Alchemy of Souls (2022)

Alchemy of Souls Review

Alchemy of Souls is a captivating fantasy story about a young mage journey to turn emotions into real objects. Set in an imaginative world, the tale explores the magic of human feelings and the protagonist's growth as they face inner and outer challenges. With its mix of magic and emotion, the story leaves a lasting impact, offering a thought-provoking adventure.

Lee jae wook as janguk delivers a captivating performance , skillfully portraying the character's evolution from curiosity to mastery. His ability to convey a wide range of emotions and inner conflicts makes him relatable and engaging, ensuring the audience is invested in their journey

Jung So Min as mudeok/naksu/buyeon portraying the mentor brings gravitas and wisdom to the role. Her charismatic presence and authentic delivery create a strong mentor-mentee dynamic that adds depth to the janguk growth.

OST adds a special touch to the drama. It fits perfectly with the story, making emotional moments even more powerful and the magical parts feel real.

The story has many layers, and you might catch things you missed the first time. The characters grow and change, so it's interesting to see their journeys again. The magical world and cool visuals are worth seeing multiple times, and the music and emotions make it enjoyable to watch over and over. It's a drama that keeps giving, even after you've seen it once BUT changing buyeon face is disappointing

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The best kdrama I've watched in a very long time!!!

I don't even know if this drama would have any bad reviews but if it does ignore them and watch it right now!!!

There are literally no words to describe how amazing this drama was omgggg. I never like historical dramas and usually, drop them after a few episodes if I even watch them to begin with...but this hit differently. I loved the story and the fantasy aspects of it with soul-shifting it was very entertaining. The character of Naksu omgg is literally perfect I love herrr, the chemistry between the leads is everything. the male lead does such a good job he's so charismatic. this whole drama is so wholesome and funny I loved it and I'm so glad it was 20 episodes because the whole time I was watching I was already dreading having to finish it lmaooo. this is the first time I'm writing a review for any show..even though I'm probably repeating what everyone is saying I had to cuz it was that good!!!

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a REAL romcom

i really really enjoyed the story, the romance, the casting and the music. everything just fits so perfectly that i wanna give chef's kisses to the people who came up with this story and who made this drama possible ??

i watched this drama after the first season finished but i had to rewatch everything since i was having problems with understanding the plot of the second season lol anyways, i still loved it since the beginning

AND speaking of rewatching, i wanna say that, at first (the very first time i watched it), i didn't like go won's character cuz he seemed rude and mean idk but the more i watched it i started to love him so much and he's like my baby and i want to protect him from everything so i hope ya'll can see more than what he's showing. he's a good and caring person ♡♡

this drama had a good balance with comedy that made me laugh a lot (like that one part where go won and jang uk have the blue and red jade and they both think it was mudeok), cry a lot, also being annoyed at jin mu because i hated him so much but also loved mudeok and jang uk's relationship. they had an special way to confess to each other, to confess their feelings and i loved that :(

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Could’ve been soo much more!!

Once i drop a kdrama, i never go back to it. I watched 2 episodes of alchemy of souls last year and then dropped it. The story looked like a typical superhero movie where the main character possesses special abilities. Not that there is anything wrong with it but I have watched this plot a hundred times in western movies/tv shows, and it bores me now.

I was still curious as to why this drama is soo popular. So i gave it another try and this time i felt connection with the female lead. I was interested in her journey as an assassin who lost her powers. I figured that she will fall in love with the guy with special abilities but i still wanted to know how she will navigate her journey in a new body. But all i got was her being a tool to help the male lead in his endeavours and that was it. We didn’t got to see the exceptional shadow assassin in action. No display of her powers and abilities till the end. Her story could’ve been soo much more than just being a love interest of the male lead. If this show was just a romcom with little backdrop of magic then I would’ve been okay with it but we are introduced to a new world of alchemy of souls, all just for a romance story!!

The male lead was way too lucky every time and I wasn’t very fond of him as his character lacked the effort and hard work required or worthy of all the power he came to possess. Meanwhile FL was pushed back in the corner to cheer for him.

The curse of 2nd lead strike again. Seo yul known to be the 1st among his fellow mages to achieve high level magic skills yet he was caught up in one sided feelings and did nothing the entire season. He was adorable but his character plays little to no part in the story. Did him knowing the real identity of mudok changed anything at all ? No
Even in the last episode when mudok run wild,I thought he will do something now but no, nothing at all!! Crown prince emerged as a character better than my expectations. I liked his presence in the show yet he also didn’t had much to add in the main story. There are some characters that were the soul of the drama like Master Lee, Park Jin and maid servant Kim. Jin family’s relics were soo fascinating, they can make an entire show on the Jin family’s relics. Lady Jin was a such an badass lady, really liked her.

