the president of a large company.
The story mainly revolves around these two households and the complex and hidden past history between them.
While the story is rather stereotypical, and is played out mainly for the shock factor as with most morning dramas, it is executed rather well, and this is testament to a very strong main cast. In fact, it was this main cast by which I first decided to watch this drama.
Lee Joon Hyuk, probably most well known for his appearance in Stranger, plays the protagonist, and while he doesn't have much wiggle room here as he plays a rather boring, dense, yet perfect human being, he has some noteworthy highlights in the drama.
Lee Sang Yeob, I only really remembered from Running Man, plays the typical spoilt rich kid, and acts as a great comedic relief in all situations. His character development throughout the story is a focus throughout, and is probably the highlight of the entire drama. His acting, while sometimes over the top, may just be a result of the role and genre he's been put in.
Kyung Soo Jin, who I briefly remembered from Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, plays the role of almost a support role, as her story barely has anything to do with the overarching plot. That said, her story, romance aside, was probably the most relatable and had the most tear jerking moments for me personally.
Chae Soo Bin, who I saw on I'm not a Robot and Where Stars Land was probably my biggest reason for starting this drama. She plays the role of a very cheerful and strong sort of character, who bottles up most of her sad feelings. She is probably the biggest victim and most affected character of the plot.
The best moments in my opinion were not in the main story, rather it was the cute interactions between these characters, and the funny moments unravelled as a result. Each character each has a loveable trait about them, despite how frustated I was at them as part of the overarching plot. I was especially surprised by how much I liked the character of Jeong Soo Kyung, Hyeondo's mother.
The story does suffer from a lot of pacing issues, and some plot holes, but this is what I expected from a morning drama. It didn't get too complex in my opinion, and I thought it was rather well executed throughout. What it was though was a nice, relaxing watch, with some enjoyable and funny scenes stacked throughout the middle of it to keep me interested enough to finish the series.
The music was great in my opinion, with some recycled one hit wonders, and a memorable main opening track (probably because I listened to it 50 times.) I found myself laughing out loud at the overexaggerated dramatical music on some scenes, but I didn't really think that was a bad thing. The OST in general is superb.
All in all, this drama is probably not for someone who's expecting the next amazing concept or script. It is a generally light hearted, feel good, funny, over the top, and relaxing watch for people who need a break from the usual intense, or typical rom-com genre. Coupled with an amazing cast, I would definitely recommend this for people who want an intro to the morning drama genre.
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First of all, I absolutely loved the plot and the characters. Oh God the characters...
It's actually my first time seeing Ji Chang Wook on screen so to say the least, the first impression he made on me will surely last. He just captivated me with his role as Healer. And he can be supper adorable when he's acting all weak and innocent!!
This is also my first time seeing the lead actress and I must say, I like her. She suited her role and nailed it. At the first 2 episodes I wasn't sure what to think of her character, but just soon after she easily won me over completely. Her character is just adorable and simply lovable, especially how she's not bitter about having a rough childhood. I personally don't see a reason for not liking her character.
I also loved the mother. I loved Yoo Ji Tae's character. He's a perfect representation of a human's conflict with morals and feelings. He's also warm, helping and just too cute when he grins :D I absolutely loooooved Ahjummaa hahaha she just kept cracking me up. The characters' role was very suiting, long side all the other secondary characters that were helpful to the leads. They all take a little space in your heart. Just seeing the leads around these nice secondary characters will put you at ease. I also found the post office and all who worked in it very home-y and awesome.
Yeong Shin's father and her father's helper also cracked me up, especially when acting overprotective and all XD
I also liked how the characters handled the situations they were in. There were no stupid fights over frustrating misunderstandings. There were no secondary characters butting in on the lead's love. I seriously can't stand those misunderstanding that happen because of another character who loves one of the leads. I mean a love triangle can be fun sometimes, but other times it just drives one crazy.
Even the bad characters, although irritating and infuriating, they weirdly enough aren't so annoying. They make you want to kill them, yes. But you'll simply feel hate, not annoyance.
Another thing that made me fall in love was the fact that this was basically the first love for both the lead characters. It made it feel so sincere and innocent. I mean, who wouldn't like a guy who never dated before or had much interest in girls before and a girl who also didn't date and has been saving herself to be their fist love? It just instant;y screams LOYALTY to your face. It's a kind of love we would innocently dream of as kids. So to see it displayed is a dream come true.
