Penthouse (2020)

I actually started this drama after the series ended. It was already creating a buzz on the internet during the broadcast period, even renewing for 2 more seasons. I entered the drama honestly with high expectations and objectively it did met most of the expectations I had for the show.

STORY
Story wise, this genre has been increasingly popular I guess? Focusing on higher ups in the society, and real estate + education corrupt systems in S.Korea. While such occurrences will not be relatable to none, it definitely has the effect of piquing one's curiosity into a life that we may never dream to occur. It revolves around a privileged estate made only for the top 1% of the richest in Korea. A murder occurs that changes the lives of our main characters and of course their kids. The premise begins with Seol-A who struggled to make end meets. To stay afloat, with her smart brains, she was engaged as the tutors for our Hera club kids (Eunbyeol, Joo Twins, Minhyuk & Jenny) to help them enter Chung A Institute, which is founded by one our main villian Seo Jin. The premise also showed the bad blood between Seo Jin & Yoon Hee, who's talented daughter, Rona dreams of entering Chung A. Well of course, things don't go well given her feud with SJ & her having no support. While the little Hera club kids pass their music tests with flying colors (thanks to bribery by their parents + rigging), SA came in first place, with RN being first on the waiting list to enter her dream school. Her fake identity being exposed & jealousy by her same aged friend drew her trouble & she was unfortunately bullied. It doesn't help that she happened to chance upon SJ & Joo Twins' Dad (Joo Dan Tae's) adultery which draws her more danger together with Yoon Hee's desperation for her daughter to enter Chung A. The only temporal warmth SA could enjoy was the kind Joo Twins' mother, Suryeon whom turns out to be her biological mother. However, all was late, and before SR could reunite with her, she witness her die, right in front of her eyes in Hera Palace. SA's death was however covered, by the Hera kid's parents, and the series finally opens to SR beginning her quest to uncover the culprit and to avenge SA's death. Along the way, we see the unjust in education systems, real estate businesses and how the kids are because of their parents. And along SR's lonely quests to fight against DT & SJ while trying to uncover the truth of her daughter's death, she uses YH but eventually came to care for her genuinely as a sister and aided her up the social ladder and her admittance into Hera Palace. Along the way also appears Logan Lee, an American-Korean businessman who harbors vengeance towards the Hera people due to the death of her adoptive sister (SA). However, with threats and greed, this show really make one ponder how far will you go for your ambitions ? Murder seems like an answer, for these rich people with barely gripping from remorse. Their kids have turned to little monsters, but most with traumas of their own. YH is the epitone of how one changes. The more you gain & the greedier you are. The more you have to lose, the greater the monsters inside you grows. The plots and twists of this show is definitely unpredictable. While there are some loopholes and questionable executions along the way, I was able to look pass it because of the suspense of the drama! While i did felt the first few episodes were abit dry (understandable since they introduced alot of characters etc) I felt the series did picked up at the back. The overall experience was enjoyable and it was a surprised to me that this was made by SBS. The series reminded me of Sky Castle + The World of the Married, of which both were under JTBC. I am curious what Season 2 & 3 has for us now!

Cast & Acting
The stars of these shows will definitely be imo SR, SJ & YH.

SR is always smart and ahead of DT's and SJ's evil tricks. She looks effortlessly elegant and composed eventhough she is putting up a fake front in front of the Hera people. I found it especially thriling when she started revealing her cards one by one and tripping over the villians & having them go nuts + begging for her forgiveness. I totally love her scenes with Logan? And how her English is so flawless. She may have died at the end of S1, I am not sure if the writer can miraculously revive her in S2? I really hope so because there are still many unanswered questions about her death and the identity of the Joo twins real mother?

SJ is of course one of the main villianess in this show. Her acting was so good that you really can't help but hate her character! A point i felt bad was, she really craved for love. The stress from being from a prestigious family means stress for her to Excel. Her inferiority complex led to the growth of demons in her, injuring YH, snatching YH's boyfriend whom she doesn't love, leading her to an unhappy marriage. That then leads to adultery & conflicts in her marriage life and misery for her daughter, Eunbyeol whom she bears super high expectations. It's no wonder EB turned out the way she was at the end... her greed for the CA Foundation also led her to indirectly kill her Dad... but i got to say her acting was superb for the scenes when her Dad died. I almost got goosebump from her. Ultimately, it was a pity because she didn't had someone whom cherish her (sorry DT isn't your true love too honey)

YH and her daughter was honestly 2 of my most hated characters in this show (actually you will come to hate most of the characters LOL). They were annoying (esp RN) and ungrateful ! While ok SR used her, i believe she could felt the sincerity in their friendship. She can't deny the fact that SR helped her lived a life she could never have with her own abilities. It's unfortunate that she turned out to be SA's killer afterall, but that was where it went even worst. Her desperate attempts to cover her crimes led her to betraying SR and even joining forces with DT. Wth man seriously. Of course smart SR had figured out all along, but she still ernestly waited for YH to repent, but she didn't made it in the end. Alas, YH was framed and becomes the main suspect of SR's death. I am unsure if she died at the end of S1? But if she survives, she needs to avenge for SR and repay for her sins!

