Start-Up (2020)

Stellar start, sweet end

Oh Startup — my weekly joy that slowly became less enjoyable as time went on. I decided to watch this show as a fan of Nam Joo Hyuk, but as with many others, Kim Seon Ho quickly snatched my heart. The first four episodes were probably the peak of the whole drama (I cried in the FIRST episode! And laughed out loud by the third!). As time went on, some of the lustre had gone away, but I could still live with how it all ended.

The best parts: Halmeoni, obviously (until she said it was too late! HOW COULD YOU?), Han Ji Pyeong (everything about him, including that SUPER lame handshake at the end), tech bros in plaid (got some real "ushering in a new generation" vibe at the end), Yongshil and his human cameo, smart independent women (looking at you, Saha and Injae), and pretty accurate nods to two of the worlds I'm most familiar with (business/investing and tech).

Unfortunately, there were also clear gaping holes where the storyline could've been so much more fulfilling:
• No murder mystery plot. Seriously, cut that out. I saw a post suggesting that this story were more about the character's self-confidence and leading to similar realizations / crying by the corn dog stand moments.
• More Injae!! Seriously, she deserved a backstory as rich as our other three leads.
• Justice for everyone's favourite character. I was weeping seeing him alone in his apartment even by the last episode. Don't give a man that kind of backstory, make him the most rootable character, and not give him the family he so deeply needs. I loved the orphanage bit at the end, but seriously. He deserves the world and then some.
• Less love triangle: it was great to start, but dragged on for too long. At some point, I wanted a resolution one way or the other — and there was still enough room in the plot for both of these men. Either the Dalmi-Dosan relationship should've been fully professional/about working together while Dalmi-Jipyeong was romantic, or Dalmi-Jipyeong was fully professional/mentorship-related (with a side helping of true brotherhood between Dosan-Jipyeong) while Dalmi-Dosan was clearly endgame earlier on.
• Similarly: more closure on the letters. We got a Reply 1988-style "explanation" on the letters for 5 minutes in the last episode, but it didn't pack as strong of a punch because we didn't SEE it happen, and the circumstances were totally different. I wish our characters addressed these letters in more depth and explored the associated feelings more seriously.
• And finally, a better answer to the question: "Why do you like me?" Dalmi's answer was so hollow and unfulfilling (SUCH a cop-out). I would've lived for a more realistic answer — that he's always been there for her, that he pushed her to follow her dreams (and even surpass them!), that he was a doer and someone who balanced her out perfectly. All of those reasons would've made sense to me, and maybe I could've hopped on-board this ship if this type of explanation were paired with some super cute flashback/montage-type scenes.

That being said, it was still a great mix of humour, inspiration, and sweetness. The episode 16 closure felt realistic, and oof I FELT those Good Boy - Halmeoni scenes deep in my heart (from the letters in episode one, to the shoe scene, to his freak out about being a bad boy, to Halmeoni lamenting it's too late, to Good Boy realizing the reason for NoonGil). I even liked Dosan, who was relatable, nuanced, and flawed in his own right. Heck, I probably would've loved him if Kim Seon Ho didn't unprecedentedly outshine him here. The cinematography was awesome. And the OST was one of the best in the business. I enjoyed scaling up with you, Startup!

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Not bad... But could have been better

-The plot idea was pretty good
-The actors and actresses were amazing (main and support)
-The characters were well thought out
-The OST was nice
-The costume design was spot on and aesthetically pleasing
-The production in general was great, they paid a lot of attention to details

They were so many outstanding things about the drama that the expectations were set too high... So some aspects of the story and character development were a bit disappointing.

So... The drama was OK. Do I regret watching it? No. Could it have been better? Definitely. Would I rewatch it? Probably not. At least not in the next 5 years.

