protoninhibited

Felt like three different shows mashed together

Before getting into the spoilers. Would I recommend this show? Sure. I think there is somethings to like.

The premise is a lot similar to Mystic Pop-up Bar and the show focuses on it well enough for the first 4 episodes, which are my favorite of the entire show. The contrast between the FLs world of giving reprieve to the recently deceases and the ML's of doing errands for select clients was what made the show interesting. Once that focus shifted to the romance and, especially, the ML's trauma, the show started to decline.

You have the early episodes that fit the 'May I Help You' (and even the alt title '1000 Won Butler') a lot more. The middle part focusing on the ML's trauma and establishing the romance. Then the third part that shifts to a crime drama. I would have liked the stories a lot more if they were different shows. But it only served to wane my interest in the show as it proceeded.

The biggest turn off in the show is the ML. In an attempt to make him a sympathetic character, he just ends becoming contemptible. The entire history with the ex-girlfriend doesn't make him look good at all and I believe that's why despite the SFL being introduced as an empathetic well-minded character (seeing her interactions with colleagues), we immediately see her turn miserable and overbearing just after coming across the ML once. Now the issue isn't them breaking up, it's the lack of communication between them. Which is weird since that is one thing they do well for the leads. I just wish it was maintained across the board.

Another weird turn was the abrupt turning of the cop to a criminal. Again it's not exactly wrong that he ended up that way but the sheer lack of anything hinting at that even a few episodes before the reveal.

I've heard that they had to make changes after the Itaewon incident to make the show lighter, but the show became darker towards the end so I don't know if I buy that anymore.

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I enjoyed it enough but could be better.

This is an updated review after rewatching the drama. I still think it could have been a lot better than it was but compared to the earlier review, I feel the scores here are more accurate. I felt that I'd given it a higher score than deserved but that was largely due to me watching it at a bad time. I think I can recommend the show to other now just don't expect a typical romcom.

First, The Good:

The actors were good, especially the FL. I think they all played off each other really well, both the leads as well as the supporting cast.

The story sticks to the concept of "can this love be translated" right to the end and does a decent job of answering that question. I found the pacing to be good enough as well, especially in the first half.

The OST was beautiful. Typically, I find English heavy OST to be terrible, but this one was good. The score was beautiful as well, nothing felt out of place at all.

The story had a lot of unique beats, so it stays engaging enough to get you interested in the fate of the characters here.

Weakpoints:

The story progression felt rushed especially given the mental health theme. I'm not really a fan of the whole love healing every trauma since it always cheapens such issues. So that's my biggest issue with the plot in the drama. I think the mental health aspect of it could have been handle a lot better (how exactly? I'm not sure), but the condition portrayed in the drama is often hard to nail and I think that's where it failed to convince viewers. I would have loved a more show don't tell when it comes to the main theme of understanding each other's language. While the theme exploration was satisfactory in a sense, I feel they dropped the ball still. A better developed plot here would have been really beneficial, especially to the ML.

While the actors were good, I think the writing for most characters wasn't up to par. Only the FL and the uncle stood out in terms of performances (The uncle's is always great). Let's start with the ML. Of the roles I've seen him in, this was one of the weakest. I think the ML's character could have used more development. The character was bland and I think it shows in the performance as well. To be fair I do find a lot of lead roles to not really take advantage of or showcase an actor's range, especially ML, and that's why I really like the FL's role here.

Hiro's actor was also not given much to work with acting wise. I've seen him in other roles as well which have also not been as well written, so I don't know much of his capability to judge his acting, but the character did have interesting aspects. Perhaps my only qualm would be him not having more moments with the FL (and not using translation apps 😂)

I won't really mention the rest of the actors/characters

Character wise, the show could have done a lot better. I think FL was almost close to being one had that mental health reveal been handled better. But like a mentioned, a lot of the other characters seemed lacking. I think this is where the show suffers most (outside of a few issues with the main plot progression). To me, shows often stand out based on how strong the characters are, both supporting roles as well as the main.

I'll probably rewatch this in the future, because despite my ramblings, I liked it a lot more after the rewatch. So this is something I'd recommend, just don't expect too much like I did the first time.


THE EARLIER REVIEW (Spoilers)

These are just my random thoughts after finishing the show. I may update it later (or not)

The production and the OST are the highlights. I read a few comments about a lack of chemistry between the main actors and went in expecting that. It was true to a point but largely due to the writing decisions, but the moments they were allowed to just be, I think it was just fine if not great, including in the first episode.

