After six weeks of joy and heartache, “A Hundred Memories” wrapped up with a well-deserved happy ending for every character. While there were moments that left viewers frustrated or wishing the story had taken a different turn, the finale delivered a deeply satisfying conclusion. From Young Rye (Kim Da Mi) and Jong Hee’s (Shin Ye Eun) friendship surviving the turbulence of competition to both female leads finally achieving their dreams, here are three things we loved about the finale.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
Jong Hee becomes Miss Korea
Becoming Miss Korea has been Jong Hee’s dream since the very beginning of “A Hundred Memories,” even before the opening credits started rolling for the premiere episode. Ever since she was a child, she has longed to become Miss Korea Jin (the winner). Her dream stems from a lifetime spent without love; she has always wanted to become someone cherished by the nation, someone who finally receives the affection she has been denied.
However, that dream starts to feel out of reach when her adoptive mother refuses to let her participate in the pageant. After much pleading, Jong Hee finally gains permission to apply. Still, viewers were unsure whether she would win the title for three main reasons.
First, Young Rye had already won the Miss Seoul Jin title, while Jong Hee placed as the first runner-up. Second, in recent episodes, Young Rye’s life seemed to be turning around. She found the love of her life and earned a spot in the pageant. Finally, she needed the prize money to fund her education, a dream she had held since the beginning of the drama. Considering all this, along with her position as the female lead, it seemed only natural that Young Rye might end up winning Miss Korea Jin.
Thankfully, that is not what happens.
From the start of the competition, Jong Hee is shown as passionate and determined, putting in every effort to earn bonus points and achieve the Jin title. While Young Rye also works tirelessly, sometimes harder than any other contestant, this victory feels like the one thing Jong Hee truly deserves, a moment that makes every hardship she has endured worthwhile.
Young Rye gets into college
To some viewers, Young Rye’s decision to join the pageant and later the Miss Korea competition initially came across as selfish. But as she clarifies in the final episodes, she did not know Jong Hee would also be participating. If she had known, she would have withdrawn. Her only reason for entering was to fund her education and help her family financially.
While this choice may have seemed like a sudden creative twist from the writers that changed Young Rye’s character, a closer look shows consistency. Her motivations remain rooted in responsibility and sacrifice, the same values that have defined her from the very beginning.
Despite her hard work and dedication, Young Rye’s lack of pageant experience puts her at a disadvantage. She finishes as the first runner-up, not quite a loss, but still short of winning the prize money she needs. In a touching turn of events, Jong Hee chooses to give her prize money to Young Rye, helping her realize her dream of going to college.
Their friendship becomes stronger than ever
At its heart, “A Hundred Memories” is a story about female friendship and the struggles two young women face while chasing their dreams in the 1980s.
For Young Rye, life has always been defined by duty. As the eldest daughter, she cannot fully enjoy her youth. She takes crash courses “just in case,” holds back her emotions, and constantly puts her family’s needs before her own. Jong Hee’s life, in contrast, has been marked by loneliness and instability. With no parents and an abusive brother, she has spent her life running from place to place, searching for love and safety, only to lose it all while trying to protect her best friend.
Even when they reunite years later, their struggles continue in new forms. Young Rye keeps postponing her dreams for her family’s sake, while Jong Hee, adopted by a wealthy woman, finds herself treated like a doll in her adoptive mother’s mother-daughter fantasy rather than being loved sincerely.
Their shared ambitions, competing for the same title (Miss Korea) and even the same man, Jae Pil (Heo Nam Jun), could easily have torn them apart. In one of the final episodes, when Jong Hee breaks down after being slapped by her adoptive mother and lashes out at Young Rye, it feels like their friendship might end for good. But Young Rye proves otherwise. She saves Jong Hee’s life, not out of guilt or obligation, but simply because that is who she is. Her love and loyalty toward Jong Hee remain unwavering.
Likewise, Jong Hee comes to understand that Jae Pil’s heart belongs solely to Young Rye. Although he may have loved her once, that moment has passed, and she learns to let go gracefully.
In the end, despite all the pain, misunderstandings, and hardships, their friendship endures, and that is perhaps the most beautiful message of “A Hundred Memories.”
In the end, “A Hundred Memories” gave every character an ending that felt fitting and true to their journeys. While there were moments that could have been handled differently, for instance, building more chemistry between Jae Pil and Young Rye from the start to make their pairing feel less sudden, or having Jong Hee take more responsibility instead of blaming her best friend for her own choices, these imperfections ultimately made the characters feel frustratingly human.
Even with its flaws, “A Hundred Memories” managed to shine in its own quiet, heartfelt way, much like Young Rye and Jong Hee’s shabby yet sparkling youth.
Catch the final episodes of “A Hundred Memories”:
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Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of clichés are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.
