Start-Up (2020)

the first episode is a scam

I think the huge mistake the writers did was writing such a charismatic and realistic SL but, most importantly, that first episode. Han Jipyung has basically the backstory of what looks like an amazing ML and then boom! just kidding! he's just here to suffer! I really do think that first episode set Nam Do san up because? of course the audience would love the SL more after a premise like that?? Also his relationship with the granma is basically the best thing ever.
The other problem I had with this kdrama is that there's a lot of weird af things that irl would have been a red flag or like ? Not Good and the writers just said yeah, whatever! like the fact that the ML is obsessed with a math test he cheated on when he was like. 13. or ??? the anger issues he has?? HELLO?? the FL too, she's cute and I think in the last episodes she finally grew out as a person but the fact that most of her story is centered about the two boys and jealousy... girl, that's not healthy at ALL...
I really really wish they would have let the characters grow as adults by themselves (most of the time they act like big ass children) and focus less on the love triangle because it really feels like everyone is doing what they're doing just to impress the person they like.
The cinematography and the OST are fire tho.

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So gOoD

I have to give a special shout-out to Kim Seon-Ho, who was simply phenomenal in this drama. I, like many others, was rooting for his character Ji-Pyeong to win Dal-Mi's heart. However, as much as I adore Ji-Pyeong, it was clear from the beginning that Dal-Mi was always going to end up with Do-San.

Despite this, I don't think Ji-Pyeong was left completely hanging. While I do wish he had more closure, I can imagine him finding a loving partner and living a fulfilling life, all while remaining close to halmeoni.

This is a fantastic Kdrama that kept me hooked from start to finish. The plot, characters, and themes of perseverance and family are all incredibly well-done. While I loved Kim Seon-Ho's performance as Ji-Pyeong, I was satisfied with the ending and can imagine him finding happiness. Overall, I highly recommend this drama and would rewatch it in a heartbeat.

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This drama isn't all about the romance

I watched this drama way back when it came out in late 2020, and I still hold it in high regard.

First of all, yes start up is based around romance but so much of the story is also dedicated to their actual start up company. A good majority of the plot is dedicated to overcoming the adversities with their company, and prejudices against Dalmi for not having a college degree, as well as strengthening their relationships with each other along the way. The plot about the companies is something that makes this drama unique and compelling, and a lot of people overlook this part of the plot since they're so focused on the romance.

SPOILERS //
As far as the romance goes, I agree that is isn't perfect, and I also wanted her to end up with Jipyeong, but it was still a great romance story. The end did feel rushed, but I think all the conflict with the letters was interesting to watch, and it definitely kept me looking forward to the new episodes that came out every week.

Overall, start up is a great drama, with an excellent ost, amazing cinematography, talented actors, and a compelling story, that doesn't deserve all the low ratings its been getting.

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Could be amoral, depends how you spin it

Before I get into anything else, just let me highlight the strong points of this drama. It has a wonderful supporting cast that does not let up, the OST is powerful, and it is truly a cinematic masterpiece. Beware, long post.

The biggest flaw of this drama was the initial conflict; every good story needs a conflict in order for it to progress. In the case of Start-Up, its central conflict is lying. Almost all the main characters lie in order to drive the story, and at some point you may find yourself going crazy over it. The order of most honest main characters go as so: Dal-mi > In-jae > Ji-Pyeong = Do-san > Won-deok. Yes, the extremely wholesome grandmother that may make you cry and go soft in her scenes with Ji-Pyeong is at the bottom.

Although her intentions were good, she based her granddaughter's entire childhood off a lie. Not only did this bolster Dal-mi into bluffing to In-jae, but Ji-pyeong's letters later culminate into a high tension love triangle all at the expense of Dal-mi's feelings. When the truth is revealed to Dal-mi, it is supposed to highlight positive traits to her character. We do not see resentment towards her grandmother, only disdain targeted at Ji-pyeong and Do-san. Had I been Dal-mi, I would have felt incredibly mortified; as though I had been pitied by my grandmother.

Let's get to Do-san and Ji-pyeong.

I just have to say Nam Joo-hyuk knocked it out of the park. Those saying Do-san was dull and not a worthy ML are missing the point and have been blinded by the shining light that is Kim Seon-ho's acting ability. NJh did his job. He was supposed to portray to us an awkward, gawky, and passive programmer who had zero experience with women, someone who had never truly been driven by anything deeper than a fondness for coding, and finally for once in his life, he felt like he had a purpose. I for one related to Do-san at some points. He felt like he was in competition with Ji-pyeong the whole time but it was untrue. You can always envy another person who seems like they have it all and it will blind you into insecurity. Ji-pyeong said it best to him towards the end of the series, "Work on your self-esteem, look at Dal-mi once again, and then ask yourself who you think she truly likes." Do-san was always in competition with himself, it is an underdog story.

