Welcome to Waikiki Season 2

Wasted!!

Season 1
The drama did a great job in blending humor and heart, creating an enjoyable mix with a lively dynamic, for the most part. The comedy was sharp and varied, ranging from slapstick to witty banter, however, this didn't apply for every segment and joke. Some of these went on for too long or weren't interesting in the slightest, these were also more present in the 2nd half than the first one. Nonetheless, not only the drama had great humor but also had a progressing story that fit right in. The dynamic chemistry among the cast enhanced the comedic timing, while the well-paced storyline balanced these moments with memorable scenes. Speaking of dynamics, Doo Shik remained a sidekick and a third wheel in every situation and scene, he was never a lead and always the weakest link, even the actor himself. The drama should've wrote him better to fit the dynamic rather than having a wasted slot. Anyway, it's an enjoyable fun watch for what it had to offer. However, I highly advise against watching season 2.

Season 2
In comparison, season 2 was a complete utter failure in all regards, however, as a stand alone drama, it was a passable cheap inoffensive forgettable watch, for the most part. It failed miserably to capture the same magic that made the first season so endearing. The second season felt like a pale imitation, struggling to find its footing. One major issue was the lack of continuity in the cast, with many beloved characters and dynamics from the first season absent with no worthy replacements. This shift disrupted the chemistry and dynamic that were crucial to the show's initial charm. The new characters, while sometimes amusing, didn't bring the same level of depth, humor and relatability, resulting in a series of forced and often flat comedic moments. Speaking of comedy, the writing in season 2 leaned heavily on repetitive gags and clichéd scenarios, lacking the creativity and originality that kept the first season fresh and engaging. Not to mention its poor job in recycling some of the gags and scenarios, as well as most of the romances and its archetypes from season 1. Seriously shameful! The brief storylines were disjointed, and the emotional moments that once balanced the humor now came across as contrived and artificial. The romantic relationships, while they never were the main focus, were really stupid and tasteless. The pacing also suffered, with episodes dragging without the slightest engaging interplay of humor and character moments that previously defined the show. Second season tried to replicate the success of its predecessor but fell quite short, the charm, wit, and warmth that made the first season a hit were noticeably missing. I highly advise watching S1 and ignoring S2.

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Far Better than 1st , Low expections High comdey ( don't trust the other reviews )

Guys don't trust the other reviews here :)
Watch it without any bias or expectations.
I watched 1st season & just completed 2nd but for me, 2nd is much better than the 1st season.
I rated the 1st season 7.0 bc I didn't like the show & too overrated, only continued bc of Lee Yi Kyung. other characters were annoying as Hell.
Lee Yi Kyung was also the reason I watched the 2 season but unexpectedly it was far better than the first one. I laughed my ass off many times, last 3 episodes are the only okay episodes but other than that every episode was fun.
My rating for 2 nd season is 8.5
P.S: Try to keep ur expectations LOW, u will truly love it

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Hit and a sort of miss - play the long game and you'll be rewarded.

SPOILER WARNING:
OK - here we go. Having jumped into this having just finished the wondered Welcome to Waikiki, expectations were high,
Maybe too high...
A few things really irritated me.
1. Lee Yi-Kyung's character, Lee Joon-ki had become overly slapstick compared to S1 and dare I say it, quite annoying. Which is a shame as we know him to be a joker with a heart of gold.
2. In fact, there seemed to be too much slapstick comedy/mayhem in the first few episodes - something seemed to go wrong in each scene, let alone each episode.
3. Shin Hyun-soo's character, Gook Ki-bong wast written as a lovable idiot - with too much on the idiot. For example, there is an episode where after a lot of failures for the character, he tries to assemble an Ikea desk for his girlfriend, Yuri. This could have been a great example to show that he's not just a one-trick pony but had this hidden talent. Sadly that was not the case.
4. This was the most important irritation though - the story took five episodes to really get going. Ordinarily not an issue as it;s supposed to be a goofy comedy - however, the second half of the story had so much heart that it needed a couple of extra episodes to do it justice.

OK, that's the negatives out of the way - if you've got this far then thanks.
Waikiki 2 is a hilarious comedy though - not as good as the first one and some of the jokes are rehashed from the first series as well as separate episodes from Friends!! But if you want a good laugh (and I mean belly laughs) then this is an easy watch.
The main love story is nice between Moon Ga-young (Su-yeon) 💜 and Kim Seon-ho (Woo-sik) is nice but for me it the one with Woo-sik's older sister Yoo-ri (played by Kim Ye-won) - she had a great character arc, starting out as this manipulative annoying person to someone who was really caring and quite lovely and a story arc that I wanted to know more about.
Similarly, we see a side of Joon-ki's character that shows real class in his behaviour that deserved more screen time.

All in all, it's a great watch. Like I said in my review of the first one, it really is K.F.R.I.E.N.D.S. but it didn't bother me at al. Go watch it.

