Join us for another “Start Up” rewatch this Saturday, Jan 23.
13:00pm UTC
08:00am EST
05:00am PST (Are you waking up early, @Janey and @Welmaris?)
09:00pm Singapore, Philippines
08:00pm Indonesia
03:00pm Greece
12:00am Sydney (Sunday)
08:30pm India
Expectation vs Reality
Gifs from cuddlybitch’s tumblr
Gifs from chanikang’s tumblr
Does anybody here remember having to rewind the VHS to rewatch anything?!!! lol.
LOL! Of course, I’ll be there! 😂
You always pick the best GIFs, @PM3. It was a fantastic kiss!
I remember we had a separate rewinder for VHS and Betamax but they rewind til the beginning. We were always reminded not to rewind using the player since it will ruin the tape. We have it so easy these days.
I remember trying to rewind my boyfriend’s tapes when they came out sometimes. Rarely worked. Sort of like trying to rewind a cassette using a bic pen but harder.
Enjoy your rewatch, rewatch and rewatch.
Thanks @pkml3 Oh dear, yes, the days of rewinding and re-watching and hoping the tape didn’t get too scratched or break. In my damp environment it was more often the case that tapes cannot be kept for long, without mould appearing (ugh!).
@Fern, I used to do that with a pen and sound cassette tapes LOL. Spun the poor cassette about like crazy to move the tape over. Never could do that with video cassettes though, so I salute you that you actually managed to move video tapes that way!!
@Janey, see you tomorrow! I liked that Dal Mi finally gave him the true answer (which takes us a long time to figure, I do admit) which was also the answer that he needed to hear. It validated everything he’d been doubtful about because the issue of whether DM loved the letter writer was always a sword over his head.
I agree heartily with the show in that no matter what great impression a person may make remotely, we need to meet and know the person to be sure he/she’s the one. Even if there’d never been a Do San in her life, she’d likely never end up with Ji Pyeong, although she’d be grateful to him. For one thing, with all the opportunities in the world, he never thought to look her up or get to know her. Even with knowledge that Do San was in her life, JP failed to take any action of note.
I’m sorry he’s alone, but he kind of brought that upon himself and he really should widen his perspective in the dating world, because there are many more go-getters like him, and to invest in, like In Jae, for heaven’s sakes.
Eek. Yes good old days. VHS rewinding to rewatch. 😂. And yes to the fear that they would snap in the cassette if you got those high speed rewinders. And then the dismay from a ruined VHS. I remember trying to time it to perfection so I could get to the coveted scene. A bit of an art to it. 😂
lol, Fern! I remember that, too! Using a pen to twirl the gear of a cassette. And I was so careful not to get fingerprints on the tape.
Welcome to our memories of our analog lives.
Kalimera Ladies!
I love Dal-Mi’s answer to Do-San. It was simple, but had some much depth in it.
@GB to continue your train of thought:
Sometimes we idolize some people because at some point in our lives they have been there with us.
But as we getting older and differentiate ourselves, we see them for who they really are and can understand more about them and ourselves in the process.
From the beginning it was Do-San who held my interest. Why?
Because he was truly there present to her life. He was presenting himself with actions and not just empty words.
Do-San found out that Halmeoni had a health problem. What he did he do?
He wanted to make her life better. So he just created Noongil, then he told Dal-Mi about it.
As I have stated in another thread: They were both Visionaries. Vision-oriented, while JP was money-oriented.
When you are younger you are mesmerized by looks and words, but when you are getting older you simply enjoy acts as tokens of love. You just like the person for who he / she is and it is simple as that.
P.S. I am looking forward for our tomorrow’s rewatch!
Kalimera dear @Cleopatra! Ah to be young and to fall in love easily just because of something superficial like looks or the way he tossed his head or played basketball, etc. LOL Good old puppy love.
Yes, our JP was a little slow on the uptake there. He did do stuff but he could never admit to it (like why he went all the way to the back and beyond to pick up Dal Mi) and so she never saw him as a candidate in the romance department until he told her. She was, I think, stunned by that. But that was subsumed under the shock that he was the letter writer.
Yes, I hope to be clear-headed for tomorrow’s re-watch party. I’ve got to faciliate some stuff and my brain has to shift gears, probably with a bit of a screech (like in a car).
ヽ(｡ゝ∀･)☆･ﾟ:*☆
༼ つ ✿◕‿◕✿༽つ
Hey my lovely @GB!
