jeanfiles

I enjoyed reading this! I really like how you were really graceful to NDS' character. I'm in the minority of being a NDS fan, you can check out my review if you're curious as to why haha
but i think you said it well! and Kimsamsoom's comments does add a few more layers to your comment. I think you should write a proper review for this show as a whole, i would read it :)

hahaha it wasn't defo his best role, PBG was way more loveable in reply 1988. but ROY has an refreshing take on kdrama-rships though, it wasn't toxic and fake. It was really cute. But it was the side characters and the overall execution and production value that makes the drama forgettable for me.

Whereas even though start up has alot of writing flaws, I still find it enjoyable as a whole and ...unforgettable ahaha

I reccomend you to not come MDL for the time being until you’re done with the show, it’s better to watch it with your own take on it. Then come back and share with us okay! Hahhaha

Funnily, I actually only started watching ROY bcs I couldn’t sleep

A good NDS cleanse would be to watch ‘The Light in Your Eyes’. His character was so well written there and Han Ji Min was amazing there too. Great drama overall too, I bawled buckets.

Weightlifting Fairy is hard to not like- plus NJH looks super different there, his character was sooooooo loveable- just watch it! You will love it!

I’m a NDS fan and I really liked his review too, he was being really objective

cool theory !

did NDS use his insecurity to do immoral things though? I didn't see it as that.

If you're referring to the punching scene, I think he did it as more of a catharsis. I still don't exactly know why the writer wrote the punching scene, but in typical kdrama world- fight scenes are more of a climatic catharsis of a huge tension between the characters. the HJP-NDS dynamic has been quite tense ever since HJP kept putting himself in the middle of NDS and SDM. (a good example is Cheese in the Trap, the male leads has a fight)

I'm not justifying the violence though. I'm just saying that HJP was also guilty of returning the violence, if violence is the immorality you're referring to.

Anyways, I do agree that NDS does regress a lot from a lovable male lead to an immature SDM-obsessed weirdo.
But I still don't think his antagonism with HJP means "immoral deeds by using his insecurity". Bcs tbh HJP was also really insecure and he does really shady stuffs too. Like thinking out a whole scene just to make NDS jealous, interrupting NDS and SDM in haelmoni's house bcs he felt competitive (that was pretty selfish of him since he was the one who insisted to not reveal the lie but due to feeling competitive to NDS he shows up randomly forcing them to play up the lie), pushing grandma away saying that "I deserve a chance to like her too, why can't it be me", buying a ring/necklace for SDM when SDM did not reciprocate any feelings.

I do agree that NDS is more immature than HJP and has much more to learn from HJP, i just don't think that this therefore concludes that NDS is an immoral jerk who dwells on his insecurity. Bcs if that's the case, HJP can also be said for the same.

rather, i think the problem is how they never really fleshed out how exactly NDS deals with his identity struggles.

Bro.... I relate to this review on like a spiritual level... it’s everything I want to say !,!,!! I love how you didn’t hate on HJP or KSH nor did you just blindly praise NDS or NJH. WE STAN AN OBJECTIVE REVIEW!!

I agree with you! NDS’ character was truly so refreshing and different. But you got admit that somewhere in ep10, his character starts falling really flat. I still remained a NDS fan to the end, but I’ll be lying if I said I liked him just as much in earlier eps. I don’t think it’s NJH’s fault though, I just think the writer didn’t flesh out his character arc well enough, esp in comparison to HJP’s arc- which she paid a lot of attention to.

Check out my “alternate ending” in the “where do you think the love triangle should have ended” discussion, I think that would make NDS’ character less controversial and divisive.

The NDS from ep10 onwards is not horrible. It’s just really flat and out of touch from reality, he suddenly just became this doll that follows SDM around all the time. To me, that was just the writer’s shortcoming in creating character inconsistencies, and I still found that forgivable since the first 10eps NDS was established enough for me. But to others, who have been rooting for HJP from the start, being able to sympathise with HJP’s past more than NDS’ past ever since ep1, along with the fact that NDS is the one who gets the girl, many fans feel like NDS’ character inconsistencies are more unforgivable than the other characters. That’s why they’re reacting so strongly. Whereas even though I have my fair share of problems with the show, I’d still give it a 8/10 as a whole :)

I was always lukewarm about his acting too even though weightlifting fairy was my first ever kdrama and still my personal favourite. But his acting on Dazzling was truly amazing! You should watch it, it’s living proof that his acting is not bad.
I feel so sad when I see comments like “if they chose a better actor maybe NDS would be more likeable”. Bcs it’s quite evident that he’s a good actor, it’s just the writing that was inconsistent and illogical