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It's not that bad as pepople are saying it is

I started watching it because i love NJH and i think he is a really good actor and he played Dosan very well, i love his acting but Dosan as a character and person is just not likable. Till the end i just couldn't like him. But i loved HJP since the first scene, i love how Kim Seon Ho portrayed him, it is perfect. Everytime he cried i could feel it and sometimes i cried with him. And now i'm in love with Kim SeonHo too.
I really hate this kdrama thing with love triangles and second lead but in the same time i love it. But here in Start Up it was just too painful for SL (here comes SL syndrome that everyone feels now) and it was too much to handle. Almost everyone was done with it and some people even dropped it beacuse of it.
I managed to finish it only beacuse of HJP and Grandma. Everytime these two were on a screen i got so emotional and couldn't hold back my tears.
Yes this drama is a little bit of mess but i don't think it is the worst drama in the world. You can see a beautiful friendship of Samsan Tech guys- i love them, and beautiful fathers love, grandmas love. I really think it is worth to watch at least first two episodes because they were beautiful and you can't tell they weren't.

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A Drama NOT to remember but A character (HAN JI PYEONG ) to Cherish !!

I really don't know how to explain how the drama affected me ( for the first time negative way). I have never been so pissed before, if I don't like a drama I just simply drop it and never look back it was that simple but this Start-Up drama don't even leave me after I dropped it and the reason was even if it was a mess there is one sunshine in it, obviously that was none other than Han Ji-Pyeong ( played by Kim Seon Ho ) himself. A character who is selfless and great mentor <3

I started the drama with a lot of expectations and in the first episode, they really blew me up with an amazing start. Thought it will be a modern yet classic story to remember now I laugh at myself to think that way LOL!

Now that I think of the story it is neither a modern one nor a classic, it's just a black hole. The visuals, the directing, and OST can be appreciated but not the story, character developments nor the wholesome meaning of this drama. They lured the audience with false hope till the end, to keep their lowest rate convenience. I really wonder without this Han Ji-Pyeong character what will happen to their drama? will it even survive that long? They literally used the character to lure the audience not only them the whole media did the same. You can see Kim Seon Ho is everywhere now because people loved him that much that they will open any videos of him wherever it posted. And I am not complaining by the way as I am a fan of Kim Seon Ho too so I do the same. If don't like his character in this drama fine with me as we all have personal preferences then again can anyone tell me what was the purpose of the show? how it started and how it ended? Sailing without a map maybe works for 00.01 % of persons in life and in the Tech world ZERO. Not listening to your mentor makes you nothing but a disrespectful brat. Having a loving family and friends yet whining about your life makes a person immature, coward, and ungrateful. No matter how bad your relationship with your sister but making it seen in front of the world doesn't look good even worse when you are working for your sister and never tell her about her family person's sickness. In Jae, all her life all she did is to make practical decisions, not like Dal-mi who got lost in two boys. and ready to sail the boat without a map in the world of Start-Up.

So, Start-Up thought me in the end if you are selfless like Han Ji-Pyeong will get nothing, if you are like In Jae who is determined, practical, hardworking then you won't be accepted by your own family. Sorry, I am not following any of this. Being honest, selfless, determined, practical and hardworking is the way of life for me not sinking the boat.

Thanks no Thanks

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The worst series ever

I thought GOT ended badly at the finale., but this one completely took over it....
being a huge fan of Kdrama, this show has been keeping the audience engaged by torturing them
to see a justice done for HJP., each and every episode people are hoping for it and the writer is taking advantage of that.,
there are many series with love triangles such as What's wrong with secretary Kim, My Shy boss It okay not to be okay, The Bride of Habaek, Because this is first life all these delivered an excelled performance...giving a warm finale., but this one Damn... THE WORST KDRAMA I HAVE WATCHED EVER!

