Alchemy of Souls (2022)

wonderful mix of hilarity, tragedy, action, romance, and friendship

WOW I just finished and I already don't know what to say. What can you say about a show as amazing as this one?

I love wuxia/xianxia and was excited to see that there was a kdrama with a similar genre/world and this did NOT disappoint. The action scenes are easily some of the best I have ever seen, with the training montages adding some extra badassery and certain other fights adding some humor in.

I really don't recall any major issues, other than the fact that I hate Jin Mu and having to see his face so much was not that fun lmao. Everything else was endlessly entertaining, all of the characters having depth and intriguing story lines (even the ones I didn't like). There were so many interesting connections between the characters and plot lines, even late into the show I was finding myself surprised by how intricately tied together everything was.

I really loved most of this cast. I want to say my favorite characters were the mains, but I don't think I can really pick--with other characters like Seo Yul, Park Danggu, Jin Choyeon, Park Jin, and Maidservant Kim just to name a few around, it's impossible to choose. The acting of everyone in this series was so strong, whether it was humorous or serious, I never felt pulled out of the story.

And now I'm desperate to watch season 2 lol

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Fantasy, Supernatural and Romance

This really interesting drama mixes fantasy, love stories, and mystery in a great way. The story is very rich and keeps you interested from the beginning to the end.

The actors do an amazing job. They work well together and make the characters feel real and interesting. The story has a lot of surprises and the fantasy world it creates is beautiful. It talks about feelings and emotions deeply and touchingly. This drama is one of the best in its style and leaves a big impression on you. Alchemy of Souls is a show that people who like Korean dramas and magical stories should watch.

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Floating water looks pretty!

With season 2 out, ig its time for me to write a review on why is think this drama is good and a depth review of unasked-for opinions and hidden desires I wished would have worked out in the drama.

My reason to watch:
Cause season 2 is out and I hate two titles with the same name in my watchlist.
Pretty valid reason IMO.

Reasons i stayed:
1. CGI
One of the best CGI for a kdrama. Except for the first fighting scene, others were delivered quite handsomely. I am a sucker for pretty things and the main reason I didn't watch it while it was being hyped up was this. I am grateful I didn't also. Marvel and Avatar set the bar high so there was no way I would have stayed if the CGI didn't live up to my expectations. Ngl, its not that bad if you consider all the factors of the budget and manpower. Even if it's not the best, it's good for what it's worth. The powerful spells they did also look solid and not paper stuck.

2. ML and FL and characters....
Ngl, the FL was one I couldn't wrap my head around. She was complex, both literally speaking and emotionally speaking. But I liked her. She was flexible in her surroundings. As the drama went on, I accepted her. But the ML...
Man, he was one of the few men, I would lay done to die for. My man was sunshine. He went through the most shit. Everyone keeps saying Naksu had a tough childhood but from the way I see it, my man suffered more. I know that one cannot compare suffering but can't you see?
A child born from potential rape to a dead mother and a grief-filled father for his magic, the only thing he cared about, to be sealed away. The only person who ever did something for him and who he was willing to give up magic for, to stab him with betrayal for a reason he doesn't know and for the same person to be in front of him, yet he doesn't know. It breaks my heart.

Another fun thing about this drama is the characters. Unlike other dramas where you can't decide whether you hate a character or like a character, this drama deprives you of that mental tension and gives you a scale where 0 and 10 are the only option where 0 is "i hope you disappear" and 10 is "I hope I cant meet you irl so I can come to your fan sign meeting". However, there are still dumb people like the Crown Prince. You will understand why I said his name when you see the drama.

3. Romance
An aspect of respect for the Hong sisters, I am truly mind-blown. The subtle romance that was so open yet so perfectly hidden between the trust and the hugs of happiness was something I cannot understand how it works. I loved the fact that they respected the fact that Naksu is an assassin and doesn't know much about romance yet understood it slowly without showing that she was clueless. Also, the fact that the trope of 'cute ML breaks cold assassin FL's wall and falls in love' wasn't given here. Both of them improved gradually through endless trust and intense tension.
My only regret: more kisses.
Dw, season 2 provides.

4. Seo Yul
The dude is my type. Not entirely but aw, look at him. He looked like an autumn sleep from which I hope I never wake up.

5. To see Jin Mu's ass kicked
Though this one is an unfilled desire, I saw the entire drama for Jin Mu's dead body to be floating down the river. I don't regret saying that. I wonder why he lived so long though. It kinda makes me believe that "Cruel ppl live longer." Eww...

