A Hundred Memories

misogynistic garbage

finally finished this drama.
it had such a good idea, but the script ruined everything. the second half is especially weak. they ignored the time skip, changed the lives of the main heroines and heroes, yet the characters somehow became even dumber than in their teenage years. yeong rye, poor miserable one, as she's portrayed here, starts fighting for jae pil only when jong hui appears. what were you doing all these 7 years??? jae pil is completely wooden here — both the actor and the character are absolutely useless. what especially made me laugh was how he hesitated in the last episode, wanting to go to yeong rye at the "miss korea" event. instead of just asking for time off, he waits like a kindergartener for the teacher to take him to the toilet. seriously, that’s what it looked like. and when a patient shows up, he suddenly decides to stay because he knows him? the guy who bullied jong hui. his motivation is weak too. he was aggressive toward jong hui, to the point she ran away from him, and now he suddenly worries about her? jae pil, instead of going to the woman he loves to support her, suddenly ditches her because of that crap? when there were plenty of other doctors around??
seriously, this drama does everything to justify men, even that bus driver who was absolutely awful in his attitude toward women. conflicts appeared out of nowhere. the screenwriter clearly lacked imagination.
the women here are eternal martyrs. not a single strong woman was shown. not one who knows what she wants and values herself, not competing for a "prize" in the form of men. the drama turned out to be very misogynistic.
seriously, i already don’t think much of romantic dramas, but ones like this make me want to stop even trying to give them a chance.

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A hundred guesses

I started this drama knowing I was heading in for a slight mess and a mess I got. After the first episode I made a bunch of guesses, some came true, some had a slightly different angle and som where waaay off. As the episodes passed by I kept on guessing,, and again the same pattern... So as Kate said before me this drama is bothe highly predictable and not predictable at all. And I love that about it.

I love most of the characters, yes they are frustrating at times but they have so much character, so many good lines and so many beautiful bonds. The girls are versatile fun, and Kim Da Mis love of getting certified at everything had me giggling.

Characters that did not get nealy enough screen time: The brother and his friend, each time these two entered the screen they stole the show delivering the deepest emotion (the friend) or the most insightful lines (the brother). Hte guys friendships, drinking habits and so on where also pretty nice to watch.

There are also a bunch of ships in this that keep circling around and changing sails...

That said I do believe the girls friendship (s) was and is the centrepiece of the drama, yes the boys come in as a distraction but it is clear that each action actually is tied in some way or another to the girls (not only mains) friendships and faound family. From the mothers, to the kids and grand kid the friendships go beyond what any romance could deliver.

Over to the cons, the ending is rushed there is just to much going on that last episode and while they do make an effort to tie it all together it falls short in several ways. One side character is annoying from start to finish (luckily very little screen time) and it does get messy both in a good but also in a bad way at times. The time skips are also rushed and I keep feeling like I am missing important pieces.

Still an easy binge with lots of fun lovable frustrating characters for the frustration lovers out there.

P.S. I recommend finding someone to share those guesses with while watching. Someone that wont spoil the plot but give you some hints...

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1980s Charm and Fire Chemistry: A True Hidden Gem

1980s Charm and Fire Chemistry: A True Hidden Gem: Why You Need to Ignore the Haters and Watch This Romance
I have to say, the current MDL ratings are often frustrating, with so many genuinely underrated shows getting overlooked in favor of over-hyped rom-coms. This show, however, is one I truly fell in love with. The story was great, the production was excellent, and the experience was truly captivating.

The drama beautifully captured the essence of the 1980s, providing a rich, nostalgic atmosphere. The pacing is spot-on, allowing time to introduce the characters and their backstories so the audience can connect deeply with the storyline and understand their struggles.

Sure, the first part covering the older days was fun, but man, the second part really takes off! That later period transition is full of scenes that made me laugh so much, and the romance gets insanely good. I swear, whenever Jae Pil and Yeong Rye (YR) showed up, their chemistry was so undeniable I couldn't help but giggle with happiness.

