Start-Up – Korean Drama Review
Start-Up: Dream Big, Love Fiercely, and Never Give Up
Introduction
Start-Up
isn’t just another business K-drama. It’s a vibrant, emotional ride through the highs and heartbreaks of young dreamers trying to make it big in Korea's Silicon Valley. Packed with ambition, complicated love triangles, and lessons about failure and hope, this 2020 Netflix gem captures everything beautiful (and painful) about starting over — in life, love, and business.
Overview
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Title:
Start-Up (스타트업)
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Year:
2020
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Genre:
Business, Romance, Coming-of-Age, Drama
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Starring:
Bae Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho, Kang Han-na
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Episodes:
16
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Running Time:
70–85 minutes per episode
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Available On:
Netflix
Overall Story (No Major Spoilers)
Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) dreams big. Growing up with her grandmother after a painful family split, Dal-mi believes in starting from nothing and building something beautiful. Meanwhile, Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) is a math genius whose start-up is failing miserably. Fate — and a few well-meaning lies from Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho) — bring them together.
As Sandbox's world of start-up incubators challenges them all, Dal-mi, Do-san, and Ji-pyeong must navigate ambition, loyalty, and the dreams they’re desperate to protect. What follows is a story of growth, second chances, and finding love when you least expect it — or maybe when you need it most.
Highlight Moments / Key Episodes
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Episode 1 – Sandbox Dreams:
The seeds of destiny are planted when young Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong's fake pen pal relationship begins.
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Episode 4 – Demo Day Disaster:
Samsan Tech crashes and burns — but sometimes, you have to fail big before you fly.
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Episode 9 – Letters of the Heart:
The emotional bombshell when Dal-mi discovers the truth behind her childhood letters.
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Episode 12 – Choosing Dreams:
Dal-mi wrestles with ambition versus romance — and her choices feel achingly real.
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Episode 16 – Growth and Goodbye:
A satisfying finale that shows growing up sometimes means growing apart — but always growing better.
Memorable Lines
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"Good days give you happiness. Bad days give you experience. Worst days give you lessons. And best days give you memories."
(Episode 6)
— Grandma Won-deok’s beautiful life advice during Dal-mi’s lowest point.
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"When you fall, don’t just get up. Think about why you fell first."
(Episode 3)
— Ji-pyeong coaching the Samsan boys, being painfully wise as usual.
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"If we can’t be the best, let’s at least not be embarrassed."
(Episode 5)
— Do-san’s rallying cry before Demo Day — humble, proud, and pure.
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"Even if you’re scared, walk forward. That’s courage."
(Episode 13)
— Dal-mi reminding herself (and us) that dreams demand bravery.
Why It’s Special
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More Than Romance:
It’s about chasing dreams, failing spectacularly, and still getting back up — with (or without) a date to the pitch competition.
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Perfectly Flawed Characters:
No perfect heroes here — just earnest, messy, lovable humans.
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Unforgettable Love Triangle:
Ji-pyeong vs Do-san — whose side are you on? (Warning: heartbreak inevitable either way.)
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Real-World Grit:
Tackles failure, self-doubt, and economic hardship without sugar-coating the pain — but always with hope.
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OST That Breaks You (in a Good Way):
Songs like "Future" by Red Velvet hit right in the feels.
Popularity & Reception
Globally beloved,
"Start-Up"
ranked high on Netflix charts and created passionate fandoms — and fan wars (#TeamJiPyeong vs #TeamDoSan). Critics praised the series for blending youthful romance with entrepreneurial hustle, capturing the bittersweet beauty of growing up when dreams feel just out of reach.
Beyond its cute moments, "Start-Up" left viewers thinking hard about ambition, sacrifice, timing, and what "success" really means.
Cast & Fun Facts
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Bae Suzy (Seo Dal-mi):
Brilliantly captures Dal-mi’s fire, insecurities, and infectious optimism.
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Nam Joo-hyuk (Nam Do-san):
Makes geeky awkwardness incredibly endearing — and painfully relatable.
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Kim Seon-ho (Han Ji-pyeong):
Delivered a breakout performance that had viewers (and critics) demanding he get his own spin-off.
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Sandbox:
Inspired by real start-up hubs like Pangyo Techno Valley and Google Campus Seoul.
Conclusion / Warm Reminders
"Start-Up"
is a heartfelt reminder that dreams aren’t built on perfect moments — they’re built in late-night pizza meetings, failed demos, misread letters, and broken hearts that heal stronger.
If you’ve ever dared to dream, or loved imperfectly, or started something scary and new — then
"Start-Up"
isn’t just a show. It’s a love letter to you.
So grab a coffee, cue up Netflix, and prepare to fall in love with ambition, friendship, family, and the beautiful, painful process of building something — and someone — from scratch.
Hashtags
#StartUpKDrama #스타트업 #BaeSuzy #NamJooHyuk #KimSeonHo #NetflixKDrama #KDramaReview #Entrepreneurship #HealingDrama #YouthAndDreams
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