Alchemy of Souls : Partie 2 (2022)

I'm completely in love with this drama

I'm not going to lie that memory plot was irritating as far as it was extended, but it still managed to hook me and look forward to the next episodes. The characters are so passionate, especially the protagonists, Naksu and Jang Uk. It's beautiful to see how their love transcends the physical, it's really a meeting of souls. In terms of plot, part 1 still wins, but in part 2, the chemistry between the main couple overflows on screen. I think both parties had very different proposals, but the essence of the story is still there. I just loved the parallels I noticed while watching

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naksu

The best fantasy historical drama in my opinion that I have ever watched, Actually, I don't really like historical dramas, I'm always picky when I want to watch historical dramas. and this is the best drama.. Starting from season 1 and 2, each episode doesn't make you bored at all.
At first I was confused when I saw scane clip reviews from other, between Naksu, Mudeok, Jin Buyeon, Choyoung, but after watching it is not confusing at all.
There's comedy, there's romance, let alone action, everything is perfect.
Even though the female lead was replaced, Go Younjung managed to build chemistry with the male lead

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A few issues story wise, but good overall.

If you want an almost perfect story to answer most of the questions that you had while watching part 1/S1, then don't expect too much. For me personally, the story was okay. There were a few issues. I know people had different opinions and some didn't like it. That's why I'm writing this review to show my perspective. Also note, that I'm going to use pt1-2/s1-2 interchangeably.

These are the issues I encountered regarding the stories & characters:
#1) I don't know if the subtitles were mistranslated, but Master Lee stated that Naksu was not a soul shifter which makes no sense. If it wasn't an incorrect translation, that means there's a flaw in the story somewhere. In S1, she performed the AOS but she had a different target & Bu yeon interfered in the process, leading Naksu's soul to go to Bu yeon's body. People who fail to soul shift also have a blue mark in their original body ( Naksu's original body also had one). In S1, by the temple, Gil joo(Jin mu's assistant) tried to shift souls in Jang uk's body but failed & his soul went back to his original body and he ran wild. In the end of S1, where Naku lost control with the bell & was easily controlled by Jin Mu because he gave his energy to her. She also got petrified, a characteristic of soul shifters.

#2) Jin Mu. I feel like they dragged Jin Mu for too long. I understand that he's the main villain, but there were so many occasions where he could've been rid of both in Pt1 &Pt2. It seems to me they came up with every reason for him to survive just so he could be the villain who brings out the fire bird, the source of chaos 200 years ago. Also Jin Mu's death in the fire with other mages didn't feel good enough. Feel like he should've suffered more.

#3) The fire bird. They made it sound like a huge issue, but it didn't seem like one. They never mentioned it pt 1 that the fire bird was the source of chaos. I feel like it should've been mentioned there & not near the end of pt2? Another thing is if the person of the king's star is able to kill the bird, why didn't master seo gyeong do that 200 years ago with jin seolran. Why did it have to be sealed instead? They made it look effortless to kill that bird. In just a minute, Jang Uk killed it without breaking a sweat. That's something that was never explained.

#4) A lot of things felt rushed. If they wanted to end this in 10 episodes, the amnesia shouldn't have been dragged to like episode 8.

#5) The bells. I hated that they introduced it in S1 (it felt unnecessary), but I don't recall it ever being shown to be used again in Part 2. They mentioned it for like 10 minutes just so Naksu would feel less guilty about her killing people.

What I don't see as issues:
1- FL change. If you cannot handle changes and watch a new face or you cannot accept someone new to play a role since you're familiarized with someone else's face for a character, then don't watch it. My honest opinion is that for the character that was shown in S2 for Buyeon/Cho Yeong, I don't see JSM pulling it off. I could be wrong. I liked Pt1/S1 & JSM, but another thing is that we were already shown GYJ's face as Naksu in pt1/S1. It makes sense to use GYJ face in pt2/s2. It may not be a plausible reason, but it was given in the start of pt2/s2. Before, Buyeon kept Naksu's energy under control to prevent her from going crazy and being petrified. However, when Naksu's energy took over with Jin Mu's energy, Buyeon no longer had control. In order to save her life & reverse the petrification, Master Lee stated that they had to use Naksu's energy and soul, therefore Buyeon's body would have the appearance of Naksu's real body.


