I’m trying to give Alchemy Of Souls another chance, but I realized why I dislike Korean (Asian in general) fantasy. I dislike how there isn’t a structure to anyones powers or abilities.

You don’t have an idea how their techniques and skills work, they just wave their hands/swords around and energy flies out. Like if they needed to put out a fire and the story says they’re strong enough to do that, they’ll just send out some energy & the fire is out. But what about what you did is able to put of fires?!

That’s why even if I like everything else about the show, – & I do like Alchemy Of Souls – I can never finished it. I liked The Untamed alot, but every time a fight would break out I just could not get over it.

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    I understand completely and it’s why I skip fantasy shows. There’s always, oops! a new rule to get the show out of a quandary in the writing and that gets so tiresome. Only Lee Jae Wook could make me watch Alchemy and I’m glad I did. But, like the other fantasy dramas I’ve tried, it’s taken my strongest preparation to tolerate the nonsense that gets pulled out (yeah, looking at you, Master Lee).

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    😩
    It’s the reason I’m still stuck in episode 1 of the second part. My brain won’t turn off when I’m watching it and reading the recap just made me even more sullen because the writing and world building has so many holes brought by the spontaneous suspenses and new rules. And a cast has never been this on point for me before.

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      The recaps is what made me want to try it again. Because I really like the character interactions & dialog, but everything else is just nonsense. I’m a big fan of fantasy & I grew up reading it, so I think it’s just more noticeable for me.

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        Same. Fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, and thriller are the primary genres I consume. So when I scratch my head while watching or reading, not a good sign.
        But AoS still has my reluctant love. I love the characters and their actors too much.

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      The recaps is what made me want to try it again. Because I really like the character interactions & dialog, but everything else is just nonsense. I’m a big fan of fantasy & I grew up reading it, so I think it’s just more noticeable for me.

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    I wish Hong Sisters would give up high fantasy, they barely knew how to deal with the low fantasy in MGIAG or Big, what stupidity led them to believe they could handle the bigger version??? Hotel, Hwayugi and Alchemy are complete trash when you think about the rules of the magical system or the place itself. What makes people like them is the same reason they have always liked their work, character building, charm, interaction, romance.
    Being fair though it is not like they have any competition, Goblin, Alhambra, W, they are all the same kind of lunacy. The only fantasy that they can sometimes come close to getting right is time travel.

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      I really don’t think the Hong Sisters are good at fantasy at all. Everything in their shows are super vague & things just happen just because. But as you said, that’s really the same for other fantasy shows. I don’t even want to get started on Goblin. The dialog writing is really good, but the show made no sense & had enough plot for 8 episodes.

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      I think of their fantasy works, Hotel Del Luna was more coherent, just not the right cast. I think aging down the actors did the drama a disservice. Not that they weren’t great but a lot of their scenes lacked the nuance age and experience on the face would have easily displayed.

      But fantasy genre in Kdrama is truly never satisfying. You always have a bone or two to pick.

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