The most annoying thing is the passing. For example, you have 1 scene in which the story is progressing and the rest of the episode is just a filler. Up until ep 12, I was a bit bored. It could work with half the episodes. Also, I didn't like the many pairs. Some was completely unnecessary. And the love triangle didn't make sense. With everything happening, does anyone care who love who? I surely don't. All in all, I believe this drama contains a lot of things and it isn't clear if they are necessary. It is a bit confusing.
It is a promising drama. If it had a bit tighter plot, less elements and less comedy, it would be better. And I think two seasons is too much. If had better passing, they could fit everything in the 20 episodes of 1+ hour.
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2022's Ace
I initially knew about AOS since long time, but it never interests me because the actors and actresses were mainly rookies except for JSM, but then the second season came out and then I was like, "If there is a second season then that means the first season is good right?" so I gave it a go. IT WAS VERY GOOD.I am a character driven type of a person more than plot driven ones, and this drama served it to me in gold platter. Naksu opened the character with her intense battle and mysterious aura, paving the way into the drama's center plot. We are curious about this person. Mudeok is another interesting character, because it's supposed to be a 'fake' character. JSM played Mudeok very well, her expressions are so funny! It's just sometimes I see her playful kiss character flashing in Mudeok (?) so it kinda bothers me in a way, but I think it's not that prominent so it's fine.
LJW's Jang Uk is literally perfect. Jang Uk is the driving force in this drama, I think. His characterization is fleshed out perfectly and consistently throughout the season. Spoiled, repressed, lonely, innocent and deeply loving, it's hard not to empathize with him.
The supporting characters are all so good and very strongly fleshed out, no one is a stone faced NPC, everyone took part in the big picture of the drama.
Cinematography, CGI, coloring, wardrobe, soundtracks, the drama lines are all exceptional. You may find plot holes, but some will be solved in Season 2. Overall, it was very fun and entertaining and emotionally rollercoastered me into the finale, and built a strong foundation for a next season.
I would highly recommend this if you like a historical fantasy genre, or if you like angst with comedy, in general.
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Excellent
Can't go wrong with a good action period drama and The Alchemy of Souls is no exception. Everything about this series is binge worthy to the point I didn't want it to end so I hesitated until I found out there's a S2 in the works! That alone should prove it's an all around thrilling experience. From the visuals to the action, it all hits hard and every character brings their own spice. You'll find some classic actors, some K-Pop idols and some fresh new faces to bring it all together.Highly recommend to anyone looking for good plot twists, bad guys you love to hate and cute quirky comedy romance.
Enjoy!
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YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SOMETHING AS WORTHY AS THIS BEFORE.
Well as the headline says, you probably haven't watched a drama so worthy of your time, energy and resources as this one. I had rated a 9.5/10 before I watched season 2 because I feared the Hong sisters would disappoint me in the next season. But today, after watching the finale of season 2 yesterday 08 Jan 2023, I came to correct my rating and award it a 10/10.I'll start with the story, and there's no story so perfect and unique as the one in the Alchemy of Souls. What a transition, and a quick one, from Jang UK a powerless reject that could not practice magic to a man that was fastest to reach Tansu and later the highest level of Hwansu. And the parallel transition of a high reputation Naksu to a feeble Mu Deok and the love story between the master and student. I won't spoil a lot you need to watch if you haven't. And the suspense at the end of each episode is worth a mention. You'll die to see what happens next. Very unpredictable making it a top notch.
Acting/casting. Whoever chose the cast should probably cast all dramas we would like to watch. So perfect that actors actually become the characters to an extent you won't imagine anyone better for the role. Such casting I've only seen in western series like The Game of Thrones, The House of the Dragon, and in Asian dramas like Who Rules the World, Zhao Yao the Legends 2019, Ju Mong, and some more of others. Lee Jae Wook as the male lead Jang UK is the most beautiful thing you're going to see onscreen, very tender no matter the situation. And Jung So Min as Mudeok is the prettiest woman you'll ever see staring at you. OMG I love the way she stares. Makes me wanna be Jang UK. Some moments of the show will haunt you forever like Uk's surprise, Mudeok's stare, Jin Mu's smile, Maidservant Kim's voice and tenderness, Jin But Yeon's smile and stare as well, Park Jin's seriousness, the fight scenes, the dialogues.
Up next is Music. You'll fall in love with the OST and the SFX. And guess who sings the ending theme song? The answer is Lia and I swear that song was for the show and vice versa. You'll love, cry, blush, your heart will race at the scenes the song is used. For the OST it's the best that could be made for the drama. Pure instrumental, no vocals. The SFX at the battle scenes and intense scenes will make anyone go crazy clutching tightly on whatever is near and at the edge of your seat. The same applies for calm and tender scene, the SFX will make you wish for a few additional seconds. Such perfect musical scores I've only seen in a few dramas like Royal Nirvana, Nirvana in Fire, and the western Game of Thrones music by Ramin Djawadi and other composers like Hans Zimmer.
