Memories of The Alhambra Episode 16 Recap (Series Finale)

Memories of The Alhambra Episode 16 Recap (Series Finale)

FINALE

Seon-ho rushes into the hotel room after the staff opens it with the master key. He scans the room for Jin-woo but is shocked to find Professor Cha lying dead by the restroom. As the hotel staff walks in, Seon-ho tells him to call an ambulance. Tears well up in Seon-ho’s eyes as he sits next to Professor Cha’s lifeless body.

Later on, the ambulance arrives at the scene and so does the police. Seon-ho’s secretary passes the phone to Seon-ho saying it’s a call from Director Oh Yeong-sik and that it is urgent.

Director Oh enquires into Cha passing away. He tells Seon-ho that Professor Cha had wanted the servers to be opened briefly around the hotel the previous night.

 

Seon-ho is shocked hearing this and rushes out immediately saying he will talk to the police later. He tells his secretary to sort things out here. Seon-ho gets into the elevator and recalls Oh saying that Cha had asked the server to be opened for 10 minutes. Oh said that l Jin-woo had called him up later on.

(Flashback)

Jin-woo stands beside Professor Cha’s dead body. He picks up Cha’s phone and returns Director Oh Yeong-sik’s call. Oh says he didn’t know Jin-woo was with Cha. Oh says that he has shut down the servers now and says that Cha had instructed him not to report to Seon-ho about this. Jin-woo asks Oh to open the servers again as there is something that he has to do.

At present Seon-ho remembers Oh saying that he had opened the servers for Jin-woo from 6:00am to 7:00 am.

Meanwhile, at Hee-Ju’s house, Se-Ju says he was waiting for someone to complete the quest. He says someone must’ve completed the quest and wonders who did it. He says he doesn’t know who it is. Hee-Ju is worried as she hears this.

Hee-Ju asks Se-Ju to wash up and come down. As she walks out Se-Ju asks her who completed the quest. Hee-Ju says it is Yoo Jin-woo. Se-Ju is surprised and asks if Jin-woo had really played his game. He says he hasn’t even met him.

Hee-Ju says Jin-woo came to Granada as Se-Ju had called him there. Hee-Ju gets emotional as she says Jin-woo had come over to Hostel Bonita. Se-Ju asks what happened. Hee-Ju is nostalgic as she repeats the words, “what happened”.

(Flashback)

We see a montage of the times Hee-Ju and Jin-woo shared.

In Hostel Bonita, Jin-woo yells at Hee-Ju for running the Hostel badly… Hee-Ju yells at him saying he wears a fake luxury watch and designer shoes… Hee-Ju thanks him as the 10 Billion won has been credited in her account…Jin-woo falls from the 6th floor… Jin-woo holds Hee-Ju’s hand while recovering and asks her not to leave his side… Hee-Ju smiles as she sits by Jin-woo while he sleeps… Hee-Ju runs alongside the train when Jin-woo leaves for Barcelona… Jin-woo visits Hee-Ju in Seoul… Hee-Ju asks him how he could do this to her when she trusted him…Jin-woo says he told her not to trust him so much as he isn’t that decent as she thinks… Hee-Ju says she can be his girlfriend if she has to enjoy her birthday only with a boyfriend…Jin-woo and Hee-Ju kiss in the fitting room… Jin-woo tells her not to worry as it is all coming to an end. Tomorrow dawn at the earliest… Jin-woo says he will come over in the morning…

Hee-Ju breaks down into tears as she asks Se-Ju if he wants to know what happened while he was gone. Se-Ju asks Hee-Ju why she is crying. Hee-Ju asks him not to mind her as she turns away but she can’t stop crying.

Seon-ho reaches the church and rushes into it as he remembers Oh saying Jin-woo claimed to have some unfinished business.

Flashback

Jin-woo is in the Church and the servers come back on. Jin-woo sees Cha Hyeong Seok standing by the altar with his sword. Jin-woo drops the crutch and starts walking towards Hyeong Seok. As Hyeong Seok raises his sword to strike, Jin-woo stabs Hyeong Seok in the chest with the Key to Heaven.

DELETING THE BUG

Present

Seon ho finds Jin-woo’s crutch inside the church. He logs in to the game.

