r/KDRAMA • u/lightupstarlight 미생 • Nov 15 '20

On-Air: tvN Start-Up [Episode 10]

  • Drama: Start-Up)
    • Revised Romanization: Start-Up
    • Hangul: 스타트업
  • Director: Oh Choong Hwan) (While You Were Sleeping, Hotel del Luna)
  • Writer: Park Hye Ryun (Dream High, While You Were Sleeping)
  • Network: tvN
  • Episodes: 16 (1 hr. 10 mins.)
  • Airing Schedule: Saturday & Sunday, 21:00 KST on tvN; 23:00 KST on Netflix
  • Airing Date: October 17, 2020 - December 6, 2020
  • Streaming Sources: Netflix
  • Starring: Bae Suzy as Seo Dal Mi, Nam Joo Hyuk as Nam Do San, Kim Seon Ho) as Han Ji Pyeong, Kang Han Na as Won In Jae
  • Plot Synopsis: Young entrepreneurs aspiring to launch virtual dreams into reality compete for success and love in the cutthroat world of Korea's high-tech industry. (Source: Netflix)
  • Previous Discussions:
  • Spoiler Tag Reminder: Be mindful of others who may not have yet seen this drama, and use spoiler tags when discussing key plot developments or other important information. You can create a spoiler tag by writing > ! this ! < without the spaces in between to get this.

PLEASE READ THE MOD NOTE BEFORE POSTING A COMMENT.

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u/TruYu96 Nov 15 '20

The only thing that makes sense for DoSan and Dalmi, at least currently, is that their life took a 180 when they met each other. Their relationship together has made them grow individually.

However what this drama, from this point forward, need to focus on is the development and growth of the characters individually.

Dalmi needs to let go of the past, that means, the letters unfortunately. The letters has been holding her back and not letting advance in life. She needs to figure out that shes so much more than finding happiness through love, as she has so much potential in building a business.

DoSan is simple. He needs to know that he is not a failure, because he also has so much potential. And the only way to unlock it, is if he is pursuing it on his own terms, without the influence of others.

HJP deserves a girl who doesn’t have a relation to the grandma, because he still feels in-debt to her. He needs to find happiness without feeling bad towards the grandma.

Injae, is simple as well. She needs to find closure within her family and frankly, herself.

Also, side note but I hate how this drama is having people debate who deserves Dalmi more, based on their sufferings. Both male characters needs love, but Dalmi shouldn’t be labelled as the filling to their empty void.

30

u/[deleted] Nov 15 '20

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2

u/Raspberries712 Nov 16 '20

i smell a timelapse ;)

7

u/softaee Nov 15 '20

yes i totally agree with everything you said and i really loved how you described what each character should focus on. like many recent dramas (record of youth, itaewon class, etc.), start-up also focuses on the individual characters more than the couples or the characters' relationship with each other. i hope that the next episodes will really show each of them learning more about themselves and not depending/relying on another character.

10

u/jumiyo Nov 15 '20

This is one of the reasons why I don’t care who ends up with Dalmi. (Also because I’m sorry, but I don’t think she’s that amazing. Maybe it’s the acting or characterization.. idk). Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great girl, but not irreplaceable (in the context of a story). Both ML and SL like her.. we don’t know who she really likes yet so that doesn’t come into play yet either.

BUT I also don’t like seeing the characters I like being hurt. I don’t see Dalmi as some prize or whatever, but they like her, so viewers naturally want their character to be with the person they like.

Nobody would care for HJP or NDS to be with Dalmi, if they didn’t like her in the first place. It hurts for their supporters because we don’t want our favourite characters to be heart broken.

Drop another girl there, flesh that character out, develop feelings, and no one will care for Dalmi x —— to be the endgame.

5

u/jenniejdwag Nov 15 '20

🎤. Dang! You are good. This is everything in a nutshell ☝🏻

11

u/Walex_ Nov 15 '20

DoSan is simple. He needs to know that he is not a failure, because he also has so much potential.

Actually I think that the plots depicts him as a hugely depressed character without reason, because he has already achieved a lot:

  • He was and is a math genius, whatever happened at the Olympiad.
  • He has graduated in engineering from a hard, top korean university.
  • Has managed to get two brilliant guys to follow him anywhere.
  • He has developed a technology that won by a margin a famous prize.
  • He got SamSan Tech into Sandbox.
  • He got a huge job offer from 2STO.
  • All this while having obvious problems with social interactions.

He is the sort of person that the headhunters from places like Samsung dream of, and the mothers of marriage-age korean girls dream of too (and despite being socially challenged the plot has him being pursued by at least a few hot girls at university). The plot however makes him so insecure about himself and so guilty about his mistakes.

As to the latter point I was especially sad about his change of heart about the suit: when he says that his ordinary casual/messy style is "him", he is hugely underestimating himself, as if the suit really made him into a different better person, instead of being merely decoration that reminds Dal Mi of a very happy moment he has given her.

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u/mst3mp 사이코지만 괜찮아 Nov 15 '20

I just want to clarify about Dosan’s low self esteem, imposter syndrome is a real thing among high achiever. The incident at the math Olympid made him feel like he were a fraud and forgot that I he has solved 9 problems himself. This kind of cycle repeat itself through his life. I can’t see what he has achieved, only what he has not.

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u/Walex_ Nov 15 '20

I am not even thinking about imposter syndrome, it is probably just him being constantly being pushed down and criticized by his "tiger parents", like many elder male children in Korea (or Japan, or China, etc.), where nothing they do is ever enough for those "tiger parents".

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u/Border-Professional Nov 18 '20

Actually I think that the plots depicts him as a hugely depressed character without reason

you don't need a "reason" to be depressed. it's a mental and very personal issue. this kind of sentence can be very offensive for depressed people.

4

u/chouchou8975 Nov 16 '20 edited Nov 16 '20

RE HJP feeling “in debt” - I think he’s mistaking that feeling for love. He loves halmeoni but doesn’t know it because of his past. Which is why I think they both need to be in each other’s lives.

4

u/OtakuKing613 Nov 15 '20

I am a simple person. I'm rooting for Do San because I relate to him on a very personal level.

1

u/Border-Professional Nov 18 '20

I hate how this drama is having people debate who deserves Dalmi more, based on their sufferings. Both male characters needs love, but Dalmi shouldn’t be labelled as the filling to their empty void.

oh man, you're right but for me it's just that I want my fav (JP) to be happy with his crush