Reviews

A Beautiful Fantasy World Held Together by Great Characters

At its core, *Alchemy of Souls* is the story of two people trying to survive and change their fates. Through a twist of destiny, Jang Uk and Mu Deok become entangled in each other's lives, initially because they each need something from the other. What starts as a relationship built on necessity gradually develops into something far more complicated. Set within a fantasy world filled with magic, political schemes, hidden identities, and ancient secrets, their journey becomes the emotional heart of the story.

The first thing that stood out to me was the world-building. The props, costumes, magic system, and overall fantasy setting are easily some of the strongest aspects of the show. It genuinely feels like a fully realized world with its own rules, history, and mythology rather than just a backdrop for the characters. The writers put a great deal of effort into establishing the lore, and for the most part, it pays off.

The concept itself is fascinating. Soul shifting, forbidden magic, powerful mage families, hidden identities, and political conspiracies all come together to create a story that feels ambitious from the very beginning. The drama takes its time introducing its world and characters while maintaining a good balance between fantasy elements and emotional storytelling.

The cast is another major strength. Lee Jae Wook delivers a fantastic performance as Jang Uk. He balances humor, arrogance, vulnerability, and determination extremely well. Watching Jang Uk slowly grow from someone unable to use magic into a capable mage was satisfying, although I do wish the drama had given us more training scenes and focused more heavily on his development.

Jung So Min was equally impressive as Mu Deok. She had the difficult task of portraying a legendary assassin trapped inside a physically weak body, and she handled both sides of the character wonderfully. She could be intimidating one moment, hilarious the next, and emotionally devastating when the story required it.

One of the standout elements for me was the relationship between Jang Uk and Mu Deok. Their dynamic felt natural from the very beginning. Before romance even entered the picture, there was trust, understanding, and companionship between them. Some of their quieter moments together carried more emotional weight than many grand romantic scenes in other dramas.

That said, I understand why opinions on their romance can be divided. While I personally enjoyed their relationship, I also felt the drama sometimes focused so much on the larger plot that it missed opportunities to further develop their emotional connection. I often found myself wanting more scenes of them together.

Outside of the main couple, I loved Mu Deok's interactions with the Crown Prince. Their banter was consistently entertaining and added a lot of charm to the series. I was also surprisingly invested in the comedic romance involving Park Jin, Maid Kim, and Master Lee. At times, their storyline was just as enjoyable as the younger characters' romances.

One thing *Alchemy of Souls* does exceptionally well is creating memorable supporting characters. Seo Yul, Park Dang Gu, Crown Prince Go Won, Park Jin, Maid Kim, and many others feel like real people rather than simple side characters. Even when some receive less development than I would have liked, they still leave a strong impression.

However, despite how much I enjoyed the drama, I do think it suffers from pacing issues. The first fifteen episodes are engaging and consistently entertaining, but the show spends a little too much time dragging out certain minor storylines. Then, when major revelations and important plot developments finally arrive, there are only a few episodes left to properly explore them.

The Jin Bu Yeon storyline is probably the best example. The drama treats certain revelations as major surprises even though many viewers had likely figured them out long beforehand. Instead of spending so much time building suspense around something predictable, I wish the writers had focused more on exploring the emotional consequences of those revelations.

Similarly, I felt the Jang Gang storyline had enormous potential that was never fully realized. The series spends so much time building anticipation around his return that when it finally happens, it feels surprisingly brief. There were many opportunities for meaningful conversations and emotional closure that never materialized.

My biggest criticism is that the second half occasionally feels uneven. Important storylines involving secret organizations, family histories, and political conflicts are introduced quite late, leaving insufficient time to fully explore them. Some character arcs feel rushed while others receive more attention than necessary.

The ending also left me with mixed feelings. Jang Uk's final moments were undeniably epic and delivered one of the most memorable scenes of the entire season. However, Mu Deok's storyline felt rushed in comparison. Given everything the characters had been through together, I wanted more emotional weight and more time devoted to their final interactions.

