Laughter in Waikiki is one of the most refined sitcoms to ever come out of the Korean Drama Industry. This drama propels illogical and nonsensical themes, while still managing to produce many Laugh Out Loud moments throughout the entirety of its runtime. Simply put, Waikiki is the laughter dose you require to relieve your stress and your mood. To be honest, this drama has to be crowned as the king of comedies. Now let's delve deep into the nitty gritty of this.
Story: Laughter in Waikiki is a sitcom and thereby the story isn't its strength. Three unsuccessful friends struggling in their respective fields, connected by the spirit of moviemaking, run a guest house in Korea. The story seems a bit too simple at the beginning however, the drama introduces new characters slowly and gradually and fleshes the story out. However, the sitcom format removes the seriousness of the twists and turns in the plot, because we as viewers know that there is a gag around the corner despite the circumstances.
Acting/Cast: I believe that the heart of the drama and all the gags the drama manages to pull off lies solely on the power of its characters and their performances. Every character has a subtle comedic nuance to them, and this provides the drama with a unique feel which isn't usually found in most of the dramas. One character that outshines the rest of them is almost undoubtedly LEE JUN KI! He is the spine of the comedic element, and he alone manages to uplift the standard of the show. However, the show exploits its limits at times and this is where the characters felt a bit too exaggerated to me.
Music: This show has pretty good ost, and the songs match the overall feel of the show. I especially love the song "Cheer Up" as it accurately paints the essential motto of the show, i.e., to cheer up its audience.
Rewatch Value: I would love to rewatch the best moments of this show at times where I need an upliftment of mood. However, rewatching the entire season would kill me, to be honest, cause the show is too damn funny. HAHA!
TL;DR: Laughter in Waikiki is a unique gem in the Korean drama industry that manages to leave a mark on the comedy genre despite its outlandish characters and a somewhat predictable story.
P.S: SEASON 2 WOULD BE AWESOME! LOVE TO SEE THE GANG AGAIN WITH AN OLDER "SOL" MAYBE?
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Secondly, the female lead, where do I even begin? Not only was she as bland as a flavorless curry, but she lacked depth and was just extremely....dull. Apart from her, I did like the characters individually, but when involved in a love story is when I retreated, and I mean, for all the characters. I didn't ship any of them together. I honestly thought I'd ship the best friend and the main lead's sister, but just, no...the sister's personality after dating Junki just...she became annoying basically, and I mean, with her exaggerated aeygo (hey, that's just me, I'm just not a fan of aeygo) and among other traits that's shown within the relationship.
The show should've been kept short and sweet in my opinion. It stopped being funny for me after 15 or so episodes I believe. Nevertheless, again, apart from the female lead because I didn't get much from her, the rest of the actors were amazing at their roles, and I specifically mean the 3 male actors, I do hope they receive an award this year for their individual performances, forget the best couple award. Or hey, a best couple award between the 3 maybe?
The only reason I've given this a high 4/5 star rating is for the initial episodes and for the 3 guys.
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This review may contain spoilers
Comedic brilliance
This is a 2018 South Korean television drama with 20, 60 minute, episodes. Main cast:?Kang Dong-gu (Kim Jung-Hyun) wants to become a movie director. He is kind hearted but unlucky.
?Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung) He is the son of a famous actor who hopes to mirror his father’s success but is only able to land small roles.
?Bong Doo-sik (Son Seung-won) A mostly unemployed freelance writer.
?Han Yoon-ah (Jung In-sun) A single mother with no family or resources.
?Kang Seo-jin (Ko Won-hee) An aspiring journalist and Dong-gu’s sister.
?Min Soo-ah (Lee Joon-woo). A beautiful girl and famous model who is Dong-gu’s ex.
Three friends decide to go into business together in Waikiki and buy a guest house. Their business is failing until one day an unlikely source of fortune, a single mother and her baby, show up and things turn around.
spoiler ? I loved this for sheer comedic appeal. It is a little like Seinfeld in that the characters do the most outrageous things. I seriously have not laughed so hard since I do not know when. There is friendship and romance and that is also great but the comedy steals the show. My daughter and I both thought it was funny so the humor spans generations. If you need a good laugh then treat yourself to this wonderful series.
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Eulachacha Waikiki is a ligh rom-com and that's why I think it's so easy to watch. The story didn't have a huge plot twist and the characters don't have shocking background stories. It's a very down to earth and realistic drama so I found myself relating a lot to the characters pain and happiness. They also go through a lot of downfall and heartbreak before succeding in life and I think that a lot of us can relate to that.
The acting in this drama was a 10/10 for me and all of the actors were on point, but Lee Joon Ki was the one who stole the show for me. He was so funny, charismatic and his character was portrayed to perfection. I found myself crying with laughter at 3am while watching him. And who could forget Sol. She is the cutest baby i've ever seen and she was definitely an adorable touch added to the drama.
