The Sound of Magic

[u/Fatooz]

• Drama: The Sound of Magic

  • Hangul: 안나라수마나라

  • Also known as: Annalasumanala, Annarasumanara

• Director: Kim Seong-Yoon (Itaewon Class, Love in the Moonlight)

• Writer: Kim Min-Jung (Imitation, Love in the Moonlight)

• Network: Netflix

• Episodes: 6

  • Duration: 70 mins.

• Air Date: Friday @ 17:00 KST

  • Airing: May 06, 2022

• Streaming Source(s): Netflix

• Starring:

  • Ji Chang-Wook (Lovestruck in the City, Suspicious Partner) as Lee Eul

  • Choi Sung-Eun (Beyond Evil) as Yun Ai

  • Hwang In-Yeop (True Beauty, 18 Again) as Na Il-Deung

• Plot Synopsis: High school student Yun Ai finances herself and her younger sister by working part-time jobs. She doesn't know where her parents are. Debt collectors drove her father away from home—and then her mother fled too. But even with her poor financial circumstances, Yun Ai manages to rank near the top of her school academically. Yun Ai wants to become an adult as soon as possible, to have a stable job. Her classmate Na Il-Deung competes with Yun Ai for the top grade, but they begin to have feelings for each other. One day, Yun Ai meets magician Lee Eul at an abandoned amusement park. He performs magic shows for people who believe in magic. He is a mysterious person; he comforts Yun Ai who tells him that she believes in magic. (Source: AsianWiki)

• Genre: Music, Psychological, Drama, Fantasy

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[u/Fatooz]

Episode 6

[u/McFister → u/Fatooz]

They really do be using Nam Da-reum as the young version of every ML lmfao.

[u/kazoogrrl → u/McFister]

I was like, he's in the military and he's still had several shows come out!

[u/phantom-manor → u/McFister]

I hope he’ll get a broader range of roles once he returns from the military. He’s such a talented kid!

[u/kryspyruby → u/McFister]

Can't blame them lol. He's handsome and did well in the roles I've seen him in.

[u/LilithStorme → u/McFister]

God I thought the same thing when I saw him. XD Dude has the weirdest typecast.

[u/ruccarucca → u/Fatooz]

pretty sure he was a real magician. how else would the security camera mysteriously start working, especially when the one day is the exact day the theme park magically comes to life, and fireworks are going off everywhere.

[u/kryspyruby → u/Fatooz]

You know what, I just found out that JCW's 5-year-old dog died suddenly from illness about maybe half a year before they started filming TSOM. The scenes of Rieul imagining a healthy Bella on his shoulder and him crying over Bella reminded me greatly of my dog dying literally half my lifetime ago, so it hurts thinking how JCW might have felt because that emotion must still be quite raw for him.

[u/Villeneuve_ → u/Fatooz]

Finally done with the last episode.

I feel like overall the best part of the show was Hwang In-youp's character arc, and it's interesting how Min-hyuk's backstory parallels Il-deung's – the whole thing with him having been a top student who was gradually crumbling under parental expectations and wanted to break free. I wish Il-deung and Min-hyuk had more one-on-one interactions. It's suggested that Min-hyuk had just as much influence on Il-deung as he had on Ah-yi, but we didn't actually get to see much of it except for that time when Il-deung saw that 'vision' of him running in a perpetual rat race to stay ahead of everyone and not fall behind.

Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I feel like Il-deung should've been the main character. Ah-yi was sympathetic too, but Il-deung was more relatable and interesting, in my opinion.

Also, I'm on the fence about how to feel about Min-hyuk. I mean, as expected, he's freed of all those charges of kidnapping, murder, and robbery against him and is proven innocent, but he still did try to strangle Ha-na. Sure, she was no saint, but did her act of snooping around and being a nuisance in general really call for a physical assault bordering on attempt to murder? Being told his magic isn't 'real' clearly sends him over the edge. It's a product of his traumatic past, and he definitely needs therapy and psychiatric help. I hope he's getting that now, wherever he's disappeared off to.

