One of the comments here made me remember an inconsistency (and a missed opportunity) in Part 1: we know that…
This show has more plot holes, lack of logic, and inconsisties than a sieve. They make things up as they go. BUT, once I stopped caring about them and just accepted what I am told I felt better. Despite all its shortcomings, I still find it very entertaining. It has a great mix of this and that. I started watching it because I absolutely LOVED JSM in "Because this is your first life", but I discovered many more good actors. I find the actor who plays Park amazing! He can be very convincing as a leader and as slow witted and hillarious in romance. The actress playing Kim also is very good. Despite all these young very beautiful couples, I find the older actors romance the best.
Nice to know others are watching a truly well done series. No season 3 please, it's part 1 and 2.
Absolutely! As an International viewer I escapped from the American model of open ended series with them stretching to many seasons until they become rubbish, or you get bored. The biggest advantage of K-drama for me is the one season format. It is an excellent format. You start a series knowing that you get a complete arc. Alchemy of Souls has already dragged more than it needed to be. They should have ended it in the original 20 episodes. But, it is a fun show, and its positives are more than its negatives. However, I don't think I will watch another season of it. Korea! PLEASE PLEASE stick to the one (maybe two) season format. Don't become just a copy of USA. Keep your unique flavour.
I am not Korean, and I became big fan of K-drama only in the last 2 years, so I don't know a lot about this award. In principle I don't really care about them (Oscars, Emmys, Baftas, etc etc). But, as this is totally new to me, I am mildly curious, although I expect similar problems. My reaction to this is how comes that "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" didn't get even a single nomination? Also, there are only few shows that got everything. This is strange for a country that produces so many series. Or is it this award only for shows of this channel?
I disagree much more than I agree, but I totally see your points, and understand them. I agree that S1 was probably better, and prior to Beach was better, but the Beach section was also very good. I think S2 was little bit uneven sometimes. I think the "Crossbow" girl wasn't needed at all. I wish we spent more time with our established characters. I also must say that I was annoyed when she didn't die despite taking so many bullets, but the final reveal put it in context. I quite liked the reveal. I mean it is a Sci-fi, so it was plausauble enough. But, overall, it was still very good and thrilling. It is nice though to hear different opinion.
Questions about Episode 1 I have already complained about this issue in Part 1, then got over it. But, now this part started, and it is bugging me again. But, I want to ask just in case I missed something. At the end os Part 1 we established that Jung So-Min had the body of Bu-yeon and the soul of Naksu. Then she went into the lake. We are told that they fished out the body. I can accept that Naksu's soul is somewhere, but the body is the same. Ok, they changed the actress, but it is still Bu-yeon body. If Jung So-Min had continued then we would be seeing her. What puzzles me is how can Jang Uk not recognise that body?? (or that lady in the guest house for that matter) I mean this new actress was even immitating the speech and manners of Jung So-Min ( I even half expected her to try and hang to the bridge lol). I am not even Korean, nor I speak the language, but it was still obvious to me. I am sure it is deliberate. They are basically implying that Naksu is somewhere there. I can get people missing the personality, but the body??
Am I missing something? or I just need to roll with it?
I have watched the original French series, which was absolutely fantastic. I didn't even bother with English version. France & England do have cultural differences, but not enough to warrant a remake. Also, the French series finished very recently. I am, however, intriguied by a Korean one. I don't know how things are done behind the scene in Korea, and there is probably a real cultural difference (although people are roughly the same everywhere). My question: If you have watched the original French. Is it worth to give this a chance?
I agree. First lets change the title. Totally misleading. I would totally cut the little sister (and her friend). I would also dispose of this entire Vietnam thing. Replace it with something simpler. As you said, the cast is excellent, and the spine of the story is good.
God! These last 2 episodes defied ALL logic! The show had lots of strong points. Acting, good build of mystery, and some really good tense moments. However, I felt 12 episodes were too much. This should have been 8, maybe 10 episodes at most. The writing is very loose, and has some serious logic issues. It always veer towards style and sacrifice logic. But, despite all criticism, I had pleasant time. For me it is 7/10.
r u serious injoo like you KNOW that the orchid is fcked up and has hallucinogenic properties couldn't you have…
I have already complained about this specific point about the orchid. I am 100% convinced she is not the one who killed her aunt, but all these plot conveniences are starting to really annoy me. E6 lost the series at least one star for me.
Quick opinion on the the 3 sisters at mid point: In Joo: the worst from writing pov. Her behaviour is inconsistent, and she seems to be a walking plot conveniences. I do have sympathy with her character as a person though. She is in a very tough spot. And, although irrelevant to the drama itself, MY GOD! Kim Go Eun is VERY beautiful.
In Kyung; She is probably the best character. She is consistent. Her actions make sense, regardless whether you agree or not with her, and she is fighting a good fight.
In Hye: maybe unpopular opinion, but I also think she is consistent, and her behaviour makes sense and in line with her motives. She is very annoying and ungrateful to her sisters, but she is good as a believable character.
I have a feeling that the writer just sacrificed the eldest sister believability for plot purposes.
Hmm. This is starting to resemble a Harlan Coben mystery. You start with the present, and it all ends up with some very old story in the past. I must say that I am starting to get annoyed though. In Joo behaviour is very inconsistent. On one hand she is plotting and scheming to take them down and fully aware of the orchid role. On the other hand she takes the orchid and inhale it fully knowing its properties on top of the fact that it was given to her by a suspecious person. That just doesn't make sense. This is another plot convenience. In Joo didn't kill her aunt. I am pretty sure it was someone else, and she was just sleep walking. This orchid starting to resemble magic now lol. At least there are only 6 more episodes, so I can hold on, but for me the show is getting worse.
