Alchemy of Souls Ep 1 & 2 Review: Lee Jae Wook & Jung So Min intrigue, Hwang Minhyun & Arin bring glamour

tvN’s ‘Alchemy of Souls’, also released on Netflix, is the story of a notorious but seemingly helpless son of a powerful mage who is in search of a master for himself. Jang Wook (played by Lee Jae Wook) is one of the popular Four Seasons of the town as Seo Yool (Hwang Minhyun), Jin Choyeon (OH MY GIRL’s Arin) and Park Dang Gu (Yoo In Soo), take up the other three. Jung So MIn as Naksu lies at the center of the story as a shape-shifting magician who takes up the body of a maid named Mudeok after her original form is burned to ashes.

In hopes of restoring their spell-casting powers, Jang Wook and Mudeok deal with castle politics and betrayals to come up with extreme measures to save themselves. Mudeok makes her owner down an unknown poison to have his ‘gate of energy’ opened that Jang Wook’s father had shut.  

The story allows for multiple curious doors to open and gives a chance for blossoming into more. The overall theme is intriguing and the visual effects are intricate. Nothing seems cringy so far and keeps various characters with their own story arcs for development. The clothing is well adapted to the period drama style though the overall fashion and hairstyles lack uniformity. With countless things happening around, it may be too soon to judge, however, we wonder how the Hong sisters will keep the show running for many more episodes to come.

Arin and Hwang Minhyun’s characters are interesting but don’t bring much to the table. Lee Jae Wook’s subdued humor comes with a pinch of salt but his dialogue delivery makes up for it. Jung So Min on the other hand misses with an underwhelming presence, which we hope will pick pace in the coming days.

Tune in for Two? If you’re looking for period dramas or like fancy sword skills 'Alchemy of Souls' could be a good pick. We will give it a pass for now.

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