Start-Up (2020)

A drama with so much great potential with the worst unsatisfying ending

Thank you start up for teaching me that theres no point in constantly putting others first because others will learn to put you last. I fell in love with this drama in episode one, so beautifully written and touched my heart . I think just like most I had a very high expectations on what this drama could've been, it had so much potential until episode 10. Keeping up with symbolisms, music score and overall theory was really fun and I thought for once we'll get a new fresh breath genre of kdrama but watching episode 16 made me realize that this show wasn't anything but cliche. Not only that the morals the production is putting out there is generally bad and outright problematic . I don't have to list it all everyone know what I'm talking about . They also lost the viewers because they can't find any reason to redeem the fl and ml character . I've never hated a fictional lead couple so bad

But on the good side the actors and actress did such a good job portraying their character, suzy, nam jo hyuk and Kang hanna did such a good job and I'm so happy that seon ho finally getting the recognition he deserves. Njh and KSH NAILED every crying scene. The only good thing abt this drama are the actress and actors!! And ost !!

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HONEST REVIEW: This is a good drama! A lot of the ratings/reviews here are too harsh and biased!

I just finished watching the drama on Netflix and had to write this because the reviews and ratings on here are way too harsh! This drama is very heartwarming and inspiring, and the chemistry between the whole cast is amazing! I will admit, the storyline became a little draggy mid-way because of the love triangle, but the last episode was satisfying and gave us well-deserved closure (raise your hand if you teared up more than once!).

The Good:
1. Kim Seon Ho as jipyeong-ah~!! This was definitely a breakout role for Kim Seon Ho, I've been following his work for a while and he has grown so popular now, I don't want to share him (loll)!
2. The chemistry between Suzy and Nam Joo Hyuk: Dalmi and Dosan are a whole power couple, and I have to say, the acting of Suzy and NJH has improved and dude--stunning visuals!! Also, the BTS and Soop interviews tho!!!
3. The supporting cast--let's just say: SQUAD GOALS!! and FAMILY GOALS!!
4. Filming and OST: The cinematography and music in this drama are top-notch and high quality.

The Bad:
1. Kim Seon Ho, Kang Hana, and their characters deserved better!!! When I saw interviews and promos before the drama started, I thought Ji Pyeong and In Jae would have more prominent storylines, but by the end, I felt pity for Ji Pyeong's unrequited love and unsatisfied with In Jae's character arc. I think people with second lead syndrome are upset that Ji Pyeong doesn't get the girl, so they're being harsh towards the drama and the main leads but I think that the Dalmi-Dosan pairing was always meant to be from the start. Ji Pyeong acted as an unintentional cupid and sadly, developed a one-sided love for Dalmi. I wish they didn't define Ji Pyeong's character with the cliche first love trope and a dragged-out love triangle. Instead, the writers should've given Ji Pyeong his own little story that isn't centered around Dalmi and Dosan. That would've been a lot more realistic and satisfying to watch. I also just hated seeing him so lonely!

2. Overall, if it weren't for the cast, music, and quality of production, I think the storyline was lacking. The plot was a tad-bit unrealistic at points, and it was absolutely unnecessary to make the love triangle such a central part of the story. While the romance was wonderful, I would've enjoyed a more unconventional take on the theme of start-ups.

If you are a fan of the cast and enjoy easy-breezy dramas with emotional, romantic, and comedic themes, then this is perfect for you! I've recommended it to all my friends for the past three months, and every one of them has enjoyed it! I will miss you, Start-Up!!

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Friendship and Family!

People that gave less than 7 to this kdrama were watching it for the wrong reasons.
Yes this story has romance, but also has so much more than that. Has business, friendship, personal growth... and most importantly is also about family. I think people have to remind themselves that we are in kdramaland, this is not going to be your business focused kdrama, or with the perfect friendship, romance or family story. It's as always, a combination. And in this case a really well executed one. Changing the love partner for the other lead character wouldn't suddenly make this story go from 1 to 10 lol if a story is ever being a 1 for me, in a scale of 10, i will just drop it. I won't wait for a finale to give it 1. There's a lot of kdramas to watch in a lifetime. Please watch smt else then!

With all of this being said, the only thing i would change in this kdrama would be indeed the second male lead romance... But not like everyone else. His character would be PERFECT to fit under a big bro role. Think about it... he was orphan, and his only family became the grandmother. Their story was so beautiful. Wouldnt it be incredibly beautiful if he was helping Dalmi without explaining his intentions but later just ending up being for the grandmother that was more than a mother to him? Well... i know. We are in kdramaland so ofc if a REALLY GOOD second male lead shows up it's either super evil and wants to destroy everything or has to be involved in the romance. No place for brotherly and cute friendships in kdramas.