Overall I will praise the writers for introducing us to a new world of mages. It was very creative yet characters had much more potential than what we got from them.

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Entertaining to watch...at 2x speed

The 1st episode was just the "bomb" in terms of action, suspense, and intrigue. I was frequently on the edge of my seat on almost every scene and I was curious on the story behind the epic that is this kdrama's 1st episode. In short, it was purely exhilarating.

For the succeeding episodes, I really wanted to be emotionally-invested to the plot, and its characters, and it was convincing on some aspects. The pacing was actually great during the first few episodes when the focus was just on Jang Uk's (Lee Jae-wook) character development from a lazy bum young master to the great mage he is destined to be. Mu-deok (Jung So-min) was essential in said development, and I won't divulge anymore to more details, but that story arc was really this kdrama's strongest point. Jang-uk's character development reminded me of Aang's in "Avatar: The Last Airbender". However, I was disappointed when the skillful assasin Naksu (Go Yoon-jung) was seemingly relegated to a weak side character in the name of Mu-deok. It made sense when the original Mu-deok was weak physically, but considering that Naksu's soul went inside Mu-deok and in turn, also becoming weak mentally, did not make any sense.

There were also quite a lot plot confusion here but I think the question with the most impact to the plot was that how were they not able to defeat Jin-mu (Jo Jae-yoon) already here? He was not even powerful in the first place. Furthermore, how was he able to escape the mages with their power all the time? Jin-mu's objectives and him being the antagonist was already obvious even to them and there were already ample evidences that would point back to him as the culprit but the Songrim just didn't confronted him? Even Master Lee (Im Chul-soo) knew all along, and if he truly wanted for peace in Daeho, it would've been wise for him to deal Jin-mu early on. But then again, what would happen to the plot if he was dealt with already?

Furthermore, there was a lack of firm direction that this story wanted to go. At first, it wanted to dig up Naksu's past, then it was overturned by the sorcery which Jin-mu wanted to get ahold with, then the Bu-yeon story, all in the while there were romances blooming on several sides. It was clear from the start that the writers wanted to make this series into 2 parts, and honestly, all of the episodes (including seaon 2) could've been encapsulated into a 20 or 24-episode format. In this case, the 20-episode format as shown here could've been enough to properly convey the overall plot. But even with the many sub-stories that this kdrama wanted to incorporate, it felt draggy that for every next episode I watched, I felt dreadful and was just conscious on the time run rather than the story itself. I felt that this show wanted to compress different genres into one main story whilst in a fantasy setting, but the execution just felt short to my expectations, especially after watching the first episode.

That is where I already played it on 2x speed, and honestly, it made me appreciate this series more as a whole. The pacing became faster, and the messy build-up was already glanced over quickly. It wasn't boring anymore since there are already swift transitions between scenes that otherwise would've felt boring. I don't have to remember the filler scenes anymore, and there was an awful lot of them, especially during the middle part and the last episode. The climax could've been put on the last episode, but the last episode itself was a "good" transition for the 2nd season, despite being uninteresting anymore. Please note that "good" in this context means that it is now necessary to have a 2nd season since it would be bad if they ended it with that. To be fair, I really don't recommend watching something in 2x speed as it diminishes the effort of all of the actors/actresses and the production team in coming up with this show, but in this case, I wasn't able to hold myself back.

On a positive note, I was just enthralled with the production value especially on the 1st episode. The effects were truly convincing and the action scenes were just mesmerizing to watch. It's sad that they weren't able to showcase more action on the later episodes, but I will try to be optimistic that there would be more action and suspense on the 2nd season.

Will I watch the 2nd season? Yes, I have to otherwise, this is a bad cliffhanger ending. Will I appreciate the 2nd season more? I hope so. Will I recommend this season as a standalone? Perhaps, if you don't agree with what I said.

Alchemy of Souls was not totally bad, just not that captivating for me. Although, it is still entertaining to watch...at 2x speed.

