Alchemy of Souls : Partie 2 (2022)

One of the few great 2nd seasons.

It is really rare to see a 2nd season that is as good as the 1st. I don't really think this is a sequel. It is just the 2nd part of the same drama.
It was a great experience. I really love fantasy and historical dramas. But it had two problems I think. First, the overall really complecated story of Naksu/Bu Yeon. I couldn't understand it and I don't believe it helped the plot. Second, this season was really fast paced. Especially the end was super hurried. As slow was the 1st, so fast was the 2nd. I believe a lot of things needed more time. It was rushed in the end. If both seasons had 15 episodes, it would be better. The 1st needed less episodes and the 2nd more.
All in all, it is a great drama and we rarely see this type of k-dramas. In the bonus, amazing special efects. Also, Lee Jae Wook was great and had great chemistry with everyone.

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FANTASTIC - START TO FINISH

Okay. So I am not one for writing reviews so this will be relatively short and wont include a lot of critic like words as who even understands what critics are talking about half the time anyway.

From the very opening scene to the very end scene of Part 2 this show was fantastic. There weren't really any moments that felt like they were dragging on (unlike part 1 where I found myself skipping through a few scenes in the middle of the show). Everything felt important to the plot and character development. Soundtrack will have you on the edge of your seat. The acting is full of life and emotional from the entire main cast. I could really feel what the actors were feeling.

Go Yoon Jung came into this show with a bit of skepticism from some. She had some big shoes to fill as Jung So Min portrayed a phenomenal FL in Part 1. That being said Go Yoon Jung does not disappoint. Her on screen chemistry with the cast is remarkable. Her acting deserves awards. The way she can subtly shift between the characters she is portraying and her level of emotion shown prove that she is meant for FL roles.

Overall it was an incredible journey.

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From Sassy to Alchemy

This is my first review however I've watched over 150 (or 200? 😅) dramas. My first introduction to the Hong Sisters was through Sassy Girl and here we are... 15? No, almost 18 years later finishing Alchemy of Souls season 2.

The story is engaging since season one but you can also watch season two as a standalone season.That can of course be taken as a good thing and as a bad one. Good because without becoming tiring S2 explains everything in enough detail while giving a fresh meet cute for the leads and an anew building romance which afterwards is solidified by their past backstory as it happens in many dramas. I mean so many dramas have their leads meeting as kids or being intertwined in fates coincidences.

The second is bad because it drives you away from S1 with a different pace and purpose. That I believe will be okay for most so I'm really not bothered. The director was also careful to not show us Season 1 female lead aka Naksu unless it was necessary. That might be in order to engage with the new lead best which I totally did and to not provide too much financial openings if any to the leading actress of S1.

So how was the story? Quite pleasant and true to the Hong Sisters mythos. Some tragedy, lots of laughs without making it silly and of course some had their happy endings others did not. Despite that though if we look back the Sisters are known to be the believers of better to have loved once than not at all and that sometimes love is here to stay or propel you towards where you wish to be. For me the ending was happy and satisfying.

The OST was also superb in my opinion. For me it's rare to find a good drama with equally good OST. Let's just say that they nailed it.

Regarding the technology used I believe it was a rather expensive production that saved well its budget for when they needed it the most. Cool special effects and green screen usage!

So will I rewatch it? Well, a handful of Hong Sisters dramas are on my rewatch list and annually I binge a couple so I'd say that yeah at some point I will certainly rewatch it. My only issue is the 30 episodes which let's face it they are 1.5 hours long but as my aunt said, thanks for this drama suggestion that cracked us up! It is true that there are hundreds of dramas that we could rewatch and everyone has different tastes but I believe that like Secret Garden you cannot help but go back at some point as they do have a rewatch value.

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Overrated, so dragging and boring

Seriously who wrote the script? So foolish , completely ruined story, complete nonsense. Waste of time, i eagerly waited for months but this is all I see. Now I get it why Naksu jumped into lake ,cause she don't want to live to watch season 2.Naksu is smart enough .you should have atleast considered season 1 before making this,I got nothing from this show now, no love , no sense, FL acting seriously was she acting, I thought she is bystander.i haven't seen any comedy , if you think we should laugh at those jokes oh comeon what's wrong with your humour sense.Why such dragging, I am loosing interest in season 1. Don't go for season 2. Why villans always win, boring. I loved season 1 , now I lost interest completely, dropping it .what are they doing childplay?what kind of story is this? Female lead is like"I AM UNBEATABLE BEAUTY" but she is unbearably annoying, I never saw any expression on her face, why they took her in first place, go and learn acting then comeback. Firstly , they could have wrapped the show with good ending in season 1 itself instead of spoiling story. Ruined the show.