But that would be it. I agree that love at first sight is used way too often (and i don't even believe it's real) but also being in love with the same person you were when u were 12, also ain't it for me. Puppy and cute first love in comparison with adult love is way too different for me, personaly. I absolutely hate the "meant to be" troop based on past events, so i am glad of how things turned up.

This kdrama has for the first time second leads that i adore as much as the main leads, and i am super happy about that! I am sick and tired of weak and "lets pretend i ever got a chance in this love triangle" male characters that also have no other depth to themseves... they exist to annoy you - only!!! I always end up rolling my eyes at their failed atempts to do anything. But what this writer did by hiring Kim Seon Ho and giving him such a role, is making me super curious about him now. I kinda want to watch a kdrama where he IS the main lead. And for me that is some good work right here.

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analysis on show and characters

This drama made my head hurt lol
Seo Dal Mi- Ah, where do I start. Seo Dal Mi is seen as this person who is hardworking and independent with
everything she does. She is shown to be selfless as well in the show, which is what I loved about her, emphasis on the “loved”. I entirely blame the writers of this show for ruining what could’ve been such a great character. The independent qualities suddenly went out the door once Nam do San and Han Ji Pyeong showed up, the male leads. Honestly, I have nothing more to say about her which is sad since she is the lead of this show :(. I didn’t understand the choices she made within the show, they were irrational and I just genuinely can’t wrap my head around them. There is also no character development whatsoever even though we had a time skip.

Nam Do San- Ugh. Literally my whole opinion on him could be summed up with the word “ugh”. He has to be one of my least favorite characters in the dramas I’ve watched so far, and this is coming from someone who was a firm “dodal” shipper (I honestly think i was just blinded by Nam Joo Hyuk’s visuals lol). Another character I can’t even fully understand, not because they have so much depth to them but because they have little to none at all! He also barely has any character development, but at least there’s some? I don’t know, he was very immature, acted out of anger as well, which somehow would benefit him later? Lol only in the drama world. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he was manipulative but I would say he isn’t a very understanding character, but I guess those traits of him were canon to the show and why Han Ji Pyeong didn’t agree to Do San wanting to become a ceo lol. This is just a very personal opinion but I guess him always crying and acting like a victim could make others deem him as manipulative, I never got that vibe from him but I could see how others have.

Han Ji Pyeong- TRULY AND HONESTLY DESERVED BETTER. DESERVED LEAD IDCIDCIDC. Sure he had the cliche qualities of a main male lead in a kdrama, but those qualities happened to be canon to this kdrama and would only make sense for him to end up with the girl. He’s a CEO, has literal bank, has a backstory with the female lead, how could he not get the girl? I felt like the writers of this show really wanted to switch things up and turn away from your average kdrama,which isn’t a bad idea, but was executed poorly. The plot holes, oh the plot holes surrounding his character were horrendous. WHY WERE THE LETTERS NOT TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH BETWEEN JI PYEONG AND DAL MI????? Why was there zero romantic interactions between Ji Pyeong and Dal Mi within the 3 year time skip where Do San was in California? I’m also assuming there were none because the writers lazily wrote the time skip and didn’t explain anything that happened within it. I just don’t understand why Dal mi and Ji Pyeong’s relationship was hardly developed even though he was her first love :/. I’m literally so upset with how the writers went about his character. He was the sweetest, him and Grandma saved this show.

Won In Jae- A character who had so much potential but was sadly created just for the sake of the main character (Seo Dal Mi). With that being said, I don’t have much to say about her sadly, but I surely would’ve enjoyed her character if the writers weren’t so lazy and if this drama was actually thought out well. I still have many questions regarding her, like why did she start disliking her sister so much, maybe an in-depth story about how her home life was with her step-dad and mom, maybe even her step-brother as well! Nothing was even briefly shown within the 3 year time skip on how her and Dal Mi’s relationship was even fixed. Us, the audience, are just left with our imagination. Which is often a good thing within a well written show but it just doesn’t make sense with this situation. The plot holes, my god.

SUMMARY- Probably one of the worst k-dramas I’ve watched (will most likely change in the future lol). With sixteen, over an hour long, episodes it still felt like we were going nowhere. With barely to no development within the characters, that’s exactly what it felt like. I will say there were some enjoyable moments in the show to spark a bit of positivity within this review lol but for the most part, I really didn’t like this show

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The author focused too much in the romance and forgot to develop the initial plot.