THIS IS YOUR 145TH LOGIN

Seon-Ho walks forward as he finds a small pile of white dust in the aisle.

YOU ARE SEEING THE REMAINS OF BUG 1

Seon-ho touches the pile of dust.

In the flashback, Jin-woo watches as Cha Hyeong Seok slowly withers and dissipates into a pile of dust.

THE BUG HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DELETED

KEY TO HEAVEN-1 BUG DELETED

Present

A message pops up on Seon ho’s screen

BUG 1: DR CHA, CREATED: 395 DAYS AGO

DELETED 17 HOURS AGO

Seon ho sits down in relief but notices another pile of dust by the other aisle. He hurries over to it and checks it.

Flashback

Jin-woo shoots down the NPCs which try to attack him.

YOUR ALLY HAS APPEARED

Jin-woo turns around to see AR Professor Cha looking at him. AR Professor Cha flickers as Jin-woo walks up to him. He looks at Cha who stares back at him. Jin-woo is reluctant as he takes the key to heaven and looks away as he stabs Professor Cha. Tears stream down his face as Professor Cha slowly dissipates into a pile of dust.

KEY TO HEAVEN-2 BUGS DELETED

Present

Seon-ho sits next to the 2nd pile of dust.

YOU ARE SEEING THE REMAINS OF BUG 2

BUG 2- TESTER 103, CREATED 3 DAYS AGO

DESTROYED 17 HOURS AGO

Seon-ho finds another pile of dust a few feet away. Seon-ho staggers towards it.

YOU ARE SEEING THE REMAINS OF BUG 3

Flashback

Jin-woo walks towards AR Jung Hoon who stands pointing his gun at a target. Jin-woo is filled with sorrow as he looks at Jung-hoon who is totally oblivious to his presence. Jin-woo is in tears as he holds Jung Hoon to stab him but isn’t able to bring himself to do so.

Jin-woo hugs Jung Hoon and tears stream down his face as he stabs Jung Hoon. He is miserable as Jung Hoon too starts to dissipate. Jin-woo stands with the key as Jung Hoon vanishes.

Present

Seon-Ho checks the 3rd pile of dust.

BUG 3 – CITY HUNTER, CREATED 25 DAYS AGO,

DELETED 17 HOURS AGO

Seon-ho is crestfallen and loses his footing. He stumbles on to one of the benches.

Flashback

Jin-woo sits on the bench next to Jung Hoon’s pile of dust.

KEY TO HEAVEN- 3 BUGS DELETED

Jin-woo hears the Memories of the Alhambra tune and looks up to see Emma at the altar. He gets up and walks towards her.

Present

Seon-ho is short of breath as he sits on the bench. Just then, he receives a call from Hee-Ju asking why he isn’t there yet. Seon-ho says something came up and he says there is still no word from Jin-woo. Seon-ho says he came to the church since Jin-woo might have come there at dawn. Seon ho says Jin-woo isn’t here either. Seon-ho suddenly stops talking and looks at the altar.

Flashback

Jin-woo walks up to Emma and says, “Hello Emma”. Emma greets him and says he looks exhausted. Jin-woo says it is all over now. She asks him why he took back the key to heaven. Jin-woo says he was afraid and didn’t want to die. Emma asks for the key and holds out her hand. Jin-woo places the key on her hand. Emma takes the key and Jin-woo looks at her.

Present

Seon Ho walks up to the altar.

YOU ARE SEEING THE REMAINS OF BUG 4

BUG 4: ZINU, CREATED 394 DAYS AGO

DELETED 15 HOURS AGO

Seon-ho drops the phone as he sinks to the floor in shock. He doesn’t respond to Hee-Ju who is speaking on the other end of the phone.

Hee-Ju drives down to the church.

Hee-Ju runs into the church and finds Seon-ho sitting in front of the altar holding his head in his hand. She asks what he found and he asks her not to come closer. Hee-Ju spots the pile of dust beside him and asks what it is. A message pops up on the screen.

RESETTING GAME

Both of them are alarmed as the dust piles raise up into columns and disappear.

All the NPCs throughout the city vanish too.