6. Adult Romance
No snu-snu but literally adult romance. Park Jin and Kim Do Ju have my heart as the best couple. Like i would die for Jang Uk and Naksu but these ppl. They my bros, my hoes, and the thing getting me through the lows (i.e. seeing Jin Mu's face)

Some piss-offs:
1. No kick-ass scenes of Naksu
The oh-so-famed assassin Naksu was a damsel in distress till 4 mins before the ending and in the last 4 mins, she kicked ass and cutthroats but of the wrong ppl and in the wrong way. I really hoped for a fighting scene and I thought I got one in EP 18 but no, instead Uk lost his. Pissed me off but I thought 'sacrifice for a better ending'.

2. Someone to slap Mama Jin's face
She is someone I don't care about and will never will but gwad, she is annoying. Entire drama, she was going on and on about her dead daughter and forgetting she had another daughter. The part where she acted like she was the boss wasnt the problem but the times she disregarded people for her first-born, even her second-born was ignored, pissed me off. I, who is the eldest in my fam, felt it was too much.

3. Uk's Dad
Useless mf who just wasted time. He was worthless and took time on-screen which could have been useful for the actual plot. During the entire drama, he was dead. And comes backs to die. LOL.
Who gives their body to anyone, bruh? I wouldnt give my body to anyone, Not even the king.

My opinions:
The drama on the whole was a masterpiece with plot twists in every ending. I don't know how ppl watched 20 eps while airing. I would have lost my mind. Season 2 itself was so hard to watch by waiting. I wanted to kill myself and reincarnate later to see if it had finished. But still, the effort proved that wait.
Though the drama was fire, there were some things that seemed unnecessary like the existence of Uk's father. Should have been dead. It's not like he had anything to do.

Actors:
A controversial topic i approach. The topic: GYJ or JSM for FL.
My answer: Both.
I loved it. I loved how JSM played her as Mu-doek and when it was time for her face to go, GYJ played her. JSM acted in so many dramas before so it was evident in her acting itself that she was a better actress but GYJ did so well as a first-time main actress. JSM showed many emotions even with a cold face of an assassin which GYJ wouldn't have been able to do it if she acted as Mu-doek but at the same time, JSM couldn't have pulled Bu-yoen when we all remember her as Mu-doek. Both of them have their pros and cons both of them did so good.
The male character, i think, were just born looking so handsome. Like how bro. I fell pretty hard for ML. lol
All of the characters had equal importance, except ML's dad, and fit the drama perfectly.
Hands down for this drama for best acting.


Hence in conclusion,
The show was good and music was top-notch. I would def recommend and i hope everyone watched it.

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Slow burn of everything

It took me a while to really understand the world-building of it all, but once you do it's so rich I wish I could live in this world and just explore it on my own. The characters are by far the best part of the entire drama. The chemistry between the leads is great and the development of their relationship is gradual and believable.

I enjoyed the balance between funny moments and darker plotlines, but the pacing did feel really slow. I don't have a problem with the romantic pacing — after all, slow burn romance is my favorite — but plot-wise I noticed that it took multiple episodes to just get to the next thing. My interest in the secondary and tertiary characters went up and down but for the most part I enjoyed the romantic subplots and how it intertwined with the main story.

I do, however, think that we didn't have to see so much of the villains and their schemes. It started to get a little repetitive and not only was there really no need to follow every tidbit of it, but I also felt like I craved the feeling of suddenly seeing that our protagonists had been outwitted by worthy villains, and it was impossible to get that if we already saw it coming.

Nevertheless, this was a great watch; if I ever rewatch any part of it it'll 100% be Janguk/Mudeok scenes.

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OUTSTANDING DRAMA

This drama is incredible! For a 20-episode-drama the pace is not slow and not fast, just the right pace. I find the story where they can place their soul into another body refreshing and new. Such an intriguing story, no wonder this was a hit drama. All story of each characters and family will make you curious and anticipate for the next episodes. Love it!

The friendships, relationship of the main leads, families, and the different mages are thrilling. All of the actors/actresses are good but I like Jung So Min's acting the best! Though I find the chemistry of Jang Uk and Mudeok a tiny bit lacking. But still they are lovely! I already grew fond of So Min as Naksu so I don't know if I'll like the next season considering it's not her anymore.

Anyway, I'll rate this a 10/10.

