I only have fond and happy memories to look back when I think of Welcome to Waikiki. Nothing else matters.
The laughter and relief Welcome to Waikiki provided each week is tantamount to those friendship circle getaways which make your tummy aches with too much laughter by remembering the most joyful memories.
- Main Cast: Kim Jung Hyun, Lee Yi Kyung, Son Seung Won, Jung In Sun, Go Won Hee, Lee Joo Woo
- Streaming Sites: Netflix | Viu
- Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
- K-Dramas of Similar Vibe: It’s Okay That’s Love | A Gentleman’s Dignity | Flowerboy Series | Hospital Playlist | Prison Playbook
One of the best dramas for me this year in terms of its intangible value to make the viewers feel good and smile from ear to ear. When robots and slice-of-life stories seem to dominate the K-drama sphere in the first half of 2018, Welcome to Waikiki came suddenly, armed with wacky ideas and uncaring if they are out of place among the bunch of stories currently airing.
A dose of this delightful drama invigorates loyal viewers each week in rooting for the guesthouse underdogs and their big dreams, and the weirdness of it of course.
Welcome To Waikiki Peak Points
Funniest Drama Ever!
Welcome to Waikiki premiered to hilarious hijinks and laughter party as promised by the teasers. The brotherhood of three unfortunate friends, who operate a guesthouse to support their filmmaking dreams, consistently ran an impressive comedy spectacle with a surprisingly engaging storyline.
The cleverly written series injected comical scenarios deviating from the slapstick humor. Each chapter sprints well-thought comic scenes that do not deflate while connecting the stories of each cast member perfectly in the whole picture. The vibrant cast consistently executed the engrossing plot with energizing moments, owning their characters well each episode.
The brotherhood of wacky dreamers
When I saw the casting of the zany male lead trio, I signed up right away because of the actors’ versatility along with their reputation to have wholehearted character immersions. So I couldn’t be any happier when I hit a jackpot with the drama’s cleverly written script.
While the three were terrific together, each has his own distinctive charm which contributed to the overall success of the production. The subunit anecdotes when two from the trio pair up on maverick scenarios called by the story generated some of the most hilarious moments in the narrative. On solo moments, the lead male cast is just golden.
Kim Jung Hyun
The actor looks perfectly cut for dreamy rom-com roles, and is adept in contemplative characters, with his portrayal as Kang Dong Gu that positively highlights the range of personas he can work on. Choosing to challenge himself to induce laughter from the audience could have been a risky move, but he pulled it off successfully through his rendition of a love-crazed-director-wanna-be guesthouse owner.
Lee Yi Kyung
Among the three actors, Korean drama regular followers would know that Lee Yi Kyung nails comedic roles coming from his supporting role experiences. He rose to the occasion, and provided an endearing showcase of his journey as a beat role actor, who has done the goofiest things for drama or film part that he auditioned for in the story.
Son Seung Won
Innocent Du Shik functions as the stabilizer for his two friends since one has issues with his temperament while the other tends to succumb to impulsive actions. His dream of becoming a writer along with finding romance and falling in love too easily led him to funny twists and turns and healthy doses of laughter.
The Adorable Love Pairings
Eventually, the guest house birthed to love pairings of equally amusing worth. The couples and the funny road to get through its fulfillment yielded the addictive spurt of Welcome to Waikiki.
It helped also that the friendship stories bonded the romantic elements of the narrative.
The Memorable Cameos
Who would forget the cameo appearances of popular actors which colored Jun Ki’s acting journey? The clever writing for Welcome to Waikiki reflects on how all those quick celebrity cameos punched impactful funny moments in the story without breaking the consistency.
The Supportive Female Leads
The different attitudes of the female leads locked the smile-inducing clique of the narrative. It’s a refreshing sight to have heroines suiting up well for comedy owing to how timing and actions had to coincide properly. On that note, we couldn’t be any happier to witness Yoon Ah find her worth as a woman, Soo-jin claiming the love she deserves, and Yoon Ah chasing her dream at her own pace.
Welcome To Waikiki Series Musings
Welcome to Waikiki sprints to a big pile of happiness pill during its run, capitalizing on the brilliant synergy of its small cast, who were keen to display their best out of the character sketches laid for them.
The balance of romance and comedy was fused to perfection, but the breakthrough comedy skits could be credited to the drama’s success.
This is one drama that k-drama followers should definitely watch this year. Whether on a binge-watch or after a day’s work, the amazing cast of Welcome to Waikiki will never ever let you down.
Photos: jTBC