It didn't focus much on comedy as much as it focused on thriller, drama, action and romance.Still, the few moments that were funny can sure drive you to laugh. And even without those funny moments, a lot of other parts can easily put a smile on your face (My biggest weakness was when Jung hoo ((Healer)) smiled around Yeong shin).
To be honest, at parts, I felt bad for moon ho's brother, but I suppose he chose this fate.
Over all, this drama will do things to your heart.Trust me. Some parts will drive you to tears. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you smile. Some will just move a feeling inside that you cannot explain. Also the soundtracks are soft, sweet and relevant.
It will make you long for it once you finish it. You won't feel too comfortable seeing the characters who played it act in other dramas because the character you have for them in your head will stay these characters of Healer for a while. Or at least, that's how it goes for me.
Memorable drama. It will make you happy. Watch now! NOW! Go what are you waiting for!
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Atypical Journey with 'Atypical Family
"Atypical Family" is a paradox in itself - it presents a family that seems ordinary on the surface, yet the drama is anything but typical. It brims with unique concepts, shifts paradigms, and consistently breaks the mold. The heroes deviate from the standard hero archetype, the female lead is not your usual damsel, and her family, too, is far from ordinary. The male lead possesses one of the most unique, and indeed, atypical powers that I've ever seen in the realm of Kdramas!This drama weaves a therapeutic narrative, laden with suspense. It keeps you on tenterhooks till the last moments, maintaining its unpredictable charm even in the last seconds of the final episode. It’s the kind of drama that you don't just watch but experience.
What began as a time-pass during a meal, turned into a captivating, then heartwarming, and finally an incredibly rewarding journey! The brilliance of the writing is evident in the flawless time-travel sequences, a concept that is notoriously difficult to handle well.
The direction is commendable! The melancholic vibe, reminiscent of the "My Mister" color palette, and the stunning OST – I'm obsessing over it! "Atypical Family" is so refreshingly different that it has set a new standard in my over two decades of Kdrama viewing. It's a travesty that it's not drawing the attention it deserves. Perhaps it appeals more to a mature audience?
Each episode outdoes the last, and the female lead! She's a revelation! Every time she sheds a tear, it tugs at my heartstrings. Her acting prowess is commendable, and she's a vision of beauty. Overall, "Atypical Family" is a must-watch! It’s a beautifully atypical gem that breaks stereotypes and sets its own rules.
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This review may contain spoilers
They Had a Story… Until They Forgot What It Was
I’m Still Trying to Figure Out What HappenedThe beginning had me hooked. It felt like there was a real story behind it, a clear direction, interesting characters, and you could feel that the writers had a plan. I remember thinking, “Okay, this could be really good.”
And then… somewhere along the way, they lost it.
I honestly don't know when it happened, but it felt like the writers slowly forgot what story they were telling. Every few episodes there was another secret, another identity, another problem, another plot twist. And instead of making the original story stronger, everything just became more and more messy.
It felt like they started with a concept they were genuinely excited about and then got bored halfway through.
It's like I can hear the production team say:
"This was supposed to be the story."
"Yeah, well... let's add this."
"And this?"
"Sure."
"Does it make sense?"
"Who cares, we need to finish." 😂😂😂
And the romance really didn't help.
I'm sorry, but the female lead and male lead had almost zero chemistry for me. She was so cold and expressionless most of the time that I kept wondering whether she was actually in love with him or simply following instructions.
She gave me serious “Step 1: stand here. Step 2: say this line. Step 3: look at him for three seconds. Step 4: leave.” energy.
I kept waiting for some real emotional connection between them.
Nothing.
I wanted to believe in their relationship, but I just couldn't feel it.
And then we got to the final episode.
Those last 11 minutes...
I'm sorry, but WHAT WAS THAT?
😂
They spent the whole drama building all these storylines and conflicts and then apparently remembered at the very last minute that they had to actually end the drama.
Eleven minutes.
They tried to resolve EVERYTHING in eleven minutes.
Everything suddenly happened so fast that I wasn't even emotionally involved anymore. I was just watching and thinking, “Are we seriously doing this?”
It was rushed, unbelievable and honestly a little insulting to the audience.
At that point I started wondering if the actors' managers and agencies actually read the whole script before agreeing to the drama.
Do they read the ending?
Do they know what happens?
Or do they just say, “The first few episodes look good, the cast is good, let's go!”?
