Start-Up 스타트업 [2020]

[Jane]

Hello all, I have been missing everyone's posts as I struggled to catch up with the episodes over the past few weeks! Just reading this page brought back some of the memories of reading insightful posts when I was still a lurker earlier this year! But yes, I am finally all caught up. Although I have to say, like @im0202 I haven't been investing that much energy to watch Start Up with a critical eye towards analysing the plotlines and the lovelines.

 

I am fairly ambivalent about the lovelines for this drama which is rather unlike me because I love romance and am at heart a shipper! But I think this is also credit to the writer that she doesn't need lovelines to keep viewers watching week to week, I am interested in how the stories are going to play out and how each individual character's arc will resolve. 

 

Kim Seon-ho is definitely the best thing about Start-Up. 1.6 million people agree as well, which is how much his instagram following has jumped from the time the drama started till now! No one is going to convince me he is a second lead, I see him and NJH having joint male lead status. That epilogue scene for Ep 10 where he pulled a million different expressions just in that 2 minutes. Amazing!

 

I do think that Do-san and Dal-mi have a higher chance of being the endgame here. I say this because I think they are equals in their current life growth stage and the drama has been trying to demonstrate how they balance out each other's weaknesses. Which is not happening for Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong. While they had a connection in their younger years, it WAS 15 years ago. They have evolved so much in that time and are at different places in life that it's difficult for me to believe that they would end up together based on that emotional connection. DM has also demonstrated no attraction towards JP thus far. Whether that changes with her knowledge of the situation, we will have to see. And hey, we are due a time skip right? So perhaps I will eat my words later.

 

I am surprised that we are only now getting into the second half of the drama. Each episode has been so much longer than the usual that I feel like we should have been at 3/4 mark already. But I am not complaining! I like that they are taking the time to properly flesh out every narrative that they have going (which is quite a lot) and not gloss over. Well, except for In-Jae. I think even her mother is getting more screen time as of this latest set of episodes, such a waste of Kang Hanna. But I am going to trust in everyone's faith in the writer. 

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Subbed BTS

 

 

[gilaswan]

Was watching some old episodes and these scenes caught my attention:

 

Halmeoni told Jipyeong to come to her when it rains and he has nowhere to go. When he told her it was unfair that he could not have Dalmi cos Halmeoni wanted him to keep everything a secret, he was really aching inside and had “nowhere to go” but to Halmeoni. It was raining. 

 

Halmeoni was at Sandbox and Jipyeong saw her, he knelt down to tie her shoe laces like she did for him when she bought him new shoes and sent him off at the bus station. 

 

Halmeoni x Jipyeong 

[bai]

Should drop this tweet here, the revelation of this show with Wizard of Oz. Might be yay or nay, but I think it is good for us to prep heart to expect how this show will going on in 6 episodes left.

 

Good luck Sandbox watchers. If you invest emotions here, this show of course will stirs it up

[gilaswan]

@bairama What's "Clown Theory"? 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Startup ends with no commitment to either guy from Dalmi, though from the writer's past works, that seems unlikely. I do like that in her stories, she ties the loose ends up very well and nicely. I've just never seen before how intensely her "other male lead" is being followed though. I mean, all her male leads have been very nice characters. Just that Han Jipyeong is really gathering up quite a following! 

 

 

[Chocolate]

@gilaswan Could the writer be trying a new style? Desperately finding justifications here LOL!

 

But seriously, with 6 episodes left, it would be hard to convince me of DS-DM unless she writes a miracle turnaround for the later episodes.

 

credit: kdramaspell

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Chocolate

[gilaswan]

@Chocolate Hahaha... I was giving my hubby the justifications I've read for DS-DM, and he's still quite adamant that it will end up with a JP-DM pairing. He seems more certain than I that the writer will just not betray her style and keep to her usual structure - end game couple were already tied together in the past and that bond is so strong no one can break it. 

