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A Hundred Memories
This review covers the pivotal first six episodes of 'A Hundred Memories,' examining its unique setting, the intricate plot progression, character dynamics, and the controversial mid-series twist.
Setting the Scene: Nostalgia and Working-Class Youth
'A Hundred Memories' immediately captivates by immersing viewers in 1980s South Korea, specifically focusing on the strenuous, yet close-knit, lives of bus conductresses at Cheonga Transportation. The initial episodes are visually stunning, masterfully capturing a genuine sense of nostalgia through period-accurate fashion and cinematography. The tone is a compelling blend of slice-of-life youth drama and commentary on social issues, highlighting the hardships and camaraderie of working-class life, particularly in terms of labor conditions and the restrictive gender roles of the era. This unique backdrop makes the drama a distinct and pleasant early watch.
Plot Dynamics: Love, Loyalty, and Loss
The first half of the series diligently establishes the core emotional conflict: the tension between deep friendship and emerging first loves. The story centers on the intense bond between the two leads: Go Young-rye and Seo Jong-hee. The introduction of Han Jae-pil, a wealthy amateur boxer with a painful family past and a dynamic character who disrupts their world. While Young-rye harbors an unrequited crush, Jae-pil is initially drawn to Jong-hee and Jong-hee to him. Young-rye suppresses her feelings, a choice that underscores her profound loyalty to her friend.
The Catalyst for Chaos, the narrative turns sharply with a series of escalating crises:
Trauma Resurfaces: Jong-hee's traumatic past is exposed when her violent, abusive brother attacks her publicly. Jae-pil intervenes, resulting in a physical altercation where the brother is stabbed (a non-fatal but serious crime).
The Confession and Breakup: Jong-hee discovers Young-rye’s hidden feelings for Jae-pil. In a moment of complex emotion, Jong-hee breaks up with Jae-pil to protect her friendship with Young-rye, just as Young-rye had done.
The Work Incident: Amidst this personal chaos, Young-rye experiences backlash after successfully organizing a strike that wins better work conditions and work compensation for a colleague who was hurt on the job. Because of this, her boss harbours ill feelings towards her and accuses her of stealing. When he attacks her, Jong-hee steps in and stabs the boss with a pen to protect Young-rye. Fearing severe consequences, a panicked Young-rye urges Jong-hee to run away and disappear, promising to take responsibility. Jong-hee reluctantly flees, leaving everything behind. This devastating event triggers a seven-year skip. This narrative device has been the drama's most contentious point, as it feels so forced, highly dramatic, and life-altering, solely to justify separating the central characters and resetting the romantic chessboard.
The sudden shift felt like a disappointing leap into conventional melodrama, abandoning the initial charm of the youth slice-of-life genre. And perhaps that is intentional, forcing us viewers to wonder how the characters' relationships evolve after the seven-year time jump. I, for one, would love to see Go Young-rye come to realize how precious Jeong Hyeon is and how much more deserving he is of her love. I find him genuine with his love for her and her family.
Detailed Character Analysis
Go Young-rye (Played by Kim Da-mi)
Go Young-rye is the central protagonist and emotional anchor of the story. She is intelligent, responsible, and fiercely loyal, constantly battling her circumstances to be a pillar for her family. She is defined by her immense emotional capacity, which enables her to organize a successful work strike while simultaneously sacrificing her first love for the sake of her friend. Her defining moment is her frantic decision to force Jong-hee to flee, a choice that burdens her with immense guilt. After the seven-year skip, she is shown to be inseparable from her best friend Jae-pil. This closeness suggests her original, suppressed feelings may now be realized, which might set up a complex, guilt-ridden reunion.
Seo Jong-hee (Played by Shin Ye-eun)
Seo Jong-hee is a charismatic, confident, and slightly mysterious friend. She finds a genuine, deep, and healing bond in Young-rye's friendship after fleeing what we come to realize is an abusive family past. She quickly develops a romantic connection with Han Jae-pil after confirming that her friend didn't have feelings for him. Her sudden forced departure after she stabbed her and Young-re’s boss to save her friend's life is the central tragedy of the first half. She is seemingly absent for the subsequent seven years, but her eventual, hinted return is the key plot device for the second half, I believe, which is destined to force a confrontation about broken loyalties, lost time, and the painful consequences of the decisions the two friends make to save each other’s lives.
