Tech coming-of-age story begins in tvN’s Start-Up
by tineybeanie
tvN’s upcoming drama, Start-Up, has released a new teaser. It’s a coming-of-age story of youths who dream of making it big in the Sandbox, Korea’s version of Silicon Valley. It stars Suzy (Vagabond) as an ambitious college drop-out who still has faith in her first love, the tech prodigy Nam Joo-hyuk’s (The Light in Your Eyes).
Kim Sun-ho (Catch the Ghost) and Kang Hanna (Designated Survivor: 60 Days) both play experts in the business field, and they join Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk as they all work towards achieving the success they’ve long dreamed of.
The teaser begins by defining the title as a company which has a foundation in innovative technologies and ideas. Then we’re introduced to a girl on a swing who ends up being Suzy’s character, now an unemployed young woman who wants to become the next Steve Jobs. She’s giving a presentation to a large crowd. Then, Nam Joo-hyuk is introduced as a nerdy-chic genius, coding at his laptop.
Kim Sun-ho is first shown driving a luxury Mercedes-Benz. It’s fitting because he’s one of the top team leaders at SH Venture Capital. Playing the perfect girl-crush and strong female CEO, Kang Hanna shows up on the same stage as Suzy from earlier, but it’s a completely different professional vibe with her.
As Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk are shown side-by-side, the following narration plays as someone presses the “enter” key: “Where we start our shining stories: Start-Up.”
tvN Saturday-Sunday drama Start-Up, directed by Oh Choong-hwan (Hotel Del Luna, While You Were Sleeping) and written by Park Hye-ryun (While You Were Sleeping), will begin airing in October.
Via Hankyung
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Tags: Kang Hanna, Kim Sun-ho, Nam Joo-hyuk, Start-Up, Suzy
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1 Nonso
August 27, 2020 at 10:39 AM
I have high hopes for this drama. While you wee sleeping writer and hotel del luna director plus the cast. I'm soo in. nedry Nam Joo Hyuk is doing something to me
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Jezz
August 27, 2020 at 4:55 PM
Wow... perfect combination of collaboration. I hope it will duplicated success once again.
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2 Ayalynn
August 27, 2020 at 11:19 AM
I'll check this out definitely.
I like Nam Joo Hyuk and Kim Sun-ho.
I'm not sure about Suzy's acting (sorry her fans) but
as long as she is playing an ordinary girl/a girl next door type, it would be fine, I guess?
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3 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
August 27, 2020 at 11:29 AM
I didn't like While You Were Sleeping - it felt like Park Hye-ryun was clinging to get old formula (magical thriller) but she had grown bored of it? I hope Start Up is the project she's put together after some new inspiration.
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Kurama
August 27, 2020 at 11:53 AM
I'm not sure... The male lead is still a genius and she chose Nam Joo Hyuk instead of Lee Jong Suk who is in the army for now, both look from the same model cast.
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frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
August 27, 2020 at 1:52 PM
I'm totally fine with her taking a break from Lee Jong-suk. As much as I adore him, his roles in her dramas were starting to bleed together. Nam Joo-hyuk maaay be able to put a fresh spin on things?
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
August 27, 2020 at 1:08 PM
I didn't like WYWS either and I also felt the writer was just trying to recreate an old hit rather than writing something new. I'd much rather go back to I Hear Your Voice, which was carried also by some really strong acting from Lee Bo-young that allowed you to see past any shortfalls in characterisation or heavy handed plotting. So... mumble mumble something something. Anyway, as much as I like this writer there are several reasons why I probably won't tune into this one.
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frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
August 27, 2020 at 1:59 PM
You already know how much I love I Hear Your Voice - despite Suzy and despite While You Were Sleeping and whatever ever misgivings I could come up with, I cannot risk NOT watching this.
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JillofAllTrades
August 28, 2020 at 3:52 AM
I love "I hear your voice". I just started another re-watch a couple of nights ago. And I remember why I loved Lee Bo young's character but I never felt any other heroine from her shows as likable as she was (Pinocchio or While you were sleeping).
