This review may contain spoilers
WOW just WOW!
Like I'd usually avoid dramas that are dark but this was next level brilliant. The writers really sat and thought about how to write the story. Each character was uniquely brilliant, I love them and hated them at times but I'm so impressed by all the actors and actresses from this drama, I felt every bit of emotions that they protrait on screen and the camera angles were just amazing I felt like I was actually there. The Coach and Ye Seo mom was the most complex character for me, even tho I am not completely happy about the ending as a psychology major I so happy I decide to watch this.Parenting 101 ~ or should I say how not to force your societal beliefs and traditions on your kids. The education system (not just in Korea but worldwide) is an absolute mess and its sad that parents are like this in reality they are so focused on their kids being the best at their studies that they forget that their humans too and they'd want to live their lives as the feel. For a character like Han Seo Jin she should have known better than to focused on getting Ye Seo into University and being on top knowing her background and where had been prior to entering the SKY Castle. She was poor but yet looked down on the poor because she was in higher class. I'm disappointed that they had her have that happy ending with her family after how she's had treated Hye Na and Woo Joo mom. To be honest she's just as guilty as the coach, it's true she was manipulate but had it not been for her greed to get to the top Hye Na death could have been avoided even if she didn't get to live happily ever after with her dad, it wasn't right for her to die. Ye Seo mom not only did she commit multiple crimes for her greed to make Ye Seo a top student but she destroyed evidence and send an innocent kid to prison and pretended to be a victim while she had been keeping the most secrets. I think Ye Seo character had the greatest development she was never evil from the beginner but some parts of her development was questionable, I kept thinking that had it been another student and no Woo Joo, she wouldn't have come clean about what happened to Hye Na or would she kept going with the crimes of her mom and coach to get accepted into University. All the families had their own individual issues and I love Professor Cha family his wife is classy queen that deserves all the love and respect and at the start felt like the only mother that toke her children's feeling into consideration, the twins were just cute at first but after seeing how they spoke up when the stituation wasn't fair and kept their own I fell deeper in love with them.
One thing about SKY Castle is that it's a drama I'd recommend, but it's not for the light heart drama watchers, the writers didn't miss adding every kind of psychological abuse to this show, it had everything from Suicide, Mental illness, Murder, Financial abuse, Physical abuse, Verbal and Emotional abuse. Manipulation toke it's own category, Coach Kim is a master manipulator and she is great at it too, using one's passion to drive them crazy to a tragic end. "Kids that are loved can endure through it. We can't change the messes up educational system, but for our child to endure through the educational system, we have to love him abundantly. That's our responsibility" Their was a quoted from the series that I really appreciate very much that, their was parts of this drama that I could relate to heavily and after thinking about it, it's sad that in the real world their are alot of parents that are like these characters and I hope that more drama and series can be made such as this one to rise awareness that mental illness in real tragedy based on how parents raised their children. Parents need to understand that not all their beliefs are what their children want to do and should also be open to idea of listening to their children and not telling them what to do 24/7.
P.S. thank you for reading this, these were my thoughts after watching this series and wanted to share it with others.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Tackles Prominent Issues
I heard a lot of good reviews so I was curious whether it deserves it or not. After seeing others who highly recommended it, I finally had a will and started it. I honestly hate slow peak series because I get easily bored. I hate waiting too slow until the story build because I'm more open to a quick peaks BUT THIS MADE ME WAIT UNTIL I FEEL THAT IT IS WORTHY.When episodes are getting nearer, it improved and I was hooked up onto it. I got overhyped and kept thinking what would happen next.
There are a lot of series that tackles about different society issues but failing to act and promote it. But I have to say that SKY Castle never failed to show it lightly by the means of attacking us extremely.
SKY Castle tackles about the prominent issues this society have. BAD PARENTING, ACADEMIC PRESSURE, OBSESSION OVER THE TITLES, COMPETITION and GREED. All of those listed above were strongly showed off. There were some scenes where it was actually disturbing and triggering but that's their way to show how toxic our society is.
The veterans and rookies blended well, they never failed to make it funny interesting.
Mixed emotions, it may seems like black comedy. It is a good roller coaster ride, I enjoyed it. I didn't cried that much but I felt sad and dissapointed to every characters' attitude.
The last episode where Coach Kim was shown clearly means that THE CYCLE OF BAD SYSTEM REPEATS ITSELF. It's impossible to change what kind of system and standards do we have right now, BUT WE AS INDIVIDUALS ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO AVOID ENGAGING WITH THAT KIND OF ISSUES.