Han Jae-pil (Played by Heo Nam-jun, just wow)
Han Jae-pil is the wealthy heir and aspiring amateur boxer who carries his own emotional wounds. He is the unintentional object of affection for both friends, forming the love triangle. He shows genuine interest in and sincere feelings for Jong-hee, actively protecting her from her abusive brother. After seven years, he now seems to be best friends with Young-rye. His post-jump development would seem to revolve around the ambiguity of his current feelings: is his connection to Young-rye purely platonic loyalty and shared history, or has his feelings evolved in the vacuum left by Jong-hee? His emotional state is the time bomb set to explode upon Jong-hee's unexpected reappearance.
Ko Yeong Sik (Played by Jeon Sung Woo)
Ko Yeong Sik is the older brother of the female protagonist. He is a highly capable student attending a prestigious university to study law. He embodies the complex archetype of the "hope of the family" brother. On the surface, he can be blunt and grumpy, but this shell conceals a deep sense of responsibility. He is carrying the weight of his family's collective hopes, financially supported by Young-rye's sacrifices. He provides the emotional justification for Young-rye's dedication and appears to be developing a soft, complicating affection for Jong-hee before the time jump. I'm just not sure how this translates after the jump, if at all.
Jeong Hyeon (Played by Kim Jung Hyun, I adore him)
Jeong Hyeon is Ko Yeong Sik's best friend and fellow law student from a wealthy chaebol family. He harbors a quiet, unrequited love for his friend's sister. A deceptive nonchalance characterizes his personality; he is always watching and ready to step in to support Young-rye when needed, which makes him a hero in my eyes. His steady, hidden affection positions him as a reliable contender, a character whose feelings for Young-rye are unclouded by the guilt and complex history that ties her to Jae-pil and Jong-hee. My hope is that Young-rye wakes up to his genuine love for her and her family. He is far more deserving of it. At least this is what I hope the second half and seven-year jump bring to this story.
Setting the Scene: Nostalgia and Working-Class Youth
'A Hundred Memories' immediately captivates by immersing viewers in 1980s South Korea, specifically focusing on the strenuous, yet close-knit, lives of bus conductresses at Cheonga Transportation. The initial episodes are visually stunning, masterfully capturing a genuine sense of nostalgia through period-accurate fashion and cinematography. The tone is a compelling blend of slice-of-life youth drama and commentary on social issues, highlighting the hardships and camaraderie of working-class life, particularly in terms of labor conditions and the restrictive gender roles of the era. This unique backdrop makes the drama a distinct and pleasant early watch.
Plot Dynamics: Love, Loyalty, and Loss
The first half of the series diligently establishes the core emotional conflict: the tension between deep friendship and emerging first loves. The story centers on the intense bond between the two leads: Go Young-rye and Seo Jong-hee. The introduction of Han Jae-pil, a wealthy amateur boxer with a painful family past and a dynamic character who disrupts their world. While Young-rye harbors an unrequited crush, Jae-pil is initially drawn to Jong-hee and Jong-hee to him. Young-rye suppresses her feelings, a choice that underscores her profound loyalty to her friend.
The Catalyst for Chaos, the narrative turns sharply with a series of escalating crises:
Trauma Resurfaces: Jong-hee's traumatic past is exposed when her violent, abusive brother attacks her publicly. Jae-pil intervenes, resulting in a physical altercation where the brother is stabbed (a non-fatal but serious crime).
The Confession and Breakup: Jong-hee discovers Young-rye’s hidden feelings for Jae-pil. In a moment of complex emotion, Jong-hee breaks up with Jae-pil to protect her friendship with Young-rye, just as Young-rye had done.
