Start-Up (2020)

The second lead syndrome is too strong and I'm not complaining...

Has the storyline been lackluster towards the second half of the drama? Yes. But has it been a worthwhile watch? Totally.

I know this might be an unpopular opinion, especially amidst the overflowing negative reviews, but someone has to open the Pandora Box so here we go. I was initially drawn to Start-Up for its slick business aesthetics which reminded me very much of Search: WWW and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. I was also undeniably enticed by the stellar Hallyu cast for the main leads, after all it's Bae Suzy and Nam Joo Hyuk in the house.

However, what began as a rather shallow and superficial interest quickly transformed into deep infatuation as I got hooked on Han Ji Pyeong's backstory and his heartwarming relationship with Seol Dal Mi's grandmother. Nam Da Reum portrays the young Ji Pyeong perfectly, as expected of one of my favourite child actors, whom you may recall from Come and Hug Me, While You Were Sleeping and Pinocchio. As a teenager, Ji Pyeong was always skeptical and vigilant with the people around him until he met Dal Mi's grandmother and witnessed her unconditional kindness towards him, a complete stranger. On the other hand, Kim Seon Ho truly brings out the charms and duality of the adult Ji Pyeong. Unlike most, he tends to show care and support through harsh criticisms which have often made others mistake him as cold and callous. Overall, Han Ji Pyeong shows the multidimensional and in-depth portrayal that most of the other crucial characters simply lack.

I have to confess, one of the most disappointing things about this drama is the weak chemistry between the main leads, Seol Dal Mi and Nam Do San. I feel like too much of the on-screen chemistry is left to Suzy and Joo Hyuk's visual compatibility and the audience hype rather than actual character and plot development. While there are some favourable scenes to justify Do San's love for Dal Mi, his complete disregard for the second male lead and rather blinding jealousy can be exasperating at times. Frankly, I find the chemistry between Ji Pyeong and the robot Yeong Shil (voiced by Yeo Jin Goo) much stronger than that of the main leads.

Romance aside, I do like the female empowerment underlying theme in Start-Up. Suzy did a fairly good job in showcasing Dal Mi's professional side. Although, I wish the drama can invest a bit more into the relationship Dal Mi has with her sister, Won In Jae, and similarly with Ji Pyeong and Do San. Imagine all of the side bromance and sismance chemistry we could have had.

Ultimately, despite the promising cast and production team, the drama was not able to realise its full potential. However, unlike The Bride of Habaek, there are still things worthwhile to watch out for in this drama. If you ever in need of a second lead syndrome, Start-Up's Han Ji Pyeong would be the perfect candidate. I may not have noticed Kim Seon Ho before but I'm definitely looking forward to catching up on his other works now. Personally, I do not regret pursuing this drama, but this does not mean I'm not going to grief over the wasted potential here.

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An Unpredictable Roller Coaster

PLOT.
I only write reviews about dramas, movies, etc when either: I really enjoyed and feel inspired or when it's really bad or a total disaster. In this case Start-Up started off with an amazing plot full of promissing characters. It was literally a roller coaster of emotions and the writer could've done something wonderful, something interesting and memorable given those first episodes. BUT! One of the biggest problems was that damn love triangle and how she's chosen how to handle the business part. It simply doesn't make sense to me on why on earth she wanted to push it to this extent. It became both exhausting and unhealthy. The plot could've had a better quality in terms of character development and less holes. I'd love to see young people learning with their own mistakes on how to deal with a start-up. The romance part could've been beautifully written, it was so fun in the beginning! The writer sailed without a map, but it wasn't a wonderful ride.

Seo Dal Mi:
What happened to Dalmi's character baffles me to the core. Why was she reduced to just a love interest and a clueless and reckless CEO? Dalmi used to be a dreamer but somehow she had her feet on the ground. It would've been interesting to see a better development. I feel like after finding out about the lies/letters she kinda lost her initial spark? I thought we'd see a better growth from the girl who wanted to climb to the 16th floor. Dalmi had sharp decisions, as she was always stating to never regret her choices, she was pretty smart. Something about her not getting to actual know Pyeong even after those 3 years it's a no no and I'm not even talking about love here. Oh, not to mention the letters that once gave her warmth and comfort during painful times. It's just really sad how those precious letters were thrown away as if it was nothing. That "I'm sorry" after what Pyeong told her didn't sit right with me. She never reacted to anything he said, not even a no. Unfortunately the writer didn't wrote scenes where both of them could talk more about the letters aside the brief rooftop one.

