Surprisingly, this exquisite, sentimental, old-fashioned, romantic modern period piece, A Hundred Memories Korean drama, has proven itself to be my second favorite Korean drama for the year 2025, with the unforgettable Our Movie my number one favorite for the year. It is so well written and acted and directed, it's truly masterpiece level. It is set in the 1980's, a rather tumultuous time for Koreans that is rarely covered as a setting for their television dramas. (Some exceptions are Youth Of May and the classic 1995 Sandglass). I loved seeing the old cars, little TV sets, radios and cassette players, phonograph records, conservative clothing, and I also really enjoyed the lack of cell phones in the drama -- when characters wanted to talk to each other privately they actually talked in person, or on landline phones, instead of staring at tiny screens to communicate via text! Refreshing! When the characters ate meals together they all looked at each other in the eyes, not at tiny screens! Delightful! Those were the days! ;) The writer for this drama, Yang Hee Seung, had also written the excellent Crash Course In Romance and the fun Oh My Ghostess so I knew I was on a firm foundation choosing to watch A Hundred Memories. The Director was the multi-talented Kim Sang Ho (Can You Hear My Heart?, When A Man Loves, Thirty-Nine). Any director chosen to direct these fantastic dramas and now this beauty is O.K. by me! 

Our Leading Ladies (L to R): Shin Ye Eun, Kim Da Mi

Although there is a traditional romance in the drama, with a good looking man involved, the true love story here is really between the two lead girls who become fast friends and confidantes over the span of seven tumultuous years in the 1980's. They were played to perfection by two amazing actresses who kept me spellbound throughout: Kim Da Mi (Nine Puzzles, Our Beloved Summer, Itaewon Class) and Shin Ye Eun (The Glory, The Secret Romantic Guesthouse). I hope they both win lots of acting awards for their hard work on this drama! Our male leads were handsome and fun to watch here too but you go through the drama worrying most of all about whether the girls' deep friendship will survive any and all conflicts that arise over the years. These two actresses had SUPERB chemistry together, which doesn't always happen between first and second female leads

Our male lead is impressively handsome Heo Nam Jun (When The Stars Gossip, Snowdrop, When The Phone Rings) who did a fine job playing a very compassionate young man with true concern for others, who falls in love first with one of the girls, and then falls in love with the other as he matures his way through his twenties and recognizes who is the better match for him. I found myself wishing that there were more men in the world like his character, men who care more about the well being of others and not just themselves. I loved watching Nam Jun in this lovely role, definitely the best I've seen from him so far in his career.

Supporting male leads included some very fine actors who impressed me quite a bit with their performances, too, especially prolific Kim Jung Hyun (Crash Landing On You, Iron Family, Bing Goo, Dinner Mate, Jealousy Incarnate) with his usual delicious sparkle on screen, playing a man secretly in love with the leading lady character, plus Jeon Sung Woo (Goodbye Earth, Beautiful Mind, Diary Of A Prosecutor) who plays a man not so secretly in love with the second female lead's character. Rounding out our male secondary cast list are impressive actors Lee Won Jung who plays a young man in love with the female lead's friend; Yoon Je Moon (absolutely unforgettable as the wacky evil villain in King 2 Hearts!), and Park Ji Hwan (Black Dog) who plays a boss man you really yearn to clobber through your screen because he is never kind to anyone! Then later in the drama who should pop up but adorable Lee Jae Won (Master's Sun, Bridal Mask, Doctor Stranger, Strangers Again) and I squealed happily when I saw him. He always makes me laugh (even when he's trying to be serious). ;) Get him in more outright comedies, Korea!

From Left to Right: Jeon Sung Woo, Lee Won Jung, Yoon Je Moon, Park Ji Hwan, Lee Jae Won

And last, but never least, we have the magnificent veteran actress Lee Jung Eun (Oscar Winning Film Parasite, excellent dramas Miss Night And Day, Daily Dose Of Sunshine, When The Camellia Blooms, Radiant, Soundtrack 1, Lightshop) who always adds spectacular charm and ironic humor to every drama or film she has done since 2009! Here she plays the leading lady character's single Mom with "a potty mouth" who runs a little neighborhood food market while raising four children solo!

