Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow (2022)

Huge letdown compared to season 1

With S1 of Alchemy of Souls, you had a legit really good drama. The story was so interesting and intense right from the first episode. Like it had everything Suspense, action, amazing music, amazing romance, and phenomenal cinematography. Even the ending was so incredible and satisfying.

S2 of Alchemy of Souls though, was nothing but disappointment. The feelings which we left from S1 were simply not there anymore, no excitement, no attachment nothing. The Female lead for S2 couldn't captivate. I mean she was all looks no acting. Jung So-min was sooo much better and she kept the show going. I couldn't find an ounce of Naksu in Go Yoon-Jung.

Now I don't think a season 2 was needed, because the screenwriter for Alchemy of Souls just extended the show with no intentions of giving it a superb ending. Nothing significant happened, and it felt like it was a good show with a bad ending, keeping it precise would've been better. I'm being super generous with my ratings because of how much I loved the first season, which I highly recommend. The second season not so much.

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ALCHEMY OF SOULS 2 WORTH EVERY MILISECOND!!

First I'll express my disappointed after the announcement of Jung So Min ousting the FL role and being replaced by Go Yoon Jung. But all the perception changes after getting to episode 2 of season 2 (the highest so far). She's an excellent actor and deserves the role and I can already expect a lot from her. Season 1 was a hit of its own and probably the best Korean traditional drama I've watched followed by the likes of Ju Mong.

Into it, the story to begin with, is an excellent continuation and everything is explained since the end of season 1. It's three years into the future. I can't wait to see how everything unfolds between Jang UK(who still uses Naksu's sword) and Bu Yeon/Naksu.

The Casting is as perfect as season 1 and am more interested in Songrim's new leader Dang Gu to see how he leads and another change is the ever serious Park Jin in his new life after stepping down.( a joker but a serious one when seriuoness is needed). The acting is top notch thanks to dedicated actors and directors. The stunts are done so well, emotions expressed in way there could be no better way. You can't get a flaw in the acting. And I swear Jang UK is a different pleasure this season. A taste like no other. You love every scene he is in and you can't wait for when he next appears. But Yeon or Naksu's story is a wonder you need to see.

For the music from the OST, SFX and background music in AOS have never disappointed. The emotions and tense in scenes are well expressed. Top Notch.

Rewatch Value. I've been rewatching season 1 since it's last episode was released and I don't get tired of it. Into the second episode of season 2 and dearest you'll keep going back to start from episode 1 everytime you have a pinch of free time.

Overally I reated season 1 as a 9.5/10 and 10/10 for season 2 so far. It is well deserved though. If you want to watch something worth your time this is the right show to watch starting from season 1. I really can't wait a week for episode 3, WHAT A SHOW!!!

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Shouldn't have existed

I initially dropped it b/c I thought the problem was the switch of actresses, but after death's game and moving I grew to love the actress. So I started it again,
turns out the problem wasn't the actress nor the chemistry, the writing was just unbearably soap-level bad:
- They dragged out the amnesia until the last 2 episodes, and they had no reaction to it, b/c he was already in love with the new Naksu and didn't care about the old one that much apparently.
- Naksu had a personnality transplant and lost all brain, they turned our smart lead into a damsel, she never got her powers back.
- The secondary characters were just there,
- there was no solid plot just milking a soapy story
- I couldn't follow the characters logic in anything...

Anyway a total waste of my time, fortunately the FL did other projects and won't be remembered for this flop

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GOYOUNJUNG!

THE DRAMA IS SO GOOD, Y'ALL SHOULD WATCH THIS. the characters is all so loveable, i love how they portrayed yeong's cheerful and bubbly character. in season 1 yeong is the shadow and uk is the light but now uk is the shadow and Yeong is the light, there's so many parallel that hurts me. BUT OVERALL THIS IS GREAT! i love the main couple and the second couple, the way they are looking at each other got me laughing and giggling. she's so bold and confident she's pretty and she knows it! when he says that she's pretty, i remember the scene where he says she will always look pretty to him. it just shows that they are destined to be together, they are separated for three years, THREE YEARS. but in the end he still found her and will love her again. their love story will always break me but also made me believe that love do exist

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What a huge disappointment

Did they hire some new writers? Should the Hong sisters just retire now after this travesty? I for sure will not watch their dramas ever again. So many shows that start strong, but then they lose the plot. S1 was perfection. Loved it, especially because of the intelligent characters and interesting plot.