This drama was a complete disappointment for me. The first 3 episodes were incredible and the story was being developed very well, however the author started to focus a lot on the love triangle and the romance of this drama and ended up forgetting to develop the initial plot, which besides being original had great potential, but unfortunately in many episodes the main focus of the story was the novel and the problems surrounding it, allocation of being in the development of the startup and the growth of the characters in that branch.

The worst thing is that the author, in addition to forgetting the initial focus of the drama, also developed the romance very poorly. I find it ridiculous the fact that she gave so much focus to the letters that Ji Pyeong wrote a Dal Mi, and it was not final to Dal Mi nor did he care about the true author of these letters and the feelings they gave them both. These letters literally helped Dal Mi to overcome a grief and also served as comfort and companionship for Ji Pyeong, that since the beginning was a very lonely person. And the situation of the letters got even worse when now, in this last episode, the author made Ji Pyeong say that he was never the `` Nam Doosan`` of the letters.

Another problem in this drama was the lack of scenes and development for In Jae, this character started the drama with an antagonistic air, but little by little, with the little screen time that she had, I created a certain affection for her and I wanted to see a lot more of this character that for me was more interesting than the protagonist. In Jae was one of the main characters, but she appeared less than the secondary characters in the story.

The passage of time in the story was very problematic, it seems that the author used the resource of jumping in time to advance the story, since the drama was almost over and the story wasn't moving, however, I was left with the impression that many things within the known story are poorly explained, such as the fact that Ji Pyeong stayed with Dal Mi for 3 years and didn’t take any action, it just doesn’t match his personality and I thought it was quite flawed, and also Dal Mi’s relationship with his mother and sister was developed during this time and we viewers couldn't see that.

Summing up:
Negative points of the story: Lack of development of many characters and the startup theme, too much focus on romance and love triangle, Ji Pyeong extremely wronged.

Positive Points: I got to know the actor Kim Seon Ho and I will definitely follow his next works. Another positive point was Ji Pyeong relationship with Dal Mi's grandmother, I cried in many scenes of the two of them and I think it was the most developed and coolest relationship in this drama.

That final scene of the four walking together was very forced.

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Waste of potential

I’ll keep this short as I’m sure many users have said the same thing, but this was a show with a HUGE setup and such low delivery. The plot thinned, characters acted irrationally and never developed, and the only person with any ethical value (jipyeong I love you) was used as an emotional punching bag until the very end. The writer set out to subvert traditional k drama tropes for only shock value, not realizing that those tropes are revered because they allow for character growth, which was completely absent in this show. Love, in this show, is based on appearances and passion alone, rather than empathy, understanding and mutual support. In sum, it’s trash.

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On Behalf of The Nam Do San (Scroll Down for More)

Okay, so I decided to write a review because before I even watched the drama I heard all about how unhappy some viewers were with the final pairing. For those who have not watched it and are apprehensive due to the influx of negativity spewed at So Dal Mi's outcome, I would like to encourage you to give this unique drama a shot.


*SPOILERS BEWARE* (read at your own discretion)


THE STORYLINE:


First and foremost, the basic story line of this drama goes as follows; So Dal Mi grows up scarred from tragedy and parental disputes to rival her older sister Won In Jae in a new career of entrepreneurship.

In the midst of her childhood and dealing with the unfortunate events that led to her living with her grandmother, she makes an unlikely friend under the name Nam Do San, a supposed math genius and prize winner. She spends an entire season writing back and forth with him until one day the letters simply stop.

In present day, adult So Dal Mi finds herself in a compromising position that she believes will only be solved by reconnecting and finally meeting her first love, Nam Do San, in person. What she does not know is that the Nam Do San she searches for only exists on paper and was the creation of her grand mother and an orphan by the name of Han Ji Pyung.

To conceal this secret from So Dal Mi, her grandmother works with Han Ji Pyung who she recently meets again, to find the real Nam Do San ; because as luck would have he does exist. The rest of the story can be described as a quest for So Dal Mi to discover the truth and find the person she actually has feelings for, all the while working towards the success of her start up.

MY THOUGHTS:

If you're like me and you don't mind spoilers, in fact your seek them out to ensure your sanity is intact by the end of a drama then I hope my next words are helpful.


