PLOT
If you think Kdramas are all about the cute oppas, the kilig-to-the-bones scenes and the kbeauty, wait ‘till you watch Penthouse: War In Life. Penthouse: War in Life tells the story of wealthy families living in Hera Palace and their children getting into Cheong-Ah Arts HighSchool. The drama revolves on three ladies of different origins.
Shim Su Ryeon (Lee Ji Ah) is an elegant, wealthy woman who has a tragic past. Married to Joo Dan Tae (Um Ki Joon), a wealthy businessman who is hiding a dark secret from his wife. Oh Yoon Hee (Eugene) comes from a humble family background whose dreams were crushed by Cheon Seo Jin (Kim So Yeon). Cheon Seo Jin (Kim So Yeon) is a famous soprano and her father is the director of Cheong-Ah Arts HighSchool.
They all have lofty ambitions and desires for them and for their children, and will do at any rate for their children to be admitted to such a prestigious school. However, their lives begin to crumble as a young mysterious woman crashes to her death during a party at Hera Palace.
IS IT WORTH THE WATCH?
Penthouse is probably the ONLY Kdrama that got me lying to myself. “Isang episode nalang”, however, I always find myself thoroughly enjoying the following episode, watching until the wee hours of the morning. Penthouse is undeniably a makjang (supreme) Kdrama.
Its plot is probably a mix of the stress that The World of The Married gives you and the social climbing plot of Sky Castle. It’s brimming with a fantastic plotline, an engaging and stunning plot, a series of strong twists and turns, and top-notch performances. This series is chock-full of mind-blowing events that will have you on the edge of your seat. This is a master class in throat-clenching, nail-biting, and stomach-kneading suspense.
Penthouse has that certain formula that will keep you wanting for more, yung mapapa-next episode ka talaga, and that is its suspense and thrill in EVERY episode. You thought you knew what’s going to happen, but then in a snap… it will make both your eyes and mouth wide open.
What I love about Penthouse is that it has this ability to make you glued to it from start to finish. It has all the thrills and suspense. It is totally unpredictable. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you, pero sobrang stressful ng Kdrama na ito. God knows how many times I’ve shouted and tweaked my hair out of frustration and clapped my hands out of amazement. The drama itself is a masterpiece.
Another notable thing about Penthouse is the sensational cast. Words cannot describe how great their performance was. Their flexibility and range as an actor, from Eun Byeol’s (Choi Ye Bin) impostor syndrome acting to Shim Su Ryeon’s badass character in Season 2, was proven very well in this drama.
The complexity of the drama is what makes it exciting. It doesn’t only stick to one genre, the comedic act of the dumb and dumber duo, Kang Ma Ri (Shin Eun Kyung) and Ko Sang-A (Yoon Joo Hee) and the youthful heart-fluttering romance of Joo Seok Hoon (Kim Young Dae) and Bae Ro Na (Kim Hyun Soo) adds kilig to this all-tension drama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUPNmNBgTew
This drama is REALLY like a rollercoaster ride. It will send you into a whirlwind of emotions. With only 5 episodes left on its third and last season, I am excited with how Penthouse will come to an end. Will Shim Su Ryeon finally succeed with her revenge plan? Will Min Seol Ah finally be given justice? I am excited about how Joo Dan Tae will finally fall and if everyone is going to have a happy ending. Moreover, Penthouse is the Kdrama that you should add to your list if you want to take a break from all the romantic-cliches of the Kdrama World and wish to explore different genres (and if you simply want to drive yourself insane).
(Gabrielle Flaviano)