# Welcome to Waikiki (2018)

> Three struggling Seoul men sharing a guesthouse chase their dreams of film, acting and writing while humor and heart collide.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/66291

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 36
- Episode runtime: 65 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Song Ji-eun
- Network: JTBC
- Cast: Kim Jung-hyun, Kim Jong Yoon, Shin Hyun-soo, Jung In-sun, Mun Ka-young, Lee Yi-kyung, An So-hee, Son Seung-won
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7890304/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, witty, sincere, wistful, breezy

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim the show for blending sharp, varied humor with heartfelt character moments and a chemistry-driven ensemble, though some segments run long.

## Synopsis

Welcome to Waikiki (2018-2019) is a South Korean television sitcom drama created by Song Ji-eun for JTBC. Kang Dong-Goo (Kim Jung-hyun) dreams of becoming a film director but has been dogged by bad luck and cynicism, while Cheon Joon-Ki (Lee Yi-kyung), who hoped to follow his father into acting, is now only a minor actor, and Bong Doo-Sik (Son Seung-won) arrived in Seoul to become a scenario writer and finds the work far harder than expected. Their lives tangle inside a shared guesthouse, where the friction of cramped cohabitation, shifting romances and money troubles drives the everyday episodes. The show runs across two seasons and thirty-six episodes of roughly an hour each, and it moves through slapstick bits and witty banter as easily as through quieter stretches about family and ambition. Its mood is warm, sincere and a little wistful, with a comedic register that leans on the sharp chemistry of its cast. Fans of Friends, Reply 1988 and slice of life Korean dramedies will find resonance in its blend of humor and heart, its ensemble of young adults and its portrait of creative dreams deferred in a crowded city.

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