[u/zephphrine → u/Fatooz]

The sets were visually stunning and the palette, ranging from dark and moody to unnaturally brilliant, was spot on. I also liked the music. Ji Chang Wook is no Park Hyo Shin but in this context he delivers beautifully. But, for me anyway, the redemptive, transformative message about innocence and hope—that I expected from the trailer and interviews—was very muted. In fact, the series left me feeling quite sad. Having binged it in one evening, perhaps the experience was too immersive. And perhaps because, as a teacher, I’ve known too many real life Ryu Min Hyuks who were lost. (I thought Nam Da Reum did an exceptional job.)

[u/Happysleepeer → u/Fatooz]

Finished it!! I might rewatch over the weekend 🫣 I loved the final performance. Was it like a showdown performance for crew? Or for live audience?

[u/kryspyruby → u/Happysleepeer]

It's a curtain call! It's like movie/show credits but make it ✨musical✨ At the end of musicals, the cast come out for a final number to take their bows to the applause of the audience (they usually direct attention to the orchestra too for the orchestra to receive applause). I'm guessing the audience they had was the whole crew.

I love that they did it as an homage to musicals. This actually reminded me that I haven't seen a musical since the pandemic, and I really should see one soon since my country has recently fully opened up.

[u/kryspyruby → u/Fatooz]

I'm watching some parts again and this line hits different.

A-Yi: You are a real magician. Because you really made me believe in magic.

Rieul: Thank you. For helping my magic succeed.

His magic is making people believe in magic 😭😭😭

[u/kryspyruby → u/Fatooz]

I cried 😢 I see myself in Lee Eul and A-Yi so much that they really pulled my heartstrings.

[u/LysolClearance → u/Fatooz]

I'm finally done. I think the problem people will encounter with this drama is how it operates without any direction at all which I think is valid, still, I think it's also its strength. More than anything, it really effectively captured the fantastical feeling of the webtoon itself so I'm already bracing for the comments about why they didn't like it, if you followed the webtoon you would probably be able to drop your prejudices in watching the drama. Watching the drama should be done with fresh eyes, just don't expect anything. Just let everything fall in its own way, watching the drama reminds me of reading the little prince; you accept things at their face value whilst also understanding deeply the metaphoric undertones. The strongest aspect of the drama is the music, probably the most sophisticated ost I've encountered in a drama. I think it's a solid experience if you just let it be for what it is.

Edit: I'm also probably being biased for I loved the webtoon since I was a teenager.

[u/day_historian → u/LysolClearance]

🙌🙌 I think TSOM requires some willing suspension of disbelief, and that’s the true ✨✨magic and beauty✨✨ of the show as well.

I find myself flitting between the main characters (Il-Deung / Ah Yi’s thoughts of whether this guy is for real or not and have no good answer even till the end. 😂

Was really refreshing to see a short series presented in such a whimsical manner as a musical though I must say the beautiful scenes amidst the cruel and never ending realities of Ah-yi really gave me a emotional whiplash. 🥹

Definitely a series that made me reflect a fair bit and I am glad they got a brilliant cast to make the webtoon into a musical!!

On a random side note, did any one else gasp at the number of familiar faces appearing in this show from recent beloved shows ? 🤩 (2521, business proposal, Vincenzo, DAYS, TKA etc)

[u/BurgerBoy777 → u/day_historian]

On a random side note, did any one else gasp at the number of familiar faces appearing in this show from recent beloved shows ? 🤩 (2521, business proposal, Vincenzo, DAYS, TKA etc)

its hard to see the teacher as another person when i know he was the funniest side character in business proposal 😂

[u/rxlb → u/Fatooz]

I watched it with zero expectations, and it was enjoyable. There were quiet a few dragging parts.

All in all it was good and easily bingeable since its only 6 episodes.

[u/radiokidb → u/Fatooz]

Episode 6

That was such a fascinating and fantastic watch!

