Alchemy of Souls, Hotel Del Luna: Bittersweet and magical, these Korean fantasy-dramas by Hong Sisters set new standards in the supernatural realm

Each episode was a curious blend of horror, comedy and would usually end with stinging heartbreak, with the guests coming to peace with death with resignation or quiet acceptance. The show was filled with immersive emotional stories——for instance, parents having to let go of their dying son, a blind woman learning the real reason behind her death was the man she had unreciprocated feelings for, a vengeful woman taking revenge for being humiliated. Furthermore, Man-wol’s own backstory is ridden with cruel betrayal and heartache—-something that she has carried for centuries. Finally, she learns to heal and it’s time to let go—-and that means saying goodbye to the life at the hotel that she has known for years, as well as the man she has fallen in love with. There is a painful farewell, but there’s also a sense of renewed hope at the end of the series——we see the hotel crew again, living happier lives, sitting in a park, or walking the dog and just smiling. It could be Chan-Sung’s dream, as that’s where he finds her, or it could be new reincarnations for the next life. The Hong sisters don’t completely leave you broken—-they try to heal you, if they can. There are touches of realism in all the fantasy, it’s what keeps you riveted to the series written by the sisters. The romance did not detract from the rest of the series; it added to the flavour. In the middle, there was the powerful deity Mago, her quirks and many iterations, which also added to the comedy of the show.

In all the glamorous magic, there is always much bittersweet—-perhaps more bitter than sweet—-in the shows of the Hong Sisters, which is perhaps why there was a sense of trepidation on social media as Alchemy of Souls Part 2 drew to a conclusion. Alchemy of Souls was like an engrossing fever dream, packed with diabolic twists, turns, blood spattering, and the unsettling hint of an uncomfortable ending. This time, the sisters decided to write about the dark magic of soul-switching in a fictional world called Daeho—-where the soul of an angry, elite assassin named Naksu is trapped in the body of a rather weak woman named Mu-deok (Jung So-min). She encounters Jang-uk (Lee Jae-wook) from the nobility and the two form an attachment, much against their better sense——as she trains him for combat. In all the madness and chaos, it’s the consuming romance of Alchemy of Souls that rises above anything else and the crisp, clear dialogues in translations contribute immensely to the lure of the show. The high and intense emotion is the fuel of the show, and that’s what carries it through, even when there are flaws. The second season takes place three years after the first—-with a new female lead this time, played by Go Yoon-jung (again Naksu but in a different body). The beauty of the show is that the actors craft such brilliant and clear distinctions between Naksu and the actual body that she inhabits. Not for the first time, the second lead, Seo-Yul was a fan-favourite, but thankfully didn’t waste away pining for his true love, but instead was the healthier male character, who quietly rooted for her freedom. Yet these scenes weren’t without heartache and anguish either—the Hong Sisters know how to gently twist the knife.

The stories of the Hong Sisters are brilliantly written, with poignant dialogues—-and moreover, they know when to stop a story than to needlessly drag it on, just for the sake of views. The tales are entrenched in heartache as well as hope—-and that is what enhances the magic of their shows.