 

Here's an absolutely illogical evidence based logic from me - the character that has Nam Dareum playing the youth version will win the girl. Evidence: Choi Dalpo and Jung Jaechan.  Therefore Han Jipyeong too. 

 

Actually, considering what a prick Jipyeong is/can be, why do we still love him so much? Are all of Park Hye Ryun's "anointed ones" prickly? I'm not sure if you would consider Choi Dalpo prickly, but he was certainly aloof or at least pretended to be. Jung Jaechan was supposed to be dense, socially inept, and a general annoyance (at the beginning) to his co-workers. Both had something they wanted to hide behind the tough or indifferent exterior. And here we have... *drum roll*... HAN JIPYEONG! Prickly! Arrogant! Self-sufficient! NOT! 

 

Now in contrast, Seo Beomjo - a character described as generally not lacking in anything, generally a nice guy cruising along as in his rich kid outfit, but meets Inha whose personality and spunk caused him an inner awakening. And then we have Han Wootak - guy next door policeman, sincere, lives alone but generally fairly well adjusted until a near death incident and supernatural connection to Hongjoo starts to switch his life up and he wants in on a bit more of life through her. See where this is going stylistically? In this current storyline, we have... *drum roll*... NAM DOSAN! Nice, nerdy engineer who's neither achieved much nor little, basically cruising along in his safe little bubble world neither really failing nor succeeding until he bumps into Seo Dalmi who - again - causes an awakening in his self and he desires more. 

 

Except for the publicity material, which I still think is meant to throw us, it can't be DS. Even if it's not JP, it can't be DS... can it? Hahaha...

[gilaswan]

@Chocolate OMO. Your photo updates. Is that them in the future/present? They finished their filming yesterday? There's just so much more chemistry between Seonho and Suzy... I wonder if like for the Reply series, they were not told who they'd end up with until they received their final scripts? 

[mademoiselle]

New stills

 

Spoiler

 

And then there are these... Yale?! Who beats Do San up?!

 

Spoiler

 

Second The Swoon Promo of Suzy & Nam Joo Hyuk is coming soon!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHyxE-fp0LH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by mademoiselle

[Chocolate]

4 hours ago, gilaswan said:

@Chocolate OMO. Your photo updates. Is that them in the future/present? They finished their filming yesterday? There's just so much more chemistry between Seonho and Suzy... I wonder if like for the Reply series, they were not told who they'd end up with until they received their final scripts? 

 

I have no idea LOL.

 

KSH keeps appearing on my twitter timeline, probably because some Binjin fans are following the show. I think they are from Suzy's personal stash. My first time seeing ANY photos of just the 2 of them together. They look good though ❤

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Chocolate

[JenL]

On 11/18/2020 at 1:14 PM, ryanallright said:

@JenL

 

Well, I am a fan for Hanna after she appeared on Running Man, pretty impressed with her

 

tbh, wasn't a fan of Suzy's acting but she is popular in Korea and internationally, so wasn't surprised that she is the 1st female lead in whichever dramas she is in. (Hope Suzy's fan don't bash me, LOL)

 

This year only one drama had kept me in my seat and not fast forward any scene while other popular dramas which had a lot of international fandoms did not impressed me at all despite all the hype, I will just fast forward whichever scenes that I had no interest in when I view these dramas.

 

Haha, oh she's from Running Man! Cool - I've never watched it before (not huge on variety shows, though I do get into them when I actually watch them. But explains her popularity!

 

Haha, I think you're in a safe space to say that. I'm going to be honest - I think I'm also not sold by Suzy's acting either. I don't think she's doing anything wrong, but there's a certain spark and heart that some actresses give their characters and I can't feel it from her this time around.  Although that's just what I feel, maybe other people love her. Also it could be the character of Dal-Mi herself who I think is ok, but not amazing? 

 

What was the one drama you were interested in? I feel like lot of good things came out this year :) 

 

 

 

[Chocolate]

 

 

[Lynne]

2 hours ago, gilaswan said:

Here's an absolutely illogical evidence based logic from me - the character that has Nam Dareum playing the youth version will win the girl. Evidence: Choi Dalpo and Jung Jaechan.  Therefore Han Jipyeong too. 