The character dynamics are absolutely the heart of the show. The story masterfully introduces the characters, allowing you to get to know them and their struggles deeply, and I especially loved the sisterhood among the bus attendants. The relationship between them—and how their views on the world evolve—draws you in completely. Plus, characters like Jeong Hyeon, that pure soul who was always there for Yeong Rye, added so much warmth. Finally, I also absolutely loved the character of Sang Cheol; he was just so cute, adorable, and a great friend. I was so happy for him, and I'm thrilled he got the happy ending he deserved.

I love how this drama avoided all the usual romantic tropes. Even though both Yeong Rye and Jong Hui were in love with Jae Pil, the show never forced the love triangle or created unnecessary drama, which is so common in other shows! It was genuinely refreshing to see the best-friend dynamic handled with such maturity, keeping the relationship strong without the typical melodramatic arguments (except for that one understandable moment near the end!).

Jae Pil and Yeong Rye are hands-down my favorite couple; their chemistry is just on fire! They're both so pure, and watching them together made me giggle and laugh so much.

This drama took me by surprise, and I was baffled after reading so many negative comments unfairly criticizing the characters. This show is a testament to quality storytelling, and the drama wrapped up with a perfectly satisfying happy ending.

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GREAT WATCH IN THE BEGINNING, CRINGE CLICHE LATER

OMFG! I WAS SO HAPPY THAT THIS WILL BE ANOTHER DRAMA LIKE EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY, BUT WAS LEFT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE USUAL MANUFACTURED COINCIDENCES AND CLICHÉD NONSENSE!

KIM DAMI CHARACTER IS SUCH A LOSER C...T , ITS UNBEARABLE TO WATCH AND THE OTHER GIRL SHIN YE EUN CHARACTER IS SO CRASS , SLEFISH, CONNIVING AND MANIPULATIVE, I FELT RAGE WHENEVER I WATCH HER ON THE SCREEN ! WHY WALK TOWARDS HOSPITAL IN RAIN INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR YOUR GOOD FRIEND ?

DOCTOR IS AN UNBELIEVABLE OBE DIMENSIONAL ACTOR DOESN'T DESERVE A MENTION ! IF SOMEONE COMES AND HUG ME SUDDENLY I VIOLENTLY PUSH THEM AWAY , NOT STAND THERE TAKING IT LIKE A DUMMY

HOPE THE DRAMA ATLEAST WOULD HAVE A GOOD ENDING

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Love (and hurt) Memories

"Hundred Memories" is a drama that requires attention to detail , it’s about understanding that it breaks away from clichés. You rejoice in the friendship, cry and feel anger over misunderstandings, sense the tension of danger, but also witness the unity that endures through it all! It has emotional themes such as family, friendship, forgiveness, and many others. From the very first episodes, we notice YR’s sweetness and strength. We feel her pain as she gives up her own desires for the sake of others something visible both in her family and friendships, but it wouldn’t always stay that way. She learns to express her feelings and keep chasing her dreams.

JH isn’t left behind when it comes to this strong friendship. She encouraged YR, took care of her siblings while YR’s mother was hospitalized, protected YR from her ex-boss, and faced many hardships, first with her brother, then by being adopted by an obsessive and controlling mother. She isn’t a bad person; she made mistakes, whether due to circumstances or her own emotions, but she had the chance to make amends to accept that love can’t be forced, to free herself from her mother’s control, and to return to being the cheerful, playful JH she once was.

At first, I was quite upset that JP ended up being “the one” LOL. I was really rooting for Jeong Hyeon! But considering that YR’s pure and genuine love had always been for Jae-Pil, it became acceptable and actually really sweet! It was a love born from hardship and friendship, between two families and between the two of them. ~Though I did get pretty frustrated with the boy haha.

The other characters were also essential to the story they brought humor, connection, and even more meaning to the concept of “family.” In the end, I was really afraid they would be separated; I missed a deeper reconciliation between them, but even so, I loved that they stayed together and that they would continue that way. <3

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Friendship is the true love story.

A Hundred Memories reminded me a lot of Reply 1988. Yes, obviously for the time period the story is set on but also because of the treatment some characters got. I would say this kdrama is harsher and less nostalgic, which I like more since it showed some realities overlooked in other stories.

This is a lovely story about the growing pains of youth in a society rapidly changing and learning how the people we chose to welcome in our life can become our true family.