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Alchemy 2

Are YOU watching Alchemy of Souls ² ?
Did you watch Alchemy 1?
If not you're really missing out and I don't know how spoiler free I can get discussing 2 if you STILL haven't watch 1 yet but here I go 🤪😌

We are already on episode 4 of Alchemy of Souls ² and I'm already flux with so much emotions.
It's the death anniversary and Jin Mu got so much villainous plotting up his sleeve, when I'm thinking he got no stones to work with, he does a good ole fashion conjuring- he's too much but I'm here for it 😤🤣🤣

Maidservant Kim and Jin are soo adorable, their scenes are so cherished and precious.

Bu Yeon (Naksu) quick tongue is putting folks right in their places.

Meanwhile, Jang Uk placement of grief is falling heavily on Bu Yeon shoulders- how much of Uk hot and coldness can she handle. It made me so sad watching how that last scene unfolded. I'm sad for Bu Yeon.

I'm Anticipating on how all this is gonna play out in Ep 5 but im sure it'll be good, The Hong Sister really can spin a tale with their screenwriting indeed!

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LOVED IT!!!

I don't really leave reviews but this one here deserves one.i don't get ppl not liking this I mean😭.well to me instead of preferring one season over other id rather consider this as a whole 30episode drama it makes so much sense in this way.the way I laughed and sobbed through this drama is insane,I've no words to explain how much I love it.his chemistry with both the actresses was amazing the ost the cast the story I mean🤌🏼🤌🏼.the number of twists this story had I didn't sleep untill 4 in the mrng to binge anyways don't listen to the ppl with useless reasons telling its not good I understand they miss the old actress but it's a part of the plot if you loved season1 you WILL love season2.i did not expect humour at all tbh but damn did they surprise me agn,and the way I cried in the first part of season thinking of uks heartbreak it's a perfect mixture like a whole package go for itttt😭🤌🏼

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Wow!

I just finished and omg I feel so OVERWHELMED in a good way. I remember watching it when it first came out and now it's done.
The chemistry between the two actresses with Jang Uk is so cute and sweet. I love how they didn't like force Naksu’s character to fit Mu Deok’s personality. I like that they have their way of communicating and traits.
Not gonna lie... I somewhat forgot what happened in the first season, so I get confused about the second part but Overalls, I love it. Haha.
I love the chemistry of the characters especially the Prince with Jang Uk, they're so SWEET AAHAH.
But. Yay. I'm done. The ending tho. Wtf what does that mean? UGH ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER 🥲🥲.
1/9/23 4:29pm Monday

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A Light that embraces a Shadow

Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow begin three years where season 1 left off Jang UK uses the ice stone that brought him back to life to kill souls shifters, and Naksu who was believed to be dead came back and was rescued and was living in Jin Bu Yeon body when no memory of who she once was our leads meets again because of soul shifting a soul shifter when into Jinyowon and Jang UK went after it and met Jin Bu Yeon in Jinyowon with no idea that she was Naksu and Naksu met Jang UK with no recall of who he was and they created a pact and so begins they Marriage of Convenience.

P.S. I did not state what their pact was, so if you are curious, you will have to watch 😊

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<3 go yoonjung & lee jaewook <3

the best decision i ever made was not watching AOS part 1 while it was airing, bc there was no way i would have survived waiting months for part 2 after that cliffhanger in part 1.

i deeply admire and respect the people that stayed sane waiting for part 2 to come out. you guys are strong soldiers.

in my opinion, after binging s1 right before s2, i'm in the unpopular minority that slightly likes s2 more than s1, romance-wise. comedy-wise, s1 is definitely better. plot-wise...neither. they're both rushed and have their own issues.

the characters:

jang uk saying "i do not care for this world" had such a great effect on me that he instantly moved up my favorite characters of all time list. my favorance of morally grey characters shined in this, and while i did miss his sunshine character in s1, him in s2 gave me butterflies. (as per my notes while watching s2: HOW DOES JANG UK LOOK THIS GOOD IN SEASON 2. HE LOOKS FUCKING GORGEOUS. THE HAIR, THE STYLING, THE CONFIDENCE, (i mean yes he's sad, but OH MY GODS HE'S SO GOOD AT FIGHTING AND USING HIS SWORD).

thinking about buyeon in s2 makes me a little sad, because she was such a likeable character in this. she was a happy-go-lucky girl who was like rapunzel in the sense that she just wanted to explore the world and remember who she was. the fact that uk's and naksu's roles switch (midnight rain and sunshine) in s2 makes me sad but also ??? so smart of them to do that.

