Start-Up (2020)

Writers betrayed viewers

The problem with this series was an excellent pilot episode and episodes till 4., Where everything was perfect and pulled in many viewers as the story and characters of grandma and Han Ji Pyeong And his letters to Dalmi pull your heart strings.
It slowly went down hill towards episode 11 onwards and 13 and 14 episodes writer used as bait and click for Han Jipyeong and jidal shippers for ratings with scenes specially designed to attract shippers and in 15 make a mockery of those viewers by introducing the fall catch scene between salmi and HJP . Looks like they did dirt on HJP in 16!having portrayed him as someone who
Needed apologizing to dosan , it is other way round.

Dalmi in the beginning was a promising young entrepreneur at the end she became a damsel in distress who cannot succeed on her own without dosan , while standing next to her elder sister who succeeded twice without needing a man

15, 16 is Unwatchable As an HJP fans . Basically message an orphan kid who became a decent human being will be unacknowledged and ridiculed even after selflessly giving through the series. I just watched two scenes in 16 , grandma and HJP and Yongshil cameo and ended my series with the scenes of HJP smiling warmly with his office staff .

If the writer mocks users then that series should not derange recognition but just because she gave HJP , I will ask people to watch first few episodes and switch to YouTube to just snippets of KSH

Leggi di Più

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.

This is not the same old drama you see every year. This has a different story. No one in real life doesn’t end up with their first love. At least not everyone. We grow up, we learn things, we find new partners, we learn from our mistakes, we wake up from our dreams and we actually start to follow our dreams. This is not for the people who only dream. This is for people who dream and work to make that dream into a reality. And this is not only about love. This drama teaches us so many things rather than love. If you are only focusing on love, you might miss those inspiring stories. Actually, I grew up with the drama, with their lives. I learned how to be someone from nothing. How to stand up for yourself, how to create a place for yourself in society, how you be your own version and, how to be unique. Most importantly how to be YOU. At the end, someone will love YOU for who YOU are. FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS NO MATTER WHAT. This is so inspiring for today’s youth. I can’t thank you enough to the entire cast and crew of this drama for giving us this wonderful drama.

Leggi di Più

Spoilers. Why did they do this?¿?¿?¿?

Why that rating? Well...

First, the story of the drama begins with the Seo family showing how it is destroyed in a short time, leaving as a big problem that two sisters became separated. After that ONLY episode, they never gave importance to the family problem that existed, they only put very short scenes because what mattered most was the TRIANGLE OF LOVE.

Second, to focus too much on TRIANGLE OF LOVE because it was not only the problem to focus on that, but to sell in the first episodes that DM was firmly in love with the DS of the cards (JP), to show JP in the first episode as the protagonist, And after all that, DM throws it all away. For the people who complain about us that we "focus" on couples, I remind you that practically the series focused on the TRIANGLE OF LOVE not only in the first 10 episodes but they did it UNTIL THE END, so tell me why look at the couples, if it's the only thing they showed?

Third, the mismanagement of their characters, please, the only thing I knew about Injae was that she was DM's sister and that she had problems with her stepfather, they never showed their point of view (Maybe only 2 or 3 times?). Injae deserved more scenes and more character development, they literally put her aside when she should have had the same time as DM because after all the rivalry between the two was important ... or at least it was in 2 episodes. I will never forgive Injae for not seeing his grandmother in not just 15 years but 19 years, did I stay? ? ? Injae saw her when she was ALREADY BLIND.

Well, in the end it was all disgusting. JP didn't deserve that, I mean the story is so badly told that I think none of the other characters knew he was an orphan, they don't know how he got to DM's grandmother's house, in all the SST episodes I despise work . When JP practically WANTED TO SAVE THEM, DM doesn't fully know all the things he did for her. I think it's a waste that JP has done so much to get a PLANT and LETTERS (which DS wanted to keep) and all for somo STUPID HANDS. I'd rather have JP at some point become a villain than continue giving everything for others and not being valued.

I never insult the actors, I only criticize the story and the CHARACTERS, I know that the actors don't do this in one day, they all did a good job. But clearly the problem was the people who wrote and directed this.

Leggi di Più

One of the best dramas for 2020

I really don't get all the negative reviews here. I personally think this is one of the best dramas this year. Before the show even started we already know it's a Nam Joo Hyuk and Bae Suzy lead. So it's clear from the start that the story would revolve around them. The plot will favor them and NOT THE SECOND LEAD. I like Ji Pyeong but not for Dalmi. Like duh he doesn't really need to get the girl. He's a typical Kdrama character who is rich, handsome, superior with a good and bad side. While Do San has low self esteem, started from the bottom and made his way up.. and he did. Do San and Dalmi found what they are lacking in one another. In other words they inspire and COMPLEMENT each other. As a long time Kdrama watcher it's a breath of fresh air that childhood friends don't end up together. I've seen too much dramas that always have childhood connection. I mean, seriously how could she fall inlove with a penpal she never even met? Meeting Do San,getting to know him and falling inlove with him is more realistic for me. If some fans put their emotions aside they'd realize that this is one amazing drama. Learned so much from this drama and the OST's are so good.