Although it frustrated me at times, I also really enjoyed watching it. I didn’t appreciate the love triangle when it was clear how the story would go and I am even mad at the WASTED time the characters (and audience) could have had on some particular developments and endings. IYKYK.

The strong point is definitely the performances. I know many came to this kdrama for Heo Nam Jun but I think we can all agree my man Kim Jung Hyun keeps establishing himself as one of the best actors of his generation. Other actors like Jeon Sung Woo and Lee Won Jung are leaving this project with a couple of hundred new fans for sure.

Kim Da Mi and Shin Ye Eun are a force of nature, and some of the most interesting actresses working today IMO. They built the core of this story with ease and charm, and I was cheering for them all the way. Their friendship is the true love story in A Hundred Memories.

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1st time I realized 2nd lead cliche

I really loved this drama at the start, all the characters were written great & loved their bond but the classic trying to paint main lead character as the pure & kind character & getting everything was what I hated the most. 2nd female lead actually sacrificed more, gave money for her friend surgery & gave up guy she liked for her best friend but at the end she was robbed of everything & even destiny played cruel joke of not giving her anything no warm family, friends nor lover. Like she was utterly alone despite her being equally as kind as main character. Cliche of main character always getting to do the right thing while not losing anything & also getting to be the pity character when she gets stabbed, 2nd female lead would have done the same but she was kinda treated like bad character by her best friends mom & friends even though it wasn’t her fault. So watching the last few episodes I found it hypocritical. The first time I hated the main leads so much.

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My waiting for this drama was in vain

The author builds inconsistent main characters and becomes embarrassing. The naive YR becomes a hypocrite, JH who always appears brave becomes a coward, strong giant JP becomes a crybaby and do nothing to prove love...Sangchoel who loves YR even though his family will oppose him because YR is only a conductor suddenly can choose a woman who doesn't dare to be honest with the father of her own daughter, YS who forgets his own words to JH not to run away from problems but instead pays for tickets and gives money to JH to run away even though he already knows there is a problem going on and "daddy long legs" who loves YR from the beginning of the story and is still loyal until the end and the most influential in the fate of friendship, love and live is instead considered useless by the author and asked to leave.

I really regret the story and characters written by the writer, the director failed to fill the empty plot, while the actors were unable to do anything... my waiting for this drama was in vain

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A drama that starts strong but slowly loses its emotional grip

A Hundred Memories begins with a lot of emotional depth and quiet beauty. From the first few episodes, I was immediately drawn in by the melancholic atmosphere, the thoughtful pacing, and the gentle way the story unfolded. One of the strongest elements of this drama, in my opinion, is the deep and genuine friendship between the three main characters — Shin Ye Eun, Kim Dami, and Jae Pil.
Before romance even comes into play, the drama takes its time developing a truly heartfelt bond between the trio. Their friendship feels natural and sincere, full of subtle moments of understanding, shared pain, and unspoken connection. It’s refreshing to watch a story that allows friendship to be at the center without rushing into love too quickly. There’s a sense of comfort and support in their dynamic that gives real emotional weight to the first half of the show.
The bus incident that ties them all together acts as a powerful emotional core. It brings tension and depth to the story, and each character deals with it in their own way. This trauma, and the way it shapes their relationship, is portrayed with care and sensitivity. It’s really what keeps the viewer emotionally invested early on.
However, things begin to shift — not necessarily for the better — after the time skip. The writing starts to become more predictable, the pacing loses its subtlety, and the story seems to lean into more conventional romantic drama tropes. The slow, emotionally layered storytelling that made the beginning so good starts to fade, replaced by more obvious developments and less engaging conflicts.
The romance that eventually takes over, particularly between Yeong Rye and Jae Pil, feels inevitable from early on, but not especially moving. It lacks the emotional nuance of the friendships we saw before. What once felt unique becomes more standard, and that’s where the drama begins to lose its spark.
As expected, the show ends on a happy note — which fits the genre — but I couldn’t help but feel that the final episodes didn’t quite live up to the promise of the first half. It’s a satisfying ending, but not a memorable one.
In the end, A Hundred Memories is worth watching for its early emotional strength and beautifully portrayed friendship. It’s not a groundbreaking drama, and it definitely stumbles along the way, but it offers a warm, if slightly bittersweet, viewing experience.

