Alchemy of Souls, the Korean fantasy written by Hong sisters(Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran) is an intriguing story of the fictional magical world of Daeho which is dominated by mages. The series gets better with each episode, arousing your curiosity to the peak.
Every episode begins with a scene from the past which is significant in driving the narrative of the present. The two time frames are twenty years apart and we get glimpses from the past as the present narrative develops. This is not necessarily a back and forth narration as the past serves as a tool to explain the present which has more weightage in the narrative. It takes a while to understand the basic story line because it involves a series of revelations to form the whole. But Alchemy of souls immerses you completely into the world of mages and their stories.
The beginning of the series makes it look like this is the story of Naksu, the elite warrior/ shadow assassin who does the forbidden sorcery of Alchemy of souls or soul shifting in order to save herself. But the later episodes reveal that this is not a female-centric narrative, as we are told the story of the male protagonist, Jang Uk. This is the story of Jang Uk as much as this is of Naksu. Fate brings the two together as Naksu gets trapped in the weak body of the blind Mu Deok who becomes Uk’s maid and later the master whom he has been searching for his entire life.
This series offers a lot. First episode makes it clear that we are in for an intense drama with fascinating action packed scenes. But as Naksu gets transformed to a new body, we are taken through a series of scenes packed with humor which lands well every single time. The action choreography and cinematography is brilliant. The magical world of Daehu is created with utmost care and perfection. It is majestic with snow flaked mountains and rivers, the green forests and valleys and the beautiful men and women in hanboks. The viewer is in awe every time a mage performs a spell, especially in the scenes involving soul shifting. The setting is extraordinary but it involves the ordinary tale of men and women who struggle to survive. And the costume design is excellent.
In the first episode itself we see the young, cold-hearted shadow assassin Naksu single handedly taking down a lot of men. And in another scene, when she enters a tavern, seriously hurt from the attack, people run out in fear. We usually get to see such scenes involving only men. This is a rarity in popular culture and the actor (Go Yoon-jung) does a fantastic job in performing the scenes with conviction.
As Naksu transforms into the body of Mu-Doek (played by Jung So-Min), the entire atmosphere of the series changes. When she brags about her being the merciless shadow hunter and tries to do the moves with a broom in her weak body, the viewer cannot help but laugh. This could be suggestive of how women, especially, petite women are treated by the society, however exceptional they are. No one really takes her seriously including the viewer now that she is in a weaker body. Jung So-min is so good that every time she appears on screen the viewer will have a smile on his/her face.
Lee Jae Wook as Jang Uk is perfection. He does not have the typical K-Drama hero mannerisms and he does not need it. He charms the viewer with his subtle expressions and body language. He has his own unique style which works well for the character. Every time he is sad, the viewer can feel his pain.
All the actors are exceptional. The usual cliches of K-Dramas seem to be little here. But there could possibly be an unwanted love triangle plot. With all those apprehensions intact, and even if there are cliches, Alchemy of Souls seems to have a very solid story line which could surpass its negatives. It is worth your time.
Arya is a curious soul and nerd who loves books and cinema. You can read her articles on Medium. You can also follow her on Instagram where she talks about her favourite books and movies.