I loved the cast; everyone played their parts perfectly. My favorite character is definitely the uncle. I'd have loved to see more of his interactions with the main lead.

Now, I enjoyed the show but there were quite a few issues. First, the conflict between the main leads wasn't executed well at all. Even the use of dissociative identity felt like a cop out. I disliked the sometimes-callous nature of the male lead. I don't think it was necessary for him to be written like that at all. Just easing his dialogue at points could have made for better moments overall. It created conflict to drag the show on, but I think the male lead (and the show) suffered for it. It will probably be a sticking point for many who watch the show. I guess that's my biggest gripe with the show.

Like most dramas, most elements were there for it to be truly brilliant, but it ultimately fell short due to a combination of editing choices, dialogue (I know the English subtitles were poor here as well) and repetition. I think the drama could have had the characters fall for each other later rather than having it happen early then introducing all the misunderstandings to fill out the runtime. This drama could have been shorter than it was given the route they chose.

I did like it enough to not regret watching it but not enough to be sure about recommending it. Weirdly, these are the kind of shows I like rewatching (Abyss and Extraordinary You are the other ones) despite finding them so frustrating in terms of lost potential.

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I try to avoid describing shows as self-important or pretentious, but in this case, I can't help but apply those labels. While there were elements I liked, such as the antagonists and the conflict setup, the show ultimately fell short. The subject matter, a corrupt hegemony and a revenge plot, is not unique in the world of Kdramas, but that's not the issue. The problem is that the plot becomes overly complicated and hard to follow, and the protagonist is hard to empathize with because he lacks genuine relationships and treats everyone as a means to an end. As a result, it's difficult to believe that he cares about the strangers caught in the accident at the beginning of the show. The show also feels unnecessarily long, as the plot isn't complex enough to warrant 16 one-hour episodes. The writing needlessly complicates things to fill the time, and I ended up losing interest because of this.

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It's about finding beauty in the mundane

This is probably going to be one of my favorite dramas ever.

It isn't typical in that you don't have much going on. Folks expecting usual storytelling arcs, with defined starts and resolutions, will be disappointed. The show is mundane at best. Stuff happens and it doesn't always end up being as consequential as you'd expect in a typical drama. I think that's what makes it beautiful and lifelike. That said there are still magical moments spread out that make the story uplifting and emotionally dense. I could say for certain that they did a great job of making emotional moments matter.

I love the cast of this show. Everyone plays their roles perfectly making the characters feel so real. Each character has something you can relate to be it anxiety, depression or a lacking sense of purpose. This is the most beautiful drama I've watched in a while, and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants something calm and moving

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A better soundtrack would have helped a lot.

### No Spoiler Review

First. It's good to see a Noona romance not involving a high school student.

The shows potential lies in the women empowerment storylines. I believe this show would have been better sold as a story centered on Jin A, a woman trying to navigate her way through societal expectations. Something more in the tone of My Mister or Misaeng. It falls short of those shows in many ways, but the blueprint is there. The romance should just have been something that happens in Jin A's life, not define it (I want that for so many of romance stories I have seen). I love the relationship between the female characters here, especially Bo Ra and Jin A. Wish we'd have got more of that from the very start, including conversations that didn't center on the male characters.

But first there's the soundtrack. The show has many lingering shots which would provide an opportunity for the soundtrack to stand out, if only it was good. The score is quite good. However, the song choices ruins everything. Not only did they choose poorly composed music, with average melody and terrible lyrics, they had to reuse them multiple times in the show. It's another reason why I think the second half is kind of better, since it has less of that shitty music. Something I realized is that they didn't have a single Korean song. I feel anytime I have watched a show with English songs, it's often terrible. Should they have written better songs for the show, it would have been a lot better.

### Spoilers start here.

Having read some of the reviews on the show early on, I expected a huge dip in quality in the second half of the show. Other than the cliched evil mom, the show narrowing in on the workplace discrimination and sexual harassment plot elevates, if only for a bit. Many who must have picked up the show for the romance will probably end up disappointed. This is where the comparison to My Mister and the likes comes in. There's that hint of realism that you don't find in many shows. It's why I think the mom being against the relationship works for the story (It would have weird to have no one be against it when the first half focuses so much on hiding the relationship). That's not to say it was done well. I still think it went over the top and the lack of self-reflection or at least more insight to the mother's psyche has it teetering on the edge of the absurd. As much as I am praising the second half, I still think it is a worse than the first mostly due to the lack of consistency. The romance becomes repetitive with the couple having issues over the same mistakes. I was expecting a bittersweet ending given societal taboos, but I think the lack of proper communication between the couple ruins everything.

