Though Fantasy , Human emotions are the same !!
This series has all the important genres: Romance , Action, Comedy, and Mystery.Well made series and writers have given through thought to each character.
Acting is amazing by all the characters and supporting characters as well !!
Though it has fantasy elements, human emotions are the same at the end and everything was perfect till 19.
However Ep20 is not that well thought, all powerful ones who controlled icestones get manipulated easily and importantly there was no clue about it in first 30 hrs or so. Last 20 min is done in a hurried manner.
Overall satisfying series in 2022, could have made with better ending !!
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This review may contain spoilers
Parade of stupidity and wasted potential
For a drama that is ranked so highly, I expected greatness. What I got was boredom and disappointment. Unfortunately, this is another sad victim of genre confusion where the writers couldn't figure out whether they were creating a drama or a comedy.The story had a promising start. Jang Uk spent his entire life in mediocrity because of the circumstances surrounding his birth. He was forced to live quietly without an opportunity to practice magic. This could've been a coming of age fantasy drama with a side of romance telling a story of a man regaining power and finding his identity. What we got was cliche slap-stick comedy devoid of any dramatic themes that were promised at the beginning. Instead of working towards self-improvement, Jang Uk was a whiny, unmotivated, blabbering idiot who gave up every time he faced a challenge. Barely any screen time was given to his training so he could achieve the tremendous power he was destined to have. The writers just decided to give him a free level-up by placing him in situations where he didn't even do anything while Mu Deok stood around and clapped "You are so luuuucckkkyy!"
The romance was mostly boring because Jung So Min only had two facial expressions. When Mu Deok did not patronize the crown prince with exaggerated groveling, she had a resting b*tch face most of the time. Whenever they had romantic scenes, only Lee Jae Wook made any effort to show emotion while Mu Deok just looked bored. The characterization wasn't particularly convincing either. Jung So Min as Naksu/ Mu Deok looked more like a pouty teenager forced to do chores rather than a super-powered assassin. The original actress before the soul switch delivered a much better performance.
The overall pacing was very slow because the plot focused too much on side characters and pointless love rectangles. Everyone and their mother had to fall in love with Mu Deok. Instead of showing a blossoming romance between the main couple, the writers forced Mu Deok to spend more time than necessary with rejected lovers. I am not sure why they thought it was entertaining to watch long and incredibly boring scenes of Seo Yul staring longingly at My Deok.
A slew of filler arcs added nothing to the plot. I couldn't care less about side characters' romance, lost family members, and other pointless crap that didn't move the story forward but made each episode incredibly long. The drama would've been a lot more entertaining if it had less episodes and better editing. At the end, my watching experience was reduced to pressing on the fast-forward button to get to the end of this mess.
Overall, this drama was just a giant time sink with very little entertainment value. The plot was messy with too much filler and the characters were not interesting enough to emotionally invest in.
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A MUST WATCH!!
This is a MUST-WATCH Kdrama!! Every episode gets more and more interesting and gripping (I’ve binge-watched until Epi 18! ><.. update: now completed!)I’m not one who fancies Korean fantasy dramas, I don’t really care for goblins/ magic etc.. I didn’t finish Goblin, Tale of the Nine Tailed, Korean Odyssey... but this one has captured my undivided attention!!! :):):)
The storyline is riveting, each episode gets better and better, and the character development is so good! It probably reminds me of The Lord of the Rings (there’s one scene where all the mages were arguing about the Ice stone, it’s like when they were arguing what to do with the One Ring).
The only small dissatisfaction I have is the FL Jung So Min. As Mudeok she is fine (which is her primary role) but as the Shadow Assassin she doesn’t quite pull it off. Even with her serious trying-to-be-ruthless expressions, mehhh, it didn’t quite cut it for me. However, she pulled it off quite well for the final episode. Every other cast member was fantastic!! I especially love the love triangles!! ?❤️
A definite on your watchlist!!
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How can anyone not like this show ?
I dont care what anyone says, this is the best kdrama of 2022, and maybe even 2020 to now. Every episode had me on edge, the different characters, their development, depth and pacing of the story was just brilliant. Of course this show propelled Jung So Min to new found fame, and rightly so. Her performance in this should win whatever lead awards of the korean tv industry. Im planning to rewatch this before the sequel comes out on 10th december. A great series which has been quite innovative in the overused storylines and tropes of kdramas. I give this a 10/10, special effects, CGI, acting, OST music are all on point!Was this review helpful to you?
