Alchemy of Souls season 2 (Alchemy of Souls Part 2: Light and Shadow/ 환혼: 파트2) is the sequel of the Korean historical drama series of the same name. Directed by Park Joon-hwa and starring Lee Jae-wook, Go Yoon-jung, Hwang Min-hyun, Shin Seung-ho, Yoo Jun-sang, Oh Na-ra and Jo Jae-yoon, alongside other cast members, the show premiered on tvN on December 10, 2022.
The show will have 10 episodes and takes over tvN’s Saturday-Sunday 9:10 PM KST timeslot previously held by Under the Queen’s Umbrella. Alchemy of Souls season 2 episode 5 has a run time of 77 minutes.
tvN’s synopsis of the sequel reads:
JANG UK RETURNS FROM DEATH, AND THREE YEARS LATER, THE STORY OF THE MAGES UNFOLDS ANEW. JANG UK BECOMES A HUNTER OF THE SOUL-SHIFTERS WHEN A YOUNG WOMAN, A PRISONER IN HER OWN HOME, SEEKS HIS HELP TO RECLAIM HER FREEDOM.
-Alchemy of Souls Season 2 Episode 5 Recap contains spoilers-
Alchemy of Souls season 2 episode 5 begins with Seo Yul finding out about the bloodworm inside his body that was given to him by So Yi. She tells him that the worm is from Jinyowon and asks him to take the medicines she has been sending to help him live, but when he refuses, she asks him to send the worm back into her body.
Seo Yul reveals that the worm has entered his energy core and can no longer be removed from his body; also, the worm is now feeding on his energy which means that his life expectancy is until his energy lasts in his body. This shocks So Yi as she asks him to go to Jinyowon for help, while Seo Yul confirms that Jin Mu had spread the rumours about Naksu’s return.
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Elsewhere, Jin Cho-yeon meets Park Dang-gu to return his gift which disheartens him until he opens the box to find the love charm that she had bought three years ago. This fills him up with new hope as she leaves him stunned by giving him a kiss on the cheek.
On the other hand, Jang Uk kisses Jin Bu-yeon which leaves her thinking that he is dreaming only for him to break the news that he is aware of what he has done. He then changes to the topic of finally getting a peaceful sleep after a long time when Bu-yeon reveals to him that it is because her powers have driven the wraiths away which is why he has been filled with warmth.
As Jang Uk feels a weird sense of familiarity, the two soon fall asleep in the warmth created by Bu-yeon’s powers. The next day, master Lee visit Jeonjingak with Park Jin and Heo Yeom as he comments on the emptiness that has been created in the place meant for studying. The topic then shifts to Jang Uk and Bu-yeon and he can’t help but wonder about the fate of these two.
Elsewhere, Bu-yeon wakes up to her memories of Mu-deok as she feels dizzy while walking out of the room. Meanwhile, Jang Uk helps Seo Yul get over his guilt of not being able to be there when the incident three years ago took place. Jang Uk then goes back home to find out that Bu-yeon is missing and goes out to search for her.
He soon finds her in the bustling market where he sees her having a fun time and tells her to not worry the people at home by disappearing like this. He then tells her that they will be going to the palace to apologise for what happened at the banquet, but in truth, it will be more of a warning for the people who schemed against them.
The two soon make their way to the queen as Jang Uk apologises for what happened at the banquet and it was only because of his desire to protect the woman whom he dearly cares about. As he puts forth his wish to protect both Bu-yeon and Jinyowon, the queen gets furious by this and mocks him for trying to get his hands on everything good.
Jang Uk signals Bu-yeon to leave and her way of leaving amuses him while only adding fuel to the queen’s anger. He then lets her know that he has the ability to fulfil her wish which is to shift her soul into another body which then makes her spill the plans she had made along with Jin Mu to dry the energy of the world and summon another ice stone.
Jang Uk warns her he does not care about the plans they have for the world but if they try to make a move on Bu-yeon again then he will use his powers against them. He then leaves and finds Bu-yeon playing with the turtle that the crown prince asked to have moved.
He then uses his energy to warm the water the turtle is kept in which surprises the crown prince when he finds out, however, he then enters into a dilemma to find out why Jang Uk did that when he hates Go Won. Meanwhile, Bu-yeon thanks him for getting rid of the tracking thread for her and promises to stay by his side at a certain distance while clasping their hands together.
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However, this invokes a memory of Jang Uk’s that gets him furious at her as calls her a replacement for the one who is inside his heart. This hurts Bu-yeon while Kim Do-ju rebukes Jang Uk later. He then tries to apologise to Bu-yeon but does it in a roundabout way which only makes her more furious.
