Lee Jae Wook Discusses The Charms Of “Alchemy Of Souls” And His Character, Most Memorable Scene
Penned by the famous screenwriting duo known as the Hong Sisters, tvN’s “Alchemy of Souls” is a fantasy romance drama set in the fictional nation of Daeho, a country that does not exist in history or on maps. The drama tells the story of characters whose fates become twisted due to magic that swaps people’s souls.
Spoilers
On August 28, the drama aired its dramatic finale for Part 1. In the episode, Lee Jae Wook’s character Jang Wook was resurrected, shocking viewers and leaving them even more excited for Part 2, which will air this December.
Regarding the conclusion of Part 1, Lee Jae Wook shared, “We filmed Part 1 for around a year, since last year. Since I was preoccupied with filming for such a long period of time, I worried because there weren’t many chances for me to see viewers in person. However, after broadcasts, I was so thankful that viewers were enjoying [the drama]. It felt like being compensated for all my hard work. While there were aspects I feel both regretful and satisfied with, I was able to gain strength from everyone’s attention and love to stay strong throughout filming.”
The actor was asked why he was drawn to “Alchemy of Souls” and he answered, “When I received and read the script, the story itself was interesting. I couldn’t predict the next part and while Jang Wook’s growth was explosive, it flowed without feeling strange. That’s why I was drawn to it. I thought that I wanted to go into this story and try personally acting it out. You never know when you’ll be able to try something like this fantasy genre again.”
In addition to his detailed emotional acting, Lee Jae Wook also caught the attention of viewers with his realistic acting. Particularly in the first episode, Lee Jae Wook gave a realistic performance with his foot, earning praise for his “foot acting.” However, in Korean, “foot acting” is used to refer to poor acting performances, so the actor shared that this feedback had initially surprised him.
“When I first heard the ‘foot acting’ comments, I was a bit surprised,” Lee Jae Wook revealed. “I wondered, ‘was my acting bad?’ but they were referring to my acting with my real foot. I believe that this realistic acting showcased the aspects that the real Jang Wook was seeking out and working towards, in order to show his random and witty character.”
Although there are too many great lines and scenes from “Alchemy of Souls” to choose just one favorite, Lee Jae Wook chose the ending of Episode 3 as the most memorable. He elaborated, “After getting hit 100 times, Jang Wook smiles, and while filming, I tried not to crack even after getting hurt so I naturally smiled. Although it must have hurt and he must have felt defeated, [the scene] instead drew out an explosive image of Jang Wook not backing down. I believe that the character of Jang Wook was best expressed in this scene.”
Lee Jae Wook then elaborated on Jang Wook’s specific charms, saying, “I think Jang Wook is a character who doesn’t give up. Even after experiencing the danger of losing his life numerous times, he still must achieve whatever it is that he wants to achieve. I figure that Jang Wook’s determination and tenacity was what caught the hearts of viewers. While acting as Jang Wook, I also personally learned a lot.”
For fans eagerly awaiting the next part of “Alchemy of Souls,” Lee Jae Wook shared, “‘Alchemy of Souls’ is not yet finished. We’re diligently moving forward while filming Part 2. I’m confident that you’ll be able to meet new images in Part 2 that are different from Part 1. The Jang Wook that viewers loved has not disappeared. I hope you will look forward to Jang Wook’s image as he returns again.”
The August 28 finale of “Alchemy of Souls” Part 1 aired to No. 1 ratings and Part 2 of the drama will be broadcast this December.
Source: Soompi