Memories of the Alhambra
A CEO and hostel owner enter an AR game's mysteries.
Memories of the Alhambra is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Hyun Bin and Park Shin-hye. Primarily set in Spain and South Korea, the series centers on a company CEO and a hostel owner who become entangled in mysterious incidents surrounding an augmented reality game inspired by the Alhambra Palace. It aired on cable network tvN from December 1, 2018, to January 20, 2019, and is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history, praised for its creative plot and unexpected twists.
- field
- Television drama
- nationality
- South Korean
- known_for
- Augmented reality gaming theme, high viewership ratings
- network
- tvN
- air_dates
- December 1, 2018 – January 20, 2019
- director
- Ahn Gil-ho
- writer
- Song Jae-jeong
Lore & Background
The series follows Yoo Jin-woo, CEO of an investment company specializing in optical devices, who travels to Granada, Spain after receiving an email about a groundbreaking AR game. There he meets Jung Hee-joo, a hostel owner and former guitarist, whose brother and game creator Jung Se-joo has gone missing. The border between the real world and the AR world begins to blur as they encounter mysterious incidents. The drama was touted as Korea's first augmented reality-gaming drama and was inspired by tech mogul Elon Musk and Pokémon Go. Overseas filming took place in Andalucía and Catalonia, Spain, as well as Budapest, Hungary and Slovenia. The script for the last episode was completed on December 19, 2018, and filming wrapped on December 29, 2018 in South Korea.
Reader's Guide
Memories of the Alhambra is significant as one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history, with its 14th episode recording a 10.025% nationwide audience share. It attracted attention for its unique augmented reality theme and earned praise for high-end computer graphics, cinematography, and fast-paced storytelling. Critic Jeong Seok-hee praised its mysterious and captivating plot, stating it had potential to become one of the best TV dramas in years. However, it later received criticism for confusing development, slow plot progression, and excessive product placement. The series was broadcast on Netflix in Asia and English-speaking territories an hour after its Korean broadcast, and in Japan on December 2, 2018, with wider international release starting December 11. Its title alludes to Francisco Tárrega's classical guitar piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra, which appears in the soundtrack.
Did You Know?
- The drama's title alludes to Francisco Tárrega's classical guitar piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra.
- The series was inspired by tech mogul Elon Musk and the Pokémon Go game.
- The script for the last episode was completed on December 19, 2018, and filming wrapped on December 29, 2018.
- A preview screening event was held at CGV theaters on November 28, 2018, prior to the first episode.
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