Do you believe in magic?
Annara SumanaraLikes
1. The first 3 episodes were strange yet fascinating. Ahyi's life was depressing to watch then they'll start bursting into a song and i feel like i'm in a disney movie with the fireworks and flying horses.
2. I probably wouldn't have watched this if not for Ji Chang Wook. He was so mysterious, sometimes scary but often times like a child. I dont know if he was trying to be Willy Wonka or PT Barnum in the Greatest Showman movie.
3. I loved Sung Eun, sometimes I feel romantic vibe between them esp when they're singing a duet but then i remember Ahyi is in high school and Rieul is 30yo.
4. I loved all the musical performances but sadly the songs were not memorable.
5. The second half was way better, when the childlike fantasy plot became serious murder storyline. I loved the last episode, i even teared up hearing Rieul's past and when he gave Ahyi his hat. Is it really magic?
6. Two things that struck me. When Rieul told Ahyi, "...You should do the things you want just as much as the things you don't want to do."
And when Il deung said, "I didn't know before that flowers don't bloom on smooth asphalt but on bumpy dirt." The real magic is Rieul being able to comfort and guide Ahyi and Ildeung to be better people.
Dislikes
It was trying to be too much at the same time. Musical. Fantasy. Sexual assault. Murder. Daddy issues. The first half was for kids, the second half was for adults.
Rating: 8/10
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My favorite musical I have ever watched!
I know what it's like to struggle financially, and what it's like to want people to hear me when I cry out for help. This series hit me where it hurts and I don't regret it. I loved this series with every fiber of my being. I stayed up late every night to be able to watch this. I was able to laugh, cry, smile, get angry, and just straight up enjoy every last bit of it. I'm not putting much into this review because words can't explain the emotions I went through watching this. The end, when the magician disappeared, hurt me the most. I cried lmao. I was kind of curious though at the end, what had happened to Il-deung? We saw him after he had gotten beaten and that was it. It was a little frustrating, but I was content. Highly recommended. I'm even forcing my partner to watch this lol.Was this review helpful to you?
No matter how hard life gets, never let your inner child die...
I've watched like hundreds of dramas till date but this one hit me really really different. All the cast just nailed their roles and as always such an inspiring and jaw-dropping character portrayal by JCW. I felt like I need someone like Ri Eul to be friends with me for life cuz the way he made Ah Yi and Il deung realize the cold truth of LIFE was so smooth and clever. He helped them in finding their inner child and taught them not everything the adults stuffing inside our head can bring us happiness. The greatest lesson I've learnt from this drama is that HAPPINESS AND SMILE is the biggest magic that can happen to anyone. Working hard for your dream is important but not at the price of your happiness. Whenever you feel like you are getting far away from enjoying the little things that makes you happy, remember this " Flowers don't bloom in smooth and cold asphalt roads".Was this review helpful to you?
Watch to the end. There is an end credit scene.
That doesn't count as a spoiler because I wont tell you what it is. I just dont want you to miss it.Overall I REALLY liked this. It is whimsical and magical while still dealing with real life teen and adult issues. It dares you to take a leap of faith. It is for the people who grew up beliving in Peter Pan and Never Never Land.
The cast is phenomenal both in acting and in singing. The main character of the magician does a particularly wonderful job with great nuance.
I will be listening to the ost!
Only complaints are that the ending feels rushed, not enough pay off for 2nd male lead's plotline, and ep 5 didnt have any songs ( :( ).
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Not perfect, but so full of heart that it’s easy to love regardless.
Do like you musicals? Do you like shows full of heart? Do you like characters who are mysterious and kind but maybe just a liiiitle bit unhinged? Do you like the idea that magic doesn’t have to go away just because you grow up, and in fact, maybe it shouldn’t?Do you believe in magic?
Do you not mind too terribly when the the plot leaves a few loose ends, as long as the story is entertaining enough?
Then this is the show for you.
The Sound of Magic is a show about a lot of things: the pressures created by family and society to succeed in a particular way, the struggles of poverty, being an outcast, and of course, the difficulties involved in growing up. It handles all this and more with grace, and feeling, and SO much heart that you can’t help but fall in love with the tale being told. The music numbers are phenomenal and work particularly well to help bring the magic to life, and if there’s one thing this show isn’t short on, it’s magic. Interestingly enough, it also has some crime drama/mystery elements that sneak up on you towards the end, but not necessarily in a bad way.
