Alchemy of Souls
2022 South Korean television series
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Alchemy of Souls (Korean: 환혼) is a South Korean television series starring Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min, Go Youn-jung, and Hwang Min-hyun.[10] Written by the Hong sisters, it depicts the stories of young mages dealing with heaven and earth.[11][12] It aired on tvN from June 18, 2022, to January 8, 2023, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST) for 30 episodes.[13] It is also available for streaming on TVING and Netflix in selected regions.[14]
| Alchemy of Souls | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster for part 1[1] | |
| Also known as | Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (part 2)[2] |
| Hangul | 환혼 |
| Hanja | 還魂 |
| RR | Hwanhon |
| MR | Hwanhon |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Hong Jung-eun Hong Mi-ran |
| Directed by | Park Joon-hwa[5] |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Nam Hye-seung[6] |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Ahn So-jeong |
| Editors | Park In-cheol, Jeong Ha-rim |
| Running time | 60–70 minutes[1][2] |
| Production companies |
|
| Budget | ₩40 billion[9] |
| Original release | |
| Network | tvN |
| Release | June 18, 2022 – January 8, 2023 |
The series was divided into two parts: Part 1 aired from June 18 to August 28, 2022, for 20 episodes,[4][15] while Part 2 (Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow)[a] aired from December 10, 2022, to January 8, 2023, for 10 episodes.[16][17]
Series overview
| Part | Episodes | Originally released | Average viewership (in millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | ||||
| 1 | 20 | June 18, 2022 | August 28, 2022 | 1.619 | |
| 2 | 10 | December 10, 2022 | January 8, 2023 | 1.887 | |
Synopsis
Part 1
Set in a fictional country called Daeho, the series 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.[11][18][19]
It follows the story of an elite warrior named Nak-su whose soul is accidentally trapped inside the weak body of Mu-deok. She becomes entangled with Jang Uk, who is from a noble family, and becomes his servant and master, teaching Jang Uk her skills as they both fall in love with each other.[3][14][19]
Part 2
Three years after a tragedy, engineered by Jin Mu, that led Mu-deok to run wild and kill innocent people, Jang Uk, who returned from the dead as a result of the powerful Ice Stone inside his body, becomes a ruthless hunter of soul shifters and becomes increasingly isolated due to his heartbreak over the death of his love—Mu-deok. He then meets the mysterious heiress of Jinyowon, Jin Bu-yeon, whose words frequently echo those of Nak-su.[20]
Cast
Main
- Lee Jae-wook as Jang Uk[10]
- Park Sang-hoon as young Jang Uk[21]
- Jung So-min as Mu-deok / Nak-su (after alchemy of souls) / Jin Bu-yeon (Mu-deok's birth name)[15][22]
- Go Youn-jung as Naksu (before alchemy of souls)[13] / Cho Yeong (real name)[23] / Jin Bu-yeon (in part 2)[24]
- Gu Yoo-jung as young Nak-su[25]
- Hwang Min-hyun as Seo Yul[26]
- Moon Seong-hyun as young Seo Yul[27]
Supporting
Jang family
Seo family
- Do Sang-woo as Seo Yun-oh[31]
Songrim
- Yoo Jun-sang as Park Jin[32]
- Yoo In-soo as Park Dang-gu[33]
- Lee Ha-yool as Sang-ho[34]
Sejukwon
Cheonbugwan
- Jo Jae-yoon as Jin Mu[10]
- Choi Ji-ho as Gil-ju[38]
- Cha Yong-hak as Yeom-su[39]
- Lee Ji-hoo as Cha Beom[40]
- Lee Bong-jun as Gu Hyo[41]
- Joo Min-soo as Han Yeol[42]
Jin family (Jinyowon)
Royal family
- Shin Seung-ho as Go Won[44]
- Choi Kwang-il as Go Soon[45]
- Kang Kyung-hun / Shim So-young as Seo Ha-sun[46][47]
- Park Byung-eun as Go Seong[29]
- Lee Ki-seop as Eunuch Oh[48]
- Jeong Ji-sun as Eunuch Kim[49]
Chwiseollu
- Park So-jin as Joo-wol[50]
Others
- Im Chul-soo as Lee Cheol (Master Lee)[35]
- Seo Hye-won as So-yi[51]
- as Yong-pil
- Woo Hyun as Monk Ho-yeon[52]
Extended
- Jeon Hye-won as Ae-hyang[53]
