I was casually browsing Netflix looking for something to watch and stumbled upon this drama. Only 2 episodes so far, but wow the plot and visual effects are a breath of fresh air. Excited to see what happens next.
slowly the writers turned this into a "how can we drag the hostage situation and make every character miserable as the episodes continue?" the first two episodes were my favorite you got to see the different dynamics between the characters and their banter with each other. they were having fun and it was a treat to watch them interact, laugh, cry, be shy, etc. the beginning of the hostage play was intense and cool but to drag it out till the end got tiring. now at this point i have seen episode after episode with the characters portraying the same emotions of sadness, anger, betrayal and repeat that i as a viewer have become frustrated and it got to a point where the dramas tone was centered on these emotions and the writers refused to make the characters feel anything else, which in my opinion desensitized the story. I have seen many unsatisfactory tragic endings in kdramas (god's gift, cruel city, etc) but this one has by far left a bitter taste in my mouth. perhaps maybe it's because of the script that caused the dynamic range of emotions to remain far from balanced 95% of the show was a stagnant sad fest simply put, that being said, i do hope to see jisoo and haein act together in another drama their chemistry deserves justice
Curious if all the episodes will feature a continuation of the hostage situation? The dormitory from the beginning has served as a pivotal place for the growth of their relationship development. Also, considering their family and political dynamics it's hard to imagine a real future for youngro and sooho outside of this dormitory. It's ironic but in a way this place serves as a safe space for their story to progress.
I saw her in dinner mate and cloy, she's such a versatile, beautiful, and charming actress! Also this display picture doesn't really look like her, I think it needs an update.
I've never rooted for a second lead, and i've never seen a drama where the second male lead gets a back story. Maybe there's a reason this doesn't happen much in the drama world. I'm going to call this reason The Han Jipyeong Effect ^_^
Usually the "hero" is the one who the story revolves around. He's supposed to be the one that's the most relatable and likable. We're supposed to watch his struggles and empathize with him. The majority of the time a second lead is usually annoying or has some bad qualities. Han Jipyeong was a character that surpassed the stereotypical norms for second leads. Kim Seon Ho's portrayal of him was flawless. This is what made Start Up memorable for me.
I watched till episode 4. They were trying something different with this drama. It's like a documentary, unfortunately a very boring one. There really was no suspense or buildup to their romance and because of that I didn't feel the "spark" between them. I also feel like the script could have been better developed. I've seen Park So Dam in Cinderella and Four Knights, her character was so vibrant and a breath of life there. However in ROY, I found her to be quite dull and unmemorable. The writing is catered more towards Park Bo Gum's character. There are some sweet moments and life lessons you can learn from watching this, but overall not my cup of tea.
some plot info i found, take this with a grain of salt: -Im soo ho (Jung hae in) used to be an armed spy agent, he was one of the hundred warriors who survived the hell training. He has to fulfill the mission that his country entrusted him with, but falls in love with the women who saved him. This story talks about the tragic fate of these two people.
-Eun young cho (Jisoo) fell in love with soo ho at first sight when she saw him at a group blind date. When he comes to her dorm, he doesn't realize that the two have already met.
-Kye Boon Ok (Kim hye yoon) went to the group blind date with eun young cho, as her friend couldn't make it. She also has a crush on soo ho, and he happens to pick the item she put out. (Korean blind dating, gwating, is popular in the 90s. All boys sit on one side of the table all girls on the other, then they exchange name, age, etc. To make pairs, there is an interesting method where one of the groups present their items on the table, such as a wallet, and the other group members pick an item without knowing whom it belongs to) boon ok waits for soo ho to call her, but he never does. When she finds out he came to the dormitory, she gets jealous seeing the closeness between young cho and soo ho.
-Pi Seung Hee (Yoon se ya) is the scary housemother who makes boon ok, the phone operator, report everything the college students are talking about to her. Since there are only two phone lines in the dormitory, boon ok is aware of everything. The housemother is also known to steal students' belongings.
Does anyone else get palpitations while watching this melodrama?! Shi Hyun is a such a complex and dark character I never know what he’ll do next. I want him and Tae Hee to fall deeply in love and share a bunch of fluffy and intense moments together. Maybe this will soften the blow of the ending if they choose to follow the book. Can’t wait for the next episode!
Usually the "hero" is the one who the story revolves around. He's supposed to be the one that's the most relatable and likable. We're supposed to watch his struggles and empathize with him. The majority of the time a second lead is usually annoying or has some bad qualities. Han Jipyeong was a character that surpassed the stereotypical norms for second leads. Kim Seon Ho's portrayal of him was flawless. This is what made Start Up memorable for me.
-Im soo ho (Jung hae in) used to be an armed spy agent, he was one of the hundred warriors who survived the hell training. He has to fulfill the mission that his country entrusted him with, but falls in love with the women who saved him. This story talks about the tragic fate of these two people.
-Eun young cho (Jisoo) fell in love with soo ho at first sight when she saw him at a group blind date. When he comes to her dorm, he doesn't realize that the two have already met.
-Kye Boon Ok (Kim hye yoon) went to the group blind date with eun young cho, as her friend couldn't make it. She also has a crush on soo ho, and he happens to pick the item she put out. (Korean blind dating, gwating, is popular in the 90s. All boys sit on one side of the table all girls on the other, then they exchange name, age, etc. To make pairs, there is an interesting method where one of the groups present their items on the table, such as a wallet, and the other group members pick an item without knowing whom it belongs to) boon ok waits for soo ho to call her, but he never does. When she finds out he came to the dormitory, she gets jealous seeing the closeness between young cho and soo ho.
-Pi Seung Hee (Yoon se ya) is the scary housemother who makes boon ok, the phone operator, report everything the college students are talking about to her. Since there are only two phone lines in the dormitory, boon ok is aware of everything. The housemother is also known to steal students' belongings.