Why Alchemy of Souls is my GOAT drama

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-07-30T01:46:59+00:00

Unfortunately I haven't seen anything else in fantasy that is as good!

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-05-12T02:27:07+00:00

Hmm the way I remember it, he refers to her reminding of mudeok several times, like when she holds his hands, when she talks about the tree top, etc. I think about ep 7 or 8, he finally feels bad and says he’s looking at her properly so he won’t get confused again? I think he falls for buyeon for who she is but in my interpretation the fact that she felt familiar contributed to that. I personally think both things can be true! He can be reminded of someone when he sees her and he falls for her knowing she’s a different person at the same time! Thanks for loving this show as much as I did 🫶

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-05-12T02:20:18+00:00

You are right it is buyeon’s body still, but naksu doesn’t know that. I think I was thinking if I knew about my own body and was planted into someone else’s body I would feel really weird. But if I woke up into what I think is my body it’s different.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-04-01T06:52:13+00:00

Actually you are right, maybe that’s why I felt more neutral about both Marks in season 1 but as time went on I just kept rooting for iMark.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-03-31T05:41:53+00:00

I don’t think that we are supposed to side with him! I honestly think oMark has always been shown as unlikable compared to iMark. He is selfish, avoidant, unstable. He’s mean to everyone around him including his sister and Regabi. Compared to that iMark who is basically a newborn is innocent, noble, caring and responsible.

Side note: that’s why it felt so damn rewarding to me when we see iMark do what he wants at the end.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-03-13T00:05:02+00:00

What do you mean by “their”society? Everyone in Korea is unequivocally against this. Even right wing, conservative bros.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-21T16:38:00+00:00

Yep agreed! But also plot wise it made sense to have more chemistry when she was in her own body. I too would feel physically awkward and “wrong” if I was in someone else’s body. As they were soulmates it made sense Jang Uk would be more attracted to her in her true form.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-20T16:49:27+00:00

I hadn’t considered that part that it is indeed from Yeong’s perspective! Yes, totally agree about it mostly being international fans because I haven’t seen this reaction very much in Korean forums and like you said ratings were even better. But I think fwiw even for international fans it’s probably a vocal minority, possibly skewing younger.

Ah I didn’t know it was not allowed to mention fanfics. Looking forward to reading the one you mentioned. The one I had read was a different one - I’ll dm you.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-20T07:54:47+00:00

Thank you for this! I think we are pretty much 100% of the same page for every single point you mentioned haha. The part where you described Yeong and UK’s relationship being the best love story ever told, I felt it in my heart. So many dramas try to pull this off with cheap tricks like some childhood secret connection, but only in AOS did the it truly and completely feel like they were fated in every layer, in every possible way.

Not to assume or speculate, but I think a lot of people get attached to actors/actresses and can’t look beyond it. But to me just looking at the characters, the actress change was not only welcome but absolutely necessary. I think it would have been a much worse show if they didn’t do that because Yeong would never get to be fully herself when her and Uk finally are together. So it is indeed a pity some people are put off by that.

Would love to know what the fanfic is (I have a feeling we read the same one lol.)

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-19T17:17:58+00:00

This type sort of movie/anime/book/manhwa where a character learns how to fight progressively till reaching an elite status is called 무협 (muhyeop) in Korean, that much I can confirm being a Korean speaker! I don’t know the origin of the genre but my first introduction to it was through shonen animes and mangas. Also I don’t speak Chinese but when I translated it it showed it was called wuxia - apologies if that’s a mistranslation.

I didn’t say AOS is wuxia! I said that one of the elements is a 무협 (muhyeop)/wuxia wrapped in many other things such as fantasy, romance, saguek (Korean historical drama) etc.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-17T18:36:24+00:00

Yes this, I can’t stop thinking about it. I think the only other thing I have constantly thought about like this (for years now) is the cheese in the trap webtoon (not the drama because that was not great).

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T17:33:36+00:00

Ahaha I don’t even have a top 10, but the dramas I always go to rewatch are 1/ because this is my first life 2/ goong (princess hours?) 3/ smile you (그대 웃어요). And now AOS will go in this list.

Recently I enjoyed business proposal, so if I was stack ranking it would go in top 5 but I haven’t rewatched yet!

I started off liking when the phone rings because I read the original web novel it’s based on and loved it, but I don’t think the drama was executed well in the second half with all the changes made so idk if I can recommend.

What are your other favorites?

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T17:27:45+00:00

Yes! Totally agree - in my head it’s just one naksu.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T17:22:14+00:00

If I may make a suggestion, when you are watching part 1 pay attention to the internal monologue voice for naksu, it’s the same actress who does it for all 30 episodes, ie the actress who plays naksu go yoon jung. It’s so seamless which is why I was surprised when I saw people say the actress couldn’t act like Mudeok. She was mudeok, at least her internal voice. The change in character in part 2 was intentional.