Seon-ho and Hee-Ju watch as the entire Church paints itself in white as the game resets.

At J-One, Yang Ju and the team wonder what is going on as they lose control over the game. They are alarmed as the game resets.

At the church, the white tint fades away and the church returns to normal.

Later, Seon ho sits in his office as he writes an e-mail to Jin-woo. The mail reads, “Jin-woo, it’s me. I’m sending you this e-mail with the slightest hope that you might read it.

Today was the last day of Professor Cha’s funeral (montage of the funeral). The police wrapped up their investigation since they couldn’t find any proof of murder. (Montage of the servers resetting) All the records got reset. So there is no evidence to prove that the game had anything to do with people’s deaths. (Montage of Yang Ju instructing his team about the firewall settings) No one knows why the game got reset and of course, I couldn’t tell anyone about it. One year’s worth of our hard work went down the drain. Instead, we no longer have to deal with the unsolvable problem. (Seon Ho stands in front of Jin-woo’s desk.)  I’ve been contemplating whether I have to start all over again or stop here. If you were in my shoes, what would you do? I don’t even know whom I can talk to about this.”

On a rainy day, Seon-ho sends another one of his e-mails, “Jin-woo, it’s me.”

Seon-ho walks into Hee-Ju’s house. He walks into Se-Ju’s room but finds it empty. He is about to walk out but finds a piece of clothing sticking out of the closet. Seon-ho opens the closet to find Se-Ju huddled up inside shivering.

Seon ho’s email continues, “Today I finally got to meet Se-Ju, the kid you tried so hard to find.”

Seon Ho says he is from J-one and asks Se-Ju what he is doing there. Se-Ju is traumatised as he asks Seon ho to close the door. He says he thought it was over but the thunder and lightning have started again. Seon Ho holds the closet door open and sits down beside Se-Ju. Seon ho says it is actually raining outside and the thunder and lightning are real. He says it is not the game. He reassures Se-Ju saying the bug no longer exists and it is all gone now.

Seon ho’s e-mail continues, “It seems as though Se-Ju will need psychotherapy for a while.”

Sang Beom is outside as Seon ho walks out of the room. Seon ho says he will visit again. Se-Ju comes out of his room as Seon-ho is about to walk out. He asks if Seon ho knows Jin-woo. Seon ho says he knows Jin-woo well. Se-Ju says Jin-woo is probably dead and Seon ho becomes serious hearing this. Se-Ju says Jin-woo probably got deleted after being stabbed by Emma’s knife.

Se-ju says he didn’t know that everyone would be really dead. He says he wouldn’t have called Jin-woo if he had known about this. He says he wouldn’t have sent Jin-woo the quest or asked him for help. He adds that he wasn’t even aware of Hee-Ju’s relationship with Jin-woo. He says that is why he told her everything. Seon ho asks if Se-Ju told Hee-Ju about Emma killing Jin-woo and Se-Ju says he did. Seon ho asks where Hee-Ju is now.

Seon ho’s email continues, “And as for Ms Jung.”

Hee-Ju walks into the church. She remembers telling Jin-woo about the key to heaven. She had asked him if it was helpful and Jin-woo had smiled and said that he just needs to do his part now. She remembers Se-Ju saying that Jin-woo would have died by Emma’s hand if he was also a bug. Se-Ju had said Emma would’ve killed Jin-woo using the Key of heaven. Se-Ju says he had programmed Emma in a way that she will stab the bug in the heart every time she sees it.

Hee-Ju is grief-stricken as she realises what she has done. She wonders if it could really be true. Hee-Ju yells, “Where are you? Answer me! Where are you? You said you will come in the morning. Where are you?” Hee-Ju sinks to the floor and breaks down into tears.

It night as Sang Beom reaches the church. He finds Hee-Ju unconscious on the floor.

Sang Beom takes her home and put her back in bed but Hee-Ju is still unconscious. Grandma and Min-Ju are worried as they see her in this state.

Later on, Hee-Ju wakes up and removes the IV line. She walks out of her room.

Hee-Ju goes to the church and stands before the altar. She touches the ground where Zinu’s pile of dust was found and starts to cry.