Yes, those were good days (or not so) depending on what happened afterwards! Ha!
We kinda missed them, but better to be wise than sorry!
Still, JP was slow indeed. As we will see in Episode 2, there is a scene where:
Halmeoni is eating dinner with JP. She asked him, do you like Dal-Mi ?
JP lies and says : No.
At the same time, Do-San was asked by Kim Yong-san if he likes Dal-Mi and Do-San answers without hesitating : Yes!
So, that was the breaking point. Each of them reacted accordingly!
I have had a hectic day at TO, so I am trying to relax a bit.
I am hoping tomorrow to be better too!
:*
Hi @Cleopatra, hope your Saturday is more relaxed.
Hi all,
I’m here just finished watching Suzy 10th year live anniversary concert in time for our rewatch.
I’ll see you in a bit, let me get ready.
Hi Ella, I’ve got my cup of juice and am all set.
Here. 🥖🧈☕️ Finishing up my breakfast.
Hi @pkml3, I’m trying to get the autofill to work with my GB name and email. It keeps choosing some other address *eyeroll*
Hope you had a nice, relaxed breakfast!
Hey @GB,
I am here enjoying the afternoon!
Hello @Ladies,
I am here too for SU’s episode 2…!
Will refreshing the page work? Or deleting cookies?
I don’t know what’s wrong with WP. 🥸 I couldn’t get in the password-protected threads unless I’m at “admin” mode earlier.
There you are, @ Cleopatra!
@Cleopatra Great that you’re online! You mentioned in the other post that JP said “No” to the question of whether he liked DM. Not sure if it’s in Ep 2, but we’ll shout out when we see it, ok?
Hey @Packmule3,
I am here too!
@GB,
I got email notifications ! So, I hopped on my laptop!
Of course we are going to shout out in that scene!
I wonder if Janey will wake up on time. 😂 it’ll be 5am in California.
@okml3, I got it to work by managing the autofill from either the email input box below or from the Browser settings. Took me a while to find it. Had to enter my GB email first time and now it’s like before… auto-filling correctly *phew!* It would have been a hassle to type in my long name and email at every post!!!
I’ve a funny feeling I’m going to do more reading and typing than watching this round LOL. We are such a lively bunch. o(〃＾▽＾〃)o
Present! I’m joining tonight’s watch party.
@Ella The SST boys including JP made an appearance. So happy that they all supported Suzy’s fancert! ❤️
that’s in Ep 3 ending, Ep 2 end at networking party haha..
Thanks, GB. I’ve to note this for others who might have trouble autofilling.
Welcome @Diane. Glad you can make it.
You’re welcome @pkml3.
@Diane
Yup so happy that Seung-gi, Joo-hyuk and the SST boys are supporting Suzy’s concert.
Shall we start?
Hey @Ella and @Diane!
So, Suzy had a concert? Interesting! I saw an IG post she did but I didn’t know the context of her posting!
They all did? They attended her “fancert”? Awwww. That’s sweet of them.
What about Stephanie Lee?
Madame President Ella, we have a “lively” bunch for the rewatch.
And it is Live!
Yay! @Ella let’s start! I like the opening credits.
So JP’s is fat is 9% wow! 😛
I don’t know why but only the boys are there lol.. they all send a video message for Suzy congratulating her for her 10 years anniversary debut. She had a free online concert for her fans. Co-stars from Vagabond and StartUp.
The opening credits graphics are more or less in our Do San’s fave RGB colours LOL.
Oooh… the meeting between Grandma and JP is sweet. She only wants him when he needs her and won’t take anything from him … until DM wanted to find Do San.
@Cleopatra She is celebrating 10yrs in the industry hence the concert.
@PM3 Just recorded video. Was wondering why only the boys gave messages. Stephanie and Kang Hana weren’t there.
Halmeoni is so amazing!
I mean they way she cut JP’s card without even flinching!
Did he give Granny another business card? She tore up that one. But she came later with another card and got to see him in office. Or, she stuck that card back together again?
Thank you @Diane for the info!
10 years in the industry and Suzi is 26? wow…
I liked the way Grandma touched JP’s cheek and chin. So motherly. She also holds DM’s face in her hands.
@GB,
She stuck it back together!
DM wants to put on a false show for just 1 day, not knowing that she’s had an imaginary for show pen pal for 1 year. Poor kid. Granny of course cannot say anything.