In s2, we have a paper-thin plot, that’s dragged out unnecessarily long. Several characters are just clueless now - unexpectedly. They were quick on the take in s1, in s2 they lost half their IQ. The lead actress only has one expression the whole time. They tried to compensate by putting in extra kissing scenes, but it all felt rushed and forced.

The women are all either weak and helpless or bitchy and conniving. (Apart from Kim do Ju, still the best character!). Did they regress back to peak misogyny? I mean they had an amnesia trope and damsel in distress tropes and all kinds of nonsense. What a let down Hong sisters!

And the climax? The most dull one ever. Do yourself a favor, read the fan theories for s2 which are 10000x more interesting than the slop served to us by the Hong sisters.

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The dreaded rushed ending *tada*

Dang that ending was bad.
Could have definitely avoided a few episodes in season 2 to make a proper ending and not rush everything in the last episode.
The last episode in itself is 2 episodes but noooooo let's use flashbacks to end a well built story and put everything to trash in 1 hour and 20 minutes.
I should have stayed on my first impression at the beginning of season 2, when we were explained what happened with Mudeok's body, that should have a been the ending of season 1, not some random flashback in season 2, again a major part of the story rushed and badly used
Such a shame and a waste of time season 2 has been

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All season you wait for Naksu, and when she’s there, she isn’t!

I was a HUGE fan of AOS part 1. Huge fan of Naksu. I disagree with other reviews that say that the actress in season 2 is not good. Re watch episode 1, She is a brilliant warrior, great actress. However, I think the Hong sisters were sleeping when they wrote her character for season 2. Yes, I understand she is Bu Yeon, until episode 9. And what does Bu Yeon, a mighty powerful priestess do? She follows Uk, in semi trance, like a stupid teenage schoolgirl. Literally. That’s all she does. However in episode 9, Naksu is back, her memories, her powers…where is Naksu? Do you think it’s plausible for this mighty mage and warrior to STUMBLE TWICE, when she is followed by a wraith? You know, the same Naksu who performed the alchemy of souls and fought single handedly an army of mages. What happened to your brains Hong sisters? Also Bu Yeon’s mother character….she used to be so strong, and now her brother told her, you are old, you have white hair, hand over the plaque, and she does?
Incongruent, horrible, totally destroyed the series for me. Horrible!
So I and Yul merit mentioning, loved their story, also the turtle is fab.

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An engaging sequel, but not a necessary one

Even though I’ve marked my review as a spoiler, I really don’t think I’ve given out anything you didn’t anyway expect. But still read at your own risk.

Let’s start with the good. But before that, a very special shout-out to whoever has styled Lee Jae Wook this season, my man is always charming but he looks drop dead gorgeous here. Moving on:
-This part is as engaging as its former; there are times when I’m mad annoyed, but I never skip seeing the episode on time. Even when an episode feels like a filler, I’m invested.
-Most of the cast is just great as we know, but I’m mentioning it again just for Go Yoon Jung who possessed the seamless ability to switch between Naksu and Bu Yeon (basically memory-less Naksu) perfectly.
-GYJ and LJW had electric chemistry, weirdly I felt it more in the parts where Naksu had lost her memory and Jang Uk thought of her as Bu Yeon. The push and pull and the tension was just WOW. They were so natural together, and the show really utilised their chemistry well with all those kissing scenes lol.
-The word building for part 2 was also great, a new world where the ice stone was exposed to all seemed colder, darker and more hopeless (the rules like in first part, were very convenient though, even more so here)
-The show as a whole never loses its humour; there are so many things I can complain about, but they always manage their tone of serious with good laughes in between.