Is The Sound of Magic perfect? No. In the first half of the show I figured I would come out giving this a 9 or 9.5, but a few things in the back half did knock my rating down a peg. Mostly, questions left unanswered. A few characters make choices we never get to see the results of, and if we’re getting nitpicky, I do also wish they’d leaned a little harder into a decision about the magic. I understand that it was supposed to be left up to the viewer to decide, an open ending to that question if you will, but the way it was handled didn’t quite stick the landing. To me, it seemed less like something left up to personal choice, and more like the author themself simply hadn’t wanted to make a decision.
However, that being said, I still finished the show feeling like I’d gotten a breath of fresh air. It’s not often that a piece of media will tell you that growing up doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to the little things you loved as a child. That the magic can stay.
Also the visuals/cinematography/choreography/and costumes are all stunning all show long. Visually a treat to behold.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Sound of Magic, and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for some heartwarming and emotional musical entertainment.
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Deep meaning drama
I thought it was a light drama with comedy after i see it i get to know that it is a very deep drama giving life lessons.This was a masterpiece,fabulous drama
Rollerocoster of emothions
From this drama we get to know how students are pressured to meet society standars by their immature parents.
Everything was perfect 9/10. How we met the ending also.
I just dont like when the parrot bella was indirectly killed by the stupid girl ,actually i have a parrot also ,so i got emotional there
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A masterpiece who's wings were clipped
I was very excited about The Sound of Magic because it was a musical and also it would be my first Ji Chang Wook drama.Under it's magnificent exterior Sound of Magic actually tells a grim story of teenagers succumbing to societal standards of conformity, killing all and any personal desires.
The show could've been a masterpiece but a lot of it felt abrupt and rushed. Right from the beginning there was lack of context setting, so I had no understanding on any of the characters. I couldn't predict how the characters would react, or even fully empathise with their woes. It almost felt like this show was designed for regular 16 episodes but someone told the makers to manage it in 6. As if, someone clipped the wings of this show before it could truly fly.
But it wasn't all bad. The show has some great moments, as the characters dwell into what it is being an adult and the futility of it. The show also weaved symbolism well, the flower, butterfly, asphalt and band aid being my favourite.
I won't suggest skipping this one, but I wished it could've been better. Maybe spending more time craving the characters especially because it's such a dark topic.
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Amazing!!!!
Seriously amazing. Outstanding acting. Outstanding cast. I 100% recommend watching this, it's shorter so you can finish it quickly and the plot is so good. I do have to say Rieuls relationship with Ahyi bothers me because it seems like he wants to be with her in a romantic way and she's a minor. Another thing is the plot kind of falls flat at the end because we never really found out what happened to Ildeung, like did he follow in Rieuls footsteps because he started having the symptoms in last episode? It seems like a season 2 should happen and focus around him. Honestly I watched this not knowing it was a musical but I wasn't disappointed. I wish there was a bit more on Ahiyis mom but I get that wasn't the point of the show but it would've made the plot much better. I recommend watching this drama, it definitely will stay in my brain for a long time.Was this review helpful to you?
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Annara Sumanara
I loved it ! A fantasy with real issues dealt with great sensitivity and brilliantly acted . The music is wonderful , the ending spectacular , and it left me with a smile on my face , a spring in my steps and melodies in my ears .I watched it twice and was not disappointed . There could not have been a better Magician than JCW . An unusual role for him but one he performs to perfection . His face is so expressive , you can feel the pain , you can read the joy , the insecurity , the relief in his eyes . You share his sorrow, you condemn the malice and injustice that the world is putting on the young , the innocent and the vulnerable . One finds relief in the wonderful music and magic and find hope .
A truly memorable and inspiring drama .
I do not know if a second series is necessary and not unless all the original cast can be in it .
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Worthy effort of being enjoyable, but not memorable
The Sound of Magic was one of the more eagerly awaited k-dramas of 2022, that had something different to offer than the rest of the shows.The drama could have offered more, had it not been restricted to 6 episodes. It has lovely visuals, solid performances, impressive song-and-dance numbers, and oodles of charm. Although what I would have loved to see more in the drama was the narrative, which I felt was not much effective.
The Sound of Magic has six episodes, and while they’re long, it sometimes feels like 10 or 12 would have better served the show’s ambition. Nonetheless, the drama is an enjoyable watch, if not memorable.
