Work Later, Drink Now Season 2 (2022)

Fun, exciting, engaging and entertaining - just a bit diluted.

I would be lying if I said I did not have a fun time watching. So Hee was as unique as always, Ji Yeon as crazy and Ji Gu as grumpy. Their friendship was still the best and strongest part of the whole show (till one specific scene). Compared to season one, it also focused on them outside of their friendship, so we’ve got less group drinking moments, but instead could see them interact with other people more.

One thing I liked was the fact Kang Buk Gu did not really feel like the main character. I don’t think he had more scenes or importance than for example Kim Sun Jong, which I don’t complain about since he was never a character I looked for while watching the episodes even in season 1. It might be something that others dislike though.

The issue I had with this season is how disjointed it felt. First two episodes don’t fit into the timeline at all and while I understand they had to give a proper closure to the events from season 1, I am not sure they handled it in the best way storytelling wise. And the similar “individual stories not quite connecting together” feeling lasted for the whole duration of the show.

Some episodes were truly great, some were nice, some were not memorable at all. The quality fluctuated a lot. As a whole it was less funny, less moving and less entertaining. It’s still a great drama though, far above the majority of comedy shows. It just pales in comparison to season 1.

The arc this time was them as individual people learning how dependable they are on each other, and how it does not always have positive effects. I understand it on paper, but I think it was not quite well presented in the show itself.

Then, there was one side plotline that was the biggest issue for me. Without giving any spoilers of what happened, the events just made me question why these 3 girls are even friends and how did this friendship last so long. We got an unsatisfying conclusion to an extremely complex problem. The writing of this one side plot was so bad, I actually lost any interest in ever rewatching season 1 and 2. I just cannot see the friendship in the same light anymore (more about it in a comment below).

Performances were amazing - great continuation of the phenomenal deliveries from previous season. It truly feels as if the actresses were born to take these roles.

Overall, you can sense that this season is different and I think the change of the director is obvious. Personally I preferred how Kim Jung Shik handled the story. Season 1 was my first 10 in 2 years. While season 2, while I don’t regret watching, I would not exactly recommend others to check out.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " Work Later, Drink Now " is the continuation of the hit drama, concerning three friends who enjoy drinking.

Admitably, the second season has a weaker plot, compared to its prequel, often falling into cheesy trops and sometimes even trying too hard to produce laugher, having the three leads going through rediculous situations, which made the whole story unbelievable.

On the other hand, there were some solid moments, especially towards the end, or when the drama explored the background of the leads and their family bonds. However, some storylines were left half baked.

Finally, the performances were enjoyable by everyone in the cast. But the three main leads stole the spotlight every time.

So, overall, six and a half out of ten.

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Emotionally a 10, rationally an 8

This show's strength is the friendship, tbh in s1 too I complained alot about the plot points being too convenient, cliche, dejavu, idk what to call it but everything had happened before in other tv shows, every scene felt familiar

So this shows strength was the friendship, this season half of it was dragged and wasted on the yoga instructor and her brother. They weren't funny but maybe they were a bases built to show and focus on bow jiyeon doesn't build relationships essily, she can't
make female friends and ofc non of the guys ever wanted to just be friends, Sun Jung was practically withered out until she realized jiyeon has loyalty and isn't as shallow as she seemed



Non of these girls are perfect, they are all flawed, so different and so full of baggage. That's the point here

Sohee is an emotional time bomb eventho she acts "go with the flow" and easy going
Jiyeon hides her deepest emotions eventho she "always says the truth with no filter"
Jigoo doesn't show "vulnerability" and has too much "pride" evetho she looks confident and "have it all figured out"

Jiyeon is the one "women hate" so she doesn't have any other friends beside these two. Sohee and jigoo make friends easily. So jiyeon's "talkative positive behavior" is her choice and excuse so no one including herself thinks "why doesn't she have other friends"
And yes her behavior is not an excuse, it's a toxic cry for help. If her friends had stable relationships they too would forget her so yes she's self sabotaging
love of friendship is deep too, but romantic relationships get higher value. If they get married they'd move out, if they have kids they wouldn't spend time every night, sohee and jigoo can adapt but jiyeon can't

Everyone is messed up that's the beauty of this

Jiyeon didn't tell them when it was her mom's memorial, and she hid at the back, finally not smiling and saying everything ok, she has deep dark emotions too

