Start-Up (2020)

good drama.

Completed watching "Start-Up 2020" by tvN and Netflix..
My score will stay at 10.5/10(I started with 9, even reached at 11). Coz i have positive perspective already before watching it since it started airing.
For me it's still one of the good dramas of 2020 that's definitely good to watch. I'm after with the business and family genre that's why it has many lessons to learn on it. (For those who haven't watch it, don't hesitate. Just finished it and make your own opinions and just don't listen or follow those negative news about this series. See for yourself first before saying it's bad or good, coz their option is not the same as yours.)
And I don't really care about the romance coz it's not what I'm after since the beginning, I just wanted to see Dal Mi succeeded in her dream and give grandma a good life. And for me who ever guys Dal Mi falls into it's ok(eventhough I'm Team Do San). Both guys are great. No need to criticize each of them. They have great personality in their own ways as guys. Ji Pyung is the master of Business Management and Do San is master of Software engineering. Each of the them has his own specialty..
No need for very very elaborative plots, I'm satisfied with it already. Great screenplay, Great special effects specially on some settings. Great OSTs also(I have downloaded all 17 already).
I'm also satisfied with the ending..
Still Still a motivating series.. ???

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Idle hope served in unfair doses

Start-Up started with the promise of something different, with the chance to become more than just a bundle of side arcs and predictable endings with faded, empty emotions. It didn't live up fully to that promise, but rather bloomed in a different way.

There's many aspects to praise: it deals with a side of business I'd say is unknown to many (me included, and I'm studying management!), its writing (not the plot, mind you) is smartly crafted and delicious to hear, to feel. The acting and the cast could not have been better, alongside the ost that was like no other. Cinematography and some clever plot points here and there (tvn was very sly with the parallel scenes) also made watching much more enjoyable. It also had some good messages every now and then, although their execution wasn't... the best. Still, it wanted, and surely did plant a somewhat feeling of...idle hope.

No matter how pleasant it was, it has to be mentioned that Start-Up lost its message, its way and purpose between love quarrels and far too few business aspects. It fell victim of the 'time-jump-to-excuse-character-development syndrome, to the no-existent-character-development sense and, yes, the side arch or sample-character (cough villain-ish dad and jerk-ish half-brother cough) that no one asked and is tired of meeting.

Because it dealt with actual complex, layered and unusual people living in unpleasant, uncomfortable scenarios that required meaningful actions, Start-Up most likely will give any viewer a headache: one has to deal with problems that could've easily been solved with communication, with more sensibility and less... yeah, less drama.... As neutral as I try to be, the writers can't fully shake the sensation of unfairness with the way things turned out. It was a happy ending, but not a satisfactory one. At least, not for me.

When I think about Start-up, a lot of missed opportunities come to mind, but if they were all to be fulfilled, I'm afraid it would probably make the drama 40 episodes long instead of 16. So, for what it is, it wasn't bad. A lot of food for the mind, but if you like to get worked up then go ahead and watch it.

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Amazing drama. Ignore the haters that only cared about a ship and watch it

One of the best this year. I’m pretty sure those who didn’t like it are just frustrated and thought this drama was all about the letters and the shipp that only existed 15 years ago.
It’s a beautiful story about growing up, taking risks and literally following your dream.
Iloved every second of it. Just wished Injae had a little more screen time but I loved seeing her and Dal-mi getting along at the end.
I loved Ji-pyeong even though I thought he was extremely rude at the beginning and his relationship with grandma was sooo beautiful. I’m really glad I got to know Kim Seonho because of this drama.
I’m so glad Dodal is endgame. It was beautiful seeing them growing up together and getting successful. I’m tired of the unrealistic childhood plot in kdramas and I’m happy they changed that in Start Up. Once again: the letters were never the main plot of the show.
I’m sad some people will review this show as bad/horrible just because jidal was never real.
Hoping to see Suzy and Nam Joohyuk again in a new drama or movie.

