alchemy of souls poster

Alchemy of Souls Review: To Watch or Not to Watch?

Welcome to our review of the hit K-Drama, Alchemy of Souls! In this post, we’ll be diving into the thrilling plot, impressive performances, and stunning visuals of the first part of this drama. Get ready to join us on a journey through the magical world of Daeho and discover why this show has quickly become a fan favourite.

Alchemy of Souls is a fantastic show for people who enjoy historical dramas with a modern twist. It’s one of the few shows that I can recommend to friends who aren’t typically into historical dramas (their losssss). It has a really interesting and unique storyline, plus a lot of funny moments.  The characters are well-written, and even with such a large cast, I didn’t get confused about their storylines.

Synopsis

In the fantasy world of Daeho, where mages and magic exist, Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook), a mage who can’t perform magic, meets a strange maid, Mu-deok (Jung So-Min) who also happens to be the infamous assassin Naksu (Go Yoon Jung). Because of a forbidden spell known as the “Alchemy of Souls”, Naksu’s soul is trapped in Mu-deok’s weak body, leaving her powerless. Mu-deok (AKA Naksu) takes on the task of training Jang Uk to help him regain his powers, leading to a series of interesting adventures.

Starring Jung So-Min, Lee Jae-wook, Go Yoon Jung, Hwang Min Hyun, Yoo Joon Sang, Kim Do Ju, and Shin Seung Ho, among others.

⚠️ Some spoilers ahead …

Alchemy of Souls Part 1 Summary

In this part, the motivations behind the lead character Jang Uk’s pursuit of his powers are explored. He embarks on a journey with his master (and servant), Mu-deok (who is possessed by the assassin Naksu), and they learn to understand each other through a lot of trial and error. Mu-deok trains Jang Uk by constantly throwing him into the deep end and forcing him to figure things out the hard way, ultimately making him stronger in the process. As Jang Uk gets stronger, other parties start to take notice and become interested in his progress. 

Meanwhile, his friends and acquaintances have their own stories developing. Seo Yul wonders if their new acquaintance could be Naksu, Park Dang Gu and Jin Cho Yeon have a budding romance, and Maidservant Kim and Park Jin also have a budding (but mostly humorous) romance. Jin Mu tries to gain more power and get the crown prince on his side.

At the end of the season, everything appears to be going well until Mu-deok goes on a rampage, thanks to a spell cast by Jin Mu in his ongoing quest for power and chaos. Jang Uk dies at the hands of a rampaging Mu-deok, but is magically brought back to life as the new owner of the ice stone, a cumulation of energy that produces great power. 

What will become of Naksu? And what happens to Jang Uk now? I guess we’ll find out in the next part.

What I like about it

  • I like the romance between Jang Uk and Mu-deok, but LOVE the master-student relationship they have! Mu-deok’s method of teaching is a bit rough, to say the least, but you can tell that Jang Uk understands this fully and uses it to his advantage.
  • Crown Prince Go Won! I love this character and his hilarious relationship with Mu-deok. You’ve heard of second lead syndrome, but have you ever heard of fourth lead syndrome? That’s what I experienced while watching this. The chemistry between the crown prince and Mu-deok is endearing and super hilarious. I almost prefer it to the chemistry between Mu-deok and Jang Uk (someone call 911?). The crown prince is shown to be wise and not easily fooled. He also seems to be a good person, but sometimes gets led astray by his master, Jin Mu. Either way, Shin Seung-ho’s portrayal is masterful and makes the character loveable.
  • This show is hilarious! There are so many funny scenes and they keep the storyline serious without making it overly tragic. I understand the plights of what the characters are going through, but we get a good amount of comic relief as the show goes on. I actually laugh out loud during a lot of the scenes in the show.
  • Unique storyline! I can honestly say that I have never watched a Korean drama with a storyline like this one before. The show combines elements of fiction and historical fact to create a world unlike any other. The inclusion of magic adds an exciting anime-like flair to the traditional historical drama genre.
  • The bromance! I love the bromance between Seo Yul, Park Dang Gu, and Jang Uk. Jang Uk has a lot of drama following him in his life, but it’s still nice to see his friends stick by him. I’ll also add the crown prince to this bromance, since his interactions with the three, and especially with Jang Uk, become more frequent as the story develops.
  • The costumes on this show are delightful and put a unique twist on the traditional outfits often seen in historical dramas. Park Dang Gu’s jewelry never fails to make a statement, and the whole Jin Family’s wardrobe is always on point. You can never catch Mama Jin slippin’ in the style department!
  • The special effects in the show are executed exceptionally well, enhancing the excitement of the movements and fight scenes.

What I don’t like about it

  • Not enough Naksu! Naksu’s built up to be this amazing badass, but we only get to see a few scenes of her in this part. This makes sense since her soul is currently in Mu-deok’s body. It would be nice to see more scenes of Naksu kicking butt or more scenes of Mu-deok kicking butt now that Naksu possesses her. Yeah…yeah, I know that Mu-deok’s body is weak and can’t handle Naksu’s power, but a girl can dream, can’t she? And even if we get to see more of the new Naksu in part 2, I can’t help feeling like we’ll miss Mu-deok as a character. There’s really no win here.
  • There are a lot of characters, each with their own storylines. This isn’t a bad thing, but it can get pretty confusing if you don’t pay attention. I think the show does a good job of juggling all the characters and plots, but it can be frustrating trying to remember names and who did what.

Favourite Scene

Episode 12

Hearts are fluttering, but not for who you might expect. Crown Prince Go Won and Jang Uk’s hearts race when the yin-yang jade, gifted by Jang Uk to Mu-deok, ends up in the possession of the Crown Prince. The jade, a symbol of eternal love, acts as a powerful magnetic force that draws those who wield it together. When the men unexpectedly meet each other, they are shocked and hilariously flustered.

Favourite Character

Crown Prince, you are my favourite! I’m rooting for a happy ending for this character. And can we talk about how gorgeous the actor is?  #teamcrownprince

Re-watchability

I’ll definitely watch this again, especially so I can watch all the parts together and understand the story better. I wouldn’t want to miss anything.

Final Rating

I give this part an 8.5/10. Hopefully the second part ties the show together and answers any lingering questions.

If you’re a fan of historical dramas or simply searching for a new show to watch, give “Alchemy of Souls” a try! It is an excellent show and I hope everyone has the opportunity to watch it. The Part 2 review will be released soon, so be sure to subscribe and get notified when it becomes available.

This show can be watched on Netflix.

We want to hear from you! What did you think of the show? Do you agree with this review? Let us know in the comments below!