The most annoying thing is the passing. For example, you have 1 scene in which the story is progressing and the rest of the episode is just a filler. Up until ep 12, I was a bit bored. It could work with half the episodes. Also, I didn't like the many pairs. Some was completely unnecessary. And the love triangle didn't make sense. With everything happening, does anyone care who love who? I surely don't. All in all, I believe this drama contains a lot of things and it isn't clear if they are necessary. It is a bit confusing.
It is a promising drama. If it had a bit tighter plot, less elements and less comedy, it would be better. And I think two seasons is too much. If had better passing, they could fit everything in the 20 episodes of 1+ hour.
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Even a kdrama hater will love this show!
To be honest, I’m not very big on watching kdramas, especially when they are over 16 episodes. Most of the time I never even finish the full 16 and just stop watching altogether. However, this show was not the case!I remember starting to watch this a while back and even though I did enjoy it, I only managed to watch up until episode 14 before forgetting that I was watching it. I later went to watch other dramas and didn’t bother coming back to watch it for a long time.
It was then that I managed to convince my sister (who has never seen a k drama in her life and refuses to watch them) to watch this entire series from start to finish.
I must say, it was definitely worth finishing! This is probably one of the best written k dramas I’ve watched, not to mention the amount of effort put into the sets must have been crazy. For both me (a person who doesn’t usually finish kdramas) and my sister (a kdrama hater) to completely binge watch a show, I would consider it to be nothing short of a masterpiece!
I honestly cannot recommend this enough! I can’t wait to rewatch this show over and over again :D
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2022's Ace
I initially knew about AOS since long time, but it never interests me because the actors and actresses were mainly rookies except for JSM, but then the second season came out and then I was like, "If there is a second season then that means the first season is good right?" so I gave it a go. IT WAS VERY GOOD.I am a character driven type of a person more than plot driven ones, and this drama served it to me in gold platter. Naksu opened the character with her intense battle and mysterious aura, paving the way into the drama's center plot. We are curious about this person. Mudeok is another interesting character, because it's supposed to be a 'fake' character. JSM played Mudeok very well, her expressions are so funny! It's just sometimes I see her playful kiss character flashing in Mudeok (?) so it kinda bothers me in a way, but I think it's not that prominent so it's fine.
LJW's Jang Uk is literally perfect. Jang Uk is the driving force in this drama, I think. His characterization is fleshed out perfectly and consistently throughout the season. Spoiled, repressed, lonely, innocent and deeply loving, it's hard not to empathize with him.
The supporting characters are all so good and very strongly fleshed out, no one is a stone faced NPC, everyone took part in the big picture of the drama.
Cinematography, CGI, coloring, wardrobe, soundtracks, the drama lines are all exceptional. You may find plot holes, but some will be solved in Season 2. Overall, it was very fun and entertaining and emotionally rollercoastered me into the finale, and built a strong foundation for a next season.
I would highly recommend this if you like a historical fantasy genre, or if you like angst with comedy, in general.
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Excellent
Can't go wrong with a good action period drama and The Alchemy of Souls is no exception. Everything about this series is binge worthy to the point I didn't want it to end so I hesitated until I found out there's a S2 in the works! That alone should prove it's an all around thrilling experience. From the visuals to the action, it all hits hard and every character brings their own spice. You'll find some classic actors, some K-Pop idols and some fresh new faces to bring it all together.Highly recommend to anyone looking for good plot twists, bad guys you love to hate and cute quirky comedy romance.
Enjoy!
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YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SOMETHING AS WORTHY AS THIS BEFORE.
Well as the headline says, you probably haven't watched a drama so worthy of your time, energy and resources as this one. I had rated a 9.5/10 before I watched season 2 because I feared the Hong sisters would disappoint me in the next season. But today, after watching the finale of season 2 yesterday 08 Jan 2023, I came to correct my rating and award it a 10/10.I'll start with the story, and there's no story so perfect and unique as the one in the Alchemy of Souls. What a transition, and a quick one, from Jang UK a powerless reject that could not practice magic to a man that was fastest to reach Tansu and later the highest level of Hwansu. And the parallel transition of a high reputation Naksu to a feeble Mu Deok and the love story between the master and student. I won't spoil a lot you need to watch if you haven't. And the suspense at the end of each episode is worth a mention. You'll die to see what happens next. Very unpredictable making it a top notch.