So Dal Mi ends up with Nam Do San ( THE REAL ONE)

Now, a lot of people might disagree with me but I think that they were a good fit for each other. Think about it they gave each other the confidence to succeed and take risks that alone they would never have dreamed of attempting. The SDM and NDS pairing felt right and natural to me, I liked their partnership in business and in a romantic sense. NDS was a type of male character I feel we do not see often, he was sensitive, absolutely adorable, open and often times dimwitted but in an endearing way. (I think Nam Joo Hyuk did a phenomenal job playing Nam Do San, this has become one of my favorite male characters out of all the dramas I have watched, it was just so convincing and refreshing, I hope he does more roles like this in the future.) I think he complimented SDM's character who was seasoned in hiding herself and protecting her heart because of the hardships and cruelty she had already endured as a teen/child.


I DON"T think Han Ji Pyung and So Dal Mi could have been more than friends.

I will admit in the beginning I did get the impression that ultimately Han Ji Pyung would end up with So Dal Mi, but as the story progressed it became more obvious to me that it was actually NDS who had her. In my opinion he did not try hard enough until it was too late to approach her. He was always at a distance stopping himself and denying what he truly felt. I think this stemmed from his life as an orphan, but regardless his lack of efforts to peruse her eventually worked against him. Also when I thought about how a relationship between SDM and HJP would be, it did not seem like they would mesh well, I don't think that their characters's could have added to each other in any way. Besides this, it also occurred to me that HJP only began developing feelings for SDM after her grandmother asked him for the favor of materializing the real NDS, to help SDM. Had the grandmother never re-entered his life, and made such a request that would put him at close proximity with SDM again I don't believe he would have reached out to her on this own accord or even thought about starting a romantic relationship with her. Truly I just think they were not meant to be, what HJP really needed was a family to connect with emotionally, not a romantic relationship with SDM.


*This was written to share my opinions and NOT as a way to disrespect anyone who holds differing thoughts or any of the actors who anticipated in this drama, thank you.*

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A character based romance drama with extremely flawed leads.

(If you hate the ML don't read further cause I won't take any criticism) Ah one of screenwriter Park Hye Ryun's most polarized dramas. Not to mention actor Nam Joo Hyuk's most controversial and hated role yet. Set in the world of Start ups this drama follows the leads as they try to fullfill their dreams and succeed. Most people had the worst case of second lead syndrome for character Han Ji Pyung played by none other than one of my favourite actors Kim Seon Ho. And while he wasn't my favorite character I kind of understand why people liked him. That said I was too tired of the rich tsundre (and shouty which personally annoys me) MLs with a sad past and a childhood connection with the female lead which there were too many of. I prefered Nam Do San who to me was an interesting and complex but very flawed character of his own which you barely get to see any of. I mean if he was too perfect and too nice people would have found him to be boring anyway. That said I found the hate for him surprising and even his small flaws were laughably exaggerated as if he was totally evil. I also thought that Bae Suzy who played the female lead Seo Dal Mi had the most chemistry with the ML compared to the other dramas I have seen her in and it was also her best role yet. You could see the improvement in her acting. The most impressive improvement in acting I saw was though was of Joo Hyuk. Especially since I saw him in Bride of the Habaek where I found his acting to be kind of okayish. Since the character of Do San was introduced at the very end of the first episode people had already started to get SLS. I actually prefered the second lead's relationship with Dal Mi's grandmother. I also loved the ML's relationship with his friends. Most people were also unhappy cause this drama wasn't very realistic about startups even though the writer had done some research. But kdramas (though this is not specific to kdramas) rarely are that realistic. For me the drama was more character based than plot based. I do have some of my own criticisms like the second female lead Won In Jae not getting a lot of screentime and the development of her relationship with her sister Dal Mi was also rushed. Some things were dragged or unnecessary, as was the love triangle. This drama had me crying a lot. I will always remember this drama for giving me a relatable (and soft, lovable nerd who knits! idc about other's opinions) lead like Nam Do San. That said I wish I could have watched it in my own bubble than get involved in one of the worst shipping wars I have seen.

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Good and refreshing !

The 1st episode is too good to forget. The scene was very loveable, the relationship between haemoni and Jipyeong.
Nam Dae Rum acting is so good. I always adore him, since the first time I saw his drama as a teen in "Come and hug Me" I know he will be big star someday.
Yes, like others drama lovers comment. I got the second lead syndrome and makes me fall in love with Jipyeong. His characters turns out very strong. Kim Sun Ho, suddenly became the hot topic media because of this show.
I don't want to belittle Nam Jo Hyuk as a main lead, but his character in this drama is sometimes annoying and I don't know with his face expression. But, it's only his character, yes he's doing a great job!
Despite of all, this drama is so refreshing, the acting of all actor / actress is so good. Suzy is always playing good.
The story is closest to reality , it steal the attention of young people.
If you want to see some friendship, business, relationship, this one is good to watch. It also have funny moments, and romance but not as much.