Rewatch Value. Now this is something am not supposed to explain. As I've done with the above aspects, it's clear that this is a show you will want to rewatch infinite times. You'll never get of redoing this show and it gets addictive even though you know what's coming. Like right before I started this review I was on episode 4 of season one. This I think is the 9th time am redoing season 1. I don't want to believe am leaving this cast and story and world.
To wind up. A question of if you've ever wanted to write something onscreen or if a show has ever made you wish you could. AOS has made wish I could write a story onscreen. I am gonna miss this show and I don't wanna get sentimental. So I'll stop here wishing you all the best moments and I envy those that haven't watched it yet because you still have an unfolded world right in your grasp. For those that we've finished let's hope to see our cast once again in a traditional drama. See you soon and remember to get a Jin Mu smile for yourself.
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A Beautiful Fantasy Historical Drama
Ah, where to start with this drama. I think it's one of, if not the best fantasy historical drama of all time. We are introduced to the world of Daeho which is full of mages and magic. The world-building is beautiful. The story is amazing, it kept me on the edge of my seat from either the beautiful romance or the intense action. The characters are written perfectly. I would like to point out, especially the villain, the number of emotions he pulled out of me is just incredible. The character development of the characters is amazing, especially the FL's. I liked the fact that it was 20 episodes because it gave the main leads time to develop their relationship deeper, it did not feel like it was dragging out at all. The OST was pretty good as well. The only complaint I may have is probably the VFX, you'll know when you see it. But other than that, if you want an amazing historical drama with an amazing story that you can lose yourself in, go for it, I highly recommend it. :)Was this review helpful to you?
Where is season 2 already?
I really didn't expect to love this series as much as i did. Jang Uk and Mu Doek have chemistry that is off the charts. Whether she's his master, or his maid, every interaction is absolute gold.The 4 seasons, tho iconic in their own way, pales in comparison to the ....unique, lets say...bromance between Jang Uk and the crown prince. The beginning of the 'Filthy Mu Doek' bit was strange at first. But that particular relationship was one i came to fully appreciated as it continued. Even towards the end. It really was quite a solid, though, not to be, relationship.
Where is season 2 already? Why did they have to leave us hanging off a precipice?
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This review may contain spoilers
historical-fantasy drama
alchemy of souls is set in the fictional country of daeho that exist neither in history nor in maps, just the story itself is amzing the plot is good thanks to its writers the hong sisters, the visuals and cgi are highly on the next level, the casting and acting were perfect especially my unnie jung so min, this drama is just perfect. ive got nothing else to say but yeah this fantasy drama is just highly recommended and the chimstry between FL and ML are undeniiably sparkling. only fools would hate this showWas this review helpful to you?
Absolutely fantastic and I usually don't watch romance/fantasy shows
So I finished this show today after like a million weeks atp (jokes on me it was only 2 weeks or so). This is my second time writing a review on anything so please bear with me here. I'll try to keep it as short as possible and in chronological order of the ratings (first story, then acting/cast etc). I will give a few points of my own before the "overall" mark.Story: The story is very engaging and mysterious(?) as in "i need to know what happens next and how it unfolds". The story is compelling and stays consistent to the end. I can't wait for the next season. The reveals of identities could be shocking but also make you say "ha, I KNEW it". The writers really outdid themselves on this one. I want to read the novel now..
Acting/Cast: Perfect. That is all I can say. I can't imagine anyone else play the characters other than their actor, excellent choice!. Especially Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min delivered a splendid performance. No one, not even mild support characters or guest roles butchered their roles as far as I can see.
Music: I love the music here, the OST and everything was fantastic, zero complains. The song that plays at the end of the episodes is in my spotify playlist now. The music usually matched with the scene on screen I just don't remember too much other than the few sang songs because I was too into the story and visuals to pay too much attention to what wasn't sang but nothing threw me off so there is that.
Characters: A big and strong part of the show are the characters. There are so many different personalities, goals and "quirks" which make them unique and either likable or unlikable to the viewer. You will definitely find someone you like and someone you disklike in this show.
Romance: Let me say this first; I am not a huge romance fan or like at all so it's a miracle I even watched something with a romance tag on it BUT my mom put the show on and I liked it so much that I had to watch it, by the early stages I was rooting so hard for Mu-deok and Jang Uk, it was unreal. If even someone like me, who isn't into romance but more into the thriller/horror/action genre was rooting FOR the romance to finally happen, you did something right. Also, you most likely will find a pairing to your liking, be it our main couple Jang Uk/Mu-deok, the old love Park Jin and Kim (these two are hilarious) or even something outside the pairings like Yul/Mu-deok. It's all there.
Visuals/Production: BREATHTAKING HOLY SHIT. One of the best produced kdrama or show in generall. The visuals of the CGI is magnificent, absolutely stunning. The work put into this was definitely worth it!
