a big disappoinment
people behind this season should be JAILED. so much potential was wasted.. they turned an amazing drama with strong female character, great plot and chemistry into this mess.after watching s1 i just couldn't get through it. everything felt off and my excitement was gone few minutes in the 1st ep.
i knew that mudeok's character wasn't going to show up bc they changed the actresses but the disappoinment of not seeing jung so min on the screen was bigger than i expected.
i will just act like this season never existed.. for my own sanity
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AbztractIsight
12 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
The Shadow made the Light disappear
LIKED:The Naksu who fought Park Jin as the original Mage leader S1, in very beginning who we saw soul shift into Mu-deok, is same face as FL in S2.
The animal trainers did well: Loved the turtle moments, especially with Prince Go Won and the dog that could see soul shifters also was perfect.
FX good but not as awesome as in S1.
Costumes for the most part were good.
Acting by actors and actresses well done for most of them. Lee Jae Wook was great in both S1 & 2. Season 2 Jin mu mage (Jo Jae Yoon) wasn’t as compelling, but he always gives a good performance, especially when playing the bad/evil guy.
Music was for the most part appropriate, scene building and well executed.
DISLIKED:
A lot of the issues/dislikes from S1 were continued in S2, for example: Shaking camera moments and Fx green screen noticeable.
Using same actor (Im Chul Soo) to play different, non related characters; Mage Master Lee and one of the guys delivering alcohol, that Jang Uk saves by killing soul shifter [that went into son’s body].
Pacing issues, a lot of boring parts due to bogged down by too much politics and showcasing human greed
Directing: too much staring and inactive moments, extended scenes that didn't help in any way.
Writing:
Plot issues throughout, dragging on moments that were unnecessary, forcing chemistry that had nothing solid to back up the instant connection. Confusing choices for changing the character of FL that was so well developed in first season, to a character that was lacking in all aspects and then claiming she was this all along. The mess they created for the main storyline for the supporting characters of the Royalty, Unanimous Assembly and Jin mu w/ his mages, was very lame. The body swap and soul change explanation for Naksu/Bu-yeon was badly executed. Yes they used the same body for FL S2, as the opening scenes of Naksu in S1, but that didn’t help. Too many anti-climatic or low impact moments of important characters in S2, that were so evolved and developed in season 1. The character development and especially growth even for the FL, ML and other dominant characters was non-existent.
Wardrobe: the crowns of the King & Queen, all looked like those paper things you get from a fast food burger place. Also the jewelry mostly became heavy and clunky looking (like the hair pins). I understood why the colour palette changed to be more somber for literal execution of the SHADOW concept of S2, but the effort seemed lacking.
OVERALL: Most of the reviews cover all the crappy parts of the plot and their actor/actress character preferences. With a decent budget and good FX and getting a S2 to explain the concept of the plot, why did the Hong sisters give up on their plot and create a cliche and trope driven mass of garbage? Also I am sure they could’ve afforded the best camera production crew, so no excuse for zooming in way too close (I hate seeing up actor noses, cut off faces) and no film stabilizer! To give a proper review I did watch everything again, after watching it the first time. But I did use fast forward often in S2. As seems to be the trend lately with Korean Dramas, S1 is exceptional and S2 disappoints. I hope in 2023 that changes and we get consistency. I would recommend this show overall, and I will rewatch certain moments, but not the whole thing.
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SuchismitaTripathy
13 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
Closure but could have been better
What i missed the most was seo yul calling "moo deoka" just to get her riled up.Since this was a sequel i tried not to have too many expectations but somehow the storyline was a pain in the ass.
Let me tell you a story. Then i tell you what happens next but indirectly its the same story with a few details changed and a few other points completely mismatched but enough to keep you hooked.
What ruined the story was the bad chemistry between the leads.
It's not a horrible watch but definitely not something worth sending 10 episodes over as well. You might as well watch it on double the speed.