Tragedies must be stop, this series dared everyone to be openminded in our society.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So it took me a little time to actually finish this (I actually binged it on a day I took off work as I was sick XD) but in a way I'm glad I binged it. If not I would have gone bold from the frustration of waiting for the next episode. This is one of those dramas that actually stay up for their hype. I actually watched the first few 4 eps and waited so in a way I did know it was gonna be awesome but damn the writers have done an excellent job in creating one hell of a unique story. Everyone was flawed, everyone had their secrets. Some not realistic but it gives a peak in to the rich and powerful people in Korea and how they actually use that power to get what they want. It also shows family dynamic. Not the cheesy "oh we're such a happy family" but real family problems.One thing I can't seem to agree is that I just can't like Kim Hye Na. She was without doubt my least favorite character yes she was standing up for the unfairness of everything but she just as the parents did, used everyone around her. While all the kids had some innocence in them KHN did not. Yes she was forced to mature earlier than everyone due to her mother's death but still I could not fathom how she went about with her revenge. In any way I do not think she deserved to die but still I didn't like her character. In my books my favorite was Ki Joon's and Suh Joon's mother. She didn't have supportive husband still she managed to get up and go against all odds. Even Woo Joo's mother at least had support from her son and husband but she made it on her own. Yes she needed a slight push by WJ's mom but still I applaud her for her strength. Specially loved the scene where she got er kids to carry their father out and throw him out of the house. Kudos for the twins too XD
Anyway I'm not so sure of the re-watch value due to the fact that the mystery element is clearly gone after watching it once but nevertheless I would really recommend this to anyone. One of the drama after Goblin for me that actually kept up to the praise it received ( I was not a fan of Reply 1988. Thought it was waaaaay overrated) With that I will finish my short review :)
Was this review helpful to you?
What price would you be willing to pay in order to get into an Ivy Uni?
I was hesitant to watch this drama at first but due to all the positive reviews I told myself I'd give it 2 episodes...I was hooked on the first episode. This had so many life lessons and many times I could relate with the children and with the parents. I remember growing up being taught that my grades defined my value, I was considered a gifted child since young and always came 1st place until I entered my last year of middle school which is when I first started slipping from a straight A student to a B student. I was taught that if I didn't make it to a top university, that meant that I was nothing by one of my parent, while the other didn't care if I was a straight A or B student so long as I got a good college degree and didn't fail classes. In this way I was able to relate to Kang Ye Seo and her drive to needing to be number 1 no matter what, and also with Woo Joo who parents trusted him and gave him so much love.There was betrayal, greed, love and defining what success as well as happiness is. It left me reflecting on my life and having conversation with one of my parents about what it was like growing up with certain expectation but asking them also what would be the price that they'd be willing to pay in order to get their child into an Ivy League University.
Story: Without spoiling anything, the drama is about 5 women and what they are willing to sacrifice in order to have acknowledgement and have their child get accepted into a highly regarded Med school (at the level of Harvard, Yale, NYU, Princeton, ect), we also get to see the children life with those expectation where they need to study 24/7 and being defined by their grades. At the very beginning it leads to one of the children breaking all ties with their parent and thus one of the parent deciding to unalive themselves and the other reflecting on how they got to that point. Shortly after a new family moves in that throws a wrench on how things are done and shows that letting the child decide how and if they'll study can also lead to success, we also have a character who had to do everything Themselves, taking care of Their sick parent while getting top grades only to be left alone deciding that the world of the rich owe Them more for their suffering. We have a study coach who has a 100% acceptance rate which we later find out how that comes to be. In the end, we end up thinking about the sacrifices each character made and if it was worth it.
Acting: The acting was topnotch for me, one moment I was laughing at JinJin and her family antics, the next moment I was pissed off with Ye Seo and her mother, the next I was crying in frustration with the twins and their mother, or cheering for Woo Jin and his parents who were his number one cheerleader. What I love the most is the character development and how each actors/actresses brought that to the table.
Music: No...this is where I feel like they failed, sometimes the background music felt too loud and for me personally their theme song "Is this even true(A.N:I think that's the name)" was too distracting and not in a good way, I even found myself responding a few time "Yes, this is really true now stop asking!!!!!!-_-" But I am very picky with my music so it might just be me.
Cinematography: There are times where the shots were absolutely beautiful and so were the outfits as well as house design but other times where I wanted to know who the cameraperson was to sit down with them because it was too shaky, or felt too amateur which took away from some important scenes and had me skipping scenes sometimes, in frustration.