Because I cannot imagine reading that final episode and thinking, “Yes, this is a satisfying conclusion.”
The sad thing is, I don't think this drama was hopeless.
That's what makes it frustrating.
There was something here.
The beginning proved it.
But somewhere along the way, it feels like they completely lost their original idea. They started with a concept, then wandered away from it, got lost somewhere in the middle, and eventually just wanted to get home.
By the end, I didn't even feel angry.
I was just disappointed.
That particular kind of disappointment where you sit through the final scene thinking:
“Oh… that’s it? Just two images of horseback riding in the desert and an open question from the ML: ‘Will you walk with me again?’ Seriously? That’s the ending???”
And then the credits roll and you're sitting there wondering why you invested all those hours.
I don't hate Royal Betrothal.
I just wish it had been the drama it seemed like it was going to be.
The beginning made me excited.
The middle made me confused.
The romance made me question my eyesight.
The last 11 minutes made me question reality.
I came for the story.
I stayed because I wanted to see how it would all come together.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the story itself got lost.
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Character Settings of Strong Male and Female Leads !
When I heard this novel would be adapted to drama and the casts are Yang Yang and Zhao LuSi, I knew it would be a good drama.I read the novel many years ago and quite like the character settings of the strong male lead and female lead. Since the novel was very famous in those years, many novels after that imitated this setting. The author wrote this novel in her early stage, so it's not her mature work. The storylines and plots in the novel are fragmentary. That's why the drama has to add a lot of political plots in it to make it rich and complex. If the director and screenwriter didn't leave halfway, this drama would be on another higher level. Anyway, it is still a good drama worth to watch.
Yang Yang is very picky in choosing drama, so the next costume drama would be 5 years later...... ? His looking is spotless, the 'Ceiling of Chinese Costume Drama'. And Zhao LuSi finally collaborated with an actor matching her looking. This combination is my dream of costume drama!
I love the strong female character in a drama! The strong is not only in spirits but also in physical strength. She can protect herself and her surrounding people. There are two best strong female leads in my heart. One is Bai Fengxi/Feng Xiyun. The other is Zhao Jian (in 'Young Blood'). They are both strong, smart and interesting from beginning to end. The male lead is not everything in her life, with him, is just like 'a strawberry on the top of a cake'. Without him, she still has the ability to feed herself and survive in the world.
I think the purpose of the drama is to deliver the idea that throne is less important than people and peace. And you have the right to choose the life you like, instead of others expect you to be. Everyone cares about different things in life. BFX and HFX think each other is the most important thing in life. That's why they made the choice in the end. Although the end is not perfect enough, I believe they will find solutions and live in happiness.
Overall, after this drama, I'm afraid all the costume dramas in the future would rarely have this perfect male and female settings, healthy and equal relationship plus the dream actor & actress. If there are, that would be a treasure! ❤❤❤
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Too close to RL or not close enough?
I think this drama will have a solid core of supporters but also its fair share of detractors.I find myself in two minds about this show as well. Fundamentally, this series is uniquely Korean. Its main subject matter will be much more relatable to locals who has children who has lived through exam hell or spent half their youth in tutoring academies themselves. However, even then, there are those who would consider this not realistic enough and is nothing more than dramatisation.
I suppose from my perspective, this show is much more "real" than the usual romcom. Even those set in a tutoring ecosystem like Crash Course in Romance feels almost cartoon-y in comparison.
This is a double-edged sword. The day-to-day aspect is a bit dull. There is a lot of jockeying of positions and details about the Korean education system, especially the last years leading up to the all mighty CSAT. The fact that our leads teaches Korean literature makes it harder for non-Korean to form a connection. Any nuisance about a particular author or a piece of writing is mostly lost in translation.
This is not helped by a slow burn romance. There is a lot of push-pull in the beginning. The age difference and their original teacher/student status adds to the complication. While the ML is all in, the FL is very hesitant to accept his advances. While some scenes are touching and heart fluttering, the majority are mundane, and work related. This improves once they are a couple and there are more emphasis on them. Nevertheless, most episodes are dialogue heavy.
The acting of our leads definitely help to steady the ship and made it watchable. The ML is handsome in a manly way and the FL has good chemistry with him. Their portrayals are on point. The rest of the ensemble cast is a mixed bag. Most of the senior cast members did well. The grey witch’s role is a challenging one and SJY is a class act. However, some of the lesser support roles are one dimensional.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed this show. This is not your typical idol drama full of beautiful people. This one will not grab you from the opening scene and hook you till the end. You have to be patient, invest your time and walk a mile in their shoes to appreciate their struggles. These are mostly normal people doing a challenging job. BTW, I’m glad that there are no murders or psycho stalker. I’m getting tired of that trope.
