The Penthouse: War in Life (2020)

If the phrase "roller coaster of emotions" is a drama, this is it.

This drama series started with a bang! You're already roped in, you can't get out now. With a murder displayed with all its red-blood gory right in the first part, how can a viewer not watch further? Penthouse is a very good example of a makjang done right in recent years. With capable young and adult cast (except for the girl playing Ha Eun Byul, it took her quite a while to understand how to not overeact in an overdramatic scene) and a fabulous backdrop, Penthouse delivers a web of intrigue and plants numerous questions to be answered in the next season.

However, it doesn't just end there, we were also given a glimpse into the frailty of the human mind, something older popular soap operas failed to prioritize. After all, we are already in 2021, mental health discussions should be normalized. Though Penthouse injected it in during various moments throughout the drama, it only heightened the sense of normalcy despite it being in the makjang genre.

Like for example, you can enjoy at Joo Dan Tae's pure evilness because it's a caricature, he will never exist in real life. Then boom! Childhood trauma, physical reactions to repressed memory! He becomes someone real suddenly, we withheld total judgement, he's never 100% innocent of course, but we found ourselves waiting for the whole story first.

Then there's Cheon Seo Jin, another of our over-the-top ladies, very ambitious but obsessed at the same time. Then boom! Her world while growing up revolved around meeting the expectations set by her own family and by society. Now viewers don't lay total blame on her, we sympathize, we know why this monster was born.

It's all so fun. So much emotional investment, so much confusion, so much subversion of tropes in what is supposedly a trope-dependent genre. This is an incredible ride, I recommend it.

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Craziest makjang

As much as I am into this kind of drama, similar to Sky Castle which I genuinely enjoyed, I expected a bit too much on this. I feel like it was a bit over the top, draggy, repetitive, and I felt frustrated most of the time. I hardly could go on an episode because I cannot feel calm as everything just seems messed up, that's why I must say it's the craziest makjang I ever encountered. When I say it was draggy, I mean it was unnecessary for the writers to drag the story within a span of 21 episodes, that alone is such a pain. There's so much unnecessary things going on, characters with no depth whatsoever, get their fair amount of screen time just to annoy the viewers. That's why, it's really not for the faint hearted and easily get angered people. I think a 20-episode drama could have been nice if everything that is needed to be unfolded has already happened and the build up of the story could have ended with a glorious justifiable ending, but NO. We were given an ending with a main lead, that is supposed to be the nice person, turned out to be the killer, plus death of a significant character, plus flushing into the drain all of Shim Suryeon's plans to avenge her daughter's death, PLUS, can we just talk about how the villain was able to enjoy their moment despite the whole lot of shits they've thrown to the heroin? This then urges us to check the next season since justice was not served and all the great plans we've seen were all wasted at the end. The reason why I continued this drama was because there are also times where the leads were compensated of their hard work however, I felt frustrated when it ended like that so I had to see the next season. The only thing that stood out to me was the acting, everyone was so absorbed in their role and they killed it. The visuals also were stunning, which is expected to portray the story and setting more. This drama could've been better. I feel like 3 seasons were too long and really draggy that the story just keeps on being repeated and each time, it loses its charm.

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Once you're in it's really difficult to get out

That headline could be also the synopsis of the drama. I'm writing this after finishing 3rd season.
This will be spoiler-free and probably since it's pretty late this won't help many people but here goes my opinion of this drama (especially the acting).

Rich families live in a luxury penthouse apartments with 100 floors. Heigh has meaning here because the higher they live more powerful and rich they are.
The story's quite simple. Revenge. Revenge because of the past, the present, and the future.
It shows not only the greed of human nature but also the world we're living in where rich people play and discard the rest of the world like they are not human beings.
Every character has his own reasoning that you can try to understand (whether you can relate to it or not).
Greed, love, pride. Name it, it will be in this series. But everything comes with a price and some things can't be hidden forever.

The music's great even though the OST is quite short on quantity.

Here comes my main thing about this drama. The acting was incredible. BUT you need to be aware, this is a makjang. This drama have 2 very different types of acting. The regular one and the makjang one. And they blend great.

I'm gonna start by separating them. This show has a lot of characters and I can't write about every one of them but I'll try to cover the most important ones.

On the makjang type, there is THE character with her daughter. Cheon Seo Jin and Ha Eun Byul.

- Kim So Yeon as Cheon Seo Jin: Previously to this, I had watched 2 dramas with her as FL. And her acting was something between average and chemistry less. I was expecting very little since having no chemistry with Jung Kyung Ho it's impossible but OH MY I was wrong.
Kim So Yeon was born to play makjang roles. As Cheon Seo Jin she's the craziest, baddest, exaggerated, relentless, prideful, and disrespectful character I've seen. Her facial expressions and reactions are so over the top and exaggerated but at the same time, you (I) feel them believable. She won a Daesang for this role and it was very well deserved (unlike the one in the show).