Hee-Ju comes to the church the next day and looks at the same place. She then scans the church for any sign of Jin-woo. Hee-Ju sits down and closes her eyes in prayer. From then on, Hee-Ju visits the church daily.

Later, Seon ho writes another email, “Jin-woo, it’s me. What have you been up to? I miss you.”Seon ho sends the email. He receives a report that the e-mail is unread just like his previous ones.

Hee-Ju walks into the church and sits down.

1 Year Later

Yu-ra addresses the press in her bridal outfit. The reporters report that Yu-ra got married in a private ceremony. Yu-ra is asked a series of questions about the groom. Yu-ra says he had given her strength to move on when she was in distress and in a lot of pain. She says she wants to be happy now and asks for their support.

 

The reporters comment that Yu-ra had gone through a lot in this past year. They say she was sued for a false statement she had given against her ex-husband Jin-woo and the court had found her guilty after a lengthy trial. They say the result led to her retirement from show business. It also says that she was in driving under influence suit too. They say she will be starting a new chapter in her life with this marriage to a Korean- American businessman who is in his 60’s. They comment that she marries only rich men.

Elsewhere, Yu-ra checks the internet and finds all the comments only talking about her marrying for money. Noh walks in and she yells at him asking how do people know her husband’s age and that he has two kids. He says he can’t stop them from publishing articles. She says she is being criticised for marrying rich and he says it is the truth. She throws a tantrum after he walks away.

Seon Ho walks into the University’s auditorium where Su-Jin addresses the audience after donating all of Professor Cha’s inheritance to a foundation in his name. She thanks the University for giving her the opportunity to donate Professor Cha’s inheritance to where he spent his life studying. She says Professor Cha valued his honour over everything. She says if he were alive, he would be proud of the foundation.

Seon ho and Su-Jin walk out of the auditorium. Seon ho asks if she has donated all of the inheritance and she confirms it. He asks her about her son and she says that she won’t leave even a penny of Cha’s inheritance to her son. She asks him about Jin-woo and Seon ho says he has no idea how he is. She says she is sure that Jin-woo must be in contact with Seon-ho. Seon ho says he checks his phone every morning to see if Jin-woo has written back. She says there are rumours of him fleeing abroad. Soen-ho says he hopes that is what Jin-woo has been doing as it is better than the alternative of him being erased from this world.

A jogger jogs down a path and is puzzled as he sees swarms of people heading somewhere.

Elsewhere, some employees in an office leave their desks and walk out.

All the people gather at a place and log in as they stand in a line with their AR swords. Joseon warriors appear before them.

GUILD WAR BEGINS

The players start battling the warriors. The non-players and pedestrians look at this oddly since the players are waving their hands in thin air and jumping around. People start to play the game all over the city in the public places.

An advertisement on the side of the bus reads “NEXT: J-One’s new AR game”

The news telecast reports that the streets have completely transformed within 15 days of the release of J-One’s new game Next. It also reports that the smart lens is required to access the game. The parks are filled with people playing. There is a long queue outside restrooms as people are waiting to obtain their weapons. The game sells like hot cakes.

The news reports that over 10000 users logged in on the first day. It reports that the value of J-One’s shares has sky-rocketed up to 250% in the past 15 days.

People stand in the queue to buy the health drinks too and that increases their health in the game. The news reports that the partner companies that make the game items have also had a surge in sales. The salespeople struggle to restock the items (drinks) as they all sell out very fast.

The news report also adds that says that the game has caused some problems. We see a montage of distracted people not watching where they are walking, as they are engrossed in the game and getting injured or injuring others.

The government gives a statement they are collaborating with experts to sort out the problem. The news report relays that people have filed a petition to limit the game service areas and limit the game time.

Seon-ho gives his statement at the press conference. He says that roads having more than 4 lanes, school areas and buildings over ten storeys of height will no longer be included in the game zone. He also informs that the game time is restricted. He says users are only allowed to play the game from  to 12:00pm to 2:00 pm and after 6:00pm. Seon ho says he hopes this will prevent further problems caused to users in their daily lives.

The reporter concludes by saying that the further impact of Next is yet to be seen.

Hee-Ju is her workshop working on building a guitar. Grandma comes in and calls her for lunch and tells her to eat something before she goes. Hee-Ju looks at the time and says she forgot about it.

