Though I don’t post on the blog like clockwork, I do automatically think of ways the title relates to the theme or message of the kdrama as soon as I finish the first episode.
Here, it’s straightforward. The way I see it “A Hundred Memories” can refer to three things.
1. The title refers to the abundance – and splendor – of memories growing up in the 80s.
This drama belongs to an emerging genre called “newtro melo.” As its name suggests, “newtro” means a fresh take on the popular culture of the past. It’s considered “melo” because the nostalgia inherent in this genre inevitably gives rise to overly sentimental and emotional scenes.
Cinematography plays a huge part in creating this “newtro melo.” For instance, in the opening scene, the muted colors and natural lighting bring to mind vintage photographs and old films. Instead of choppy and hurried actions, the passengers waiting for their bus to arrive are filmed moving languidly. This slo-mo effect gives the illusion of time slowing down. Then, the blurred faces of the passengers and soft images of the background mimic the foggy way our brain remembers the yesteryears.
From the start, the cinematography transports the viewers back in time to an idealized world.
2. The title refers to the memories of Go YeongRye as the conductor of the Local Bus #100.
For her, her memories begin on that fateful morning when her bus #100 almost left her behind had it not been the quick thinking of Seo JongHui (JY). JY flagged her scarf outside the bus window to draw the driver’s attention to the abandoned YeongRye. When the bus finally stops, YeongRye recounts,
“And that’s how our story begins. We were young, but our lives were exhausting and threadbare. But because we had each other, we shone ever so brightly. The you and me of those radiant days. And…”
It’s interesting that YeongRye halts in mid-thought and leaves us viewers hanging.
To me, she can only be referring to JY when she speaks of “you and me of those radiant days.” JY burst into her life like that bubblegum JY had been chewing on the bus.
I get YeongRye’s fascination for her. JY was the one who pushed her outside of her comfort zone, inspired her to be as flamboyant as JY’s fashion wear and showed her to resist the herd mentality of the other girls in the dormitory.
Nonetheless, in pausing her stream of consciousness, YeongRye keeps secret WHO else was with her and JY during those radiant days or WHAT else contributed to their days shining “ever so brightly.” I don’t think we need ten guesses to determine that the male lead, Han JaePil is the WHO in question, and the girls’ heady experience of first love is WHAT added sparkle to their days.
3. The title can also refer to the memories of the male lead, Han JaePil (JP), as that poor little rich kid who never had to ride on Bus #100.
As for him, his memories of his youth begin on that fateful afternoon when he hid inside the movie theater and encountered the two girls. He met JY for the first time, and YeongRye for the second time. He recounts, “Back then, there was a thirst inside us that we couldn’t bear unless we ran. Not even knowing what it was we wanted, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to stop. It was like driving with no brakes. And at the end of that road, I met you. And that is how this story begins.”
(Note: I’m using the subs from hitv instead of viki this time because it’s more poetic, lol.)
I like that the voiceovers of YeongRye and JP function like bookends to Episode 1. Hers appears in the beginning, and his appears at the end. Moreover, just as YeongRye trails off and doesn’t finish her thoughts, JP is ambiguous about the identity of the person he’s referring to. Does he mean YeongRye or the bestie JH?
The way I see if JP is talking about love at first sight, then it can’t be YeongRye because they already met once and he didn’t appear smitten at their first meeting. He had rescued her from a fare evader, and after wrapping her wounded hand with his hand towel, he walked away without so much as a backward glance. It was YeongRye who heard Karen Carpenter singing that cloyingly saccharine song “Close to You” in her head.
However, if JP is talking about that kind of love with a sense of purpose and devotion, then I’m betting on YeongRye.
You see, at this stage in their lives, both JP and the bestie JH are running from something/someone like a runaway vehicle without brakes. Only YeongRye is the expert in a love that’s grounded, deeply rooted, and stable as a rock.
For instance, JP takes up boxing, not to win competitions, but to:
a) protect the weak people from the bullies (he probably felt he failed to protect his mother when he was a kid) and
b) redirect/release the aggression he feels for his father (he saw his father abusing his mother).
(Note: I think his father’s ditzy and drama-obsessed wife is his stepmother, and the young girl SeRi is his stepsister.)
It’s because he’s running away from his unresolved childhood trauma and father-son relationship that he underachieves in school and appears aimless in life.
Meanwhile, the bestie JH is in no better state than JP.
She’s also running away from someone. She most likely conned for a living or stole money from someone (the money she hid in the teddy bear), hence she’s on the lam. I wouldn’t be surprised if YeongRye was the first person she wanted to protect.
In comparison to these two “runaways,” YeongRye appears to be the only one capable of a steadfast love at this point in time. After all, that’s how she loves her family. Because she doesn’t want to be a financial burden to her mother, she drops out of high school and supports herself as a bus conductor, even though she gets motion sickness on the job. Because she doesn’t want to deprive her older brother of law school, she studies for her GED diploma at night and collects certifications instead of college credits. And because she doesn’t want to neglect her little siblings, she makes time to drop by her home to see them.
Although she acts dorky in some ways, she acts mature in the essential ways.
However, I’m not invested in a YeongRye-JP endgame. Though I think that she’s a better proposition in the long run for the male lead JaePil than her bestie JH, I don’t mind if they don’t end up together. The reason is I’m rooting for Jeong-Hyeon, the rich friend and classmate of YeongRye’s oppa. There’s something about the brief scene with the rolled omelette in Episode 2 that won me over.