Han Ji Pyeong:
Althought I was Team Pyeong, at some point I just wanted him to be happy. He deserved to be, he was such a lonely soul. They invested so much into him yk. Since day one I knew deep down he wouldn't be endgame and would suffer a lot, but why make him suffer SO miserably endlessly? What was the reason?? It was suffocating to the point I felt the humiliation, he became pitiful. I love this character, so it was also really heartbreaking watching him get hurt over and over again without any rest for the same reasons. I wanted him to get over all this mess and free himself from all the pain asap. On a more positive (?) note, I'd say he at least did something greater helping orphans the way he did. I got emotional during his scenes with gradma. He was indeed a good boy by heart, but was used as a punching bag as many pointed out. At the end, Ji Pyeong did deserve way better than what he got. Why on earth did he have to work with them till the end? We didn't even get to see the gift he bought. However, I was both impressed and mesmerized by Seon Ho's acting! He's a gem of an actor and deserves every praise and recognition he's getting rn.

Nam Do San:
I really liked his character at first and I was actually rooting for him, so maybe that's why he turned out to be one of my biggest disappointments here. I don't hate Dosan tho, I just don't know why the writer wanted him to be like this. He has character flaws. Many times some of his choices were really questionable, like having those angry AND violent outbursts. His fight with Pyeong was bound to happen somehow but it was so wrong 'cause at the time Pyeong was still his mentor. The reasons were the most unlogical ones as well. I feel like if Dalmi wasn't a love interest of both him and Pyeong they could've been really close friends. A potential bromance wasted. Dosan was a character who needed to find who he was without feeling overwhelmed by Ji Pyeong. He had to let go of that inferiority complex of his and be honest at least to himself for once and for all.

Seo/Won In Jae:
She had one of the best developments imo along with Han Ji Pyeong and Yongsan. She was broken on the inside and covered a lot with that posture, she didn't want to give in. Injae wouldn't like to be reminded by her sister later on that she was the one who made the wrong choice first. What I can't understand is why during those 3 years she was completely unaware of her grandma's eye condition. How could Dalmi not tell her all this time? That's not realistic. Also, why even cast Kang Hana as part of the main cast in the first place if they barely gave her screentime? It was almost a cameo per episode at some point. She did a pretty nice job regardless.

Samsan Tech:
At first I used to laugh a lot watching both Cheolsan and Yongsan. I liked them until they start being unprofessional towards their own company and mentor. Besides, they looked down on Dalmi many times when she was their CEO. Yongsan was even more disrespectful towards Ji Pyeong than Cheolsan. In real life you'd probably get fired. His revenge plot was a waste of time. Both were really immature before the time skip. They didn't know how to handle their business properly, and even after the time skip I felt like something was still missing. However, I did like Yongsan's redemption with Ji Pyeong and the original SST reunited where they began. They had to close that important chapter after all. Last but not least: Jung Saha was a whole mood! I wish they could've shown us a little bit more of her.

OST:
Not a single one skip! I find it kinda funny how many parts of its ost seemed to be related to Han Ji Pyeong but Dodal was on the cover.

Cast:
They did a great job despite everything that happened during the episodes. Regardless all the fan ship wars and all, I did enjoy the behind the scenes and interviews. It was fun reading and creating theories as well. If you read until here, thank you! Just a reminder: please don't drag the actors or crew. Have a good one :)

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Sail off without a map...just don't bring business and romance with you.

I want to preface this review by saying that I don't really watch Korean dramas. This was actually the first one that I followed as it was airing (from episode 7 onwards) and also the only one I've ever watched in its entirety. As such, I'm not a part of the audience that the writer may have wanted to subvert expectations for, nor was I familiar with any of the cast going into this series.

With that in mind, I'll start off by repeating what many other reviews have likely already stated: the beginning of this drama is excellent. The first episode is loaded with strong character introductions, relevant character backstories, spectacular visuals/cinematography, and a great soundtrack. I'm not going to lie and say that I was immediately hooked, but completing the first episode made me curious to see where this story would take me. Learning to take risks (AKA "sailing off without a map") is a major part of this story, and going into this series was a risk I was choosing to take. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to be one of the lucky ones that saw a rainbow at the end of the road.