Acting/casting. Whoever chose the cast should probably cast all dramas we would like to watch. So perfect that actors actually become the characters to an extent you won't imagine anyone better for the role. Such casting I've only seen in western series like The Game of Thrones, The House of the Dragon, and in Asian dramas like Who Rules the World, Zhao Yao the Legends 2019, Ju Mong, and some more of others. Lee Jae Wook as the male lead Jang UK is the most beautiful thing you're going to see onscreen, very tender no matter the situation. And Jung So Min as Mudeok is the prettiest woman you'll ever see staring at you. OMG I love the way she stares. Makes me wanna be Jang UK. Some moments of the show will haunt you forever like Uk's surprise, Mudeok's stare, Jin Mu's smile, Maidservant Kim's voice and tenderness, Jin But Yeon's smile and stare as well, Park Jin's seriousness, the fight scenes, the dialogues.
Up next is Music. You'll fall in love with the OST and the SFX. And guess who sings the ending theme song? The answer is Lia and I swear that song was for the show and vice versa. You'll love, cry, blush, your heart will race at the scenes the song is used. For the OST it's the best that could be made for the drama. Pure instrumental, no vocals. The SFX at the battle scenes and intense scenes will make anyone go crazy clutching tightly on whatever is near and at the edge of your seat. The same applies for calm and tender scene, the SFX will make you wish for a few additional seconds. Such perfect musical scores I've only seen in a few dramas like Royal Nirvana, Nirvana in Fire, and the western Game of Thrones music by Ramin Djawadi and other composers like Hans Zimmer.
Rewatch Value. Now this is something am not supposed to explain. As I've done with the above aspects, it's clear that this is a show you will want to rewatch infinite times. You'll never get of redoing this show and it gets addictive even though you know what's coming. Like right before I started this review I was on episode 4 of season one. This I think is the 9th time am redoing season 1. I don't want to believe am leaving this cast and story and world.
To wind up. A question of if you've ever wanted to write something onscreen or if a show has ever made you wish you could. AOS has made wish I could write a story onscreen. I am gonna miss this show and I don't wanna get sentimental. So I'll stop here wishing you all the best moments and I envy those that haven't watched it yet because you still have an unfolded world right in your grasp. For those that we've finished let's hope to see our cast once again in a traditional drama. See you soon and remember to get a Jin Mu smile for yourself.
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A Beautiful Fantasy Historical Drama
Ah, where to start with this drama. I think it's one of, if not the best fantasy historical drama of all time. We are introduced to the world of Daeho which is full of mages and magic. The world-building is beautiful. The story is amazing, it kept me on the edge of my seat from either the beautiful romance or the intense action. The characters are written perfectly. I would like to point out, especially the villain, the number of emotions he pulled out of me is just incredible. The character development of the characters is amazing, especially the FL's. I liked the fact that it was 20 episodes because it gave the main leads time to develop their relationship deeper, it did not feel like it was dragging out at all. The OST was pretty good as well. The only complaint I may have is probably the VFX, you'll know when you see it. But other than that, if you want an amazing historical drama with an amazing story that you can lose yourself in, go for it, I highly recommend it. :)Was this review helpful to you?
Where is season 2 already?
I really didn't expect to love this series as much as i did. Jang Uk and Mu Doek have chemistry that is off the charts. Whether she's his master, or his maid, every interaction is absolute gold.The 4 seasons, tho iconic in their own way, pales in comparison to the ....unique, lets say...bromance between Jang Uk and the crown prince. The beginning of the 'Filthy Mu Doek' bit was strange at first. But that particular relationship was one i came to fully appreciated as it continued. Even towards the end. It really was quite a solid, though, not to be, relationship.
Where is season 2 already? Why did they have to leave us hanging off a precipice?
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Good enough...?
