Alquimia de Almas Parte 2: Luz y Sombra (2022)

The world they built was too good for this

The best way I can describe how this drama felt to me is a shoujo reverse harem manga type of thing. I don’t know if that’s explanation enough but that’s the best I can do. I did have a lot of reservations about part 1, some of them carried out to this second part others didn’t but then new issues emerged in this one.
Let me explain, one of my biggest issue with this show (both parts). Whenever you’re watching this sort of stories there are always key scenes that are meant to draw you in and make you root for the Lead/s and make you go “WOW this character is super cool”.
This drama had -IN MY OPINION- too many. It was specially bizarre to me in the first part how Jang Uk was supposedly an underdog but then there was always -insert convenient plot hole here- and it allowed him to show off his out of the ordinary abilities. I get it he was supposed to have super abilities compared to the rest because of his horoscope but sometimes they stretched it too thin for my liking. With this second part I got it the first couple of times. it was needed to understand how powerful Jang Uk had become but then every other scene they are showing off his abilities and it got boring very fast.
Now one thing that I liked about the first part that didn’t carry into the second part was the ensemble cast. I know we only had 10 eps for this part but it amazes me how much talent and chemistry this ensamble cast HAD and they let it GO TO WASTE LIKE THAT. Part 1 & 2 feel WORLDS APART in that sense.
The focus was the main couple and I know this sounds ridiculous but the way it was presented to me in the first part was an ensemble cast rather than just the main leads and the rest acting as background which is what part 2 became (except maybe for Park Jin and his new wife). Why introduce so many characters in the first part that ended up amounting to nothing but a couple of sidelined sub level plot lines at most or not used at all.

One thing I liked about this second part though (even if the story felt a little rushed and nonsensical) was that I could finally root for Naksu and Jang Uk to be together. And that’s mostly because they greatly reduced Seo Yul’s presence here but mostly because Jang Uk had infinite amount of romantic chemistry with THIS actress. I was mostly team Seo Yul in the first part because I felt Minhyun had better romantic chemistry with Mudeok than Jang Uk (Besides Yul was given more of the date like romantic scenes than Uk)
Naksu was done WRONG in so many levels they turned her into nothing more than a damsel in distress for this 2nd part. Jang Uk literally had to rescue her up until the very end. Like yes she learned to rely and depend on someone else which is nice but let’s not pretend Naksu wouldn’t have relied on her strength and ability to fight even more so now that she had someone to protect. The shift was too sudden and in my opinion out of character that it felt like we had an entirely new and different female lead.

Because of the way the characters and this world was richly built and shown to us the ending was a little disappointing because it could’ve delivered something more. The OSTs and the cinematography was top notch and it does feel like I could watch another season of this with the newly appointed King and/or Seo Yul stories as the main focus because they are interesting characters by their own right.

There’s so much more Id like to add like how they made me cry so much for no reason because nobody ended up dying (it would’ve been better if they had it would’ve set how high the stakes were and the severity of the fight at hand) or the way they recycled Jin Mu one too many times BUT overall this was an enjoyable watch though nonsensical at times.

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just legendary

I don't even know where to start with this one. "Alchemy of Souls" totally blew my expectations out of the water and basically set a whole new standard for K-dramas. Honestly, I'm worried I won't be able to enjoy any other drama now without comparing it to this gem.

I stumbled upon Season 1 of "Alchemy of Souls" when it popped up on my Netflix recommended list, and let me tell you, Go Yoon Jung as "Naksu" had me hooked right away with her killer looks.

What really got me was how the creators of the show introduced this whole magical world in a made-up country called Daeho. Every episode left me hanging on the edge of my seat with those epic cliffhangers. I actually felt a bit bummed every time an episode ended. I mean, it was a blast watching Naksu (played by Jung So-Min) teach all those different magical skills in Season 1, from Jipsu to Ryusu, Chisu, and finally Hwansu.

Now, let's talk Season 2. I bumped up my rating for it because the chemistry between the main characters was off the charts. Idk... the chemistry between Jae Wook and Yoon Jung just seemed a lot closer to me than Jae Wook with So Min. I get it, Naksu's character evolved a lot and leaned more towards Bu Yeon's style, but I was all for this new, assertive version of her. It was such a breath of fresh air seeing a character who wasn't afraid to speak up and go after what she wanted. Something a lot of K-dramas are missing these days – good ol' communication!