- Yoon Seo-hyun as Cho Chung[54]
- Shim Jae-hyun as a thug[55]
- Kim Cheol-yoon as Byeong-gu[56]
Special appearances
- Yeom Hye-ran as a mysterious middle-aged woman[29]
- Yegyul Band[57]
- Kim Hyun-sook as Maidservant Park[58][59]
- Jang Sung-beom as Master Kang[60]
- Lee Jun-hyeok as a merchant[61]
- Kim Dae-gon as a merchant[62]
- Lee Chae-min as a merchant[63]
Production
Development
Preparations for the series, as well as program discussion with tvN, started in 2019 under the working title Can This Person Be Translated (이 사람 통역이 되나요; I saram tongyeogi doenayo).[64][65]
Casting
In January 2021, Park Hye-su's agency revealed that the actress auditioned for Alchemy of Souls. In June, it was announced that actor Joo Sang-wook was offered a role in the series.[66][67]
The female lead role was first confirmed to be played by Park Hye-eun. However, in July 2021, she decided to leave the series after a mutual agreement with the production team. It was stated that although Park is a rookie actress, she prepared hard for the series, but felt a lot of pressure about playing the main character of a big project.[68][69] The role was then offered to actress Jung So-min. Jung and director Park Joon-hwa previously worked together in 2017 TV series Because This Is My First Life.[70]
Line-up for the lead stars consisting of Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min, Hwang Min-hyun, Shin Seung-ho, Yoo Jun-sang, Oh Na-ra and Jo Jae-yoon was officially announced by tvN on March 3, 2022.[71] On March 21, Yoo In-soo, Arin, Park Eun-hye, Lee Do-kyung and Im Chul-soo were announced to have joined the cast.[33][35]
After the end of part 1 in August 2022, the female lead actress Jung So-min was replaced by Go Youn-jung for part 2, after she previously portrayed the original identity for Jung's character in a cameo in part 1.[16][72]
Filming
In August 2021, production companies Studio Dragon and High Quality signed an agreement with Mungyeong to build a filming site in Maseong-myeon worth ₩5 billion for the production of Alchemy of Souls.[7]
Filming locations include Nongwoljeong Pavilion in Hwarim-dong Valley, Hamyang County,[73] Goseokjeong Pavilion in Cheorwon County,[74] and CJ ENM Studio Center in Paju.[75] The tree shown in the fictional place called Danhyanggok is located on the lower reaches of the Geumgang River in Garimseong Fortress, Buyeo County.[76] Post-production began as filming began in the summer of 2021.[77]
On October 6, 2021, it was announced that filming of the series was canceled for that week after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 on the morning of the 5th. All production crew members subsequently underwent PCR tests. Some staff members who were classified as close contacts went into self-quarantine, even though they tested negative for the contagion.[12][78]
It was reported that filming for the second part of the series had started by July 2022, and was completed on October 6.[79][80]
Original soundtrack
Part 1
| Alchemy of Souls (Original Television Soundtrack) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | August 28, 2022 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Length | 1:27:00 |
| Language |
|
| Label | |
The album peaked at number 18 on weekly Circle Album Chart and as of September 2022, 8,906 copies have been sold.[81]
- Part 1
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Scars Leave Beautiful Trace" (상처는 아름다운 흔적이 되어) |
|
| Car, the Garden | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Scars Leave Beautiful Trace" (상처는 아름다운 흔적이 되어; Inst.) |
| 3:33 | ||
| Total length: | 7:06 | ||||
- Part 2
- Part 3
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Watching You" (바라만 본다) |
|
| Jeong Se-woon | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Just Watching You" (바라만 본다; Inst.) |
| 4:02 | ||
| Total length: | 8:04 | ||||
- Part 4
- Part 5
- Part 6
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breath" (숨결) |
