Oh… they got me! They got me goood! Welcome to our review of the highly-anticipated second season of the hit K-Drama, Alchemy of Souls. We’ll be covering the thrilling plot twists, top-notch performances, and visually stunning scenes of the show. Let’s jump back into the world of Daeho and find out if Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow is just as epic as Season 1.
Alchemy of Souls Season 1 was a thrilling treat that premiered and completed a few months before Season 2 began airing. The show captivated audiences with its unique blend of fantasy, action, and romance set in the world of Daeho, where magic and mages exist. The first season left us on a cliffhanger with many unanswered questions, and fans have been eagerly waiting for the continuation of the story. Are you ready to dive back into the world of Daeho and see what’s in store for Jang Uk, Mu-deok, and Naksu? Let’s get started!
- Alchemy of Souls Season 1 Summary
- Alchemy of Souls Season 2 Summary
- What I like About it
- What I Don’t like About It
- Favourite Scene
- Favourite Character
- Re-watchability
- Final Rating
Alchemy of Souls Season 1 Summary
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. To read more about this season, click here.
⚠️ Some spoilers ahead …
Alchemy of Souls Season 2 Summary
In this season of Alchemy of Souls, Jang Uk and the rest of Daeho are dealing with the aftermath of Naksu’s rampage and death. Three years have passed and everyone is now in a different stage of their lives. Jang Uk, now in possession of the ice stone, is the most powerful mage in Daeho. Seo Yul has been in Seoho fortress and has just recently returned. Jin Cho Yeon and Park Dang Gu’s marriage has been on hold partly due to Naksu’s rampage.
Jang Uk has been instructed to kill all soul shifters that still exist in Daeho and he has been doing this with Naksu’s sword. Killing the soul shifters with the ice stone’s power attracts wraiths to him, a cold and terrifying consequence. Jin Mu is still on his ongoing quest for power, and the crown prince’s loyalty and allegiances are being tested in this season.
Jin Buyeon, the first daughter of the Jin family, has returned but bears the likeness and soul of our favorite assassin, Naksu. Jang Uk and Jin Bu-yeon run into each other and after much convincing from Jin Bu-yeon, decide to help each other out (sound familiar?). A marriage is proposed and reluctantly accepted, leading to a lot of negativity from others. The adventure and romance continue with Jang Uk and Naksu in this exciting second season.
Starring Lee Jae-wook, Go Yoon Jung, Hwang Min Hyun, Yoo Joon Sang, Kim Do Ju, and Shin Seung Ho, among others.
What I like about it
- Oh… they got me! They got me goood! There was a dramatic scene where Maidservant Kim and Jin Ho-kyung were left to die in a collapsing Jinyowon, and another scene where Park Jin was stabbed and left to die. I assumed all three of them were killed off, and I did not expect the gotcha moment that came after. I’m usually more attuned to these things, so I was pleasantly surprised to be caught off guard. I blame the social media spoilers and memes I’ve seen (but actively tried to avoid), which made me expect devastating deaths this season.
- Chemistryyyy! The chemistry between Jang Uk and Jin Bu-yeon ( AKA Naksu) is incredible. They look and act great together, and their scenes are always alluring. This is surprising since the female lead for this season is a new actress. I’ll even go as far as to say that they have better romantic chemistry than Jang Uk and Mu-deok in season 1.
- The bromance continues! Well, the bromance between the crown prince and Jang Uk continues. The bromance between Seo Yul, Park Dang Gu, and Jang Uk has cooled off a bit in this season due to their time apart and individual life issues. But the crown prince and Jang Uk still have a great dynamic, particularly in the later episodes of the season. They’re still a hilarious pair that take jabs at each other from time to time, but underneath it all, they have a deep respect for one another.
- The shaman and the Eunuch! I would love to watch that drama! Jin Bu-yeon and the crown prince have an interesting friendship that started as a misunderstanding and continues on this path to the very ending episodes. Their meetups are always funny and have a touch of chemistry and mystique. I guess now we know that any version of Naksu can charm the crown prince.
- Jang Uk is much more powerful this season, thanks to the power of the ice stone within him. It’s a welcome change from the first season, where he was constantly struggling to gain his powers. He’s now the most powerful mage in Daeho (and possibly the world), making him a total badass. He can literally face a small army all by himself. It’s what dreams are made of!