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Don't get overly expectant with overhyped ratings! But it's a GOOD story~

So I completed both S1 and S2 in the span of a week and I would give it a 8.5/10! Really great effort from the production , scriptwriting and execution, it is something I did not expect from the Hong Sisters' script. Honestly I hesitated very long to watch until last week when I convinced myself to give it a chance and put down my prejudice of such "idolized" typical F4 romance stories. Now I will rewatch it again very soon~

First, acting and story plot is actually nicely executed and their background setting don't look out of place since they laid down the story fundamentals right at the start which made me able to dive into the show very smoothly. What made me took so long to start watching is the fact that I'm worried if the story is just sell the same "F4" vibes and FL forever like some innocent rabbit, but I'm so thankful FL is such a sly and strong character with a painful past. Male and female characters here do have some depth to their story and I'm totally happy about it as most romance dramas focused so much on just the main leads.

Secondly, I do think the amount of romance is done just right for S1 and S2 . Many ppl claimed they prefer S2's romance and chemistry more but seriously I do feel many viewers don't understand the flow of building up a relationship and just wanted fast romance... In S1, SML's romance seem awkward/lack chem to viewers because they are experiencing love and care for the very first time, and the doubts they have for their relationship "status". I do understand there are many plot holes with how they fell in love with each other which obviously not every female and male beings have to fall in love in a story but because it's the Hong sisters writing the script, it's totally predictable they will make SML in love no matter what. So if you just look past these flaws, it's honestly very easy to watch.

Thirdly, I like how both season's Naksu brought hope and light back into the Jang Uk's life yet funny enough she is the same person who break him into pieces in both times. The plot twists are nothing too shocking and the climax for Ep20 is quite predictable for me and I guess it's a common way for production companies to entice audiences to continue watching the next season with same level of enthusiasm.

One important thing I must say is please don't get sway by overhyped ratings or negative reviews, always watch it for yourself to know. You may dropped it halfway and rewatch again next time which is the same for me as well, there are times that I'm just not the mood for certain genres but felt like watching again after some time. What I wrote here is solely my thoughts and emotions felt while watching the show, so it could be totally different for everyone else!

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A Fantasy That Takes You By Surprise!

Alrighttttttt I have been MEANING to write a review about this damn show! It is SO good.

Story: 9/10
You might be familiar with the incredibly popular show The Untamed, which focuses around the ideas of soul shifting and spiritual cultivation. This show uses very similar ideas, something new for Korean TV although not so new in Chinese TV as I've seen. The story doesn't look like much at the start -- a woman who's built herself up and a rich boy who's had it all handed to him. But then you get into it, and you see the depth of the characters. In only 4 episodes, the writers have shown incredible story building and you get sucked right into the kingdom of Daeho.

Acting: 10/10
I will be honest with you, I was not expecting much when I started this show. I have watched shows with both of the leads in them before, and neither Lee Jae Wook nor Jung So Min have impressed me before. This show surprised me, because both have been pulling their A-game. Lee Jae Wook plays the darling, easy-going jokester known as Jung Uk. And Jung So Min plays the role of the stern maid Mudeok with a big secret. From episode 1, their chemistry is off the charts. I would definitely say it's the script, but Lee Jae Wook's flirtiness made me giggle too. And Jung So Min is not one to be messed with either, because she knows how to curve his romantic gestures and set him straight. It makes for a cute "they don't know they're literally married" dynamic.

Music: 9/10
The background music is quite dramatic and fun, very befitting espcially during the fight scenes. I like the song on the ending credit too, not much more to say for this category.

Rewatch value: 10/10
From what I've seen so far, this show is written very well and both of the leads are shining. Even all the supporting actors (especially Jung Uk's uncle!) do a phenomenal job of sucking you into the world of Alchemy of Souls. If you're on the fence about this show, don't be --- this show is worth your time and more!

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now on my top 5 list

speechless. This one's really freaking gooood. wow the story, cinematography, acting, direction everything is fantabulous. like I'm not the one who loves historical ones it's my third historical drama but trust me it's officially my fav drama now. idk what to say the actor and actress paved the way. the support roles really nailed it. it's a lose if you didn't watched it yet. I've watched moonlovers and mr.qeen but This one has a unique and great story . and the female lead i personally didn't expected this much from him because her drama smile has left your eyes I've watched that and she was not like this it was boring but this one i really loves her here and for the male lead he was already my fav so he did a great job here.

