Alchemy of Souls (2022)

I loved the drama

I just randomly picked this drama to start and it was actually the top second drama i choose in 2022.
The story is written so beautifully.
The actors are doing literally justice with their characters.
The song , videography everything is perfect till now.
I'm on epi 12 & the bond btw jang uk & mu-deok is so beautifully written & my gut feeling is saying that they will also make us cry the most in this drama.
The trio they made while helping mu-deok in the competition was so amazingly done.
Crown prince & jang uk relationship with each other will make huge change in drama and ig it will the most awaited scenes for me.
Plus i really want jang uk and mu-deok to get together as couple , they are so strong and powerful strong plus i love their bonding with eachother.

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Good FX, Overshadowed by Plot and Production Issues

LIKES:
Settings where they were out in nature, like the gardens. Such beautiful flowers and land scape. Vibrant colours!
Cinematography and location settings were all well chosen.
The casting was spot on for both the actors and actresses!
A strong female lead, that never was made into a simpering fool due to falling in love.
Some of the special effects were really well done too, without over using CGI or green screens. Editing was well done and seamless for the most part.
The “magic” effects and makeup for the stone potion of the soul shifters that go wild, all exceptionally well done.
The chemistry between the actors and the actresses all flowed well.
The comedy parts were okay.
Writing was consistent for the most part and well thought out, considering they were creating a whole new world.
Acting mostly was well done too (just not for all of the cast), at least for the main characters.
The music was chosen well, never overpowered the dialogues and even added to the atmosphere in the scenes!

DISLIKES:
Shaky camera moments, it is 2022 you should know how to use a film stabilizer by now! If not for that, then production would’ve been perfect.
Too many love lines, which means some of them will either be killed off or left not concluded, but we will see what happens in the second season.
Even though the females were mostly strong, they eventually turned into supporting characters, even the female lead. That contradicted the beginning episodes and how they were survivors of their circumstances.
Not sure if it’s the director’s fault or the writer’s, but there were too many filler scenes that didn’t add to the story, but gave certain characters more screen time. This might have also contributed to the pacing problems.

OVERALL:
I did enjoy the drama and will watch the second season (while hoping they fix the other problems). For a fantasy drama it is decent. I would recommend it for others to watch, but not sure I will re-watch it, even while waiting for the second season.

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fantastic treat

The ending… please have mercy on me. This was such a fun and delightful treat. I was so looking forward to this ever since my tiktok was flooded with beautiful edits of this show and i waited for it to be fully released because I knew deep down I would love it (that sounds very dramatic, but it's true!!) Although the plot only moves quite slowly, the characters and their interactions carry the show and make it special. I have to admit that I have been watching a lot of other shows that have shorter episodes so maybe that is why I felt like the episodes were dragging a little, but I always had a fantastic time watching this show.... The settings, cinematography, music, the magic, … just everything was such a great watch. Deserves all its hype. The only character I couldn’t warm up to was Choyeon… she put Mudeok in trouble (several times), always whining or pouting and bratty… I don’t know, she just wasn’t my favorite. But overall: great watch. I am excited and scared for part 2.

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Good

The series is good, and the acting is also good (especially the chemistry between jsm and jw).

The story/plot itself is refreshing, however, the ending makes me lose interest in it, and for me, the 'comedy' part of the series doesn't suit it.

For me rewatching this series is probably 20% with the max of 50%.

Anyways excited for season 2 (especially for gyj)

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The ending made me lose interest in continuing it however I found out that naksu original body will be back (meaning more gyj) also the next season plot summary seems promising and I can't wait to see how they will pull the ''Amnesia" part on naksu

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Too many cliffhangers to end Season 1

Unfortunately, I didn’t read reviews of this drama and just tried it out based on the overall rating I saw. Otherwise, I would not have started it as it did not have a fair amount of closure and wrap up. Go ahead and have a second season or more, but each season must be able to stand on their own. Too many questions left unanswered in the last episode made for a disappointing end. So if you’re like me, don’t start this drama until season 2 has aired and ended without a teaser for a season 3.

