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Alchemy of Souls (S1 & S2): Spoiler-Free Mini Review

  • 4 hours ago
  • 2 min read

Title:

Alchemy of Souls (Season 1 and 2)

Platform:

Netflix

MDL Rating:

9.1

Genre:

Period Fantasy Romance/ Action

Episode Count:

30 (20 in S1 and 10 in S2)

Parental Guidance Rating:

TV-14: Some violence, bloodshed, and scary images.


For more info: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20859920/parentalguide/


Staring:

Lee Jae Wook (Dear Hongrang)

Jung So Min (Because This is My First Life)

Hwang Min Hyun (Study Group)

Go Young Jung (Moving)


RBTS Rating:

4.1/5

Synopsis:

In the fictional country of Daeho, young mages struggle to overcome twisted fates caused by the forbidden "alchemy of souls," a spell that swaps souls between bodies. Naksu, an elite assassin, finds her soul trapped in the weak body of Mu Deok, a servant to the noble Jang Family. Jang Uk, the young master of the Jang Family, harbors a dark secret about his birth and seeks Naksu's help to change his destiny. @MDL



Stay Tuned: Full Review Still to Come!


Spoiler-Free Mini Review:

Does anyone remember BBC's Merlin (2008-12) starring Colin Morgan and Bradley James? In a land of myth, and a time of magic... ringing a bell? I can't explain it, but Alchemy of Souls gave me that same vibe, and I enjoyed it just as much. The drama is set in a fictional Joseon inspired Kingdom and felt original and unique. The drama was created by the famous Hong Sisters duo, who brought Hotel Del Luna and A Korean Odyssey to life. These ladies don't mess around.



The drama took me a couple episodes to get into. Beacuse the show is set in a fictional world, it required world building and more extensive narrative set up to lay the groundwork for such a massive plot. While it offers action and thrills a plenty, I am a sucker for a good romance, and AoS delivered. Jang Uk (ML) and Mu Deok (FL) had an epic, angsty romance! Emphasis on the angst.



AoS is split into two seasons, and I almost didn't watch the second season when I noticed something about the cast list. This is kind of a spoiler, but it's something I wish I had known before going into the show. I've chatted with others who have watched, and they all agreed that it's better to go in knowing this detail. So view this at your own discretion, I try to be as vague as possible:


The first season of AoS had more humor, while the second season dove into the power struggle and getting revenge. The pacing is a bit uneven and some of the characters (and drama logic) does not math. If you enjoy Lovers of the Red Sky, The Tale of Nokdu, or Merlin, Alchemy of Souls is worth checking out!



Story=4, Acting=4.5, Production Quality=4.5, Ending=3.75, Enjoyability= 4.25

Would I rewatch= Yeah


Trailer:


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