In Songrim, Park Jin and others are discussing the firebird relic that was found by master Lee in various wells across Daeho as they set to begin investigating it. Heo Yeom and Dang-gu then begin talking about master Lee’s stay at the Jang household as they stray to talking about master Lee’s feelings for Kim Do-ju which annoys Park Jin.
Elsewhere, Jang Uk meets master Lee who asks her about the messy stone grave made for Mu-deok which the former reveals had been destroyed by Bu-yeon. As the two talk about her, master Lee reveals that he was the one who saved her life and cured her three years back.
Master Lee then asks Jang Uk to get inside Jinyowon and find out if the real firebird is still there, but Jang Uk refuses his request as he contemplates the words of the queen who is trying to get another ice stone. Meanwhile, Jin Ho-kyung visits Bu-yeon at the Jang household and tries to bring her back home.
But facing her rejection of her request, she asks her to bring Jang Uk with her to Jinyowon for a visit. Only then will she accept their marriage and forgive the two for what they have done. Bu-yeon then goes to look for Jang Uk in Jeonjingak where she mistakenly puts forth her request in front of Seo Yul instead of Jang Uk.
Bu-yeon then leaves but comes across Jang Uk who refuses to go to Jinyowon thinking that it is the same as what master Lee had told him about. This leaves Bu-yeon saddened as she leaves for Jinyowon alone, while Jang Uk finally understands that he must have made a mistake and soon follows her.
In Jinyowon, So Yi meets Ho-kyung and asks for a remedy for the bloodworm that has stuck itself to the energy core while threatening to reveal Jin BU-yeon’s identity. This angers Ho-kyung as she locks So Yi in a room.
Ho-kyung then welcomes Bu-yeon who is followed by Jang Uk who surprises them both. He then apologises to Ho-kyung and the three come together for a meal. Meanwhile, Kim Do-ju rushes to Songrim to tend to Park Jin who seems to have fallen sick but the two soon fall asleep and are woken up by Dang-gu and others.
This leaves them shocked while the others soon realise what has happened, however, Park Jin takes this opportunity to propose to Kim Do-ju and asks her to marry him. She accepts the proposal and everyone outside starts cheering for the two.
Alchemy of Souls Season 2 Episode 5 Ending
Alchemy of Souls season 2 episode 5 ends with So Yi’s servant making his way to Seo Yul and revealing her actions of going to Jinyowon to find a cure for him. He tells Seo Yul that So Yi had asked him to send a message to him if she didn’t come out during the given period of time. So Yi asked him to tell Seo Yul that the real Jin Bu-yeon is the blind girl from Sari village.
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This leaves Seo Yul speechless as he realises that Jin Bu-yeon is none other than Mu-deok. As he rushes to save So Yi; on the other hand, Jin Mu calls for Seo Yoon-o to help him move the firebird replicas through Daeho with the help of his connections. Meanwhile, Jang Uk puts forth his wish to stay the night at the Jin household and later asks for Bu-yeon’s help to enter Jinyowon to confirm the firebird’s presence.
In the palace, Jin Mu asks the crown prince to help him get the firebird from inside Jinyowon, however, this is not an easy task as this could cause the whole of Jinyowon to crumble. Go Won understands that Jin Mu wants to call for another ice stone because of which he needs the firebird.
He rejects his request for help but Jin Mu reminds him of his promise three years ago when he helped the crown prince in separating Jang Uk from Mu-deok. He threatens him by revealing the truth to Jang Uk and Go Won is unable to do anything against him.
Elsewhere, Jang Uk and Bu-yeon are making their way to Jinyowon when her words once again put Jang Uk in a daze as he is reminded of Mu-deok. He then clasps his hand with hers and is unable to get over the familiar feeling that he is feeling once again which is driving him crazy.
Alchemy of Souls Season 2 Episode 5 Review
From an episode I had many expectations, episode 5 has fallen short and I cannot help feeling a sense of disappointment while thinking that something had been missing today. Sure there was a very sweet proposal between Park Jin and Kim Do-ju, and there was the scene of Seo Yul finally finding out about Bu-yeon’s identity, however, I wanted more.
Alchemy of Souls is a show that has hardly ever given me a moment that felt like a filler, however, today’s episode very much felt like a filler to me. But, this does not mean that we can miss out on the moments that have left us shocked and excited once again.
However, I cannot help but hope that tomorrow’s episode will bring in a rush of excitement with no scene that would lack the magic of this show. With us finally coming halfway through this season, our expectations have surely risen.
What did you think about today’s episode? Let us know in the comments below!
Watch Alchemy of Souls season 2 on Netflix.
My most memorable moment from this episode is when Seo Yul realizes that Bu Yeon is really Naksu. I always feel so sad for certain second leads and Yul is definitely one. He met her first, he fell in love with her first. She also fell in love with him – until she met Jang Uk. So again she is with Uk and Yul realizes that she will never be his.