That being said, I did find this to be a uniquely entertaining drama and was mainly let down by the way it ended or rather… didn’t end.

The imagination behind the story was fantastic and the story telling was fast paced although a bit too repetitive in parts. Cinematography was great and I enjoyed the CGI used to display their powers. While this was a fantasy setting and all manner of hairstyles should be accepted, I still could not get used to the modern day looking hairstyles for the ML and his two friends.

I also did not appreciate how some parts were not fully explored and conveniently wrapped up very quickly - one of the most annoying one was when the ML’s “father” turns up only to have it all settled in a matter of minutes. I was expecting more explanation on his motives behind his actions and how he was tempted to dabble in sorcery.

If you can overlook this and are not bothered by an ending riddled with cliffhangers then you will be one of the many fans of this drama unlike myself.

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Idk what anyone says, I'll never stop loving this drama with my whole heart.

I keep my reviews short so although I could talk about this series for hourls irl, I'll keep it short here.

First i'd like to play a bit of an advocate. I see many comments complaining about how Naksu, who was introduced as a badass assasin overtime became nothing more than male lead's love interest. While I do see where is this opinion coming from. I don't think that Naksu became totally soft and unimportant as Mudok. She always was an important character, literally 90% of is about her trying to make a mage out of Jang Uk, toying with the Crown Prince and meddling in everyone's buissnesses. She might come off as weak and just all-talk but the reason for it is not her falling in love. After changing bodies she is not THE Naksu anymore. Not only she loses her magical powers, her new body is super weak psyhically so no matter how much she would train she could never be her dream self anymore. Even if Buyeon gave up and let Naksu use her (Buyeon's) powers, it would be a mix of two people in one body- not the real Naksu herself. It is really not surprising that all she could do through the series is to "fight" with her words and share the knowledge she obtained in her glory days.

Sorry for geting worked up, I have no critical thinking when it comes to this drama haha

Anyway, I liked all the characters, some melted my heart, some made me giggle, some got on my nerves, everyone played their role just right. I personally was the most annoyed by how Crown Prince was so easly influenced and couldn't think by himself in the most cruicial moments and by Heo YunOk as a whole.

I see people complaining about filler episodes too but honestly the show is so fun that until someone pointed it out I did not even noticed. Pacing was fine for me.


[a bit of a season 2 spoiler]

As a happy-ending lover I was left with my mouth open after the last episode. At first I was very dissapointed that Jeong SoMin won't be taking a part in the season 2 but I like how the film crew wriggled out of the problem. Too bad that Naksu didn't get what she orginally wanted but at least she found another happy ending for herself. I'm glad to see most of the characters finding love and peace (poor Seo Yul, I'll remember you forever)

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Enchanting fantasy crafted with precision

With its fast-paced plotting, engaging characters and resplendent wardrobe, Alchemy of Souls was a compelling escapist fantasy that helped us fly through the sweltering summer.

Plot wise, the show revolves around the lives of people residing in a place not known to regular humans, Daeho. There, mages, sorcerers, assassins, maids and all manner of other imaginable people ply their trade, helping the numerous areas of this restricted world function. Continuing, the whole series looks fantastic visually. Bringing life to this fictitious world, director Park Joon-hwa emphasises the expansive area he has to play with, immersing the viewer in every scene. Complete with some rather solid CGI, visual effects and use of pathetic fallacy, the show has some undeniably sleek appeal.


Overall, the first season of Netflix’s Alchemy of Souls was an enticing, consistently solid introduction to (and journey through) the complex world of Daeho. It might not have been perfect, nothing ever is, but there’s plenty here for anyone to sink their teeth into, as well as enough substance for those looking for something comprehensive to enjoy, with season 2 down the line.

My Rating : 8.5/10

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