’Alchemy of Souls’ Season 2: Lee Jae-Wook Addresses His Weight Loss: ‘I Wanted to Show a Completely Different, Cold Side From Part 1’
The leading male character of the K-drama Alchemy of Souls goes through immense heartache and darkness in the second season. The once cheerful and bright Jang Uk, played by actor Lee Jae-wook, becomes a shell of who the optimistic person he used to be entering Alchemy of Souls Season 2. Actor Lee reveals the three year-time jump for Alchemy of Souls Season 2 was a difficult adjustment but now also explains the reason for his noticeable weight loss.
Jang Uk loses his true love in the most tragic way in ‘Alchemy of Souls’
Jang Uk is the K-drama’s protagonist whose gate of energy was sealed by his absent father for unknown reasons. While everyone he knows trains to become a powerful mage in Alchemy of Souls, he still seeks his true master.
His world changes when he meets a simpleton named Mu-deok. In reality, Mu-deok is the killer mage assassin Nak-su. Nak-su was wounded in a fight and used the Alchemy of Souls to transfer her soul. Seeing the soul shifter mark in her eyes, Jang Uk recognizes her as his true master. Nak-su uses Jang Uk to hopefully regain her powers. Thus, they begin a whirlwind story as master and pupil that blossoms into destined true love.
But Alchemy of Souls finale ends on a darker note as the Hong Sisters created the K-drama to have a second season. Nak-su had sacrificed her newly acquired powers to save Jang Uk and the others in a dire situation. In return, Jang Uk also possesses the Ice Stone but with no powers.
The two characters get engaged and have hopes to leave and live a normal life together. Alchemy of Souls antagonist, Jin Mu, causes chaos. He forces Nak-su, the assassin, to awaken and go on a killing spree. Unaware of what she is doing, Nak-su kills her true love Jang Uk. In the aftermath, she supposedly dies, but Jang Uk is reborn in Alchemy of Souls thanks to the Ice Stone and King’s Star and lives in guilt over not saving her.
Lee Jae-wook explains his noticeable weight loss was to better suit the new Jang Uk in ‘Alchemy of Souls’ Season 2
Alchemy of Souls Season 2 takes place three years after the first season’s finale. Jang Uk has dramatically changed as he deals with the sorrow over being unable to save Nak-su. To make matters worse, he is in immense pain as he kills soul shifters for the king. But with each kill with the Ice Stone, he is haunted by wreaths and the imminent chill they bring.
Fans quickly noticed Jang Uk’s physicality made a noticeable change as well. The once jolly and social Jang Uk is now shrouded in darkness and wears darker clothing. Above all, actor Lee Jae-wook is much thinner in Alchemy of Souls Season 2 than in the first season. In a Naver article, Lee explains it was on purpose to portray the broken heart of Jang Uk better.
In a rough translation, Lee explains, “I definitely lost weight because it’s a character who came back from the dead after losing the woman he loved. I lost more weight because it was difficult in the middle, but I wanted to show a completely different, cold side from Part 1.”
The actor explains the staff told him to eat more. He reveals he weighed 72 Kg (158 lbs) at the end of the first season. Lee lost 4-5 Kg more while filming Alchemy of Souls Season 2 and admits, “and because I was also too busy to exercise, I lost more.”
Lee Jae-wook cried on multiple occasions while filming ‘Alchemy of Souls’ Season 2
The impactful storyline of Alchemy of Souls Season 2 did not only take a toll on its fans but on actor Lee Jae-wook as well. In a behind-the-scenes video by tvN, fans can see that Lee got emotional while filming some of the drama’s final key scenes. The first was in Alchemy of Souls Season 2 Episode 9, when Nak-su and Jang Uk are in Gwido. Jang Uk finally recognizes Bu-yeon as his true love Nak-su. But he also knows she is in danger if he recognizes who she is to everyone else.
In the scene, Jang Uk says he will soon begin a war to stop Jin Mu but asks if he should forget about the world and stay in Gwido with her. The behind-the-scene video reveals Lee continuously tears up with every take and says, “I’m sorry. I’ll wipe it first.”
He also cannot help but tear up while filming the Alchemy of Souls Season 2 finale. In particular, the emotional scene where Master Lee marries Jang Uk and Cho-yeong. Lee even jokes, “Why am I crying? I’m sorry..” Alchemy of Souls is, without a doubt, Lee Jae-wook and the cast’s most notable work to date.