Leggi di Più

FEMALE LEAD DESERVED BETTER

PHR, the female writer of story, sabotaged her female lead development. It is sad that a female lead role with so much potential was downgraded to a "trophy" between 2 ships.
First of all, love triangles always portrait the center person (in this case was Dalmi) as indecisive / unable to make up her mind over her own feelings for almost all the 16 episodes of the kdrama plot line. On top of that, she is also robbed Dalmi´s independence and proactivity, let me tell you why. The writers choice to uplift the second lead role was not only obvious but also very unfortunate for Dalmi.
The 2nd lead has 2 purposes: 1) His one side love for Dalmi due to some letters and about 15 years of never reaching out for HER & 2) His role of a mentor in the Start Up narrative. Since we all knew he was getting rejected cause an "end game" was never his faith in the series , now we only have the one job the 2nd lead had here.
In order to make HJP useful, the writer took her character development from Dalmi. She became dependant, always looking for the help of the "brilliant" mentor running to save the day of the young entrepreneurs, because, what happens when you make Dalmi smart and powerful? The mentor is no longer needed, basically leaving him out of the story.
And PHR not only attempted to make her female lead powerless in the business field but also added some forced - cringe worthy scenes for the girl to play such as "oppa opening a water bottle for me" "oppa having the most pathetic stumble but Dalmi must be catching him from behind" etc etc. And that lead us to ep, 16, it took 16 episodes for the writer to allow Dalmi to take control of the situation, showing an earlier scene of HJP running like the pseudo hero the writer created only to find out he was, as I mentioned before, a filler in Dalmi´s life.
Seems really bold from the writer to promise Suzy a strong female lead character that only became the hook for giving the 2nd lead actor his breakout role. Nowadays you´ll think you can put your trust by working with a female writer in a female centered drama only to be labeled as "the girl" your oppa "must get" because "good boy" deserves a "happy ending". Nonsense.

Leggi di Più

“Startup” is set in South Korea’s FICTIONAL Silicon Valley, called Sandbox

As the title states, this drama is set in SK's FICTIONAL Silicon Valley. If you are planning to watch this drama, keep the word "fictional" in mind all the time.

Q: Is this a business-focused drama?
This drama promises to show us a look into starting a business through a Start-Up program and it does just that. It shows us a "look." Now, if you are like me who is actually interested in seeing more of the start-up and business aspect of the drama, this might not be the drama for you. Yes, there would be some of it, but as someone who knows nothing about the whole Start-Up business, you might find yourself wanting to find out more about the details of the whole Start-Up program. Perhaps, you might want to look into other recommended dramas or some documentaries about Silicon Valley instead. I've found myself wondering too if some of the stuff shown in the drama were accurate or not. Again, keep in mind that this drama is fictional so there would really be no point in trying to compare it to real life.

Q: Then what is this drama about?
The drama description would introduce you to 4 individuals that were promised to be the main leads of the drama: Seo Dalmi, Nam Dosan, Han Jipyeong, and Won Injae. The drama would show you how each character relate to one another and how they would enter this fictional Silicon Valley in South Korea called "Sandbox." The included genres are business, comedy, romance, youth, and drama. So did the drama give us all that? The answer is yes. However, if you are looking for balance between all of those genres, you might find yourself a little disappointed. But if you do not mind the imbalance, that is perfectly fine! Do give this drama a try. And as for whether the drama would focus on each of the 4 individuals shown in the main posters and descriptions, the answer would unfortunately be no.

Q: What do you mean by "the 4 individuals in the posters and description wouldn't be equally focused on"?
If you look into the drama's tags, the first thing that you would see is "Love Triangle." There is also "Misunderstanding," "Nice Second Lead," and "First Love." If you have 4 characters and there is a love triangle, it might mean that one of the characters would be left out -- that is exactly what happened to Start-Up. And as mentioned earlier, there would be a look into the start-up and business aspects in this drama, but the main focus would actually be regarding the romantic story between the leads. Therefore, if you love romance dramas in a business setting, this drama is for you! On the other hand, if you find yourself tired of all the drama between two people who have feelings for the same person, this might not be the drama for you.