Sohee screamed and threw a tantrum at her mom because she wasn't over dealing with the grief of her dad
Then she yelled at kang pd cuz she was embarrassed and wanted to test him

Jigoo doesn't feel like she can depend on others or make a move cuz of her student that died, she kept making excuses too ignoring wooju and putting a wall cuz she was afraid to get hurt again

Kang pd too isn't perfect. Usually kdrama past traumas are an excuse for cold ml,
but here his mom died/disappeared, he lacked the healthy relationship mindset
And living so seriously as a kid and getting depression, he decided to approach life nonchalantly to not get hurt
But like what he did in s1 staying by her when she heard about her dad's passing , such a sweetie hidden under all that "patheticness", this season When kang pd pulled the car over but then told her not to get out? He again showed that he has more than his jijiri loser persona

Jiyeon never really cried over her illness or her breakup and she always acts like she's ok when she's not. Sohee always feels the need to be the middle glue that keeps the fire and ice together so her own emotions are put on the backseat
Jigoo always acts like she doesn't need what she can't have because she's afraid she can't reach it. She wants pretty clothes and dresses but doesn't have the finances, she wants to date but shallow men around her did choose the "girly girls" over her


But this show sure wasted time on yoga instructor arc, eventho they wanted a new friend and a enemy to friend, the writing around it lacked, but this show is still so convenient and yet so complicated

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Story felt rushed, but still a heart warming series on friendship

Binged watched s1 again before starting on s2.
This gives more backstory to what happened in s1, and also dive into details of s1 - from Ji Yeon's illness to Ji Goo's backstory and director's Kang.

First 10 episodes progress great with the introduction of new characters. But the sudden fight between the 3 girls were too unneccessary. It took just 1 episode from the fight to reconcile bt perhaps thats how they will wrap up this season with a happy ending I supposed?

But overall, its still a good drama to binge at night after a long day of work. The comedy is still 100%.
Would be better if it has more closures to each character's backstory tho. It seems like its just a filter lol.

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Did not meet expectations; Conflicted about some decisions made.

“Work Later, Drink Now” Season 1 was fun, unique and a surprising hit. But unfortunately, I did not enjoy Season 2 as much. I have many conflicting feelings about the plot and the reasons behind certain actions and decisions made. The three main ladies are still fun and crazy, and the three actresses did an amazing job. I think as a trio, they really click and give us a very fun sismance. The sisterhood is genuine and real, and makes you want to have friends like them. The drinking never stops and it seems to have a lot more product placements to support their drinking habits.

However, I feel that the season started off on a weird note. Spending the initial episodes in the mountain feels a little disconnected. Of course, there are many hilarious moments, e.g. training at the arcade in preparation for life in the wilderness, the big statue with an eye-catching body part, the companionship of using the restrooms together, etc.. However the message of trying to survive cancer by delaying possible treatments, and trusting in nature to heal you, is not something I feel comfortable with. Of course, this has a lot to do with my personal beliefs and upbringing, but that also dampens my love for the show. Additionally, sending a text message to your boss/partner and just disappearing into the mountain is so unprofessional. Also, no damage control or consequences after disappearing for 2 years? Where do you find an employer like that?

There are a few other storylines that I don’t agree with. Friendship is great, but an alcoholic mother who abandons her child and neglects the child’s most basic needs, requires more than just caring and supportive friends. There’s no talk of getting professional help. The fallout between the friends towards the end of the drama also seems uncharacteristic. It’s hard to believe Ji Gu never confronted Ji Yeon’s actions all these years, when she’s just a straight talker. Maybe Ji Gu never cared for those guys, or maybe her self-esteem is just too low to even think that Ji Yeon is in the wrong. The women never properly talked to resolve the issue.

Season 2 also focuses more on the family history and dynamics of the four main characters. It’s great to see that and to get to know each character on a deeper level. Some stories are better than others. I find the storyline between yoga Director Kim and her brother somewhat boring. But I do enjoy the ones about So Hee and her mother, and her mother with Buk Gu.

I was really looking forward to the romance between Ji Gu and Mr. Nice Paper. Unfortunately, not a lot of time was devoted to it and I was disappointed. It could have been so much sweeter and cuter, but it wasn’t. So Hee and Buk Gu keep on going around in circles. They are fun together and have great chemistry, but their romance wasn’t done right either.