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10000000/10

FIRST OF ALL, shoutout to the casting director because the cast is INSANELY good👏🏻👏🏻 Every single actor and actress fits their role perfectly there’s literally no weak link. I’ve always been into romance dramas, but I SWEAR I’ve never been this hooked before. The story is beautiful, the pacing is perfect, and the editing makes every scene flow naturally.

I even forced everyone around me to watch it because it’s THAT good. I already miss them :( Definitely gonna be my go to drama whenever I have nothing to watch.

And don’t even get me started on Youngrye and Jaepil. Every single scene of them together made me scream, giggle, and kick my legs. Their chemistry is unreal. The way they look at each other, the way they speak, even how they breathe while delivering their lines!!! everything feels so genuine and emotional.

I keep rewatching their scenes again and again because they’re just that perfect. I love this drama so much that I honestly can’t even describe it. Huge applause to everyone involved. Truly one of the best romance dramas I’ve ever seen!!!!!

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1950s values - shallow blinded women competing. doormat women doting on stoic parastitic guys

The first few episodes while they are bus conductors are cute and ok. It shows young ppl putting in effort to move forward in life. BUT THEN THE CHARACTERS NEVER GROW MUCH IF AT ALL

After the time gap, this drama went totally trashy and promoted 1950s relationship between YR the doormat and JP the entitled male brat

The ONLy good part was the MrQueen King actor, he was awesome, and Sang Cheol taking Single Mom on a honeymoon and saying he will do his best to bring home a honeymoon baby. And scenes of him and Mr Kim the driver talking about handing off the fatherhood and Mr. Kim peeking at the church. The rest... forget.

The rest was trash - the narcissist JH and her abuse of YR being mean etc, YR as the naive baby girl doormat sucking up to JP, and JP as a robotic poker face using YR and then playing with JH

YR is somehow supposed to be good for being a naive immature doormat who taks cute like a little girl and thinks cute like a little girl and crawls on the floor FOR YEARS to catch any sign of polite and cold kindness of the fat as@ Jae Pil, who finally bestowes his princely charms because he realizes he needs YR as a personal servant for free the rest of his life.

The characater of JH is immature, mean, shallow to the max, and the most disturbing thing is how many of the audience found her charming and angelic and even accused YR of backstabbing her. All the narcissists in the world love JH ....

OVERALL THE DRAMA IS ABOUT TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS THAT DO NOT ADVANCE AT ALL BC PEOPLE DO NOT CHANGE

IT IS HOPELESS
and that is very western. This is Netflix. THe drama is about ordinary toxic ppl doing toxic things and not fixing their messes. It is a study in toxicity. REading the comments and reflecting on the drama should be a required homework for every psychiatrist, psychoilogist and social worker.

THIS IS JUST 10000% TOXIC

and worth watching just to analyze all the shades of it
The acting is good so you get to see how real life plays out

TERRIBLE, DISAPPOINTING, HOPELESS, NO CHARACTER GROWTH, JUST TOXIC, **** DEAD END ****

YR, JH and JP are very realistic toxic characters from real life. And that is why it is so frustrating to watch YET ANOTHER character like that for 12 hours. Nuff already. We saw it all. We see it every day. We do not need to see that anymore! We need to see the solutions.

This drama skillfully and cunningly endorses "1950s" type of people and relationships as commendable, so in fact it promotes the status quo in sexism, catering to men, women competing and backstabing each other for men, shallow ambition of being in a peagant, shallow ambition of waiting around a guy, women not thinking further than their nose, men ennjoying privileges and personal servants for free, etc. This drama could have been set in Goreo or Joseon or before, and it would be the SAME plot.
And that dead-end just stating problems and never showing any hope for any solution is the trademark of western media.
For a piece of art to be truly a piece of art, it has to give some ideas for solutions and has to show some transformation.

This particular drama is useful as a study in toxicity because you can dig through the layers and you can see the comments of the audience and realize the toxicity in the society and the false beliefs.

**** So this drama is useful like a dissection class at the medical school. **** But someone needs to start producing art with solutions, ie. some healing ideas and solutions.

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