2- FL's character. I'll admit I'm into strong FL characters myself, but I don't mind the type of FL character portrayed for S2 because it wasn't a frustrating character (most writers turn females into weak, whiny, jealous, immature, dumb characters which pisses me off the most). I, like others, expected her to go back to her usual self, the badass Naksu who kicked ass. When things didn't go as expected, I understood why they chose it that way and I didn't mind it. It actually seemed better. People (and I) forgot that Naksu was the identity of an assassin. She was used by Jin Mu & killed a lot of people & even stabbed the man she loved (although I really hated that part it was the most stupidest thing writers chose to do but that's for S1). It would make sense for her to want to let go of that identity because it was related to her vengeance and dark past. Additionally, Naksu's reputation would never be cleared in the eyes of the people. You cannot convince an entire country that she was a victim instead and attempting to do so would cause problems and further chaos. So letting go of the identity of Naksu, the elite shadow assassin who kills high level mages, was better for her. When her and Jang Uk were getting married, she said she wanted to use her birth name Cho Yeong. We don't know how Cho Yeong would grow up if she did not suffer that trauma. I'm assuming with the trauma gone, she would act similarly to how she was when she had amnesia. Basically the writers saying that if she hadn't suffered she would be like other female characters in the drama like Jin Choyeon or Yoon ok. Yes, one thing maybe they could've done differently is show a physically strong FL regardless of whether there is trauma or not. For example, in the end, Cho Yeong decides that she would be willing to train her mage powers to Chisu level again to help people. Completely different than being an assassin. But she's using her divine powers of Buyeon to help people instead in the ending that they showed us.

Damsel in distress. I partially agree with damsel distress but she's not weak (maybe physically but not mentally) or dumb. When she was trying to get the jade back, she didn't blindly follow the guy into the trap leading to Jin mu. She used her ability to see energy to follow the correct person (So yi). She also didn't inhale the powder that was meant to knock her unconscious & used her brain to jump in water to avoid it. Seo Yul did help her so yes it's partially damsel in distress. In order to prevent the Unanimous Assembly from taking out Jang Uk's ice stone she gave her being a soul shifter as a reason as to why his ice stone cannot be removed. She knew how to respond in times of stress & didn't make foolish decisions. She also got her revenge on Jin Mu (which the writers ruined by keeping him alive till the end).

What I watched this part2 for & liked:
- The continuation of the slight bromance between CP & Jang Uk. This part included a turtle.
- Maidservant Kim & Park Jin.
- Master Lee.
- The romance between Jang Uk & Bu yeon/Cho Yeong. Part 1 felt more of a platonic relationship & more master-pupil.

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Best kdrama ever

I love goyoojung and lee jaewook
Best couple with great chemistry
Every actors and actresses delivered perfectly
I wish this two actors work together in the future
They are perfect
The cast crew and everyone who contributed to the acting
The director and writers Hong sisters
Thank you so much for this beautiful drama
Hope one day will we see more drama with lee jaewook and goyoojung in the future
Love alchemy of soul light and shadow
Best drama ever
The perfect lines and drama you can never predict
It’s kept us on the edge throughout the movie
I love everything about it
So please direct more movies with both of them

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A fantastic sequel with character-driven conflicts, never seen plot twists, and top tier chemistry.

Season two has a totally different vibe and focus from season one. If you’re looking for something similar to season one, a story packed with conflicts and climactic events, then season two might not necessarily be your cup of tea. On the other hand, if you’re a big fan of character-focused stories, then this one is for you.

The conflicts in season two mainly lie with the characters themselves. Season two started off with a very different Jang Uk, who chose to stay within his darkness, not having a great will to live as he aims to take the ice stone out to die. He is the most powerful man in Daeho but he doesn’t have any more will to right any wrongs or move on from his past. He didn’t want to face his past and still felt a great amount of guilt and pain. Up until he met Jin Buyeon who helped him see a little bit of light and hope and showed him that warmth is possible even during the coldest nights. As he gain his will to live, he also gained his will to right wrongs. The story focuses on the conflicts within himself and how he managed to end up choosing to do what is right again and live to fulfill his destiny. You also get to see him go back to his old self slowly throughout the season, with his gaze softening, him laughing more, and his clothes becoming lighter colored.

As for Naksu/Jin Buyeon, season two clearly showed how trauma or painful memories can really change who you are. Without her memories, she’s very bubbly and free spirited. She never had the chance to truly be herself but at the same time, she was also still trying to find who she truly is. Once she gained her memories, she still felt like she didn’t deserve to live. She acknowledges that she had done a lot of terrible things in the past during her conversation with Yul, but even Yul highlighted that it was all Jin Mu’s doing all along. Season two is her journey to finding her true self after being used by others her whole life. At the end, she chose not to train again to gain her Chwisu skills back because “it’s too much work” but at the same time I feel like it also shows how she’s completely leaving her Naksu assassin self behind for good. Initially I was also looking forward to having her show her Naksu assassin self again, but watching how the story unfolded, I’m glad she decided to leave it all behind.