Choi Ye Bin as Ha Eun Byul: Holy Moly, if Cheon Seo Jin it's crazy what about her daughter Ha Eun Byul. She is more like a spoiled child with a crazy mother but her descent into madness it's awesome. She portrays well how his characters want to be loyal to his mother to the point of becoming completely insane. Her reactions like her mother's and her facial expressions are incredible too. And that crazy smile. I've never seen her in any drama and I'm looking forward to seeing her again. I'm curious about how she will play a regular character.

Also, the couple Lee Kyu Jin and Go Sang Ah were crazy along with all his family. Both were like a makjang comical relief.


On the regular type, there are some characters that stand out too, but one pops above all. Lee Ji Ah as Shim Soo Ryun is the pillar of this series.

Lee Ji Ah as Shim Soo Ryun: Throughout the series her character evolves in a very interesting way. She faces and plans everything and her acting is on point all the time. I think she has chemistry with all the characters she interacts with but her scenes with Dan Tae and Seo Jin especially are great. Also with both Seok Kyung and Seok Hoon.

Eugene as Oh Yoon Hee: The third mom and the one that probably did more for her child. Eugene portrays the desperation and the injustice that she faces because of other people in a very realistic and relatable way. Her interactions with Ro Na were great and her acting was on point too.

Uhm Ki Joon as Joo Dan Tae: I have only seen this actor play roles where he was very kind and good till the point he was the bullied one. Joo Dan Tae is like the supreme bastard. You need to watch the 3 seasons to understand how mad I am right now.
But his acting was good.

Ha Yoon Chul and Kang Ma Ri were good too. Nothing to point out.

THE KIDS

Here comes the other part of the series. A lot of the revenge in the series involves or it happens because of the kids.
Especially 4 of them had really great acting that really made me want to see them working on other projects.

Choi Ye Bin as Ha Eun Byul was covered before

Jo Soo Min as Min Seol Ah: Her acting was great. Her character was great. Everything that she does has a meaning and it's important and her acting and portrayal were just perfectly nailed. Her expressions were great too.

Han Ji Hyun as Joo Seok Kyung: I have to admit that I really like Han Ji Hyun so I may be biased. She portrays a spoiled child who always has things the way she wants but also she has to deal with abuses at his home. Abuses that will take you a long time to understand. Her acting and facial expression are great and even some people could think that it's exaggerated I think it's just her way to express it and I feel it is very realistic. For that reason, she's not in the makjang category, unlike Ha Eun Byul.

Kim Young Dae as Joo Seok Hoon: I'm amazed by how with that very little facial expression an actor can express so much. Portraying a cold character that only cares about her sister he still manages to be THE one child that you will probably want to keep watching. Also, his way of talking and his tone fit great.

Bae Ro Na and Yoo Je Ni and the rest of the children are okay, Ro Na has a bit more weight in the drama due to being the daughter of one of the main actresses and her portrayal was good but nothing to point out.

The rest of the supporting cast was great too. All the secretaries in the drama are good. I like the portrait of Gu Ho Dong and Logan and also I find kind of funny the Ma Doo Ki teacher.

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I will be explaining what i thought about this drama

Honestly, this drama is amazing. I really love the actors acting and how there are so many plot twists!. There are 3 season’s but i recommend watching all 3 season’s because this drama is amazing!. If i had to say which actor did the best acting it was joo dan tae/Um Ki-joon his acting was really good. People always say if someone annoys you in a drama they were in then they good at acting. That’s what i mean by his acting is really good. I like all the actors acting though its like as if its happening in real life and not just in a drama. If you are looking for a drama with plot twists and great acting then watch this drama its an amazing drama and i 100% recommend it.

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A very exciting and addictive tragicomic Thriller.

