Tearjerking and Beautifully Made
just honestly what is there to start when there is so many thoughts into such a masterpiece that perhaps kickstarted the Korean Hallyu culture that is today? Like many love songs, Gaeul Donghwa is trite and over dramatic. But if you can allow yourself to be vulnerable and accept the story, you will be treated to many emotional evenings. The series unfolds like a modern fairy tale (donghwa stands for fairy tale).In contrast to American soap operas, Gaeul Donghwa was planned as an 18-episode soap opera. Some of the plot twists are dramatic and unexpected, but all are essential to the plot and serve to enrich the characters.
That said, the series could've been trimmed by a couple of episodes or so, as it is filled with countless flashbacks and several moments of "Come on, not that again!"
Still, the rest of the series is so powerful that I suspect even the most jaded and macho viewers will surrender their egos and bring their eyes to tears.
What is the message? I like to paraphrase my review of my all-time favorite film, Breaking the Waves. It paints each facet of love (e.g., mother-to-daughter, friendship, romance) with a palette of honesty and beauty.
And what beauty... The series is very beautifully shot, like the "yellow umbrella" scene where one of the lead characters sees the other character for the first time in many years. And acting is superb throughout, including the children.
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feel back and relax
I’ve just started A Hundred Memories and I’m already hooked. From the very first episode, it draws you in with heartfelt storytelling, layered characters, and a nostalgic atmosphere that feels both emotionally rich and visually authentic. Set in 1980s South Korea, the drama doesn’t just lean on retro aesthetics for charm — it uses the era meaningfully to explore themes of dreams, sacrifice, and friendship.The main characters — Go Young-rye and Seo Jong-hee — are immediately compelling. Young-rye is hardworking, grounded, and relatable, a young woman juggling dreams of going to university with the burden of supporting her family as a bus conductor. Jong-hee, in contrast, is vibrant, charming, and confident, but not without her own complexities. Their bond feels real, and watching their friendship unfold against the backdrop of growing tensions (and possible romance) adds depth to the story.
What really makes this drama stand out so far is how it captures the feel of the 1980s. The uniforms, the buses, the handwritten tickets, even the sound of old radios and bustling stations — it all brings a wave of nostalgia, whether you lived through the era or just appreciate stories grounded in a time of transition. It gives the show a warmth and sincerity that’s hard to fake. The atmosphere is comforting, even as the story deals with serious themes like societal expectations, lost opportunities, and emotional wounds.
The pacing has been well-balanced so far — thoughtful but never slow — and I’m genuinely curious to see how the characters grow, especially with the hints of a love triangle and family pressures simmering beneath the surface. I’m particularly interested in Jae-pil’s backstory and how his relationship with the girls will develop. There’s a lot of promise here for emotional depth, and the chemistry among the leads makes it easy to get invested.
Overall, A Hundred Memories is shaping up to be a beautiful period drama — nostalgic without being overly sentimental, grounded in relatable struggles, and filled with the kind of sincerity that makes you want to keep watching. I’m definitely excited to see more, and I have a feeling this one is going to leave a lasting impression.
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Classic K-Drama
Honestly, I like boys over flowers and it has been one of the top watched K-dramas for me that honestly never gets old and always remains a classic to my heart. Honestly from the first episode, I was hooked up to it from the last episode, and the plots and dialogues to this day remain a classic. The drama gives you those types of 2000s old classic vibes that honestly were pretty enjoyable, those that we tend to binge-watch to this day; K-Dramas such as Princess Hours, Coffee Prince, Full House, My Girl, My Lovely Sam Soon, etc.However, when I think about the drama to this day, even though it was amazing to watch when it originally aired, this legendary drama hasn't held up well over time. Even though I love K-drama and it still is very dear to my heart, however, I want to explain the cons of the show which need to be stated out. When I look back, I feel like the plots were all tossed and over erratic, and the tropes were just there but it never developed nor did it show any character development between the characters in comparison to Hana Yori Dango as that showed growth and chemistry with the main characters in the show.
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Clingy Woman and A Walking Redflag = No Bueno
honestly when I started to watch nevertheless, it started slow and all like other kdramas but as I continued to watch it, i honestly didn’t felt the spark on the show.I will give it to the cinematography cause it was beautiful and the side characters cause they perhaps carry out the show than the main ones of the story.
also I would applaud Han So Hee and Song Kang for taking a bold risqué role that could be censored in Korea but nevertheless did the risk for mainstreaming. Other than that, I have nothing else to say than that.
although I would applaud for both
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