Other characters also had their own self development journeys. In this season, we managed to see how far Go Won had come and how he’s trying to do what is right by working together with Jang Uk. While Yul’s conflict lies with his personal guilt with what happened with Naksu and even thinking about surrendering himself to death because of it. But in the end, everyone had grown out of their past and have dealt with their guilt and regrets.

Aside from the great focus on the characters, this season also had very good plot twists. The plot twists of Go Won working together with Jang Uk, the plot twist of Jin Bu Yeon being Jin Seol Ran, and the great plot twist of the three empty coffins which made everyone cry their eyes out. I love the finale as they made us cry but gave the characters the deserved happy endings.

Another great point was the parallels. We had so many great parallels to season one which definitely adds to the story line and the engagement of emotions.

The only thing that I feel like was lacking is how the “action”. I think it might be because it is only 10 episodes that the ending seemed less epic and too simple. Yes, we had the amazing plot twists but how Jin Mu died was not satisfying enough. It was kind of like “that’s it?”. And Jang Uk defeated the fire bird so easily even though everyone was so fearful of the catastrophic consequences it might’ve bring to the world.

All in all, I feel like the cast did a 10/10 job. Lee Jae Wook subtle expressions and Go Youn Jung perfect depiction of the multiple characters she had to portray was amazing. Also, this season is romance heavy and their chemistry also hard carried the story. I think if they didn’t have such great chemistry with one another, this show wouldn’t have been as successful. The main point of season two is also to point out that Jang Uk and Cho Yeong will find and love each other in whatever form. They love each other’s soul and just like light and shadow, they belong together and will continue to protect and support each other. Their love was also what made Jin Seol Ran decide to bring Yeong back to bring the shadow back to his light. It was also why Master Lee asked them to get married — to show the sky and Jin Seol Ran how strong their love is for one another.

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow is a fantastic drama and is officially in my top three favorite drama of all time.

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Funny, nice story with a really good cast, ending little bit disappointing

So first of all… I really liked this drama. Season 1 and part 2 also. It always kept me engaging. The main cast was really good, i really liked all the characters, the scenery was also beautiful.
However… the last episode of season 2 was a little bit disappointing for me. I need to mention that english is not my first language, so it can happen because of the language barrier, but when it came to soul shifting or the rules of this world… i could not follow it, and most of the times i just let it go. O.o Until the last episode, where i really wanted to follow up the story but i just could not. XD
And it bothers me now. I’m gonna watch it again in my mother language, i’m curious if i would get it better or not.

For me, especially in this season Lee Teacher’s explanations were too much, it’s like he knows everything, so basically he was the mouthpiece of the writers. I get it, it’s a fantasy world, people should understand the rules, but.. I felt like the rules were always changing. xD And because of this… plot armor was keeping the characters in safe most of the times.

In the last ep. where those 3 were dead for… like 3 minutes?! … if I want to be honest…I was disappointed that they are alive. :/ I really loved Park Jin and Kim DoJu, but I felt like… at least Jin Ho-Gyeong and Park Jin’s death would have made sense at some point and could be a collateral damage for the story. But for some reason, everyone got happy ending.
It surprised me that I did not cry, although I’m really that crying type when it comes to dramas. So it was a little bit weightless in the end.

And one more thing. For me they really sc**wed it up, when Jin Mu shifted souls with that Seo guy, he was really bad (also don't really like that actor, sorry xD), I couldn't take him seriously. It took me out of the story. I think the antagonist(s) should have been more…evil.

I’m satisfied with the main cast’s ending, although I still don’t understand Naksu-Buyeon (and others) soul shifting story and I really wanted to see Naksu in action again… but at least they are alive. XD
Altogether it was a nice drama, I recommend it everyone who likes rom-com with a lot of fantasy elements 

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Light and shadow

As a AOS fan from S1, i was worried about how the ending will be. But the ending was very satisfactory. The story was little slow at first, but the second half moved a bit fast. I cried at the ending. Overall, I recommed this drama cause this genre is very arre in kdrama. I don't think there is a drama that has a story coinciding wuth AOS. The whole fantasy theme is very different, which makes it unique.
Talking about the cast and acting, I would applaud the team of AOS for casting brilliant actors that are perfect for their roles. I cannot imagine any other actor giving justice to all the characters of AOS. The acting and chemistry between the casts is also top notch. Specially, the trio of Uk, Yul and Dan Gu and my favorite couple Crown prince and Uk. Everyone gpt their happy ending and the series wrapped up beautifully.
So, give this drama a try. I hope we can all find our light and shadow soon!!!