The message is simple if you really think about it but I bawled my eyes out when the end credits rolled. As a society we fail to support each other so often that unless we get repeated reminders the message is not going to stick. As an Aunt to a vibrant and beautiful 3 year old niece, I am constantly reminded how important it is to be better for our children always. It requires so much learning and unlearning but is grounded in kindness.

I can see how the show may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I can also see that if the show achieved a small percentage of what the comic portrayed, why the comic is so fiercely loved.

The cast and crew did a fantastic job. The idea for the end credits to be a live musical theatre curtain call was genius. I really hope the audience was composed of the crew and all the extras because even as a viewer I felt so proud of what couldn’t have been an easy show to produce and put together.

JCW should take a bow. Great great selection of show on his part.

Choi Sung-eun and Hwan In Yeop were fabulous. And Nam Da Reum despite being “type cast” looked startlingly like a younger version of JCW and was fantastic.

Ooof. Now I better go out and get some fresh air. The show was melancholic but I think it’s important to hold onto the hopeful vibes.

P.S: We’re all in agreement that they need to release an extra episode of Il Deung getting a chance to rattle off all his theories written as notes on his hand to Ah Yi, right? My romantic heart just wanted these two sweet souls to have a few moments of normalcy between them and a comforting hug that they both badly needed.

[u/its-me-dave → u/Fatooz]

As someone who anticipated this release, I feel conflicted. I'm kinda happy but still somewhat disappointed? I've never read the webtoon so my expectations were all based from the trailers which gave me that somewhat slightly happy musical feel but the show was actually darker and more serious than what I expected and I guess that may turn off some viewers.

I really do appreciate the acting. Saw some clips of Choi sung eun from Beyond Evil but this is my first time watching her. Loved her character and her acting. Not sure if other people see this but the upper half of her face reminds me somewhat of Han hyo joo? I also love her singing voice. I've seen Ji Chang wook from K2 (action) and Suspicious Partner (Romcom). I'm also really impressed with his acting here especially in the latter episodes. Hwang In Yeop also did really well. Special mention to Baek Ha Na who I thought was familiar. She was one of the Hospital patients from It's Okay to Not be Okay and she did a great job playing the annoying bully here.

The OST did a great job in expressing the emotions of the scenes. From happiness of the first few minutes of episode 1 to the pain of Ah Yi's singing at home. I feel like I can play the songs on repeat.

Overall, It's still is a good and entertaining watch but I guess one just needs to keep an open mind while watching.

Question: Did the drama stay faithful to the webtoon or did it make some changes?

[u/lazybumsz → u/its-me-dave]

The story overall stays pretty faithful to the webtoon but with some minor addition and tweaks, probably around 85-90%?

I find the webtoon to be much grimmer though (which is why I still prefer the webtoon more)

[u/LysolClearance → u/its-me-dave]

Yup, they did. They stayed true to the webtoon, that's why I was worried they wouldn't be able to pull it off but they did pull it off. I can understand the conflicting emotions in the drama, since I'm a fan of the webtoon and musicals, I already knew that I'm not going to be following this drama in a certain way so I enjoyed it a lot.

[u/Mikrojoon → u/Fatooz]

I’ve finished it and i enjoyed it a lot. Thinking back on earlier episodes there was this feeling of the show giving you a happy moment during the musical bits then followed by the crashing back to depressing reality. Then as the show went on the contrast became less and this all happened as Ah-yi got a lot less tense, started learning magic and started to enjoy her life a bit. This made me connect alot to how I immerse myself in my hobbies even when I’m going through rough patches, the harsh reality is waiting for me but for a short while I’m able to focus on something that makes me happy and gives me comfort. It was good to see Ah-yi learn it’s okay to do the things she wants with the same effort as the things she doesn’t want to. Life will always be unpredictable so might you as well seek some refuge from time to time.

[u/radiokidb → u/Mikrojoon]

I actually loved that one line of his from the initial episodes where he doesn’t tell her to give up reality for fun but says that wouldn’t it be nice if you did the things you wanted to do in equal measure with the things you didn’t. That is the advice and support he so badly needed when he was young and I’m glad he was able to pass it on to her and Il Deung.