==== THE PLOT ====
As I mentioned, the beginning is great. The main characters of this series all had their own reasons for getting involved with start ups, and going into the series, I expected the story to focus on how everyone grows while learning about the business world. Sad to say, this was not so. If you're interested in going into this series for the business aspect, you can safely watch the first 6-8 episodes and then call it quits because a huge chunk of everything that happens after revolves around the love triangle.

Speaking of the love triangle, I found it to have been wholly unnecessary to the success of this story. This is where much of the potential the series had got gutted. Rather than sticking to the business aspect while focusing on each character's individual growth arcs, many characters were thrown to the wayside in order to make way for a love triangle that, arguably, wasn't even really a triangle. I say "wholly unnecessary", but maybe what I should really say is "detrimental". Had the love story been a more minor subplot to the business aspect (devoid of the love triangle; I'm 90% certain they dragged this out for as long as they did just for the sake of the story's message about taking risks), this story could've been much stronger all around.

There were also some issues I had with the writing around the halfway point. Some events that happened in the show felt like they were thrown in because they didn't know how else to transition into the next plot point, and some events aren't ever addressed or revisited ever again. I'm also all for characters making dumb decisions because in real life, people make dumb decisions based on their circumstances or emotions. Unfortunately, another disservice in the writing was the lack of consequence or addressing of many of those dumb decisions.

Overall, I think the worst decision they could've made with regards to this story was trying to make the theme work for both business and romance. I'm all for taking risks; you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, after all. This is especially true in love/relationships. But you don't treat business like romance. In business, there's more at risk than just your feelings, and the way this show seems to just sideline the possible consequences except for when it's necessary to pushing the plot forward is a little absurd.

==== THE CHARACTERS ====
I don't even know where to begin with this. This was the aspect I was most frustrated by because more than a grand plot, the characters need to be strong and developed to give the plot weight.

Seo Dal-mi - She started off with such a strong personality: ambitious, driven, hardworking, self-sufficient. We see very quickly in the series that she's been through her share of hardships and that she's very much capable of getting things done on her own. Even after watching the finale where she finally showcases what made me love her character at the start again, I can't help but wonder why the story needed her to be basically helpless without a love interest in her life. She was doing just fine before her knight in shining armor appeared, but once he appeared into her life, it's like she suddenly can't do without him. Incredibly disappointing character arc.

Nam Do-san - Out of all of the characters, I'm most frustrated with what they did to him. He was the character I connected with most, and he had the most potential for character growth. Unfortunately, where we could've gotten the story of how a boy with no confidence grew to learn how to love himself, we instead end with someone whose entire character arc depended on a romantic relationship. Even until the very end, he needed the validation of other characters in order to feel confident in himself, and only AFTER he'd already attained everything he'd wanted was he able to present himself as someone deserving of all of his success. His character arc had so much potential to teach viewers going through the same struggles that you shouldn't rely on other people to build you up because true confidence comes from within. It's too bad that isn't what we got.

Won In-Jae - I'm glad that she was able to go through character development, but unimpressed with how it was executed. She was promoted as being one of the lead characters, but you see less of her than some of the side characters.

Han Ji-Pyeong - Arguably the only one of the four main characters to have gotten a full character arc from beginning to end. I enjoyed his character immensely, as well as his interactions with the other characters, and it was a shame he had to be part of the story's love "triangle" for what I feel was just to prove a point. Then again, I guess it was a shame any of the characters had to be a part of that fiasco. Many viewers continued to watch this series for him, and I'll admit, he definitely carried many of the latter episodes for me as well.

==== THE MORALS ====
As mentioned above, learning to take risks was a big part of this story. I can get on board with this lesson...if the context of the story didn't undermine it so much. There was so much plot contrivance to make the "risks" that some of the characters took worth it in the end, and in some story instances, characters were taking risks that would potentially endanger the livelihood of other characters that weren't even there to give input. There's nothing wrong with the lesson itself, but the story could've done a much better job of showing the viewers when and why to take risks. The message comes across much more powerfully from a character that's taken a lot of risks and failed more than succeeded than from a character that's succeeded in most of the risks they've taken.

