This series ended last May 2020 but I was only able to watch it last December and finish it this January since it only became available on Netflix last month. What made me watch this drama, honestly, was the title. I found it very interesting as I have presumed that the show must be dealing with the subject of memories and the concept of time- these to me are huge GO signals. So, I binge-watched and luckily I was not disappointed.
The drama’s storyline rests on the two lead characters’ psychological conditions. Lee Jung-hoon, a famed news anchor, who has a unique brain that can remember all his memories and Yeo Ha-jin, a young actress, who lost her past memories to face her present world. This drama has proven that time is a master trickster, the wisest counselor, the greatest healer and a powerful force that governs our past, our present, and our future. Time allowed their paths to cross; time separated them when pain became too unbearable; and it was also time that reunited them when the memories of the past were reconciled and wounds were finally healed.
Time as a master trickster
The drama’s premise made it interesting but it was how this premise was executed that testifies how time can trick us into meeting people that may hold answers from our past and may potentially help us move forward. Jung-hoon and Ha-jin exemplify this idea. Jung-hoon’s deceased girlfriend Seo-yeon was close friends with Ha-jin. The two have never met of which Jung-hoon only hears stories about Ha-jin from Seo-yeon. Ha-jin carries the burden of the guilt of Seo-yeon’s tragic end forcing her to erase all her memories about Seo-yeon. But it was that painful memory that brought Jung-hoon and Ha-jin together. It’s as if time tricked them to meet for them to finally confront the tragedy of their pasts. It was the memory of the past that bounded these characters together.
Time as the wisest counselor
When Ha-jin’s memory of the past resurfaced, it brought a huge toll on their relationship. The guilt that she feels becomes too unbearable. The media surrounding their relationship, who were once supportive and enamored of the affair, turned into vicious hyenas eager to devour any scrap of meat. Ha-jin was forced to leave for the US, ending their affair. But it was during this separation that they got their answers. Time indirectly has counseled them amidst the silences of the present and the echoes of the past. The counsel that they have allowed them to bridge the pains of the past and take a leap of faith to continue what they once were.
Time as the greatest healer
The lead characters’ separation made wounds heal. It prepared them and had given them the courage to continue. Ha-jin’s return to South Korea has bestowed hope for Jung-hoon. The passage of time gifted them with a choice either to dwell on their past or move into the future. Time as the greatest healer allowed them to reconcile the past and justify the present. The drama showed that although we may never be able to entirely bury our pasts but with time as our greatest ally we can surely lessen the pain by creating better memories.
The controlling statement made by Jung-hoon in episode 1 that says: The law of time is solid. It only flows forward and you can never turn it back amplifies the whole narrative. They can’t do anything about Seo-yeon’s death. They can’t turn back time and bring her alive. So what they did was confront the horrors of their pasts. This is one of the reasons why I see this drama through its end. I love how the narrative, thematic wise, progressed. Though for some it may seem off that this affair is between an older guy and a much younger woman but to me, it was a balanced characterization. The actors playing the roles have legitimate onscreen chemistry; no wonder they won best couple in the recently concluded MBC 2020 Drama Awards.
Find Me In Your Memory is a drama that will make you realize how time can be very cruel but forgiving. It will show you how memories can sometimes be a curse yet at the same time your salvation. For those of you who are following Moon Ga Young’s body of work, this drama is a worthy addition. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy streaming!
