Confused who is the actual FL
This drama started off so great with the two FL friendships, struggles, family life, dreams, hopes and ambitions. The entire narrative as to why JH disappeared was not addressed properly. YR seems to have not shared the fact that JH left to save YR’s life with anyone, including JP. The 7 year time jump with the JP and YR suddenly being so close felt forced. The whole JP being so crazy in love with YR after JH showed up made no sense. JH was JP’s first love and he didn’t even bat an eyelid when he found out JH vanished because of YR and broke up with him because YR was in love with him. It’s like she absolutely didn’t matter. YR and Jung Hyun felt more organic and I rooted for them more than YR-JP. JH and YS felt more organic and heartwarming. It felt so incomplete that they didn’t show them getting together. Also, even though YR is supposed to be FL JH carried the show. The fact that everyone was mad at JH when YR was in the hospital made no sense. That was absolutely not JH’s fault and moreover she literally did something similar for YR without any recognition or acknowledgment by anyone. JH was so ready to sacrifice everything for YR’s family and their friends but they all treated JH as an afterthought (except YS who was the only one who valued or recognized her). Overall the drama started of with so much potential, great actors, excellent cinematography and realistic 80’s depiction. It was disappointing how hodgepodge the second half was.Was this review helpful to you?
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Never ever break up a friendship because of a man!
Lets get to the review!Chemistry checks for me (IMO)
Koh Yeong rye x jeong hyeon (even if it was one sided on his side)
Seo Jong Hee x Ko Yeong Sik (i didnt quiet feel her chemistry with Jae Pil)
—Koh Yeong Rye x Seo Jong Hee
This is the friendship i want in my life without a man in the middle ofc (i dont fight over men LOL). This is real friendship. I didnt want their friendship to end over a man… (still on ep 10). Seo jong hee not only is in a love triangle but also being triple threatened 😟. The dude from cheongah bus coming for her and yeong rye, her adoptive mom might be a bad influence, her brother… omg miss girl. Lets go back to their friendship after ep.6 i think the show started showing elements of jealousy (Not envy!) from seo jong hee side.. i was like NO! PLEASE NO! mind you i am typing this after i finished ep 10 i dont want a friendship break up guys! Friendship break up hurt way way more than a relationship break up :c.
Going back to the time of cheongah bus whats been happening with kwon hae ja the one who ended up in a horrific workplace accident? I still cannot believe some companies try to dodge responsibility even if what happened was this horrific like not even an ounce of guilt?! Tbh am i the only one who saw the clip before it was revealed that she was the one in the accident i almost thought it was koh yeong rye!!!!
*AFTER COMPLETING EP 11+12*
We see kwon hae ja in the audience during the miss korea pageant show 👏.The miss korea pageant stage literally left me on the edge of my seat like why tf is that stupid personnel manager thinking she ruined his life? He ruined it himself… and then when he stabs yeong hye and the camera pans out there is literally someone still taking pictures of whats happening while she fights for her life on the floor 🤓 (I HOPE SOMEBODY ELSE NOTICED!!!!
Ep 12 many comments said this and i fully agree. The beach scene where jong hee was thirdwheeling the ML and FL was so so painfully awkward…
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It's good until time skip
They build up ml & long haired pretty well & suddenly time skip & ml already fall for short haired. That's the problem here. We don't see any development in their relationship that's why we can't support the end couple.Tbh, I ship short hair with every male character except ml. Same goes to long hair. (I forgot their name mb). In another word, i ship ml with NO ONE 😭
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AKU BERTAHAN DEMI YEONGSIK
ni drama banyak banget lewat di tiktok tapi aku mau keep sampe kelar dulu eh ternyata orang orang pada tim timan. aku agak trauma kalo udah tim timan begonoh jadinya ngulur buat nonton ini. tapi kemaren gabut and akhirnya ke tonton lah drama ini. awalnya juga tertarik gegara ada bapak namjun disini, tapi ternyata dia ngeselin banget bjir karakternya. jujur benci namjun sama dami banget disini gatau kenapa, bawaannya mau skip scene mereka terus bahkan sampe mau aku drop dramanya. eh TETAPI taunya ada youngsik oppa yang bikin aku jatuh suka disini. yang paling disayangin tuh KENAPA SCREENTIME MEREKA DIKIT BANGET HELLO??????? AKU NONTON SAMPE HABIS DEMI THIS CUTIES TAPI TERNYATA SAMPE AKHIR MASIH KAGA JELAS NI BEDUA GIMANA HUBUNGANNYA HADEH...Was this review helpful to you?