All in all, i think is a show worth the buzz. The acting were seriously splendid. I am not sure what will be covered in the next 2 seasons, but I really hope SR remains alive! This genre is not for the weak heartedly. Be prepared for plot twists and suspense! Season 2 releases next month, so please watch if you have not :)

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It was worth the hype

I decided to watch this drama merely because it was so popular and I was one of those people who hadn't watched it yet. I expected a lot from it, which was a reason why I was a little bit scared, but it was better than what I thought it would be and I understand why that much people love it.

Story
I like how the drama starts, it catches your eye inmediately and you of course want to keep seeing it, because it shows you something tha will happen 2 months in the future. As I was watching it more things kept appearing, they don't stick to one topic but there are a lot more, although of course they pay special attention to the main one.

Acting / cast
Amazing election for the cast and the acting blew my mind, I mean it. They portrayed really well the emotions and the way of being of their characters. I was specially shocked by Kim So Jeon (Cheon Seo Jin in the drama) because her character had a lot of sides and I think she couldn't have showed them to us in a better way, incredible job.

Rewatch value
I think that all good mistery dramas are worth to rewatch because knowing who did all the things makes you have a different view of the whole story since the beginning and you can pay attention to other details, so yes, in a year (for example) I would watch it again.

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Amazing!

You need to watch it! The plot twists, the actors, the romance, the misterys. EVERYTHINK ITS AMAZING! If you are too sencitive then dont watch it... There is many blood... But still everythink its amazing. The actors did a great job! This drama is my favorite! If you like mysterys and school dramas then this drama is for you! Btw....This drama can get on your nerves... hehehe
When you start watching the first episode of the drama you know for a fact that this will be EPIC! The parents and the kids have their secrets and it soooo interesting. And how every parent want from their child to be the best in their school so they can get in to Cheong A Arts School. This drama kind of remind me of Sky Cstle but its wayyyyyy better!

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Penthouse: War in Life (2020) - I find the drama really ridiculous, I guess it gives out a makjang drama aura too much which was not what I am expecting. The drama has it’s own ups and downs, and I am hooked with how the drama turned out especially in the ending parts. I did got bored in the middle part, I think because the beginning was so intense that it looks like a joke to me as a watcher. I don’t really like the ending as well, and I guess they did it to look forward to the season 2.

The actors are really brilliant, but I’m not particularly impressed with Eun Byeul, I find her too much in the acting field but I think they did over emphasized her character. I find the drama messy as well in terms of pacing and all.

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PENTHOUSE SEASON 1

Where can I even start?

This season was amazing!! At first, I was like.. nope. not gonna like this one. But when I actually watched it for the first time, I realised how wrong I was. The acting was incredibly wow! Especially when Seo-jin is mad, the way she does it though is pretty cool. I also love Rona and Oh Yoon Hee. The way they were once suffering and were poor but suddenly became super powerful and rich. Shim Soo Ryun, wow her character was also incredible as well, she's really powerful and strong and will get anything she wants, like for example the way she watched Anna die infront of her, but was even lied by her own friends! And husband!

Joo Dan Tae, don't get me even started on this one. I hate him so much for everything! (not bothered to explain but you know what I mean) . I also hate the kids, not to mention Joo Seokyung, Ha Eun Byul and Jenny Seokhoon & Minhyuck. Their so sick in the head, especially what they did with Anna, I will not forget about that one.

Sang Ah, Kang Ma Ri and Gyu Jin were also like the comedians in the show. They are funny and a bit dumb at the same time. I also hated how they used to tread Oh Yoon Hee!

Moving onto the ending. Correct me if I'm wrong but we didn't know about Na Aygeo at the time right? So I was pretty shocked when I thought I saw Yoon Hee killing "Soo Ryun" even though things were completely twisted.

Brilliant Season 1 with a mysterious storyline, loving it!!

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A review from someone who barely watches Kdramas - A Lengthy Review

For those going into this show who aren't used to over the top situations accompanied by over the top acting, I'll give you the fair warning that this show contains a load of all that.

