Often Said to Be Similar, Here Are the Differences Between Korean Dramas 'THE PENTHOUSE' and 'SKY CASTLE'

Kapanlagi.com - Many people consider these two Korean drama series to be similar. If you look at the released poster photos, the cast of characters will be dominated by adults. Then, in terms of the storyline, if you have watched both of these drama series, you might immediately realize that they have similar plot twists, but many people believe that the Korean drama series THE PENTHOUSE has unexpected and quite shocking plot twists compared to SKY CASTLE. On the other hand, SKY CASTLE has an easy-to-understand plot, but the director has neatly packaged the storyline of this Korean drama series to keep the audience curious and not get bored quickly.

Both THE PENTHOUSE and SKY CASTLE have mysteries to uncover the death of someone in both of these Korean drama series. To solve the mystery, both of them are involved in household affairs and the obsession of parents who want their children to attend elite or prestigious schools. It's no wonder that THE PENTHOUSE needs three seasons to complete its storyline, while SKY CASTLE only needs one season.

Another similarity is found in the ratings of both of these Korean drama series, both of them have achieved high ratings nationally in South Korea. THE PENTHOUSE has a higher rating than SKY CASTLE with a percentage of 28.8% in the first season. Initially, SKY CASTLE was doubted after its first episode, but after completing all the episodes, SKY CASTLE recorded a rating of 23.7%.

Although SKY CASTLE aired earlier, THE PENTHOUSE won the ratings for Korean drama series. THE PENTHOUSE consistently increases its ratings with each episode released weekly.

After knowing the similarities between the two Korean drama series, there are also some clear differences if we watch the entire storyline. Let's delve deeper into the differences in the Korean drama series THE PENTHOUSE and SKY CASTLE.

 

 

1. Residence

The Penthouse & Sky Castle (Credit: Pinterest)

If you watch THE PENTHOUSE from the beginning, it is already evident that the setting of the residence inhabited by the characters is in a towering building called “Hera Palace”. This building has 100 floors called penthouse, which is very luxurious and offers a view of the beauty of Seoul. Only one person can occupy that penthouse, namely the Joo Dan Tae family, the cruelest human in the Korean drama series THE PENTHOUSE. In that luxurious building, there is also a special meeting room for influential people who have businesses or properties that are considered to generate a lot of money.

Meanwhile, SKY CASTLE occupies an elite residential complex called “Sky Castle”. Only wealthy and influential people in their respective fields, such as professors, expert doctors, and socialite mothers, occupy this elite housing. This residential complex is very spacious and has house designs resembling castles. It doesn't stop there, because this luxurious residential complex also has official residences to discuss inter-family issues.

 

 

2. Parents' Obsession

The Penthouse & Sky Castle (Credit: Pinterest)

Both of these Korean drama series have ambitious parents who want to send their children to prestigious schools so that their futures look bright. Equally ambitious as their parents, these rich kids also compete with each other to get the opportunity to be the best, even using cheating methods.

In SKY CASTLE, the parents enroll their children in private lessons with a reputable and professional teacher, Kim Joo Young. This professional teacher holds regular meetings with the parents so that their children can achieve perfect grades and enter the number one university in Korea.

Unlike THE PENTHOUSE which does not focus on school learning, it tells the story of competition to enter a prestigious music school in Korea. The students who want to enter the music school also take private singing lessons with Cheon Seo Jin. It is quite difficult to enter the music school because there will be a lot of competition between families who will do anything to gain fame.

 

 

 

3. Affair

The Penthouse & Sky Castle (Credit: Pinterest)

THE PENTHOUSE tells the story of an affair between two antagonistic characters, Cheon Seo Jin, who is the prospective director of a prestigious music school, and Joo Dan Tae, a man with numerous businesses and investments everywhere. Cheon Seo Jin becomes obsessed with occupying the penthouse and tries to get rid of Joo Dan Tae's wife. However, Joo Dan Tae's desire to marry Cheon Seo Jin is only to obtain her assets and also to take over the position as the director of the music school.

On the other hand, SKY CASTLE does not have a story of affairs among wealthy families in this esteemed community. The entire storyline focuses on the education system in Korea and how parents educate their children, some using physical or verbal violence and others using gentle methods to prevent their children from experiencing trauma while learning. However, there is an abnormal romantic relationship between one wealthy individual and their own housekeeper, which leads to the death of the mother.

 

 

4. The Figure of the Poor Girl

The Penthouse & Sky Castle (Credit: Pinterest)

There are several similarities in the appearance of the poor girl who works as a tutor in one of the families living in "Sky Castle" and "Hera Palace. This poor girl is also a rival of the rich children to enter the school that has been targeted by parents. Sure enough, both of these unfortunate girls got a place in the selection of new students.

In SKY CASTLE, there is a poor girl who is smarter than the rich children, named Kim Hye Na. The girl registered to become a private tutor for one of the wealthy families. She sacrificed her study time to earn money for survival and school fees. Kim Hye Na's fate ended up in social sanctions that occurred at her school.

THE PENTHOUSE also tells the story of the presence of a poor girl who applied to become a private tutor to teach one of the wealthy families, namely the Joo Dan Tae family. Anna Lee or Min Seol Ah wants to earn money for the treatment of her long-sick dog. Unlike Kim Hye Na, who only received social sanctions and still attended the elite school, Anna Lee had to end her job because she was falsely accused by one of Joo Dan Tae's children and ended up being bullied and experiencing physical violence that led to her death.

 

 

 

5. Moral Value

The Penthouse & Sky Castle (Credit: IMDb)

SKY CASTLE has moral values that can be taken from an educational perspective for children. There is one character who can make the socialite mothers in the "Sky Castle" residential complex educate their children well. The positive thing is, this character is not influenced by their neighbors if the intelligence of the child is only valued academically, but the child is brought closer to their talent, which certainly also has advantages.

Very different from SKY CASTLE, THE PENTHOUSE actually does not have moral values that are worth emulating in life. How come, in this drama, the children are not given good examples but instead justify bullying and are educated to oppress the poor. It doesn't stop there, the attitude of the adult characters who are obsessed with wealth and position is also not worthy of being emulated just to gain fame. However, there is a part that is quite sad when seen from the struggle of the parents who are so caring and loving their children, albeit in the wrong way.

This article was written by: Vici Erta

 

(kpl/mag)