Kim Seon-ho's acting makes you fall in love with him. Time and time again, he has a knack for heart-melting expressions, it's that icy exterior but surprisingly wholesome interior that makes Ji-pyeong so bewitching — and KSh delivers it perfectly. After all, who doesn't love a rags to riches story with humble beginnings (backed by an affectionate relationship with a stubborn grandmother)? Again, just like Do-san is supposed to seem inferior, Ji-peyong is supposed to seem perfect. But he also lied in the end, not just to Dal-mi for Won-deok, but he lied to himself. Because he could not come to terms with his feelings fast enough, for that, he was dealt the ending he deserved. I'm sure there are others who will come to his defense, but as much as I rooted for him myself, Dal-mi also was not attracted to him. The writers teased us in the three year period where they became close, they almost made us think she might end up with him.

I was a little disappointed with In-jae's story involvement. While the rekindling of their relationship as sisters was subtle, it kind of went from cold to hot very quickly. I also didn't like that she ended up stealing her sister's story so she could make it into SandBox. Again, so much lying. Samsan gets acquired by 2STO and what? Dal-mi suddenly has her respect? We were also robbed of their budding partnership in that three year period. To add a little bit more onto that, I felt that her character had been stunted and she could have had more redeeming qualities other than "coming clean about the SandBox girl." People say they assume she ends up with Ji-pyeong, but I actually think this is wrong. I think it is implied in the last episode she and Yong-san have a little something there. That way, it kind of completes the whole "every Samsan guy gets a happy ending."

An honorable mention: Sa-ha and Chul-san. Truly the diamonds in the rough of this drama. Their side romance was honestly so enjoyable and really refreshing. By being honest and straightforward, the inexperienced nerd attains the love of a seemingly unattainable beauty who is, not only emotionally intelligent, but incredibly funny and witty. I wish we had gotten more of them in the last episode.

If you don't understand Korean and have not looked up a translation to the OST, Day & Night, by Jung Seung Hwan, I urge you to. Every time they played the song it almost brought me to tears; a very lovely meaning that very well captures how the male leads both feel.

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knows its strength, but failed to use it in the end

start up is one of 2020's most popular dramas. not only did it feature few of the most globally popular korean superstars, it also used its genre in the best way it can.

plot-wise, it was okay. not gonna lie, the first parts of the drama looked really promising. seo dalmi's backstory, her struggle to be a top entrepreneur, and how she practically worked her way up to success. but it kind of died down in the last six episodes. the romance angle of the story isn't the most different (and definitely not the best) that i've seen, but it has its own charms.

the soundtrack is good. oh good lord, if you still have not stanned red velvet, then what are you doing with your lives?! jk

but yeah, in case you're curious: i'm team do-san.

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Glad that i didn't follow others review

I finished Startup yesterday and so glad that I did. I was hesitant and wanted to give up when I saw other reviewers giving 1/10 for Story. I like the story and can totally relate to Nam Do-San character - a geek pursuing a dream who knows he is most familiar with coding language as compared to human language (I worked for IT startups for 10 years and I see traces of him in some of my colleagues). He cried a lot, was insecure and a tad bit of entitled but emerged as more mature, more assured and stronger towards the end of the drama. I don't quite get why there is a 2nd lead syndrome in this show. Like what HJP said, he waited for many years to contact Seo Dal Mi again but Do-San showed up the very day he read those letters. Nam Joo Hyuk is a fantastic actor - from Weightlifting Fairy, the Light in Your Eyes, Startup - i simply enjoy watching his shows :)

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Start-up let down by not focusing on its best character

I'm very conflicted about this show in that whilst it's generally very good, occasionally excellent, it suffers from a glaring kdrama problem that it just got pulled deeper and deeper into. 

The main issue for the show is that it had two highly interesting subplots created by two very different conflicts for the main character Dal-mi, embodied ultimately in two characters who happened to be more interesting than her - through no fault of her own. 

The first, and fundamental problem, is her sister In-jae. She is arguably the most interesting character in the show and yet is an afterthought for most part of the show, someone who appears sporadically in moments to unsettle and fluster Dal-mi before disappearing for the rest of the episode. 