I still like the positive optimistic message of the writer's serial (and I can see LJS seems to be her muse :-D )
But I am really not sure I can handle one more really incompetent heroine whom we are expected to root for because she has a dream (and not real talent to realize that dream). Did I mention I tried to watch "Was it love?" :-D
I will not comment on Suzy as the only show i watched with her in it is WYWS. I was unimpressed. But i was unimpressed with everything in it. (Except the kitten killer villain, that was the creepiest thing I saw)
I am on the proverbial fence about this one. I like Kim Sun ho. I sort of like both writer and directors earlier works. But...
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frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
August 28, 2020 at 8:39 AM
Kang Ki-young being a serial killer was the greatest thing I've ever seen, and the one highlight of While You Were Sleeping for me.
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JillofAllTrades
August 28, 2020 at 9:35 AM
Yes. The whole set up for that arc was creepy as hell. And he did an excellent job.
Mia
August 29, 2020 at 10:35 AM
I wish she could recreate the hit that was Dream High.
The second season killed what could have been a solid new franchise. I knew the moment I heard she wasn't returning to write season 2 the show was doomed. That failure instead opened up the door for the revival of the series 'School' which wound up being a success.
With the casting nightmare that put an end to 'School 2020' airing, maybe it's the perfect time for KBS to usher in the return of Dream High. A 3rd series that has the heart of the first one with the weight of 'School 2013' would be great. I would love to see a solid ensemble cast of students and teachers showcasing the various departments of a performing arts High School with a much better storyline this time around. Original cast members coming back or doing cameos would be the icing on the cake.
2021 will mark the drama's 10th anniversary. Celebrating the anniversary with a return of the series next year would be perfect.
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stargazer
August 29, 2020 at 9:40 PM
Agree on WYWS. It started well then like the title suggest I watch 3/4 of the show while I was sleeping. So not sure about this one. But will give it a go for Hanna and Sun-ho (love these two). If not for them i probably pass on this.
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Jezz
August 27, 2020 at 4:52 PM
I still love WYWS and I'm not yet starting to watching this.
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4 redfox
August 27, 2020 at 4:17 PM
it sounds a lot like the estonian movie Unicorn
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Jezz
August 27, 2020 at 4:50 PM
Chasing Unicorns... European way of Silicon Valley which inspired by a true stories and so it seems that Start-Up looks like the first ever media portrayal on Asian way of Silicon Valley.
I promised to be sure that it won't be plagiarized both of them or if a little bit of plagiarizing both two of them, then a little one lawsuit would follow.
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BC
August 28, 2020 at 1:42 AM
I don't think european institutions are so keen on lawsuits for plagiarism, they're more flexible as Korean companies or fandoms.
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pickleddragon
August 28, 2020 at 2:42 AM
I don't know what you would define as "Asian", but there have been one or two shows in India that also look at the startup culture here. I can immediately think of "Pitchers" (webdrama) and "Upstarts" (movie).
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JillofAllTrades
August 28, 2020 at 3:44 AM
Interesting! I have not seen any Indian serial since a long time.
The one which gave me most genuine young entrepreneur feels was "Rishta.com" which was soooooooooo long ago!
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pickleddragon
August 28, 2020 at 5:22 AM
Yeah, actually I haven't seen either myself. I was responding to the OP on "Asian" shows about startups.
You're right about Rishta.com, but the show was ... erm... not something I'd rate highly. But the same production house simultaneously released one of the best / most realistic crime / TV dramas I have ever watched, called "Powder". If you get the chance, and if you like the genre, I'd highly recommend it!
(with this comment, I have completely digressed from the original post, topic and comment - my apologies to all!)
JillofAllTrades
August 28, 2020 at 9:40 AM
I have faced this so often! While discussing something about "Asian culture" (Which is another blanket term". A American friend said "How do you know about Asian culture, are you not Indian?" I facepalmed.
"East Asian" is the new "Asian". :-D (in a kind of, sort of way)
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JillofAllTrades
August 28, 2020 at 9:43 AM
@pickleddragon I LOVED "Powder"! I watched it when it was being aired on Sony.