Despite these flaws, *Alchemy of Souls* remains an incredibly enjoyable fantasy drama. The production quality is excellent, the visual effects are impressive, the action scenes are exciting, and the world itself feels alive. More importantly, the characters are compelling enough to keep you invested through the slower moments.

I actually considered rating this drama lower because of its pacing problems, some underdeveloped plotlines, and a few story decisions that didn't completely work for me. However, the world-building, characters, performances, fantasy elements, and overall entertainment value consistently held my attention across all twenty episodes. That's not something every long fantasy drama manages to do.

Overall, *Alchemy of Souls Part 1* succeeds because of its characters, performances, and immersive fantasy world. While the pacing and plot structure could have been tighter, the journey was still incredibly entertaining. It may not be a perfect fantasy drama, but it is one of the most ambitious and memorable Korean fantasy series I've watched.

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meh but good acting

so this started off strong. the ML and FL have some of the best chemistry I’ve ever seen in a drama. their plot was really good, everything developed nicely and kinda fast. but I was like this is nice to not be dragged along the whole story but turned out it wasn’t a good thing.
the story just completely tanks 3/4 the way thru. like the FL becomes an entirely diff person and forgets she’s an intelligent person who has empathy and likes to figure out things and she just starts acting like a spoiled princess who doesn’t see things beyond face value. the only side characters who are interesting at all is ML sister and her Prince An. the others were filler w no added story value. the villains were literally the worst people on earth. all of them were psychotic to the point it made them seem unintelligent. no character progression there really.

overall it was AMAZING up until the last 10 eps then it stops making sense. I’d really like to see this couple together again as a couple (they r in Veil of Shadows together but not as couple) cos their chemistry was literally 🔥🔥🔥

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the best kdrama in 2026

I honestly didn't expect much from this drama, but it ended up becoming one of my all-time favorites.
I was completely immersed in the story and enjoyed every moment of it. For a few hours, it allowed me to forget all my worries and escape from real life, which is something I truly appreciated.
The main couple was amazing, and their chemistry was one of the drama's biggest strengths. Heo Nam-jun, in particular, delivered an outstanding performance and made me fall in love with his character from beginning to end.
Of course, the script wasn't perfect, and there were some weaknesses in the storyline. However, the emotions this drama made me feel were far more important than its flaws.
What I'll remember most is how it made me smile, laugh, and forget my problems for a while. For that reason alone, I'm grateful to this drama.

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Overrated and ove the top

Yet another overrated drama, in my opinion.

The production values are solid, and the acting is decent. Eun Woo has clearly been working on his craft—his improvement is noticeable and appreciated. The premise is intriguing, and I was genuinely drawn in during the early episodes.

However, Chae Ni's character completely ruined the experience for me. She had her funny moments, but her behaviour was so exaggerated and loud that I ended up skipping large portions of her scenes—and her friends' scenes too. I couldn't take another round of shouting. A little restraint in characterisation would have gone a long way.

The superhero concept felt fresh at first, but ultimately, the drama didn't offer anything particularly memorable. I struggled to connect with most of the cast. For me Jeong—was the only likeable character as he felt grounded and human, a stark contrast to everyone else around him.

Verdict: Solid production and a promising start, but let down by exaggerated characters and a forgettable execution. Worth a look if you're curious about the cast, but don't expect to be blown away.

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A callback to to the 2010s romcoms

Romcoms always get unfair flack from viewers. It generally goes like this: everyone is usually on board during the beginning, shy away during the conflict, then trumpet about how disappointing the drama was because it wasn't 100% romance or 100% comedy at all times. Some people want escapism at all times. Some people love to hyper-fixate on one element of the drama and let it ruin their experience overall. And that's fair. People tend to digest their media differently. I enjoy it when the couple fights. I like it when they come up against almost insurmountable obstacles. I like it when they cry and when they can't communicate. I also love a good fantasy element to the story, especially if it's historical. Not to say that this drama had too much conflict. There was a perfect balance between romance, comedy, and angst, which is very hard to do in this era where people demand only the first two.

