I want to start off by saying, this is one of the best dramas I've ever watched in my entire LIFE and I mean that with every atom in my body. Everything about it was perfect. From how informative it is, to the gut-busting humour, to the character development that everyone experienced, to how everyone faced their hardships head on, to everything in between.
However, imagine my complete and utter shock when I was made aware of this article: https://pann-choa.blogspot.com/2020/11/teens-stories-there-was-vote-about.html?m=1. Imagine the way my jaw dropped on the floor when I saw that people thought Han Ji-pyeong's character was more charming than Nam Dosan? Imagine the confusion I felt when I saw that 46,067 people voted and 81% of them voted for Han Ji-pyeong as the better choice for Seo Dal-mi?
Society needs to progress past the need for macho men with low emotional intelligence. We don't need them anymore. We are tired of seeing them, both in real life and on the screen. Or, I mean, I don't need them. Considering how so many people are in love with his character despite all of the red flags he's shown, I guess people love that? People love playing therapist for damaged men instead of redirecting them to professional support systems because it makes them feel validated and I think that's really sad. The patriarchy has got a Gorilla grip tight hold on y'all and we hate to see it.
I need someone to break this down for me. What about aggressive, manipulative men is so attractive to y'all? What about men who raise their voice at women and lash out when they're in distress is heartwarming? Han Ji-pyeong stayed slapping Seo Dal-mi's grandma's hands away when he would be having another one of his breakdowns and each and every time he did that, I trusted his character even less. He was constantly berating Seo Dal-mi, her team, and the vision they had for the company, as well. His criticism was necessary because in business, you NEVER want to have someone on your side who supports every single thing you do. But, his delivery? Horrific. Traumatic. Tasteless. Insensitive. Dismissive.
Proof:
He stayed yelling at this elderly woman 😭
Not them wrestling, chile...
Let's not forget when someone said that Han Ji-pyeong's harsh approach led to their older brother's suicide and Han Ji-pyeong laughed? HUH? Is that how you respond when someone accuses you of murder?
On top of that, due to Han Ji-pyeong's incompetencies and superiority complex, he really thought that bribing someone to emotionally manipulate the woman he claims to love was the right way to go. Does that make sense? Haven't we all seen She's The Man or She's All That already? We KNOW pretending to be someone you're not never works out, so why would that be a healthy idea? He hypes himself up to be this intelligent, well-versed man, but he's actually very emotionally stunted and socially inept in ways that would be detrimental to both himself and Seo Dalmi if they actually got together.
Nam Dosan isn't innocent either. That man ain't got no backbone and it's affected him in one too many ways. However, at least he tries to mature. He's incredibly inexperienced and insecure and uses those traits as a security blanket so that when things go haywire, he ends up self-deprecating and saying he wasn't good enough to begin with. BUT, it was nice to see him still take risks and eventually grow out of that sense of inferiority. When he recognized his love for Seo Dalmi quite early, he made it his mission to be the best version of himself for her (and eventually for himself). He was awkward and dorky, but THAT was his charm. We love that!
("Sweet dreams lol")
I'd feel so much more comfortable with someone who always tries to share the things they love with me and is always looking for ways to be someone that I can count on OVER an emotional leach with poor communication skills.
love this drama from start to finish and they all did a phenomenal job working on it. When they laughed, I hollered. When they cried, I sobbed. Every single thing about it was enjoyable and I highly recommend this drama to everyone. The ending was MORE than fulfilling and didn't end off making me feel frustrated. It taught me a lot more valuable information about business, information technology, and the start-up world than what I learned while actually obtaining my Business degree. Despite the fact that I spent this whole article throwing strays at Han Ji-pyeong, I liked him too. But, I just know what type of character he is and I've seen people like him in real life and I know they're just no good. It is what it is. With that being said, Start Up is a hilarious, heartwarming, and fun drama. And, I will be rewatching it over and over and over again. It taught me a lot more valuable information about business, information technology, and the start-up world than what I learned while actually obtaining my Business degree. Despite the fact that I spent this whole article throwing strays at Han Ji-pyeong, I liked him too. But, I just know what type of character he is and I've seen people like him in real life and I know they're just no good. It is what it is. With that being said, Start Up is a hilarious, heartwarming, and fun drama. And, I will be rewatching it over and over and over again. I give it a 9.7/10.