OST is fine and catchy. I doubt I’ll rewatch this drama anytime soon.
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This review may contain spoilers
You really have to turn your brain off before watching. Is the chemistry between Jae Hyun and Jimmy good? Sure. They are cute. Yoon Oh and Peach as characters have good dynamics with contrasting personalities. But is this enough to watch the show?
I feel like the show tried to portray the subjects of loss, regret, miscommunication/lack of communication. How some people can be so focused on their own feelings, they can’t see other people and the truth that is there. It all felt extremely flat though. Having not much screen time, it’s not wise to add many plot lines and side characters. Pick one main and one side plot and develop them as well as you can - that’s the way to go.
Quite a number of things make no sense. Peach staying at his dead friend's house, and no one questions it. The investigation of the police was a joke itself. Yoon Oh can manipulate objects in real life, since his mom heard him playing the guitar, but it’s not really brought back for them to communicate with each other in any way? Give him a laptop, making him type! Peach flirting with the air with the people around him. These are just a few things that happened without proper explanation, and were there just for the sake of the plot progression, even though they made little sense.
The biggest let down was Yoon Oh’s relationship with his mom. It would be an amazing plot for his character development and driving force of the show, but they decided to just… resolve it in the first half of the show and bring it back at the end. This should be the focus!
The quality of the acting depends on the actor. Jae Hyun for sure does well in his role, while Jimmy struggles quite a bit. He has improved a lot since his Why R U days, but I don’t think he has yet reached the level worth compliments. Got to love them dry crying scenes.
The drama is for sure pretty. Saved quite a few screenshots. The cafe scenes were just aesthetic heaven for me. The soundtrack was also one of the better aspects of the show. All songs were fitting the scenes they were used for.
Overall, it was all just misdelivery. Not once have I felt sad, even with such an emotional topic. Yoon Oh vanishing Thanos style made me laugh my ass off at the end, especially with how they robbed fans of that kiss.
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Nothing special here...
I really don't get it, with what mindset it was written. Damn, we live in 2021 and this drama is using concepts of a decade ago. I'm still shocked how did I bring myself to watch 45 episodes without dropping coz it wasn't definitely worth it. The story and its execution were poorly done. In the end, we get nothing more than a typical Cinderella story.CEO ML, naive/innocent FL, bitchy SFL, irritating SML plus unsupportive parents, silly misunderstandings and unnecessary jealousy, plotting against FL, childhood connection, betrayals well WOW I mean how can we have all cliches together in one drama. Okay yeah, I liked FLs character a bit she's talented, hardworking, kind, and lovely still there's something missing. To be honest not a big fan of MLs character here... and not big fan of some of his actions also. Well as I said SML was kinda irritating so there's no chance of getting SLS. None of the characters here realistic. So in the end I found nothing special or admirable here. Though there are some sweet and cute moments still not worthy of 45 episodes
Well if you like the Cinderella trope... a big fan of leads here that you can ignore all these messy things you can watch it still there's a big NO from me.
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not worth the watch even as a standalone movie.
From the beginning we knew that they would screw up the adaptation and won't be faithful to the original novel. But they didn't even try to make it look or sound good.The script? Terrible.
The graphics? Cheap.
The plot/story? It's all over the place.
The acting? Awkward.
Even as a standalone movie they didn't bother to even try to explain the story's universe/setting. It will be so damn confusing to anyone who watches it.
If you wanted a cool action movie, atleast do it properly. This is just a poorly executed nonsense. Wouldn't recommend at all. If you are actually interested maybe give the original novel a try cause this story is one of the best fiction ever.
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The Hong Sisters Are Back…
The Hong Sisters have produced wide scope of dramas over the years with respectfully mixed results . Enter ‘Alchemy Of Souls’: The Hong Sisters’ latest fantasy creation and arguably one of their most ambitious works yet.