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it was nice you'll enjoy it but not WOW
it seemed to me the better version from season 1
but with less comic
the plot was good and the story was more solid

same characters from season 1 but with different actors
nothing new

i dislike the second couple (yi kyung & so hee)
at first season i liked him more with (won hee)
but i dislike his character in both
he seemed to fabricates sense of humor

my favorite couple were (hyun soo & ye won)
i was so excited when i watch their scenes
they were so cute really

for me i can watch every now and then but won't keep it in my favorite list

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There will be two parts to this review. The first part focuses on this season of Eulachacha Waikiki on its own and the second part compares both seasons 1 and 2.

1st part:
First of all, it is not necessary to watch the first season of Eulachacha Waikiki in order to start this season. It was briefly explained at the beginning of the first episode how things came about and why there's a new set of people (except for the character Lee Jun Ki (played by Lee Yi Kyung). The story pacing is sort of slow in terms of development, but also fast when it came to other things. It seems that the production team struggled with creating a story line that would be balanced enough that the audience wouldn't feel that things are progressing too slow or too fast. Particularly, I found that things were very rushed and crammed in the last 2 episodes (which I'm guessing left a lot of viewers like myself a little disappointed?)

In terms of acting, it was as you would expect from a sit-com drama and the actors did well portraying their respective characters. Particularly, I was fond of Jun Ki (from S1; but he is still the same for this season), Ki Bong, and Yu Ri. Their characters were the type that would draw you in and keep you enjoying each episode. There was also Jung Eun, Woo Shik, and Soo Yeon that have their own charms that are not really at your face, but you'll find yourself rooting for them and their dreams. Although I must admit that it was rather difficult to get invested with Jung Eun's character (played by Ahn So Hee) at first because you're not entirely sure what she's going to bring to the table, but towards the middle you'll start to see that the actress has grown relaxed with her character.

The OST and the use of music was alright and I am glad that they still used the same theme song from the first season.

Overall, I believe that Eulachacha Waikiki 2 is a good drama to watch. Many could relate to the characters, situations, and circumstances especially when it came to working for one's dreams. It would make you smile, laugh, and empathise with the characters' stories.

2nd part:
It would be difficult not to compare this season to the first season when the first one had set the bar up high (the series even got an extension because people loved it so much!) It cannot be helped that some actors could not return (due to different reasons) and therefore the favourite main characters that we know and love from the 1st season are just stories of the past in this season. I do admit that the way that they brushed aside the previous characters wasn't really the best...? I was especially upset about Seo Jin and Jun Ki's relationship ending the way it did when they made us fall for their story in the 1st season.

This season focused more about the characters' dreams/jobs and romantic relationships whereas the 1st season seemed to have a better balance and also included more involvement of the actual guesthouse into its plot. Where we could see the friendships and romantic relationships gradually developing and working out in the 1st season, the 2nd season seemed to feel more... rushed and forced (this is just my opinion)? It was obvious which characters would end up together because the writers were putting their characters in such a way that could hopefully(?) put them together. It also borrows some elements in terms of moving the (romantic) plot along from the 1st season and it just felt sort of a repetition. Also, as I have mentioned above, they have dragged some of the romantic progressions throughout the entire series that the last 2 episodes just went "They're together now!" only 'cause those 2 characters were made to interact more with each other than with the rest of the cast. And... the writers seemed to only know one method to make characters realise their romantic feelings ASAP — one word: jealousy. If there is any romantic storyline that could convince you to watch this season, it's Ki Bong and Yu Ri's. Their relationship progress seemed to naturally happen and their characters are loveable and cute.

Speaking of characters, Jun Ki was still Jun Ki in this season. I hoped more for him in terms of his career as an actor, but he still remained as an unpopular/unknown actor here too. Though I'm glad that they kept his car, Rebecca, because she was an important character from the 1st season! Woo Shik is more timid than Dong Goo. He is also more... at the back in terms of the entire plot? He is an aspiring singer and that is shown in the drama enough, but not as much as his feelings for Soo Yeon. It can be argued that Dong Goo's storyline in 1st season involved a lot of romantic feelings for Yoon Ah, but he was still present as brother for Seo Jin, as a friend for Jun Ki and Doo Shik, and the main caretaker of the guesthouse. Sure, Jun Ki, Ki Bong, and Woo Shik were written to be friends, but I believe that we could see more of this friendship aspect from the 1st season with Jun Ki, Doo Shik, and Dong Goo. As for Ki Bong, his character was such a nice addition because you just want to root for him so bad and you would want the best for him. I also hoped more from Jung Eun as the character who would hopefully fill in the shoes of Seo Jin, but I am sorry to say that the actress's "meh" portrayal (in the beginning at least) was... disconnecting, and the writers seemed to not have an idea how to do this. She is also an unknown actor like Jun Ki and they are best friends, but the writers focused on her feelings towards Jun Ki and forgetting to show that she is working hard to reach her goals too. Yu Ri's character was a nice touch to the series as she acts as everyone's older sister and looks after the younger ones and gives them advices or moral support. Her relationship with Woo Sik, her brother, was fun to watch. It's adorable how she calls him "brother." Lastly, there is Soo Yeon who I felt the most disconnected to. Unlike Soo Ah from the 1st season, the introduction of Soo Yeon seemed to be only for the romantic feelings of Woo Sik for her. She also had dreams and the drama has shown her working for that, but that also made it that she is distant with the other characters (with the exception of Woo Sik). They are shown to be interacting, but there are barely any that you could fully consider them as "close." At least, that's how it appeared when I watched the drama.