My Rating : 7/10
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When Peter Pan met Dead Poets Society and became better
If I could give it a 100 out of 10 rating, I would. I absolutely can not stop thinking about this drama. I finished this yesterday and my heart was so overwhelmed by the beauty and the sorrow of this drama. I was at a loss of speech. I even dreamt about this drama after watching it. This show really hit me on a personal level having gone through some of the things that this show portrayed.I am a sucker for good musicals. And having Ji Chang Wook and Hwang In Yeop together in one drama? I was already intrigued. I was so eagerly waiting for it and oh lord the waiting so worth it. Never in my dream I thought I was about to witness one of the most mesmerizing, magical kdrama of all time.
I feel the main question posed in this show was how do children become functional adult in a society that in its core is dysfunctional and rotten? How do you remain a soul that still remembers how to dream, remembers its innocence? How do you keep your uniqueness in a society that is trying hard to put everyone inside the same box.
Human society is a broken one. You are an outcast if you behave or think even slightly outside the societal norms. This is a society that will kill the likes of Galileo and Alan Turing but will praise and worship morons.
So how can children, the most vulnerable and weakest section of the society, not have any impact of this filth? How do they keep their childish heart alive in a world that is constantly pushing everyone towards a meaningless rat race?
Why would anyone be claimed as successful or failure just because they don't meet the average standard of human imagination? After all genius can only be born if they can exist outside of the box.
This show was so beautiful, healing, magical, mesmerizing... I can keep on adding adjectives and it will not be enough. This show touched quite a few heavy topics like abandonment, trust issues, emotional abuse, child sexual abuse, student suicide, mental illness and yet somehow remained light like a feather throughout the show. It made us cry but did not make the story dark and gloomy. Best part of the show was it did not even bother making sense of the magic. Because that is what magic is. After all as they said in the drama "Magic does not create miracles, but allows you to discover them". This show will make you feel in your heart that you do believe in Magic. Because the true magic exists in living a happy satisfied life and not in adapting to society to look happy and successful while living with a heavy heart. And this show so rightly said "So what if you don't have accomplishments? You can still be happy without the approval of others"
It reminded me of the lines by Aldous Huxley
"It’s dark because you are trying too hard.
Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly."
Annara Sumanara <3
*Few points at the end*
A really good point of this show is that absolutely everything remains platonic. Even though there was a slight hint of romance at the beginning it gets quickly side tracked by everything else in their life.
Acting: Ji Chang Wook's acting skill does not need to be analyzed by me. He is one of the best Korean actors. Even though he has made some weird drama choices in recent past, I am so glad he took up this project. He made the character of Magician so believable.
Hwang In Yeop too is tremendously talented. His expressions were so spot on to express the struggles of a child pushed down by the burden of parent's expectation, societal norm. I would be disappointed if he does not get an award for his acting here.
The female lead is a talented one she acted very well in Beyond Evil but here i did not find her believable as a high school student at the beginning. But it did not matter because that was never the point. The point was to show how class discrimination gets heavier and heavier no matter how much one tries to keeps their head up and she was spot on with there expressing the dilemmas. Plus it was visible that she is a great dancer because of how she moves during the musical scenes. She has done an amazing job.
Direction: I have never seen another musical kdrama till now. I don't know if they exist but I must say the director here understood the assignment so so well. Often musicals get heavily loaded with too many unnecessary dancing scenes. Even some of the greatest Hollywood musicals have this flaw. But NOT THIS ONE.
One negative point is that it has two typical black characters. Especially the school bully. For some reason I just hate a school bully for the sake of existing without any character depth in them. Because children usually do not become black or white. They are most often product of their own environment. So a random student bully to make things hard is never to my liking. The reason of her existence was only to make things hard for the leads for absolutely no reason. But other than this i have no complain and I still absolutely love this show.
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I just need to be me.
It's ironic how a society that runs with the model of money has already decided the starting line of every young students by their ancestors even before they become an "adult". Whether they thrive through as what they called as "success", or someone who is on the another end of the spectrum, that do not know why they were always in debt, the contrast has already been planted since young age. In order to have a taste in that power, one can either run relentlessly without knowing where to end, or those who eventually stops fighting over it already knowing what is best for them. The drama cleverly uses the magician as a neutral device to tap into what their beliefs are, and he questions the consequences of both directions in a musical and magical fashion. Just like how the magician always ask, do you believe in magic? Whether if it's real or fake, it really doesn't matter as long as you're comfortable with what you're believing in and when it's able to preserve the innocence we once had at the end of the day.Was this review helpful to you?