There’s this drama thing where the lie is supposed to last for only a short time but that never works out. LOL.
hahaha. And Grandma wants to raise it “20 percent” according to Dalmi in Ep 15.
Dalmi: Her goal is making sure your body fat percentage goes over 20.
JP: Over 20 percent? That’s more than what pigs have.
I like how those little details cycle back and tie together in the end.
And here we get to see JP’s nasty attitude to his assistant.
Now that you mentioned the opening credits, GB….
I noticed that the SamSan Tech logo with the three mountains and the Sand Box logo with Dalmi on the swing.
Does JP’s company have a logo??
@GB,
It is the white lies @Packmule3 wrote about in her thread!
One white lie here, another white lie there…
I like the foreshadowing. Mgr Park says there could be a hidden gem or pearl in the mud among the start ups that send in their business plans.
@Cleopatra Granny stuck the card back so well!!! I couldn’t tell it was stuck back together.
@packmule yes there is a logo for SH vc i think it’s blue in color
Seriously JP?
You don’t remember Dal-Mi’s name?
You followed her in Episode 1 and don’t remember? ts ts ts
I really love Dong-Cheon! He is one of the few who truly cares for JP despite his attitude.
@pkml3, Yes I liked the 3 sans (mountains) and how the guys made use of their names with 3 mountain peaks in RGB for their logo. So basic and simple and makes total sense.
@GB,
Halmeoni is awesome!
Grandma sure knows how to cut JP down to size. She knows his weakness.
JG is going on and on about how successful he was. Grandma asks one question:
Are you married?
Not yet.
That’s a problem.
Why’s that a problem?
You’re unmarried in your 30s.
I’m too busy with work.
Bullshit.
Really. It’s fun to be single in your 30s though.
Again with the Lie theme!
Did you guys notice the flower pin on JP’s jacket. He has that during the first few episodes. I remember reading on twitter about fans explaining what it meant.
Dalmi rejecting all the guys bec of Dosan from the letters! Is that really possible if you have a penpal? LOL!
Grandma had no clue that the fake penpal was going to blight DM’s dating life forever. LOL that Granny blames JP for this. Now she uses emotional blackmail to get him to cooperate. Well JP did say he wants to replay her so … 😀
@packmule3,
I am single too.
Breaking stereotypes too..
How nice to wake in the morning looking as blooming as In Jae. They coloured her side of the screen pinker than DM’s side.
I’m here!!! Good morning! Cheers to the rewatch gang!
@GB,
I think she idolized Do-San from the letters and couldn’t find one that matches his league, or so she thought!
Failing eyesight alert!
She couldn’t tell if his business card was upside down. So he was the first one to know… and yes. he doesn’t need to be psychic to know that. (Just like I don’t need to be psychic to know that JP fans were lurking here. lol)
The name of his company?? SH Venture Capital.
Who’s “SH”??
Hey @Janie!
Welcome on board!
I will admit there was a moment I got irritated with Halmeoni! She manipulated Dalmi, Dosan, and JP! I know her intentions were good but the lies!!!
@PM3 I remember your post about the diff types of lies. Very good explanation.
I like how SU did all the mirroring (from Dalmi-Injae to Dosan-Jipyeong).
@Packmule3,
They don’t say what SX stands for!
What we know is that CEO is Mrs. Yoon!
@packmule3
It’s director yoon’s name yoon seon hak
@Diane, do you remember what JP’s fan said about his flower pin?
So DM ties up her hair and her slacker colleague does not like that because it means she means business and is going to fight her way to the top.
What a contrast between the crowd in Lucca and the high class high tea, but it’s in the lower end Lucca that DM makes her ‘killing’. She got the store to break sales records that day.
Smart move to play the song of the JKN group who was going to have a concert nearby.
DalMi is the kind of coworker I love, she’s excited with challenges, she did not slack off and give it her all.
Welcome @Janey!
@pkml3 I thought that JP worked for the SH Venture Capitalist. Did he start that company? If so, then yes, who is SH?
Lousy slacker colleague taking credit although she did nothing to earn the sales.
And now we get to see the pregnant lady aka Assistant Manager Jung who is SaHa’s sister!
There you are Janey!!
Do you stub your toe in the dark when you have to wake up before the sun’s up?
I’m watching this episode very slowly because I want to see all the “loose ends” that the writer tried to connect.
Like the shop. JP was talking about paying back Grandma with interest.
“If I pay you back with interest, you’d be able to open a small shop instead of this.”
