6 K-Dramas Similar to ‘Sky Castle’ That Will Stress You Out

Do you miss watching Sky Castle and shouting at your screen because it just made you unjustifiably furious? I know I do. Just seeing the sight of Coach Kim was enough to ruin my day in the best way possible! If you’re like me who’s continuously looking for that type of stress and thrill in your everyday watching, then don’t worry. I did the research for you in finding crazy, soapy k-dramas similar to Sky Castle.

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1. Penthouse

Cast: Kim So-yeon, Lee Ji-ah, Eugene, Kim Young-dae, Park Eun-seok

Synopsis: Also known as The Penthouse: War in Life, this soapy k-drama revolves around wealthy families living in the 100-floor Hera Palace penthouse apartment. Everyone’s dream is to be the most successful one out of all… no matter what it takes. This means toppling the queen bee of the penthouse, Sim Su-ryeon, and making sure that their children are the best students in school.

The residents’ secrets start to come out when Oh Yoon-hee, a woman from a more humble background, causes some trouble with her aspiration to exact revenge on her longtime rival, opera-singing tutor Cheon Seo-jin. And we can’t forget, murders run rampant here! Power, lies, and deceit… what more could you ask for?

How it’s similar to Sky Castle: The question we should be asking is how it’s not similar to Sky Castle. Just reading the synopsis above gives you an idea that Penthouse explores almost exactly the same themes as the JTBC drama. From the intense pressure on the kids to perform well at school, to the problems in everyone’s marriage, and the mothers’ desires to be the best, it’s not hard to see why people compare these two k-dramas a lot.

But you know what, this isn’t a knock against Penthouse at all! Its first season still managed to be one of the most-watched k-dramas of all time and was renewed for two additional seasons despite being released over a year after Sky Castle. Well it’s not a shocker when the show has consistently provided quality drama and complex gray characters for us to root for/against.

Where to watch Penthouse in the Philippines: Viu

Read more about the show on IMDB.

2. Moment of Eighteen

Cast: Ong Seong-wu, Kim Hyang-gi & Shin Seung-ho

Synopsis: In this high school coming-of-age drama, we follow the shy and introverted Choi Joon-woo, the new student in town who has a lot of trouble fitting in with hisunfamiliar environment. He instantly takes a liking to the friendly Soo Yoo-bin, who is constantly pressured by her mother to be on top of her class. Star student Ma Hwi-young instantly takes a disliking to Joon-woo, but also has a troubled life at home thanks to his dad who is never pleased.

How it’s similar to Sky Castle: The reason why I put Moment of Eighteen in this list is not because of the cute romance between the two leads, or the main coming-of-age plot which has landed it in our list of best k-dramas on Netflix for Gen Z’ers.

But there are two subplots here that really scream Sky Castle for me: the first one involves the shaky relationship between Yoo-bin and her mother, who seems to only like the former when she’s doing well at school.

The second one involves Hwi-young, whose troublesome attitude is a direct effect of his parents constantly pressuring him to live up to his successful brother. His status as a top student can also be credit to some “assistance” from his mother, who constantly pulls some strings in the school system for him. Do I hear Han Seo-jin and Kang Ye-seo in this storyline?

Where to watch Moment of Eighteen in the Philippines: Netflix and Viu

Read more about the show on IMDB.

3. Flower of Evil

Cast: Lee Joon-gi & Moon Chae-won

Synopsis: This thriller is about a homicide detective, Cha Ji-won, whose world is turned upside down when she discovers that her so-called perfect husband, Baek Hee-sung is not who she thought he was. In fact, he may be a psychotic serial killer with a long history of murdering innocent people. We follow Ji-won on her quest to find out the truth behind her husband that may very well put her entire life at risk.

How it’s similar to Sky Castle: Flower of Evil is all about uncovering dark secrets hiding beneath the “perfect life”. We saw this in Sky Castle when the families’ lives start to crumble as soon as Lee Soo-im starts to dig further into what’s really going on in that community.

If you enjoyed the “who killed Hae-na” or “who really is Coach Kim” storyline, then you might enjoy this k-drama that delves a bit more into the hardcore mystery side of things. And much like Sky Castle, the whole plot is led by a strong woman who’s not afraid to put herself in danger to get what she wants!

