Alchemy of Souls: Part 2 (2022)

"Eu soube no momento em que vi você, que você era meu marido"

Vi algumas pessoas reclamando por causa da mudança de atriz, mas isso não muda o quão boa essa segunda parte foi. Não deixe que isso te desmotive a assistir. Tem romance, casamento de fachada, intrigas e, na minha opinião, fez total sentido e foi até melhor a mudança de atriz. Por que foi encantador ver o Jang Uk se apaixonar mais uma vez pela Naksu, pelos mesmas coisinhas que fizeram ele se apaixonar no passado, mesmo sem reconhecê-la (não importando o nome ou a aparência dela no momento).

A cada episódio a história melhorava e, apesar realmente não se comparar a primeira parte, é uma sequência com um final muito bom para a história. Vi no twitter algumas pessoas reclamando do roteiro, mas não achei lento o desenrolar da história, na verdade, eles conseguiram desenvolver bastante coisa em só dez capítulos e conseguiram finalizar bem as histórias dos personagens secundários (coisas que tem dorama por aí que não conseguem fazer com 20 episódios de uma hora cada). Além de que não podemos esquecer que não são duas temporadas independentes, na verdade, são uma só, dividida em duas partes.

As atuações foram incríveis e eu gostei muito do dorama, só queria mais meia horinha para saber com quem um dos personagens que mais amo vai ficar kkkk, mas tudo bem, fico feliz das irmãs hong não terem matado ele kkk.

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All's well that ends well

It was just created to give everyone a happy ending so it was mostly happy ending but I think the main villain was dragged way too long at one point I was like will be die or is he immortal and then he just abruptly dies like to just end the story which was unsatisfying for most part. Like he who decided to not kill human just came up killed everyone in an instant and for how strong the fire bird was supposed to be I think the fight was underwelming.

It could have gone on for another episode but they should've made an end to be remembered for ages as it is such a nice drama.
Must say part one was better as nothing was rushed in it. and then again the main characters only had a little scene in the end, I definitely wishes to see more of those two together.

Final review
Must watch.
Rushed ending
Unsatisfactory end
Dragged Villain
Could be better but all's well that ends well I guess

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Despite shortcomings, still an enjoyable watch

STORY 8.0/10
Season 2 falls short of the narrative strength seen in season 1, with both old and new storylines feeling drawn out. I wish the overall series had a shorter episode count in order to enhance pacing and storytelling. Introducing a new villain with different motives could have injected fresh energy into season 2, because I got tired of the same politicking and drama that carried over from season 1.

Romance took a bit more screen time this season, but it still felt somewhat rushed. It still falls victim to some tropes as well as cheesy and contrived moments. Despite these shortcomings, however, the chemistry between the leads kept me watching.

After the incidents of season 1, I welcomed the change in the male lead's character. I loved his tortured angst compared to his hot-headed naivete in season 1. He also became so bad-ass after the 3 year time jump.

Some viewers griped about the female lead's shift in personality, but I think the writers did it intentionally by reversing the dynamic between the male lead and female lead. It's showcasing their complementary yin-yang natures between seasons. In season 1, the female lead was more calculating and clever while the male lead was more naive and carefree. In season 2, the male lead became the clever one while the female lead became more playful and carefree. The female lead also took initiative in pursuing the male lead romantically in season 2, while he was the one who pursued her in season 1. Although the female lead lost her mage powers, she gained divine powers instead which complemented the male lead's powers. Ultimately, I think the changes to the female lead worked out fine and they support the duality theme of the show.

ACTING/CAST 9/10
The supporting cast is notably neglected. This was a shame, because they were so enjoyable to watch in season 1.

The romantic chemistry between the leads significantly improved and I enjoyed every moment they were on-screen together. I believe Go Youn Jung is just more compatible with Lee Jae Wook on-screen.

MUSIC 10/10
Great soundtrack and I liked the pop ballads in this season more than in season 1.

REWATCH VALUE 8.5/10
While the overarching storyline is not as engaging as season 1 and a lot of side characters were neglected, I absolutely loved seeing the two leads together in this season. I would rewatch this season just to see them together again.

OVERALL 9/10
Issues from season 1 are still present in season 2, such as pacing and storytelling issues as well as contrived tropes. Conclusions to some plot lines and the final confrontation at the end of the series also felt underwhelming despite all the build up over 2 seasons. But overall, the series was still an enjoyable watch. I especially enjoyed watching the two leads together on-screen. I would love to see Lee Jae Wook and Go Youn Jung leading another series together because they looked amazing together and their chemistry was phenomenal. I binge watched both seasons consecutively and will dearly miss the world of Daeho and this cast.