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An otherwise perfect drama that has fallen from grace
I'll keep it short and simple: They should have ended the series in season 1 adding just 2-4 episodes totaling 22/24 episodes.There were good things in season 2 but there were more things that made the drama bad than good. The direction of the story completely went south and one bad decision led to another. They did a great job with season 1 and should have just kept using the same formula instead of being ambiguous. The writers definitely had a hard time choosing between one or the other, so they decided to create a story of in-betweens. They should have just committed to one direction of a possible story instead of trying to please both sides.
Season 2 kinda felt like a mess and the final scenes were lackluster and unsatisfactory, but I wouldn't say that the drama was completely bad. Ultimately, season 1 was an absolute masterpiece, while season 2 needs to be watched just to achieve closure from the drama -- unfortunately.
Side note: I love the main cast of both seasons to death. I wish nothing more than their success in future dramas <3
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TheDramaReader
12 oamenii au considerat această recenzie utilă
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Excellent Cast; Lackluster Story/plot
Im a lover of great stories and faithful characters. To be honest I actually quite liked the first 8 episodes of AOS part 2. It has more of a rom com vibe and i don’t really understand why the writers kept trying to input conflict into the show when that clearly isn’t their strong suit. Every major conflict the show presented was solved so easily— there was no journey, no trepidation or wondering whether things would work out, and nothing significant lost or taken from the characters. The writers literally took no risks. Even if I didn’t watch the ending I could have told you that all the bad guys die and all the good guys live… and that’s exactly what happened.I’m completely underwhelmed with the ending of AOS part 2. There was so much bulld-up concerning so many different plot lines:
- the fire bird that’s going to destroy the whole world “oh no!”
- the evil unanimous assembly who were greedy for the ice stone even from part 1.
- Jin mu pursuing his only character trait “im evil muahahaha”
- The protection of jinyowon and powerlessness of the jin family
- naksu/cho yeon/ jin bu yeon is definitely going to die— she definitely is..the story promises it! (spoiler…she lives)
The resolutions to the plot’s “major conflicts” were all solved SO QUICKLY it made me wonder what was the point of having them as conflicts in the first place? Especially the fire bird scene, the build up of that was across the ENTIRE part 2 show yet was resolved in less than 5 minutes… its just SO underwhelming.
Even that funeral they held for the “death” of the 3 main characters was also resolved almost immediately and then never addressed again. It was just so frustrating. Because I enjoyed the first 8 episodes enough, that made watching the final 2 episodes so shockingly disappointing. Sure its a happy ending, but how can you have a “world is going to end” scenario where all the main/ “good” characters survived no problem and fight scenes were over with a overwhelmingly crushing defeat to the opposing side? I think the writers really should have just stuck to the rom com concept. Also i gave up on the plotline of naksu as a fierce strong assassin from part 1. I felt like the writers themselves just didn’t want to write a fierce female character so i’m not going to put down the show for that plot line.
Ultimately the best part of the show was the actors and what they did with the characters they were given. Basically i liked the friendship chemistry with the characters and felt annoyed that the writers kept trying to push ‘love’ unto Cho Yeon where friendship suited the relationships better. Ultimately I did mostly enjoy the show before the last 2 episodes, so i cant rate it too harshly.
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A huge let down
I was a big fan of season 1, I didn't mind the few draggy episodes towards the later half of it because the main story was intriguing and loved all characters to begin with. However this season is just draggy, plain and disappointing. I've been waiting for the grand reveal and the rebel female lead to show up and kick some ass since the second episode, but all I get is a puppy faced girl running around looking stupid and weak, the cliche clueless damsel in distress. Every other sub plots are also going on direction less with some fan service here and there. I'm just annoyed at this point.The popularity of this drama amazes me, reminding me of how different our perceptions are.
