Are you enjoying the second season of Alchemy of Souls? Well, you should start thinking of more Korean Dramas—with a similar blend of twists in their plots— you should add to your watchlist! If you can’t figure out what Korean dramas fit in the category the Alchemy of souls: Light and Shadow belongs to, there’s a list of Korean dramas below compiled and recommended just for you.
10. The King’s Affection (2021)
The King’s Affection stars actors like Park Eun-bin, Rowoon, Nam Yoon-Su, Choi Byung-chan, Bae Yoon-Kyung, and Jung Chae-Yeon. Park Eun-bin took the lead roles, Lee Hwi and Dam-yi— the plot is set in the Joseon era; when twins are recounted as a sinister sign, the crown princess gave birth to twins of the opposite sex(Lee Hwi and Dam-Yi). She sent the girl, Dam-yi out of the palace to protect her, and her brother Lee Hwi became the heir to the throne. Dam- yi came back to the palace years later as a court maid and a mistaken identity got her brother killed leaving her no choice but to impersonate Lee Hwi.
9. The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
The King: Eternal Monarch is a romance and fantasy blend featuring Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-Eun in the lead roles of Lee Gon / Lee Ji-hun and Jeong Tae-eul / Luna respectively. The story reveals counterpart characters in alternate Worlds and how Lee Lim, the villain of the story, travels through the barrier to commit atrocities in the Kingdom of Korea and the Republic of Korea existing in the two worlds. Lee Gon is set to put an end to it and retrieve the object used as a portal between the two worlds.
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8. Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (2019)
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung was played by Shin Se-Ryung, and following the lead role is Cha Eun-woo who played a prince and a romance novelist in the series. Set in the Joseon era where women are undervalued, Hae-Ryung was free-spirited and brave enough to follow her path. By fate, she met Prince Yi Rim— the author of many romance novels read most by women of Hanyang, under a pen name Maehwa. His book, “the story of Adam” related to events of the “white horse year” —made many women run away to find the love of their life. Politics was played and romance interfered, Hae-ryung was made an apprentice to keep records of history when every book was book was burned and destroyed.
7. Love In the Moonlight (2016)
Love In The Moonlight was based on the novel Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, a coming-of-age story from the 19th century of the Joseon Dynasty. The series features, Park Bo-gum, Kim Yoo-Jung, Jung Jinyoung, Chae Soo-bin, and Kwak Dong-Yeon. The story focused on Crown Prince Lee Yeong, his growth, and his glorified reign. He is smart and mischievous, his affinity was only for music and arts which expanded to eunuch Hong Ra-on, a popular and street-smart girl raised as a boy by her mother. Hong Ra-on, before becoming a eunuch, makes a living by disguising herself as a male relationship counselor and romance novel author under the name Sam-nom.
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6. The Tale of Nokdu (2019)
The Tale of Nokdu series was based on a webtoon published on Naver webtoon in 2014. The series is a romantic comedy, set in the Joseon Dynasty and surrounds a man, Jeon Nok-du who disguised as a woman to enter a mysterious village forbidden to men while tracing his birth origin. In the women-only village was Dong Dong-Joo who is clumsy and too hot-tempered for a king trainee. She’s set to take revenge on the man who wronged her family and went ahead to create concealed weapons.
5. Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020)
Tale Of The Nine-Tailed Korean drama stars Lee Dong-Wook, Jo Bo-ah, and Kim Bum. The series falls in a romance horror fantasy action genre, revealing a 1000 years nine-tailed fox (Guhimo), Lee Yeon. He was the former guardian mountain spirit of Baekdudaegan before he became a city dweller. Lee Yeon works as an agent in the Afterlife Immigration Office and the protector of the Samdo river— to eradicate supernatural beings that terrorize the mortal world. During a mission, Jin Ah, a ferocious and fearless Tv presenter, spotted Lee Yeon whom she suspected was unnatural. It was revealed that Jin Ah was Lee Yeon’s first love who was reincarnated.
4. My Only Love Song (2017)
My Only Love Song is a historical romance fantasy series encompassing time travel, featuring Lee Jong-hyun and Gong Seung-Yeon as the lead characters. The story revolves around a pompous actress who believes prestige and money can get her anywhere. Accidently she falls into a time-slip portal and traveled back to the 6th century of the Goguryeo era. There, she met On-dal, a man who loves money and will go to any length to get it. Nonetheless, he has a soft spot for the weak and helpless and gives his acquired money to them with a generous heart.
3. The Hymn Of Death (2018)
The Hymn Of Death series was based on true historical events, and it’s a romance melodrama. Starring Lee Jong-suk and Shin Hye-sun as the main cast. The story reveals the tragic romance between the genius playwright and first soprano of the Joseon period— Kim Woo-Jin and Yun Sim-deck. While Korea is under Japanese occupation, Kim Woo-Jin is a stage drama writer. Although Kim Woo-jin is already married, he falls in love with Yun Sim-Deok, the first Korean soprano. According to history, She records the song “Praise of Death” which becomes the first Korean pop song in 1926. Nonetheless, the love was short-lived as Kim Woo-Jin and Yun Sim-Deok’s fate ended tragically.
2. Rooftop Prince (2012)
Rooftop Prince is a fantasy romantic comedy starring Park Yuchun, Han Ji-min, Jeong Yu-mi, Lee Tae-sung, Lee Tae-ri, Jung Suk-won, and Choi Woo-shik. The story surrounds a Crown Prince of the Joseon period, Prince Lee Gak, who lost his beloved wife mysteriously and travels to the future (300 years after) in Seoul to search for the truth behind his wife’s death. The prince met familiar faces from the past, especially his beloved wife, who is Hong Se-na in the future. The prince was mistaken for Tae-yong— because of their resemblance—the CEO of a company who disappeared 2 years before.
1. He’s Psychometric (2019)
He’s Psychometric is a thrilling fantasy and romantic comedy Korean drama, starring Park Jin-young, Shin Ye-Eun, Kim Kwon, and Kim Da-som. The plot surrounds Lee Ahn, a young man who attained the extraordinary ability to read people’s secrets by physical contact— he became paranormal after surviving a fire incident that killed his parents. He concluded to use his ability for unraveling criminal charges, he meets Yoon Jae-in who has tried her best to hide her painful secrets. Ahn teamed up with his foster guardian, prosecutor Kang Sung-mo, and his colleague, investigator Eun Ji-soo to solve an elusive case haunting the lives of Ahn, Sung-mo, and Jae-in.
Quick Read: Top 10 Highlights from Alchemy of Souls season 2
The elements of the Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow storyline— romance, twists, struggle for power, and so on in a fitting genre— are correlated with most of the mentioned dramas above in one way or the other, open-mindedly. For the fun of it, you should watch these dramas if you have not.