I give the story a 7 since I thought it was good but could have been better, starting with the side characters. We've already talked about the mom, but this applies too to the workplace characters and the rest of Jin A's family. The audience isn't given enough to root for or against them. This is what keeps the show as an average romance story rather than a great slice of life drama. When we think of the good slice of life stories, their success comes from having well developed characters. This show has only hints of it and it is not for a lack of time. The first part has so many slow scenes that could have been cut out to accommodate the other characters and plotlines. But we got the repetitive music instead.

I'd recommend the drama for the friendship between Bo Ra and Jin A but even that is hardly explored to be worth anyone's time.

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Better Motivations, and fewer episodes would have made this great

It is a good enough show. It was, in large, part engaging. That tapers off towards the end largely due to the plot not being enough for 16 episodes. I believe this show would have been better condensed even by 2 episodes.

The character motives were fine for some, terrible for others. The ML had a good motive to start but I don't think they did a good job depicting it changing. Him abandoning his win by all means attribute should have meant seeing him become, not only more empathetic, but attempt to do things the right way. This would have helped the plot too, I think, since the challenges of investigating things the right way would be more engaging. The motives of some other characters, like Gi Hoon's dad and the other attorney, weren't quite clear. Like why does the attorney try to help Gi Hoon even risking upsetting his employer? Why does the dad try to sabotage our lead's character for something he didn't seem that involved in.

Talking about the investigation, I feel it was largely weak. Many times, things just seemed to fall into place for our protagonists. The villains start of seeming too competent but then that's no longer the case.

The ending is, again, mostly good. I like that they couldn't find evidence to nail the main culprit. It is more real that way. However, it is weakened by the decision to kill him off so cheaply. The antagonist going insane would have been more powerful ending.

I also didn't like that the other villain kids, Gi Hoon and the Ye Ri, get away with their crimes (I know Ye Ri is no longer an idol) . I would have loved to see them at least recognize their wrongs and work to fix them gradually for them to get a peaceful resolution. I am a sucker for redemption stories, but they ought to be earned and not as immediate as in the final episode.

I also didn't like how cheaply Tae Ra was killed. I know it would have affected the ending we got, but I feel the show would have done better to focus on her death a little more, maybe her mom too. Perhaps having the mom kill Beom Jin would have been better.

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A decent attempt at addressing suicide

It was a difficult show to get into. The lead actor hamming it up in the early episodes almost made me drop it, since it came off as bad acting rather than just being goofy. But it got better.

The emotional moments are well handled with tearjerking scenes each episode.

The pacing is brilliant. It largely benefits from the case of the week formula, so there isn't a feeling that things are dragging.

Perhaps the most important thing is that it gets better towards the end which is often enough for me to rate a drama highly.

Despite how well the show handles suicide attempt, I feel it did a terrible job at addressing depression. It treats suicide like an on and off switch, all solved once the characters are taken off the ledge, which we know isn't how it works in reality. Now I know it's not supposed to be realistic but for a dark themed show, I think it could have afforded a deeper dive into depression for at least a few of the characters.

All in all, I would recommend this show to anyone who loves after-life fantasy dramas. It's a good one.

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Underwhelming, but maybe worth a try

If you are reading this review and wondering whether to watch the show, watch at least the first episode. The pilot episode is one of the best episodes I've seen. Unfortunately, it's downhill from there.

Start-Up is a show that lacks balance. Some storylines/conflicts are dragged out for too long, while others are glossed over.

The business plot is weak but perhaps that's me having my expectations set too high by similar tech shows like Silicon Valley, Mr Robot, Halt and Catch Fire. This is much a consequence of the business taking a back seat to the romance story. The romance is wrecked by an unnecessary conflict that could have been resolved within the first few episodes. Seeing how polarizing it is online is just a testament to that fact. A good story shouldn't have that.

The show could have benefitted from having well developed platonic relationship between the FML and either, or perhaps both, MLs. But I guess I have given up on KDramas ever giving equal focus to platonic opposite-sex relationships, everything has to be romantic.

Ultimately the show could have benefitted from more business and family conflicts and less romance.

I really loved the first 4 episodes and would probably rewatch them if it had developed better beyond that. I would still suggest that you give it a watch if you want to. The show has some great cinematography, the best OST I've heard and some great acting. It's a shame that the writing couldn't keep up. But even then there's still a good story in there. If the pilot hadn't been as good as it was, I think I would have enjoyed this story a lot more.

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