Alchemy of Souls | A Fantasy Korean Drama Written by the Hong Sisters on Netflix
The Hong sisters, Jung Eun and Mi Ran are a team who write scripts for Korean dramas. Alchemy of Souls has increased their popularity.
The Hong sisters often write romantic comedies. Alchemy of Souls is a slight variation of their usual genre. It is a historical fiction, romance, and fantasy, with some sweet comedic moments.
Alchemy of Souls: STREAM or SKIP? Definitely stream. Season 1 is 20 episodes, and Season 2 is 10 episodes. Totally binge-worthy. Available to stream on Netflix worldwide.
In Season 1 we learn that soul shifting is very very bad.
“Soul shifting” is called “hwanhonsool”, which means the soul of the dead return to the living. It is considered “dark magic” and is forbidden!
“Forbidden” means use it and don’t get caught! As the storyline develops, it turns out that there are a lot of people using this dark magic. Included in those non-law-abiding people is the king.
You know how kings are. Everybody has to obey the law except them! In the first episode, the king is old and dying. So he turns to this handsome, young, and healthy mage and asks that he switch souls with him. The mage does as the king commands. But then the king goes and sleeps with the mage’s wife, gets her pregnant, and then switches back. What a lowlife!
As for the poor mage’s wife? She gets accused of committing adultery, her good reputation and fidelity are maligned, and the child born from her intercourse with the king (who she thought was her husband) grows up with people always “whispering” about him not being his father’s son.
The story takes place in a fictional country called Daeho and there are two main characters:
(1) Jang Uk played by Lee Jae-wook. Jang Uk, the son of … ??? He is an innocent who was born into this world as a result of the king’s sinister soul-shifting act. Nobody wants to tell him the truth about his existence. But he is determined to learn his true identity and to accomplish other great things which he believes is his destiny.
(2) Naksu/Mu-deok played by Jung So-min. Naksu is a powerful sorceress and a skilled assassin who is wounded and has to look for another body. She shifts her soul into the body of a sickly blind girl named Mu-deok. That blind girl is no ordinary blind girl. She is the daughter of a mage who went missing and was presumed dead. She has extraordinary powers.
Jang Uk and Mu-deok meet accidentally when she is sent to work at a Gisaeng establishment. Of course, as soon as she arrives, she immediately tries unsuccessfully … to escape. She runs into a room where Jang Uk has come to have dinner and as soon as he sees her, he knows, she is someone “special”. In the process of shifting souls, Naksu has not only lost her powers as a sorceress, but she also lost her sword that she used as an assassin. Jang Uk promises to help Naksu/Mu-deok get her sword back IF she will become his master and teach him spells. He will need to know how to cast spells if he is to become GREAT! She lies and nods in agreement with the deal, all the while planning to run away as soon as she gets her sword. That’s how their relationship began.
If you want to know how their relationship ends, that’s in Season 2.
WATCH OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR SEASON 1
The title for Season 2 is “Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow”.
In this season, Naksu/Mu-Deok is brought back to life as Naksu/Jin Bu-yeon played by Go Yoon Jung. Remember the daughter of the mage who went missing in Season 1? Well! Jin Bu-yeon is that daughter. But … but … wasn’t Mu-deok …??? Nope! I’m not explaining it. NO SPOILERS. If you want your confusion cleared you will just have to watch this season.
WATCH OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR SEASON 2
OVERALL IMPRESSION OF BOTH SEASONS
The special effects and the cinematography in “Alchemy of Souls” create magical and memorable scenes. All of the characters play their parts well, and the line between the good and the bad is clearly drawn.
- The four master mages have the power to harness the lake’s energy and to help maintain the balance of their world.
- The “Four Seasons” are the children of the mages who have special powers too!
- Then are several evil characters, including the king and the queen, who engage in soul-shifting or any other kind of dark magic, in order to gain power and rule over everybody else.
- The crown prince has no supernatural powers, but since he is a prince he does have some authority and he can either use that power for good or evil.
A Little Bit More about the Hong Sisters
In addition to Alchemy of Souls, would you like to know more about this team and the Korean dramas written by the Hong sisters?
“Hong sisters are legendary K-drama screenwriters who never created failed works, and their picks for female leads are also considered to be perfect.” (Source)
Thanks for reading.