In the end, it was Dalmi’s mom who paid her back. She paid her back with companionship and service. Because that’s what Grandma gave to Dalmi; she raised Dalmi for the absentee mom.
It was just fitting that the mom paid her back in “kind.”
I think that’s the writer’s message in this “payback” mentality. There’s an “art form” in repaying someone’s good deed. It’s not monetary either.
I like how Dosan was the ultimate giver in this kdrama.
@Cleopatra I missed that!!! I didn’t know that pregnant colleague is Sa Ha’s sister.
Ah mother still has a soft spot for her younger daughter.
Ah!! Thanks for that info, Ella.
So it’s Director Yoon’s company. JP wasn’t CEO of his own company.
@GB searching now but looks like the JP fans who wrote about it blocked me already. LOL!
When I think about it now, I don’t get the importance of Dalmi’s old friend being Saha’s sister except she was the one who gave the money tree.
@GB,
In Jae is envious of her sister, because her mother is showing interest!
I mean if you think about it they were missing for 15 years and now they came back and In Jae is jealous of her sister?
Yes, we get to see her later on the series too!
jp was team leader, manager level i think then after the time skip he was promoted to director
How I love Kim Won-Hae!
He is an amazing actor! Seriously, you can laugh / cry with his acting!
Chul San is quite forward thinking, wanting to book tickets to San Francisco before even knowing that they’d won the CODA Competition.
LOL. Kids hiding from parent creditors with their colourful cushions.
It’s JP’s calls to all three of them that gets them caught by the parents, who cut off investment. So it’s right that in the end he offers to bail them out.
The good old alarm does the trick!
I’ve been looking at the intro and even that has a story. Samsan tech card outpaces the letters! Then goes to sandbox with the girl in the swing, footsteps to “follow your dream”!
So cute that Dosan is listening to JKN’s song. Same one that Dalmi played in the cafe.
the way they pretend to fall asleep when DoSan’s parent barged in lol..
Do-San you need a haircut!
@Diane, yes… I was wondering if there was any significance in that link with Sa Ha.
@Cleopatra, Seems that In Jae had just come back after a year and mother came to see her but she was also interested in seeing DM again. Yes, sibling rivalry seems to last for all ages.
Did you see Kim Won Hae dressed like a ‘girl’ in Strong Woman Do Bong Soo? I cringed so hard!!!
OOOOOoooh. You’re right, Janey!!!
The Samsan Tech calling card did win the “race” against all the letters in the opening credit!!
Hahaha. Good one!
I like the way that DS can explain tech stuff in lay man’s terms. He did it for his parents and he did that for DM later.
@GB,
I haven’t watched Strong Woman Do Bong Soo yet!
I have seen him in Black, Chocolate and Start-Up.
I read that he is also doing stand up comedy? That is not easy at all!
This is funny. Grandma doesn’t really want Dalmi with JP, does she?
Dalmi wanted to find Dosan-of-the-letters. Grandma tried to dissuade her because she knew she was going to be caught lying.
Grandma: Just remember him as an old friend and move on.
Dalmi: Pfft. Why should I move on? I only have good memories of him?
Grandma: What if he disappoints you? He might turn out to be a loser. Who knows?
Where did that “loser” come from?? She just met JP, didn’t she? She should have said something like “What if he’s already married? He might turn out to be a very successful man with a wife and kid who didn’t want to be bothered?”
lol. She probably thought JP was a loser despite his wealth.
I loved how Dad is called ‘toilet’ by the AI. LOLOL. So they lost their investment. (¬▂¬)
@GB Right? Like she and Dalmi didn’t even have scenes together in the end. So why does she have to be Saha’s sister. LOL!
Dosan’s parents are really funny. Even if the dad was a bit mean to Dosan I couldn’t just bring myself to hate him. And the mom! I love her especially the 30-50-70 rule.
Korean show really loves to include toilet jokes, here we have toilet and toilet paper lol..
@GB,
Although In-Jae was coming to S.Korea she was not meeting with her Dal-Mi. Their first official meeting after 15 years was in the Sandbox Lecture Event in Episode 1.
@Pm3, come to think of it, Grandma could have asked JP to pretend to be Dosan even for just 1 day. But that never entered her mind as an option. JP to repay her would have been forced to say yes.
@Diane,
Do-San’s mom is amazing! I loved the 30-50-70 rule as well!
