Poignant moments signaling ruminative lessons are surely going to decorate new Korean drama Start-Up!
Settling to an arresting footing, Start-Up has a narrative structure that induces viewers to nostalgic reminiscing. Especially those who had to work hard in their youth. It also relates to people bearing on a career they are not passionate about, but left no choice but to endure. The series opened at over 4% nationwide viewership scores in its four back-to-back episodes.
abbyinhallyuland watches Start-Up on Netflix
Start-Up Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | Mid-Series | 9 & 10 | 11 & 12 | 13 | 14 -16 + Review |
Start-Up Opening Week Recap
“I’ve made up my mind to stop filling my days with regrets.”
Dressed up for an important occasion, Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) attends a start-up conference at Sand Box. She took the mic from an audience who was supposed to throw a question and throws a question to Won In-jae (Kang Han Na).
Asking In-jae if she regretted a selfish choice she made before, Dal-mi listens to her answer of how her greedy decision was a desperate one. She also corrects Dal-mi that her name is Won In-jae.
It turns out that Dal-mi and In-jae are real sisters. When their parents got divorced they each took different choices. In-jae left with her mom, who married a rich businessman while Dal-mi stayed with her father.
Grandma Choi tries to cheer up Dal-mi by asking young Han Ji-pyeong (Nam Da Reum) who has been staying at her store to be her granddaughter’s pen pal.They conspire to create Dal-mi’s imaginary friend and named it Nam Do San.
Agreeing to respond to become Dal-mi’s pen pal, Ji-pyeong, who has a keen acumen in investing, has also helped Grandma Choi to invest her money properly while also investing his under the old lady’s account.
“Thanks for showing me the other option. Thanks to you, I don’t have to doubt my choice anymore.”
Also sitting at the panel of the start-up business conference, Ji-pyeong recognized Dal-mi as his savior’s granddaughter.
After the conference the estranged sisters chat for a bit. In-jae invited her sister to an event to help her build business connection, but Dal-mi denied. In-jae also offered to drop her to her destination, but she refused.
When In-jae condescendingly remarked how Dal-mi made her realize that she was right about her choice looking at her sister’s struggling life, it hurt Dal-mi’s pride.
Stopping her car, she asks for the event invite and regretted later about the stupid thing she did. While she breaks down in different faces thinking of how she will fight the war she waged with her sister, Ji-pyeong stares at her interestingly.
He follows her from afar and gets surprised to see the first person who showed him the meaning of kindness – Dal-mi’s grandmother.
“If you become successful, don’t call me. Don’t call me if you become rich and get married. Don’t call me if you’re happy. I don’t want to feel jealous. But call me, if you are going through a rough patch. Come to me if it’s raining and you have nowhere to go like you once did.”
A self-made man, Ji-pyeong is an orphan who persevered immensely to achieve success in life. But during the days when he has nothing, Grandma Choi opened her store for his place to sleep.
Innately skilled in investing, he has grown his and Grandma Choi’s money by playing on the stock market.
When he was about to buy a place of his own though, they had a misunderstanding because Ji-pyeong thought his hard-earned money was given by grandma to his son, Dal-mi’s father.
It turns out that Grandma Choi, upon withdrawing all the money, only gave her share to her financially struggling son. At the bus terminal, Ji-pyeong sees grandma holding new pair of shoes to replace his old ones.
Grandma was about to ask him to make a promise, but he cuts her of returning what he owes to her in monetary value. The old lady tells him not to call her if he becomes successful or happy. She tells him how she will always be there for him when no one will.
About to board the bus, he asked if grandma has any wish, but she says not wanting anything. Ji-pyeong turns just as he is about to enter the bus to hug Grandma Choi.
“My daughter once fell off a swing and hurt her knees. My wife told her not to ride the swing again, but my daughter asked us to cover the ground with sand. With sand on the ground, she could swing as high as she wanted.”
After the divorce, Dal-mi’s father worked hard to establish his own start-up company. On his way to an important presentation, he bumped on a car though, but persists to attend the meeting.
Finally getting the investment he needed through his earnest vision, Dal-mi’s father thanks the panel of investor who listened to his pitch. Scheduling to meet the week after to make his start-up business sail, it unfortunately did not happen. The accident he disregarded caused his untimely death.
“I’m doing great. I’m very healthy and I own an apartment and car.”
Reuniting after all those years, Ji-pyeong assures Grandma Choi that he is leading a great life while munching her prepared corn dog. Still refusing any help from him, Ji-pyeong still insists that he look for him in case she badly needs a help.
That needed help came sooner when Grandma Choi sees Dal-mi working hard to find Nam Do-san because of her promise to bring him in the party prepared by her sister.
Grandma visits Ji-pyeong at his office and explained her granddaughter’s problem. As they both colluded to the imaginary pen pal of Dal-mi, they rack their brains out on how to resolve it.