Reply 1988 vibes
Sweet, emotional and nostalgic like pages from someone's old diary. I was happy with the end game couple. If the story has taken a different route I wouldn't have liked it. I adored the FL, the actress did a good job portraying the character. The plot is centered more on the friendship of the two women rather than the romance between ml/fl. Nice production and script. It gave Reply 1988 vibes without the comedy. I don't know if the writers are the same or something. HEAWas this review helpful to you?
Beautiful Story of Life, Love, and Friendship
I'm only writing a review because the top reviews feel like they were written by children who lack the attention span to absorb a series like this. The focus of A Hundred Memories is on two women, both struggling in life, who become each others support system. The characters are beautifully drawn, their personalities wonderfully complimentary.The romance is a secondary focus and used mostly to shed light on the relationship between the two women. If you're looking for a romantic kdrama, this might not be the best choice. This is about the bonds of friendship and the many ways in which life will test those bonds.
Both women have wonderful arcs. Both actresses delivered fantastic performances. And the period setting was lush and immersive. If you enjoy stories about women, sisterhood, and found families - this one is for you.
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Mixed Feelings, Love the Story but Directing Not So Much
I love a lot about this show. There aren’t too many shows that are set in the 80s of Korea and this gave me nostalgia of something I never experienced. A lot of the dynamics, setting and structure was refreshing and breaks some cliches. It did made me feel like I was growing up with them and loved seeing the friendships form. I love seeing the siblings and the parents get the screen time and their relationships. I almost wish there was more time to see all of the stories in more detail and throughout the years. But at the same time almost shocked how much happened in 12 episodes. There is too many thoughts that I have but loved so many aspects that I can’t even place my mind on. I don’t understand the low rating as I feel people may rate on the their personal feelings of the characters when they are sent to be seen like this by the viewer. However, most of my negative thoughts are on the directing and the actors did an amazing job!Production:
Firstly my mixed feelings is about the structure of the show. Half was set in their “childhood” while the other was their adulthood. I liked how it almost felt like two shows put together and have enough to be reminded of the beginning of the story as the past them. Even with moments of the friends and the families. However, I felt they almost have too much time to Jong Hui and Jae Pil story. It had me wondering who was going to end up with who and if it was the leads then how they would do the 180 which is not necessarily a bad feature as it kept me curious. It almost made it seem like Jae Pil had no other choice but to like Young Rye. For them to have Jae Pil and Young Rye to be together, they should have given more scenes of what happened in the seven years time jump. As well as how Mr. Ma almost lost touch with the main characters.Even the confession scenes and ending romance seemed rushed and was more devoted to the Jong Hui story that almost made her the main lead. I did want Young Rye and Jae Pil to end up together but wish there was more moments of Jae Pil realizing he liked her. Their relationship did seem genuine and were so cute to see together! One odd factor that one really mentioned is how the boys in the beginning are in high school while the ladies were around 21 and 23. it just didn’t sit right with me to see Jong Hui (23) have Jae Pil as her first love for a high school student.
Characters:
These comments don’t reflect my rating of the show just how I feel about the characters as they are meant to be portrayed and the actors did a great job to make me feel these ways about them.
Jong Hui was an annoying character for me. In the second half she was always there, I get how it showed that she missed them and liked her life there but it was almost overbearing. She somehow made it into the confession scene and limited moments we had with the main couple, even in the very end making it seem all three were dating. Like I get it but understand the boundaries. She also had no respect for Young Rye relationship and feelings. Throughout the first half, Young Rye suppressed her feelings so she could make her two friends be happy even “letting go”her first love for them to be together. However Jong Hui, after the seven years she was gone and knowing Young Rye liked Jae Pil, kept going and trying to get with him. She ended it in the past “for Young Rye” but then regrets it later. She eventually BLAMES her for breaking up with Jae Pil while Young Rye is dating him. There were times she took a step but I believe not for them to be happy but bc she felt insecure about herself and didn’t know how to “catch up” to the relationship Jae Pil and Young Rye built (which she states). People may say it was selfish for Young Rye to get with Jae Pil but she understood he boundary even after Jong Hui was gone and never confessed. Jae Pil was the one who did after the seven years. Also Jong Hui and Jae Pil only had at most a 6 month “situationship”. So Jong Hui was more selfish and disrespectful to her “most cherished best friend”. I do like her with Young Rye brother but again felt like a second option.
I love Jae Pil’s character and ever more the actor. At times I did feel that the character was leading Young Rye on like in the beginning. However loved their long friendship was always something more for him and he knew it but never expressed it until he had some competition. The actor does an amazing job of being nervous to express his feelings to both of the female leads. I also love when dramas show the real feelings of the male leads life and shows that he has struggles with his father. He has a sensitive side and the crying from the actor felt real and raw. I wish he did more dramas where he was the man lead.
