Categories: K-dramas

Both Male Leads Acknowledge Uncomfortable Truths as Episode 9 of Start-Up Builds the Sweetness and Drops the Shot of Pain

Gosh, I’m seriously appreciate of how well crafted Start-Up is, the plot has hidden surprises in each episode and it always adds color and depth to the proceedings. Episode 9 didn’t reveal the truth of the Letters right off the bat, but let that build slowly so that the viewer is as anxious as Do San and as frustrated as Ji Pyeong. I love them so, such Good Boys, always trying to do the right thing but still flawed and human. Do San trying to win and keep Dal Mi’s heart was started by Ji Pyeong’s plan to never come clean about the Letters so I can’t fault him when he was given the green light multiple times to keep down that path. I wished he TOLD Dal Mi the truth himself rather than her finding out, and same with the end of the episode when Ji Pyeong basically outed himself by going to get Dal Mi’s latest letter. Do San needs to woo Dal Mi as himself and Ji Pyeong needs to face up to his budding feelings for her so he stops being frustrated. With that said, this episode’s march towards the end was incredibly paced and plotted, I felt for every character but still I wanted to truth to come out. It’s now time to see what the future holds minus love triangles, there is still a start-up to get off the ground!

ockoala

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  • The quality of this drama really surprise me. Like every scene is well thought and beautifully executed and every prop has purpose or meaning. For example, the poster at the bus stop always relevant to scene/theme of the episode. I also like the title of every episode, not only it’s informative but also related to the story. Even the road signs foreshadowing the conflict etc. As a viewer i felt appreciated on how much effort they put in this drama. Hopefully this will continue until the end. Easily it’ll be my fav drama of this year.

    • That poster in the bus stop reminds me so much of the bus stop scene in WYWS too. When Hongjoo thought Jaechan was hitting on her, the bus has a He’s Just Not That into You poster! ?

  • I am team Ji Pyeong. Kim Seon Ho is really an excellent actor. It takes a good supporting actor to make the lead actor shine.

  • Love Kim Seon Ho, extraordinary good actor. All 4 of them are main leads and story is written to let them shine.

    Director yoon maybe the one to play a part in the girls healing and reconciliation (thanks to JP who told her that swing girl could also be dalmi). She probably pass their dad project and funds to them to work together. Thus granny n mother also reconcile.

    World is unfair that some choose only what to believe and see, ignoring logic and truth, of which i do not want be unfair.

    I will enjoy tonite ep.

    Lo

  • I'm team STARTUP. Lets get the story moving please. Enough of the triangle already. Let Dosan have the girl and start the story telling. I am so much more invested in other areas. Halmoni-ex daughter in law. Sisters. Revenge plot. Alex the VC - his true intention. Halmoni's eyes and a positive outcome for her situation. Art of mentoring. Evil stepfather gets his just desserts. Dosans friends getting their bbreakthrough from nerds to savvy entrepreneurs. Can they seriously tie all these up in the next 6 eps?

    • @Lydia
      ?? Thumbs up. I’m with you. I’m getting tired of the love triangle and wasted opportunities to tell a more meaningful story than falling in love. What about the reconciliation of a broken family? What about the dividends that hard work and persistence brings? I do hope the drama can tie up the different threads introduced in the first episode of the drama. I’m yet to see Injae interact with her grandmother or her mother come to a realization that she should not have split up her girls eons ago.

  • As typical K-drama love triangle goes, Ji Pyeong won't get the girl. Still, he's my favorite character in this series.

    • Yes I prefer to pair Ji Pyeong with Dal Mi. The lead man is a boy, not good enough for Dal Mi. Ji Pyeong is more manly. Have a strong shoulder for Dal Mi.

      • I beg to disagree.. That boy dosan is always behind dalmi everytime she needed comfort everytime she is down and always protect her and helping her to built her dreams.. That unconditional love "that boy" you've mention.. But in general I like them all (the start up cast)
        ?

  • I’m starting to struggle watching the drama because of the 2nd lead syndrome like how Reply 1994 with Chilbong was. Anyway, I still like it. I just hope that it would be more realistic. Hence, I want Injae to have her own spotlight because she may be ambitious but she’s the most realistic one here along with Jipyeong. Injae just need that EQ development in terms of personal relationships.

    One thing also is that I don’t like how Jipyeong special relationship with halmeoni was getting sideline and unappreciated. I bet he would do everything to help her, the moment he learned about her condition.

    And Suzy’s limited range of acting especially in Ep10 will be very noticeable. She’s still charming but after watching some of those scenes, I did wonder if what could it be if other actress with acting chops will be Dalmi.

    • As to 2nd lead syndrome here for Jipyeong, I don’t want her to end with Dalmi. They can just have like a mentor-mentee relationship. It’s almost 100% sure that Dosan and Dalmi would end up together but I hope that before that happens, they would grow individually as a person esp in term to their career. Dosan is dreaming for Dalmi, not for himself while Dalmi is just proving to be something to others and not for herself. Jipyeong will be a good mentor for the both of them. I just hope that Dosan would stop being insecure and hostile to Jipyeong because it makes him immature.

    • I disagree about Suzy. I have watched several of her dramas and I'm quite neutral about her. Most of the time I find her serviceable in her dramas, nothing great but not outright bad either.
      Although I have to say her worst acting was in Vagabond.

      But she's good as DM in and I like her a lot in this drama. That said, I appreciate that opinons are subjective but some comments about her are just plain hate mongering.

    • The rating is still good despite having split episode, cable channel and developing audience with tving and netflix. It even got higher ratings compared to other main channel dramas currently showing.

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