But these shows (YRF - serial division) was way ahead of it's time in terms of style, production value and acting (no one shot with 20 reactions)
pickleddragon
August 28, 2020 at 7:37 PM
Oh awesome to find a fellow "Powder" fan!! I live watched it too, with my family - we were all hooked, and bummed when they changed the time slot from prime time to late night half way through the airing. It was, without a doubt, the best of the six shows that emerged together from the YRF stable at the time. It was also when I discovered the greatness of Pankaj Tripathi! It's so sad people don't talk about this show enough.
I agree East Asian / Asian. I have always found it odd that when I'm abroad, I cannot use the word "Asian" with reference to myself, because people give strange looks. I always end up having to qualify how we're Asian too... argh. (hence my response to the OP above :p)
Kasumi
August 30, 2020 at 11:59 AM
Upvoting for the comment about how Asians now doesn’t seem to include South Asians. Sigh!
5 Jezz
August 27, 2020 at 4:39 PM
I think it would be the first ever Korean modern innovative technologic drama which is not a sci-fi.
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minitwin
August 28, 2020 at 7:05 PM
Search WWW is about search engine tech companies so idk about that?
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6 tiffandco
August 27, 2020 at 6:54 PM
Anyone know if this will be released on Netflix?
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amara
August 28, 2020 at 12:06 AM
all of tvn's are/will be!
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Kairoskat 💐
August 28, 2020 at 3:11 AM
Not really. Flower of Evil is not on Netflix.
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JillofAllTrades
August 28, 2020 at 3:44 AM
:-(
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pickleddragon
August 28, 2020 at 5:47 AM
Actually, I've been noticing - Netflix is slowly picking up a lot of what is also on Viki - old as well as new stuff. So it may come to Netflix eventually!
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Kairoskat 💐
August 28, 2020 at 6:54 AM
Yep Flower of Evil might eventually be on Netflix in the future. Currently it can be watched on IQIYI. As for Start-Up, I do think it will air on Netflix like the other tvN Fri-Sat dramas.
JillofAllTrades
August 29, 2020 at 5:28 AM
I hope so!
amara
August 28, 2020 at 11:22 AM
oh woah...lmao they have a deal with them though so i am pretty sure eventually it will be. didnt realize it was even on TVN...i guess all the netflix co productions would be there and FoE isn't? honestly im just chattin idk what im talking about lmao
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laisfrede
August 30, 2020 at 2:06 PM
Netflix has a deal with Studio Dragon and not with TvN itself. If every TvN drama is from Studio Dragon then every TvN drama will be on netflix but I don't think that is the case.
tiffandco
August 30, 2020 at 9:38 PM
EDIT: the teaser came out on The Swoon YouTube channel so I guess this answers the question!
https://youtu.be/Vx4pWud8luk
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Rosie
October 17, 2020 at 2:59 PM
It was released today, 2020-10-17 on Netflix. I totally enjoy the first episode. It me cried actually.
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7 amara
August 28, 2020 at 12:05 AM
im dead at the sandbox but that's the way i look at silicon valley 2 so lmao i find this to be a very interesting and poorly timed drama. so....i will not be watching.
anyway uh good luck to them. the acting leaves much to be desired so doubly good luck.
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8 SooHa
August 28, 2020 at 2:03 AM
I put my faith to the writer and PD-nim regardless the main leads.
If Lee Jong Suk is not in military service maybe the writer will choose him again :D - but then he will pair with Suzy again XD
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9 pickleddragon
August 28, 2020 at 2:44 AM
This show follows Stranger 2 / FoS2, and makes me feel bad about the end of Stranger 2 already... :/
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10 yuja
August 29, 2020 at 2:25 PM
it was only like two seconds but seonho acting all smart and fancy when we’ve all seen him on 1n2d 😂😂😂
also like... imo there’s nothing remotely romantic about working at a tech start up lol
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11 Were
August 30, 2020 at 4:02 AM
Yet another skip. Not gonna entertain Suzy's drama until Vagabond season 2 comes out
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