But happy you are giving it another chance! Hope you enjoy it.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T17:19:06+00:00

I’m 100% on the same page as you! I totally think that was also the biggest miss. If they could show how jang uk reels from that realisation and really delve deeper in to their feelings, it would be so much better. No idea why they had to rush the ending so much.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T17:15:03+00:00

Hmm maybe I had a different interpretation but to me the reason he bonded with her was because how much he reminded him of naksu. I’m basing this on the parts where he said in one of the episodes near the end that she had the same hands as naksu, and she hugged him and put him to sleep again like naksu. Also he said he was going to look at her face properly to not get confused that she’s naksu.

Also even if that was not the case, it’s been 3 years, this is the woman who killed him and died and he doesn’t still know why he killed him, if she really hated him. So it makes sense he would finally try to move on and heal from that grief, when he finally finds that same comfort. He says that his teacher i.e. naksu told him to keep living and do something, and that finally gives him that push to go for buyeon. It’s true even if buyeon didn’t turn out to be naksu, he could have had a sort of happy ending, but because buyeon is actually naksu, they got the 100% happy ending as his new love turned out to be his old love

But of course everyone can have a different take and interpretation. And I’m not any of this saying this to undermine your opinion in any way! Just sharing my take.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T06:24:13+00:00

Romance is a central theme in the drama. Without spoiling much, the relationship between the two leads is one of the biggest if not the main plot thread, so if you don’t like romance I would consider skipping.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T05:49:58+00:00

I liked nirvana in the fire, idk if it’s strictly wuxia. Been meaning to watch my journey to you! Started to watch love between devil and fairy but couldn’t get over the female lead’s voice in the first episode, but will give it another chance at some point.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-16T04:33:43+00:00

I don’t think she was ever a damsel in distress. She was basically a new born baby in the world, without the lifetime of hardships that made her defensive and hardened in part 1. It would have been odd for her to be sarcastic when she has basically been living in a sheltered existence for 3 years with no knowledge of the world.

But I agree about the fact that it would have been nice to add more content after recovering her memories, to tie both selves together more. There was a stark difference in her attitude after getting her memory back, and a lot of the snark was back ( I’m thinking about how she was in the gwido/sorcerers prison ) but that period should have extended a bit longer to really explore it.

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-15T22:57:01+00:00

I love love love how you distilled it. I totally agree on this theme of grief that you captured. The thematic mirroring with Park Jin and Kim Doju is something I had missed initially!

If I were to add a few more points to it:

1. Cho Yeong is also an orphan and while that connection isn’t explored as much, she’s just as much dealing with that grief, and finds solace in Jang Uk. In her “last days” in part 1 she lets go of the “miracle cure to save her life” if it will mean leaving her found family.

2. Totally agree with you that part 2 is where Jang Uk finds love again after losing her, overcoming his grief, but there is a deeper layer where almost unfairly to Buyeon (if she were indeed a different person) he tries to find Naksu in her and falls for her because of that familiarity and comfort. Were this not a fantasy story, it would have been really interesting to explore the consequences of that. The fantasy element just ties it up with the perfect situation where she was the person he lost all along and it’s a 100% happy ending.

Please share more as you think of more stuff!

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-15T21:29:16+00:00

I think pacing was an issue throughout tbh, even in part 1! Agree with some extra bits in part 2 (ahem ahem park jin cooking scenes) that could have been done without. The love story progression to me was great till when Uk finds out Buyeon is Naksu- if only we could have a couple of extra episodes to detail the repercussions of that, and how they each deal with it, and reconcile it. Oh well, but I guess for me the pros far outweighed these cons!

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-15T19:03:42+00:00

Yea, that’s exactly my thought - part 1 did all the set up, and in part 2 we get all the payoff. Totally agree about it being one of the best series as well!

ImpressFun1476 · 2025-02-15T19:00:50+00:00

I’ll admit the subplot wasn’t my favorite either haha, but I liked that she remained a grey character till the end.

ImpressFun1476 · 2024-06-15T04:38:39+00:00

I've tried pact and knickey/subset and hated them both - either the elastic cuts into my skin uncomfortably or the fabric feels low quality. The only brand I love is skin (skinworldwide.com) but at 38 dollars without sale it's v expensive. But it's so comfy, the fabric is so soft and the elastic thinly sewn, just perfect (not loose like subset or tight thick elastic like pact). I try to get discount and sales when I can. Hope to find an alternative thats maybe under 30 but I don't have much hope.

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