Then there's the portrayal of relationships (not just the romantic ones either). This show romanticizes the idea of unconditional support in both friendships and romantic relationships, and I personally don't believe it should be. There are instances where it seems like characters are ready to call out their friends or loved ones on questionable behavior only for them to just forgive and forget with little consequence. Strong bonds aren't formed only from being endlessly supportive; you need to disagree sometimes in order to learn and grow. This feature does not exist in the relationship between the original members of SamSanTech when it matters, nor does it exist in the main couple's relationship. I'm not going to go into detail on the main couple, but their dynamic also presents a (potentially dangerous) message about being codependent and persistent that I just can't get behind.

==== THE TAKEAWAY ====
This review was longer than I wanted it to be, but to close, I don't think this was a bad show. It's certainly not deserving of a 1/10, but I also think it's definitely not a 10/10. The characters and the story start strong and then struggle to stay afloat as the series goes on. In trying to get whatever message they wanted across to the viewers, they squandered more than it was worth, and I think that was ultimately the most disappointing thing for me.

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This drama doesn't deserve the hate it's getting

Watching this drama while it was still broadcasting is a curse. Seeing all the negative comments from the majority was like losing my appetite from eating a delicious meal. My greatest advice to people who are genuinely eager and curious to watch this drama is to stop reading reviews and start watching this drama earnestly. Seeing opinions from others will greatly influence your take on this drama, and it's best if you could view this drama in a much more objective way. I heard people liked how this drama created so much buzz for people to share their opinions excessively, but for me, it ruined it.

Start-up was honestly a very enjoyable drama, and I plan to rewatch this drama once I forget all the opinions that kept messing with how I felt about everything. Especially as an aspiring developer, this drama connected with me well. It filled my eyes with hope and aspirations for a future that could possibly be bright in a world full of darkness. This drama shows you that there's always light at the end of a tunnel, and this is exactly what I needed at this stage in my life. I've learned that even with ridiculously impossible circumstances, you won't know if you can overcome such obstacles unless you risk things and try to leap forward. This drama teaches you about reality. There's always a fine line between idealism and realism, and everyone is tasked to find that fine line. Dream big, but act within the scope of your limitations, then slowly build-up to take a step closer to your goals.

Besides what I've already said, the cast is just...perfect. I loved every single one of them and the characters they played. There were a lot of cute and relatable characters and I can't express enough how much I felt attached to some of them. Of the many things I think was good about this drama, the OST was just incredible.

Overall, this is a great drama that could've ended with a rating of 8.5 in my books. However, I tried to rationalize with my inner feelings and I decided to give it a very high rating. My 9.5 rating for this drama could still change someday depending if my standards change in the near future, but as of now, this drama deserves a 9.5.

Just stop reading more reviews. Whatever anyone says, this is still a high-profile drama that had an 8.7 rating before everyone started going ballistic.

Edit: I'm currently rating this drama 9.0

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Ignore the hate! It's a very heart-warming drama with incredible characters!

This is my first time writing a review for a drama. I've watched a lot of dramas over the years, and this is also the first 10-star rating I've ever given. You'll notice in the review section that there are a lot of 1-star ratings from people who have really developed a hatred for the show and its characters as it has gone on. The main reason for this is that they grew very attached to the second lead and started to hate the rest of the characters because a lot of the time he was at odds with them and in conflict with them. The show ended so well for each and every character, but they have become so hateful as the show has aired and cannot step back and appreciate the great things about the show. Amazing writing, with an incredibly emotional, real, and moving story about family, life, dreams, and relationships.

This is the first drama I would recommend to every single person I know. There is seriously something in it for everyone. The business-aspect they explore in the show is so perfectly balanced with the relational aspect. You are seriously going to love these characters, as well. It's sad that the show is over now, but I know this will be one that I keep coming back to over the years to watch and enjoy. Don't let the hate in this review section get to you. These reviewers have become so blind by their hate for the show and everyone involved that they can't even appreciate the amazing ending that their favorite character got and how happy he is at the end of the series.

Seriously, if you are on the fence about watching this show, try it out. I think you will end up really loving it if you were not watching it while it was airing with the fan wars that were started.

