This is going to be a two-parter because if the Hong sisters get to then so do I.

Before I jump into my chaotic thoughts on this, I’m going to give a brief synopsis of part one of the show, so you can decide if you want to watch this or not. 

Alchemy of Souls is a historical fantasy drama, set in a world where there are mages and magic, which also means there is dark magic. In this world it is referred to as the “alchemy of souls”. It essentially allows people to switch their souls into another person’s body. Our main character, Nakdu, is a powerful mage and assassin who performs the alchemy of souls and ends up trapped in the much weaker body of Mudeok (Jun Somin), a blind girl. In order to return to her former power, she becomes a servant and teacher to Jang Uk (Lee Jaewook), a nobleman. As shenanigans ensue, the two of them begin to fall in love. This drama darker than I originally expected, but there are also hilarious moments and the chemistry between all the cast, and I mean all, is wonderful.

If any of that interests you, please go watch! It’s currently available on Netflix. I had a great time with it. There will be vague spoilers ahead, so be warned!

Okay, for starters, Jun Somin. Jun. So. Min. She was absolutely my favorite part of the show, balancing so many roles and going through a rollercoaster of emotions. Jun Somin did the heavylifting for this show as a whole, because if she couldn’t pull this off then the entire show would be weaker for it, but not only did she pull it off, she broke my heart and put it back together. She added so much depth to her role as both Naksu and Naksu acting as Mudeok. This is not to say that Lee Jaewook is a weak counterpart, because he isn’t. This man came ready. It’s just Jun Somin had more room to flex her range. The supporting cast was also a hoot and a half. There are a lot of characters and I don’t have a lot of patience so I’m going to call out my favorites: Park Jin, Kim Yeon, and, of course, Crown Prince Go Won. Love love love them. I think it’s because they brought levity to the darker moments and because their characters are just fun. All in all, cast was stellar.

Because this is a Hong sisters script, I was excited and concerned for the story. They always start off strong and then something funky happens at the end where it kind of peters off. The great thing about having two parts of a show is that the first part was well thought out. There was a moment near the end where I thought, we could end the drama here and I would be content. If you only want to watch the first part, stop at the bridge in episode twenty. Trust me. If you keep watching, you will be obligated to watch part two. To me, part one is Jang Uk’s training arc and Naksu’s character arc. There are plenty of political machinations in the middle and a love triangle, or square(?), sprinkled in as well. The story itself was engaging enough and I wanted to see these characters progress in their journey.

The last aspect I want to focus on is the costume designs. They were creative and beautiful, such as the eyeliner used for the Jin family. The colors were fun. Mudeok’s hair was a wild braid at one point. There was bleached hair and pretty men with pretty earrings. A feast for the eyes.

My final opinion is that this is a solid start to Alchemy of Souls and, if you choose, it can be the only part to Alchemy of Souls. Personally, I would just watch part one though…

Rating: A-

I don’t know how I’m going to rate stuff so I’m going with this for now. Who knows. I might do stars next time.