Episode 1 At A Glance:

• The Meet-Cute: A lost scarf and a stopped bus forge an unpredictable connection between Seo Jong-hee (Shin Ye-eun) and Go Young-rye (Kim Da-mi).

• Central Conflict: Jong-hee’s bold entrance disrupts the social hierarchy of the bus guide dormitory, led by the antagonistic Kwon Hae-ja (Lee Min-ji).

• Bonding Moment: The laxative incident leads to a vulnerable rooftop confession of dreams (Miss Korea vs. Korean Literature).

• New Entrant: Boxer Han Jae-pil (Heo Nam-joon) is introduced, representing a third path of rebellious passion, setting up a future love triangle.

• Vibe: Less about plot twists, more about establishing tone—a blend of nostalgic warmth and the harsh realities of 1980s social pressure.

In A Hundred Memories Episode 1, opened its story on August 13 with a small yet striking moment. It was a moment that pulled two very different women together.

Seo Jong-hee, played by Shin Ye-eun, spotted Go Young-rye, played by Kim Da-mi, running toward bus number 100. Young-rye was working as a model bus attendant and had been urging more passengers onto the bus. But in her rush, she missed boarding it herself.

Jong-hee acted quickly. She waved her scarf out the window, signaling the driver to stop. It worked. Young-rye climbed aboard at the last second. But Jong-hee’s scarf blew away in the wind.

When they got off later, Young-rye tried to apologize. She offered to pay for the scarf. Jong-hee brushed her off with a strange mix of seriousness and teasing.

“It’s expensive. Pay me back later. And don’t read anything on the bus. You’ll get motion sick,” she said before walking off.

Young-rye watched her leave and muttered, “Speaking informally when we just met. It’s a disaster.” That single interaction hinted at the clashing yet magnetic energy between them.

Life on Bus 100 Begins

Soon after, Jong-hee showed up at the same company where Young-rye worked. She applied for the bus guide position despite having no experience. Her voice boomed through the interview room, surprising everyone. The panel hired her on the spot.

Her arrival stirred the guide dormitory. Jong-hee’s assertive and sometimes blunt personality unsettled her new coworkers. Kwon Hae-ja, played by Lee Min-ji, led the silent resistance against her. The others followed her lead.

Despite the tension, Young-rye stepped in to help Jong-hee. When Jong-hee was ordered to buy snacks late at night as a form of hazing, Young-rye joined her. But the next morning, everyone who ate the snacks ended up sick with diarrhea.

The chaos only deepened the divide. Yet Jong-hee stood her ground. She faced the hostility without flinching. Young-rye, torn between loyalty and caution, stayed near her.

That night, the two discovered laxatives hidden in a coworker’s bag. The colleague insisted they were cold medicine. Young-rye tested them herself to prove it and ended up running to the bathroom repeatedly.

Between complaints about being hungry, she and Jong-hee cooked ramen together.

On the rooftop, their guard slipped. Young-rye shared her dream of studying Korean language and literature.

Jong-hee revealed she wanted to become Miss Korea and later an actress. The scene showed their youth, their yearning, and their secret hope for bigger lives.

They spent a day off together wandering the city. Their friendship started to grow roots—messy, fragile, but real.

Glimpses of First Love

While the two girls were finding their rhythm, another story quietly formed. Han Jae-pil, played by Heo Nam-joon, entered the frame. Young-rye met him by chance on the street.

Jae-pil’s life carried a different kind of pressure. His father opposed his boxing and pushed him to focus on academics. Their arguments turned violent. His father accused him of wasting time, reminding him that he had already lost a year to illness.

Jae-pil kept fighting anyway. He sneaked into underground boxing matches, even fighting while injured. After one match, he escaped pursuit and stumbled into a theater. There, he came across Young-rye and Jong-hee waiting for a movie.

The two women almost screamed, startled by his sudden entrance. Jae-pil quickly hushed them, creating an awkward yet electric moment.

This scene isn’t just a cute meet-cute. In 1987 South Korea, social hierarchies were strict, and youth aspirations often clashed with filial duty.

Jae-pil’s rebellion against his father and his dangerous underground boxing mirror the era’s simmering desire for individual freedom against a backdrop of control—a theme reflected in the bus guides’ rigid dorm life.

That short encounter hinted at a coming triangle of friendship and love, though none of them knew it yet.

Ending

A Hundred Memories blends nostalgia with tension. It carries the bright colors of 1980s youth but places them against harsh realities. Jong-hee and Young-rye work under strict rules as bus guides, watched by seniors who value order more than warmth.

Their friendship begins not through kindness, but through resistance.

At the same time, Jae-pil stands as a symbol of risk. He represents passion that refuses to bend, even when it costs him everything. His path will likely collide with theirs again, and not gently.

This opening episode focused more on tone than twists. It showed the beginnings of a fragile bond and hinted at a love story waiting to erupt.

It left behind questions rather than answers. Can Jong-hee and Young-rye stand together against the world around them? And will their friendship survive once love enters the space between them?

Final Thoughts: “A Hundred Memories” Episode 1 masterfully uses its 1980s bus setting not just as a backdrop, but as a metaphor for movement, transition, and the people you meet along the way.

It’s a character-driven premiere that prioritizes emotional authenticity over melodramatic twists, making its moments of connection—like a shared pot of ramen after a disastrous prank—feel truly earned.

Where to Watch: New episodes air on JTBC Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 PM KST. International viewers can typically find it on streaming platforms like Viki shortly after, depending on their region.

📌 Bookmark