Alchemy Of Souls broke my K-drama slump that went on for about five years. I went from not being able to finish a whole series before to *patiently* waiting for the next episodes to drop every weekend! The plot, cinematography, and how well the actors portrayed their characters surely exceeded my expectations.
The brilliant plot that got me hooked was the doing of the Hong Sisters, the legendary screenwriters who have mastered the realm of fantasy and romantic comedy dramas, and Alchemy Of Souls is their most recent work. Although not all of their projects were a hit, Hong Jung Eun and Hong Mi Ran penned notable series that were cherished by K-drama fans. The Hong Sisters are known for instilling pun-filled conversations among the characters that would make you laugh out loud at the first half of the drama and fall for them, to building up the tension by the middle part until the heaviness comes down that's cry-worthy as the drama comes to an end.
In the early 2000s, the Hong Sisters worked as screenwriters for variety shows until they ventured into writing a script together for a drama starting with Sassy Girl Chun Hyang which was based on a Korean folktale. It became a hit and remains their highest-rated K-drama. This was followed by My Girl which became so well-known that it even got a Philippine adaptation! In 2010, they undertook the fantasy genre for the first time with My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho. Ah, I still remember this series being aired on our local television and it was Tagalog-dubbed. And not so long ago, Hotel Del Luna was also a huge hit during the year it was aired which received strong ratings and favorable reviews from K-drama fans.
In a 2009 interview, the Hong sisters mentioned that the source of their imagination and liveliness was the television and webtoons they read as kids, and that they don't have a division of labor system. They don't write separately and their two brains think as one. The duo said: "While writing a 16-episode miniseries, the hardest part is the middle. Because you have to maintain tension through the end, you can't use up all your ideas, but you can't slow down, either. At those times, I think, 'How do I write this difficult thing on my own?'" The sisters jokingly said they fought over who would do the dishes or when they eat but never when they write scripts. This gives off very sibling energy right here!
Now that you have gotten to know them, are you all set to binge-watch their works? We’ve listed down five K-dramas by the Hong Sisters and where you can watch them:
K-dramas by the Hong Sisters
1. My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho (2010)
Who's in it: Lee Seung Gi, Shin Min Ah, No Min Woo
Where you can watch it: Netflix, Viu, and iQIYI
The short plot, according to Netflix: "After meeting a mysterious girl, a wannabe action star discovers that she’s, in fact, a legendary fox who longs to transform herself into a true human."
Fun fact: Lee Seung Gi and Shin Min Ah won the Excellence Award, Actor In A Drama Special and Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special, respectively, and Best Couple Award at the 2010 SBS Drama Awards because of this series!
2. The Master's Sun (2013)
Who's in it: Gong Hyo Jin, So Ji Sub, Seo In Guk, Kim Yoo Ri
Where you can watch it: Netflix, Viu, and iQIYI
The short plot, according to Netflix: "A woman who sees ghosts pairs with the materialistic head of a conglomerate to help each other out of jams as their hearts and lives become entangled."
Fun fact: Gong Hyo Jin reunited with the Hong Sisters in this K-drama! She was a cast member in their MBC drama The Greatest Love, along with actor Cha Seung Won before.
3. A Korean Odyssey (2017)
Who's in it: Lee Seung Gi, Oh Yeon Seo, Cha Seung Won, Lee Hong Ki
Where you can watch it: Netflix and Viu
The short plot, according to Netflix: "A self-serving mythical creature’s bid for invincibility backfires when he finds himself at the mercy of a woman who can see otherworldly beings."
Fun fact: A Korean Odyssey, or also known as Hwayugi, was inspired by the classic Chinese novel, Journey To The West. This K-drama was Lee Seung Gi, Cha Seung Won, and Lee Hong Ki's second time working with the Hong sisters. Wow, what a reunion!
4. Hotel Del Luna (2019)
Who's in it: IU, Yeo Jin Goo, Lee Do Hyun
Where you can watch it: Netflix, Viu, and iQIYI
The short plot, according to Netflix: "When he's invited to manage a hotel for dead souls, an elite hotelier gets to know the establishment’s ancient owner and her strange world."
Fun fact: Hotel Del Luna had some poignant yet so beautiful OSTs that would definitely make you cry just by listening to them. "Remember Me," sung by Gummy, bagged Best OST in the 21st Mnet Asian Music Awards, 11th Melon Music Awards, and 34th Golden Disc Awards! And, oh, another fun fact: According to the Hong Sisters, Hotel Del Luna was actually the first draft for The Master's Sun.
5. Alchemy Of Souls (2022)
Who's in it: Lee Jae Wook, Jung So Min, Hwang Minhyun, Shin Seung Ho, Yoo In Soo
Where you can watch it: Netflix
The short plot, according to Netflix: "A powerful sorceress in a blind woman's body encounters a man from a prestigious family, who wants her help to change his destiny."
Fun fact: The Hong Sisters clarified that the entire storyline couldn't fit into just one single season, that's why we will get 10 whole new episodes in its second season! It's ~exciting~ how a lot could still be revealed in the next events that will leave us all *wanting* more.
MORE K-DRAMA WRITERS, RIGHT THIS WAY:
5 Must-Watch K-Dramas By 'It's Okay, That's Love' Writer Noh Hee Kyung
5 Must-Watch K-Dramas By 'Hospital Playlist' Writer Lee Woo Jung