Overall score: Overall I'll give it a 9.5 out of 10, this is one of those that I'd happily rewatch every few years and would recommend, in fact, I recommend that those who are parents, or are going through a hard time, to watch this. There are so many life lessons, the ending also made me wonder if we might be getting a second season.
Was this review helpful to you?
Sharp, Addictive, and Brilliantly Performed Masterpiece!
Please Watch this Masterpiece!SKY Castle is one of the most compelling Korean dramas ever produced—an intense, razor-sharp satire that examines ambition, privilege, and the extreme pressures of academic success. With its unpredictable plot, phenomenal cast, and emotionally charged storytelling, it delivers a drama experience that is gripping from the first episode to the very last.
This is such a unique and fresh show, about how far wealthy parents are willing to go to support their children to get into top universities. The storytelling in SKY Castle is exceptional. At first glance, it appears to be a show about wealthy families pushing their children toward elite universities, but it quickly becomes much more: a psychological drama, a dark social critique, and a suspense-driven emotional rollercoaster.
The brilliance of the plot lies in how it slowly reveals its layers. Just when you think you understand the characters or predict the direction, the drama shifts, exposing new motivations, secrets, and tensions. The writing never wastes a moment—every line, every decision, and every twist serves a purpose. It keeps you on edge without ever resorting to cheap shock value.
The characters were all well done. I love Professor Min Hyuk! An excellent comedic actor.
The audience can empathise with these characters, especially teenagers who go to school.
Including young adults who go to university. This show is special.
Yum Jung-ah is absolutely magnetic as the fiercely ambitious mother whose calm exterior hides immense desperation.
Lee Tae-ran, Yoon Se-ah, and Oh Na-ra each bring depth, vulnerability, and complexity to their roles, portraying mothers with wildly different approaches and emotional struggles.
Kim Seo-hyung, as the infamous coordinator, delivers one of the most chilling and unforgettable performances in Korean drama history—controlled, mysterious, and utterly captivating.
Kim Byung-chul delivers one of the most unforgettable performances in Korean drama history.
His portrayal of Professor Cha is chilling, brilliant, and strangely magnetic.
He embodies authority with such precision that his presence alone changes the tone of a scene.
The acting all across the board was top notch and the actors definitely deserved the awards recieved.
This show can be pretty dark, but the comedy was well timed and excellent.
Kim Byung Chul made this show to a legendry status. It’s one of those roles where you forget you’re watching an actor—you’re simply witnessing a fully lived-in character. He makes a complex character feel terrifyingly real, grounding the drama with emotional weight and psychological depth.
The show captures: how far people will go for status, how competition can twist relationships, The writing is clever, unflinching, and thought-provoking. It exposes societal issues with sophistication, never preaching but always revealing.
The story was exciting and filled with twists. The show’s pacing is impeccable—moving quickly enough to stay addictive, yet slow enough to let every emotional moment land. The visuals, tone, and soundtrack all work together to build an elite world that looks polished on the surface but hides countless cracks underneath.
The music was good, We all lie is a fitting song for this drama.
The directing heightens everything—the tension, the stakes, the emotional beats. The visuals are polished and elegant, perfectly matching the world of elite families who look flawless from afar but are quietly falling apart underneath.
What makes SKY Castle a masterpiece is how deeply it affects you. It’s thrilling, heartbreaking, darkly funny, and shockingly real. Even with no spoilers, it’s easy to say: this drama will leave a lasting impact, long after the final episode.
So Go and enjoy this special show, If you’re looking for a show with gripping characters, powerful acting, and a plot that keeps you thinking long after it ends, watch SKY Castle. We need more unique shows like this!
Was this review helpful to you?
Prepare for roller coaster ride through Korean life of the privileged.
Here is a drama that completely captures you and will not give you up until the very last episode. The creators of this drama take a very delicate subject matter and tell a painful story of what it's like to grow up Korean with parents whose only design is to make their offspring into masters of the universe.For the families who inhabit the SKY Castle, a posh living community of the ultra wealthy, the greatest achievement is to churn out children who are doubly successful, as well as provide a source of pride and bragging rights for their over-achiever parents. The journey to this success, however, is filled with sleepless nights, sweat, blood, tears, over paid cutthroat tutors, and lots of parental abuse. The consequences are equally tragic and sets the tone for the ensuing 20 episodes as mothers scheme to get their children into the most exclusive schools while backstabbing and gossiping behind each others' backs, rejoicing in their competitors' misfortunes while compassionately commiserating in the open.
