Delineating a richly-sketched plot, Alchemy of Souls can easily be your go-to weekend watch with your loved ones!
Enigmatic characters so far match an engrossing fantasy story that has an expandable range to progress. Arguably the biggest charm is how clear the cast presentation was despite a relatively elaborate narrative.
abbyinhallyuland watches Alchemy of Souls on Netflix
Opening Week Rating: 
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 & 18 | 19 | 20 |
PRESS CONFERENCE: “Alchemy of Souls” To Capture Viewers’ Hearts With Its Engrossing Story
Alchemy of Souls Opening Week Story
In the kingdom called Daeho, mages hold immense power. Jang Gang, the best mage of Daeho relents to the King’s request of switching his soul to earn more days for his ailing body.
That is because he hopes to sire an heir. Although forbidden to use the “alchemy of souls” for mages especially involving living people, Jang Gang concedes. The King then sleeps with Kang’s woman to fulfill his wish to have an heir.
20 years later, four prominent mage families hold a strong presence in the land of Daeho which is still ruled by a king. These families are the Jangs, Parks, Jins and Seos.
Park Jin (Yoo Jun Sang), the master of the Park family chases after a famed gifted assassin named Naksu. Successfully wounding her, she managed to escape and find a soul.
However, Naksu ends up in the body of a blind woman named Mu-deok (Jung So Min). Sold as a slave to a brothel, Mu-deok escapes the place but ends up serving Jang Wook (Lee Jae Wook).
When news of Naksu’s death spread in the kingdom, the identity of Naksu as a soul-shifter was unveiled, Wook realized that Naksu’s soul could be inside Mu-deok when he gazed at her blue eyes.
For that reason, he appoints her as his new maid and makes her life hard by forcing her to do nonsense and repetitive errands.
“I will find someone. A master who will open my gate of energy and teach me how to practice spells.”
Recognizing Mu-deok’s weak body, Naksu plans to strengthen her energy so she can enter Songrim. At that same moment, Master Park Jin also reads the same intention.
Wook’s father, Master Jang Gang has sealed his power, thus he knows magic by theories, but has not practiced it yet. It is widely known in Daeho how his mother slept with another man, making an assumption that his powers were sealed because of that.
At night, Mu-deok waits for Wook to sleep so she can use the emblem in his possession. But that same night, Danju sent his army to break inside Songrim and retrieve Naksu’s body.
Wook who deduces Mu-deok’s plan follows and rescues her when she was chased by Seo Yul (Hwang Min Hyun). Initially, Master Park Jin thinks that Naksu failed soul shifting.
Apparently, it was successful, and it did not leave a body mark but went to Mu-deok’s eyes which also explains her sudden regaining of vision.
“I have met a total of 12 masters and have been kicked out every time. And finally, I have met the master who will change my fate. I knew the moment I saw you. You are my master. Naksu, I want you to become my master.”
Declaring he wants Mu-deok to become his master. she also learned that the soul shifter’s mark reflects in her eyes. When Wook’s friends, Yul and Jang Dang-gu (Yoo In Soo) arrived, Mu-deok was saved by Wook’s alibi.
While Songrim is in chaos, the two stay in the room where Naksu’s body was held. Master Park Jin summons Heo Yeom to check on a soul shifter hiding inside Songrim.
Refusing Wook’s deal to hide her secret while she teaches him sorcery, he warns her that she won’t be able to escape Songrim without his help.
Mu-deok feigns to acquiesce and relays she needs to find her sword to strengthen her. She plans on killing Wook once she gets the chance. At the same moment, Wook weighs their situation as well.
Just then, they bump on mages who escorted them to the hall in search of a soul shifter. Lady Jin Cho-yeon (Arin) brings their family’s heirloom gwigu which houses sapsali, shaped like a dog, it can detect sorcery.
Moving in the direction of Wook who is in front of Mu-deok, the gwigu leaps as Yul and Dang-gu prepare to cover their friend. But it went past Wook and Mu-deok to chase after a real soul shifter.
