Those of us who watched anime regularly as children may recall the alchemy notion from Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood, of course — we don’t discuss the first one).
The fundamental principle of equal exchange—that something must be exchanged for something else of equal value—is the foundation upon which the science of changing one element into another was established. Therefore, human transfiguration was prohibited since nothing compared to the worth of a soul.
Alchemy Of Souls has a similar rule, albeit with a little modification. Magic is nothing new in the made-up country of Daeho, but where there is power, there is also corruption. Soul-shifting, the ability to move a soul from one body to another, is not allowed for mages, or magic users.
Soul-shifting, a flagrant violation of the natural order of things, puts the host body in danger of colliding with the soul it receives, giving rise to dreadful soul-feeders that need to consume the souls of other people to survive.
It’s terrifying, but it appears to be the only way for fearsome assassin Nak-Su (Go Yoon-Jung) to survive while being pursued by Daeho’s higher-ups. With a few finger motions, Nak-su, who is also skilled in using water-based magic, transforms into the ailing servant Mu-deok (Jung So-min).
The fact that Nak-su is confined to a shape that heaves at the prospect of a light sprint, however, has its benefits because it advances her mission to overthrow the higher-ups in Songrim, the hub of magic training and upkeep in Daeho.
Enter Jang Wook (Lee Jae-Wook), the Jang family’s heir and sufferer of severe father issues. Due to a strong spell cast on him by his father, the renowned mage Jang Gang (Joo Sang-Wook), when he was a newborn, Wook, although being the heir of one of the four major magical dynasties in Daeho, lacks any magical talents.
Can anyone else in Songrim cast that spell out? Yes. Do they decide to not? Yes, also because Wook’s father claims that if he accepts his identity and destiny, it will result in disaster for everyone. There is soul-shifting at work here, only a hint.
Wook appears to be fairly resourceful, despite his limits and general entitlement. He quickly realizes that Nak-su, the assassins his family and friends were meant to be seeking, has taken control of Mu-deok’s body.
Two, he makes the decision that Nak-su will be his master and gateway to break the spell that has been cast over him, and he takes considerable measures to make this decision come true. Thus, the straightforward alchemy of souls causes enormous shifts in magical society.
Give credit where credit is due: Alchemy Of Souls features some of the most stunning CGI we’ve recently seen in K-dramas.
Wide-ranging battles include mages deftly using one element of nature after another; stunning, fiery energy spheres create dark magical transformations; and soft tendrils flutter when magic turns beautiful, like when Jin Cho-Yeon (OH MY GIRL’s Arin) pours the vigor of spring into her magic. Alchemy of Souls devotes itself to worldbuilding, which, for the most part, results in a magical cinematic experience.
Despite its impressive mythology, the amount of information in Alchemy of Souls makes us worry if the authors may have taken on too much. There are tactics, combat styles, breathing forms, mysterious lakes teeming with enigmatic abilities, in addition to the already existent families and magical things.
The act frequently struggles to strike a balance in how this information is presented; for some, we are given carefully considered explanations, while for others, it is just performed and believed to be perfectly clear.
Another conundrum arises, as a result, possibly one we should have addressed earlier: given the contradictory information provided, how are we supposed to care for the characters? Why does Songrim maintain its current position? The four families are viewed as omnipotent for what reason?
Why does everyone simply ignore the possibility that those four families may have also participated in the killing? It’s possible that during the K-20 drama’s episodes, this may be addressed and/or simplified, but for the time being, there may be a little bit too much going on.
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Sadly, it also contains some of the classic K-drama clichés: a love triangle, the scorned ex-lover, the amiable comic relief, and the list goes on. All of them lessen an otherwise intriguing and captivating story, where it is obvious that there are more important issues on our minds.
The comic timing is equally bad as the clichéd themes. Although we’re not docking too many points for it, there are occasions when it feels forced, as if the creators believed that awkward humor would be the greatest way to humanize these characters.
As the frightening assassin turned servant and the neglected son itching to accept his destiny, Jung So-min and Lee Jae-Wook do a respectable job of holding down the fort on their own.
In particular, Jung strikes a wonderful balance between Mu-deok’s endearing features and Nak-sun’s piercing gazes. Her unassuming build easily fools us into thinking otherwise, which makes her feisty demeanor and stiff-upper-lip even sharper and funnier.
Alchemy Of Souls appears to be a simple film to watch right now—and in some spots, it’s even engaging. If it picks up the pace and starts showing the proper cards, it might continue to be that way. Otherwise, the spell might not work as intended.
Every Saturday and Sunday, new episodes of Alchemy Of Souls are broadcast on the South Korean cable network tvN. In some areas, it is also accessible on Netflix.