Q: Is this drama realistic? How realistic is it?
I would remind you again to keep the word "fictional" in your mind. If you are going to watch this drama to be inspired, by all means, have a go at it! This drama would be inspirational when it comes to achieving your dreams. However, if you are really looking for something more realistic, more relatable, and more reflective of real-life and its consequences, this drama might not be for you. If you try putting in the tag "Slice of Life" in the mydramalist search settings, you might find something more suitable for you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STORY: How is the actual story?
- The story is decent and something of a typical Korean drama. I don't think that anything new has been added to the formula to make Start-Up stand out from similar dramas -- except of course the fact that it is set in this fictional place "Sandbox." Considering that it had a lot of people waiting at the edge of their seats for the next episodes every week, I think that this drama has achieved that and I admit that the writer is smart for making that happen (considering that there is this particular issue in the drama that has been stretched out until the last remaining episodes). But... well, that's about it really. It's a romantic drama between 3 individuals involved in this so-called love triangle set in the fictional Silicon Valley, "Sandbox." This is how I would describe this drama.

CHARACTERS: How were the characters?
- As someone who was promised 4 main characters from the description, posters, and first two episodes of the drama, I would have to say that I am disappointed. Many others would agree that one of the supposed main characters has somewhat become an extended cameo character. There were many ways that this character's story could have been expanded on, but unfortunately, this character only appears when they need to show up. One might actually think that perhaps the writer has forgotten all about this character?
- The remaining three main characters are all flawed in their own ways, maybe some of them more than the others. But they were alright. I suppose that if you keep remembering that this is just a Kdrama and is fictional, then you really wouldn't mind how these characters would be like in this drama. You might just think, "Ah, well this is just a Kdrama so..." Again, this drama is not there to be realistic. Perhaps there would aspects of it that would be similar to real life, but not all of it should be taken as something that actually happens or is acceptable in real life -- just remember this. Plus, not to mention, the characters are all good-looking so there's that.

ACTING/CAST:
The actors did their parts well and some are admirable for what they have added in to their characters (in terms of depth and the ad-libs). So if you have never seen any of these actors before or you have already seen them before (and that is what makes you want to see this drama), you will appreciate watching them in Start-Up regardless of the characters that they play.

MUSIC/OST:
Beautiful OST and a whole lot of earworm that would stay with you for a while. The artists invited to sing were fantastic and did justice to the songs. The scores and other music that plays in the drama (that is not OST) were suitable as well. You would have no problems watching through Start-Up with regards to music choice.

RE-WATCH VALUE and RECOMMENDATION:
I am afraid that despite the great work that went in to this drama, I do not think I would be watching it again. Perhaps it might be because of my personal expectations that I have been let down, believing that there might be something different about Start-Up, but alas, it has become what it is now. Let me re-iterate this, it was a decent drama. I am not sure if I would recommend watching it based on my own feelings, but I hope that my review would be able to help you decide whether this drama might be for you. If not, well... there are plenty of other reviews out there and there is also the choice of giving it a go regardless of what others think about it.

Hopefully this was helpful c:

Leggi di Più

It's makes you wanna FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!

I watched START UP for three reasons; first, I like that Suzy chick, second, it was on trending for a long time (still is) and third, fuck you there is no third reason.

It is a nice story, really it is. All the characters were amazing and the OSTs were orgasm to ears.
The story being filled with passion for dreams, with romance and drama sprinkled perfectly on the top of it. The characters are lovable, especially the granny. Some characters were inspirational like the father, who quits his shit job to pursue his dreams. Then there were some cunt like characters, those who you want to bury in the deepest of the seven fucking hells. (the are necessary evil)

Though the centre of the whole story being, the three main characters. People might get confused as who was the fucking male lead in the first few episodes. Is it the Han boy, who wrote the letters, helps the female lead and was at the centre of everything. Or was it the Nam lad, who just got barges in later and steals the show away.
And I see people debating about the two male main leads. But for me, I don't give two fucks about how the Han was robbed by the Nam and bla-bla-bla.

Because the romance wasn't the main theme mfs, it was the dream. The passion. Seo Dal MI wants to be a successful CEO so her dad's dream could live through her. In Jae wants to prove her in the patriarch society that women can and will be great leaders. Nam Do San wants to be become his better self and unburden the title of "genius" others give him. Because he wants to be a confident decent man than a skull-cracked genius. Though Han doesn't have any dream, cause he is already successful, so he wants to help those who wants to make their dream come true. (fucking Genie)

So if you watch it for romance it is then just a mediocre shit. But if you see it for what it is, then it is worth watching.

It will make you wanna FOLLOW YOUR DREAM.