- Naksu! Although we didn’t see the badass and physically strong version of Naksu this season, the transformation of Jin Bu-yeon is fascinating to watch. The actress (Go Yoon Jung) does an excellent job in this portrayal of the character, as we watch Naksu’s progression from a seemingly normal girl, Jin Bu-yeon, to fully regaining her memory and becoming more like her former self. The transformation is subtle but noticeable, and it’s interesting to see how the character develops over the course of the season.
- The Crown Prince and the turtle! Another drama I’d pay to watch. The Crown Prince and his beloved turtle make for an entertaining dynamic throughout the show. As the story progresses, we learn that the turtle holds a deeper significance in shaping the Crown Prince into a better version of himself. And, a friendly reminder to never mess with the Crown Prince’s turtle, as Jin Mu learns the hard way.
What I don’t like about it
- I don’t know if it’s the time between when the seasons premiered or the actual time jump in the drama, but season 1 and 2 feel like two different shows. It could be on purpose to show the after effects of Naksu’s death and the consequences that came with it. But the overall vibe of the second season is much different from the first. The comic relief is way down and the characters feel almost out of place.
- Mu-deok! Mu-deok is nowhere to be found this season. I saw it coming, but I still had hope and waited for her to be in at least one scene (flashbacks don’t count…). I miss seeing the actress’s portrayal of the super arrogant maid. I also miss seeing her with Jang Uk and the crown prince and the different adventures they went on. This season feels a bit dry without her.
- Less humor this season! Like I mentioned earlier, the humor in this season is way less compared to the first. I get that it’s probably because of the darker theme this season. But unfortunately, I didn’t laugh as much this season and that’s something I really wanted and expected from the drama. Oh well, at least we still have the first season to go back to!
- No dramatic reunion??? There was a scene where Park Jin had to seal off a collapsing Jinyowon along with Maidservant Kim inside. He thought he left her to die and was extremely devastated by it. Maidservant Kim was ultimately rescued and so was Park Jin (he was also attacked and thought to be dead), but there was no scene of their reunion. They were just shown standing together later on, but no dramatic scene beforehand. The K-Drama fan in me was so disappointed and expected so much more.
- Lack of a steady villain! One thing I love about K-Dramas is how they make me hate or be terrified of a certain character or villain. In season 1, it was Jin Mu and then we find out the true mastermind was the shaman turned queen. I could see a clear end goal and person to defeat. This season was missing that a bit. Even Jin Mu, the once scary villain, seemed less scary this season. Probably because Jang Uk could eliminate him at any moment so there wasn’t much to worry about. Jin Ho-kyung was also shown as an obstacle this season, but again her threats seemed almost empty compared to what she could actually do. A good idea would have been to make Jang Uk the temporary villain and have his friends be responsible for stopping him or talking him down. That would have been really exciting and would have had fans confused on who to root for. Anyways, that’s just an idea (Netflix, hit me up :))
Favourite scene
Episode 9
The crown prince and Jang Uk have a hilarious heart-to-heart about Jang Uk’s relationship with Jin Bu-yeon. Jang Uk is struggling in his relationship and the crown prince comically questions him about it. He tries to comfort him but it ends up making Jang Uk even more worried. It’s a priceless scene that shows the evolved friendship between the crown prince and Jang Uk.
Favourite character
My favourite character in the last season was the crown prince and aint nothing changed! I will say that Seo Yul gave the crown prince a run for his money in this season. Seo Yul’s nobility and loyalty shines even more in this season. He displays a beautiful attitude towards unrequited love.
Re-watchability
I’m not so thrilled about re-watching the second season. I didn’t enjoy it as much. I would only watch the second season again if I were watching it right after the first. Watching the second season made me miss the first, so I’ll definitely be re-watching the first season!
Final rating
I give the second season a 7.5 out of 10. The season itself is not bad, but as a sequel, it lacks a bit of a continuation vibe. For the show as a whole, I rate it an 8 out of 10!
Overall, the show is a great success and the second season provides a satisfying ending to the story. It’s a must-watch for fans of the first season and those who enjoy the fantasy genre. I highly recommend giving it a watch.
Alchemy of Souls Season 1 and Season 2 can be watched on Netflix.
What did you think of the show? Will you be watching or rewatching? We would love to read your comments!
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