Just because it's a common practice in fancafes doesn't make it right. Just bcs njh and suzy fans might do it doesn't mean ksh fans have the right to do it too, i would say that thier fans would be in the wrong too. (but i have never seen njh/suzy fans slandering ksh, in fact they feel bad for ksh for having such toxic fans)

You think it's just "speculations" among themselves but based on Google's definition, i really think it's slandering. They are accusing them of their speculations. They didn't state this in the fancafe alone, I saw these kinds of tweets on Twitter quite often as well.

and yes, you're right. I don't doubt that SOOP has a big part to play in linking suzy and njh to this role. I mean, that's the job of a good agency lol. But that's not what they're saying here though. They're saying that the writer might have meant to make Ksh the lead but due to sponsorship matters, changed everything to be around njh and suzy instead. They're also saying that njh and suzy only got the role due to the lucrative sponsorships. Although it sounds like a harmless "speculation", it's really discrediting njh and suzy of their work ethics and of their acting skills. it's also discrediting of the writer's authorship and work ethics.

njh and suzy being leads have long been announced since late 2019. https://www.soompi.com/article/1364844wpp/suzy-and-nam-joo-hyuk-in-talks-to-lead-new-tvn-drama
so this is no longer counts as just a 'harmless speculation' since it is plain as day that they were meant to be leads. this is consider as spreading false accusations which affects their reputation. which is called slandering.

MDL ksh fans have been better. So I'm not pointing fingers to the fans here.

Just wanna say that even as a NJH and NDS fan myself, it’s super true that NDS’ character was ruined and does not fit NJH at all (only the first few episodes, nerdy NDS was really cute) so pls don’t let this character cause you to sleep on such talent

I really recommend some of NJH’s other work which made me a NJH fan:
1. The Light in Your Eyes / Dazzling / Radiant
This has got to be his best work ever. He stars as a couple with Han Ji Min and their chemistry is way better than his chemistry with Suzy, and they have a 12 year age gap lol (irl). I don’t think it’s Suzy’s fault, I just think that the characters here were so well written that it gave a lot of room for them to build their chemistry. NJH brings out the poignance of this character so so so well. I spent a lot of nights crying for his character bcs it was just so real, profound, poignant, beautiful TT

2. The School Nurse Files:
This show was so so so weird and I would recommend it for anyone who wants an offbeat, eccentric, unconventional kdrama for a breather. I wouldn’t even call it a kdrama. He stars as a duo with Jang Yu Mi and even though this drama only has 6 episodes with a 45-minute length and we barely got to see them as a couple, the chemistry here was just *CHEF’S KISS*.
This role really suits NJH. He plays as this mature, introspective, dull guy but he brings so much light into it. I don’t know how to explain, it was just so good.

3. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo:
This drama is quite critically acclaimed and has been labelled as a “cult classic” so it’s pretty much self-explanatory haha. It’s truly NJH’s breakout role and it’s truly a cult classic. NJH nails the role of the “immature and flawed and playful guy but is still kinda perfect” male lead. I think this trope was kinda popular back in 2016 (Goblin, Legend of the Blue Sea, W, etc) but his one really stood out bcs he was just this ordinary college kid, unlike the other shows who were some richass chaebol or smtg. If The Light in Your Eyes was his most talented role, and School Nurse Files his most mature, this one was definitely his most charming. He was so cute and funny here.

4. Josee:
A remake of the 2003 Japanese hit film, he stars (AGAIN!) with Han Ji Min. I’ve yet to watch the movie (it just released today lol) but based on their prior chemistry in Dazzling, and the trailer, and the Director’s previous work (Persona) I think I can safely conclude it that it’s gonna be a hit

Ok bye done plugging NJH here in this comment section full of KSH fans hahahha

It’s a pretty good drama. As most people have said, the first 4-5 episodes was what really made Start-Up good. I was seriously blown away by the first 4 episodes, it was so amazing I spent the respective night doing all the research I can on this show. The acting, the writing, the OST, the premise, the humour, the thrust of the plot was established SO WELL. It was down to the bone perfect.

But I think where this show starts getting divisive is in the middle of the show. The quality of writing definitely does pale in comparison to the first few episodes, but I don’t think it’s as bad as people describe it to be- esp if you don’t invest too much into it. Most of the strong reactions comes from the fact that they were too personally invested in one of the characters, as well as the”driving force” of the plot for the first few episodes.
I personally still found it pretty enjoyable bcs I tried to take the show as a whole rather than nitpicking on certain scenes or character inconsistencies.