The bad:
-The show has since season 1, been way too obvious about the bad guys. Jinmu’s evil smirks, the unanimous assembly and the King being dumb power-hungry idiots, Seo Yul’s cousin having hidden intentions, the queen only caring about soul-swapping for a more beautiful body - it’s all so panifully obvious about whose intentions are evil and we know above all somehow it is Jinmu heading them all.
-Some characters have just been around and not done much when needed. Seo Yul has a good amount of screen time but has never added anything substantial to the big moments. Jin Cho Yeon being the younger daughter of the Jin family could have brought chaos in her own ways, but she comes and goes when needed. Master Lee is ofcourse a must mention, he gives his speeches, does not reveal what he knows to the right people, and vanishes away as he pleases.
-One thing this show is consistent in, is keeping the love story at its core and centre (much at the expense of all the other plot lines). As much as I like seeing Naksu and Jang UK’s love story, it’s pointless to have these many dedicated one sided love lines. Crown Prince and Yul for Naksu, a very useless Lady Yun Ok for Jang Uk, Sol-i for Seo Yul (this at least made sense plot-wise so I’ll let it go). Like just get some of them together, what’s the harm? I was convinced in part 1 that towards the end Yun Ok and Seo Yul could have a romance but they somehow made her very annoying and mean for no reason in part 2. Dan Gu and Cho Yeon love story also came with very little build up, they were cute, but that’s it. There could have been a lot more to their love story, but I guess they had to save screen time for Jin Mu’s smirks. I’m very glad though that Kim Do Jo and Park Jin got their fair share of romance in this part.
-Naksu’s reveal, in episode 9 (very concerning and stupid by the way how Jang Uk did not realise it was Naksu inspite of NUMEROUS hints and a similar way of talking), was pretty underwhelming. I enjoyed their scenes before it too, but it felt like a different love story all together so at this point I expected passion, drama, something? They were like let us feign ignorance. I was like okay. That’s it? It felt a little too underwhelming. I was atleast expecting a typical moment compilation.
-I am not someone who complains about logic and stuff a lot in a kdrama, especially one of fantasy genre, but all in all there was a lot of stuff that could have been solved easily. Crown Prince could have just sided with Jang Uk earlier and the show could have wrapped up sooner. There were these filler romance episodes in between too, that were fun to see, but added nothing to the overall plot line. As usual again, we never saw Naksu in full form. This part has and will always annoy me. This show actually teases us since the beginning that this is a Naksu show, but part 1 ends up being more about Jang Uk’s journey. That is why I walked in part 2 with lower expectations.

All in all, what bothers me is when a show has all the right elements and can easily be one of the best ones out there, but screws itself up by underutilising some of the characters and messing up the storyline in the dumbest ways imaginable, I felt this was a problem in part 1 as well, but even more so here.

I assume if you’re reading all this you’ve obviously seen part 1 and are wondering if you want to see part 2 as well. In spite of all my complains, I won’t say I didn’t enjoy it, which is why the rating is still that high. This part is as I said, very engaging. I’m annoyed, but I’m somehow always entertained. And if you are someone whose main interest is the romantic aspect, this part precisely serves that, and very well until the first 8 episodes. The chemistry is great in both parts, but I felt it is even better in this part.

The show absolutely did not need the part 2, a lot of this could have been wrapped up in S1 if the show had lesser filler episodes, but since we are here, and we are invested, your core reasons to watch can be to follow all our beloved characters storylines and seeing most of the cast look even better in their new get-ups. It’s best to keep your expectations at rock bottom, storyline wise, and actually watch for the romance.

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An unmatched reunion love story.

AoS: Light & Shadow had everything I ever wanted in a K-drama fantasy series. I have always been a fan of the Hong Sisters'(Writers') signature of poetic dialogues, and them always dancing between tragedy & dark comedy in their romance dramas. All of which, are the primary reason I dived into AoS in the first place. So be warned that I might be biased in rating this series but I'll still try to present an objective review.


Story:

The narrative started with a time skip 3 years later, with the primary storyline involving a grieving & suicidal all-powerful mage Jang Uk (Lee Jae Wook) and a mysterious amnesiac isolated Jin Bu Yeon (Go Youn Jung). Both of whom, are still coming to terms with their new reality as “someone who shouldn’t exist” when they met. And so, due to this somewhat similar present, their fates became intertwined (again) and they become entangled in a series of dangerous events. As the story unfolds, we see how these two soulmates that understand each other's circumstances bravely traverse around a society that hates their very existence.