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Have you guys watched... a k-drama before?

Short review: If you enjoy romance plots, go ahead, give it a chance. I really enjoyed my time with this show. It is not perfect and maybe not for everyone, but what k-drama is? You'll know in a few episodes if it's for you or not. What I appreciated the most is the wonderful cinematography, great acting, and very little melodrama. It's a straight-forward and heartwarming experience.

Now, I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but as I'm discussing other reviews it is not entirely spoiler-free.

I just finished watching Start-Up and was absolutely confused by all the negative reviews here - so I wanted to share my own opinion as well.

I would like to counter some of the points negative-reviewers have made:

1. It is unrealistic (?)
- Yes, this show is about a start-up but no, this story doesn't probably follow what real start-ups go through. Does this make the show unrealistic? I'd like to counter with: Is ANY k-drama really realistic? huh? It's a show made to be enjoyed, not nit-picked at by IT-engineers and actual start-up people. And even if you do find flaws (which, if you are an adult, are very very obvious) does that automatically make this plot bad? For me it was like watching a fantasy-start-up-plot in a sense, where you obviously know that the people will meet success in the end (again, this is a k-drama) but you're here for the ride of "wow, wouldn't it be so cool if it was that easy".

2. No character development
- Again, did we watch the same show? All leads go through their ups and downs but more importantly, the show literally TELLS YOU when the characters are changing and developing. I very much disagree that the characters don't take huge strides during this show. They all change in their own ways, especially in the ways the characters themselves state they are lacking in (whether that be self-confidence, being considerate of others, being kinder etc.). I find it very lazy that some viewers seem to have been totally caught up in their own thoughts about the show to be totally blinded to very blatant story and character development. If I didn't sincerely believe in this, I would not be writing this review.

SPOILERS:

3. Wrong love-interest
- *sigh* I mean, wasn't it just obvious straight from the first few episodes? Yes, the back-story was mainly focused on Han Ji-Pyong and the letter-storyline was pretty romantic, but I cannot believe that is the only thing you're basing your opinion on. Him "not getting the girl" does not make him any less of a great character. His arc is a big part of what makes this show worth watching, someone who has always lived just for himself starting to open up and accept happiness and other people into his life. Like many other second-leads in k-drama, he was just too late. His affection with (the current) Dal-Mi wasn't enough - it was never reciprocated. One sided love is sad, I've been there myself. Dal-Mi never showed any romantic interest in him, whatsoever. But it isn't Dal-Mi's fault, nor his that it couldn't work out. Shows that make me root for both love interests are always commendable for building up two good leads. You're supposed to feel a bit sorry for him for god sakes! That does not make Do-San a bad lead, though. I feel like the chemistry worked really well and Nam Joo-Hyuk did an excellent job acting wise. I get that not everyone was sold, but I was. When you're not sure if the affection in his eyes is actually irl-real or just acting - well that is good acting! And I felt it from both male leads. I'll defend this position till the end, I said what I said. But I get the disappointment, I do (Reply 1988 broke me in pieces).

Thank you for your time!

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Deceptive Start up

The plotline is akin to the french novel, Cyrano de Bergerac by the classical writer Edmond Rostand. Cyrano and Christian love Roxane, and one will work in the shadow (Cyrano) and the handsome Christian will take it all in being the girl's lover. There is a head and a puppet, working together. The lines are witty, french high schoolers learnt the cues at school. As the title suggest, the MC is Cyrano, that is to say E. Rostand is much more clever than Start up writers.... They should have copied the book ending, because Start up story ends so dumb.
The office working universe is unrealistic. They always seem to have free time. The scenes at SF are ridiculous. I don't think that successful computer engineers spend their whole day drinking fine wine in a boat.
And if you focus only the love story, as I said, the ML should be JPY. I am not fan of children sweetheart stories and it won't bother me that FL ends up withn ML, BUT I did not feel much chemistry between the two main actors. I skipped their scenes several times, I was not moved at all.
If you compare this drama with 100 days my prince, KSH was also the second lead and he was already a charming scene stealer. Nevertheless, the ML and FL were brilliant so KSH just did a good job as the SL. Also, the SL ending was pretty nice, contrary to Start up drama.
I enjoyed the drama, the pace was good but script mistakes + poor lead acting cause the greatest SLsyndrome ever. And this is a viewpoint from someone who is already a KSH's fan, before seing Start Up. I liked the fact that we can see his tragical palette acting which was not revealed yet. He deserves this success, I am glad for it.
Therefore, I do think Kim Seonho and granny save the whole drama and were the best part of Start up. This is too bad.

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