Just then, the sapsali caught Mu-deok’s presence and chases after her. On the brink of being devoured, Wook breaks the gwigu which in turn saved Mu-deok.
“The people I met so far only wanted me to die. You are the first person who tried to save me. Even if we meet again and come this close, I will spare you.”
Master Park Jin punishes Wook and his friends assure Mu-deok that the punishment will not take long owing to Wook’s weak energy constitution. Empathizing Wook’s situation, Mu-deok realized how he has been punished his entire lifetime.
Serving Wook a cup of tea, Mu-deok conveys her plan to leave. She also tells him that in the future if they will encounter each other again, she will spare him for being gracious and kind despite the danger she carries.
Jang Gang’s old disciple, Jin Mu, staged rounding up the people who broke in at Songrim. Initially demanding to take the position of Wook’s father, Master Park Jin refuses so the King permitted him to get Naksu’s sword and also publicly present Naksu’s body being burned.
Using his birthright, Wook seeks Jin Mu to retrieve the sword. Meanwhile, Mu-deok sent a signal to his crew that he survived. Fortunately, the emblem that she used to lure her old teammates was stolen. Instead of her, another woman was killed as ordered by Jin Mu.
“I found your sword! You said you could retrieve your power with this.”
Just like Wook predicted, Mu-deok went to witness the event. Yul who shares a past with Naksu is also there with Dang-gu. Putting the clues together, Mu-deok realized that Jin Mu, the deputy head of the royal Cheonbugwan.
Mu-deok sees Wook approaching and she laments about how useless she is so she can’t do anything for him either. He then tells her that he found her sword. However, she cannot unsheathe it.
Feeling useless, she goes to the lake where the soul shifter’s dead bodies lay. Mysteriously, a wave of energy amassed letting her draw her sword.
Wook who learned where Mu-deok went inevitably follows her and sees her standing by the lake with her drawn sword. Waking up to the infirmary, Mu-deok fathomed that she needed a triggering power to induce hers.
Marking who that source of power is, she poisoned Wook to force Master Park Jin and Heo Yeom to open Wook’s energy gate. Bearing Master Park Jin’s punishment, Mu-deok refused to reveal the poison.
With time running out for Wook’s life, Heo Yeom is left with no choice but to open his energy gate. Wook survives and rushes to where Mu-deok is. Both barely making it alive, the teacher and her apprentice seal their special relationship with a comforting embrace.
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Alchemy of Souls Opening Week Musings
It was such an amazing premiere week for Alchemy of Souls! Hong sisters’ worldbuilding really takes you to an awe-inspiring moment as a K-Drama fan.
Most likely the series would benefit from singing a totally different tune in a revenge-themed dominated roster these days.
Impressively, the exposure of the lead cast appears to take an equal route of highlighting each other’s sentiments and strengths.
Yoo In Soo in his comical role is surely a gift and Hwang Min Hyun is shaping up to join South Korea’s thriving pool of K-Drama male leads.
The chemistry between Jung So Min and Lee Jae Wook is palpable. As we go through their master-apprentice journey, we can be reassured of their evident synergy.
Since the first two episodes opened quite a whole load of information about Daeho, we can infer the conflict ahead would spring from the events 20 years ago involving the king and Jang Gang.
Naksu’s backstory and why her intended soul went to a different body would also be tackled. Additionally, the internal discreet strife happening in the royal Cheonbugwan is on the horizon to mature into a full-blown dispute.
I’m looking forward to how the birth stories of Jang Gang and the king’s son would unfold. Of course, the real reason behind sealing Wook’s energy gate is also worth anticipating. Also, if there’s something special with Mu-deok that’s why Naksu’s soul landed on her.
What I love in Alchemy of Souls so far is its easy narration despite its complex narrative and big cast. Usually, a series like this would make you lose the direction easily, but this drama has conditioned us on what the story focuses on. Impressively, the series is also linking the character connections well to sync in the story’s trajectory.
Witness an energizing magical story in Alchemy of Souls every Saturday and Sunday. International fans can watch it on Netflix!
Photos: tvN
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