I'm doing this review after I've watched all three seasons of the series, but I'll forget the other two to focus on how I felt watching season 1. Honestly, I think it's one of the most exciting and addictive Korean dramas I've ever seen. The story hooks you almost from the first minute and keeps you desperately impatient to see what happens in the next episode, which is its best virtue. Obviously, it is an ensemble story, where all the characters are very important within the story and almost all the subplots are very interesting. It is a perfect mix of comedy, drama, action, and suspense, an intense, convoluted, and funny tragicomic thriller. The main characters are very charismatic, both the heroes and the villains, especially the three leading women (Shim Su-ryeon, Oh Yoon-hee, and Cheon Seo-jin), and the leading male villain (Joo Dan-tae). The story of the character Min Seol-ah, whose murder is the cause of all the action this season, is quite moving, I empathized with her a lot. The characters of the rich, both the adults and the young, are so despicable that it is impossible not to hate them and want them to suffer the worst revenge (although at least the adults are charismatic and funny). In general, the plot is well constructed, to be exciting and fun, although it is evident that it has a lot of melodrama, in the style of a soap opera (which is normally something negative but here it is forgivable). Although there are little things about the plot that I don't like, watching the entire season is such an enjoyable and exciting experience that in the end, the rating has to be a 10. The ending would be disappointing if it weren't for the fact that it is an open ending to allow a second season. In conclusion, it is a fun story of intrigue and suspense with a good dose of action and drama. The opening credits sequence deserves high praise.

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keep my tense up

now I understand why people said its sky castle, class of lies and the world of married all in 1 drama and I understand the hype. the storyline was great, keeping my tense up every single episode and curious on what will happen next. it is full of twists, when you thought one thing is going to be over there's always another thing stopping that to happen. Same goes to the characters, you thought you will like this person but then it turns out to be another evil character. just keep in mind that this is a very dramatic drama or so called makjang for you to make sense of everything. The acting was top notch, love every character especially Lee Ji Ah. Can't wait for season 2, and I hope in the next season there will be more about the kids (well i need more of kim young dae).

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literally just sky castle, vip, and world of married (MAJOR SPOILERS IN SKY CASTLE AND PENTHOUSE)

I kinda rate this drama as 50/50 (if that's how you say it) anyways first of all this drama focuses on high-class families and about getting into prestigious high schools then getting a student get murdered. Well, I have watched Sky Castle already and so I can say that Penthouse just tried to be Sky castle. I will now be comparing SKy Castle and Penthouse, first of all, these two have so much in common except for these parents having an affair, the most common thing about it is the prestigious school and a high school murder. Let me get to the point eventually in Sky Castle there's also a "Seola" in there, a girl in Sky castle also is an orphan, dies because of getting adults threatened, and then their parents find out about them being their child after the child dies. Then we have VIP and world of married which applies adults having affairs and yeah idk anymore LOL

I'm not into family dramas too much but anyway I think this drama is too much, I don't know if the director did this because they hate high-class families or because Korea is getting out of hand too much, oh and Korea is actually high on suicide cases, and mental issues due to strict parents, school, and netizens. (And also the fact that this is trending in Korea?)

The acting here is lacking but the main roles did so much, Suryeon was a very interesting character honestly I skipped half of this drama because of how annoying and boring it is and the only parts that I did not skip is Suryeon's parts (Also the kids because I'm into high school dramas). Seojin's acting was very good she stood out the most to me. The kids' acting was a bit bland but of course, Seokyoung's acting stood out the most to me. The drama was just full of screaming and throwing a tantrum for no reason it's annoying, I get that it's to make their acting immersive(?) but like there's no need for that it's a waste of time it's not like somethings gonna change. The drama just lacks common sense and too dramatic.

Anyways I don't really think there was a reason for this to have 21 episodes, I think there were just too many characters leading to so many subplots that did not even matter and a waste of time comedy.

Would I recommend it? Depends on your taste, but personally sure give it a try. Would I rewatch it? No, as I said I skipped half of this drama.

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Amazing！

I haven't been watching Makjang especially after finishing Temptation of Wife at one go years ago.

And so, I've checked the writer and only to realize that she wrote the script of Temptation of Wife and was amazed by her writing (again).

The acting from all the actors are amazing and especially for Leee Ji Ah and Kim So Yeon (whose personality, in reality, is really different from her character in the drama)

The way every single actors and actress are able to make you sit on the edge and curse them out (LMFAO, I really did for the whole 21 episodes) and it's crazy.

People who are in for suspense and thrills, this is gonna be the one for it.
If you are not one who can stay for 3 seasons, this drama probably won't be for you.

The second season is coming out this Jan 29 or February and I seriously can't wait to see how the story goes on!

Rewatch value is low because normally for Makjang, once you know how the story goes, the suspense and intensity you feel will no longer be there when you watch it for the second time.

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THE BEST!!!

I have never in my love fell in love with any drama like this. I was scrolling down and looking for something to watch because I was out of drama and I found the best! this is the first time I'm seeing these actors, and I fell in love instantly. the first episode was a bit boring for me but I continued to watch and trust me this drama will never disappoint you. every episode will kill you with curiosity. I love this whole drama because it shows what you can do with money and how it will ruin you. how many things you will have to throw away to keep that status and money you have. loved the whole storyline and I must say Penthouse has one of the best plot twists ever!

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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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