Alchemy of Souls (환혼) is a 2022 Korean fantasy drama set in the imaginary world of Daeho. The story revolves around young magicians who are to carry the burden of the past. Starring Lee Jae-wook, Jung So-min, and Hwang Min-hyun, the show premiered on tvN on Jun 18, 2022. The show will have 20 episodes and it takes over tvN’s Saturday-Sunday 9 PM KST timeslot previously occupied by Our Blues. Alchemy of Souls episode 8 has a runtime of 74 minutes.
Netflix describes the series as:
A POWERFUL SORCERESS IN A BLIND WOMAN’S BODY ENCOUNTERS A MAN FROM A PRESTIGIOUS FAMILY, WHO WANTS HER HELP TO CHANGE HIS DESTINY.
-Alchemy of Souls Episode 8 Recap contains spoilers-
Alchemy of Souls episode 8 starts with Jang Uk in the middle of having his soul shifted while facing the soul of Kil Joo who is moving upwards to the light. Right when he is about to follow him, Jang Uk is stopped by Mu-deok with her eyes covered and she is not Naksu but the real blind girl. Jang Uk then wakes up to find that his soul has not shifted and sees as Mu-deok cries for him in front of Kil Joo’s body. She misunderstands him and tries to attack Jang Uk but soon realises he is okay.
The emotional Mu-deok hugs Jang Uk but suddenly the two are attacked by Kil Joo and Jang Uk saves the two. Mu-deok points out that he has experienced change as Jang Uk no longer seems to need the binding on his hand. Kil Joo who has now become a soul shifter gets up once again and spills the truth about Naksu’s father, telling her that he too was a soul shifter and had gotten out of control. He tells the two that Jin Mu is not the real Danju but it is someone else and they possess the ice stone with them. After this, he attacks Mu-deok, takes some of her energy while inserting some kind of sorcery poison and runs away, but Mu-deok sends Jang Uk behind him.
Also Read: Boo Bitch: Has Netflix Renewed the Comedy Series For Another Season?
Mu-deok tries to escape too but people from Songrim have arrived along with master Lee and Sapsali. They realise that Jang Uk was present at the place where the sorcery took place while Mu-deok who is on the run is caught by Seo Yul. Elsewhere, Kil Joo is searching for a person from whom he can steal energy while Jang Uk is following him. However, he is stopped by a lady for she mistook him to be a stalker. Later we know that this lady is Heo Yoon-ok who is embarrassed by what happened with Jang Uk, when Kil Joo finds her.
When Kil Joo is about to attack her, Jang Uk enters and saves Heo Yoon-ok but Kil Joo escapes again. Jang Uk once again finds him but follows him from a distance because he is aware that Kil Joo will go to the real Danju who can help him from running wild. On the other hand, Seo Yul is with Mu-deok who heals her wound by suffering himself. Jin Mu gets to know that Kil Joo has disappeared since he met Mu-deok which arouses his suspicion. He soon orders all mages to search for Kil Joo.
In Seongrim, Heo Yeom is told that Jang Uk’s binding bracelet was found at the place where the alchemy of souls took place. While Heo Yeom fears for the safety of Jang Uk, Park Jin is questioning housekeeper Kim about the incident from 20 years ago. While housekeeper Kim denies any such thing, he is soon able to connect the dots and knows that Jang Kang had indeed shifted souls. The conversation is soon interrupted and the two go out to meet Park Dang-gu who tells them that Jang Uk may have fallen victim to the alchemy of souls.
Jang Uk follows Kil Joo to Cheonbugwan and thinks that the Danju might be there, but Kil Joo shifts his tracks and goes towards the palace which surprises Jang Uk. Kil Joo tries to force his way inside the palace when the guards get suspicious and soon they realise that he is a soul shifter. He fights them and tries to take their energy when Jang Uk once again intervenes. The two engage in a fight and Jang Uk defeats him using Tansu. He then leaves the scene.
Also Read: Dangerous Liaisons Ending Explained: What Happens to Tristan and Celene?
The next day, Jin Mu finds the body of Kil Joo and gets to know that the person who killed him used Tansu, which is the spell used by Naksu. Park Jin arrives at Cheonbugwan to examine the body of Kil Joo with the suspicion that it might be Jang Uk, but is revealed when he realises that he is wrong. In the palace, the eunuch tells the royal family that Kil Joo had become a soul shifter and he was petrified the previous night which shocks the queen. He tells them that Kil Joo had tried to enter the palace but was stopped by a mage who used Tansu. Now the rumour of Naksu’s return is spreading everywhere.