This is a drama where the couple's chemistry shines above the rest. It got many comparisons to the still airing Perfect Crown at the time and for good reason: its premise, characters, and romance worked together in ways Perfect Crown didn't get a chance to demonstrate. The story itself is nothing new: a time-slip romance drama where someone from the past finds their way to the future. But if you're expecting new in the romcom genre, then you'll definitely be disappointed. These are time-honored tropes that this drama carries out exceptionally well. Enemies-to-lovers, hostile meet-cute, corporate scheming, CEO chaebol main lead, white truck of doom, meta-acknowledged product placement, etc, etc. Everything comes together solely due to how fleshed out our main characters are. They could have very easily been reduced to caricatures, but instead are allowed to have scenes on their own and personal conflicts.

Do I think the drama could have benefited from a longer runtime? Absolutely. Do I think it was a complete disappointment in the runtime it had? Not at all. It was an enjoyable journey throughout. I had fun watching it, fun talking about it, fun thinking about it, and just fun overall. Usually, I don't publish reviews at the end, because I don't really care for the MDL rating which is never accurate and always fueled by more hostility than the actual drama deserves, but I understand the dopamine effect of saying whatever you want to say now, especially after reading these other reviews.

I feel like in this age of poor media literacy, so many people don't understand pacing, writing, or plot. Their attention spans are mid-tier. Not to mention the poor quality of the subtitles themselves, which contribute to the problem of media literacy. Then again, if you're looking for quality critical thinking from MyDramaList of all places, then you're better off actually watching the show and forming your own opinions.

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Amazing Start For In Love forever

If I had to give a review of ILF, I would say it is very good. P'Ling and P'Orm's acting is excellent. Their performances feel complete and natural with nothing lacking.

And I've only watched Episode 1 so far. I already believe that the upcoming episodes will be just as good and won't disappoint.

All of the actors did a great job. Their acting and voice delivery were very good. I have no complaints about them.

You can clearly see the effort that the entire In Love Forever team put into this series. I would like to praise and congratulate everyone involved.

I wish In Love Forever great success, and I hope the series achieves many accomplishments in the future.

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Good Finale, But the Pacing Held It Back

i think the last ep is the only episode that was good from start to finish. i get that the writer was going for an emotional drama with a bit of romcom on the side, but the pacing was way too slow and honestly got boring at times. there were moments where it felt hard to even finish an episode. i feel like it would've worked much better if it was cut down to 10 or 12 episodes. the cp dynamic is really carrying this series because everything else feels like a pretty standard k-drama with nothing particularly special. they're lucky they cast Heo Namjun, that's all i'm gonna say.

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When the main male character turns out not to be the main one after all...

The drama didn’t live up to the potential that the story offered. Everything was fine until about episode 25, then the intrigues, politics, and exploring the side characters killed it into total boredom. The potential of the beautiful, mysterious, and hot main character Duke Su and his relationship with the main female lead was not used at all. A million glances, a million moments of tension, and in the end, one kiss that “the world didn’t see” (by candlelight). At that point, I was like WTF!!! If you like politics, you’ll get plenty of it. If you like romance, this drama won’t satisfy you.

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I Get the Hype Now This Shit Is Actually So Satisfying

Honestly, I intended to save this series for later since it's one of my favorite webtoons. However, the massive hype on social media made me worried about spoilers, so I decided to watch it now. As a big fan of the original, I think the adaptation is quite solid overall.

It opens incredibly strong the villains in every episode are insanely infuriating, and seeing them get their comeuppance is deeply satisfying. Unfortunately, the intensity dips a little in the later episodes, and the finale feels somewhat underwhelming. There are some changes from the webtoon (understandable, as certain scenes might be too brutal for broadcast). My biggest complaint is the forced romance subplot for Im Han-rim it felt really unnatural and unnecessary. Still, the cast delivered strong performances, especially Kim Mu-yeol who nailed Na Hwa-jin's cool, charismatic vibe.