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A lot may disagree but what the heck this is my honest opinion

Start up is another perfect example of having a really really great foundation but somehow started gradually declining towards the end. The first few episodes of this drama were really something. It was about family and proving your self worth by believing in your ideologies no matter how absurd it may sound at that time.

I started watching because I thought it was another drama that would inspire me in "business wise". However, somewhere in the middle, it went from being a drama about business to another drama about love. Somehow for me, it didn't stay true to the title. It got to the point that people were no longer talking about the things that they are doing, their "Start up" but rather people were just talking about whom to root for for the FL's love interest.

Secondly, I was really looking forward to more bad ass scenes of Injae. I knew that dalmi will succeed in the end but of course Injae had an advantage since she grew up in the corporate world, she knew better when they started. Little did I know that the most I would be seeing her as as lady boss was in the hackathon. They didn't even dwell that much on the sibling rivalry of IJ and DM.

Also, I know people will hate me for saying this but for some reason I really think Nam Joo Hyuk's character here is really weak as a lead. The only time he was really acting like a lead character was on the 16th episode. In that being said, made me really root for Jipyeong. Can't really fathom how Dalmi and the real Dosan fell in love. Too many lies between them.

In conclusion, I think start up had a great start but it didn't stay true to it's original theme and chose to focus on the leads' love line instead and that was the start of its downfall.

PS suzy's acting is really improving

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Annoying male character, unnecessary love triangle

In the beginning, this show started out very good. Sad family conflict, tragic divorce, tragic death; Heartwarming bonding between haelmoni and Ji Pyeong; How young Dal Mi survived that season by clinging on to Ji Pyeong's letters. It's beautifully portrayed and made me cry so many times.
Then the male lead came to the pictures. I was disappointed at first because I hope the one who wrote letters would be the main lead. But Nam Do San attracted me with his genuine actions toward Dal Mi. He was so undetermined, lack of ambition yet very honest, pure, naive, and genius in programming.

Until the love triangle started to form itself. I forgot when but I think it's around episode 7. At first I was still mad at Ji Pyeong for not being honest. This was the similar case when I watched Reply 1988 *spoiler* when I was disappointed to know that Jung Pal wouldnt end up with Deok Sun. But I couldn't help liking Taekkie character because he had the courage that Jung Pal didnt have. So yeah I was satisfied with Taek as the husband.

But Nam Do San's character progression started to go down negatively in each episode. He was annoying, immatured, childish. He lost all the purity he once had. While Ji Pyeong was pictured as a very caring and nice guy behind his harsh personality.
And not only that, Do San's friends are equally childish and annoying too.

In those remaining episodes. I hope they wouldn't focus on the love triangle no more. I don't mind if Dal Mi still likes Do San. But just don't drag it any longer.

Edit: It's not that bad actually now that i wasnt very annoyed and biased to Do San haha

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Not a bad drama like other reviews said!!

I gave it an 8. Honestly, maybe it doesn't deserve that high but I gave it because of Jipyeong and the theme.
In terms of character wise, single-handedly saved the drama. He is the male lead for me even though he didn't get the girl. His storyline was the most interesting and developed and his relationship with the grandma was heartwarming. I did love the Samsan tech group and their chemistry but not the main CP. The story actually didn't give Jipyeong a chance to pursue Dal Mi at all. Initially, he had to pretend so he kept the distance and not too long after his confession, the time jump happened, it seems like he still kept the distance.. they just didn't give him the chance to get close to her. Didn't like the fact that they tried to keep us guessing almost until the end.
Other than that romance part, I think it was still enjoyable. The theme about start-ups and incubators and investments were interesting. The friendship between the three guys was great!
I would suggest try watching a few episodes. If you like Jipyeong and don't mind shipping the wrong CP, you should be able to enjoy the drama!!

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Can a pretty (and good) boy make (your) korean dream come true?

The drama set in Sandbox, a swing-safeguard for budding start-ups begins with Seo Dal Mi, one of the several dreamy aspirants, breaker of many pretty boys' hearts (more on this later), attending a start-up relay lecture, meets Han Ji Pyung (AKA 'Good Boy') and Won In Jae (her icy poles apart sister, starring as Elsa in her company's promotional videos, brownie points for comedy).