@packmule3
you made a really good point, if you think about it Halmeoni doesn’t need to find DoSan at all if she thinks that JP is a viable candidate for DalMi, she just need to come clean and introduce the two lol..
LOL, what an introduction to DS, CEO of a Start Up. Poor JP gave up before he even started to persuade DS.
I like the synchronisation of JP telling Granny how hopeless and a mess DS is, while DM locates him in Social Media and makes an appointment to meet him. When she tells Granny, Granny also pounds her head against her arms like DM does.
@GB,
It was so funny for us to watch that encounter. Still, JP thought that DS was a loser and he said all those things to Halmeoni!
I mean how are so sure JP? You don’t even know the guy!
Dosan is so respectful. I like how he even wiped the windshield of JP to remove marks after he accidentally touched it.
True, Janey.
Grandma could have asked him explicitly to pretend to be Dosan. But what she did was asked him to find Dosan.
If he had stepped in instead, he wouldn’t be in that love triangle in the end. That’s probably the “wind” that Yeongshil tried to warn him about. He didn’t “sail” with the wind and he got left behind. Dosan, like the skipper that he was, rode the wind.
@Ella toilet and toilet paper seems like meta for our pandemic year and runs on the supermarket LOL.
Show likes to make DM over-react with anger, joy, embarrassment. But that only lasted for the beginning of the series.
LOL Granny’s expression when she says she found Do San.
Here we get to see Sandbox and the board that foreshadows our story:
[Sandbox is the place] Where dreams are coming true…”
Young-san remembers DalMi’s name from the conference. I always find him the most quick-witted of the bunch
@Cleopatra, Yes, about judging people so fast. I’m surprised that JP is such a highly regarded VC and successful in catching the good Start Ups. He seems to hardly give so many companies a chance in the beginning.
All I can figure is that the sight of Nam Dad chasing DS with a bat probably made DS ineligible.
BTW was there any significance to Yong San saying that Seo Dal Mi’s name was familiar?
@Ella, you answered my question!! Tks.
From that first look in the distance, they had that fated to be together look LOL. Like the OST here.
@GB,
@Ella said it just a while ago! He remembered her talking on that Sandbox Lecture Event!
That moment where Do-San and Dal-Mi look each other, that is love at first sight. For Do-San that is!
Also, Ella, Youngsan had an axe to grind. He was “studying” Sand Box with a critical eye, because as far as he was concerned, his brother’s suicide was directly related the “culture” at Sand Box.
He would try to remember names and incidents because he was mad with the company.
First thing he thinks of when he sees JP is ‘Companion’ the Sherpa Guide and angel LOL. Nothing could be further from that.
@GB, Yong San was there at the conference when DM asked the question to Injae. she said her name there.
When Yong San sees DM in the park, he talked to Chulsan to leave Dosan alone to meet with her. Yong San is the first DoDal couple shipper!
Ever since I heard it, Red Velvet’s Future is one of the songs on repeat in my Spotify.
Poor Dal Mi… more lies thrown at her by the Human Resource Manager. Company just wants cheap labour without ever giving temp staff a permanent position and a better salary with benefits. Most unfair.
I always cringe when I am watching this HR scene.
If you are an HR and you don’t know how to treat your best temp worker then you are not suitable for the job…
Yes, @GB! That synchronization as you said of JP’s dialogue with Granny with DS’s successful search of Dosan was very good editing. It tells the viewers that
a. these two events were occurring simultaneously, and
b. as JP spoke confidently, he was being proven incorrect by “fate.”
I like it when directors and editors go an extra mile to make a clever montage like that. It also tells us viewers the “bias” or the “partiality” of the director/writer for one character. They were setting up JP to be the “fall guy” or the guy who’d misread the situation.
Dosan calling JP an angel… he could have been a good hyung to him or real angel for SST.
Sometimes I think if it would have been a better story if Dalmi liked JP at first (and he didn’t like her back) but after knowing him and seeing that he is not the Dosan from the letters she fell in love with..
Yongsan the smart cookie! Among the three he is the most logical, reasonable, and street smart.
I agree @GB that he is the first #DoDal shipper!
So, here JP is leaving SamSan Tech WITHOUT the letters!
After saying all these malicious things to the boys.
He is cocky and ignorant. Tha is called Hybris, JP. Let us enjoy your downfall! 😛
What flower pin, @ GB?
The one on JP’s lapel at 7:12?? JP’s fans had something to say about that?
I rather like his blue jacket on the black shirt.
I like that his comfort food is corndog. What’s the nutritional value of a corndog?
