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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I haven’t found a show as funny as this yet. For me, it’s a 10 all the way through. Here’s to hoping there’s a season 2!
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Undeniably funny, there is no way you can sit through these performances and not be moved by their humor. A big bow to the screenwriters their talent is without effort but still so deep. This drama is the funniest I’ve ever watched and it’s not only the actors that make it funny but the storyline itself was really well thought of and handed to the audience for amusement only. If you’re having a bad day watch an episode of this you won’t regret it , you won’t even want to stop honestly this was really great about to go watch it again
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I also wanna give a big thumbs up to the ost,everytime "Waikiki wonderlaaand" came up,i was turning my volume all the way to 100 lol. I even added the song to my spotify list,that's how much i loved it.
So i really recommend giving it a try,It's the perfect drama to watch when you want something refreshing and something to destress.
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Lee Yi Kyung is so full of energy !! Haha !
The only thing that was a little off was when Joon Ki gets into a regular acting role and his relationship staggers a bit. That's when the fun atmosphere gets a bit affected but hey you won't dwell in the dullness for too long. Haha !
If you are stressed or bored or need some laugh, GO FOR THIS DRAMA !! You won't regret it !
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An Octopus Costume and a Gut Punch: Waikiki’s Surprising Emotional Curveball
Some dramas sneak up on you like a soft breeze. Others slam through your emotional walls like a marching band in clown wigs—and Welcome to Waikiki belongs gloriously to the latter. It’s wild. It’s absurd. It involves being trapped in a giant octopus suit, enduring rogue hair removal cream incidents, and navigating baby poop disasters. But beneath all that beautifully deranged exterior lies a drama that understands the quiet war of adulting: the slow, unglamorous hustle toward your dreams, the ache of self-doubt, and the healing magic of being surrounded by people who never stop rooting for you—even when you're wearing a lion costume in the middle of a film audition.At its core, Waikiki is about three friends—Kang Dong-gu (Kim Jung-hyun), Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung), and Bong Doo-sik (Son Seung-won)—who are clinging to their creative dreams while managing a failing guesthouse in Itaewon. The place is falling apart. Their bank account is allergic to commas. And then one day, a baby and her single mom, Han Yoon-ah (Jung In-sun), arrive out of nowhere and change everything. What begins as a simple comedic setup turns into something much richer: a story about makeshift families, the resilience of young adults trying to find their place, and the deep emotional rewards of not giving up—even when everything tells you to.
Let’s start with what made Waikiki not just a comedy but a statement piece wrapped in laughter: its women.
For a drama that aired in 2018, Welcome to Waikiki was decades ahead in how it portrayed its female leads. These weren’t just love interests or side dishes to male-centric narratives—these women moved the story. Han Yoon-ah, the single mother, is a masterclass in softness being mistaken for fragility. She never once raises her voice, but her boundaries are iron-clad. She doesn’t let trauma define her, nor does she perform resilience for applause. She simply lives—delicately, powerfully, and on her own terms. When she tells Dong-gu, “Go to Dubai. I’ll be here when you return,” it isn’t just an indirect proposal. It’s a mic drop moment in emotional maturity.
Then there’s Kang Seo-jin (Go Won-hee), Dong-gu’s sister, and perhaps the most emotionally intelligent person in the entire guesthouse. She’s a dreamer, yes, but never desperate. She slaps a harasser mid-job interview and walks away from her “dream job” with her dignity intact. And Min Soo-ah (Lee Joo-woo)—once a fashion model, now broke and living in the same guesthouse as her ex—isn’t reduced to comic relief. She’s given the space to crumble, rebuild, and confess her feelings under anesthesia (as one does). All three women make the first move in their respective relationships. They initiate the first kiss. They speak their truths. They are never accessories—they are architects of their own arcs.
This dynamic, where female characters drive their own narratives without overshadowing or being overshadowed, is nothing short of revolutionary for its time. And the men? They’re beautifully messy. Dong-gu is neurotic and temperamental, but he’s never controlling. Joon-ki is flamboyant and goofy, but his pain is real, especially when faced with the slow death of his acting dreams. And Doo-sik, the quietest of the trio, is a soft soul hiding under layers of hesitation. The three of them may start the show as comedic clichés, but by the end, they are fully-realized, heartbreakingly human.
What Waikiki does best is balance. It takes the most ridiculous moments—Joon-ki ended up stalking his own fans because he never had one before, or Dong-gu and Yoon-ah somehow stuck planning their wedding that was paid by their landlord just because they lied to avoid paying rent—and pairs them with scenes so emotionally raw they catch you off guard. The image of Seo-jin, alone on her birthday, staring at two uneaten steaks while waiting for Joon-ki, is one of the most quietly devastating moments in the show. It’s a comedy that’s not afraid to pause, take a deep breath, and ask you to feel something real.
And let’s not forget the soundtrack. “Waikiki Wonderland” by Ulala Session and “Would You Come In” by MIND U provide the energetic, slightly unhinged tempo that mirrors the daily disasters of guesthouse life. But it’s the softer tracks like “Grown Up” by Cho Eunae and “Cheer Up” by Choi Sangyeop that land the emotional gut punches. When Yoon-ah stands alone in the hallway questioning her worth, and that guitar starts strumming? That’s not just a scene—that’s an emotional mugging. And we thank it for that.