In the series, main heroine Naksu (Go Yoon-jung-‘ Sweet Home’, ‘ Law School’ and ‘ Moving’) is a fearless and sword-wielding assassin. She lives in Daeho; a magical land where sorcerers have extraordinary abilities and powers. Yet despite the beauty of different types of magic, there is still one major taboo in Daeho: soul transfiguration. ( The act of displacing one soul into another body.) Caught between a rock and a hard place, the ruthless and instinct-driven female lead is forced to partake in this soul shifting process in order to save her own skin. She finds herself in the body of peasant girl Mu-Deok (Jung So-min- Playful Kiss’, ‘ Because This Is My First Life’ and ‘ Monthly Magazine’).
Meanwhile unbeknownst to the female lead , her destiny is about to change even more when she winds up striking an unconventional alliance with Jang Uk ( Lee Jae Wok- ‘ Search: WWW’, ‘ Extraordinary You’ and ‘ Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol’), the notorious son of the prestigious and magical Jang family. Jang Uk has his own personal reasons for striking an unusual contract with Naksu. However, thanks to their new relations, they will soon discover that their bond will greatly alter their own destinies for better or for worse.
As mentioned previously, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is arguably one of the Hong Sisters’ most ambitious works yet. While the series has admittedly received mixed-reception by some for its format, it is filled to the brim with the duo’s creative and imaginative world-building in a manner that will likely remind some of their previous hit-drama ‘ Hotel Del Luna’. However while ‘ Hotel Del Luna’ seemed to heavily lean into the genres of dark fantasy and melodrama, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is predominantly focused on its action fight scenes and the conflicts surrounding its setting and the lives of its characters. The series certainly does lean into heavier scenes ( especially with regards to the magical lore of Daeho ) but a lot of these more “morbid” or “disturbing” moments often came through the ambivalent moral choices and decisions of the drama’s characters. ( At the end of the day, the jarring decisions made by humans.)
However on a slightly lighter note, it is fair to say that ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is fuelled on pure fantasy. The world-building of the series is detailed at times and filled with a lot of fascinating beauty also. On the other hand despite the creativity evidently present in the Hong Sisters’ drama, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ does admittedly hit a few ruts when it came to execution.
Some of the forms of magic tackled in the Hong Sisters’ drama are certainly impressive. However while the presence of magic in ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ was often detailed, there were moments in the narrative where viewers were expected to “ just know” things without a lot of further clarification or information provided. In addition to this, there is also the prominent issue with the patchy lore of ‘ Alchemy of Souls’ in different parts of the narrative. ( Such as the hierarchies of magical families, the out-rankings of certain magical abilities and exactly why certain noble families are able to get away with literal murder while others accused of killing individuals are subjected to literal witch hunts.)
The Hong Sisters’ drama is what many would probably define as an eclectic mixing pot of genres. There are noticeable elements of action-fantasy but surprisingly romance and comedy at times also. This variety of genres will likely offer viewers with a wide range of different moods and tones in different episodes. However despite the continuous strain of creativity in ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’, it is hard to not bring up one of the drama’s more tiresome issues; the tropes. Of course, the induction of cliches into K-dramas isn’t always a bad thing per say.
However, it did seem slightly surprising that even for well-established writers such as the Hong Sisters, there wasn’t a lot of originality or creativity put into these tropes. Instead enforced cliches such as the love triangle, the strong and cold heroine, the snarky male lead, a troubled past lover and some questionable comic relief wormed its way noticeably into ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ with some varying and mixed results.
Lore and genres aside, there is also the crucial discussion surrounding the characters of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’. The Hong Sisters seemed to have attempted a ‘Game of Thrones’-style approach with introducing a consortium of different characters (often with dubious morality) in a short space of time. This approach is not always terrible from a writing perspective and certainly did allow viewers to be introduced to some intriguing players in the narrative such as Yoo Jun Sang ( Park Jin), head of the mysterious group Songnim, Go Won ( Shin Seung Ho), the crown prince and potential future king of Daeho and Jin Cho Yeon ( Arin) , the youngest daughter of the Jin Family. However while some of these characters were well-tackled and intriguing in their own right, the lack of opportunities to flesh-out some of these characters did become noticeable as the season progressed.
Main heroine Naksu ( alternatively known as Mu-Deok in the body of the peasant girl) is played by two different actresses; Go Yoon Jung and Jung So-Min. Both actresses delivered fairly consistent dual performances as the main female lead. Admittedly main actress Jung So Min could feel a little flat with her line deliverances at times but this wasn’t entirely the fault of the actress per say.