As a whole, the 1st season seemed to be written a lot better than the 2nd season. This is in terms of plot, romantic plot, development, and characters. Everything seemed to tie in together, their relationships and friendships were well connected. The 2nd season was enjoyable too, but probably not as quite enjoyable or relatable than the 1st season. It can be argued that the 1st season is better in this sense because of the extension, but that really is not a good reason to organise the plot of the 2nd season to fit 16 episodes. I really do think that the production team could have done a lot better. Hence my middle-ish rating for this title. Perhaps my expectations were too high? Or perhaps it really is just that they have failed to deliver a just as good writing for this season? I have no idea, but it doesn't take away that this drama was fun and entertaining to watch. I would still recommend that others watch it regardless of having seen the 1st season or not. It is still a good drama (if you just maybe overlook the ending like I did)!

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A Disappointing Follow-Up

Waikiki Season 2 was a bit of a letdown for me, especially after the high expectations set by the hilarious first season. This time around, the storyline seemed to lack the smooth flow and cohesiveness that made the original so engaging. While the season attempted to bring back the humor and charm by introducing new characters and exploring further adventures within the Waikiki guesthouse, it somehow missed the mark.

The balance between comedy and the emotional depth that was so well-executed previously felt off this season. The attempts at humor didn't land as effectively, and the addition of new faces, while refreshing, didn't fully compensate for the narrative's overall disjointedness. It felt as though the show was trying to recapture the magic of its first season without a clear direction, leading to episodes that felt more like a series of unconnected events rather than a cohesive story. Despite the cast's commendable efforts to bring their characters to life, it didn't live up to the expectations.

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PREFERRED THIS SEASON TO SEASON ONE

I think this is an unpopular opinion, but Season 2 worked better for me than Season 1. Season 1 was more laugh-out-loud funny, but the gross toilet humour and the first male lead’s (Kang Dong Du played by Kim Jung-Hyun) lack of respect for his love interest’s initial rejection made it hard for me to watch so I dropped it.

Season 2 was the best of both worlds - it combined humour and heart. It was way more heartfelt than Season 1 and although it had the same set-up, it worked out better for me. The actors in Season 2 also had better chemistry and stronger lovelines in my opinion.

My only wish was that we got to see the characters in Season 2 have the successful careers they wanted on screen, but I’ll have to canonize that in my head.

A solid watch overall. Time flew by so quickly. It was bittersweet to say goodbye.

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Thoroughly enjoyable!

I wasn’t sure about watching this due to the top reviews being low, but I loved season one and had withdrawals after I finished so I decided to give this a go. I’m so happy I did! I think season one was so good that it’s hard to live up to, but season two is great and I fully enjoyed it. I even got a little teary at the end, realizing there was no more for me to watch! Consider this its own story rather than a “sequel,” since the events and characters of season one aren’t addressed aside from some repeated plot points/jokes. Joon-ki is as charming and spirited as ever and though I missed the old gang at first, the new cast quickly grew on me, Woo-sik in particular. His reactions and expressions are so funny that sometimes I’d rewind just to watch the subtle changes of his face. There are a number of scenarios so hilarious I want to shake the hand of whichever clever writer came up with them, and I say that as someone who's picky about comedy! I will say there's more toilet humor than necessary - strange they kept falling back on that, since many of the other set-ups were so creative - but hey, you win some you lose some. All in all, while this season wasn’t quite as stellar as the first, it still gave me almost everything I’d missed: the humor, the warmth, that cozy comfortable feeling of the guesthouse and the found family there. I'll be rewatching both seasons!

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I love S2 as much as S1.

First of all, situation between S1 and S2 is very diffrent: Seo Jin and Joon Ki breaks up, rest of friends (maybe) move out from Waikiki and old friends of Joon Ki from collage and high school move in. We don't get to know what's was wrong, why this is happening, but I, after some time, come back to watching S2. You CAN be disappointent, but giving a chance to S2 maybe be good idea, because:
• Relationship between Seo Jin and Joon Ki wasn't that awesome - Joon Ki at first wanted to give up because he saw Seo Jin as a kid, and at the latest episodes of S1 they were near break up, so, it's possible to they to have a break up after S1;
• The characters, even without cast from S1 is good - we get to know other people, who are in other profesions (not related to themselfes) and being good friends, every of them are diffrent, even diffrent from characters from S1, and I'm sure you'll love them;
• As in the S1, S2 has some of the Waikiki style - even if in front it looks like it's kind of scheme, you can love it, because of funny, crazy moments, not typical relationships and romances

I'm sure, even without reading all of my review, you can love this drama, after watching more than one episode.

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