Hahahahaaha @gilaswan I loveee you for writing this!!!!! 

[gilaswan]

@Chocolate Fingers crossed that these twists and turns are what we want! Hahaha... But you know, While You Were Sleeping, the plot twists and reveals were like  and it didn't even have anything to do with the romance side of things. That's why I love this writer. There's someone lurking around that's not been fully revealed yet. 

[Chocolate]

We shall just trust her and hope the show ends well as a whole!

[gilaswan]

@Chocolate Where’s the interview where he said there will be some more twists in the story though? 

[abs-oluteM]

ahahahah twitter is a buzz with the emoji that Suzy used - reversal ...are we saying she's going back to her roots ? Going back to the Do San in her letters ?

What am I doing? I need to remain calm and just enjoy the show - which is not easy. Like @JaneI am also a shipper at heart .And in all romance dramas , I tend to have a strong preference with regards to the end game. . 

[bai]

@gilaswan clown theory is kinda a bluebird slang for justification of hope that can be so wrong when we finally get the real ending/the moment of truth. Its like the writer can troll us at any time on next episodes

[Chocolate]

2 hours ago, gilaswan said:

@Chocolate Where’s the interview where he said there will be some more twists in the story though? 

 

I will ask the tweeter and see if she is willing the share the link.

[abs-oluteM]

@gilaswan @Chocolate it was mentioned in his Esquire interview 

Not sure what sort of plot twists

Spoiler

At the time of the interview the ending was not known. He had yet to see the script for eps 16. So I am guessing the end-game might go down to the wire 

Spoiler

 

[mademoiselle]

 

[mademoiselle]

A preview cut of tonight's episode - Do San showing Dalmi the real Samsung Tech office

 

[gilaswan]

Good morning Chingu-deul!!! 

 

Can't wait for this evening's episode, though it's more likely I'll watch it only tomorrow... Anyhooo....

 

I've been forcing my hubby to have conversations with me about the show these few days. Hahaha... 

 

"How can it not be Han Jipyeong??"

"It will be Han Jipyeong."

"Ya right???"

"Mm. The comparison with Wizard of Oz is a bit of a stretch. She'll have to choose."

 

 

 

Judging from Park Hye Ryun's Pinocchio and WYWS...

Spoiler

(I've watched her other shows but these 2 I love the best and they both had Nam Dareum as the backstory guy) the sequencing of when what's supposed to happen (such as first kiss and when the relationship is determined) isn't quite "typical". I like that she keeps the tension more realistic - life isn't quite as formulaic as kdramas. In Pinocchio, it really looked like the relationship was just going to "end" with Inha and Dalpo simply not acting on their feelings out of respect for Grandpa, but at the very last, Grandpa relented and they got married. Her reveals are all very interesting, even right up to the minutest details. In WYWS, one of the more entertaining "twists" was the relationship reveal between Son Woojoo (the single mum) and Lee jikwang (the prosecutor senior whom Jaechan became close to).

 

So I think as far as Start-Up is concerned, there are many more reveals and twists to come. One of them I'm expecting is who Saha is going to start dating in Samsan Tech. And then with Yoon Daepyo - feels like there's more to her than we know. That scene where she saw Yongsan's brother jump from the bridge has been repeated more than once. Why was she there? And this interest in who the girl on the swing actually was - did they put aside some kind of trust fund in her father's name or something like that? Jipyeong also still doesn't know Halmeoni's condition. When he finds out, will that bring about another change in the relationship between Jipyeong and Dalmi? And Injae's company vis-à-vis Dosan's dad's union protest. I don't think it's quite so simple. Is Injae's step dad fueling something to force her to return to run his company? 

[JenL]

Haha The Swoon can hear us all:

 

 

[bai]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH THIS ONE LOLOLS THEY ARE FUNNEEE

 

 

 

Spoiler

#backstabbed.