Is it perfect? No. Some of the tropes are familiar, some jokes a bit too slapstick, and the parade of side characters might be overwhelming if you’re trying to keep track of names like it’s a K-pop lineup. The 20-episode length may also seem daunting to those used to breezier rom-coms. But Waikiki earns every one of those minutes. You stay not because you’re binging, but because this wild house of misfits starts to feel like home.
The final episode ties everything with a bow—not a neat, sterile ribbon, but one that’s frayed at the edges and lovingly patched together. Joon-ki almost throws away his career for love, only to be hilariously saved by a bigger scandal breaking just before his press conference. Doo-sik, passive for most of the show, is finally nudged forward when Soo-ah confesses under anesthesia. And Dong-gu? He gets rejected mid-proposal, only for Yoon-ah to gift him something even better: trust. Faith. And finally—acceptance, as her daughter calls him “Appa” in a tearjerker of a goodbye scene.
Verdict:
Welcome to Waikiki may have been marketed as a slapstick young-adult comedy, but what it delivered was a soul-soothing story of found family, emotional growth, and the kind of love that doesn’t always shout but shows up anyway. It’s about failing spectacularly, crying about it, then putting on a silly costume and trying again the next day. In an industry flooded with love triangles and chaebol clichés, Waikiki carved its own little corner of heartfelt chaos—and it will stay with you long after the final credits roll.
So if you’re looking for something that will make you laugh so hard you snort and cry so suddenly you check if onions are nearby, Welcome to Waikiki is your next stop
Final score: 9/10
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YEE--AH___________get it.
This Lighthearted Comedy Romance was silly fare. A group of immature young adults co-habitate and co-manage a foreigner guest house named "Waikiki".There is hardly a moment the writers don't jam a comedic element down our throats. I'm joking here, but it's as if the writer had notebook after notebook of comedic material, finally got a chance to do their first show, and just poured all the notebook material into one show in case they never got a chance to do another show. Every prop seemed like it was possessed with comedic spirit; toothbrushes, breastpumps, sweaters, facial hair, MiniCars named Rebecca, and other objects could not escape from the flooding of comedic material. With that much attempted humor crammed into 20 episodes, there was bound to be a few gems and high points. However, much of the comedic material was forced, cringey, or redundant. That being said, I still enjoyed the overall feeling of comedy, even if it was tiring at various points of the show.
Here's an example of gems vs. failures. One of the gems -the scene that I saw in a trailer that pulled me into viewing the show - was Han Yoon Ah rapping "Yee-ah____get it" to Kang Dong Goo. It was unexpected and shockingly funny; her facial expression of seriousness was priceless. Yet, as delightful as that scene was, Yoon Ah's rapping for another famous rapper was uncomfortably flat and boring. I couldn't wait for that scene to be over. Crafting comedy and delivering on it is not an easy gig.
Other gems: the 'finger pointing language' scenes with Park Sung Woong were good. Totally dumb things like the deep V open chest sweaters the guys wore I couldn't help but laugh at. The show put out such a variety of humor that most people can connect with at least something.
All 6 main cast were pretty strong; all had strong moments, but all fell victim to mediocre plots/comedic vignettes as well. Song Hyun Joon was a strong support role. Baby Sol was a solid part of the show. Although I like to see K-dramas take risks and include non-Korean cast, I felt the non-Korean cast in this show did not work well. The non-Korean guests and Korean hosts interact awkwardly, and as a viewer, I felt that second hand awkwardness, too.
The romance is silly and essentially another variety of comedy. It was difficult to feel true chemistry in the various romantic pairings, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
The music was effective for the story with its lighthearted and playful vibes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Slapstick comedy done right
We should keep in mind comedy is always subjective before starting this show. Personally, the comic element of the show mostly falls under slapstick or satirical forms, it may not be for everyone taste. So, instead of going through reviews i suggest give it a try and decide for yourself.Coming to the story, 3 average young men with the help of their sister running a guest house while barely making their ends meet but still have sprit to pursue their dreams; throw a kid with single mother in to the equation and chaos starts. Most of times its about these 5 dealing their life struggles in comical way, there are some heart tugging moments too. Do watch it for entertainment not for story.
Acting wise, all the main cast has done good job capturing essence of their characters but it baby sol who steals the show with her cuteness for me. If you want to spend weekend at house or sick or just want to off your brain and enjoy TV; this show is definitely binge worthy to put a smile back on your face.
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Story: (10) There was not one boring moment in this drama. Each and every moment made me laugh so hard. The storyline was also hilarious.
Acting/Cast: (10) I think the cast worked together very well. Their chemistry looked very real, and they all looked very close. Because of how seemingly close they seemed, the acting was also very entertaining to watch.
Music: (9) I don't really focus on music but there wasn't a moment where I felt that the music wasn't fitting.
Rewatch Value: (10) A fat ten, I think I will rewatch this drama a lot from now on. I have just finished this drama today, but I am already aching to rewatch it. Since there isn't much drama and much things for me to get salty over, I enjoy this drama.
Overall: (10) Overall, a 10. I think this drama is so fun, and if you're in a bad mood, it will definitely cheer you right up. It will make you laugh so hard that you'll start to cry. I hope everyone can enjoy this drama like I did!
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