YeongRye’s mom offered a plate with four pieces of rolled omelette to YeongRye’s oppa after nagging him about looking ill. But before he could take one, his friend JeongHyeon speared two rolls with his chopstick. When the mom and oppa groaned in displeasure at his inconsiderate move, JeongHyeon simply took the plate with the remaining two rolls and placed it beside YeongRye. YeongRye in turn passed the plate to the bestie JH, urging her to eat. But JH gave the plate to the YeongRye’s young siblings, and the youngest ended up spearing the last two rolls and gobbling them up.
This Korean version of “Hot Potato” tells us that JeongHyeon isn’t as indifferent to YeongRye as he appears. He likes to call her “Ugly,” but he has a soft spot for her. When YeongRye informed her mother that she had applied for night school with her bestie JH, her mom’s immediate reaction was to worry about the costs. It was JeongHyeon who stepped in and reassured her mother that all expenses would be defrayed by government subsidies. Then, to change the topic, I think he started teasing about her face.
Mom: You think bookbags and school supplies are free?
JeongHyeon: Don’t worry, Mother. The subsidies from the government will cover pretty much everything. (turning to look at YeongRye). Anyway, Ugly! A high school girl has got to be pretty. You’re in big trouble. You’ll get kicked out if you’re ugly.
Bestie JH: (giggling)
YeongRye: Seo JongHui! Don’t laugh! Don’t react to what he says. Just eat.
JeongHyeon: (protesting) Why?! (with fake concern) Hey. You’ll really get kicked out! You can probably set a record.
Meaning, she’ll probably set a record in being kicked out of school because of how ugly she is.
YeongRye’s brother: (pushing him to eat and stop teasing YeongRye)
JeongHyeon: JeongSik, your sister is really ugly.
YeongRye’s brother: Just eat!
JeongHyeon: Are you her brother?
YeongRye’s brother: (laconically) No. I’m her father. Just eat.
I get that JeongHyeon isn’t expected to play a major role in the script and that the actor playing him only made a special appearance. But I don’t mind if he shows up in the ending like “Mr. Daddy-Long-Legs” and gain her affection. In my opinion, the male lead, Han JaePil has too much baggage to become YeongRye’s “one true pairing,” and I’m frankly not in the mood for a woman-redeems-the-man-with-love trope right now.
I’m too lazy to edit my post so I’ll add my notes here on their ages.
*****
The print on the hand towel says “Giant 10th anniversary 05.21.1982.”
So, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll assume the story occurs around 1982.
The girls were born on the Year of the Rabbit. 1963 was the Year of the Rabbit.
1982 – 1963 = 19.
The girls are 19 years old in 1982.
The Unnie in the dormitory is 23 years old and she “guesstimated” the new girl (bestie JH) to be 4 or 5 years younger than her. She’s right.
According to google, a 12th grader in South Korea is around 18 years old (international age). The male lead had to repeat a grade so he’s older by a year than his other classmates.
He’s 19 years old like the girls.
If all three of them are alive in 2025, they’ll be 62 years old.
**********
I must say that the male lead actor, Heo NamJoon, doesn’t look anything like a 19 year old even if I squint hard. Besides he’s already 32 years old in real life.
Jeong Hyeon wanted to offer financial help to YR’s family after the mother’s accident. He backed out when JH offered her help first.
I liked Jeong Hyeong too. I wish he had a bigger role.
Yes. JeongHyeon arrived a few minutes late. 😂
In a way, he reminded me of that second male lead in “Reply 1988,” the one who lived to ridicule Hyeri’s character, calling her ugly, putting her down, bullying her. Deep down, however, he was in love with her the whole time.
He stupidly missed countless opportunities to tell her.
To top it all, he got beaten by Taec (played by Park Bo Gum) whom he’d dismissed as slowpoke and absent-minded and too Baduk-focused to pay attention to love.
“Reply 1988” is probably the prototype of this “newtro melo” genre that’s become popular nowadays.
Also, the brand new kiddie horse ride that YeongRye bought for her mom with bestie JH’s money, reminded me of the kiddie horse ride in “Reply 1988.”
When DeokSun and the boys were young they rode on that horsie line-up. When Taek arrived in the neighborhood, he too joined them on that thing. That was one of Taek’s fun memories of growing up with the gang.
Last night I finished Episode 1 of A Hundred Memories. I noted that company buses are marked with 100 inside a circle. At first I thought it designated a route number, but all the buses in the yard have the same mark. Company logo?
At the very end of the episode, after the montage, there’s a quick scene I might have missed if I’d clicked on Next Episode: the camera focuses on a house gate at the top of stairs. Lighting is dim, so it’s probably evening. The feel is claustrophobic. There’s the sound of glass breaking. The gate opens, and Seo Jong Hui exits, carrying a suitcase. Her face is bruised.
Earlier, during a private confrontation between Jong Hui and the room bully, JH prevents the mean-tempered unnie from hitting her, and says that one thing she hates the most is violence.
The ML, Han Jae Pil, also has a history of abuse in his home. His way of dealing with it is to practice in a boxing gym. He has no desire to pursue a professional career, preferring the role of sparring partner. When he fills in at a competition for an injured teammate, memories of his father’s brutality lead him to compete without pulling punches. And yet, when he’s back at home after winning his bout, he submits to caning by his father. Later, during a street scuffle with other schoolboys, one of whom was the rising star at the gym who missed an opportunity to complete because of an ankle injury, we again see that Jar Pil is able to fight without emotional constraint.
To deal with the violence he experiences at the hands of his father, Jae Pil equips himself with skills to fight back with his fists. Jong Hui rejects violence outright. This issue will likely become a big one, perhaps a deal breaker, between JH and JP as their relationship evolves. She wants to break the cycle of violence.
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