The other characters were hilarious as well. But, like another person wrote in a review (and i absolutely agree) Han Yoon Ah and other characters didn't have a lot going on for them, they were a bit 2D. But to be honest, I think that adds to the "realistic essence" of this drama, so I didn't mind that a lot.
The music was a 8/10, I really loved the ost to this drama and I think all the musics fit in really well. Waikiki Wonderland by Ulala Session was my favorite song and because of it I got really into the band.
I would definitely say this drama has a 10/10 rewatch value. I will most definitely be watching Eulachacha Waikiki again, again and again because I really can't get over how good this drama is. I seriously recommend this to people who just want to watch a light hearted drama who will make you laugh your a** off and help relieve your stress and anxiety.
The only bad thing that I have to say about this drama is that it's over. TT
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In regards to the actors, I think everyone did a pretty great job with their roles. The only person I had a bit of trouble with was Jung In Sun - she was a good actress, but I think she had some trouble showing us the inner turmoil and mixed feelings her character was having in regards to her love interest and so it made her difficult to read and interpret, especially early on. I think her acting and representation of her character significantly improved in the last quarter of the drama when compared to when she initially rejects her perspective love interest more toward the beginning of the drama.
What I really loved about this drama aside from the comedic aspects of the story telling, was how there was no "bad guy." There wasn't someone who was ridiculously malicious or evil for the sake of moving the plot. Everyone had well-rounded characters who all made mistakes and tried their best to fix them or make amends. The conflicts weren't drawn out or bogged down with melodrama, instead they resolved things relatively realistically (with of course, the comedic flare). Another point I'd really like to make in recommending this drama would be that every conflict was resolved. The drama is definitely slice-of-life, showing us how we might fight with our loved ones and how inevitably, we figure things out without super grudges or vendettas.
If you are a fan of the ABC Family, Baby Daddy, or simply enjoy slice-of-life with romance and some serious comedy with a non-rushed ending, I would highly recommend Eulachacha Waikiki. You won't regret it and you absolutely won't be able to stop binge watching it, so maybe start on a Friday night. ;P
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Definitely a drama to watch when you're looking for something that can lift your mood, after a tiring and long day with a good drink or something sweet to eat.
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Took me 3 months to finish watching this drama
Overall a very funny drama. The jokes and antics are extremely dumb but still really funny. There's absolutely no plot though. I couldn't even really bring myself to watch this while waiting for new episodes of ongoing dramas. However, the cast and acting were pretty good, with Lee Yi-kyung being the star of the show. Other than that, yeah... Nothing interesting, really. I think I only started to be more excited to finish the drama after the 15th episode. It was otherwise a very painful journey from episode 1 to 14.In summary:
What i liked - Lee Yi-kyung, Baby Sol, humour
What i disliked - the lack of a plot
Star of the show: Lee Joon-ki, played by Lee Yi Kyung
Rating: 4.5/10
Watch if you enjoy watching dramas that require you to shut down your brain
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The best character of the whole drama was jun ki . He had the most hilarious scenes.
So in my review i a just gonna say that if you hv watched the American sitcoms like how i met your mother and you expect it to be of that level that than please erase that thought from your mind right now.
It is not bad but there are many Korean dramas which are not even sitcoms but still more funnier than it .
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Too much slapstick
While the concept was good and I laughed and giggled at some scenes (the suitecase theft...ect) I cringed at most of the "Funny moments" which relied too much on a character doing something dumb of embarrassing. The second hand embarrassment I had while watching every episode was painful. Most jokes were predictable, slapstick and standard (changing diapers, being catched in a lie...ect)As for the characters, the 3 male leads were great, the FL was dull, wasn't even funny, and didn't have much chemistry with anyone. Heck his ex-GF was more suitable as FL of a sitcom, and their story was more interesting. I'm not even going to talk about the useless love triangle we have to sit through in every drama.
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Let’s weigh this painfully amusing drama on our drama beam balance and see what makes it a treat to watch.
Good Weights
I enjoyed watching Laughter In Waikiki because…
…they made the biggest of problems look trivial and easy to overcome. Lee Jun Ki gives innumerable auditions and works as the silliest of sidey characters but never ever complains about his life being too difficult. Instead, he overcomes every failure with his wide toothy grin and continues working hard. Kang Dong Gu’s girlfriend dumps him after realising that he is no good and will never succeed in life. He feels depressed and takes his time to recover from the wound but once he is out of the ditch he never slips into it again. Instead, he moves on to focus on his newfound love interest and re-joins his previous job as a video director. Bong Doo Shik is a typical freelance writer who juggles a part-time job along with the guest house while continuing to follow his passion for writing. At no point does he ever think of giving up on writing and taking up a full-time office job. He works hard towards achieving his dreams and does everything he can to keep writing.