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2022’s Most Highly Memorable

Upon finishing Alchemy of Soul season one last week in just three days I must say this drama had me in ropes. This drama had all my favourite genres: the fantasy, romance, with a tad bit of historical fiction. Genres I really enjoy primarily in Chinese dramas so I would say there was a bit of hesitation in terms of watching this drama because I was worried that this would not be executed properly. But I must say this drama exceeded my expectations and even topped some of my favourite cdramas.
The storyline of Alchemy of Soul centers around the young notorious assassin Naksu who soul shifted into the body of Jin Bu Yeon, a blind girl who possesses the powers of a great priestess. In the body of Bu Yeon she meets Jang Uk, a young lad who had his torrent of energy sealed at birth. Together they pioneer on a relationship to gain access to their powers and through that end up brewing romance in the mist. Sounds pretty linear right? Well that’s where things get tricky. Through a series of twists and turns, we begin to see the plot unfold in ways unexpected; finding out the back story behind Naksu, Jin Bu Yeon, and Jang Uk. How their childhoods were all interconnected and stemmed from a singular event. The Hong Sisters through pulling out many wild cards in the story we’re able to simultaneously pull on the heart strings of the audience every single episode.
In this season the character of Naksu in Jin Bu Yeon is played by Jung So min who exceeded my expectations. The way she was able to portray her emotions through a variety of facial expressions made me so involved in the storyline. The same can be said about Lee Jae Wook aswell. Allthough, I would say their chemistry could have been a bit better, but this was mended in season two with Go Yoon Jung taking on the role of Naksu.
Overall, this drama is a must watch. Thanks to the Hong Sisters, I was able to let go of my prejudice and found a really great drama that I enjoyed.

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Refreshing Fantasy

Excuse my POSITIVE RANT but - I'm whipped..........by Lee Jae Wook. He has been on my radar since Extraordinary You. He was absolutely phenomenal here. Can't get over him as Jang Uk.

Now a short review of the show:

Finally, a fantasy drama that isn't an inspired copy of Goblin. A full-fledged Historical Fantasy, by Hong Sisters, and I'm really impressed by the world-building. Very refreshing after their last show Hotel Del Luna which I felt was inspired by their own show Master's Sun. Here I found the show to be extremely plot heavy yet never boring. The cast and the plot kept me engaged throughout even though there were many repetitions. All the characters except the villain were really endearing. The characters had distinct personalities. I did have a bit of confusion with the birth secret plotline because it never made sense to me how they define parentage. Apart from that things were kinda consistent. I adored all the secondary characters, Crown Prince and his chemistry with Jang Uk was fabulous. Usually, I skip many secondary stories, but I was really attached to other characters as well. Crown Prince, Kim Du Ja, Yul, and Dang Gu were some of my favorites.

I felt Hong Sisters really played well with their own tropes. They are known to use the concept of the "Trinkets from the ML gifted to FL" trope. Here they have not only used that trope, but they also added a comedy scene using that and then used it as a plot device in the next episode. It was pretty brilliant, to be honest, to subvert their own tropes like that. The visual effects were also so much better than Hwayugi (another Hong Sister drama) which was also an amazing show but only missed out on some poor VFX. I really felt Hong Sisters brought their A-game to the show.

I just can't get enough of Jang Uk. I believe he is the selling point of the drama for me. Jung So-Min probably had her career-best here (apart from Because This is My First Life because that's better). I have seen part-2, so I'm giving a standard rating across. For me both were great, part-1 slightly better due to pacing, but still amazing overall, as it brought me out of the Kdrama slump. That's it, that's my review

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Excellent, creative story

Very creative plot and world building. Visually beautiful too with the spells, action scenes and set. What holds this show back a little is the pacing, especially in the second half. There are a few too many unnecessary scenes-romance subplots of side characters I don’t care so much about, scenes that seem to reveal things we already know etc. that can be skipped. But the overall structure of the story is good. Ends on a big cliffhanger but the second season will be out soon.

Acting was honestly wasn’t a strength in this show. The main female lead is decent but most of the rest of the cast is not great (I do like the crown prince though). The main male lead is kind of insufferable in the beginning but he gets a lot better over time. The dialogue gets the point across but otherwise isn’t concise enough or particularly eloquent. Still, the show is worth watching for its fantastic action scenes and very compelling overarching plot.

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Disappointed

Disappointed with the news about season 2.

I just dropped half way through season 1 after reading the news that they will change the FL actress in season 2... I don't like when they do that so i am not investing my time and energy in this show.

I get really attached to the actors playing the main roles and i will never understand the need to change them mid story. Such a shame 😭😭

I just don't understand how can the ML continue to be in love with FL who suddenly has a completely new face and a new personality. I just don't understand why they did that...

Such a shame 😭😭...

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