I have never seen a show as touching and well-acted as this one. The characters feel so real and will stay with you for a very long time after you finish. I'm looking forward to watching this many times over the years.

I LOVE YOU START-UP! Love to all the characters!

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Amazing and refreshing

It's sad that some people gave this drama a bad review just because of the ship... I thought the main couple was obvious since the drama was announced, some of you made a lot of noise for something kinda stupid...

For me, Start Up was one of the best dramas of the year, and it definitely became one of my favorites of all time. The storyline is amazing and the characters are so... lovable. When I realized, I was absolutely attached to the members of SamSan Tech and there was no way back. It's refreshing, inspiring and... realistic. First loves are just first loves. Life is always in movement.

Give it a try! I personally don't have anything to complain about it. This drama made me feel so many emotions... I don't remember the last drama that made me smile that much and even cry of happiness. So refreshing. You know the story is good when you proudly celebrate the characters' achievements as if they were your own achievements. I'm thankful for deciding to watch this drama and for keeping up with this amazing plot every weekend. Start Up, thank you for making my heart full of joy.

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Inspiring; would make you want to get up on your seat and do something

This story made me feel so much feels all throughout its run. The family, the friendships, the relationships, the challenges of running a business, the hardships that you will encounter in following your dreams, the stupid and reckless decisions that young people make as they navigate through life, the humor (!!!), and all the heartwarming moments -- this drama has everything. It definitely is not perfect -- got a bit draggy in the middle and I personally felt like the story could have gone in a different direction than a love triangle, but the end was just too beautiful and redeemed the series for me (yes it has one of the most beautiful endings in kdrama ever!). Plus the way those hackathon / demo day moments made my heart pound was just **chef's kiss**. I will definitely miss the Samsan squad -- what an inspiring group of people who started from the bottom and kept going and dreaming and falling and failing and eventually achieving success.

For those seeing super angry and negative reviews for this drama lol, let me just give you context: throughout this drama's run it has been plagued with very passionate shipping wars as to who the FL should end up with (people got very hooked on the SL because he was introduced first and was really ML material and the real ML was a dork), and of course if you're part of one ship and you're not getting what you want you'll be mad lol. But don't let it stop you from watching this drama. Try to understand it from an objective view (or even if you have a ship don't let it blind you) and you will see the beauty in it. This drama legit inspired me to get up from my seat and do something (plus the OST is SUPERB). You wouldn't want to miss that just because of angry fans who didn't get the ship they wanted hehe. Definitely one of 2020's bests!

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maybe it will get better

The start of the drama started off pretty well. I wanted to keep watching after episode 1 so thats great, but then as i continued to watch the plot just...doesnt move. It doesnt get better.

In the beginning we meet the supposed "male lead"( A)who ends up becoming the "second lead" ! They really introduced the first guy(A) for two episodes just to have this newbie come and take over . The newbie(B) found a way into becoming the "main male lead". it annoys me so much. He only got her from LIES. And after she finds out that B wasnt who she wrote all those love letters of 15yrs to-and that it was actually A, she already feels fine and still acts like she likes B. Of course she cried a bit but the director makes B present for everything that goes on in her life as if hes now the male lead or something !

Also, its gotten boring which maybe is just my bias since i dont like the plot.
Oh and also, Bs friends are really annoying how they wont even let A get to meet the female lead.

i actually just made a profile so i could write this. I hope they change the male lead like how the writers did in Scarlet Heart Ryeo. If you want an amazing drama to watch, go watch that one. The music and acting and actors and plot are great .

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I have a lot of feelings

I want to explain the tragedy of Start-Up without the bias of shipping wars, because I think viewers on both sides can agree that this drama failed its audience.

This will be long and I'm sorry for that.

Start-Up started out as a refreshing new drama with an interesting twist on the old ‘liar revealed’ trope. What made it stand out was its focus on passionate young men and women forming their own company. SMD was a strong, confident young woman who suffered through a lot growing up. Her family separated, she lost her best friend and sister to her mother’s new family, and her father lost his life before he could ever get his company off the ground. She grew up living with her paternal grandmother, who eventually sold her shop to pay SDM’s tuition. After finding that out, SDM dropped out of college and worked to raise money for a food truck for her grandmother. She swallowed that lost opportunity for the sake of the only family she had left, and despite that loss, she was still motivated to succeed. What I really loved about her character at the start of all of this was just that - her dedication, her passion, and her vision of the future. Even if she wasn’t successful and her life hadn’t gone the way she wanted it to, and even if she was too embarrassed to admit that to her sister, she believed that one day she’d make it. She’d turn the lie into reality and show the world that her father’s decision wasn’t wrong.

