Lazy Unnie’s Couch: Alchemy of Souls

Set in a fictional country called Daeho that does not exist in history or on maps, it is about the love and growth of young mages as they overcome their twisted fates due to a forbidden magic spell known as the “alchemy of souls”, which allows souls to switch bodies. It follows the story of an elite assassin named Naksu, whose soul is accidentally trapped inside the weak body of Mu Deok—Jang Uk’s servant from a powerful and noble mage family in the country. The young master of the Jang Family, Jang Uk, holds a dark secret about his scandalous birth. He wants the formidable assassin to help change his destiny.
mydramalist

Starring: Lee Jae Wook | Jung So Min | Hwang Min Hyun | Shin Seung Ho | Yoo Joon Sang | Oh Na Ra | Yoo In Soo | Arin
Episodes: 20 (1 hr. 20 mins. )
Aired: June 18 – August 28, 2022
Network: tvN
Where to Watch: Netlfix

Give me Lee Jae Wook in a drama and I’m going to go crazy over it. Add Jung So Min and I feel like I’ve won the lottery. So there was no question that I was going to watch this. However, when I saw that it was written by the Hong Sister’s I felt apprehensive as fuck. I have watched so many of their dramas and I have always been left feeling disappointed in some shape or form. When it came to actually watching this show, I was weary of it. The whole time I was waiting for the shoe to drop and for them to disappoint me just like they have done in the past. However, I waited in vain.

Alchemy of Souls (season 1) is a historical fantasy about soul shifting, elemental magic, and even some epic love stories. I don’t want to bore you and run down what everything is about because, to be honest, there is a lot and I’m sure I would forget something. But what I can say is that for a person who doesn’t really like historical or high-fantasy Asian dramas, this was palpable. The cinematography is amazing, the world-building was out of this world for sure, and the casting felt perfect from the leads down to the basic side characters you only see once or twice.

The chemistry between the characters and the pockets of comedy are what drove this home for me. Jang Uk and Mu Deok/Naksu’s dynamic was hilarious and seemed to work. Personally, it took a little while for me to see them romantically together but that is just because I see them having more a brother-sister relationship. That could be partly because of the age difference in Jae Wook and So Min. By the end, I was here for the love story and really wanted to cry at the end. If I didn’t know there was going to be a part two, I would have hated the end but this was probably the plan from the beginning so I gave the sisters a pass. Another breakout character for me was Shin Seung Ho as the crown prince. His relationship with both Mu Seok and Jang Uk was very tom and jerry but with feelings. I loved it.

I think the only place I can find fault would be the pacing. There were times when I felt like the story was dragging. I mean, the bad guys stay bad the whole time and though that’s good, I’m still struggling to figure out the motivation. Money, power, and respect I guess? The Netflix budget really showed with this show because from the costumes to the special effects, everything just felt grand. All in all, I freaking loved this because even with the mediocre, following along just felt addicting and as I currently watch part 2, that addicting feeling is still there.