I'm not kidding when I say this is the only drama that's left me in withdrawal mode for weeks on end. Solid 10/10 in my book.

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People who didn't like it, just didn't understand the story. It's just as great as season 1

I would start by saying that Alchemy of Souls season 2 has the same elements as season 1. If you liked the first season, you will like this in the second:
- the humour
- the photography
- the acting (better than in the first season)
- the environment, the setting
- the epic scenes (less but better than in season 1)
- the friendships, romances and arguments

I honestly think that the people who left bad reviews just didn't understand the story.
Two souls confront each other in the same body, one of which is better than the other (hence the fact that it's not the naksu we were introduced to in season 1, she can't be entirely herself). And you seem to have forgotten at the end of season 1, how tender she was with her husband.

Also, I've read that some people find this season "mysoginous" which is absolutely not true!
I think you forgot all the female characters who play a CRUCIAL ROLE in the story :
- Kim Do Ju: She has the most impact on Jang Uk's decisions. Without her, he would never have made so many good decisions.
- So Yi: She is really bad-ass. Luckily she is there to give real information!!!!! Without her, there was no sequel after episode 5.
- Naksu: I won't say more for spoilers but without her, the world would fall apart.
- Jin Bu Yeon: main character, one of the most powerful. Same as Naksu, without her the world will end.
- Jin Ho Kyung: Charismatic character that everyone fears. I won't develop more for fear of spoilers.
..so please, there is no point in using such words

My feeling about this season:

I lost hours of sleep again because I love this show. The story and setting are gripping. Still as good as the first season.
Not to mention the acting is really better than the first season.
Let the story carry you along, it's great.

Only negative element:
Yes, there are a couple of inconsistencies, but frankly, it's not a big deal.

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The season was way too short, otherwise it's perfect

I was nervous when I realized the MFL was replaced due to the story progression. I wouldn't say the FL was "recast" since this actress also played the same character in the first season, but she comes back in season 2 to take center stage.
First, the lead actress here is an absolute delight. I LOVED the main actress from the first season, she's one of my favorites, and I missed her funny facial expressions and sass in this season, but I didn't feel overall upset or like I missed out. In the end, and given the direction of the story, the new actress (who, I guess, isn't technically new) was phenomenal and brought her own color to the character which was neither better or worse than the original, just different.
The ML was awesome, as expected, and a bit darker in this season, which I loved. It was great to see his character mature and struggle in new ways.
The lovestory and overall story arc felt rushed, however, and that's why I had to take off a half star. If this had been 2-4 more episodes, where they spent more time building the narrative, it would've been an easy 10.

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THIS SHII SO SCRUMPTIOUS YALL

if u like hot people horror/thriller-romance ur gon love this fr. like i love when she innocently loved him and he loved he back even tho he tried to deny it. the end was good too. although a little rushed, it was a happy ending and i was satisfied. i def rewatched ep 4-5 a lot bc the romance was jus so cute omg uhm yk the drill guys like watch it!! s1 was above average, but not a 10 fof me. maybe a 8.5 or 9. s1 is much more about yk the story with naksu and janguk and horror and just setting everything up. s2 is much more mystery, old corrupt ppl w the fire bird, and naksu and janguk. the series was also casted perfectly imo.

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Apesar da história continuar interessante, o grande "porém" da série foi a troca da atriz principal. Apesar de as roteiristas terem construídos argumentos narrativos que justificassem a substituição, acredito que todos os expectadores sentiram a ausência da Jung So Min como Mudeok/Naksu. Mas depois que você se "acostuma" como a "nova" Naksu/Jin Bu Yeon até começa a torcer para que o casal Jang Uk e Naksu finalmente consiga ficar junto.