She is the show's standout character for someone who exists on its periphery. Her conflicted relationship with her sister, her mother, her stepfather, even how she feels about her late father and grandmother could have really tugged at the heartstrings in displaying the similarities and differences between her and her sister. The story of a rich girl determined to make it alone and not off her dad's wealth - faced with the inner anguish of secretly wishing she had stayed with her sister - is far more interesting than a love triangle. This should have gotten far more screen-time. Start-up suffered in her absence and thrived when she was in the room.

The other problem, which sort of explains In-Jae's limited time, is Do-san. The nature of his role in this show necessitates him having such a large amount of screen-time. This is the problem of Start-Up. It has two very interesting plot conflicts that compete against each other for time, and suffer. Do-san's role in this story during the first half was defined by a burgeoning romance and a complicated love triangle forming that simply put, was not as interesting as Do-san's own inner conflicts. His need to prove himself to his family, to be the man he thought Dal-mi viewed him as, coupled with his own rising guilt of repressing the truth of a conspiracy he was dragged into, was more interesting than seeing a love triangle taking place. 
Do-san's character was portrayed really well, and he was easily far more likeable a character than Ji-pyeong - who often came across as nefariously scheming and mean-spirited- but the show really didn't know how to explore Do-san's betrayal without having a love triangle. This took away screen-time from the audience seeing more of who Do-san was and of simply giving us more moments with him and Dal-mi. 

The love triangle just didn't have to exist. This conflict could have been explored through Ji-pyeong viewing Dal-mi in a platonic way. Far more interesting than his feelings for her was his sense of debt and guilt towards her grandmother. I think had the show pursued this road instead, and given us more time to see In-jae, it would have been far better. 
Speaking of Ji-pyeong, there was a very strange introduction of a new setback for him involving one of the Samsan Tech's developers. When you watch it, you realise it's strange and feels as though it was lobbed in there simply for drama. It simply wasn't required and made the support cast even more underwhelming. Again, it's screen-time that the show should have given to fleshing In-jae out or showing Do-san's life of feeling like a disappointment. 

Aside from the characters, what I didn't like was the sheer lack of fallout from certain things. The big secret that Dal-mi eventually had to find out barely left an impact on her relationship with others. It's hard not to feel as though the opening half of the show, which was genuinely impressive, was let down badly by the episodes from the midpoint onwards. At that point, it felt like the show was in a state of managed decline where even though scenes and episodes still retained humour, emotional punch and good dialogue, I couldn't escape the disbelief of how quickly the very big gaping plot conflict of the show was handled. 

That's a lot of negatives for a show I generally really enjoyed! The positives are that all of the main characters are hugely likeable and depicted well. Dal-mi isn't the standout character in that she's a very conventional protagonist, but she does her part supremely well, and is engaging in how embattled she is, and how much she perseveres. The show explores her relationships to various characters well, and it also has some really touching moments, such as what fuels Do-san's vision for the company. 

I thought Dal-mi's grandmother was a fantastic piece of the show, and far more integral. I appreciated the sprinkles of memories of Dal-mi's father over the show, and how it virtually affected everyone. And whilst I wish that had received more attention, it was still written very well. I can't fault the dialogue either. Generally it was very grounded and realistic. 
There are some stellar episodes: 7 through to 9 were particularly fantastic, compensating for the show slightly stalling in the 5th and 6th with some forgettable episodes (featuring unnecessary secondary character drama). Its's worth noting that in those stellar moments, it's typically Do-san and In-jae who shine the brightest for me.

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My absolute Favourite!

This is my favourite drama ever! I don’t get how it’s not rated better.
I have already watched it twice and I know I‘ll watch it again.
I‘d recommend Start-up to absolutely anyone but especially to people who just want a feel good drama without unnecessary dramatics. Like with any drama, if you want to try it, you should watch at least the first two episodes.
But seriously. This is so good!!!
The cast, the acting, the storyline, the humor, the romance, the OST, everything is just top notch in my opinion. I never got bored while watching, not the first time and also not the second time.
And finally a drama where I actually liked who the girl ended up with :D

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Wasted potential

I watched this show with low expectations. I mean, I wasn't expecting a masterpiece or something like that; instead, I was expecting something that was entertaining so I could chill out and have a good night. Sadly, I got so frustrated by the wasted potential of this show.


You can tell from the first two episodes that the ideas weren't clear; the script was a collage of ideas that were put together, and the writers were figuring it out along the way. They only knew one thing: this show must have had a "happy ending." But if you don't work around in between, it's like you finish the first episode and then jump to the last one. I mean, what's the point of that?