The real problem with the drama is that it gave us a stellar, likable cast that it squandered in the second half. SDM went from a self-sufficient, capable woman to a damsel in need of rescuing by the second half of the drama. She couldn’t do anything right and she needed other people to solve all of her problems for her. NDS went from a naive but dedicated coder with big dreams but no business know-how to a man who gleaned wealth from the success of another company, a childish opportunist who didn’t listen to what others were saying. And HJP went from a blunt and harsh businessman with a fun charm and charisma to someone who, despite being a self-made success, couldn’t even bother to confront someone he loved in the 3 years he was left alone with her. It went from a show about a group of passionate people coming together to form a company to a sappy, unnecessary love triangle where every character seems to care more about romance than they do the thing they’re supposed to be passionate about.

I’ll start this probably very extensive review by talking about the characters, because they’re the biggest tragedy in all of this. And I want to make it clear that every actor did a phenomenal job. I don’t have a single complaint about any of them, they’re fantastic and I love them all. Without them, this drama wouldn’t have been tolerable.

NDS is probably the character they did dirty the most. I know there are a lot of fans of him still out there and I understand. While I was never rooting for him all that hard, I did find him very likable in the early episodes and knew that if he ended up with SDM in the end, I would have accepted that. After all, the drama wasn’t just about romance, right? It was about this journey they were taking together… right? Well, it wasn’t. Not at the beginning. NDS was a man with a company of 3 people. In, what was it, 3 years? In 3 years, he hadn’t found any success. For as talented of a coder as he was, he didn’t know anything about running a business, so he never got his company off the ground. He never even had a business model. The money they used to operate on was invested by his family who, despite seeing no success, continued to support him. For as much as his father yelled at him and for as little progress as they were getting, he still gave them money. Maybe his parents’ expectations were too high and their vision of his future too grand because of his childhood success, but they were still there for him, waiting for the day he would turn things around. He and his friends worked out of a dingy rooftop apartment and he looked up to HJP, known for his brilliant investments, all because of an article that incorrectly quoted HJP with an inspirational speech. Up until this point, he was separate from the goings-on of the main plot - he never wrote a letter, didn’t know who SDM was or of the plot concocted by her grandmother using his name. And at this point, he was pretty likable. He decided to appear before SDM because of his own morals, not because HJP solicited him into it, to help her through this one event so that she wouldn’t feel embarrassed. We can blame HJP for the mess that it became later, at least at first.

HJP was an orphan who grew up with no one and nothing but his own skills. The first person to reach out to him was SDM’s grandmother who offered her shop as his home and helped provide for him, and he used her accounts (he wasn’t old enough for a bank account of his own) to invest and grow his earnings so that he could support himself in Seoul after graduating. Granny asks him to write letters to her granddaughter, who was left friendless and alone after her family split apart. It was an innocent wish, and he was convinced, and together they used NDS to create this fake persona of a smart, kind boy for SDM to latch onto. Just this alone tells us a lot about his character. He didn’t want to use his real name. If he had, the whole story would have fallen apart. He envied the NDS that he saw in the paper because to him, an orphan with nowhere to turn and nothing to offer, it felt like NDS had everything. And that was what he wanted, too.

Because of where he came from, HJP has a greedy streak. He had nothing, so he wants everything. He latches onto whatever he can in fear of losing it. We’re shown this when he has a meltdown about Granny taking his money. He lashes out at her before hearing her side of the story because he feels like he’s going to that place again where everything is gone and he’s left with nothing. Then, when he realizes that she never took his money, he feels ashamed. He’s upset with himself, and he knows that he owes Granny an endless debt, one that he hopes to pay in the future. The relationship between HJP and the grandmother is probably the best in the whole series. They have great dialogue together and they feel like a proper family, even more so than most of the actual families in the story. The story starts because he wants to repay his debt after all of these years and it’s because he truly appreciates what she did for him. But that greed remains a part of his character even as he grows up, and it’s one of the only character flaws that actually feels like good writing later on in the story. There… aren’t many of those, really.

