Kdrama_Cdrama_lover

If you think C-dramas are 'silly,' you clearly haven't seen 'Lost You Forever'. It's a dark, gritty, and mature fantasy where the female lead spends the first 10 episodes living as a poor, roughed-up doctor. There are no 'silly' clichés here—only heavy political stakes and heartbreaking choices. Even the dubbing is top-notch because the actors are incredibly skilled.
In my opinion, Alchemy of Souls had great acting and impressive visual effects, but the script was weak, the pacing was slow, and it lacked real excitement. The most important factor in a series' appeal is a strong screenplay, not just high-end CGI, good acting, original voices, or a serious tone. I believe Korea is slightly weaker than China when it comes to producing historical fantasies. The only Korean historical fantasies that I actually enjoyed are Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938,bon appetit your majesty ,mr queen and haunted palace.

I get what you’re saying about Lee Jae-wook’s voice; he definitely has a great presence. But it's a misconception that K-dramas always have higher budgets. Massive C-dramas like 'Ashes of Love' or 'The Untamed' spend a fortune on world-building, CGI, and thousands of hand-made costumes that look far more expensive than most K-dramas.
​As for the music, C-drama OSTs often use full traditional orchestras and legendary singers (like Zhou Shen or Zhang Bichen), creating an epic atmosphere that matches their grand scale.
​While you find dubbing a deal-breaker, many find the 'clichés' in K-dramas a deal-breaker too. Let’s be honest, both seasons of Alchemy of Souls were filled with typical K-drama tropes that we've seen a hundred times. Sometimes, a C-drama's unique mythology and emotional depth are worth the sacrifice of original audio.

I actually watched 14 episodes of 'The Legend of White Snake' and thoroughly enjoyed it. In my opinion, it was much more exciting and emotional than Alchemy of Souls. Even though it was dubbed and didn't use the actors' original voices, the dubbing was perfectly synced with their speech and didn't feel distracting at all.

I respect your opinion, but it seems you’re looking at C-dramas through an outdated lens. While dubbing is common due to regional dialects, many modern high-budget productions use the actors' original voices or have seamless ADR.
​If you think C-dramas look 'low budget,' you should watch 'Love Between Fairy and Devil' or 'Till the End of the Moon'; their visual effects and costume design are on a whole different level compared to Alchemy of Souls. Also, for a 'gritty' and serious story, 'The Untamed' or 'Joy of Life' offer much deeper political intrigue and world-building than AOS ever did.
​Alchemy of Souls started strong, but season 2 felt like a generic romance, whereas 'Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938' actually improved upon its first season by focusing on brotherhood and a solid plot rather than just clichés.

I honestly don't understand why this series became so popular and was labeled a masterpiece, when both seasons had their fair share of flaws. To be fair, C-dramas offer much more engaging historical fantasies in this genre. In my opinion, Tale of the Nine-Tailed is a better series than Alchemy of Souls in this style. Especially the second season of Tale of the Nine-Tailed—it's far superior to Alchemy of Souls.

Most people who hate on Season 2 just couldn't handle the change of the female lead, and their bias prevented them from even giving the story a fair chance.

Honestly, I’ve watched 15 episodes of Season 1, but I haven't started Season 2 yet. To me, Season 1 lacked a certain 'hook'; only episodes 1, 2, and 8 were actually engaging, while the rest felt dragged down by unnecessary political subplots.
​Take 'My Demon' for example—it had a star-studded cast and the rom-com elements, but the writing was weak, which is why its rating didn't reach the level of Alchemy of Souls Season 2. Even 'Boys Over Flowers,' which is a nostalgic cult classic for K-drama fans with fun romance and comedy, has a low rating because the plot was honestly toxic.
​A show doesn't get an 8.9 rating for no reason. Masterpieces like 'Mr. Queen' and 'Hospital Playlist' are in that same rating bracket for a reason.

You too

Those who watched this season say Go Youn-jung's acting was incredible. She managed to look both serious and fierce, yet cute and adorable at the same time. If the second season was 'garbage,' it wouldn't have rated an 8.9. You're the one who needs a brain surgery!

Saying Go Youn-jung's acting was bad is a joke😅. Season 2 was a masterpiece, but it got hated on because of Jung So-min fans' stupid prejudices.😅

Saying Go Youn-jung's acting was bad is a joke😂. Season 2 was a masterpiece, but it got hated on because of Jung So-min fans' stupid prejudices.

These comments of yours prove you're a psycho.

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You should also go to the ophthalmologist.

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I want to start watching the TV series Xuan-Yuan Sword: Han Cloud, but I can't find anywhere that has translated this series into my native language. Unfortunately, I also can't find any place that has uploaded all the episodes of this series with English subtitles.