The Work Incident: Amidst this personal chaos, Young-rye experiences backlash after successfully organizing a strike that wins better work conditions and work compensation for a colleague who was hurt on the job. Because of this, her boss harbours ill feelings towards her and accuses her of stealing. When he attacks her, Jong-hee steps in and stabs the boss with a pen to protect Young-rye. Fearing severe consequences, a panicked Young-rye urges Jong-hee to run away and disappear, promising to take responsibility. Jong-hee reluctantly flees, leaving everything behind. This devastating event triggers a seven-year skip. This narrative device has been the drama's most contentious point, as it feels so forced, highly dramatic, and life-altering, solely to justify separating the central characters and resetting the romantic chessboard.
The sudden shift felt like a disappointing leap into conventional melodrama, abandoning the initial charm of the youth slice-of-life genre. And perhaps that is intentional, forcing us viewers to wonder how the characters' relationships evolve after the seven-year time jump. I, for one, would love to see Go Young-rye come to realize how precious Jeong Hyeon is and how much more deserving he is of her love. I find him genuine with his love for her and her family.
Detailed Character Analysis
Go Young-rye (Played by Kim Da-mi)
Go Young-rye is the central protagonist and emotional anchor of the story. She is intelligent, responsible, and fiercely loyal, constantly battling her circumstances to be a pillar for her family. She is defined by her immense emotional capacity, which enables her to organize a successful work strike while simultaneously sacrificing her first love for the sake of her friend. Her defining moment is her frantic decision to force Jong-hee to flee, a choice that burdens her with immense guilt. After the seven-year skip, she is shown to be inseparable from her best friend Jae-pil. This closeness suggests her original, suppressed feelings may now be realized, which might set up a complex, guilt-ridden reunion.
Seo Jong-hee (Played by Shin Ye-eun)
Seo Jong-hee is a charismatic, confident, and slightly mysterious friend. She finds a genuine, deep, and healing bond in Young-rye's friendship after fleeing what we come to realize is an abusive family past. She quickly develops a romantic connection with Han Jae-pil after confirming that her friend didn't have feelings for him. Her sudden forced departure after she stabbed her and Young-re’s boss to save her friend's life is the central tragedy of the first half. She is seemingly absent for the subsequent seven years, but her eventual, hinted return is the key plot device for the second half, I believe, which is destined to force a confrontation about broken loyalties, lost time, and the painful consequences of the decisions the two friends make to save each other’s lives.
Han Jae-pil (Played by Heo Nam-jun, just wow)
Han Jae-pil is the wealthy heir and aspiring amateur boxer who carries his own emotional wounds. He is the unintentional object of affection for both friends, forming the love triangle. He shows genuine interest in and sincere feelings for Jong-hee, actively protecting her from her abusive brother. After seven years, he now seems to be best friends with Young-rye. His post-jump development would seem to revolve around the ambiguity of his current feelings: is his connection to Young-rye purely platonic loyalty and shared history, or has his feelings evolved in the vacuum left by Jong-hee? His emotional state is the time bomb set to explode upon Jong-hee's unexpected reappearance.
Ko Yeong Sik (Played by Jeon Sung Woo)
Ko Yeong Sik is the older brother of the female protagonist. He is a highly capable student attending a prestigious university to study law. He embodies the complex archetype of the "hope of the family" brother. On the surface, he can be blunt and grumpy, but this shell conceals a deep sense of responsibility. He is carrying the weight of his family's collective hopes, financially supported by Young-rye's sacrifices. He provides the emotional justification for Young-rye's dedication and appears to be developing a soft, complicating affection for Jong-hee before the time jump. I'm just not sure how this translates after the jump, if at all.
Jeong Hyeon (Played by Kim Jung Hyun, I adore him)
Jeong Hyeon is Ko Yeong Sik's best friend and fellow law student from a wealthy chaebol family. He harbors a quiet, unrequited love for his friend's sister. A deceptive nonchalance characterizes his personality; he is always watching and ready to step in to support Young-rye when needed, which makes him a hero in my eyes. His steady, hidden affection positions him as a reliable contender, a character whose feelings for Young-rye are unclouded by the guilt and complex history that ties her to Jae-pil and Jong-hee. My hope is that Young-rye wakes up to his genuine love for her and her family. He is far more deserving of it. At least this is what I hope the second half and seven-year jump bring to this story.
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