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With every episode-" DOWN" went my rating for this drama

You will enter the drama seeing NamJooHyuk and Suzy but in the exit falling for KimSeonHo

Be it small or big all of us have dreams. Be it short-term or long-term all of us want to achieve them. But few are scared of starting and divert their path, few give up half way through , few remain stubborn and stick to them untill their dreams are realized. To convert thoughts into reality the actions taken towards it plays a significant role. So, our leads are also full of vigour to prove themselves by starting a "START-UP". Will they be stubborn and prosper or be swayed away by others opinions and lose , is what we should be looking forward to in this drama.
It is good to see that both the leads start from the same point in their careers its not like just any other drama where the Male lead is perfect and too good to be true. The characters are relatable "struggle,insecurities, self-conscious ,doubtful " are the problems of any person who wants to succeed. I really loved the way they reflected these emotions in one single drama.
This drama is a mix of genres it literally plays with emotions , it will tickle our funny bones at times, squeezes out all the tears with sentiments and makes our heart flutter with sweet moments there are few amazing dialogues that are inspiring as well.
HAHAHAHAHA these were my thoughts in the first half of the drama but "naive me ", now at the end i am left with empty feelings and i kept wondering about the genre of this drama.The comedy in this is only in the first half tbh. Initially i thought this would be about chasing dreams etc etc (one feel good life lesson drama) and did not show much interest in the love-triangle but towards the end startup was a side track and all the attention was forced towards how will male lead get the girl . And ya this has no elements about the struggle at all . My rating is only for the first half as i enjoyed watching them but for the rest half i would just give 2/10 because it made no sense to me (Maybe i had high expectations).
For those who like Nam joo hyuk and suzy's it would be a great drama for visuals

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Team Nam DO SAN!!!

Wasn't supposed to watch this since it seemed it was going to be too much "high technology" for me. But despite being about computers, advancements and etc., it is a joy watching this.

I love that it has so much heart... From the first episode alone, I was hooked.

This series has a unique story line which showcases different kinds of relationships. From families, friends, co-workers, to even two people who are not related by blood (Good Boy and Grand Ma), It is the latter's special relationship which started a domino effect and spilled through the lives of Dal Mi and Do San.

Nam Do San is not the typical lead. I love how his character exudes innocence making him one of the most lovable male leads ever. Jin Peong on the other hand is a strong second lead. Unlike in other dramas, his presence as a second lead makes such an impact to the story. He truly deserves to have his own drama in the future.

Currently waiting for ep 15 and 16..... While doing so, I am rewinding ep 13 because I love seeing Nam Do San in an all black attire. So dashing!!

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A boring, polarized mess of fun and frustration

Start Up was surely one of my anticipated dramas of recent times. The cast looked good and the story seemed quite promising. I was sold to the idea of independent youth with dreams, trying to make it big. But what I watched was somehow very different.

PLOT:
I am not sure if the drama was marketed the right away. They kept focusing on the FL wanting to be a young female CEO. I thought, "Great. Although it's Suzy, I'm willing to give it a try". Oh I did, okay? This drama started out wonderfully. The child actors were amazing at the beginning was probably the best thing in the drama.

Contrary to most people who were a fan of this writer, I've dropped all her dramas in the past. Somehow I didn't drop this one and kept watching it out of boredom. I don't think the writer did even a remotely acceptable job of the plot. Initial build ups failed, the main AND side characters were a snooze till they became MORE annoying and the romance fell flat before eventually drowning in an endless ditch. There were more pointless plotlines than I can count. The unnecessary ones were shoved down our throat and the ones with potential were all forgotten or abandoned by the writer midway.

This drama is more discouraging than encouraging but it depends on how one takes it. What they've shown in this drama was incredibly naive, unrealistic and seemed to have been written by someone who's never worked in a corporate or start-up company before. The issues were laughably bad and this is the biggest peeve for me with this drama. It had a sort of realistic take in the beginning but it was a laughable mess by the end.

The other peeve was the sudden melodramatic angle. I say again that it is discouraging, because it shows that only bad things happen to the good people. It's message is: good people are never meant to be happy and misery will follow them till the end. The plot with the Grandmother was incredibly sad. Nothing is right in her life. The other pitiful person was OF COURSE the second lead Han Ji Pyeong. He's also portrayed as an orphan who was born to be alone and no one would ever love him. I tell you, this drama looks spunky but it was incredibly depressing to me. It wasn't about finding your dreams, but about living in nightmares. I wouldn't have complained if they had marketed it as a dark melodrama because these characters were contradicting the supposed main plot.