Hee-Ju walks on the street and a person playing ‘Next’ bumps into her. He apologises and continues to play. Hee-Ju watches him for a second before walking away. She stops walking as it starts to snow and then continues on her way.

Hee-Ju sits inside a restaurant watching the snowfall. Seon-ho comes in just then and they exchange pleasantries. They talk over a cup of coffee.  Hee-Ju says that the game’s success is all over the news and comments that he must be busy. Seon ho says he isn’t that busy and says he is retiring next month. Hee-Ju asks why he is retiring and says things must be hectic right now. Seon ho says it is a miracle he made it this far. He says he just stepped in to take responsibility and he is going to rest now. Hee-Ju says it is too early for him to retire and he says he is lonely. He says he got so lonely that he couldn’t do it anymore.

Seon ho says that Hee-Ju looks much better now. He asks if she goes on dates. He advises her to go on dates as she is young. He tells her not to spend all her time just making guitars. He then asks her if he should set her up with someone and she smiles as she refuses. Seon ho asks her to give up on Jin-woo.

He gives a dry smile as he suggests that both of them should give up.  He says he is going to let Jin-woo go now. Hee-Ju smiles slightly as she sips her coffee. Seon-ho asks if her brother is doing okay. Hee-Ju says he has gotten better and he even goes outside. Seon-ho says he had asked to meet her to talk about Se-Ju.

 

Later on, Hee-Ju and her family have dinner. Se-Ju is by the fridge having a drink. Hee-Ju says that J-one wants to set up a company for Se-Ju. She explains that Se-Ju will be the CEO of the subsidiary company and can do all the research he wants. Grandma asks why they would want to set up a company for Se-Ju. Hee-Ju smiles as she says it is because Se-Ju is a genius. Hee-Ju tells Se-Ju that they need his help because he is the creator of the game.

Hee-Ju brings Se-Ju to J-one. Seon-ho escorts them to the R&D centre and introduces Se-Ju as the developer to the team. Everyone gets up turning their attention to Se-Ju. Se-Ju awkwardly looks down and Hee-Ju tells him to greet them. Se-Ju greets them and everyone starts cheering and clapping. They say they are a huge fan and Se-Ju is startled seeing their reaction. Seon-ho tells Hee-Ju that everyone was dying to meet him and they are big fans of him.

Yang-Ju escorts Hee-Ju and Se-Ju into his office. Yang Ju-is flustered as he shakes hands with Se-Ju. He says they should click photos and asks him to sit down. He then runs around the room to find something to get Se-Ju’s autograph on. Hee-Ju tells Se-Ju to talk with Yang Ju and she says that she will wait downstairs.

After Hee-Ju goes out, Yang Ju asks Se-Ju for his autograph and asks it to made out to Choi Yang Ju. As Se-Ju starts to write, Yang Ju says it should be Se-Ju’s name and not his. He asks him to write something like, “Let’s be friends”.

Meanwhile, Hee-Ju walks out on the building and looks up at J-One for a few moments. She then walks away.

Hee-Ju goes into a coffee shop and orders an Americano. As Hee-Ju waits for her coffee, she overhears two people talking. One of them says that no user can shoot guns. The other says that he isn’t joking. The player says that the current highest level is 25 but guns unlock only after 50. This catches Hee-Ju’s attention.

The other player says he saw him. He says he is freakishly good. One player says the person is an NPC while this other says he is sure the man is a user. He asks why would an NPC help him. He adds that even his friend saw that person. Hee-Ju intervenes and asks them about what they just mentioned.

Meanwhile, in Yang Ju’s office, Yang Ju tells Se-Ju that he felt hopeless when the game reset. He says he almost quit his job and given up. He says he has no idea that Emma had this kind of function. He says he would’ve deleted Emma if he had known she had a function like that. He says he feels betrayed.

Se-Ju interrupts Yang Ju and says there could be an instance dungeon. Se-Ju explains that he created the program in a way that only the master can create it in times of danger. Se-Ju says he was hiding in the instance dungeon at the train station.

We see a montage of Se-Ju running in the train as it pulls into Granada. He has a light field around him (instance dungeon).

