We discuss whether there will be a season 3 of the Netflix K-Drama series Alchemy of Souls and its renewed or canceled status.
Picking up three years on from where we left off, Alchemy of Souls season 2 has centered around the powerful monster hunter Jang Uk’s (Lee Jae-wook) unique relationship with Jin Bu-yeon (Ko Yoon-jung), who is revealed to have the soul of Naksu inside of her (although up until episode 8, neither of the main two protagonists knew this).
That, and the lingering threat of Jin Mu (Jo Jae-yoon), who still hasn’t learned his lesson and now wishes to summon another ice stone and claim Jinyowon, also remains front and center. Of course, there’s plenty more going on around Daeho – Seo Yul (Hwang Min-hyun) almost died but ended up having the blood parasite safely removed from him, So-i passed away trying to save him, the Crown Prince has realigned with the Gwanju, Maidservant Kim is to marry Park Jin, and Dang-gu made up with Cho-yeon — ensuring season two has been action-packed.
Nevertheless, it has split audience opinion. Some have been invested in how things are wrapping up, intrigued by the numerous changes to proceedings and excited to see how Jang Uk finds out Naksu is still alive, in addition to how Jin Mu and co. get their comeuppance. Others, however, have been disconnected, feeling like the show’s vibe has changed in a way that no longer appeals to them.
Whichever side of the fence you sit on though, it’s undeniable Alchemy of Souls season 2 has been buzzworthy. It has spent the last two weeks inside of Netflix’s global top ten (as has season 1, in fairness), climbing as high as 5th place, with a particularly impressive 15,060,000 hours viewed between December 19 – 25.
Here’s what we had to say: “Overall then, Alchemy of Souls season two has an element of both past and present to it, a quality which helps it feel both wholly unique from the first installment and equal parts familiar. […] You’d be wise to avoid skipping over the final chapter of this story, particularly if you were a fan of what you saw in the summer.”
Will there be Season 3 of Alchemy of Souls – renewed or canceled status
There has been no confirmation from Netflix yet as to whether there will be a Season 3 of Alchemy of Souls.
Although nothing has been completely confirmed, Alchemy of Souls season 2 looks like it will be the end of the show’s run. This isn’t exactly a huge surprise, given that there will have been a total of 30 episodes, and the Hong sisters have told the story in such a way that it almost has to end once Jin Mu’s threat has been quelled and Naksu’s fate has been conclusively dealt with. Plus, a second season is already a rarity in K-Dramas, so it’s likely the chance was taken to wrap things up here without the need for further renewals.
Nevertheless, you can truly never rule something out until it’s official. However, with Alchemy of Souls season 2 garnering a more mixed reception than in season 1, slightly worse television ratings, and telling a story that seems tailor-made for an exciting, decisive ending to come in the upcoming finale, it’d be wise to bet this is the last time we’ll visit Daeho.
How popular is Alchemy of Souls now?
You’d think Alchemy of Soul Season 2 wouldn’t top what its predecessor did in ratings. However, Season 2 ended with a rating of 9.651%, placing it as the 41st-highest cable drama of all time and just ahead of Season 1, which garnered a rating of 9.295% and 44th place.
If anything, Alchemy of Souls is more popular now.