Sorry to go on a tangent, but if you liked the movie The Handmaiden( Personally I liked it a lot. I watched in Cinema), then try to catch the 2005 BBC mini-series (3 episodes) Fingersmith, which is the adaptation of the book (awsome book, but if you know the events it takes away a lot of it). The Handmaiden movie is not an identical adaptation of the book, so the BBC series will still be worth watching if you have access.
I don't know why but this is what i thought since ep1 after they showed Hwa Young's death. I think she is not…
I also think there is a very high chance that she is not dead. Your second point is the strongest argument. But, even though I will not be surprised if she is alive, I will be disappointed.
Despite all its shortcomings, I still find it very entertaining. It has a great mix of this and that. I started watching it because I absolutely LOVED JSM in "Because this is your first life", but I discovered many more good actors. I find the actor who plays Park amazing! He can be very convincing as a leader and as slow witted and hillarious in romance. The actress playing Kim also is very good. Despite all these young very beautiful couples, I find the older actors romance the best.
As an International viewer I escapped from the American model of open ended series with them stretching to many seasons until they become rubbish, or you get bored.
The biggest advantage of K-drama for me is the one season format. It is an excellent format. You start a series knowing that you get a complete arc.
Alchemy of Souls has already dragged more than it needed to be. They should have ended it in the original 20 episodes. But, it is a fun show, and its positives are more than its negatives. However, I don't think I will watch another season of it.
Korea! PLEASE PLEASE stick to the one (maybe two) season format. Don't become just a copy of USA. Keep your unique flavour.
In principle I don't really care about them (Oscars, Emmys, Baftas, etc etc). But, as this is totally new to me, I am mildly curious, although I expect similar problems.
My reaction to this is how comes that "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" didn't get even a single nomination? Also, there are only few shows that got everything. This is strange for a country that produces so many series. Or is it this award only for shows of this channel?
I agree that S1 was probably better, and prior to Beach was better, but the Beach section was also very good.
I think S2 was little bit uneven sometimes. I think the "Crossbow" girl wasn't needed at all. I wish we spent more time with our established characters.
I also must say that I was annoyed when she didn't die despite taking so many bullets, but the final reveal put it in context.
I quite liked the reveal. I mean it is a Sci-fi, so it was plausauble enough.
But, overall, it was still very good and thrilling.
It is nice though to hear different opinion.
I have already complained about this issue in Part 1, then got over it. But, now this part started, and it is bugging me again.
But, I want to ask just in case I missed something.
At the end os Part 1 we established that Jung So-Min had the body of Bu-yeon and the soul of Naksu. Then she went into the lake.
We are told that they fished out the body. I can accept that Naksu's soul is somewhere, but the body is the same. Ok, they changed the actress, but it is still Bu-yeon body. If Jung So-Min had continued then we would be seeing her.
What puzzles me is how can Jang Uk not recognise that body?? (or that lady in the guest house for that matter)
I mean this new actress was even immitating the speech and manners of Jung So-Min ( I even half expected her to try and hang to the bridge lol). I am not even Korean, nor I speak the language, but it was still obvious to me. I am sure it is deliberate. They are basically implying that Naksu is somewhere there. I can get people missing the personality, but the body??
Am I missing something? or I just need to roll with it?
I am, however, intriguied by a Korean one. I don't know how things are done behind the scene in Korea, and there is probably a real cultural difference (although people are roughly the same everywhere).
My question: If you have watched the original French. Is it worth to give this a chance?
First lets change the title. Totally misleading.
I would totally cut the little sister (and her friend).
I would also dispose of this entire Vietnam thing. Replace it with something simpler.
As you said, the cast is excellent, and the spine of the story is good.
If you make it a movie, then you need to do a drastic cuts.
It could turn out to be a very good movie though.
But is it good? hmm. You need to set logic aside, and ignore your brain when it starts complaining lol.
The show had lots of strong points. Acting, good build of mystery, and some really good tense moments.
However, I felt 12 episodes were too much. This should have been 8, maybe 10 episodes at most. The writing is very loose, and has some serious logic issues. It always veer towards style and sacrifice logic.
But, despite all criticism, I had pleasant time. For me it is 7/10.
I am 100% convinced she is not the one who killed her aunt, but all these plot conveniences are starting to really annoy me. E6 lost the series at least one star for me.
In Joo: the worst from writing pov. Her behaviour is inconsistent, and she seems to be a walking plot conveniences. I do have sympathy with her character as a person though. She is in a very tough spot. And, although irrelevant to the drama itself, MY GOD! Kim Go Eun is VERY beautiful.
In Kyung; She is probably the best character. She is consistent. Her actions make sense, regardless whether you agree or not with her, and she is fighting a good fight.
In Hye: maybe unpopular opinion, but I also think she is consistent, and her behaviour makes sense and in line with her motives. She is very annoying and ungrateful to her sisters, but she is good as a believable character.
I have a feeling that the writer just sacrificed the eldest sister believability for plot purposes.
This is starting to resemble a Harlan Coben mystery. You start with the present, and it all ends up with some very old story in the past.
I must say that I am starting to get annoyed though.
In Joo behaviour is very inconsistent. On one hand she is plotting and scheming to take them down and fully aware of the orchid role. On the other hand she takes the orchid and inhale it fully knowing its properties on top of the fact that it was given to her by a suspecious person.
That just doesn't make sense.
This is another plot convenience. In Joo didn't kill her aunt. I am pretty sure it was someone else, and she was just sleep walking.
This orchid starting to resemble magic now lol.
At least there are only 6 more episodes, so I can hold on, but for me the show is getting worse.
The Handmaiden movie is not an identical adaptation of the book, so the BBC series will still be worth watching if you have access.
But, even though I will not be surprised if she is alive, I will be disappointed.