The story goes back and forth from present to 15 years back, giving a nice backstory for our good boy, an orphan, winning a competition, left no one to congratulate him, strikes an unusual friendship with Dal Mi's grandma. Meanwhile growing up in a turbulent family, Seo Dal Mi, follows her broke but ahead-of-his-times dad whereas her sister follows her mother who marries a rich businessman. To assuage Dal Mi, her grandma and Good Boy team up to write love letters under the name of Nam Do San, the male lead and unfortunate victim of many fangirls' hatred. Nam Do San, an undeniable child prodigy, but lacking dream, social skills, a dimwit but good knitter, runs a pitiful Image Recognition start-up with his friends. Everything goes fine, until Seo Dal Mi meets Nam Do San or until Seo Dal Mi meets Won In Jae at the lecture! (Giving an urge to prove herself)

Now, the main characters, Heartbreaker, and Elsa, with their motives being to achieve the (korean) dream of succeeding in life whereas the Good Boy, and Dim wit, want to win their first love, Heartbreaker's heart. Pretty simple story, right? No! Nothing is simple. For more than half of drama, heartbreaker remains in dark about who is her first love (also the reason why she keeps breaking many boys' hearts) and everyone else, especially good boy and dim wit protect her heart from breaking with lies and trickery (obivously!). This goes on and on till the spectacular risky explosion at episode 10 coupled with predictable twists in mainstory ( which is about start-ups finding investors, reminding you in case, you got lost in love triangle) gives a typical kdrama of unreasonable break-ups, unreasonable heartbreaks, and a time jump, (nice trick to avoid showing gradual character growth, they would have probably messed it up too anyway) which brings us to impending question: Will the Tarzan (their new project) reach the smart city? ( No points for guessing, it's a kdrama.)

What was Good? (and Bad?)
Comedy was superb in the initial episodes, especially the videos, the goofiness of the Samsan gang, the food hoarding etc. Romance was not over the top but you can't deny that it didn't get hot. I had to fan myself for the rooftop scene. The aesthetics and set production of this drama was exceptionally good with no compromises.
The pretty and good boy, a lifesaver, a metaphorical sandbox for the dimwits & co, the enlightened shepherd for the brainless sheep gets a pretty decent closure without getting completely tainted as an evil person. The Dimwit, too has some decent backstory, but often gets shadowed by the sunshine of good boy. (Gone are the days of rich, successful, and sharp-tongued guys getting the lady, time is for geeks!) This character did haphazardly attempt at breaking the conventional mold of kdrama male leads. Heartbreaker: she was street-smart, sassy, bright, lively, the go-gether of the entire drama, she does however unluckily falls victim to the kdrama tropes- "Oh I care about you, so let's break-up!"
Other characters- Elsa and her mother, turn a new leaf without inflicting any malice; her grandma, steals the show with her spot-on character judgements and corndogs; SamSan gang, although sometimes dumb, had solid friendship and goofiness; Dimwit's parents, lovely and comical couple, could have give more story. Many more characters- Sa ha, SH VC's Ceo, amicable guest appearance by Kim Joo Heon as father could have gone wrong but didn't.
The Technology, Image recognition, is shown very realistically and toned down for the audience, giving its applications. The workings of start-up and business is also given practical glimpse, with a dash of drama. Especially, the selection process of sandbox was innovative and interesting.

Acting, Music and Rewatch Value
All the leads have upped their game including Suzy. Nam Joo Hyuk aces the geeky role perfectly. Kim Seon Ho, god blessed his parents, steals our hearts with dimples and reality pills of dialogue. Red Velvet's Future is an earworm, Gaho's running is memorable and BOL4's Love letter is peppy. Of course ya, As for rewatch, All Good Boy scenes are must.

Final Note, Predictable and typical love triangle kdrama (which as always tries to do too many things) with refreshingly unconventional characters and interesting setting of start-ups, image recognition but got sidetracked with fanwars.

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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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