No fim o bem vence, mas me irritou um pouco que eles tenham apanhado tanto dos vilões a maior parte do tempo. Recentemente vi em outro drama uma personagem dizer: " ambição por poder embriaga mais que o álcool." Uma sábia colocação e acho que se aplicaria perfeitamente ao vilão Jin Mu, os magos da Assembleia Unida e ao Rei e a Rainha. A ambição por beleza, vida eterna e poder levou todos a pensar em destruir o mundo sem pestanejar. E tudo isso parece apenas exagero de uma produção de entretenimento, mas na verdade o mundo real está cheio de pessoas assim que colocam suas ambições pessoais acima do interesse do bem comum. E o bem acaba se ferrando a maior parte do tempo como ocorre no drama.

O final da 2 parte foi definitivo. Todos os vilões erradicados, casais gerando filhos, todos felizes. Enfim, todas as pontas amarradas para encerrar esta história por aqui. Porém, gostei tanto deste universo que gostaria que as roteiristas pensassem em revisitá-lo depois. Talvez uma história sobre os filhos dos personagens principais.

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SO SO GOOD. I can't get over it.

This is my first time writing a review, and I know I'm kinda late, but I just had to write one. Before watching S2, I saw a lot of people comment about how much they disliked it. I also thought S2 would be bad because I found out the actress of the FL changed. Obviously I was biased about S1 at the time but I decided to watch S2 just out of loyalty for AOS.

I gotta say I had little to no expectations for S2 but watching it completely changed my mind. Maybe it's because I'm a romance girlie at heart but in my opinion I like it way better than S1. In S1, it introduced the world of AOS focusing on more of the character development and world building, but this season tied everything together, focusing more on the romance between Jang Uk and Cho Yeong/Naksu.I know people were not happy about the change of the FL, but it makes sense as in the start of S1, GYJ originally acted as Naksu. I've also seen others complain about how they didn't like this season as Naksu's personality completely changed due to the amnesia element. But in my opinion, what we saw was the true side of Cho Yeong, the girl she would've been if she weren't trained to be Naksu. We have to keep in mind that she was only guarded like that because she was trained to be. I like how this was 10 episodes (although it would've been nice if it was longer) because it was more fast paced and I also like how we got to see a different side of Jang Uk. All the heartbreak just made it better. Or maybe it's just because I love angst.

This drama was DEFINITELY worth watching, and it's so good that I'm rewatching it. If you're hesitant about watching it, you guys have to give it a go.

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um amor para além da carne: um amor de almas.

essa é uma história que vai além dos romances tradicionais. a segunda temporada aprofundou muito a personalidade do protagonista masculino, e de maneira geral foi melhor que a primeira. é impressionante também como a Naksu modifica sua atuação antes/depois dela descobrir quem ela é.
Para aqueles resistentes em assistir esse drama devido a mudança da atriz, digo uma coisa: Naksu na primeira temporada estava em um corpo que não era dela. nesta temporada, ela agora está em um corpo que tem sua aparência. fico feliz até, pois ela merece se sentir bem dentro do corpo que está.
claro, Jang Uk um perfeito apaixonado: consegue amar repetidamente a mesma mulher, independente de sua aparência ou de mudanças de personalidade.
de fato, um amor para além da carne um amor dr almas.

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A highly entertaining absolute mess

It is hard to write a review of this show, since it has elements that are really, really good, mixed with stuff that is really, really bad.

The most irritating part Alchemy of Souls 2 is the main female character. We fell in love with Mudeok/Naksu in the first part of this show because she was this fierce, amazingly powerful figure who had suddenly found herself in a completely powerless body. She adjusted to being completely helpless by using her brain instead of her sword, and by using the increasingly powerful Jang Uk as a tool to eventually get her magical and sword-fighting abilities back (it was never explained how exactly that was supposed to work, but whatever). So, going into part 2, we were led to expect that the reborn Naksu/Jin Buyeon would eventually get back to what we think of as her true self.
Instead, we got an almost completely different person. The new FL is still smart and not afraid of anything, but otherwise a complete blank, and her main, or only, goal is to gain Jang Uk's affection. This is understandable - she can only remember the last 3 years of her life, in which she interacted with about 3 people, so she never had time to really BECOME ANYONE - but it is hard to connect her to her previous incarnation as Mudeok. As the story progresses, she starts to gain some of her old qualities back, especially her old fierceness (the scene in which she confronts Jin Mu is amazing). But, she only becomes her old self for fleeting moments, after which she again turns into helpless Jin Buyeon, permanently in need of rescue.
The FL's transformation could have been explored in interesting ways. Naksu's transformation raises an interesting question - can you still claim to be yourself if you have no memories of your previous self? To what extent do your experiences and the people around you make you who you are? There are a few moments where this comes up (there is one scene in which the FL is asked which of her four names she wants to use, and another in which Buyeon/Naksu realizes she does not even know who she is), but otherwise completely ignored.
Other things that were problematic:
-The plot and consistency issues: People acted in a certain way in one scene and then completely different an episode or two later, without explanation. Or they appear in places with no logical reason to be there, only because they are needed to advance the plot.
-The pacing and ending: The last 2-3 episodes were absolutely rushed, and there was very little tension in the 'big showdown' at the end, because so much was crammed into the last episode.
- Characters become one-dimensional (especially the villains). I loved Jin Mu and his evil genius in part 1, but in this sequel he becomes a bit boring, to be honest.

