Alchemy Of Souls (환혼) Season 1-2 Review

Deho is a distant land that cannot be found on any map. Magic exists here, but only the chosen few can wield it, and throughout the kingdom a fragile balance is maintained between the great houses that control magical artifacts, uphold the magical order, and protect the crown from external threats.

But even here there are forbidden things. And the most strictly prohibited of all is "soul alchemy," the forbidden technique of exchanging consciousness. Long ago, a frail old king begged a renegade mage to lend him his body for a week so he could produce an heir. The mage deeply regretted it... what happened was quickly forgotten, but rumors persist that the boy who was born—the vile mistake of nature—will one day be able to challenge the very throne itself...

But that is not what concerns the young mage hunter. The bold Nak Su has declared war on all four families upon which Deho itself stands, seeking revenge for her father's death. To escape her pursuers, she is forced to switch bodies with a blind young woman. She becomes the servant Mu Deok in the household of the lazy and arrogant master Jang Uk, whom every magic teacher in the world has abandoned. The young sorceress, stripped of her powers, decides to lie low while still helping her master achieve success... after all, his family is also on her list of targets for revenge.

“Everything we do leaves a mark upon our souls…”

"Alchemy of Souls" is a large-scale fantasy project set in a meticulously crafted fictional class-based monarchy with its own structure, rules, and a central premise: in Deho, martial arts are enhanced by magic so dangerous that its strongest forms have been outlawed. The plot of "Alchemy of Souls" unfolds in spirals, the story remains coherent throughout, and its tone shifts from psychological (!) character drama to lighthearted comedy of manners.

It is a captivating Eastern fairy tale infused with Korean flavor, a beautiful story of rivalry, then mutual growth and friendship, and ultimately love despite everything.

The story is divided into two parts, and it should be said right away: they are very different. "Alchemy of Souls" is essentially two stories in one. The first season ends in a shocking (yet bitterly logical, if you remember the characters' motivations) way, while the second season feels like an extended epilogue to the first—darker, more restrained, yet at the same time more romantic. It's worth noting that the creators, the screenwriting Hong sisters, planned this structure from the very beginning, so the replacement of one of the lead actresses was dictated primarily by the story itself—and that's an incredibly ambitious choice.

Yes, in the second half of the story, the world's construction and its rules begin to feel overly complicated. It becomes difficult to understand why Mu Deok is so important, what the mystery of Jang Uk really is, where fate will lead the two of them, what the long-lost daughter of the guardian of Jinyowon has to do with everything, what political games the order of scholars at Cheonbugwan is playing—and how you're supposed to remember all these Korean names in the first place.

"Alchemy of Souls" is built entirely around its characters, who may live in a fictional world but react like real people. Even the supporting cast: for example, the head of Jinyowon, the hereditary priestess Heo Gyeong, loses her sanity in the desperate hope of seeing the daughter she lost years ago, and that drives her to commit terrible acts. The pompous head of Songrim, Park Jin, is not particularly clever but is a kind-hearted man forced to be cruel to the person closest to him. His mistakes are constantly mended by Maid Kim, a maternal figure, the emotional heart of the story, and simply a ray of sunshine. Finally, the ruler of the entire kingdom is a weak, anxious monarch who is easily manipulated, which greatly benefits the head of the royal intelligence service. The king's advisor, Jin Mu, is an incredibly charismatic bastard. A fundamentally petty man, an outcast even within his own family, he spends years weaving intricate conspiracies and has mastered the art of lying to people's faces while pretending to care about them and their interests. The smug grin with which he looks at those he is about to betray or destroy—you simply have to see it. In the second season his character fades a little (hardly surprising—he's already achieved what he wanted!), but by the finale he shines once more, and you'll definitely remember him.

But naturally, the central characters receive the strongest development. The complex Jang Uk, who grew up under strict discipline and humiliation, has always been pushed into the background. His two closest friends, almost like brothers, are the cheerful Dang Gu, who is hopelessly in love with the priestess's daughter Cho Yeon, and the thoughtful Seo Yul, who keeps many secrets. The king's son, Crown Prince Go Won, is simply magnificent. Arrogant, conceited, yet deeply empathetic and capable of doubt, he initially evokes mixed feelings but soon becomes a valuable ally to Jang Uk and his mysterious new companion with the enigmatic sparkle in her eyes.

The fierce assassin trapped in the body of a frail girl must temper her pride and anger if she ever hopes to regain her magical powers and exact her revenge. So when she's alone, she is the thoughtful and gloomy Nak Su, but in front of others she becomes the simple country girl Mu Deok, ready to bow to any superior and carry out any task, no matter how filthy. "Yes, sir!" Actress Ko Yoon-jung plays this contrast to hilarious effect.

The series is produced at an excellent level. The sets (along with carefully selected real locations that can also be spotted in other Korean dramas) are beautiful and atmospheric. The cinematography is top-notch, with a cinematic, high-contrast image and excellent lighting (at least in the first season; the second has a softer, brighter visual style). The fight choreography and stunt work are genuinely impressive, and everything was filmed practically. There are surprisingly many visual effects, even if they are relatively simple (which has its own charm: the magic of Adobe After Effects combined with smart, painstaking manual craftsmanship).

The music deserves special mention. It is composed with a slight nod toward "Game of Thrones", yet performed using traditional Korean instruments, enhancing the unique atmosphere of "Alchemy of Souls" and elevating it into a league of its own.

To sum it up, this is an outstanding series in the spirit of classic epic fantasy with touches of wuxia, written and filmed according to modern standards. It's a thrilling thirty-episode adventure in which everyone can find something to love. "Alchemy of Souls" has already earned its place in the pantheon of magnificent Korean dramas that you can confidently recommend to any fan of adventure and magic. The journey is not always an easy one, but Mu Deok and Jang Uk knew exactly what they were getting into.

Rating: 8.5/10, an imperfect modern classic. "Alchemy of Souls" is certain to be watched and rewatched for many years to come—and it more than deserves that honor.

"A Shadow embraced by the Light will never lose itself in the darkness…"

P.S. The writers very cleverly avoided the risk of offending viewers' sensibilities: since Deho has almost nothing in common with real Korea, absolutely anything can happen in "Alchemy of Souls." The creators of "Joseon Exorcist" were far less fortunate. They used real historical figures in an extremely fantastical and brutal story (not to mention the confusion between Chinese and Korean props), enraging viewers so much that they gathered a petition with 170,000 signatures, and the series was disgracefully canceled after only its second episode.