We’re more than halfway through Start-Up, but the ship war among viewers is still going strong! By this point in most dramas, the male lead has captured our hearts along with the heroine’s and there’s no going back. But when it comes to Start-Up, the Second Lead Syndrome is very strong. There’s just something…magnetic about Ji-pyeong. A big part of it is Kim Sun-ho’s nuanced performance, and the rest is how the character can’t help but be vulnerable with Dal-mi’s grandmother.
Then there’s Do-san. Sweet, smart, earnest Do-san. In the battle for Dal-mi’s heart, he’s hard to overlook— and not just because he’s tall.
The thing that really tickles me about this show is the usual K-drama tropes are inverted. In this case, the first male lead is actually nice, but a lot of people are rooting for the pricklier second lead. It’s so refreshing!
So, with the end of Start-Up drawing near, who do you want Dal-mi to choose? Do-san or Ji-pyeong?
Cast your vote below and stay tuned for the results! (I’ll announce who I voted for then as well).
I think Jipyeong will be a better choice for Dalmi. Jiyeong had confessed his love for Dalmi and he was Dalmi’s choice too. She told her grandma before that she would choose the Dosan whom she knew from the letters. And I hope the Korean drama script writers will break the 2nd Lead syndrome, add some change to this old and boring fact that the 2 Main Leads would always end up together?
The 2nd Lead will always be left out, either without love and lonely.
Why?
Author
I do hope drama screenwriters switch things up soon. It would be revolutionary if a second lead got the girl.
The poll results should be up soon, so it’ll definitely be interesting to see who the fandom wants for Dal-mi.
Reasons why Do-San should be the endgame:
1. Do-San did not need 15 years to decide choosing Dal-Mi
2. The letters so-called comforted teenage Dal-Mi were written out of indebtedness, not true love. The fact that Ji-Pyeong having feeling towards Dal-Mi after real Do-San appeared is more of winning a competition, knowing the ultra-kiasu (fear-of-losing) character of Ji-Pyeong.
3. At first Do-San did not agree to lie but he was desperate to see Dal-Mi and help her out, thus agreed with Ji-Pyeong’s idea.
4. If Do-San were to be punished out of ‘mistake’ he commited, Ji-Pyeong also was doing the same, in fact Ji-Pyeong lied longer. Afterall people make mistakes, the best people that commit mistakes are those who admit the mistakes and apologize.
5. Do-San sacrificed his feeling for 3 years, sort of giving time-off for Dal-Mi to really think of whom she wants. Ji-Pyeong shud have had more than enough time during that period of 3 years to win Dal-Mi’s heart, but wasted that.
6. The naive Do-San has become more matured and rational, he tried to put emotion aside, letting Dal-Mi choose whom she wants, in fair and square fight. He is determined to improve himself in all aspects including his self-confidence, if you know how hard that is.
7. First love is not necessarily the best in reality, what determines the destination is not whom a person met first, but how a person performs in a relationship matters more.
8. Do-San never pressured Dal-Mi to choose him. He balanced well between fighting for his dream to be with Dal-Mi and giving Dal-Mi me-time to calm himself from the mess Ji-Pyeong and Do-San made. Do-San also sacrificed his feeling few times, reflecting on his weaknesses and working hard of overcoming them.
9. Ji-Pyeong is not bad at all, but if you were to be Dal-Mi in real life, you sure will decide after considering a lot of things.
This is just my opinion, no offense ya! 😉
shut up
Agree… in this drama i see do san character is the one that keep devoloping from a young naive full of anger self to a mature and responsible person… at first i didnt have much attention about him but when in watched this drama in marathon I really can see how he become a better person. And that’s why i turn to Do San… 😊
Dal-mi should end up with Do-san
That’s not right
I am confused !!! First this is a wonderfully acted drama.
But after a rewatch of specific episodes I found myself really disliking the Nam Do San character.
He was a poser and a liar from the start, he agreed to help the Han Ji Pyeong character hoping to leverage an investment from Han. While Nam Do San was certainly not a villain he was “parasitic”. He lies to keep seeing Seo Dal mi and only confesses when he can’t lie anymore. He bungles every business decision and Han Ji Pyeong saves him every time!
Han Ji Pyeong’s character came from nothing, and was a self made man and think of others first. (rechecked the funding of the orphan mentor program scene)
It is also very true BOTH characters lied to Seo Dal Mi.
Nam Do San lies because he wanted to get something out of this (investment in his company) and if half the work was already done to win the beautiful girl, why not? And he really does fall for Seo Dal mi.
Han Ji Pyeong lies to repay a kindness to the grandmother Choi Won Deok. He went as far as being Plan B for the sake of Seo Dal Mi not once but twice for their faltering business. So he too falls in love with Seo Dal mi.
But I think I am confused because Nam Do San lies for his advantage. His arrogance, his ego and to find that he actually cheated on the Mathematics Olympiad! His character is a bit of an emotional parasite. Then again he’s lied for 15 years that he was a boy genius.
Did Han Ji Pyeong’s character lose to him because he was an orphan and he has to live through some suffering before he gets the girl? Because he proved to be honorable all the way to the end of the series by giving Nam Do San a straight answer despite the fact that Nam Do San physically attacked Han Ji Pyeong.
Please anyone, a dialogue, a comment, anything. Was this a cultural choice to choose the person that got the girl was less honorable but had both parents? Was it because Han Ji Pyeong was an orphan? Because his character gave much more while the Nam Do San character took, and took, and took.
Maybe I should have looked more closely that the TV posters. Was it the writing of Park Hye Ryun that we got this type of ending?
Be good, work hard, give to repay a kindness and lose the girl. Lie for 15 years, cheat and say nothing and then reap all the benefits and get the girl.
This is me scratching my head.
I MUST have missed something.
You haven’t missed anything.
Han Ji-pyeong was definetly the better choice here, but unfortunately PHR disregareded the many wrong messages she sent out to young fans by making Nam-dosan the endgame, only to prove that the childhood freinds trope doesn’t always mean you end up with the friend from your past. She gave us a new story by making Dodal endgame at the cost of belittling good qualities like hard work, integrity, and selflessness.
Start up drama should be change end
I think end is very bad for this drama.
Je préfère l’acteur nam do San il est très gentil, il est très sensible est en plus il s’occupe bien de seo Dal mi .
Que han ji jeong il a écrit des lettres a seo do mi avec la grande mère il on mentir tout les 2
Pourquoi que han ji jyeong pourquoi il a pas était la voir a seo Dal mi pour lui dire la vérité. Si un jour est lui dit la vérité c”est le jeune homme qui s’appelle nam do san qui vas prendre tout pour lui
Nam do san il voudrais lui dire la vérité mais c’est han ji pyeong qui veux pas.
La grande mère est han ji pyeong il on fait une bêtise on verra bien qui va se passer dans la serie start up j’aime bien la série en ce moment je la regarde sur Netflix France est j’espère qui mettront la saison 2 sur Netflix France