I won’t go through the entire story scene by scene. Most of the people reading this have already seen it, you don’t need to hear it. There were problems throughout that seemed to get bigger overtime until the bad writing hit its peak in episode 10.

NDS is shown to be an opportunist. However bad he feels about it, he continues to use HJP and SDM’s history together to his advantage to stay close to SDM. There are several instances even from early on where HJP is shown wanting to tell SDM the truth and to remove the illusion of the letters. But every time he’s stopped, either by NDS or other forces, until finally the blow up happens in episode 10. Before this, NDS was starting to have poor writing. The likable character was starting to feel whiny and selfish, but it wasn’t to the degree that I didn’t like him. HJP also had his moment of weakness where he broke down, just as he did at Granny in the past, seeing the couple together and feeling like something that was his was taken away from him. Those were his letters, this should have been his story - that was how he saw it, and that’s what frustrated him. But he was able to calm himself and put their happiness above his own desires until shortly after SDM finds out the truth. And everything falls apart.

NDS became very immature as the story went on. So did SDM, but it was most noticeable with NDS in episode 10. When asked to leave SDM alone, to give her space because she’s upset and doesn’t want to see him, he continually makes his presence known to her. He follows her around, pretty much stalks her. Then while escorting her home while she’s drunk, he leaves her alone on a swing in the park to go put on… a suit. He wanted to inspire her and all that, so he left a drunk, barely coherent young woman half asleep in a park alone at night. There are dozens of scenes of him crying and feeling sorry for himself when all of this time he was taking advantage of the letters. The only one who had the right to be angry here was SDM, the only non-guilty party. This is also when characters started to not really care about their company. They spent most of their time thinking about this failed love story instead of preparing for demo day. In fact, most of their decisions were poorly made regarding their business. The only reason they succeeded was because of dumb luck, and it didn’t feel like they were growing or learning at all from their experience at SandBox. And as much as HJP’s words were unnecessarily harsh, they never listened to their mentor.

I don’t think this should have been a romance. None of the characters needed it. It’s normal to feel lost, scared and uncertain about life, but leaning on someone as a crutch or using them to fill a void that you can’t fill on your own is unhealthy, and that’s exactly what NDS was trying to do. If he really cared for SDM, he would have given her the space and time she needed to work through her feelings. He would have focused on their company and tried to push personal matters aside in favour of that because they were at such a crucial point in their business with Demo Day just around the corner. His success is SDM’s success. She couldn’t fix his problems. He didn’t need romance, he needed to figure himself out.

The same can be said for HJP, though they did handle his reaction to the reveal a lot better than they did NDS. He didn’t try to make excuses and was upfront and honest after SDM found out. He sat her down, told her the truth and answered all of her questions. He told her about his feelings not to date her but to put everything out in the open. Instead of wallowing in guilt, he stayed professional and was the only character to try to help her prepare for Demo Day because he genuinely wanted to see her succeed. And it’s obvious how much he cares for her from how well he takes care of that damn money tree. But what HJP needed wasn’t romance, he needed a family. That’s what he got after the timeskip (one of the only changes to occur after 3 years, really…). He had a family now, people he cared about who cared about him. He stayed with them on the holidays and he had people to rely on which he never had before. HJP doesn’t have any friends. He’s been alone all of his life, and finally he had what he always wanted. Even if he did care about SDM, it wasn’t necessarily her that he needed.

The characters’ focus on romance is really the downfall of this drama. They start making decisions based off of their emotions, especially NDS. They sell their company in a day without even taking the time to think about it which leads to the engineers going overseas and the girls getting fired. Among the countless other issues it caused. Then, after the timeskip, nothing has changed. All of the characters are as immature as ever, all that happened was that the boys now have spending money. SDM had already gone from self-sufficient to helpless, and after the timeskip she is powerless to do… anything, really. NDS and the boys have to save her from the ransomware attack, and she proceeds to get weak-kneed. You know, because women can’t handle stress. Or something. Lot of sense they’re making there.