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I actually like this drama. I enjoyed the 'start up' part, especially in the first half. i love it when i got to learn about other career and stuff and plus I'm kinda interested with business. The first half was fun, very exciting, I was looking forward to the next episodes and there were many funny scenes. The storylines builds up great. But the second half was kinda, meh? putting aside the romance part, the focus on 'start up' is slowly fading. since I was more interested in the business part, it wasn't as exciting anymore. probably because the first half sets the bar too high. another thing is, there was almost like no character development. I only could see it in the last episode. to show it, they have to said 'I've changed', and that is where this drama is lacking. anddd they turn one of the main character (in jae) as a cameo in the second half. like ??? as for the romance part, I was okay with any dalmi's choice, whether it's dosan or jipyeong, except for the fact that both of them are toxic and immature. lastly, the OSTs are amazingggg!!!

but I still enjoyed it and I do recommend you to watch it :)

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Good dramas are the worst, since there’s nothing much to say about them apart from the fact that they’re simply good. You know the feeling, I could rant for hours about dramas that were bad, I could talk for ages about the ones that were amazing. But the ones that are simply good, are the worst. You just enjoy watching them but at the end you don’t really miss them much. For Start-up all I really wanted is for it to have a second season. And not because I cannot live without it. It’s not that I’m constantly thinking about it. It just gave me so much joy to watch that I would gladly continue to do so. But you know what they say, good things don’t last forever.

To be honest, this drama wasn’t anywhere near top of my list when it comes to drama watching order. I’ve decided to watch it, mostly because of amount of memes that traveled though the internet and the fact that it was nominated to Baeksang Awards this year and I’ve decided to watch all nominated dramas that I’ve already had on my list for this year. So the adventure begun.
And I have to admit, it was a blast from the very first episode, about which I need to write a bit more, because the way it was made was simply awesome.

So the first episode haven’t really dove deep into the actual action of the drama. It was more of a prequel we could say. It was absolutely amazing at introducing the characters, without unnecessary flashbacks and voiceovers. After it we didn’t need any additional exposition, we were more or less introduced to the characters, but in a way that shows only a part of the story that’s later relevant, only Dal Mi’s and Ji Pyung’s journey was known till this moment. Nam Do San, was barely mentioned but at the same time played a very important role in the first episode. And this was a great trick, because the viewer could get to know him as the rest of the characters did. After watching first episode I’ve concluded that it was so good at this point it could actually almost be a stand alone movie.

And this episode shown, what was later on obvious, that it’s very easy to fall in love with those characters from the very beginning. They’re all very well written and it’s not hard to figure out their motivations pretty quickly. Like Han Ji Pyung, who’s badmouthing Nam Do San to the grandma, because he’s obviously jealous of Seo Dal Mi, who was his penpal in the most difficult moments of his life. Like, those kind of thing that are very discreet, not shown to the viewer openly, are what I really loved about the series. And I’m gonna defend Ji Pyung here because I’ve absolutely fell in love with this character. And I want to make myself clear, I fell in love with how this character is well written. For me he’s hands down the most fascinating character of this series. The world was his enemy so he curbed it using his biggest strength. Even though he succeeded in life, he finally earned a lot of money, he’s not happy. He doesn’t have friends, doesn’t really have anything that makes him happy, work and money is all he has. And honestly, he’s not really a nice person. He’s petty and harsh. He helps people only if he can gain something out of it. Dal Mi and her grandma are the first people who he cares about, since they gave him his missing element of his life, and I think that admitting to this bond wasn’t really easy for him. They gave him warmth that he never experienced before. Either through giving him shelter and corndogs or just kind words in the letters. And I’ve honestly cheered for him till the last episode hoping he can finally find his happiness.

But apart from this first episode and some amazing characters, I don’t really have much to say here. And it’s not bad, that just simply means that this drama is simply good. There’s not one thing that I didn’t like about it. I could also add that the plot is pretty solid, not much time to be bored here. I don’t recall any filler episode and the pacing was on point. All characters are interesting, even background characters are entertaining but we all know that grandma stole our hearts. And the thing is that characters are just authentic. They’re not perfect, but that’s what makes them so likeable.

This review is slowly turning into a rant. So maybe I’ll end at that. Even though I don’t find this drama exceptional, I think it’s pretty solid piece of entertainment, that’s why I gave it a pretty high score. And I’m really hoping for this second season, just for fun.

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