Seo Yul and Jang Uk meet in the forest when the former reminds him about Mu-deok. On meeting her, he realises that Mu-deok has told everyone that Jang Uk left her behind and ran away from the soul shifter. The two soon leave for Danhyanggok while Seo Yul reports to Park Jin and Heo Yeom about his condition. At Chwiseollu, the crown prince mistakes a girl for Mu-deok because of her clothes but Joo Wol tells him that those are the clothes sold by Mu-deok. He then questions her about the blue cloth that everyone has wrapped around themselves and she tells him that it is a Naksu cloth and has become a trend in Daeho.
Elsewhere, Seo Yul and Park Dang-gu are pleased that the topic of Naksu has made everyone forget about the duel while they worry about Jang Uk and Mu-deok. Elsewhere, Mu-deok has taken Jang Uk to the place known as the soul shifter’s grave as she tells him about her past. She asks him that one day when she is petrified then would he leave her there as well but Jang Uk tells her that the real Danju is in the palace. At Songrim, Park Jin asks master Lee if the ice stone was really destroyed 200 years back.
At Cheonbugwan, Jin Mu welcomes the real Danju who turns out to be the queen. She tells him that the day of Songrim’s downfall and when she controls Daeho is approaching. She also tells him to kill the mage who stopped Kil Joo as he must know about the ice stone and its whereabouts. Elsewhere, Jang Uk tells Mu-deok that the ice stone can stop a soul shifter from going wild and that he will find it for her.
Also Read: My Daughter’s Killer: All You Need to Know About Netflix’s Upcoming True Crime Documentary
Seo Yul tells Park Jin that he will stop Jang Uk from attending the duel but the latter tells him to let Jang Uk do what he wants. No matter what the duel may result in, he will only watch it as the leader of Songrim. The mages gather in Songrim along with the king and queen to witness the duel between the crown prince and Jang Uk. Park Jin announces the details of the match and everyone waits for the arrival of Jang Uk.
Alchemy of Souls Episode 8 Ending
At noon, right when Park Jin has the doors close we see Jang Uk arrive. The duel commences as Jang Uk and the crown prince fight. He remembers Mu-deok’s instructions to him during the duel and follows the same. Mu-deok had asked master Lee to place some water in the training centre, but when she goes to the pots she finds them broken and empty. Jang Uk is at a disadvantage during the fight but right them Mu-deok throws a drop of her blood towards him letting him perform Tansu and defeating the crown prince.
Jin Mu is shocked by this and rushes to ask him about where he learned Tansu from and who is his master. While Jang Uk tells him he learned it himself, no one is ready to believe him and ask home about his master. Right then master Lee appears and tells everyone that he was there when Jang Uk was training himself to flick water droplets. Everyone applauds his victory and the queen orders Jin Mu to bring Jang Uk to Cheonbugwan. But when Jin Mu puts forwards the offer, all the other families offer to take him in as a disciple.
Jang Uk is overwhelmed and asks Mu-deok to decide who then tells him to join Songrim. He takes his pledge and becomes a member of Songrim.
Also Read: MasterChef Australia Season 14 Episode 59 Recap: The Final MasterClass Filled With Fun!
Alchemy of Souls Episode 8 Review
Alchemy of Souls episode 8 finally gave us the duel we have been looking forward to and also showed us the true face of the queen. Looks like there is some history between her Choi family and Songrim which will be the real story of this Kdrama. Her hatred towards Songrim and everything related to it (master Lee) seems to have something to do with the war from 200 years ago because she not only has hatred but also the ice stone. This is definitely bringing new changes to the show and intriguing the viewers with glimpses of what is to come.
I cannot review this episode without pointing out the chemistry between certain people- Park Jin and housekeeper Kim, and Park Dang-gu and Jin Cho-yeong. I have to say, the Park men are getting really lucky in this and I only hope for good endings for these two pairs. Elsewhere, Mu-deok also has butterflies around her but we can see that her heart is certainly doing summersaults for a certain young master of hers (Jang Uk) and I can’t wait for when the feelings finally come out.
While these are some nice things to look forward to, looks like Mu-deok might end up in the palace vert soon after knowing about the ice stone. She is definitely scheming something and will keep Jang Uk away from this for his safety. Anyways, the show is doing an amazing job of keeping the viewers on the hook and the future episode will only get better. Another question that arises in this episode is about the Mu-deok that Jang Uk saw during the alchemy of souls. Is she the real Mu-deok’s soul who is the actual ice stone? Is that why she is still there?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Alchemy Of Souls is streaming on Netflix.
Check out all of the other Alchemy of Souls reviews here.
Also Read: Sector 17 Concept Photos: SEVENTEEN Signals a New Beginning With Dashing Visuals
The whole soul switching process is a mystery and I wish there was more info. Blind Mu Deok is there, presumably alive and floating around whenever the process is taking place?