In the end, the writing killed the drama. I could sit here for 7 hours and talk about all the poor choices that were made and in the end, I think the romance was unnecessary. Even though I like HJP more as a character, I don’t want him to end up with SDM. I think that everyone in that love triangle is terrible for each other.

A few examples of the terrible writing:
-NDS punching HJP and them fighting. Don’t care if you don’t like each other, that’s assault, and for assaulting his mentor he could have even had lawsuits filed against him. His penchant for violence when he’s upset or things don’t go his way is not only bad writing, it also just doesn’t fit with the rest of his character.
-3 years later and it’s implied that WIJ either wasn’t told that her grandmother was going blind, or wasn’t told how bad it was getting. Either way, bad writing, makes no sense.
-3 years later and HJP never confessed? WHY? I don’t want to see them together but I can’t believe that in all that time he wouldn’t do anything.
-In several instances they talk romance when their company is LITERALLY FALLING APART. How is that okay?!
-They try to show NDS’s heartbreak through monologues and crying scenes but instead it comes off as whiny and immature, and they made his character look worse. Stop doing that to the poor boy, please! There’s also so many times when he talks about how he has nothing, and HJP has everything. How? In what sense? All HJP has is his job and wealth. NDS has friends, a loving family, the talent to succeed in a thriving field, and he even gets the girl. He’s comparing a well-loved child to an orphan. Okay.
-KYS showed little to no negative reaction to HJP throughout the entire drama but then was suddenly the brother of the man who killed himself. And we’re supposed to believe he’s putting the blame on HJP. Does that make sense? Shouldn’t he have been shown before to have some sort of reaction?
-After SamSan’s success on Demo Day, they showed flashbacks of HJP saying they wouldn’t succeed and used those to invalidate his harsh advice, but in those situations he was right. It was only after the characters adapted and changed that they were able to succeed. (And you know, the ridiculous dumb luck that they have…)
-Despite this whole thing being orchestrated by Granny, SDM NEVER has a talk with her about it. Never, not once. This is a big deal and it would have been an important character moment because of just how betrayed she felt. Instead, she doesn’t say a thing. I guess she blames everything on the boys, but she knows the truth so why is that?

This drama promised a lot of things when it started and it failed to live up. An inspirational business drama turned into 3 adult-sized toddlers whining to each other about a love triangle. And I understand why so many fans are so aggressive in the shipping war - it’s because it’s all we have left in the end. Everything else has already been destroyed. It’s so upsetting to see for a drama that was so fresh and interesting at the start. The only thing I can say is, hey, at least they didn’t turn HJP into a monster. It looked like they could have, but he’s come through on top in the end.

I don't have much to say about the last episode. It was... okay, I suppose. I was indifferent to the majority of it. I can say that I did enjoy HJP's time on screen and the closure to his little story, if you can call it that. I loved getting to see Yeo Jin Goo's little cameo, especially after hearing his voice through the series. That was the highlight of the episode. But it felt like most of the scenes were just filler. They were just padding the run time to get to the inevitable, and it showed.

It could have been worse, but it doesn’t feel like it.

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Ignore the haters! All about giving the underdog a chance - it's very heartwarming!!!

I never usually write reviews because I'm lazy but after seeing all the negative responses, I feel like I have to! I've been watching kdramas for the past 6 years and I've never seen so much hate. I was hooked from the very first episode, and yes, I'll admit, who the first male lead is will confuse you at first. But I'd say that's very clearly established by episode 3, and if you're a fan of kdramas, who is used to the melodrama and tropes, then this drama will suit you. I found the main couple to be adorable, and the male lead was refreshing, representing all those kids who were labelled 'gifted and talented' as a child, only to be seen as average and a failure as a young adult. If you're looking for a business drama, these elements do fade out, and mid-way through the story there is a heavy focus on angst and misunderstandings, but I lapped this up and love anything with yearning. My only jibe is that the talents of Kang Ha Na are somewhat wasted. So, if you're looking for a story about underdogs, found family, sibling rivalry, overcoming insecurities, and all-round adorable relationships (platonic, romantic, and familial!), then give Start-Up a chance! If you find yourself experiencing second lead syndrome, and this is the only thing keeping you going, then drop it and quit all the hyperbolic moaning and hypocritical bashing!

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