It’s more of a matter of preference and interpretation tbh :)

Korea boo only picked these few comments to translate bcs the harsher comments have been taken down, and there’s is actually a rule in the fan cafe that you can’t use the real actors’ name so they have been using the characters’ name instead.

This may not seem like slander to you but it still counts as slander.
“ the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.” —> this is the Google definition of “slander”

“External pressure kkk yes, right? I thought that maybe they made Nam Do San the lead due to the drama’s sponsors. How did the male lead lift the table up and put it down…”
“I thought it was because Dal Mi and Do San are from the same entertainment agency. But anyway, I’m grateful they made our actor stand out. Our Salt Entertainment, with Ji Pyung and the guy who plays Dal Mi’s dad, hurrah!!”

Are Dal Mi and Do San from Start Up actors from the same entertainment agency? Obviously no, they are referring to the actors Suzy and Nam Joo Hyuk. It seems petty to you but they are actually creating false accusations, saying that they only got the role bcs of their bribing. It is (implicitly) accusing them of not having any acting skills and only being able to get the spot bcs of “external pressures” than the agency forced. Going on to imply that had it not been for SOOP, Ji Pyeong (KSH) would’ve gotten the role...
this is slander. Not just affecting the actor’s work ethics and reputation. But also SOOP management as a whole, the writer, the production team, etc.

It’s a pretty good drama. As most people have said, the first 4-5 episodes was what really made Start-Up good. I was seriously blown away by the first 4 episodes, it was so amazing I spent the respective night doing all the research I can on this show. The acting, the writing, the OST, the premise, the humour, the thrust of the plot was established SO WELL. It was down to the bone perfect.

But I think where this show starts getting divisive is in the middle of the show. The quality of writing definitely does pale in comparison to the first few episodes, but I don’t think it’s as bad as people describe it to be- esp if you don’t invest too much into it. Most of the strong reactions comes from the fact that they were too personally invested in one of the characters, as well as the”driving force” of the plot for the first few episodes.
I personally still found it pretty enjoyable bcs I tried to take the show as a whole rather than nitpicking on certain scenes or character inconsistencies.

It’s more of a matter of preference and interpretation tbh :)

MDL rating is actually quite important for international viewers. I personally trust MDL ratings a lot, it has been quite accurate so far. (My fav dramas being 8.5 and above)
But of late, the ratings have not be rated out of objectivity but merely out of a reaction to their ships/fav actors/or just personal distaste to a particular smtg rather than the show as a whole. It’s unfortunate but I think MDL ratings are especially unreliable for big shows like this

I never liked Suzy tbh- I had only watched her in While You Were Sleeping but i thought that she had quite a typical-pretty-privilege face. But Start-Up has helped me to appreciate her acting chops a little. (she cries really beautifully lol)
I preferred actresses like Kim Go Eun (though TKEM *completely ruined her for me) and Park So Dam. They have a more "authentic" vibe.
I'm not enough of a Suzy fan to reccomend a Suzy drama haha.

PBG wasn't exactly great in ROY. Do check out reply 1988- you would love that. The female lead there is written well. PBG was adorable in reply 1988. Hyeri (the female lead of 1988) is also in Two Cops with KSH, so im sure you will enjoy Reply 1988 haha.

as for NJH :( im sorry, he was just doing his job XD
but even as a NJH fan myself, i'll admit that his start-up character does not really suit him
you should really really really really try watching "The Light in Your Eyes". He was amazing in that show, and his character was so poignantly written, i cried so much about his character. that was what made me a NJH fan. It's really a great drama.
You can watch it for Han Ji Min too if you still find it hard to like NJH lol

Park Seo Joon did well in the show. He was the only consistent character- it was the side characters that felt really useless and undeveloped. also the last few episodes were really pointless,

ROY has double of viewer ratings than start-up??? I'm shocked! ROY was so unspoken of, and had little to no buzz. But Park Bo Gum is quite a high-profile actor. And the FL was Park So Dam, which had a lot of buzz since she was the lead actress in Parasite.

ROY was completely different. It didn't have a solid plot to begin with, it was more of a character study. I enjoyed the first few episodes too- but towards the end it became really directionless. The characters weren't strong enough for an in-depth character study.

ohhh thanks :')
i get the disappointment towards the show though, the quality of the writing did definitely drop in the second half- but yeah, MDL viewers have such strong reactions, as if this wasn't expected of a kdrama haha. The level of hate is getting is totally unfair!!
please write a good review on start up :( so many negative and angry reviews here lol