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Treat it as a long epilogue

This would make S2 more palatable because it did give the happy ending we all wanted for Jang Uk and Naksu/Choyeong/Mudeok/Buyeon in S1. Frankly, a lot of things in this season felt like fillers like when they showed Park Jin making kimchi.

Some people are saying that Naksu seemed weaker this season. I agree but I understand. This Naksu had already let go of her revenge and need to be powerful in S1. Her time as Mudeok made her more considerate of others, particularly her mother in S2. Still, I would have wanted her to became a sword wielding Naksu again which would have made this season and the overall series epic. I also wish that Jang Uk didn't become so overpowered.

It really would have been better if AoS was made into just 1 season of maybe 25 episodes.

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A little bit disappointing compared to season 1

On one hand, I feel like the final episode is a little bit rushed. On the other hand, I feel that it's good enough. The series is already long enough to end it. To be honest, I think this season is created to attract the audience. And the ending is also not as great as I have expected, after how they ended the season 1.

Also, Heo Yun-ok turns into someone completely different from how she was in season 1. But I understand they do that to let Naksu remember who she really is.

The other thing I don't like about this season 2 is that my favorite actress Jung So-min never appears for at least one single scene!! They can just let her play the soul of Jin Bu-yeon like how they did in season 1 but no, they use the young actress instead, and that makes me so disappointed. I like Go Youn Jung, and she's good, but Jung So-min is really the star of the show in season 1. I feel a bit unfair that the series keeps her out of season 2.

And maybe because Naksu is now performed by a different actress, so her aura and her charisma seems to disappear in this season.

Anyway, it's still a good watch to me, though. I like the lovebird Park Jin and Kim Yeon, the Crowned Prince and his turtle, the character development of Seo Yul, and a few cool moments of Jang Uk.

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Best in while

I really enjoyed this show after long time watching animes and k dramas , to say how much this show hooked me i felt sad to finish this show , I didn't want to finish this because I might feel empty after. The best show in a while , definitely worth to watch it. Graphics are really good didn't expect to be this good , story is great blend with action romance for perfect amount , humor and jokes are on point, I learned a lot about life from this serious , just watch you won't regret it , I'm emotionally over whelmed. But some how I like 2nd female lead personalities than in season 1 like the all boys want , in 2nd season main character is so cool . In the end episode lacked action and romance it went so fast it should be more things . Anyway thanks for the journey I really enjoyed this .

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(reposting this from my feed, because my dumbass forgot to do that five months ago.)

rewatched this show from start to finish again after about eight months after my first encounter with it…i knew it would take a lot of mental strength to get through the first season, considering how big of an impact season two had on me.
— apart from the fact that it is indeed *a bit* long, i resonated so much with go yoon-jung’s interpretation of such a complex, unpredictable & yet strangely loveable persona. jung so-min did amazingly, but it takes so much skill to approach a character that’s already been perceived as one, & turn it into something completely refreshing, & melancholic at the same time.
— reviewing season one as someone who knows the climax of these intertwined fates, was genuinely so much fun. the first part of this story isn’t focused as much on romance as it is on the root of the plot & the explanation of the world we found ourselves to be part of. seeing songrim, jeongjingak, the palace & so many more in a certain warm setting during the first twenty epsodes, & then meeting these spaces all over again—it truly felt like seeing them from a pair of different eyes. bu-yeon’s eyes…yeong’s? mud-eok’s? naksu’s?

— nonetheless, as much as the twisty drama held my attention—i quite literally yearned for the gift we get in the second part of the series. the world was abruptly paused for three years that followed a horrible, heart-wrenching outcome…and we were greeted back inside with naksu’s deer-like, childish & warm gaze.
— yes, she feels different than mud-eok, but i never perceived that as a bad thing. the man born under the king’s star needed a master, a pillar to lean on to as he grew & molded with his potential. but jang uk with the ice stone in his chest needed a partner, a lover, & a safe haven.

— the most important thing in this whole monologue is that her love for him remained the same throughout all numerous identities she shared. every name she had loved him the same. it never wavered, it was one thing never subject to change. if he never cared what her heart looked like on the outside, *why* do you?

anyhow, i loved this whole thing with my whole heart. from the ost, the cast, the chemistry, the visual appeal of it all, to the richness of the storyline & the most gut-wrenching romance known to man—this series made me happy. i’ll forever wish to get a better glimpse at who they came to be outside the ten episodes of the second season. yul? dan-gu & choyeon? maidservant kim’s pregnancy? the future of uk & naksu? i wanted more. i still want more.

— thanks for coming to my ted talk. ( i probably didn’t say half of what i wanted to…)

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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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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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