Now to the things that were really good:
- The visual: stunning costumes and sets
-The OSTs! There is not a single one that is bad, and many will give you goosebumps (Scars leave a beautiful trace, Aching, Blue Flower, to name a few)
-The romance: Even as you want to scream at Naksu/Jin Buyeon not being Mudeok, you can't help but be are drawn in by the increasingly dramatic and painful love story between ML and FL. The actors playing both will absolutely make you believe that nothing in the world matters more to them than the other person.
-Acting: next to the LJW and JSM playing the leads, huge credit goes to the actor playing Jin Mu - SPOILER - after he shifts souls. He became a completely different person! You knew straight from looking at him who he was.
- The humour is great. Park Jin's cooking skills are the best running joke in this series ("If you want to die, I will cook you more noodles!")
- The characters will make you root for them. Jang Uk, who really was an annoying brat through most of season 1, now becomes much more likable as a traumatized but incredibly powerful hero. You will love Naksu/ Buyeon in the moments when you don't want to shake her to come back to her senses. Of the supporting characters, the Crown Prince is really likable (and I really enjoyed his interactions with the FL).
- I loved how the writers drew connections to the beginning of season 1. SPOILER: In the last episode, Park Jin finally has to face the door scenario; Jang Uk fights a powerful adversary on a frozen lake Gyeongcheondaeho, shooting from a bow, which brings you back to Naksu's fighting the mages right at the start of season 1.

Even with all its faults, Alchemy of Souls 2 has HUGE entertainment value. I was not bored for a single minute watching this! And even if you don't agree with the characters' choices a lot of the time, you'll find that they stay with you long after finishing the drama.

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A 'Shadow' of season 1

In Part 1 I was captivated and glued on to the episodes. They didn't feel like they dragged on even though they were long. However, Part 2's pacing was so slow. It felt like it dragged on and on. Then at the end it felt super rushed. Just 2 episodes to conclude every thing.

It didn't feel like they thought it through enough. It should have been reversed. They should have rushed it in the beginning and moved at a slower pace towards the end.

But don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it overall, I just felt that it missed the charm of Part 1. It wasn't because the FL wasn't in there. It was just the overall direction and writing messed up this season.

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A Good Chill Thriller Fantasy Action Comedy with Romance subplots

The production staff have done a great job, with the music, costumes and cinematography. It's top notch. I like the actors but I feel many of the characters didn't get a chance to shine. Ten Episodes is however too short for the type of ensemble cast here, and much like season 1 so much was left unexplored in favor of a more fast paced action thirller comedy; this could have made a better 50 episode show than Six Flying Dragons or Empress Ki. With the world building, character relationships and introductions and giving the various characters more time to shine, and story arcs. There was much more to this world story wise than was explored. There was room to expand the magic, of the world, the locations and factions of Daeho. The weakest narrative part of the show is the antagonists, while the strongest is the comedy. So while its my favorite show of 2022, it wasn't the best. It was fun, and left me wanting more. This story has more elements to enrich it than Arthdal Chronicles. The potential here is such that it could have been as epic as the Lord of the Rings. It is my favorite show of 2022. I recommend it to all fans of fantasy works.

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