Alchemy of Souls
환혼 • Alchemy of Souls Part 1 , Alchemy of Souls Season 1, Return, Resurrection
- Genre : Action · Drama · Fantasy · Romance · Slice of Life / Everyday Life
- Broadcast : June 18, 2022, through August 28, 2022
- Where to watch: TvN, Netflix
- Director : Park Joon-hwa
- Screenwriter : Hong Mi-ran, Hong Jeong-eun
- Casting : Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min, Hwang Min-hyun, Shin Seung-ho, Yoo Joon-sang, Oh Na-ra, Yoo In-soo, Arin, Jo Jae-yoon, Park Eun-hye, Lee Do-kyung, Hong Seo-hee, Im Chul-soo, Seo Hye-won, Kang Kyung-hun, Park So-jin, Go Youn-jung, Lee Ha-yul, Jung Ji-an, Kim Yong-jin, Choi Ji-ho, Cha Yong-hak, Joo Seok-tae, Choi Kwang-il, Lee Ji-hoo, Woo Hyun, Bae Gang-hee, Park Byung-eun, Joo Sang-wook, Yeom Hye-ran
The Story
In the fictional kingdom of Daeho, magic shapes the lives of the great families of mages, but certain practices are strictly forbidden. Among them is ’alchemy of souls,« a spell capable of transferring one person’s soul into another’s body.
A formidable assassin and fighter, Naksu (Go Youn-jung) tries to use this magic and accidentally finds herself trapped inside the fragile body of Mu-deok (Jung So-min). Stripped of most of her powers, she becomes the servant of Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook), the heir to a prestigious family of mages whose magical energy has been sealed away since his birth.
Quickly realizing Mu-deok’s true identity, Jang Uk proposes a deal: she will secretly become his master and help him learn magic, while he will help her regain her power. Their dangerous alliance gradually evolves into a much deeper relationship. But the secrets surrounding Jang Uk’s birth, Mu-deok’s true identity, and the mage’s ambitions Jin Mu (Jo Jae-yun) will soon threaten their future and the very stability of Daeho.
Impact and Success
The first part of’Alchemy of Souls was a huge hit in South Korea and with international audiences. Aired on the tvN cable network, it premiered at just over 5 % in national viewership and peaked at 9,295 % in the 18th episode, while the finale brings together 9,218 % viewers nationwide.
The drama stood out in particular for its blend of fantasy, romance, and action, as well as for the way it built its magical world and the chemistry between Lee Jae-wook and Jung So-min.
The series also enjoyed great popularity internationally thanks to its release on Netflix. Its success led to a sequel, Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow. Park Joon-hwa also won the Best Director at the 2022 Korea Drama Awards, while Lee Jae-wook has received several awards for his portrayal of Jang Uk.
Trailers
Casting
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I absolutely love *Alchemy of Souls* 🤩
It’s a complete drama—fantasy, magic, action, and intrigue—all wrapped up with the romance and humor typical of K-dramas…. It’s the first Korean series I’d recommend to someone who’s never watched one before, especially to someone who loves fantasy worlds.
Jung Uk is one of my favorite characters across all shows—it was love at first sight! The chemistry with Mudeok is absolutely perfect 🫠🫠🫠 #TeamSeason1—by the way, I think this duo works better than with the actress from Season 2, but that really depends on personal taste. However, I loved the fun and humor of Season 1 just as much as the darker side of Season 2—especially Lee Jae-wook’s performance. This is the show that made me fall for him, too; he conveys such intense emotions, he made me laugh and brought me to tears 😭—it’s his best role, in my opinion.
This series is also where I really started to appreciate Jung So-min. Seriously, this duo 😍🔥
Anyway. I'm a fan of this series.