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Halfway review: Amazing acting, Story lacks depth

Ep 10 finished so time for the halfway review!
First of all my compliments to the casting director, they did a top notch job in the casting for this drama, I found all the characters to be very well portrayed and unique. However, and this is an intro to my biggest complaint, the characters development throughout the story is very two-dimensional at most. The first episodes still seemed very promising but the story writing and directing has become "lazy" in my opinion since episode 6. In one particular event that had a big lead up (which I'm not going to specify further) the final act was a bit of a let down because it was already finished before I knew it and I never got the "front of my seat" feeling, simply speaking you just never feel like there is much at stake even in a situation that should be high stakes. Another aspect which bothered me in the later episodes was the use of overly long flashback sequences set to very dramatic music, very old-fashioned. Overall the music lacked intensity although the use of an Oh My Girl song was very clever. The FX is consistently on a great level on the other hand and so are the costumes.
I hope the second half of this drama will turn this around.

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What I felt as I watched this drama.

There are two types of people in the dramaland 1. who likes a drama 2. one who doesn't. I certainly do not fall under any rather I am quite on the fence regarding this drama. I am unable to fully express my feelings on this drama in a couple of sentences but if I had to force some words out for it then it would be I neither am a fan nor a hater of this drama. When this drama started airing I quickly picked up on it, it was good for the first couple of weeks then suddenly with the sixth week of its running ie., with the eleventh episode I started to feel a little bit bored somehow the plot was lacking something, the writers were not able to weave things well. Something was definitely lacking, it is not the actors or acting it is more so the script and the way it is being written. There are too many side stories that the real focus that should be on Jang Gang (father of Jang Uk) and Jang Uk himself and the fact that Jang Uk was the result of his own father's wrong use of the "ice-stone" magic. I won't say that I absolutely hated watching episode 11 as it was not the case I liked it but not completely, it was good halfway but the rest I think I don't have to speak about. This drama certainly has some redeeming facts about it one being the bromance and some of the comedic scenes that can be considered sub-plots. At the moment I feel like I will be dropping this drama, which has never happened before except for a very few ones only though it was not the script but more like the genre. I am an avid drama/ movie watcher and this has never happened to me before. I am feeling regretful and sad in my heart considering the fact that there is going to be a second season, which before watching the first would not make much sense, I cannot speed run through the first then how would I be able to do that with the second. Maybe after the first season stops airing I will try to speed watch it but I am not so sure at the moment. If I do end up watching it I will make sure to update this review.

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Fanstasy historical drama with a modern look!

This is officially my favourite fantasy Kdrama! We are halfway through S1 and you, screenwriters, are making us lingering for more, week by week, episode by episode.. well done!

please team do not let out too many spoilers for the S2, and I am talking about the news around S2 out there ... leave us, the mesmerised viewers, wondering until the very end as you are doing a great job so far!

AOS has all ingredients to keep you hooked: young and good looking characters ( ...sorry for being shallow :):):), a clever modern twist to costumes and make-up, some family unresolved issues ( who doesnt have it), a badass FL ( ..are we talking about Naksu or MoDuk here... or both really?), some SOul Shifting magical process that can sometimes go wrong ( a blindfolded girl seems to like interfering a lot in it, and i start thinking that it was not a mistake when Naksu entered the blindfolded girl on EP 1.. :), and a lot of sense of humour which makes you laugh out loud ! I LOVE IT!

There is of course some romance, a slow-burn romance we are all waiting to see unclosing... is there a love triangle? ... not sure about that, well you need to watch the series to understand the implications of a person in someone's else body: how would you feel in Naksu situation? would you be able to love someone if you were wearing someone else's skin? how Naksu see herself in someonelse's body? can she love.. completely? and .. is UK's love interest directed to MuDeok, or for Naksu..? how will the Hong sisters respond to that? i am very intrigued to see how things will unfold..

in the meantime, we see great chemistry between the main couple: the way they understand each other, with their looks ( sometimes very cheeky and playful) , the way they protect each other... it is not only because of their "duties", it goes beyond that.. and i simply find myself drawn into this circle of emotions, and I don't want them to be apart ...
UK and Mudeok help and support each other, there is a mutual respect and neither of them is taking control over the other's decision and action; yes, they agreed on having this teacher-scholar relationship , but yet, you cannot really tell who is what as they are both learning from each other! Fantastic!

I am updating my reviews as i continue to watch the new released episodes, but i can tell you it gets better and better. if all the episodes were already completed , i would definitely add this series to my "Binge-watching list"!

a big WELL DONE to the whole production and post-production team, you are putting together a dynamic, aesthetically appealing work, dreamy OST ( teh music in some of the fighting scenes are in rhythm with it. or vice versa..?)

- well done team! let's see what the next episodes will bring to the table :)

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