@pkml3 Yes JP was going to be the guy who misread and misunderstood and now I see him putting DS down. A big mistake because it leads to determining some of the decisions that the guys make with regards to JP in the future. JP’s never been wrong, but his arrogance has to be whittled away.
I like that Les Brown’s quotation “Don’t let someone else’s opinion be your reality.”
I like that DS stood firm and uncompromising. He has his own clear vision although he looks ‘hopeless’ and a ‘mess’ to JP.
I really love “Day & Night” by Jung Seung Hwan.
It highlight all the emotional parts of the series in a meaningful way.
@Cleopatra – that scene when JP left and said harsh words to SST (uncalled for) because he did not get his way – that sealed the deal for me that JP is not a good person. No second lead syndrome for me!
@PM3 Jipyeong fans have an analysis about it. Can’t find the thread anymore (I was blocked). I vaguely remember it has something to do with war heroes or something. Symbolizing peace. He was always wearing it in the first few episodes.
@pkml3 it was @Diane who saw that post about the flower pin but can’t get in to read it now – she got blocked LOL.
So now we have all 3 of them feeling down. DM has to climb up the stairs with a broken heel.
JP is home with ‘Scr*w You” music by Yeongsil LOLOL.
DS is feeling like a loser after the mean things JP says, and all the promise of investments for AI in the newspaper cutouts he kept, that has fallen through.
This is a very long sequence with that song playing. Transition to a change the next day.
@Janie,
I wasn’t into JP from the time he yelled to Halmeoni for the money he earned and he thought she gave them to her son.
I don’t like bullies. I have encountered such a person who is gaslighting others and the victim thinks you are in the wrong.
It is not an easy situation. It took me years to realize what was happened even to me. I decided that I won’t let anyone make me unhappy again and I will do what I can do.
These days, I don’t give away to anyone the power to overwhelm me.
So, now I couldn’t sympathize with JP. He was not mentoring at all. He was cruel.
@GB, I don’t know if you’ve watched the entire show…
Those quotes on Yongsan’s desk are probably Yongsan’s dead brother’s sticky notes. 🙁 He looked up to his brother.
And yes, that quotation actually came true in the end, didn’t it? “Don’t let someone else’s opinion be your reality.” Dosan definitely didn’t let JP’s opinions become his reality. He only wanted guidance, a direction, or a manual to running a corporation, and he would have gone off on his own anyway.
If JP wasn’t so jealous of Dosan from the start (because he needed to compensate for a family) then he would have treated him differently. The thing was JP was himself in denial that he was annoyed with Dosan because of his own personal baggage, and NOT really because Dosan’s actions per se.
Dosan knitting in the train…Don’t you just love guy who knit? ❤️❤️❤️
I like the parallel scenes again…
Dalmi getting the suit from halmeoni
Dosan getting the clippings from his dad
And both showing their love by hugging / putting the blanket
DS reads the letter that makes him decide to meet Dal Mi on his own terms, out of the goodness of his heart, and not because he needs to do anyone a favour or get an investment. Good on him! He should know that he’ll be really out of place in that setting but he goes.
What the music box means to DM is that the same as what the old sneakers from Granny mean to JP? A memory of a gift from someone who cared.
I like the confidence that DM had in that letter and I love that the makeover is done with the guy for the girl instead of vice versa as is normally the case.
We have a pretty melody and a pretty MV to make this scene so significant!
Let us see the most amazing scene in that IJ’s Business Event!
@GB
Yes we got reverse makeover on this show and I love it too. DoSan said later that he wants to make DalMi’s dream come true for one day and he spare no effort with his limitation, I like that he’s the kind who uses what he has in his hand and not the hesitate kind.
@Diane – all of them going home and DM has grandma, DS has his dad, JP has Yeongsil! 😂
@pkml3, Yes I did a quick watch until the end and I saw that about the post it notes and quotations.
True about JP’s baggage. He was jealous because DS had family who had invested in him, and DS took action when he was hanging back. He really sabotaged himself with his attitude and denial.
Love how the lights dimmed just in time for DS to walk in slo-mo style to DM. Then when they meet and greet the lights fade in brighter – illumination!
Okay,
Do-San’s entrance was magnificent! He looks like a Prince that came to rescue Dal-Mi!
@GB, Dal-Mi’s encouraging words gave Do-San the ability to fly. And yes he was like an ugly dumpling in the beginning!