Overall, I personally did not enjoy this season as much. It’s not bad, but it just did not live up to my expectations. I actually got really annoyed with Ji Yeon started mid-drama. Her craziness and high-pitched loud voice/scream start to irritate me. I don’t remember feeling this way in season 1. Maybe she has more screen time in Season 2?


Completed: 3/14/2023

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Barkada movie

I really love this drama, I love this trio I love their friendship evolve into family. Their friendship is incomparable that they knew the likes and dislikes of another. Their drinking habits is immeasurable that they don't easily get drunk no matter how many bottles they drink as they young as they get mature they easily get drunk in a few bottles only hehehe 🤪 . They are very funny when they are drunk hehehe... they do whatever they want and anywhere they stopped to, good thing they have Director Kang to the rescue. They have different story about their own families that makes them even more stronger. I really admire their friendship. Even their each lovestory is variant with each other but they support and respect each other.
Overall I like this drama because they focused about friendship 😊.

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I wasn't going to write a review for this season of Work Later, Drink Now, because, well, it's been hard parsing out my rather jumbled up feelings. Despite the excessive amount of drinking the characters engaged in, I greatly enjoyed season 1, and I was very hopeful and excited for season 2. These girls are a total mess, but they are an endearing mess, and I enjoyed watching them be both messy and heartfelt. But this season was...something else.

The first problem was the arc around Ji Yeon's cancer. It was fine with me that they went to the mountains. I don't even mind that they were 'healing' cancer with nature. Sure, it's not believable, but this is Work Later, Drink Now. Part of the purpose of this drama is putting the girls in somewhat over-the-top situations and watching them respond. But when we were still in the mountains 'curing cancer' by ep. 3, I was ready for the girls to go home. The whole 'healing in the mountains' bit was only going to work for so long, and they stretched it beyond what was reasonable. On top of that, some of the humor in those episodes was both weird and not funny. (The statue grossed me out, frankly.)

The second problem is that the unnecessarily long stay in the mountains completely messed with the pacing of the rest of the season. Everything felt slightly out of whack, like when you watch a video and the sound is constantly ahead or behind of what you're seeing on screen. It was so hard to get a grasp on what this season was meant to be about, what it was meant to be doing, and I was over halfway through before I got a handle on the story.

The third problem was yoga. As in, what exactly was there of value in the entire subplot with Ji Yeon's boss and her boss' brother? They made the plotline work in the end, but for much of the drama, it felt like a weird rabbit trail that took away from more important things that were happening in the story. Sure, the brother and sister had a sweet little reconciliatory family moment at the end, and yes, I felt moved...but why was I supposed to care in the first place?

And this isn't a story complaint, but the CGI in earlier episodes was pretty bad. I was willing to overlook it while they were in the mountains, because you are not training a hog to pose for a camera, but I did not find adding a CGI snake in a later episode necessary. (The events around the snake were equally as unnecessary.) This might seem like a petty, unimportant thing to complain about, as they are the only instances of CGI in the drama, but they stuck out to me because of how bad the CGI was, and if that's what it was going to look like, they should have kept it to as much of a minimum as possible.

But, and here's where I'll give this drama some praise, while everyone else hated how things played out between Ji Goo and Ji Yeon, I think it was some of this season's strongest writing. In fact, most of the seasons strongest writing was in the second half. The conflict between Ji Goo and Ji Yeon, how things played out in both romances, So Hee and her mom dealing with their grief (I have some problems with her mom's choices, but those are not writing complaints), there was just a lot of really good character exploration and development in the second half, and I loved all of it. It was also really, really great to see what these girls were like as kids, their upbringings, and then later as college students and how their friendship began. It gave us a lot of insight into who each of them is.

I wasn't a big fan of everything in the finale, but it was still better than the yoga sibling's plotline and having to spend so much damn time in the mountains, so I'm choosing to overlook it. What I can't overlook though is the incohesiveness of this season. There were some really great moments, some strong character development, some really good romance. There were also some bad writing choices, serious pacing issues, and some really weird and out-of-place gag humor (Ji Yeon loves farting now?). I'm not sure if I would watch a season 3 of this show. I won't say I wouldn't, but I think I definitely need some time in-between this season and another one. Maybe by next winter I'll be ready.

I have to end this review with one question though. Am I the only person wanting to know why they never addressed the final scene of season 1? Or did they address it, and I just missed it?