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A little weak compared to part 1
This was a big budget drama that borrowed a lot from Wuxia dramas and it's super obvious when you start watching. Personally I loved the effect and was immediately pulled into the story. The costumes, sets, effects and music were all on point and amazing. The amount of care and effort is so visible in every frame. This drama has a very typical underdog story that is also propped up by an underlying mystery which takes 30 episodes to fully unravel. I feel that the first season was fine for the most part and had a lot of satisfying “anime-like” moments that pulled you deeper and deeper into the world. The problems start becoming more apparent when you consider the romantic aspects of this show and it falls a little flat. The acting in this show is phenomenal from everyone involved when you set aside the romantic parts. In the first season I couldn’t help feel a distinct lack of chemistry from the leads… The secondary couples are not not even worth mentioning at all. The chemistry between the main couple does manage to improve in the second part due a major change in the depiction of the characters. Despite the fact that the romance manages to improve in the second part, the characters all get REALLY dumb. They also start saying and doing the dumbest stuff to move the plot along and some of the retcons (pertaining to reincarnation) were too much to be acceptable. All in all its a pretty good show but it wasn’t tied up well enough to be truly great, memorable or rewatchable.Considerați utilă această recenzie?
A Must-Watch Masterpiece
I know it's late to add reviews, but I have forgotten to share my thoughts while "Alchemy of Soles" Season 2 was airing from December to January. After re-watching it, I can confidently say that "Alchemy of Soles" Season 2 is an absolute masterpiece and a must-watch. I've already completed it nine times, and there's something about it that keeps drawing me back in. It's interesting how I always find myself starting with Season 2 before moving on to Season 1, a pattern I've even followed with "Dr. Romantic." This series truly has a magnetic pull, and I can't wait to watch it again.Considerați utilă această recenzie?
Season 1 is better than Season 2
I enjoyed and loved season 1 wayy moree. Season 1 was so much more interesting and it feels like a chore to watch season 2. I have to force myself to watch season 2 so i can see how the ending turns out. It's a bit upsetting season 2 came out like that, feels very boring and badly written and has weird sense of pace. I liked Naksu being more badass than girly in Alchemy of souls. The love and chemistry between Jang uk and Mudeok felt really real ands o much more enjoyable than in season 2. Season 1 was def 10/10 but season 2 was a bit disappointing 6/10Considerați utilă această recenzie?
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I *LOVE* Alchemy of Souls but Part 2 is not quite up to the hype
I eagerly awaited each week to watch Part 2 of Alchemy of Souls - seriously looked forward to it all the way back in August. But just because I like the concept of the story and world does not mean the show is free from flaws and holes. I view its current rating as being artificially high.The Not-So-Good:
The pacing was much too slow for my liking. We spent 90% of the series with the amnesia plot and reveal dragging along. We only had 10 episodes - too few to drag for the majority. The actual reveal was underwhelming - too understated for the weeks of frustration we were subjected to. "Is she the same person?" No shit, man.
Our main villain, Jin Mu, basically became a cartoon character. You'll wonder in the back of your mind why has he been allowed to survive this whole time. Shifty eyes and interesting choice for facial hair - the whole gamut. The Queen - you'll wonder why she's just as bad as the imposter Queen from season 1 and why they had to save her. I thought the whole dried chicken relics plot was laughable.
Seo Yul's uncle looked shady when we first saw him, but his character development was non-existent and weak. Finally, he is totally eclipsed.
I know some were disappointed that we never got bad ass Naksu back. While I understand that they are trying to re-build and re-paint her in a non-assassin way, you'll realize there are no other bad ass female mages out there AT ALL besides Jin Hogyeong who takes a hit this season. So yeah, we missed gothic dark eyed makeup Naksu back in action.
Continuity and explanation of Jin Buyeon and Naksu's soul status seemed to shift as what Master Lee said in one episode wouldn't match what he says later in the series, with no clear explanation for what changed or why he explained it differently previously. So we the viewers were deliberately misled.
Soi - I didn't like her and she got too much screen time.
They also turned Lady Heo into a jealous, catty woman when she wasn't that way in the first part. However, her pettiness actually proves to be a big plot point in moving the dragging story forward.