Surprised that Dal-mi has never been in a relationship, Grandma Choi explained how the imaginary Do-san who is all smart, well-mannered and pure; made Dal-mi set such a high standard in meeting men and blames Ji-pyeong for it.
Luckily, real-life Nam Do-san has been sending emails for investment request to Ji-pyeong’s company. Headquartered at a shabby place with friends Yong-san (Kim Do Wan) and Chul-san (Yoo Soo Bin), the three Sans work on a start-up business named literally after them, Samsan Tech.
“Dal-mi is apparently as capable and lucky as you.”
Arriving at where Nam Do San’s address is, Ji-pyeong sees a man being chased by his parents. Realizing he is the very person he is looking for makes his plan to help Grandma Choi a bit hard. Do-san, who has been struggling to establishing his start-up business was given an ultimatum by his parents. They also withdraw their investment forcing them to sell some items to cover the business’ expenses.
The next day, Ji-pyeong visits Grandma Choi to inform her of Do-san’s unfortunate life. He assures her that Dal-mi won’t be able to find him not knowing that Do-san, in trying to sell things, has posted online items which Dal-mi stumbled on. Grandma tells Ji-pyeong that her granddaughter will meet Do-san at lunch time.
“Never let someone’s opinion of you becomes a reality.”
Do-san is left alone by his friends to meet Dal-mi, but before he can introduce himself, Ji-pyeong drags him away. Introducing the strange request to give life to the fictional character he created with Grandma Choi and attend a party with Dal-mi, the Samsan Tech nerds huddle to decide on the opportunity presented to them.
Refusing the money Ji-pyeong would willingly pay Do-san, he demands wanting help from him to let them enter Sandbox. Ji-pyeong’s early assessment of Samsan Tech and the fact that he does not want control over Sandbox, made him reply the request’s impossibility to be granted.
Genuinely advising his high success rate when investing on business, he expressed not wanting to invest on their business because it’s too early, but obviously for its lack of concrete potential. Ji-pyeong leaves and when he arrived at his place, he ponders on how he will let grandma down.
“Have you been waiting long?”
The next day, garbed in a new power suit and shoes brought by Grandma Choi, Dal-mi heads to the networking party and spots her mother and sister looking nothing remotely like her.
Back at Samsan Tech, Do-san reads on Dal-mi’s letter and is moved on the realization of how she has been relying at the knowledge that Do-san was there, somewhere – and is a pillar for her. He asks for his friends if they have a suit and rides on his bike to a neighborhood salon.
Ji-pyeong arrives at the party worried about Dal-mi. But on cue, Do-san walks to where she is looking sleek and dapper.
Opening Week Peak Points
Imaginary pen pals Do-san and Dal-mi
Start-Up served a cute “first love” story that will definitely hook even when the secret about it will be spilled. At the early onset, we can conclude how Do-san and Dal-mi’s imaginary friendship is bound to be real. Ultimately, their complementing merits will be each other’s source of strength to their personal goals of proving they can do better.
Grandma Choi x Good Boy’s relationship
These two are just adorably cute when they interact. I almost spilled what I was drinking in their reunion scene when Grandma blurted if Ji-pyeong is not doing well that’s why he appeared. I hope more scenes of Ji-pyeong doting on grandma will still be inserted in the next episodes.
Dal-mi & In-jae’s unresolved sisterly grudges
Deep inside, we hope that the Seo sisters would reconcile. Well of course, we want to see them prove their mettle first to impart valuable lessons. I also hope to see them work their way to define the success and happiness they deserve.
Samsan Tech adorable nerds
Obviously designed as scene stealers who will take the bulk of the comic notes in the series, I am already rooting for these geeks. I hope they show more coordinated outfits in the future. The imaginary world may be big but I know they will be the greatest armed with their combined brains and efforts.
Start-Up Opening Week Musings
I never imagined crying over spilled bucket of chicken for a drama this year, but out of the plenty weep-inducing scenes in the premiere week, the scene of Dal-mi’s father dying made me cry big time.
That and young Ji-pyeong and Grandma Choi’s bus terminal goodbye scene broke my heart yet heartened it at the same time. Kudos to Nam Da Reum and Kim Joo Hyun’s quick but indelible portrayals.
Surging high from well-served drama to lively layout of character connections, Start-Up fascinates easily. You can feel its thriving vibe of the story aligned efficiently to its well-limned characters.
Beautiful days ahead seem to be happening for the Samsan Tech nerds based on the result of the competition they entered. That and the adorable preview of its approaching new episodes this week appear to highlight Do-san working together with Ji-pyeong for the sake of Dal-mi.
K-Drama Review: “Start-Up” Sparks Encouragement To Be Brave In Claiming True Love & Career Dreams
Photos: tvN | Netflix
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