Before I went on my trip to Seoul, I managed to finish watching Memories of the Alhambra. Though it aired last year in December, it took me some time to actually get down to watching it. I’m very afraid to start watching something or anything at all these days, especially drama series. Because I hate the feeling of being left hanging if the episodes are not completed.
I hardly hear Pauline (who is also into watching Korean Dramas like me) compliment a Korean Drama like that. She would usually comment that a Korean Drama is nice to watch but I’ve never heard her say such good things about a Korean Drama. She said that the scriptwriters for Memories of the Alhambra are really creative for thinking and coming up with such a storyline. Even Alvina (who watched it mostly because of Hyun-Bin) binge watched it and said she enjoyed watching it.
After watching Memories of the Alhambra, I feel there’s this familiarity, it’s actually a cross between W (Memories of the Alhambra is also written by the writer of W, that explains the familiarity) and Black Mirror. Like W, it has that of a typical action thriller Korean Drama, with a little romance. Like Black Mirror (I finally understood why it’s on Netflix), with its futuristic tech and how we would be using AR (Augmented-Reality) in the future, in this case, in gaming. Sci-fi genre, totally my kind of thing to watch. Love it!
Memories of the Alhambra stars Hyun-Bin as Yoo Jin-Woo and Park Shin-Hye as Jung Hee-Joo. Set in Granada of Spain, Yoo Jin-Woo is obsessed with playing the Augmented-Reality game and completing the quest around “magical” Alhambra that Jung Hee-Joo’s younger brother (Jung Se-Joo played by Chanyeol) created.
Due to a bug in the game, somehow if you get killed in the game, you get killed for real in real life. Yoo Jin-Woo is tormented by having to kill his friend-turned-enemy and watching his assistant who is also like a younger brother to him being killed over and over again while trying to stay alive himself in the game. Only Hyun-Bin will look that good limping with a walking stick and still be able to fight and shoot guns with such accuracy and suaveness. I keep telling myself it’s just a show after all.
“Annyeong Emma.” Park Shin-Hye is such a typical good girl next door. I feel most of the characters she has played before are all quite similar, always helpless or crying. She should be more daring and try to play characters that are really different and have a breakthrough in the future. I find that there isn’t much chemistry between her and Hyun-Bin though.
Honourable mention: I teared a little because of Seo Jung-Hoon played by Min Jin-Woong, his loyalty and his sacrifice. I’m trying not to mention spoilers as much as possible so you’re enjoy it more watching it yourself.
Memories of the Alhambra OST
Not sure if Memories of the Alhambra is considered as one of the Netflix Original Series, because it was originally commissioned by Korean cable network tvN. I wonder if there will be a Season 2 for Memories of the Alhambra, Season 1 ended as if there will be a sequel.
Dear Netflix, I think you’re running out of fresh new ideas for your shows…
Completed episodes for Memories of the Alhambra can be found on Netflix.
Episodes: 16