I started watching with no expectations other than "I'm probably going to hate this one", but after watching 20 episodes I can say that I actually enjoyed myself. There are also some things that I found really annoying about it as well, but I wouldn't say they ruined my experience entirely. I'll list what I didn't like first.- The worldbuilding isn't very solid and it shows on multiple occasions. The magic systems of Daeho are never properly explained, which allows a lot of freedom for the writers to get creative with the events, but also lots of plot holes. There were multiple moments when I thought "wait, they could do that all along?!", and also moments when I wondered why didn't certain characters do anything.
- For a show that is supposed to be based on magical swordmasters, there's not many fights overall, especially for the main characters. It's even worse if we consider that the FMC is supposed to be one of the most powerful mages in the country AND an infamous assassin.
- The introspection of the characters was pretty awful. I could have ignored this if it was just for the secondary roles, but Naksu/Mu Deok herself is never explored as a character all that much. Since she's a protagonist I was expecting better for her.
- Some of the interesting ideas that were introduced during the first episodes were never used later on. One of them is the idea of the Four Seasons mages: I was looking forward to see them shine each in their own way, or at least to see an interesting synergy between the four of them in some fight, but none of that happened. It made me wonder why they got that introduction in the first place.
- The female characters are, for the most part, all imprisoned in the same old stereotypical roles. I was looking forward to see some beautifully written female characters, but they all resulted pretty flat. Mu Deok herself wasn't properly explored even though she's the main character, but she's also the only female character who is an actual swordswoman. Jin Cho Yeon's sole personality trait is her wish to be a wife, Kim Do Ju is just a parental figure, and I'm still trying to understand what was Heo Yoon Ok's reason to be in the story at all. So Yi seemed kind of interesting, but she got so little time on the screen that even her story turned out unsatisfying.
- I'm SO TIRED of love triangles, seriously. They weren't necessary at all. I'm starting to think that the writers include them in the plot just to get on everyone's nerves.
- I'm not mentioning anything specific here so that I don't spoil anything, but the resolution of many sides of the story were very unsatisfying in the end. I felt like some characters were given greatly important roles for no real reason, and also that some other crucial situations of the story got resolved very quickly and quietly. The last two episodes in particular felt extremely rushed compared to the rest.
On the other hand, there were multiple things that I liked.
- First of all, the themes of the story were portrayed pretty well: the struggle for power and for survival, life-or-death situation, the will to sacrifice something important in exchange for something else that is just as important... all these themes keep coming back in multiple situations of different characters and they were pretty consistent.
- The idea of a dangerous mage being stuck in a weak body and the son of a powerful mage who can't use his powers needing to team up was VERY compelling. The dynamic between the two of them was also amazing, with Mu Deok being a very strict, even cruel master and Jang Uk being a talented but also terribly spoiled disciple. They made a great duo and also complemented each other very well. I would have loved them even without their feelings being remotely romantic - I believe they worked just fine together as master and disciple. The way Jang Uk managed to develop his skills over time was also very entertaining, making me root for him all the way.
- Mu Deok is a merciless assassin, but she's also smart and good at acting as a certain role. The way she switched between being a meek and pandering servant to a strict and firm master was fascinating, I always looked forward to see her on the screen.
- The dynamics between other characters were also very good and endearing. The friendship between Jang Uk, Seo Yul, and Park Dang Gu was lovely to see in their interactions, and the tenderness between Park Jin and Kim Do Ju was another favorite of mine (along with their bickering). Jang Uk and Go Won were also a duo I didn't expect to love as much as I do.
- I believe that every single actor was chosen perfectly, really. Everyone did amazing. Jo Jae Yoon was the perfect antagonist, charismatic and scary at the same time. Props to Jung So Min as well for being amazing in her role, despite how difficult it was.
- Last but not least, this drama is visually amazing. The sets, the props, the costumes, and even the styling of the characters is varied and always beautiful. I really appreciated how characters had both long and short haircuts, even with different colors and accessories, instead of the usual period drama styles that can be seen everywhere else. I want to shake hands with whoever decided to give Yoo Joon Sang a beard: I kept thinking how handsome he looked every time he was on the screen.
My conclusion is that, while it's not a perfect drama nor a masterpiece in any way, it was a fun watch. If sword magic is your thing, you will have fun - if not, you might not find anything worth your time here. I'm looking forward to see if the second part of the story makes me change my opinion.
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