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watched weekly as it came out

not sure if i liked better than the first season but i missed my girls so much i had to tune in and i did forget some characters bc i didnt rewatch s1 beforehand but i still understood the storylines and i personally loved the first episodes i dont really understand people not liking them but then again we have our own prefences :) everything went well until the later eps when the trio had issues and jiyeon left home. jiyeon was my fav character and what she had done made me feel disappointed but i understand the way the writers were trying to go with the story that long term friendships can have hardships too but i still feel that there shouls have been a talk between them after jiyeon came back home as if nothing happened. im glad we got different sides and new characters throughout this whole season it really felt like a different direction than last season with more character backstory and development i enjoyed it. overall i still enjoyed it and glad my girls are still a trio after so much time has passed by the end of the season!

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Enjoy your life

Work Later, Drink Now 2 (2023)

'I don't know if we're better than before. We don't know if our future is better or not but we are the best to enjoy this moment.'

Likes
1. I thought this drama lost its magic. Glad they went back to the city and the story because nice again. Actually I watch because of the 3 girls and their relationships with each other, their memories about their parents, and the guys. They didn't drink as much as S1 though.
2. I always look forward to Sohee's story and her weird romantic vibes with Director Kang. They always show him as gross and dirty but she oddly feels attracted to him, esp when he does those little things to support her. We also get to hear Kang's story and why he is that way. He also has a lot of trauma (Siwon in fatsuit is too cute!!) And Sohee loves helping pitiful men. I think they are a match.
3. Jiyeon is the friend that I also love. She is too noisy most of the time but she shines when you need her the most. I thought the story with the siblings were boring but end up liking them too. They should bring Seonjung to their trio. She is also crazy. I also thought pairing loud Jiyeon with a guy with hyperacusis is interesting. But wait Jiyeon and So Hojun (funny cameo!) also works!! Alas she is still single by S2 end (but with 3 men) lol.
4. Jigoo is the most silent and boring (for me) but she is the most thoughtful. I love that she found someone who really likes her. Yoon Si Yoon fits right in with his lovely artsy vibe.

Dislikes
The first 3 episodes where they went to the mountains and how Jiyeon's cancer was miraculously cured. Was the time spent there supposed to mean something because they didnt really grow up when they went back to the city. Maybe it was just to wrap up Jiyeon's cancer story. Should she be drinking so much??

I dont know if there's a possibility of S3 because I'm going to miss the girls!! They can actually stop at S2 but the ending just begged for a new season!! Would love to see the girls evolve since they're now in relationships. They'll prolly continue to be crazy.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Fiquei decepcionada

O começo da segunda temporada foi até legal, mas no decorrer já estava me irritando, enrolaram muito com a história e com os casais, pra mim os roteiristas se perderam muito no caminho, as histórias ficaram sem um fim direito, que três horas foram essa? Pra onde a ji Yeon foi e fazer o que? E o final dela? Tudo bem que ela adora homens, mas poderia ter dado um final mais fechado, ela realmente gostava do irmão da diretora lá? E a mãe da ji goo e ela? E a so hee se resolveu com a mãe? Foram tantas coisas, tantas informações. E ainda jogaram o pai da ji Yeon como quem não quer nada, amo a amizade delas mas essa segunda temporada poderia ter sido bem melhor se tivesse mantido a essência da primeira, inclusive nem falou que conseguiu cumprir com a promessa do natal na primeira temp, mas provavelmente foi a ji Yeon pela história.
Enfim, não gostei, me decepcionei, a cena da briga delas pra mim poderia ter acontecido mais cedo e não deixar tanto pro final. Ficou tudo mal contado. Gostei tanto da primeira, realmente estou triste.

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Live your life

These three ladies lived their lives. They showed you that no matter what friends can overcome anything. The idea of three ladies came friends and supported each other through thick and then was great! The Writers and Producers made a great choice when they Lee Sun Bin, Jung Eun Ji and Han Sun Hwa as Female Leads , was fantastic. You could see the chemistry. Those three were like ight and day. They each had different mannerisms, yet jelled together.

The odd person out was Choi Si Won. He just didn't fit. They trying to make him a love interest of one of the ladies. It did not appear to be chemistry among the two. If you pay attention to the Storyline, everything are intertwine. All the plots and subplots mixed well together. The plot of nature vs artificial healing methods was well made. Scenery made me wanted to visit and see the views.

It took me 2 days to finish the Storyline and it was well worth it. I hope there is a Drink Now Work Later 3.

I will watch this Storyline again.

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