The irony is that DS is really more like the person in the letters than JP seems to be. So much warmer and more giving, so uncalculating. But JP is the opposite!!
OK now for the Epilogue!!
And Episode 2 is over…
That’s a cute parallel @Janey.
Epilogue – Intercuts between CODA people and the guys in Korea is cute.
@Cleopatra, he had seen her and decided to be his absolute best for her, even if for just an hour. He was a cute duckling 😀
Dosan also crossed a bridge on a bike with the suit, when he decided to go to the networking party.
I also like the man make-over! Dosan is “all in” with his efforts. No half baked for our guy.
Dosan: Have you been waiting long?
Dalmi: yes, very long.
I like how their words have double meaning for us viewers. Finally they meet. ❤️
This is the first appearance of one in million chance saying by Chul-san during the epilogue. I miss the samsan tech gang so much.
@GB,
Do-San is indeed a cute duckling!
The Epilogue is amazing! We get to see Alex and his interest for Do-San!
@Cleopatra It was so funny that Alex saw the video clip Do San’s cousin made which was just soooo bad, but Alex loved it. He saw the go-getter in DS.
Wait…what? Diane got blocked?? Here? On this blog?
I don’t recall talking about a flower pin.
@ Ella,
This is where JP could have “repaid” everything he owed Grandma.
Grandma: I have a favor to ask, too.
JP: What?
Grandma: You said you could do anything for me, right?
JP: You said you didn’t want anything.
Grandma: I didn’t. Until yesterday.
JP: What is it? I’m getting scared.
Grandma: There’s no need. It’s very simple. Can you find a person for me?
JP: Of course. Who are you looking for?
Grandma: Do you remember Nam Dosan?
JP: Nam Dosan?? I do. Those letters.
Grandma: I need you to find him.
JP: What? Ms. Choi, we made him….
We couldn’t understand why he was hedging here when he obviously remembered Dalmi the NIGHT before. He followed her (cough. “STALKed” her, JP fans) to Grandma’s stand because he remembered.
So, the question is: why was he pretending NOT to know who Dosan was when he KNEW he was Dosan? Why was he faking it to Grandma?
Well, the answer was simple. He didn’t want to get involved here.
Grandma was asking him for a favor but he did NOT want to help her out. He was DENYING that part of his life and burying his memories of his involvement in that whole silly letter-writing business. He admitted as much to Dosan and the guys when he said that he wished he could forget all that.
But he was forced into this because Grandma called in a favor.
@GB,
Alex in the beginning was an interesting character! That video was hilarious and naive at the same time!
Alex was better than JP in discovering geniuses!
@PM3 Haha sorry for confusing you. I got blocked in Twitter by one of the Jipyeong fans who wrote a an explanation about the flower pin on JP’s lapel.
@ Janey,
There was actually a Netflix Korea clip on instagram that I tried to post on this blog but the instagram wouldn’t show up. GRrrr.
There were selected clips of kdramas shown on Netflix, and all the characters were calling out names of their “favorite person” — or the person whose name they’d call when drunk.
JP called out for …. Yeongsil.
Dosan called out — of course — Dalmi’s name.
And from Hospital Playlist…
Songhwa called out (guess who?) Jwon’s name.
pwahahahaha.
I’ve to post this later. It’s been on my “draft” pile, too, for weeks now.
@pkml3 No Diane was not blocked here on BOD but somewhere else, where JP fans go crazy, I guess.
Yes, the whole charade of JP not remembering Do San or Dal Mi’s name was too much denial. On the one hand he wants to repay Granny, but in the easy way, ie with money. But when given the chance to do what she really needs, he tries to forget. The thing is that Granny still calls him Good Boy. He made good, but I’m not sure that he had yet fulfilled his being a good boy yet even halfway into the series.
I like that Show offers all 4 of the protagonists the challenges exactly where they needed to grow. Even the side characters got challenged to change for the better.
@Cleopatra, true about Alex being a better judge, at least of the kind of people he wanted to grab for himself. He was very clear about what he wanted and a bit ruthless in how he got it… underhanded too because he didn’t make it clear in the end that he didn’t really want the whole company, but that he wanted to take it over so that he could take it apart.
This, GB!
I mentioned this somewhere. When the qualities of the Dosan-in-the-letters were used as yardstick to measure the two men, it was obvious that the real Dosan was THE guy that Dalmi wanted.
