Netflix K-drama Alchemy of Souls: Jung So-min, Lee Jae-wook in CGI-heavy fantasy action romance that offers a magical mix of genres
- Building a whole fantasy lore from scratch, Alchemy of Souls takes viewers on a stunning adventure filled with mages, ‘soul shifters’ and magic spells
- The tone switches between period drama, action, romance and comedy and there are many characters yet to be fleshed out in a story that doesn’t always make sense
New fantasy period drama Alchemy of Souls from Korean broadcaster tvN, streaming worldwide on Netflix, is set in a world filled with mages and “soul shifters”. A kaleidoscopic array of spells is rendered on screen through visual effects.
Building from scratch a whole fantasy lore which melds modern sensibilities with traditional design, the show gleefully sidesteps cultural veracity and historical authenticity – you only have to look at the loudly patterned costumes and shocks of blond hair.
This is the latest series from writers Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ra, known as the Hong Sisters, who have penned several romantic comedies, from Sassy Girl Chun-hyang all the way to their most recent show, Hotel del Luna with Lee Ji-eun (aka IU) and Yeo Jin-goo.
Alchemy of Souls is far from their first brush with fantasy, but it represents their boldest mash of genres yet, with the tone constantly switching between period drama, action, romance and comedy.
While this is a romantic comedy at heart, with so many characters and so much exposition to get through as they set up their fantasy world it takes a while before they remind us of that.