Lets begin with the acting, and how it ties in with the character portrayal:
Pros:
The actors and actresses themselves execute their roles perfectly. They each have distinct mannerisms that really bring the characters to life. They embody whatever evilness, smugness, or good-ness their character brings to the show without revealing all intentions; yet they still help the viewers to understand that nature of said character. It leaves room for the us to make deductions about each character, and in that sense, I thank the directors for not treating the viewers like idiots.

The best examples of this would be Cheon Seo Jin, played by Kim So-Yeon, and Shim Suryeon, played by Lee Ji-ah. Seo jin herself is a damaged woman who grew up in what most would call a toxic family, and her actions and over the top-ness are understandable in that sense. Kim So-Yeon clearly understood that this character would act irrationally, overtaken by her emotions most of the time, and that is how she portrayed it. As for Lee Ji-ah, her character Shim Suryeon was a force to be reckoned with the whole way through the season. She held her character's composure, and knew when to put on a different front as if she was acting a whole other character.

Cons:
Definitely the over-the-top-ness of it all.
The directors HAD to be intentionally making the characters act way over the top. To be quite honest, I'd only recommend this show to those who can tolerate and don't mind this type of acting.
I was alright with it because I expected this sort of acting already judging by the kdrama scenes I've seen through the shows my mom used to watch, but its definitely not for everybody.

Music:
Ill keep it short and sweet. This is a kdrama that revolves around opera and classical music, of course the music is gonna slap.
Admittedly, some of the soundtrack can get repetitive, but eventually it just becomes a signature thing that gets you a bit hyped. There ARE a few moments though where electric synth would come in or something like that, and you could only think "What were they thinking with this music choice", but overall, its filled with some absolute classical bangers.

Characters:
There's just so much to say....
Pros:
It begins on an exciting note that sadly dials down after that first scene, but it gives you time to get a grasp of each character,, along with their roles, social status, pasts, and relationships.
This is a character driven story for sure, so by understanding why each character makes the decisions they do, it only helps to expand them. It leaves the viewers wanting more from what they've seen. The viewer wants to see how each person will develop, and you will find yourself rooting for at least one person for sure.
These characters you grow to understand more are what keep you hooked in the story as they are pushing the the plot.
You will find yourself rooting for at least one person, and will be constantly impressed by how certain character plots develop.

Cons:
Some characters are left with nothing, just given a brief backstory so the viewer can go, "Alright. Fair enough," but the directors seem to refuse to elaborate on any of those things. Sure, they might bring it back later, but why show it now? Especially at such a time where other much more important things are going on?
There are also times where someone acts completely out of character, and you're forced to just overlook that moment since it makes no sense with the story. It just feels like an afterthought to make a character seem more 3-dimensional.

One of the things that bothered me most was that the kid we're supposed to care about the most, Bae Rona, was just so.... uninteresting and unlikeable. She couldn't communicate at all despite what they show earlier of her being witty. She is also shown as kind and generous, but she comes off as bratty, and her (supposed to be) strong willed mom lets her Rona walk all over her. I'd rather much see the progression of a complex and consistent character such as Seojin's child, Eun Byeol.
The worst part of all in the character writing, was that they always had chances to develop a character, and they just WOULDN'T.

Finally, Plot:
Its messy and the execution is, dare I say, bad.
It feels like a story where the writers had so many good ideas. Ideas that didn't flow, but they decided to write it in anyways. It's enough to keep you engaged and enraged, but so so messy.
Sometimes, events that happen just feel like they never happened. They jump from plotline to plotline so quickly, that its hard to see where everything ties in, and you're just left hoping that they bring something back up since it makes no sense to overlook it.

Final Remarks:
If you're somebody who deeply cares for story and character development, this show isn't for you.
But if you just want a good time, hell yeah, that's why I stuck around. Its not a show meant to be hyper analyzed, even if the directors intend it to, because if you hyper analyze it (like I just did), there are way too many flaws to count.
It can leave you ooing and ahhing, and honestly, its feels like a guilty pleasure the whole way through.
I wouldn't normally recommend a show this objectively bad, but if you just wanna turn your brain off and/or be entertained, watch it.

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DEFINTELY NOT FOR THE LIGHT-HEARTED!

I'd like to start my review off with how amazing the acting in Penthouse was. The acting was phenomenal and the emotions expressed by each actor and actress were beautifully done. The actors and actresses in Penthouse portrayed their characters incredibly well, to the point where you begin to hate the character as if they were real-life people. 10/10 acting, amazing cast on this drama!

The plot is basically a murder-mystery with a huge pit of revenge mixed in, which turned out to make a lovely drama. There were a few times I'd be watching Penthouse and think that there should have been more common sense written in, but the many plot twists and unexpected events definitely make up for it.