Se-Ju says he made the feature at first to deceive enemies but it worked really at that time because no one could see him. He says it is like being in the same place but in a different dimension. He says it was like the instance dungeon was in real life too. Yang-Ju asks what he is talking about. Se-Ju says he can’t believe it either. Se-Ju says there is no way of checking it because the server reset but he is sure it worked at that time.

Se-Ju says that Jin-woo is the master since the reward from completing the quest was becoming the master. Se-Ju says that just like himself, Jin-woo could be alive somewhere.

At the cafe, the player tells Hee-ju that the man was holding a gun. He says he first thought he was an NPC but he helped the player. He says he is sure the person is a user. He says the person he didn’t have a user ID so isn’t sure what he is. Hee-Ju asks them where they saw him.

Hee-Ju runs out of the cafe onto the streets.

Flashback

As they walk out of the restaurant, Seon ho asks her to call him after talking with her brother. Hee-Ju says that she won’t give up and says she is still waiting for Jin-woo. He asks her to give up saying Jin-woo is dead. He corrects himself saying Jin-woo has been deleted and says Jin-woo won’t come back now. Hee-Ju says he will come back whenever that may be. She says she believes that he will.  Hee-Ju smiles at Seon-ho.

At present, Hee-Ju gets into a cab. Hee-Ju is hopeful and eager as the cab drives down the street. She takes out her smart lens and wears it. She gets off the cab and walks across the street. She reaches the destination and logs in.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST LOGIN

She crosses the road and her voiceover narrates, “I don’t care if the whole world doesn’t believe it, but I do. I believe that we will meet again.”

In the park, a player battles the Joseon warriors and is about to lose as he drops his sword. Suddenly he hears a gunshot and a NPC warrior drops dead. One by one all the NPC warriors are shot dead. The player is startled and confused as he sees a figure in the darkness (Jin-woo) holding a pistol in his hand. He lowers the pistol and stands in the park beside the trees overlooking the street.

Image Courtesy- TVN

Review

That was quite an abrupt ending to such an interesting series. It would’ve been great if the episode was a bit lengthier and had shown Jin-woo’s ending too instead of leaving it up to our imagination.

There are many indicators that point to the fact that Jin-woo is indeed alive. The fact that Jin-woo’s body wasn’t found (like Se-Ju) is one such aspect. Se-Ju is a living example that shows one can come out of the game unscathed despite being missing for a year. Jin-woo is ‘the master’ just like Se-Ju and as Se-Ju mentioned, he probably is in the instance dungeon. The long-standing question as to why Se-Ju wasn’t visible to Jin-woo at the train station was at last shown in this episode. It indeed holds a great significance as Jin-woo’s fate depends on that particular explanation.

The pile of dust goes to show that Zinu is the bug and not the actual Jin-woo. It also explains that Jin-woo doesn’t have a user ID because Zinu has been destroyed. So far, the NPCs do not help the users and AR Jung Hoon had helped Jin-woo only because he died as Jin-woo’s ally. This means that Jin-woo isn’t an NPC but a user.

This episode was mostly from Seon-Ho’s narrative and it showed how everyone coped with Jin-woo’s disappearance. Seon-ho’s state is pathetic, as he is going through a tough time having lost everyone whom he was close with and yet he has to step up and manage the company as well.

The scene where Jin-woo deleted the bugs was by far the best scene of the series. Though the scene didn’t have any dialogues in it, it was deeply emotive and Hyun bin has done an exceptional job in it.

The scenes showing the game’s success were well made as it addressed all the concerns I had when I imagined what would happen if the game went public.

Su-Jin’s decision to donate the entire inheritance to the foundation was commendable.

Hee-Ju blamed herself for telling Jin-woo about the key to heaven. Hee-Ju showed a strong side of her character when she said that she believes Jin-woo will return someday. Her determination to firmly believe what she wants to was appreciative.

The game is a roaring success in the market (without the bugs) and Se-Ju is back safe and sound just as Jin-woo had wanted. The murders investigations have been wrapped up. Se-Ju is joining the company and can definitely find a way to reach Jin-woo in the game. Hee-Ju is waiting for Jin-woo while Seon ho is planning to retire. It would have been nice to see Jin-woo returning to this life that is waiting for him after he all the tough times that he has gone through.