Overall, the cast performed well, especially Kim Mu-yeol who portrayed Na Hwa-jin with excellent cool charisma. Despite some flaws in pacing and added elements, it's still a solid and entertaining adaptation.

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Another very good 3+ hours adaptation.

Surprised. This 2nd adaptation is good enough to stand with the 5th adaptation. If you enjoyed one, you'll probably like the other.

There are enough small to significant differences that this adaptation holds your attention and stands on its own. At first, I was a bit disconcerted by how young this Pei Che (Li Xuan Chen) looked. But then, considering that his achievements were earned from a very young age, it fit the storyline. Past that, no nitpicking. The addition of the fire scene and rescue was nice.

If I had to choose, I'd favor #5 Qing Jian Wei Ji Wu Hong Zhuan. I missed some of the depth, characters, scenes, and differences in Pei Che's (Chang Zhe Kuan) wardrobe and gravitas. Still, I'd rate them the same and both will be on my favorites and rewatch lists.

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An incredibly realistic and beautiful series!

This series is incredibly realistic and beautifully mirrors what many people experience in real life. It is a powerful story that goes beyond just a typical GL series; it is deeply relatable for anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation. Just like the amazing novel it is based on, the actors delivered such a brilliant and powerful performance. You can literally feel exactly what the characters are going through just by looking into their eyes and catching their expressions. Their chemistry is top-notch, and I cannot help but praise all the hard work and dedication they put into this project.

For those who have not watched it yet, I highly recommend you to give it a try. It shows us that for the LGBTQ+ community, love alone is not always enough to sustain a relationship; mutual understanding, constant care, and openness are just as essential—and this series beautifully portrays all of these aspects. Huge thanks to the ILF team and everyone involved for bringing this beautiful project to life. Thank you so much for this masterpiece!

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One of the most worthwhile series I’ve watched recently.

I’ve seen some people criticize the NC scene and use it to judge the entire film. Are you watching the movie or just the NC scene? Do you understand the message the film is trying to convey?

The film begins with an NC scene, then reveals that it was all just a dream of Runch, who is on the verge of divorcing her wife. They seem emotionally distant and even sleep separately.

The dream reflects Runch’s longing to be with her wife. Unfortunately, they can no longer be together the way they used to, which shows how deeply Runch still loves her. Even in her dreams, all she wants is to be close to the woman she loves.

This is a narrative device. The director is subtly portraying the current state of the couple’s marriage, not randomly inserting an NC scene for no reason.

And that NC scene doesn’t need to be overly passionate or explicit. It’s just a dream—nothing more, nothing less.

IT’S NOT REAL. 😔

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Definitely a BL

Nice, cute, and funny series, it is not necessarily your typical BL series but BL nonetheless.
Overall I can recommend it as more of a relaxing kind of series to watch without thinking much. I personally enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. It is not perfect but still a great BL that in my opinion deserves a second season, but one can only hope.

Things I liked:
1. Toru-kun. I think he grew a lot as a person throughout the series.
2. Cute moments. Seeing Toru turn into a puppy every time Kishi is near him is so funny yet so cute.
3. Kishi wearing the earring Toru gave to him. Hello? The fact that there is people saying that this is not a BL series is just crazy to me. You don't need to be a genius to see everything that is happening.
4. Special episode. It definitely cleared some stuff up, and it was really nice to see them happy together again.

Things I disliked:
1. Cringy and overly exaggerated expressions. Which is not new in Japanese series but not really my cup of tea.

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An adult romance - Early impression

2 episodes in and I'm pleasantly surprised.

The drama initially makes it look like a very fast-burn office romance, but what's actually drawing me in is that the attraction seems to be based on competence first. The ML didn't notice the FL because she's pretty; he noticed her because she's ambitious, full of ideas, and genuinely good at her job. The romance is growing out of admiration and respect rather than pure physical attraction.

That makes it feel much more like an adult romance to me. The workplace story is just as important as the romantic one, and so far the two are complementing each other really well.

Interested to see where it goes.

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