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MASTER PIECE

LOVE THIS SO MUCH THE CASTING IS SO GOOD THEY'RE SO GOOD SPECIALLY GO YOUNJUNG SHE'S SO GOOD AT THIS HOPE THEY CAN GIVE US MORE OF HER FIGHTING SCENE I WATCH SEASON 1 BECAUSE OF HER BUT HER SCREEN TIME IN S1 IS SO DISAPPOINTING BUT HER IN SEASON 2 IS SO GOOD LIKE HOW CAN I MOVE ON?!!! SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND ELEGANT SHE MAKESS ME THINK THAT GOD DIDN'T LIKE ME THAT MUCH THAT HE MAKE GYJ SO PRETTY AND BLESSED BUT ME A DISAPPOINTMENT ARGHHHH💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓

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You're not missing out by skipping this series

This show really is terrible. The second season even more so. Pt 2 feels like it caters purely to the audience with no respect to plot or logic. It's like they locked a group of horny teenagers and this was the outcome. Both the actresses were unbearable to watch. The fl in Pt 1 shouldn't have attempted speaking in dialect. It sounded as awkward as it looked. I only have negative things to say about the actress in Pt 2. The male lead was horrendous, character wise. I could not and did not want to root for him. I understand this was an attempt at creating grey characters but god damn, was it awful. The chemistry was off. The ml really had a thing for women who acted like a mom.

I will never understand the Hong sisters' warped sense of what a badass female character is nor will I understand their need to mock, taunt, make fun or, and insult other women in their shows to make the fl shine.

The stakes weren't very high. There wasn't a point in the show where I was at the edge of my seat. The world building was flat and illogical. They threw in random explanations to make the world building fit the scene, which was odd.

All in all, disappointing. Not eager to see Lee Jaewook in future projects.

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|| OVERALL ||

For K-dramas, having a season 2 / part 2 is always hard as it has to live up to the usually better season 1. Given there were only 10 episodes, I think part 2 did do Alchemy of Souls justice. Certain bits seemed a bit slow and unnecessary, some bits seemed very last episode of Game of Thrones (i.e. "what...that's it...?"), but all in all I was pleased.

**I recommend this drama to those that like a fantasy kdrama with well-rounded genres of romance, comedy, and a bit of light action.

|| DETAILS ||

= Story =
*Premise - A continuation of the previous story unravelling the unanswered questions, but also kind of like a new story of its own. Again, set in Daeho a place mages, soul shifters, and magic exist.
*Genre - More of romance and comedy, a little bit of action. The heart-wrenching scenes were well done.
*Plot - The 10 episodes could be split in two parts. First part focused on the love story of the main couple. Second part saving Daeho (the nation they live in). I really have to praise the scenes with the main couple because there were just too many heart fluttering moments. It's really difficult to follow part 1 as the audience already have a main couple in mind and to bring someone else brought mixed reactions, however personally I was very convinced with this new couple. Flaws of the plot, though, were the scenes they dedicated to certain side stories instead of exploring other more important side stories. There are only 10 episodes and not a lot of time, so was it really necessary to give so many scenes (sometimes even a whole episode) to side stories that don't really progress the main plot. For example, sorry Seo Yul, but the whole thing with him, So-Yi, and the bloodworm...good riddance. Maybe more scenes could be spent on elaborating Jin Mu. He's the main antagonist, but extremely not convincing. He caused so much trouble for so long, but he isn't really a strong mage to be honest, and both his demises were so quick and easy. Same with the firebird...something that can cause so much destruction but a bit useless. That is why it gave me the death of the night king vibes (Game of Thrones reference). Anyways, this season is less focused on the action scenes so with that in mind and the fact that they had only 10 episodes to cover everything, despite the flaws, I'm pleased with the plot.
*Characters - Well, we already know most if not all the characters from the previous season. They all had new troubles, and the way the matured and solved each of their problems were nice. Generally the side stories did not take away from the main couple which was nice.
*Ending - Got a little greedy and thought we would be in for another kiss. I liked the ending. To be very honest, despite reading audience's comments on how the Hong Sisters' dramas usually ended, I was quite sure about the direction the plot would end with, and I wasn't wrong.

= Cast =
*Acting - In part 1, Jung So Min really stole the show. In part 2, I rarely say this, but both Lee Jae Wook and Go Youn Jung did exceptionally well. Their characters are the most complex and layered, and they showed that very well.
*Chemistry - I personally think Lee Jae Wook and Go Youn Jung's chemistry was better than with Jung So Min. They seemed more like a couple and it extended off-screen. Those kiss scenes....damn. It's crazy to think that it's the first time Go Youn Jung had kiss scenes in dramas. The way they fed off each other's energies was crazy. They both were great, in contrast to the previous season in which I felt Jung So Min was the stronger actor.

= OST =
Great songs, especially Ailee's "I'm Sorry". Fantastic.


|| A LESSON ABOUT BALANCE ||

In a place too dark, light brings warmth. In a place too bright, shadow brings coldness. Like Yin and Yang, a balance is required in many things in life.

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