While the finale took so much time in dropping clues that Jin-woo is alive, there are some things that are left up to our imagination. Though the ending scene wasn’t satisfactory, I am glad that it wasn’t a tragic ending but a hopeful one with a strong possibility of a happy ending.

Series Review

“Memories of The Alhambra” is a swift-paced series. It follows Jin-woo, the CEO of J-One holdings as he starts playing an AR game ‘Memories of the Alhambra’. He plans to obtain the licence of the game once he learns that his archrival also intends on purchasing it. Little does he know what’s in store for him once he starts playing it. Jin-woo unknowingly walks down a path of no return and realises that he has no option but to see this through till the end.

The series nailed the fantasy and suspense aspect of the story, as they were amazing. The game which starts as addictive and interesting begins to become deadly and spirals out of control really fast.

The AR game was definitely the highlight of the series and it was enjoyable to watch. The game’s concept is well conceived and the gameplay is thrilling. It makes the viewer want to try out the game too.

This drama has a fascinating way of unravelling the suspense using the editing. There are umpteen numbers of flashbacks in every episode and the editing adds only to the suspense of the storyline without creating any confusion. There are some unclear aspects with respect to the timeline but that doesn’t affect the plot.

The romance is slow to develop and it was significant only in the later part of the series. The part played by the romantic line in this series was unexpected but essential to the plot considering the way it progressed. The romance and the main storyline don’t cross paths often and they are like two different parts of Jin-woo’s life.

Hyun Bin portrays Yoo Jin-woo, the CEO of J-One Holdings. Jin-woo comes across as a self-centred and haughty person at the start of the series. As the series progresses we find out that 2 failed marriages and betrayal from his best friend have made him that way. Throughout the series whether in the AR world or the real world, he is unflinching when faced with accusations and adversity. Jin-woo is portrayed as a gallant and frank person which makes the character even more appealing. His scenes with Hee-Ju’s sister Min-Ju are my personal favourite as it shows Jin-woo’s warm side and every scene with the two of them are well made making them a delight to watch.

Hyun Bin has given a stellar performance as Yoo Jin-woo. This series is totally a hero-centric one and he is totally convincing in his role of the determined and unyielding Yoo Jin-woo who stops at nothing once he puts his mind to it. Jin-woo is a character who has both warm and a cold side to him and Hyun Bin has nailed every emotion wherever the scene demands it.

Park-Shin Hye portrays Hee-Ju, the eldest child of the family who becomes the sole breadwinner after her parent’s death. She literally raises both her younger siblings Se-Ju and Min-Ju. Though she cries too easily and is a highly sensitive person, her behaviour is rational in any given situation. She is considerate with Jin-woo whenever he is vague with his explanations (which is always). The scenes with Jin-woo and her in the later part of the series are well made. Her relationship with Jin-woo mainly focuses on how a loved one’s support can make an impact on one’s life while going through a tough time.

Kim Eui Sung portrays antagonist Professor Cha Byung-Joon in a compelling way that makes it very easy for us to dislike the character. Professor Cha is one hard-hearted character who leaves the viewers astounded when its revealed as to what great lengths he can go to, in order to get his way. He is insensitive and has absolutely no consideration towards the people around him.

The significance of the supporting cast came later on in the series and my personal favourites were Jung Min-Ju, Seo Jung Hoon and Park Seon Ho. They added more emotion to the series.

Though the ending scene was abrupt and unsatisfactory, I am glad that it wasn’t a tragic ending but a hopeful one leaving a strong possibility of a happy ending.

This series is gripping and one cannot help but come up with theories throughout the entire show. The screenplay sets our mind thinking of the various possibilities that could have happened and that is what is expected out of a fantasy series. The storyline is intriguing as quite a few times the viewer is left wondering as to when the fantasy has crossed over into reality. Memories of Alhambra is a treat for people who are interested in both Gaming and Korean Drama. The visuals in this drama are appealing. This is one of those series that have to be seen in order to be appreciated to its fullest.

-By Soul Sword-

Memories of The Alhambra Recap Index

Korean Drama Recap Index