Summary

"Alchemy of Souls" Season 1 is a South Korean fantasy-romance drama that follows the journey of Jang Uk, a young man destined to be a great magician, and his encounters with the assassin Naksu, who performs the forbidden alchemy of souls, leading to a complex and engaging narrative with impressive character development and a well-received soundtrack.

Abstract

The drama "Alchemy of Souls" unfolds the tale of Jang Uk, portrayed by Lee Jae Wook, who aspires to become the most powerful magician in the fictional land of Daeho. Despite his noble birth, his magical potential is suppressed to avoid royal conflicts. His life takes a turn when he meets Naksu, a skilled assassin trapped in the body of a peasant named Mudeok, who agrees to teach him magic in exchange for help regaining her sword and the ice stone. The series, which aired from June 18 to August 28, 2022, on TvN, is praised for its innovative plot, exceptional acting, and high-quality production, including cinematography and CGI. However, the reviewer notes some dissatisfaction with the handling of Mudeok's character and the pacing in the final episodes. The drama features a strong cast, including Jung So Min as Naksu/Mudeok and Hwang Min Hyun as Seo Yul, and boasts a captivating original soundtrack that complements the show's mysterious and emotional tones. Despite some criticisms, the reviewer rates the drama highly and eagerly anticipates the second season.

Opinions

The reviewer commends the series for its fresh approach to the Korean drama genre, noting its success in storytelling, acting, and technical aspects.
There is a critique of the writers' handling of Mudeok's character, with a sense that her storyline was not fully explored or explained.
The pacing of the narrative, particularly from episodes 17 to 18, is perceived as uncertain, with a rushed conclusion in episode 19, suggesting the writers may have struggled to wrap up the season.
The reviewer appreciates the tragic yet acceptable ending, which includes action-packed scenes featuring Jung So Min.
Lee Jae Wook's portrayal of Jang Uk is highly praised for his natural acting talent and impressive character development.
Jung So Min is recognized for her versatility in playing both the murderous assassin Naksu and the more humanized Mudeok.
Hwang Min Hyun's performance as Seo Yul is noted as convincing for a newcomer to the drama scene, fitting his role as a mild and genius character.
The original soundtrack is highlighted as a strong point of the drama, with four specific songs mentioned for their contribution to the show's atmosphere.
Despite the criticisms, the reviewer's overall impression is very positive, reflected in a 10/10 rating and excitement for the upcoming second season.

‘Alchemy of Souls’ Season 1 Complete Review

Journey of A Young Man to Be The Greatest Magician in Daeho

Drama Name : Alchemy of Souls (환혼)

Genre : Fantasy, Romance, Political, Comedy, Historical

Release Date : June 18 until August 28, 2022

Director : Park Joon Hwa

Run Time: Saturday & Sunday 21:10 (60 minutes)

Episodes : 20

Network : TvN

Alchemy of souls is a story about a young man, Jang Uk who seeks to be the greatest magician in a fictional country, Daeho. Although he is destined to be a ruler, his birth star is hidden because it could cause conflict with the royal families. Hence, his father, Jang Gang blocks Jang Uk’s gate energy failing him to cast any sort of magic.

Luckily, he meets a female assassin, Naksu inside a low-rank peasant body, Mudeok. This happens because Naksu has performed forbidden magic — the alchemy of souls — where her soul can move to another person’s body. She agrees to be Jang Uk’s master on the condition that he can bring back her sword and the ice stone to keep her alive.

Plot Analysis

Alchemy of souls is directed, written, and played by several talented people in the project. It has proven that South Korea stepped yet another stone to enter a new era in Korean drama. It’s breathtaking, fresh, and new. They did an excellent job in the story plot, acting, cinematography, and CGI. Although I find it unsatisfying how the writers carry Mudeok’s character. It feels like there are a lot of unfinished explanations for her in the storyline.

Starting from episodes 17 to 18, it feels like the writers are still confused about how to carry the whole series. Then suddenly in episode 19, everything moves so fast because they need to end Season 1 of this show. However, because I’m a writer myself, it is understandable that maybe they suddenly get an idea to wrap up the series with 2 episodes left.

Honestly, I have no problem with the ending. It is acceptable that it’s tragic and sad because it’s still a historical drama, plus I get to see Jung So Min’s action scenes. Keep in mind that we still have season 2 in December. So let’s see until the end of the story.

Characters

Jang Uk, the main character, is played by Lee Jae Wook. He’s a rising star actor and has a lot of fans worldwide. I would say that he has a natural talent for acting. He portrayed Jang Uk’s character so well, adding a little bit side of to him. We can easily empathize with his sadness, happiness, and struggles throughout the drama to become the best magician in Daeho. His character development is impressive, from a spoiled young nobleman to a charismatic gentleman.

Naksu/Mudeok is played by Jung So Min. For an actress that has a long history of acting, Jung So Min has proven her credibility as a top actress once again in this series. She played 2 characters in this story, and it’s amazing how she can immediately have different vibes shifting from one character to another. She is shown as a murderous assassin in the first episode and slowly emerges her human and adorable side in the last episode.

Seo Yul, the second male lead, is played by Hwang Min Hyun. Hwang Min Hyun previously worked in a boy band, so this is his first time playing such a big role in Korean drama. For a newcomer, his acting is extremely convincing. He fits the character so well. Being a mild, genius, and meek character is just perfect for him. He doesn’t care if he gets the girl or not, what matters for him is that he can make everyone happy including the male lead, which I find heartwrenching.

Original Soundtrack

As usual, we have our favorite original soundtrack for this drama. Alchemy of Souls OST gives off strong mysterious, deep, beautiful, and cool vibes. Here are my top 4 Alchemy of Souls Season 1 OST.

Car of The Garden — The Scars Leave Beautiful Trace
Jang Sewoon — Just Watching You
Gummy — Raindrops
Kim Na Young — Breath

Overall I still would rate this drama 10/10. Can’t wait for Alchemy of Souls Season 2. Hope you enjoy my review.

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