When a new family moves into the community who are less sophisticated and not as driven to achieve the level of success the other parents desire due to natural talent, they unwittingly set of a chain of events that threaten to destroy the SKY Castle as they know it. The story revolves around four families who reside at the Sky Castle, their lives entertaining at home and work, and how they push their children into greatness despite tears and gnashing of teeth.
The creators of Sky Castle bring together an ensemble of extraordinary talent, young and old, to tell this masterfully written story about families who suffer all kinds of tragedies in the quest for greatness. The music is key and woven into the most heart-wrenching scenes. It expresses the dark, twisted personalities within the composed exterior the characters. There are twists you never see coming that utterly devastate you.
Now for the the things I found dissatisfying:
Some of these moms were downright evil. Their lack of compassion and scheming was so over the top, that I really wanted to see them come to a bad end. Instead, they are given an arc of redemption which is a bitter pill to swallow taking into account some actions were illegal as well as malevolent. I am all for people seeing the error of their ways, but there has to be consequences. Some of the characters in this drama show us some filthy sides of their personalities which can be astounding. Yet, they seem to come to their senses almost miraculously and turn into normal people. I don't buy it. There were some plot holes in the minor storylines but, in general, the writing was above average. This one is definitely one of the better k-dramas out there. I recommend this one.
Was this review helpful to you?
absolutely amazing
I still regret dropping this series after episode 5. At first, I hesitated to watch it for a long time. I thought it wouldn't be for me, even though it's my style of drama. I thought the story would be heavy or not very entertaining, that it would be boring, that 20 episodes would be too much for me. But I don't regret at all starting the series again and watching it to the end. It was absolutely wonderful, a vibrant, very dramatic series with excellent acting. Without a doubt, it's one of the best dramas I've seen in years. I must emphasize the acting again; it's so impressive that it truly makes you feel what the characters feel. It makes you vibrate and almost cry with them. It's definitely a well-rounded series with a perfect conclusion. 20 episodes that are worth watching completely because it's been a long time since a drama blew my mind like this.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I enjoyed the show very much. But after episode 15, I felt like the story was dragged out to try to redeem some characters. My original review had a lot of spoilers, so I deleted it. But the story is worth watching. I did feel like some of the characters were just horrible people and deserved bad endings. Even when some of those characters started to change, after so many episodes I didn't feel anything for them because I thought that they were horrible. But this drama is good, I could see myself rewatching it again. Was this review helpful to you?
I really wanted to see this drama even if it's not my viewpoint as a scholar but it's just another stupid drama that tries to see things from the viewpoint of old people without actually changing anything. It doesn't bring any change to korean culture it just says "hey what we are doing is wrong" and that's it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Entendi porque é tão famoso
Conheço Sky Castle desde que comecei a ver doramas lá em 2019, mas nunca tive a coragem de assistir porque só pela capa já se imagina que é uma história pesada e densa e, até ano passado, eu não era muito desse tipo de drama. Ainda bem que tudo mudou e minha paixonite pelo GeonHee me fez finalmente dar play no primeiro episódio. Sky Castle é genial! Todo mundo sabe do histórico da Coréia de ser um país rigoroso com estudos e que isso é muitas vezes prejudicial pros jovens, então ter um drama tão grande que retrata isso da melhor forma possível é uau. Gostei muito como tudo foi tratado de forma profunda, mesmo as histórias que foram deixadas em segundo plano tiveram seus momentos de conflitos e resoluções realizados mesmo que intermediados por outros enredos. Adorei todos os plot twists que aconteceram, me pegou desprevenida muitas vezes e isso é muito bom! O único dorama que realmente compensa ter 20 episódios.Was this review helpful to you?
참고로,이 드라마에서 그것은 정말로 약간의 로맨스입니다. 그것은 드라마가 풍성한 사랑 테마의 대부분을 키우지 않기 때문입니다. 그러나 그것은 지루하지 않습니다. 이 드라마의 가족은 완벽한 패키지이기 때문입니다. 자녀들을위한 부모님의 사랑은 우리로 하여금 그 순간 어머니를 포용하기를 정말로 원하게했습니다.
그래서이 드라마가 좋은지 아닌지, 또는 지켜지지 않을만한 가치가있는 사람들, 또는 이미 사랑에 빠져있는 사람들 - 사랑 이야기에 호기심을 가진 사람들에게는이 드라마가 추천됩니다!
Was this review helpful to you?