Rewatch Value: You can rewatch it, though I'm not someone who genreally rewatches shows only rarely which is why I gave it an 8
Overall: Overall I give it a 9.5 because there were times where I was like WHY ARE YOU NOT SAYING ANYTHING and WHY ARE YOU SO LONG. Granted it did take me like two to weeks finish, when I usually only need a couple days to a week for such long shows but it dragged a bit for me and work came in between so yeah... two weeks... Shoudn't stop you from watching it though, this is not a marathon on "who watches the most shows in the least amount of time". Take as long as you need to watch a show, this is for entertainment only, after all it stops being enternainment if it becomes a chore and stressfull!
Edit: Typos, grammar, wording etc
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Alchemy of Souls: The door opening for a new K-drama genre
I've been watching this drama since it started airing till the end, what attracted me to it was the fact that it's a fictional land that looks like a mix of Joseon and ancient china, beeing a new fan of historical C-dramas and a big fan of K-dramas for many years, I was happy to see this mixed style. The fact that it's "fictional" gave it freedom to creat a newlook for the characters, costums, hairstyles... that felt unuasual at first, but I got used to it and ended up loving it._Naksu's character was so badass in the first episode, the fighting scene was enough to sell the drama for me, the CGI is so cool too.
_Jang Ok's character is the type that I saw it a lot in animes, starts from the bottum and rises slowly while surprising the people who underestimated him.
_Jung SoMin did a wonderful job portraying different characters, she will be missed in the second season.
_I liked the comedy and romance even though there is an age gab between the two main leads, I didn't feel it at all, JSM looks younger than her age and LJW has a mature look, their chemistery was good.
_The few action scenes were so cool.
_Some character's scenes were not needed (definitely not the CP, he was really needed, one of my favorite supporting characters)
_The drama could have been shorter, it was moving too slow in some parts, the events from the final episode could have happend before that.
_The final episode was so cool and I'm happy about the cliffhanger at the end, how can we wait to December? I hope I'll still have interest in the drama by then, and that we will see more of this type of historical fantasy in K-dramas.
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Mind Blowing Drama With A Mixture Of Everything
I highly recommend this drama to K Drama fans. I just couldn't control myself to watch the next episode. Don't judge it based on the trailer. The drama is something else when you watch it. It starts with action followed by a great story with excellent characters. The story just keeps getting better. The OST is great as well. The VFX is on a different level. K Dramas are taking their game to the next level. The ending will keep you waiting for the second season. Cannot think about what this drama is lacking.Was this review helpful to you?
alchemy of everything i didn't know i needed
i'm gonna be honest, i pushed off watching this for 3 or 4 months, because i was simply just not interested, like i did not think i was gonna like this. but then, as season 2's release date started to come closer, it slowly began taking over my tiktok and i was like "oh, wait - this seems sort of good" (aka, i didn't realize minhyun was in it before then, and my wannaone heart forces me to watch everything they do).let's just say i binged all of season one in a little under 3 days (while doing an exam - it was hell to say the least), i just could not stop watching this for the life of me, so i sacrificed a shit ton of sleep, and powered through - and i am so happy that i did, because this serious is truly a masterpiece, i don't think i realized just how good of an actor jaewook is, when i watched extraordinary you, because i didn't vibe with that one very much - but jesus christ, he can act.
let's just say, that part of me is happy i put it off for so long, because i only had to wait a week for season 2, and i almost died - idk, how some of y'all waited MONTHS. but i salute your all - i am deeply impressed.
it was everything i didn't know i needed, and i loved every second.
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This review may contain spoilers
watched weekly as it aired
lets ignore the fact that this review is a week overdue...ANYWAYS. i started watching this drama when it first came out because one of my fav editors was also watching bc of the main lead (jung so-min) and i saw EVERYONE talking about it so i decided to see what it was about. what first drew me in was how POWERFUL the action scenes looked. I mean what convinced made me want to watch was the go youn-jung (nasksu) action scene in the beginning. I also felt like this was really different than what i usually watch and I liked that because it had everything I was looking for in a drama and it all just felt complete. I found all the plots interesting and throughout the show I was amazed at how well made the cgi and scenes were. Not to mention the actors are just as great and I recognized most of them and I was happy about that! Theres so much I want to say without writing a whole essay lmao. First: The plot. I feel like the comedy-action-historical-romance-fantasy genre blend was done great, tho i never really considered it a heavy historical drama like the others, also since its heavy on the fantasy. I genuinely fell in love with (most of) the characters, especially mudeok/naksu and jang uk. The backstory / character development for both of these characters is just INSANE and i disagree with everyone who says the two didn't have chemistry. Their romance was just not like the others!! Tho, I will say it feels (slightly) overwhelming at times having to keep up with so many relationships, romances, backstories, characters, etc. Overall the pacing was fairly good, even the ending wasn't that rushed (i think). The OST for this drama is definitely going to the top 5 of kdramas (Aching by Kassy has my heart). I just loved watching this drama every weekend and waiting for it to be the weekend during the weekday hehe. Lastly, the ending had me completely shocked, I was screaming, crying yelling thinking jang uk was killed by mudeok when she hadn't even realized. like damn that hit hard. BUT HE DIDNT DIE HAHA. Anyways, there's more I would say but i wouldn't be able to fit it all here but I seriously recommend everyone to watch this. 9.5/10Was this review helpful to you?