As a written character, Naksu is a bit of a tough nut for viewers to crack. The Hong Sisters establish early on to viewers that she is a strong, fearless and powerful female assassin. Even in her newfound predicament in the weakened body of Mu-Deok, she takes advantage of her situation by allowing others to underestimate her abilities and seek revenge on those who have wronged her. ( For reasons which are roughly outlined in later episodes.)However in terms of being a likeable heroine who viewers can actually root for, Naksu will likely either be loved or hated by viewers of equal measure .
Of course, the Hong Sisters have attempted to offer sympathy for Naksu to viewers. As the season progresses into later episodes, the writing duo present the fact that Naksu is motivated for particular reasons and motives as well as her unconventional relationship with Jang-Uk.However, writing a strong character(especially a heroine) can often lead to writers falling into the trap of making their characters feel somewhat overly “invincible” or “overpowered” rather than human with actual flaws and issues. Of course, the Hong Sisters have arguably attempted to show this by certain vulnerabilities for Naksu but often this was approached in a way of a “ challenge” for the female lead in order to overcome. Rarely was this shown as an actual problem or flaw that truly allowed her to flourish and grow as a main character.
Costarring alongside the main female leads, there is also the actor of main male lead Jang Uk, Lee Jae Wook. Jae Wook is likely familiar for most viewers for his stoic potential love interest roles in romance dramas. Similarly in ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’, the actor is typecast somewhat again in the series as Jang Uk ; a brooding and deadpan character that viewers will ( similar to Naksu) either love or hate. Of course it is wrong to make out that Jang Uk is a purely despicable character. Similar to the show’s heroine, Naksu, the male lead has his own motives, his own complex backstory and is shown to be an intellectual than allowed him to be fairly interesting in his own right.
In addition to this , there were certainly moments regarding the main male lead’s backstory that were given a dedicated amount of coverage by the drama’s writers also. However, it could sometimes feel as though that Jang Uk’s dominating traits of arrogance and haughtiness were often mistakingly justified by the Hong Sisters as a “result of his situation” rather than simply being explained and used as a stage of further character development. (Often this resulted in some of Jang Uk’s actions feeling frustratingly repetitive or justified even when there was a necessity for them to be called out otherwise.)
Naturally, it is hard not to discuss the main leads without bringing up their oddball relationship over the course of the season. The Hong Sisters play upon the old trope of the cohabitation drama with the “ master and servant” roles being unconventionally swapped throughout between Jang Uk and Naksu ( in the body of Mu-Deok). This unusual relationship dynamic was certainly compelling for viewers and did allow for the slow-burn romance to satisfyingly thrive in this written relationship setup.
Although often entertaining and certainly generating a few laughs with their comical antics, it could grow a little repetitive at times to see their relationship going from one or two extremes without a lot of middle ground between either being serious or overly jokey . This became especially noticeable when it was placed against the somewhat convoluted induction of the “ love triangle”; a trope that while not overly dominant in the major storyline events of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’, did play a role beyond its necessary requirements.
As for the narrative structure, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is approached in different layers by the Hong Sisters. In early episodes of the series, the writing duo used their time wisely to establish some of the main narrative events, while later episodes heavily dived into further execution and progression. On the other hand while this is certainly not an unusual writing decision in K-dramas, it did often make the series feel somewhat somewhat slow-paced in parts. As a result of this writing decision, ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ often felt as though parts of the events surrounding subplot and even some moments of the major storyline weren’t as well-rounded as they should’ve been. However, the Hong Sisters did deliver a thrilling season finale that will likely surprise and intrigue viewers with its ending note .
The stylistic approach of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is admittedly where things become a little more rocky. Under director Park Joon Hwa ( ‘ Bring It On, Ghost’, ‘ What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?’ and ‘ Touch Your Heart’), the series did present a gorgeous array of sleek and gorgeous scenes and palette schemes. However, it is likely that the opinions of viewers will remain somewhat divided by the heavy reliance on CGI over the course of the series. ( Especially with regards to the quality of green screen scenes not always matching up with the desired intentions of the Hong Sisters’ vision.)
In addition to this, there is also the slight nuanced issue surrounding the more stark modern presentations of certain characters with dyed hair and modern-takes on historical outfit designs. Although this is a fictional work and can maybe be excused on some grounds with an artistic licence, it was sometimes hard as a viewer to really immerse yourself in a historical fantasy world when certain actors had their hair dyed in an obviously modern manner.