The Story:

 

In 1982 pretty and pert Koh Young Rye (Kim Da Mi) works very hard as a city public bus attendant for the Cheonga Transportation line, even though she sometimes struggles with feelings of motion sickness. Her bus number is 100 and it's always busy. After work she lives with a bunch of other girls in a city-owned hostel and these girls also work as bus attendants for the city. Most of the time they get along well, even though they are squeezed together at the hostel, but sometimes there are fights, especially with one temperamental overweight older girl named Kwon Hae Ja (Lee Min Ji) who thinks everyone should defer to her on all matters because she's the oldest.

Young Rye's two best supportive friends there at the hostel are Choi Jung Boon (Park Ye Ni) and Lim Ho Sook (Jung Bo Min) who always take her side when disagreements break out. All the girls get their meals there too so their cost of living is manageable in the big city.

One day working on the bus route Young Rye has an especially difficult day: too many riders are overflowing the bus she works on; she pushes hard to make sure everyone fits but before she can get back on the bus herself the bus driver takes off without Young Rye. She has to run after it calling out for the driver to stop. A beautiful young lady passenger helps Young Rye out by alerting the driver in an unorthodox manner -- with a flying scarf, and Young Rye is able to get back on the bus, frazzled but unharmed. Young Rye notices this beautiful girl who looks like a model and she is amused when she sees the beauty chewing gum and popping bubbles with it in her mouth. Both girls stare at each other intently.

Then later another fracas occurs when a rider refuses to pay his fare, and Young Rye is threatened by him but runs after him to confront him. She runs down an alley after him and the creep grabs a piece of wood nearby and threatens to hit her with it. Suddenly from out of nowhere a tall handsome young man arrives, blocks his aim, and the creep runs away in fear.

Young Rye had hurt her hand in the fight and this tall stranger walks towards her and knows exactly what to do to help her recover from her hand injury (oh, those Fix the Boo Boo cliche scenes, lol!). Young Rye stares at him with fascination and we can tell it's love at first sight for her. In the background some loudspeaker is playing the song Close To You. After he finishes helping her he walks away and Young Rye becomes determined to find out more about him. The only clue she has is the word Giant that was on the bandage he wrapped her hand in, and that eventually leads her to a small gambling storefront with unsavory characters going in and out. Such a nice gentleman is not likely to have anything to do with such an establishment, right? Young Rye is left without any answers about the man who very likely saved her life.

Then later, to her surprise, the beautiful stranger girl who had been on the bus previously, who had helped Young Rye out, is hired as a bus attendant too, and Young Rye gets to work with her and she grows closer to her each day on the job, as well as off the job finishing up high school, and even in their social scenes with friends at the hostel. So many new memories for Young Rye! Her new fast friend's name is Seo Jong Hee (Shin Ye Eun) and she confides in Young Rye that her greatest dream is to try out and win the Miss Korea Pageant someday. Young Rye is impressed.

Jong Hee's parents had died, and she doesn't get along with her brother Jong Nam (Jeong Jae Kwang) who is often a jailbird for committing petty crimes and for abusive behavior toward his sister and others. Eventually Jong Hee is adopted by a rich "mother" named Son Man Ok (Kim Ji Hyun) who really only adopts Jong Hee because she is such a compelling beauty that the new "mom" figures that someday the girl will make a lot of money for her via advertising for her business, and in possibly winning the Miss Korea Pageant in future, which comes with hefty financial prizes.

However, Jong Hee is still quite envious of Young Rye's authentic family life, including the love she receives from her real Mom, Park Man Ok (Lee Jung Eun), and her three siblings, including a quiet, studious brother Koh Young Sik (Jeon Sung Woo - loved his performance!) who is studying for a law career, and two grade school kiddies, cutie pies Young Bae (Kim Tae Vin, later Jo Yi Hyun) and Young Min (Park Ji Yun, later Kim Kyu Na).