Where to watch Flower of Evil in the Philippines: Netflix and Viu

Read more about the show on IMDB.

4. Beautiful World

Cast: Park Hee-soon, Choo Ja-hyun & Nam Da-reum

Synopsis: This underrated k-drama follows a family’s investigation into the events leading up to an incident that had left the son, Park Sun-ho, in a coma. They said he had attempted to commit suicide, but as they learn later on, the darker truth lies somewhere in the heartless environment that is the entire South Korean high school system: a breeding ground for bullying, violence, hypercompetitiveness, and cover-ups.

How it’s similar to Sky Castle: Beautiful World is more of a family drama with elements of deceit rather than a “deceit drama” with elements of family like Sky Castle. Nonetheless, both shows are one big commentary on high school education vis-a-vis the “rich vs. poor” dichotomy that places students in harm’s way. The central mystery about what happened to Park Sun-ho can lead to some thrilling moments for viewers akin to the entirety of Sky Castle.

If you thought Lee Soo-im was a sweet parent because she always looked out for the children’s best interest, then you’re gonna fall in love with the entire Park family in Beautiful World, whose love for the son is just beyond.

Where to watch Beautiful World in the Philippines: Netflix

Read more about the show on IMDB.

5. The World of the Married

Cast: Park Hae-joon, Han So-hee & Kim Hee-ae

Synopsis: This is a dark and melodramatic k-drama that can be encapsulated in one word: betrayal. We follow the story of the marriage between doctor Ji Sun-woo and her husband, film director Lee Tae-oh. And as you may have already suspected with the title, it all goes down the drain when Sun-woo discovers that Tae-oh has been having an affair with the younger and more conventionally attractive Yeo Da-kyung… who is with child. The kicker? Everyone seems to have been hiding this affair from Sun-woo!

You best believe she’s not gonna let everyone off the hook that easily; she goes on a quest of revenge where only plot twists and bloody encounters await.

How it’s similar to Sky Castle: It’s pretty fitting that this k-drama was able to overtake Sky Castle as the highest-rated show in the history of Korean cable networks. It’s what you get when you remove all the tiger mom parts and make it all about the scandalous family and couple drama.

We saw how Kang Seo-jin and Dr. Joon-sang’s marriage was tested when they discovered that Hae-na was actually the latter’s daughter. Imagine that kind of marriage drama happening over a span of an entire series among a multitude of characters. Well you don’t have to, because that’s exactly what The World of the Married is.

Where to watch The World of the Married in the Philippines: Netflix and Viu

Read more about the show on IMDB.

6. Something in the Rain

Cast: Son Ye-jin & Jung Hae-in

Synopsis: Yoon Jin-ah is 35 years old and still single after her relationship with a well-to-do lawyer fell through. Enter Seo Joon-hee, the younger brother of Jin-ah’s best friend. The two reconnect and fall in love, despite the fact that a woman being older than the man in a relationship is considered taboo in South Korea. They are put through the wringer as certain people and situations make their relationship impossible to exist.

How it’s similar to Sky Castle: The stress. The freaking stress! Something in the Rain may just be up there in one of the most aggravating shows that I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

If watching the parents in Sky Castle shout at their children was enough to make you pull out your own hair, then wait ’til you meet Jin-ah’s mother. She gives pre-finale Han Seo-jin a run for her money when it comes to being Worst Mom of the Century. As an Asian, it’s uncomfortable watching the 35-year old Jin-ah be borderline harassed by her own mother because we all know how these things can happen to us in real life.

But alas, this k-drama still holds a lot of life lessons (like Sky Castle) which is why it made our list of best k-dramas to watch on Netflix for zoomers.

Where to watch Something in the Rain in the Philippines: Netflix

Read more about the show on IMDB.

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Any thoughts on our list of k-dramas similar to Sky Castle? Maybe you’ve watched some of these shows and have some thoughts on them, or want to recommend your own. Either way, feel free to leave your comments below this article!

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If you’re looking for more lighthearted K-dramas on Netflix instead, you might want to check out our list of recommendations here. Don’t miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Featured Image: Left – SBS via Viu, Right – JTBC via Netflix