Masterpiece

This drama is definitely a masterpiece..( I don't understand the excessive negativity surrounding this drama) . The story was amazing. It kept me on the edge throughout . The drama had a lot of suspense elements and heartwarming moments which the writer has portrayed beautifully.. The production and direction of this drama was perfect. The actors did such an amazing job. The duality of certain characters were beautifully portrayed by the actors.. You couldn't have asked for a better cast.. The effortless passionate chemistry between them was unbelievable.. Lee minho as the king was so on point. The poise and the grace with which he carried the role was such a treat to watch. Kim go eun was so natural .. She blended into her character so well (no wonder she is one of the best actresses)
Woo Do hwan is such an underrated actor. His acting range never ceases to surprise me. Kim Kyung-nam is another such gem. His expressive eyes alone spoke volumes.. Jung Eun-chae and Lee Jung-jin were also great. Their mere presence in a scene itself would change the atmosphere. They definitely had the right vibe for this drama. Together the entire cast created a beautiful synergy.
The ost were so beautiful and emotive(Hwasa's voice was so powerful and perfect for this drama)

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Masterpiece

This is definitely a masterpiece.. A beautiful story like this needs an equally talented cast to complete it which is thankfully the case here. Stellar performances by the cast just takes this drama to another level. The story shows a lot of flawed characters and how each character deals with it.. Some positively, some negatively.. It has portrayed all those emotions so perfectly that although you might not like each character you are able to sympathize with them and understand why they react differently.. Everyone has different life experiences and hardships but that doesn't mean one's own hardships matter the most and the rest are insignificant. Everyone's struggles are equally important and needs to acknowledged. This drama is able to portray all these complex feelings in a believable simple way. This drama also shows importance of family and how each family struggles to keep them together in their own way (whether by force or through love according to the different family dynamics present here)
The main leads (Nychaa and Alek) have an undeniable amazing chemistry.I can see why they have been repeatedly cast together before. They portrayed all the emotions so beautifully that sometimes even dialogues were not necessary to understand them. Hoping to see them together again sometime in the future.
All other couples too have good chemistry. No toxic relationships thankfully (except for one maybe that too is not glorified) .
There is also a very powerful moment of women standing up for one another even though characters hate each other. It is such a good example of women empowerment. Kudos to the writer for that heartbreakingly touching scene.
Pop has such a great magnetic presence on-screen. His character is one of highlights of the show and takes the show forward. He deserves a lot more main lead roles for his acting and charisma.
Ending was good, though I wish some characters had slightly better endings but at least every character found peace in their own way. I think this is an amazing drama worth your time.

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Underwhelming

Calling this drama underwhelming is an understatement. I can't express how disappointed I am with this drama..A rich female lead, a money hungry cheating husband, a psychotic mistress, a loyal brother.. Well it definitely had all the right characters and basic plot to make it a perfect drama.. But sadly it lacks a good writer. The plot had so much potential but was executed terribly. It feels like the narrative is being told to maximise tension for the viewer, rather than playing out in a naturalistic way. The more one sees the main characters, the less appealing they become. Female lead is so weak that it will infuriate you. The fact that she is a heiress and can do nothing but watch as her penniless cheating husband keeps a mistress and is trying to take over her company is so crazy. Her husband is gullible and not even that smart (except on few occasions) and this makes the fl's character even more weak. The mistress on the other hand is the most powerful character in the entire drama. She is strong, revengeful and does anything and everything to get what she wants. Now coming to the fl's brother, he is fiercely loyal to his sister but somehow his character is kind of dull and not used to it's full potential. He tries but never truly rises to the occasion. Well atleast his character does better than the fl. Throughout the drama you will keep thinking the revenge and mindgames will start now but nothing really happens which will frustrate you further. By the end of the drama it’s hard to not think that the plot resolution is a bit, well…silly and convenient. The mistress is both the villainess and the heroine towards the end. It's like she is the only one who is taking action throughout. If there are any penthouse fans I suggest you stay away from this drama(esp if you are expecting the wife to rise to the occasion and become smart like shim soo ryun).
Now coming to the acting part, I think all the actors did well which was the main reason I could keep going on. In fact I think this must be Jeon somi's career best performance.. Her acting was brilliant. OST of the drama was good.. Watch this drama limiting your expectations then you might enjoy it.

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Underrated gem

It is a coming of age drama. You might feel the drama is moving slowly with all the school elements but that is the real essence of this show. Each event which might seem like childish issues actually steer the characters to their adulthood shaping their final characters. You will see a gradual but definite character growth for all the characters towards the end. There are a lot of different shades of friendship and comradeship. There is a lot of fun elements keeping the show lighthearted. The romance is slow burn which is a good thing here because the female lead is a schoolgirl and the couple has a kind of big age gap. It would have been awkward if the couple gets together fast.
The female lead is very adorable and her acting is really good. She makes a very believable naive schoolgirl. The male lead definitely shines even with less screentime. The couple had an amazing chemistry. The bickering between them was cute and funny to watch. I just wish the couple had more screentime. Rest of the cast too did a good job. I must say when I started watching this show I had low expectations but was pleasantly surprised by the plot and characters. Definitely give it a try and by the end of it the show and the characters would have grown on you so much that you will not be disappointed at all.

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