If the men in the show were having a hard time, the women in the drama were not having it any easy either. Han Yoon Ah abandons her infant knowing that being a single mother is not easy and that she may never be able to bring up her daughter well. However, she soon realises her mistake and returns to her baby. She then toils hard at the guest house only to be able to raise her child well. Min Soo Ah dumps Dong Gu in the most ruthless way and when she is left on the streets after being conned she returns to Dong Gu knowing that he is the only person who can help her. Soo Ah is materialistic and selfish but she is also very honest and sincere. After failing to make it big as a model she tries her hand at business and gives her all to make it a success. Kang Seo Jin wants to become a reporter but she keeps getting rejected by every agency she applies with. The rejections break her spirit but not her determination to survive. Even when she encounters problems at work, she takes it in her stride and does her best to surpass her senior’s expectations. When you read about the problems the characters are facing it may seem like a serious drama but Laughter In Waikiki is anything but serious. It is hilarious to the core.
…it is funny like no other drama. Even when facing serious life problems the writing is so funny that you forget that the characters have problems in the drama. The script is smooth-flowing and consistent. The show performed so well that it was extended by four episodes and despite the extension, the story did not suffer as it went on at a good pace with the humour quotient as high as it originally began with.
…all the six main characters on the show are well-rounded and show individual developments in the story. I liked how every couple in the drama had its own trajectory and a reasonable growth in the story. The writing focused on every couple and ensured that none of them was side-lined. In most dramas with parallel storylines, I tend to like some and ignore another but in this drama, I loved all the couples.
Not to forget the catalyst in the drama, the little munchkin Sol who would steal the show with just a chuckle. The little baby in the hoodie with ears would be the centre of attraction in every frame she appeared in. I will miss seeing her the most.
Bad Weights
I did NOT LIKE Laughter In Waikiki because…
…it made my stomach hurt with laughter. I would catch-up on this drama over the weekends while having lunch with my family and would always choke on my food. So basically, I could not watch this drama while eating. I am warning you too from watching this drama while eating something. There is no way you can watch it without cracking up.
I give Laughter In Waikiki 4.5 out of 5 rating. This drama is the best stress reliever for anyone. No matter which genre of drama you enjoy watching the most. Do not miss Laughter In Waikiki because such good quality comedy dramas are rare to find.
Originally posted on AlphaGirlReviews.com.
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the show that has the most weird, hillarious unexpected scenes.
Seriously there were more laughs in one episode than any drama ever.
Also i loved it more than F.R.I.E.N.D.S american show and the whole Hollywood comedy industry No Exaggeration !
it's really well made.. i can say simply the writer and director is the best ever. I'm so in love with every detail ! the cast and acting even the baby "Sol" the show-stealer really so adorable, osts, stories & every single detail!
Thinking about it i wanna jtbc give us 20 seasons not just a S2 with 20 ep .
Really BIG LOVE to this show THANKS JTBC ^^
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(Over all rating --- Eulachacha Waikiki South Korea 2018 Drama (9.0 *) - / +20/20 )
Reasons--
Eulachacha Waikiki (2018)
Genre-- Romance ,Drama ,Slice of life ,comedy .
1. Story -- When i started watching after reading the summary then this feeling was there ( AHH its the repetition )
but in just half an hour ,nah its new there is something new in this script . Later it become unavoidable and
helpless to watch whole season in one go. comedy between the actors was like daily life which was good and realistic
not something underhanded or forced comedy.
At first i thought that its the same story as the movie from two famous film industry.
Hollywood -- Three man and a baby (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Men_and_a_Baby)
Bollywood-- Hey Baby (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heyy_Babyy).
as time passed something new comes in every episode and it always puts you seated to the chair.
over all nice story ( 9.0/10)
2. Casting -- This drama casted some superb actors ,those who are not well known in korean drama industry .
But sure they act very well and fullfill there role very perfectly.
Kim-jung-hyun is my fav after School 2017 ,
Jung In sun, Lee yi kyung ,Go won hee and others etc.
Over all Casting ( 9.0/10 )
3. Music/Songs -- There is not that much to mention about Song but music is very nice in terms of romantic
feeling and creating romantic atmosphere like in 18 Ep music playing while lead actors kiss
scene is playing.
over all M/S ( 8.0/10 )
4. Direction /Screen /others --- wondreful direction by the director and its team .Nice location for shooting and other things
It does not bother and feels liitle by lttle attachment by this drama .
So for the direction team we are waiting for 2 Season.
over all Direction (9.0/10)
5.Ratings -- Average audience view rating for this drama is ( 2.081% ---2.3% )
Note:-This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC & EBS).
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