Nevertheless despite some liberties being taken with the outfit designs, they were certainly impressive outfit decisions taken by the costume department onscreen. The shades of silk and materials used were often vividly bright in the show’s lighting ; often seeming ethereal on the frames of the actors as they were adorned in bright shades of peacock blue, marigold and deep vermillion and certainly helping to embody the magical element of the show.
Aside from the stylistic approach of ‘ Alchemy of Souls’, the OST was mainly composed of schmaltzy ballads. Certainly some of these songs were more memorable than others such as “ Scars Leave Beautiful Trace” ( 상처는 아름다운 흔적이 되어) by Car, the Garden and "Breath" (숨결) by Kim Na Young.
‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is an ambitious fantasy epic by the Hong Sisters. It is imaginative and filled with some intriguing world-building, characters and a fairly enthralling plot objective that will keep viewers intrigued. In addition to the writing of the show, Director Hwa’s varied palette schemes and lighting choices help to truly bring the series to life in a magical manner. On the other hand, the writing duo’s project is not flawless. The CGI is varied from scene to scene while the characters of the series and the events of the narrative felt somewhat overly niche and rushed at times. Nevertheless with a potential sequel in the works and a certain possibility to fix some of these weaker writing moments, season one of ‘ Alchemy Of Souls’ is certainly a satisfying appetiser for any fantasy lover.
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I lost my soul to this drama ?
There is no couple in the whole c drama world that is more made for each other than CWN-MR. They met from the start, they were the reason for each other to survive the whole catastrophe, they were each other’s reason to live.MR, our puppy, and CWN, our cold cat, they both have stolen our soul and from now on, we will be forever soulless clowns…we will be traumatic against the word ‘stairs’…we will be giggling when eating ‘dumpling’…we will be blushing when seeing a husky and a cat…we will be abnormal basically.
I am glad with the happy ending, uncensored scenes, all the butterflies and sweets…amazing!
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This review may contain spoilers
Fall in You was a full on soap opera.. Cringey and cliche but surprisingly fun to watch.. I really like Fan Zhi Xin.. I feel he is one of the most underrated actors in CDramas right now.. Like most of his dramas, one constant disappointment was the supporting cast.. It just screamed low budget.. Apart from the main leads, everyone else looked like they were in a D Grade drama.. The music though was good.. The beats elevated certain moments really well..
If you leave logic aside, you can actually have some fun watching it.. Like there is this one scene where she is talking to her friend about her confused feelings for her uncle and says..
'But we are family..’ and her friend shoots back, ‘So are married couples..’
That’s their logic.. That was hilarious to watch..
There were plenty of scenes that made absolutely no sense.. Like when a bunch of random nobodies shoved cameras in the FL’s face demanding clarification about her relationship with her uncle.. They weren’t even reporters, just random people in a hospital.. I mean are people that ridiculously stupid and nosy??
[ Spoilers ahead ]
Everything in this drama moves a little too fast.. The ML’s cold, dark demeanor disappears by ep 2.. The killer is caught halfway through and the leads fall in love.. They get together soon after the killer is arrested.. And by ep 15 he proposes.. They even get married and before long divorce is on the table.. The pacing was fast but not necessarily bad.. Up until ep 16, it was actually alright..
Mind you, what happens after this could have been salvaged with some good writing and a slightly higher budget.. After their marriage, things just go haywire.. A lot of nonsense.. From 'I will always be with you’ to hiding out in a hotel room.. We get the typical ML who keeps secrets from his wife because 'I don't want to lose her'.. Forget everything else, why didn’t he at least tell her that the SML approached the SFL to help break them up?? That would have made her see the SML isn’t exactly a good person and keep her guard up.. And maybe if he had just opened up sooner, her grandfather wouldn’t have been killed..
To make it thrilling, they threw in a bunch of unnecessary confusion about who is related to whom.. Like, we don’t even get a clear answer about the ML’s parents until the very last episode.. Anyway, dramatic much??
Even though I could list a thousand things wrong with this drama, there is one thing they nailed perfectly.. The main couple.. Fan Zhi Xin and Daisy Li had incredible chemistry.. Their romance and interactions alone made the whole drama worth watching..
Overall, it’s a fun watch.. I wouldn’t call it a good drama but it’s definitely entertaining.. With a stronger script, better supporting cast and a higher budget, this could have been far more likable.. Flawed as it is, this drama is worth the watch for the romance alone.. Fan Zhi Xin and Daisy Li deserved a much better script..
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