CHARACTERS:
A shout out to Grandma and Dad. They were the only wholly nice and kind people in the drama.The FL had spark in the beginning which I loved. She kind of swayed because her journey was itself a mess. Also, she wasn't as empathetic as she was supposed to be because she is plainly cold to the SML. She is blind for the ML. The ML was kind of cute and naive in the beginning but comes off as selfish and scheming later. The SML is lonely, abandoned and no hope in his life. The sister In Jae had amazing potential as a tsundere character but they didn't even bother with giving the actress enough of a plot to be central to the plot. I'm not going to comment on the side characters because majority of the time they were in a competition for being the most annoying.

ACTING:
Not a fan of Suzy but I find her charming. I was very impressed with her in the first 10 episodes of the drama but her acting went back to mediocre in the later parts. Nam Joo Hyuk was okay at best, there wasn't much he could have done with his weird character. Kim Han Na did amazing as Won In Jae. Kim Seon Ho was great and he translated perfectly from the younger to older version of the character. He had incredible chemistry with everyone and I will be glad to see his future works.

OST:
The OST is golden. I love almost all the songs and highly recommend listening to it.

OVERALL:
A dumb, pointless drama. It's got some YAYYY fun moments, decent kisses and amazing lines. The problem is the plot fizzled out hopelessly and there was no saving it. The casting isn't as bad as they ended up being here. I think I will tread with caution for this writer's future dramas as my record has been BAD. I'm out with the memorable OST and won't ever bother to give this drama a second watch.

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Started off strong but story nose dived 3/4s of the way.

I wanted to like this show, i really do. Start up started off strong but nose dived 3/4s of the way. A lot of lazy writing. The writer set up a lot of conflicts ie the love triangle, the startup contest, sister conflict, family etc but most of these were haphazardly closed sometimes leaving it up to the viewers to assume conflicts were fixed in the backend (timeskip).

They failed to give the ML (NDS) a solid character foundation NDS making you NOT root for him in the love triangle. This is the reason why a lot of people was rooting for the second lead, HJP. His character was well developed, consistent, so much so he looked liked the ML if for all the promotional posters featuring NDS.

I’ll finish the show but i am giving it a bad rating just to emphasize how much a disappointment this show was. I really wanted to like it but unfortunately these past few episodes were really hard to finish, and not to mention cringe (Dodal scenes)

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So we’ve finally come to the end, what a journey!

——First, a little rant and head-ups for those considering watching this: please don’t listen to the haters. So many people are giving the series 1 or 2 stars and I can assure you SU deserves a lot more. Just because a ship didn’t ‘sail’ doesn’t mean the story itself is bad. From the very beginning the endgame couple was obvious, and the chemistry between the characters and the actors is off the charts, so yeah. Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll find many enjoyable things about Start Up!——

Personally, I’m really happy with how the story went. Some moments were a little dragging but overall I had a great time watching it and I really like the characters and their interactions. A feel-good kind of story.

Kudos to NJH and Suzy’s acting! Both of them have improved SO much in these last few years, I’m proud to see how far they’ve come.

The OST was incredible, some of the best I’ve listen to lately.

The cinematography is beautiful too, it looks like a big budget movie. I loved it!

It was definitely worth it, I’m happy I stuck until the end!


BIG SPOILER AHEAD:


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AHHHHH DS AND DM GOT MARRIED!!!!!! I’M SO HAPPY!!!!! I LOVE THIS KIND OF ENDING!

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Believe that you are worth it

After watching K dramas for the last two years, I've found that they all have charm, wit and good stories. Unfortunately, some don't have stamina that carries to the end of their shows. So far, Start-up is a delight! The premise is about whether or not we are happy with the choices we make. This begins with two sisters, but is pondered by each character as the story progresses. Many comical moments lighten the serious vibes and I feel they are balanced well. Some may be frustrated by the actions of some characters, but I have faith that it will end well. Star, Bae Susy hasn't let me down aftercwatching her in Vagabond and While you were sleeping, so please give Start-Up a chance!

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