The plot were really risky to dive into especially when a lot of cliches were present. Yet surprisingly, the writers managed to hook me and made me highly captivated by this kind of settings. Glad I took the risk cause I was able to meet different sides for my favorite characters. The things that I loved in Part 1 i.e. the poetic dialogues, the eye-catching foreshadows/ parallelism, and breathtaking CGI were still present too. Part 2 were definitely as clever and pleasant to watch as Part 1.


Main Characters:

Part 1 :
It was a very astounding choice to use Go Youn Jung's voice for Mu Deok's 'monologues' throughout Part 1 (She was credited for it from EP1-20) even without her presence. I particularly loved the moment she admitted her love for Jang Uk where she monologued: ❝ This is a clear and dangerous sign, that I am in love with this man, Jang Uk. ❞ (Part 1:Ep10). This particular scene in itself demonstrates the idea that the poisonous love confession for Jang Uk really originated from "Naksu's soul" and not the body. In fact, this phenomenal detail in the drama has actually defended many Naksu debates, including that one concerning who Jang Uk truly loved: the body or the soul.

Part 2 :
❝ I buried everything behind but you took out my past and helped me face them. You held my hand and helped me sleep when I never thought I could. ❞ - Jang Uk to Naksu

Naksu is indeed now weaker than her own lover, an amnesiac, an easily frightened girl, and she's also undeniably a damsel in distress. But exactly Naksu in Part 2 bravely loved Jang Uk despite him in love with someone else and even amidst the oppositions from others, she never left him. She always confronted the doubt and mockery she faced from others, while also defending and protecting Jang Uk in her own ways. That's still feminine and its definitely not being weak. Naksu finally doing all the things she failed to do after her death in Part 1 like the way many of her dialogues we're the things she didn't get to say to Jang Uk was so tragically beautiful.

❝ It's shameless to desire something without the will to endure the pain. A pain that does not kill me will eventually set me free. ❞ - Naksu

In part 2, Naksu is not anymore the 'fierce and physically strong' woman of the past. Despite this, she still remained a 'brave and mentally strong' soul till the end. Her Part 2 life represents Naksu's hopes for freedom and just without the pain & vengeance she harbored of the past. The plot of Jang Uk falling deeply in love with her 'soul' again without recognizing her first solidified that Naksu in P2 is still the same Naksu that Jang Uk loved in P1 .

Go Youn Jung definitely 'nailed and slayed' her first lead role.


“No one can stop me from going anywhere. And I am used to feeling unwelcomed.” – Jang Uk

Lee Jae Wook gave us an incredible performance in AoS. But I will exclude a review for his performance as Jang Uk in P2, as other reviews have already done it. But he really did extremely well and deserve all the awards he achieved due to this drama. His coldness as a mage who has lost his vigour and as a grieving lover we're heartbreaking. But then he transitioned into someone alive and better after meeting Jin Bu Yeon/Cho Yeong, showing she's indeed his only 'cure' and that was romantic!


Honestly, I had doubts that I would come to love most of the characters again in Part 2. Yet the character portrayals in this series surprisingly the side characters too, managed to prove my doubts wrong. I still found myself very infatuated with the still hilariously cute JinJoo couple; I still yearned for the little but adorable ChoDang interactions; still rooted for the hopeless romantic Yul's happiness; I even cried for So-i; and not forget to mention, the best Father-Son duo, Seja Go Won and Turtle!

All of the actors really shined and excelled in their respective roles in this drama. Cheers to many more projects for all of them after AoS!


Overall:

The OTP created by Yeong/Shadow (Go Youn Jung) & Uk/Light (Lee Jae Wook) was really on fire. It's unforgettable. I giggled hard even from their small interactions, blushed from all their kisses and hugs, and bawled my eyes out at the angst they displayed. In essence, I enjoyed the chemistry between Go Youn Jung and Lee Jae Wook, and the slow burn/second chance romance which made me love their story again.

So to conclude, for me, Part 2 is very much an intensely engaging reunion love story. I admit it indeed lacked much of the thrilling mage action and the strong feminism in Part 1. But I do not agree with Naksu being called only weak cause she is MORE than that. There is no doubt that AoS Part 2 is equally impressive as Part 1 for me especially with its still amazing fantasy realm and the unmatched reunion love story between the three couples (UkYeong, JinJoo, and ChoDang).