The Neutral:
The turtle. I liked the turtle, but it got a lot of screen time in a limited 10 episode run and I'm not sure it needed that much. That being said, if they were going to go all the way, they should've given it a place in the ending LOL.
The Good:
I am glad they at least were able to use Jung So Min in the flashbacks and was happy to see her every time. I think Go Yoon Joung did a good job of portraying her character.
The tree finally gets climbed.
The tragedy that I thought would happen didn't end up sticking.
All in all, while I enjoyed the ride, I definitely felt frustrated with Naksu and Jang Uk's ignorance and questioned parts of the story. For something that I really looked forward to, the product for my waiting didn't quite match my level of excitement when watching. I think this season, with the material that was actually played out, could've been 6 episodes instead of being stretched to the already small 10.
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UNIQUE STORY AND THE DRAMA IS A WORK OF SATISFACTION
The drama, the characters everything is so well written and directed. One of the best drama I have watched till date. You will fall in love with each character of the story. I swear I am going to recommend this drama to everyone. I wish there could be more extension to this drama, even though I am satisfied with everything the end the beginning all of it was worth it. The end was satisfying. This is my first time reviewing about a drama. I don't want to give any spoilers. To anybody who wishes to watch it watch it because it will make you feel anxious, happy, sad, excited, thrill, kick I MEAN TO SAY IT HAS ALL OF IT.THE ACTORS DID A GREAT JOB AS WELL.
JANG UK HAS MY HEART😭
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Disappointing Sequel, Poor Editing, but Great Leads Chemistry for a romance drama.
Subjective Gut Rating; 8.0Objective Rating as a sequel: 5.0-7.0
Rating this drama is interesting because I can go either way. Did I have a good time watching it? Yes, I did because I enjoyed the romance in the first 8 episodes quite a lot. But is this a good sequel to an amazing season 1? Absolutely not. No more badass FL and poor editing and storytelling.
I reviewed in Season 1 that I find the chemistry between the leads a little lacking. I might be in the minority, as I don’t mind the lead actress changing to Go Young Jung and I find her beautiful and perfect as the amnesiac and inexperienced FL. Jang Uk (ML) has gone through a lot in the last three years, and his personality is totally different than in season 1. Meeting the sunny and optimistic Jin Bu Yeong (FL) is what he needs at that point in his life. I like how she’s the one to recognize him (unconsciously), chase after him and want to be there by his side protecting and supporting him. It’s like a role reversal from season 1. I enjoyed their interaction, their banter and the great kisses. It’s so nice to see two willing partners going at it and being passionate when the plot requires them to put a lot of emotions in those kisses. They look good together!
However, the romance-focused storylines took up a majority of the screen time, and thus not leaving enough time to develop the fantasy and mystery part of the plot. As a sequel to an amazing plot-driven season 1, this drama is actually very disappointing. If you are attracted to “Alchemy of Souls” because of a badass assassin FL, there’s not much badass-ness in this season. FL is reduced to a lovely Cinderella, waiting for prince charming to save her and love her. Her powers and memories were recovered too late to showcase her prowess as the priestess. There actually isn’t a whole lot of substance aside from romance in the first 8 episodes.
Episodes 9 & 10 seem to have a big tone shift back to what season 1 was like. All of a sudden, we’re talking about power, revenge, saving the world, different identities/souls in a very rushed manner. Without previous indication, all the baddies team up together. So much happened that I needed to concentrate hard so as not to miss anything. The editing was choppy and weird. What happened to Jang Uk’s love for Jin Bu Yeong in the first 8 episodes? Without going into spoilers, the romance doesn’t make sense anymore.
On a positive note, I think both Hwang Min Hyun (Seo Yul) and Shin Seung Ho (Crown Prince) improved their acting. I see a little more emotions in Hwang Min Hyun’s eyes. My favorites continue to be Leader Park Jin and Maidservant Kim. They are golden, but slightly more cringey than in season 1.
Overall, this is a disappointing sequel but if you watch it as a standalone romance-focused drama, you will have a better time.
Completed: 1/27/2023
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