Without a doubt, Penthouse is intense, it's frustrating. Myself, I couldn't handle it at first, I stopped watching it for a bit, but recently decided to pick it back up after seeing a clip of a later episode. As soon as I picked Penthouse back up, I became immersed and practically binged the rest. There's plenty of likable qualities about this show.

I'll conclude my review with the last point I want to share. The first season was great, don't' get me wrong, but I really don't see how the show is planned to stretch out for 3 seasons. The first season by itself has 21 episodes, and I think it has pretty much concluded what was formed in this season, not much unfinished business SPOILER WARNING (besides the justice that Logan Lee might get for Shims murder, his revenge against Dantae, and (maybe) the publicity & justice of SeolAh's murder) I can see the second season working, but not a thrid season. Will the two following seasons live up to the first season? Will it be worth it to watch? Who knows.

Overall, I decided to give Penthouse a 9.5, because the acting was amazing, and despite the few times where I wanted to completely stop watching because of how frustrated I was the drama was overall amazing.

I totally recommend this drama, it is a fantastic watch! But only to those who can handle watching very intense shows, with dark topics.

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Surprise shorty

Well to begin with, I saw small amount of clips of the show of the teenagers that made me curious about the show, and when I started to watch it I accidently saw some spoilers for like the second season. But oh well.

To start off, the people I suspected to be good werent and the ones that was good isnt as good as one wishes. Which annoys me, it's quite obvious to me who the murderer was after like a few episodes, but also like Dan Tae i kinda want to punch him in the face. Like I knew he was shady like from the get go, but also like the very beginning I kinda wished he was a better man to be honest, they looked so sweet in the first episode until Seo Jin get her hand all over him.

But in all honesty, Yoon Chul deserves better than toxic Eun Byul and Seo Jin tbh, (And yes Ive seen the second season as far as I could. I also feel like Yoon Hui was being judged way harder than she deserved to because of the death of Seol Ah. I feel like sure she killed someone, and all that, but it to begin with was a drunken desprate mistake. And all she wanted was for her daughter to get a chance in life, because she's born to be just her daughter.

At first I gravely disliked Ro Na, because she was in all honesty such an asshole towards her mother, then again she a teenager, but she's also extremly cocky in ways that's annoying, but then again she carries the talent for it, which also proves that she's truly Yoon *Hui's daughter. I was kinda expecting Ro Na to be Yoon Chul, and we'll see with the second season for sure.

At the end I do really appricate Ro Na because she's starting to see what it's truly about and that she knows that her mother is innocent is also a big god yes, and the relationship between Seok hoon and her, is so cute, I truly wish for them to have a future.

The role I came to hate and love the most at the same time is Logan Lee, in all honesty he annoys me enough for me to hate him and I love that about him when he shows up as the gym teacher, I knew when he got there that it's clearly logan Lee, but in all honesty he took me through a loop. But also if he loves his sister so damn much, why didnt he give her money, why didn't he help her? why was she so poor, when he was so rich? And if she's so important to him he would have made money rain on her. His parents clearly dont' have much to say. But oh well.

The side characthers crack me up. I get more and more respect for them each passing episode.

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IF YOU HAVE A TENDER HEART, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU!!! - proceed with extra care.

This drama I finished a couple of days ago was amazing, I love the story the line, the actors were amazing, and the visual was sickening. This drama is about a group of rich families that most care about their social status and basically being the best. I would recommend anyone to watch this drama, there are multiple seasons. I don't really want to spoil anything but here is my take on the story.

It is about finding out who killed this orphan girl who got into one of the best high schools for opera then after graduate they get into one of the top universities. She was a tutor for the main family for those who live in Hera Place, she had a secret identity because at one point she was adopted aboard by a family that used her for her bone marrow for their son after the operation she sent back to Korea for something she did do. After she got into the school the kids of the family did not like that a poor tutor under a fake profile is going to school with them and that she is better. So did do many things to her ( watch drama to find out). After her identity was found out by the parent ( one of the parents is the principal of the music school) she was fired and was threatened to leave the school until she saw something that she should ( watch drama to find out what). The story gets more thrilling after her death, this is where all the madness starts to occur.
- It is about uncovering the mystery of her death, and a small hint ( she is an orphan, and why would someone try to uncover the death of an orphan with no FAMILY).

- Penthouse would go down in history as one of the most intense drama but also as one of my favorite drama of 2020. I did not expect the plot or intensity of the drama. I wait every Monday and Tuesday just to watch this drama. That is how good it was.

- Can't wait for season 2.....

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