Then Young Rye and Jong Hee are talked into going on a combined blind dinner date with friends, and in doing so Young Rye is shocked to walk into the restaurant and see the handsome rescuer who had mended her bloody hand that fateful day in the alleyway. She learns his name is Han Jae Pil (Heo Nam Jun) and he doesn't seem to remember Young Rye's face, but he does seem a bit mesmerized by Jong Hee's beauty.

Eventually they learn that he is smart but lazy about his schooling, preferring to box at the local ring instead as his hobby. His Dad Han Ki Bok (Yoon Je Moon) is well off, runs his own department store, and is very angry at his son for goofing off on his academics when he knows his son could do much better in school if he only applied himself. He had already been held back from graduating high school with a previous class and now his Dad demands he give up boxing and be tutored privately to get better grades. Jae Pil's step-mother, the very kind Sung Man Ok (Kim Ji Hyun), often tries to intercede for him with her husband, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. Ironically, the tutor who is hired for Jae Pil ends up being Young Rye's smart brother Young Sik, who also has a silent crush on Jong Hee. This ends up bringing this group of students together a lot more often because of their personal connections. They'll go roller skating, bicycling, or to the movies together, visit the beach, or eat at Young Rye's Mom's house for socialization.

As Young Rye senses Jong Hee and Jae Pil have crushes on each other she decides to bury her own crush from view. Besides, she has her own suitor soon enough, a rich young businessman and friend of the family named Jung Hyun (Kim Jung Hyun). She enjoys being around him but it's obvious Young Rye is still silently in love with her rescuer, Jae Pil. Jung Hyun becomes painfully aware soon enough that Young Rye is in love with Jae Pil. Despite that knowledge he still helps her out, like driving her around town when she needs to be somewhere quickly. What a good guy!

After several tragedies occur at Cheonga Transportation, including a bad bus accident that hurts the chubby attendant Hae Ja, plus attendant Jung Boon getting pregnant out of wedlock by a male worker named Kim Jung Sik (Lee Jae Won) who deserts her, and Jong Hee attacking their obnoxious boss No Sang Sik (Park Ji Hwan) with a pen when he tried to hurt Young Rye, both girls leave their jobs there.

Young Rye becomes a hair stylist to earn money to help her Mom and family make ends meet, and Jong Hee tries to grow closer to her rich adoptive mother so she can help out her business. The evil boss man is fired from work, can't find another legitimate job, and harbors resentment afterward towards both Jong Hee and Young Rye, planning someday to seek revenge on them both.

Years pass and all our main characters grow and mature in fascinating ways, even though sometimes they have disagreements and fights. In time Jae Pil even finishes college and medical school and becomes an intern at the local hospital. He becomes more compassionate than ever and finally realizes that he might just have more in common with Young Rye as a mate, rather than the more troubled, mysterious Jong Hee. Both girls confess to each other that they care about Jae Pil but know that it will be really up to him to make the final decision about whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Jae Pil is often the first person everyone goes to for help with medical problems as well. He even develops a better relationship with his taciturn Dad, especially after Dad begins to suffer from a debilitating illness.

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Jae Pil also remains best friends with his long term childhood male friend Ma Sang Chul (Lee Won Jung) who eventually marries Jung Boon, the bus attendant who had become pregnant out of wedlock by another man. He doesn't seem to mind about the child at all, and says he will always take care of her, too. So many compassionate men in this drama! (One of the reasons I loved it so much!).

By ironic coincidence both Young Rye and Jong Hee become contestants in the Miss Korea pageant! They both work hard at their preparation for the contest and even somewhat reconcile some past troubles they experienced along the way to the year 1989. However, still lurking in the background is their old boss man at the transportation company who had vowed to get even with them for causing him to get fired from his management job there. Tragedy could be just on the horizon for both girls, even as they compete for the title of Miss Korea on national television! Will he succeed in hurting or even killing one or both of the girls?

I really grew close to these characters (well, except for the evil boss man!) and I am sad to say goodbye to them. A Hundred Memories is a drama I will certainly be re-watching again in future. It was just fabulous and kept me entranced throughout its twelve episodes! Don't miss it! You can currently enjoy it streaming on either Viki or Viu. Have fun! 

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