Wow. AOS is truly, truly the most spectacular production I've seen in a while, especially from a rather dry K-Drama scene on the action romance side of things.

First off, I just want to applaud the Hong Sisters for crafting yet another masterpiece-- Hotel Del Luna was a huge disappointment to me writing, acting, and directing-wise, and I just feel like they made all the right moves with Alchemy of Souls. Not to stir up a fanwar, but Alchemy of Souls turned out to be the Hong Sisters' high-profile magnum opus that I thought HDL was supposed to be. And I couldn't be happier that it was a sageuk-style HIGH FANTASY! I have not seen this level of tight-pacing, enticing plot lines, affectionate characters, and balanced humor in a LONG TIME. And to top it all off, there's wonderfully appropriate acting levels here, as well as glorious CGI and art direction. I haven't seen a project so committed to a sense of epic grandeur since Moon Lovers (and say what you will about ML's plot, but the production was breathtaking).

Next, I would like to talk about how satisfied I am with the casting and acting. Not every single performer was a standout, but GOD I love Jung Somin. Truly, it's a relief they casted a veteran actress who's able to hold all the bubbling and conflicting emotions of Mudeok, Naksu, and Buyeong altogether. She has considerable depth, range, and truly immerses herself into her character in a way that is hard to find amongst seas of wannabe-starlets. The other standout performance I would like to name is Hwang Min-Hyun, who genuinely surprised me. Perhaps the character of Yul was so perfectly-written for him, or else he's talent that no one had recognized before. I had my doubts about yet another it-boy idol actor, but his calm tenderness and quiet strength are so delicately delivered. And man-- what GOT me was that teary-eyed stare he always held at Mudeok. His pitiful looks of longing were insane, I'd think he was actually hopelessly lost in a first love if I didn't know any better. 10/10 for him.

Now for my favorite part -- the creative decisions. I won't be reviewing the plot, because it's honestly a scaffolding that holds up everything else that makes this production great. First off, the lore is incredibly refreshing, as they've decided to go full high fantasy rather than historical fantasy, but still reserved some sageuk-style embellishments for the sake of genre stability -- very Tolkien style with an Asian twist. Going full fantasy allows them to write their own tales, to make their own rules and conventions-- even if they are inspired by Confucian civilization and existing superstition.

The next thing I would like to praise is actually how skilled the writing and execution is format-wise. What bumped it from a 9 to a 9.5 was solely the fact that they very cleanly wrapped up a lot in Part One, but set up SO much for Part Two, with the brave decision to have two separate female leads (especially in a romance!). I think what the Hong Sisters did SO right this time was, rather than center the story around lovers, to center the story around HEROES that are in love. The romance is there, but its not what everything hinges on. And before Uk and Mudeok are lovers, they share bonds of so many different dimensions: master and student, master and maid, savior and executioner. It's a fondness that is deeper that attraction -- it's respect, affection, survival.

And boy oh boy, I am PUMPED for the upped stakes of Part Two, especially with the return of Naksu via Go Yoon Jung. I'm counting on Jung Somin staying on to play her part as Jin Buyeon, because it would be a complete disappointment to see AOS without her incredible performance.

In terms of why I didn't give it a 10, I reserve that for my absolute favorite dramas that move me deeply (make me laugh and cry), so that's usually for more slice of life ones and so forth...but this drama makes me VERY optimistic for the future of Korean cinematic fantasy, all wrapped up in the Hong Sisters' satisfying writing. Yes, it can get a little predictable and some plot points seem a little too convenient, but that's what a fun story is all about! And honestly, the grim suspense and "realistic" tragedy that dominates television these days that was once a refreshing defiance against happy endings has become a tired and trite convention that just feels like a carrot on a stick these days. I'll gladly take happy endings (hopefully!!!)

Also, I think a whole star of my rating needs to be devoted to (1) the ambiguously lovable crown prince who is a fantastically confounding character and (2) the classical version of Oh My Girl's Nonstop-- it's gave Korean Bridgerton, and I mean that in the best possible way...