I also wish Jeong Bun ended up with her daughter’s father. And if not at least gave her daughter’s father a chance to prove himself or even them make the father more genuine to her in the past. She gave him no relationship with his daughter.
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This friendship has many phases .
This is one of my favorite dramas; I simply loved the cinematography, story, and cast ( Shin Yeeun and Kim Dami will always be some of my favorite actresses )They have a very complicated friendship... There were times when Jonghui felt like everything revolved around her, and that her problems were more important than anyone else's. Youngrye sometimes seemed a bit "slow".
But despite the difficulties, they always had a beautiful friendship, and I think it accurately represented reality when we talk about jealousy or envy ( as if they were each other's "lacy" ).
I LOVED Jonghui and Yeongsik, they had SO MUCH potential to be one of the best K-drama couples of 2025!
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Started well but turned into Love Triangle chaos -- First half suffered
A Disappointed first half.Was expected something new kind the story presentation from this known storyline with engaging characters. Engaging characters are there but after 6 eps it turned out same love triangle and even the characters fell short but Kim Da Mi & Shin Ye-Eun somehow saves the drama. From the story we've seen too many a love story traingles between two best friends and a sacrifice. However 6 more episodes are left now kinda excited to watch what new turns the story takes, but even after first half now here if there will be a another love triangle then drama might just collapse under its own weight.
I did loved the characters design of Jeong Hee and Yeong Rye and female leads dorm setup is engaging and kinda relief from love triangle chaos. But one major flaw is the ML character missed the arc, like he's the centre of the drama between the female leads, he should have been given a strong arc to match the quality character design like Jeong Hee and Yeong Rye but instead his character is really poorly written like a glass being emptied of its juice. So, was expecting a decent character development on male lead character.
10/10 aspects
• Kim Da Mi & Shin Ye-Eun acting
• OST
• production design
• plot flow
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A Hundred Memories (2025) Review
9.6/10 ~ The moral of this story hits hard: sometimes, the ones you truly love are already right in front of you, you just fail to see them. So, choose wisely. From the very start, I sensed something tragic brewing, the kind of emotional gut-punch only a K-drama can deliver, and I was right. Yet, despite the heartbreak, A Hundred Memories stands as a worthy and deeply moving follow-up, crafted with authenticity and emotional precision.The cinematography embraces a “normal” visual approach: crisp, clear, and perfectly color-balanced, giving the drama a raw, realistic charm. Beneath that simplicity lies the spirit of a tingly visual and moral adventure, where friendship evolves into something resembling family. The chemistry between the characters feels lived-in, genuine, and quietly powerful.
Though the final episode leans toward the cliché and predictable side, it still lands on a hopeful, heartwarming note. And honestly? After all that emotional turbulence, a happy ending feels like the closure we deserve.
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Despite low ratings on MDL, Loved it! Go with an open mind!
I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. The first 6-7 episodes went like a breeze. The friendship dynamic was really great to watch. Loved almost all the side characters. Enjoyed the ending. Everyone more or less got a happy ending in my book. I was scared it might go the "you and everything else" route but thankfully it didn't. Would have loved to see more of the reconciliation and return of the friendship maybe another episode rather than a 5 minute epilogue. But overall had a good time with this drama maybe since I binged it at one go without waiting every week. I would suggest to go with an open mind with this drama without carrying about the ratings and judge for yourself!Was this review helpful to you?
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Not Worth the Hype
A Hundred Memories starts off strong, following two women from different worlds brought together by harsh circumstances and a shared dream for a better tomorrow. The show initially captures the beauty and complexity of female friendship; the joy, love, affection, admiration, envy, pity, hope, ambition, and sacrifice that make such relationships so layered and unforgettable.It shines brightest when it focuses on the bond between the leads like Shin Ye-eun’s character helping with Kim Da-mi’s mother’s treatment, or Kim Da-mi taking the diarrhea pill to prove her friend’s innocence. Those moments were heartfelt, showing the depth and trust between them.
It’s a shame that what began as a story about women’s struggles and resilience in the 1980s gradually shifts focus. The moment a male lead appears, admired by both women, the story loses its direction. The friendship that once felt authentic turns into a predictable love triangle, and that’s where it lost me.
Shin Ye-eun is perfectly cast as the beautiful, smart, and strong-willed, a woman whose world doesn’t revolve around a man. Kim Da-mi, however, still struggles with her overly childish delivery, which feels out of place for such an emotionally heavy story.
A Hundred Memories had all the elements to become a heartfelt tale of sisterhood and survival. Instead, it settles for the same old romance clichés.
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