Leggi di Più

Perfect timing

For me, I think Start up came into my life at the perfect time. This drama really gave me the joy I needed in my life.
I won't go much into detail but it's one of the dramas I enjoyed the most.

Acting on point, I think the cast is amazing. I really like the dynamics that develop through out the story between the original members of Samsan Tech and the new ones.

Also, it shows how much budget this drama had, and I'm not complaining.

I'd say the storyline is pretty cliche, but who doesn't love a good cliche? Really enjoyed the family dynamcis as well as friendships and love interests.

Again, the thing that standed out the most for me was the ost. Gaho did it once again with the main theme of the drama, as well as the companion songs that were as beautiful as the latter. Truly amazing.

Leggi di Più

Good but could have been great

The show started off really well. The first episode was by far the best episode for me... And it was what made me watch the rest. The storyline was different. The world of start ups was a completely new thing for me so I kinda really liked watching it. I really loved the second male lead. The only disappointment I guess was that there was no Chemistry between the first male lead and the female lead. I was hoping for the second lead to get the girl but like all the other k-dramas out there the first lead always gets the girl. I also like the chemistry between the grandmother and second lead... that was quite touching and the saving grace of the show.. overall a good watch

Leggi di Più

A start-up I was glad I invested in

Seriously 8.1? For this show? Talk about injustice..and why ? coz apparently some fans are crazy..
I don’t know about other things but this show had one thing in abundance - entertainment. It was a smooth ride from start to finish with a brisk pace, good writing and top-notch performances. Honestly, its very rare to sit for a binge watch of a Kdrama as its lengthy and most of them start dragging towards the end but with this I didn’t even realize when I reached episode 16. This show was a complete package. It was funny, romantic and emotional as and when it needed to be and the best part about the show were its extremely likeable characters.
Nam Joo Hyuk as Nam Do San brings this extreme vulnerability to his character that you can’t help but be protective of him..he is a pure soul and a rare gem and even though I started this show for Kim Seon Ho, somewhere along the way Do San’s character just stole my heart. Kim Seon Ho as Han jI Pyung shines in his role especially his scenes with grandam. Suzy as always is a sight for sore eyes. Dal Mi is the MVP of the show and the story kind of revolves around her. Other characters have also done an extremely good job. The bromance between Do San and his coding besties is something so genuine.
Addressing the obvious elephant in the room. The apparent love triangle which drove fans crazy. Are people seriously delusional? Being here for Kim Seon Ho, even I could see the chemistry between Do San and Dal Mi which was completely absent for the other pair..not once did Dal Mi show any inclination in a romantic way towards Han Ji Pyung..maybe people were thinking that the big reveal of the letters would change the game but sorry to all those folks, feelings don’t work that way. Dalmi gives a very good response for choosing Do San – On being asked by Do San as to why she likes him she responds I like you because it’s you.no other reason required...there it is..as clear as day..she liked him for who he was as a person after she met him..not becoz someone wrote her letters 15 years back. Yes she treasured those letters and yes that was the reason they met in the first place but then it was all Do San for Dal Mi..he made her fall in love with him..she didn’t start loving him immediately after meeting him just becoz of those letters..she fell in love with the real Do San over a course of time. And then blaming the show for catching them off guard with the ending when all the show has ever done was allude that that’s how it was gonna end.
When it comes to negatives, I have a few. The writing does become a bit inconsistent and lazy towards the end especially after ep 12. Han Ji Pyung was needed more in the 2nd half. But these are just small nit-picks in an otherwise brilliant and entertaining show…give this a a chance like I did..you will end up with a good investment!!!!

Leggi di Più

I purely started this drama for NJH & Suzy but stayed for KSH.

You don't have to be as blind as Halmoeni to see that this drama could have been much better.. MUCH, MUCH BETTER.
eg. Bromance between JP and DS would have been nicer instead of giving us a forced wanna-be love triangle, OR address what needed to be addressed and not just shove the main plot under a rug etc.. Gosh! Yong-San even had a better character development than the leads!! However, I do not think this drama deserves a 1 and defs not a 10. I get the rage/disappointment, I am too and NOT because it didn't have a MIJI endgame, in fact I didn't want HJP to end up with DM midway to the drama I just wanted a happy end for him but a 1 or 10 hmm.. I give this drama a 6/10 because of the amazing OST and how well the actors/actresses portrayed their respective roles. Everything else was meh..

Ps. This was my first time feeling SLS all throughout the duration of the drama! I would usually feel it and then it disappears but this time it was so strong it stuck til the end D:

I can't wait for KSH's future projects! See ya'll in True Beauty! ;)

Leggi di Più