The Hong Sisters(Writers) gave us bittersweet endings in most of their dramas but then we actually got a beautiful happy ending for the main couple and for everyone 'here' in AoS. No unnecessary deaths, just a tear-jerker and lovely future. That's why I will never forget nor regret spending 6 months for this drama, it was a very fun and memorable journey to be able to watch, read theories, and overthink together with AoS fans. The Hong Sisters and Studio Dragon have stolen my heart again with another good drama!


Thanks for reading!

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A MASTERPIECE WORTH WATCHING

The journey of almost 7 months with AOS has been truly memorable. Now that it has come to an end, it feels so empty.
As I had mentioned in my review for season 1, this drama is just PERFECT and even this season didn't disappoint me with its excellent story line, cinematography, cast, music, EVERYTHING!
Go Yoon Jung portrayed her role as Jin Bu-yeon and Yeong so beautifully and I was all in for it. The dark side of Jang uk with the little mixture of softness was something to look forward to! Their chemistry is INSANE, TRUST ME! After soo long I could feel that the love that the leads share onscreen is BEAUTIFUL, just beautiful nothing else! My heart fluttered in all of their scenes together. Literally no one beats this couple and I was (will always be) all in for it! Kim DoJu, my favourite character throughout! Even though her role wasn't that much, I really really loved her little love story with Park Jin! They have to be my favourites<3. Seo Yul, Dangu, Cho Yeon, Seja Joha, Mama Jin, Master Lee (and ofc uri kkobugi the turtle!).. ALL OF THEM, they have my entire heart! Sad that it has ended and wouldn't get to see them, but happy that they were a part of this fantastic series!
About the story, I'M FULLY SATISFIED WITH IT. I truly think these 10 extended episodes did full justice to the series and I really want to thank the writers and the production team for this! People did criticise it a lot (still do) but for me, it was EXCELLENT! For me, the ending was PERFECT and it couldn't have been any better! After all the ups and downs, all the longing, all the heartbreaks, all the characters finally got what they deserved.
The OSTs! What a song Blue Flower is! I remember getting goosebumps while listening to it for the very first time. I loved how Lia's voice perfectly suited the song(she should get the attention she deserves). I even cried while listening to 'I'm sorry' by Ailee. True that I didn't understand the meaning of the song first but the emotions with which it is sung is MARVELOUS. All the other Osts too were exceptionally amazing!
Now that I've completed watching AOS2, I'm left with mixed emotions. I was rooting for this drama since it's announcement. The journey with it has been thrilling. Right from the first episode of the season one, till the last episode of season two, this series has ruled my heart and I know it will continue to do so for a very long time. From waiting for the premiere of season one to waiting for the finale of season two, this series has not once disappointed me. Hong sisters wrote the greatest love story to ever exist! They showed the world the meaning of true love! True love is not only about loving the body, but falling in love with the soul! It is loving the person inside out. They didn't disappoint us with the ending and I will thank them again and again for this!
All the praises for this drama will fall short. Every word will fail to describe the beauty of it. Alchemy of Souls is that drama which will remain in my heart FOREVER. Nothing could ever describe my love for this. For me, it was not just a drama, it was an emotion. Gonna miss it so so so muchh :(((
All I want to say is that don't miss out on this masterpiece. It's one of a kind and won't disappoint you.
Now i'll go and rewatch it right from the season one♡

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JANG UK love any woman who live with him for few days, PLAYBOY Story

Jang Uk live with Naksu and fall in love with her,
Naksu died
Jang Uk start living with Boyeon and also fall in love with her too
SO Jang Uk love any woman who live with him other then maid kim,
in end boyeon become Naksu and Jang uk still love naksu while he was in love with boyeon untill 8th episode
Naksu was fine with Jang Uk marrying boyeon kissing boyeon and what not
even jang uk moved on from Naksu in ep 4 and in 9th he is in love with with God knows whom
Do writer even understand love ? You love any person who live with you ?
Naksu sword, naksu was badass but for our poor male lead naksu has to become weak so that useless jang uk can be used
Jung so min acting level is way above this female lead of season 2, it was fun watching Jung So Min play Mu deok/Naksu
while this female lead was just a crying baby, most powerful pasta, most powerful assistent
Dear Hongs why even bother casting a female lead, oh yea for kissing that was only reason season 2 has a female lead for jang uk to spite......

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