KIM DOJU AND PARK JIN OWN MY HEART. they have since s1 and i've just constantly been rooting for them. i need for them to act together or something bc i need to see them playful and cute and bickering again ajfenkljrafdf

the cast:

GYJ is SO SO SO SO SO CUTE. i cannot believe this is GYJ's first lead role??? she literally embodied what jung somin started in s1 and managed to seamlessly continue naksu right where she left in s1. that takes skill, on both GYJ and JSM's parts, to be able to make a character so distinct that you can easily tell who it is, especially in this confusing mess of soul-shifting. def looking into more of gyj's works after this.

literally almost all of the main casts' biggest role ever. even though LJW is the youngest, he's acted the most amongst the other actors who are also in their 20s in this show. this is the prince's first drama, minhyun's first drama, PIS's first lead, arin's first lead, GYJ's first lead. this is LJW's third lead (fourth if you count s2 as separate) and it SHOWS. i've seen LJW in extraordinary you and doldolsolsollalasol, and this is by far his best acting, obviously because he's grown so much as as an actor.

he definitely has the best chemistry with GYJ, out of all his roles. i mean, you can obviously look at the kiss scenes and tell, but even just looking at the behind the scenes and looking at his eyes and body language in the scenes of AOS makes it so obvious. they are the reason why s2 was so enjoyable for me.

the chemistry between not just LJW and GYJ, but between the entire cast is insane. it's so so so funny. but while the comedy in s1 felt more natural, in s2 it felt a little too inserted and forced—not bc of the actors, but because the comedy scenes were written in a tough spot. the entire premise of s2 is so so so sad, so adding in comedy is already so difficult. plus, season 2 is really built around jang uk's and naksu's tragic ending in season 1; there's this aura of sadness hanging over the entire season, and adding in comedy makes it feel fake, almost. (except for kim doju and park jin's scenes; those two have my entire heart and are absolutely hilarious no matter where they are).

the plot:

while s1 is and always will be iconic and hilarious and absolutely perfectly made, it was long and tedious. it had so much build-up to a rushed climax and conclusion. s2, on the other hand, is just as well-made, and is concise with great chemistry, but again, rushed. this is entirely the fault of the hong sisters, who's pacing in writing is absolutely horrible, while they do come up with the best ideas and comedy. they do so much front end work, and completely forget about the back end.

unpopular opinion (which i probably only have because i binged s1 right before s2 came out): i like buyeon a TINY bit more than mudeok. i love them both, don't get me wrong; mudeok's relationship with uk is hilarious and chaotic and is so funny, while buyeon's relationship is very cute and chemistry-filled and angst-ridden. both have their charms, and the only reason why i slightly prefer buyeon over mudeok is because LJW's and GYJ's chemstry is undeniably good.

i feel like they could have broken up the show better, and split the time between the two actresses equally. it being 20 v. 10 eps is one of the the reasons why some people dislike s2—they like mudeok more than bu-yeon. they've spent more time with one over the other. that, and the fact that bc s2 is so short, it feels rushed. they spent nearly 8 eps building up and talking about something happening, but the actual scene lasts only ten minutes. and then they conclude within ten minutes by giving a time-skip to a year later, with barely any interactions between the cast. (literally i would have given anything to see kim doju arranging an extravagant wedding ceremony for uk or taking care of him and naksu, or at least uk interacting w danggu and yul, rather than them just talking about each other).

the final battle and defeat of the villain felt underwhelming, and honestly he needed a crueler end. i really hoped naksu would come and kill him once and for all, bc this all started because he used her. and the most underwhelming thing of all: jang uk recognizing buyeon. while LJW acted amazing, i wish the director had told him to be more surprised, rather than just accept it quietly. if he saw the love of his life after believe she was dead for 3 years, the first thing he would do would at least be to hug her, right? is that not what jang uk would do for mudeok, his master? several underwhelming moments interspersed with overwhelmingly amazing ones (uk's fight scenes, kiss scenes, action sequences)

some of the lines in s2 though are absolutely breathtaking:

- "rather than use my coming death as a cowardly excuse to be together, it is much better for us to be tormented instead."
- "when it is on, i am sane. it is clear to me that i must send you back as i promised. but i go insane when it turns off. i just pine for you. that is why i came to see you."
- "evil always does what it wants without stopping. but why is it virtue always needs to prove itself over and over again?"
- "i do not care. i do not care for this world. the one person i wanted to protect is dead [1 ep. later] i do not care about what happens to this world. but if you touch her ever again, i will use my power as i please."
- (not a line perse but do not get me started on the end of ep 7/the beginning of ep 8 bc i might combust omg i cannot believe it goes from master yeom saying "they promised me they have a pure and innocent relationship" and then cuts to jang uk pushing buyeon against the wall, making out. hilarious.)

all in all: a great, great sequel to a great, great world. i just wish we would have paced it well, rather than use all of our energy in the beginning and leave nothing for the end.

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A must-watch kdrama!

Really liked the plot, the actors and actresses and loved how they ended the story. Hopefully there's Season 3 with the same lead, Lee Jaewook and Go Yoonjung. Maybe for others this ending is a little bit rushed, but for me it is a good ending, a happy ending specifically that is very rare for the Hong Sisters to do. Really thankful for the Hong Sisters that they made this drama have a happy ending. I will definitely miss this drama. I don't know how will i move on from this drama because i got too attached to it, and it's because of the great acting of the cast of Alchemy of Souls. I hope TVN will cast Lee Jaewook and Go Yoonjung in a same drama again as couples, i really loved their chemistry.

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