|
| Kim Na-young | 4:27 |
| 2. | "Breath" (숨결; Inst.) |
| 4:27 | ||
| Total length: | 8:54 | ||||
- Part 7
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Letter (with You)" (연서 (with You)) |
|
| Big Naughty | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Love Letter (with You)" (연서 (with You); Inst.) |
| 3:29 | ||
| Total length: | 6:58 | ||||
Part 2
- Part 1
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blue Flower" (푸른꽃) |
|
| Lia (Itzy) | 3:48 |
| 2. | "Blue Flower" (푸른꽃; Inst.) |
| 3:48 | ||
| Total length: | 7:36 | ||||
- Part 2
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tree (Just Watching You 2)" (나무 (바라만 본다 2)) |
|
| Hwang Min-hyun | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Tree (Just Watching You 2)" (나무 (바라만 본다 2); Inst.) |
| 4:03 | ||
| Total length: | 8:06 | ||||
- Part 3
Viewership
Alchemy of Souls ranked second, tied with Our Blues, in streaming for Netflix Korea TV show category from January to December 22, 2022.[102]
| Part | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |||
| 1 | 1.294 | 1.516 | 1.275 | 1.760 | 1.321 | 1.632 | 1.347 | 1.804 | 1.416 | 1.817 | 1.305 | 1.769 | 1.564 | 1.926 | 1.680 | 1.926 | 1.815 | 2.359 | 1.984 | 2.410 | 1.696 | |
| 2 | 1.648 | 1.933 | 1.812 | 2.126 | 1.676 | 1.967 | 1.518 | 2.054 | 1.871 | 2.267 | – | 1.887 | ||||||||||
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[103] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | |||
| Part 1 | ||||
| 1 | June 18, 2022 | 5.205% (1st) | 4.833% (1st) | |
| 2 | June 19, 2022 | 5.872% (1st) | 6.047% (1st) | |
| 3 | June 25, 2022 | 5.288% (1st) | 5.315% (1st) | |
| 4 | June 26, 2022 | 6.841% (1st) | 6.878% (1st) | |
| 5 | July 2, 2022 | 5.352% (1st) | 5.253% (1st) | |
| 6 | July 3, 2022 | 6.639% (1st) | 6.880% (1st) | |
| 7 | July 9, 2022 | 5.311% (1st) | 5.158% (1st) | |
| 8 | July 10, 2022 | 6.826% (1st) | 6.694% (1st) | |
| 9 | July 16, 2022 | 5.204% (1st) | 5.329% (1st) | |
| 10 | July 17, 2022 | 6.958% (1st) | 6.835% (1st) | |
| 11 | July 23, 2022 | 4.989% (1st) | 4.908% (1st) | |
| 12 | July 24, 2022 | 7.091% (1st) | 7.032% (1st) | |
| 13 | July 30, 2022 | 6.290% (1st) | 6.008% (1st) | |
| 14 | July 31, 2022 | 7.600% (1st) | 7.484% (1st) | |
| 15 | August 6, 2022 | 6.610% (1st) | 6.710% (1st) | |
| 16 | August 7, 2022 | 7.453% (1st) | 7.544% (1st) | |
| 17 | August 20, 2022 | 7.566% (1st) | 7.767% (1st) | |
| 18 | August 21, 2022 | 9.295% (1st) | 9.793% (1st) | |
| 19 | August 27, 2022 | 7.915% (1st) | 8.121% (1st) | |
| 20 | August 28, 2022 | 9.218% (1st) | 9.903% (1st) | |
| Part 2 | ||||
| 21 | December 10, 2022 | 6.719% (1st) | 7.852% (1st) | |
| 22 | December 11, 2022 | 7.743% (1st) | 8.808% (1st) | |
| 23 | December 17, 2022 | 7.176% (1st) | 8.236% (1st) | |
| 24 | December 18, 2022 | 8.458% (1st) | 9.366% (1st) | |
| 25 | December 24, 2022 | 7.134% (1st) | 7.665% (1st) | |
| 26 | December 25, 2022 | 8.237% (1st) | 9.206% (1st) | |
| 27 | December 31, 2022 | 6.644% (1st) | 6.654% (1st) | |
| 28 | January 1, 2023 | 8.605% (1st) | 10.078% (1st) | |
| 29 | January 7, 2023 | 8.218% (1st) | 8.853% (1st) | |
| 30 | January 8, 2023 | 9.651% (1st) | 10.603% (1st) | |
| Average | 6.665% | 7.099% | ||
| Special | August 14, 2022 | 3.225% (1st) | 3.446% (1st) | |
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Model Awards[b] | 2022 | Asia Special Award | Lee Jae-wook | Won | [105] |
| Rising Star Award, Actor Category | Arin | Won | [106] | ||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2023 | Best Screenplay – Television | Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran | Nominated | [107] |
| Korea Drama Awards | 2022 | Best Director | Park Joon-hwa | Won | [108] |
| Global Excellence Award | Lee Jae-wook | Won | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Jung So-min | Nominated | [109] | ||
| Scene Stealer Festival | 2023 | Scene Stealers of the Year | Oh Na-ra | Won | [110] |
| Im Chul-soo | Won |