Dalmi’s complaint about suitor #1 —
“He’s so rude. He booked those tickets without asking me first. Think of Dosan. He was so careful when he wrote to me for the first time.”
Yes. Dosan was very careful and considerate of her.
Dalmi’s complaint about Suitor #2 —
“He can’t communicate. Think of Dosan. He’s always on my side.”
Yes, Dosan was always on her side. He said he was going to be part of her 71% share; he went along with her plans; he defended her against his own teammates; he went to fight Morning Group CEO for her, and so on…
Dalmi’s complaint against Suitor #3 —
“Grandma, I can’t see this guy anymore. Look at this. He says we’re a ‘batch made in haven.’ It’s ‘heaven,’ not ‘haven.’ What’s ‘batch made in haven?’ And ‘batch?’ Does he think I’m a muffin or something? Think of Dosan. His spelling and grammar were flawless even in elementary school, remember?”
And Dosan was very meticulous about his words, that is, he didn’t believe in “Type A vs Type B,” in comparison to the moon, and in literally, wishing on rainbows.
So yes, Dosan was the idealized version of the Dosan-in-the-letters. But he just didn’t want to be compared to the man in the letters because those weren’t HIS letters that he wrote.
I just got called out for emergency work meeting 😅 I have to catch up with you guys later 😭
Continuing to Ep3 since Uncanny Counter new ep is not yet up. 😊
Ep3 has a lot of comedic moments between JP and DS. The national anthem, texting lessons… 😂
I really liked that even with a nice car and facade of being a hotshot, DS went for instant ramen and ice cream for food. This is DS avatar going rogue, still trying to be himself amidst the lies.
Oh dear, so true @pkml3.
<blockquoteI mentioned this somewhere. When the qualities of the Dosan-in-the-letters were used as yardstick to measure the two men, it was obvious that the real Dosan was THE guy that Dalmi wanted. – It is obvious now to us. (Obviously fanwar shipping girls have missed this.) Anyway, DS did not know what JP had written, only that DM had idealized the letter writer, so he definitely wouldn’t want to be associated with him. It’s natural I guess that no guy wants to be mistaken for another by the girl he likes, but with JP it was even more unpalatable since he was such a meanie to DS.
@GB,
Those guys are cruel. They take what they want in order to maximize the profit of their companies.
He wouldn’t tell Do-San that he didn’t want Dal-Mi or Sa-Ha, the deal wouldn’t close.
Frankly, GB, I’m glad that Alex was *only* written as a ruthless corporate guy instead of a gay man interested in Dosan. When I saw him here, I was worried that the writer was going to toss a gay angle into the story, e.g., have Alex be jealous of Dalmi because Dosan clearly told him that his goal in life was a “person,” and not money or success. I thought Alex was obsessive to ditch everything in San Francisco to pursue Dosan. I didn’t get his motivation.
Anyway, it was a relief that the writer didn’t go down that route.
See you later, Ella!
@Cleopatra, Yup… they have to be ‘heartless’ in order to get only what they want, no more and no less. It was a hard lesson to learn, but the 3-year hiatus was good. It also proved that even after 3 years, JP had nothing to recommend him as bf, since in all that time, he didn’t even try to build a friendship or some relationship with DM.
Ewww sheesh @pkml3. That hadn’t occurred to me about Alex. Thank goodness there was no ‘love’ quadrangle or whatever shape that would take.
I thought that Alex’s job was to scout the best talents for the AI company. He was determined to out bid or do whatever it took to get the guys on board with his company. That’s why he went there since the guys didn’t go over to the US.
Janey, I actually liked Dosan’s hair cut here. So I don’t know why JP told Granny that his haircut was awful (in Episode 3).
Also Dosan had his hair done in a salon. He didn’t do it himself. That’s tell me that despite not having money to spend, he spent money on a decent haircut so he wouldn’t let Dalmi down with his “mountain man” appearance.
@GB,
Lessons are learned with the hard way most of the times. I agree about the 3-years hiatus. It was good to see DM more mature than before. Also, DS was better in the game.
JP couldn’t be DM bf. She though of him as her Mentor, a friend of her grandma’s nothing more.
@Packmule3, No I didn’t what that trope either!
@Cleopatra and Everyone, I’m going offline for now. Catch you all later!!
@PM3, that’s JP nitpicking on DS and building himself up to Grandma. I bet he did not tell Grandma that DS went to the networking party in his own accord. Instead he credit grabbed everything as his hard work.
I like the clean cut hair also! He looked different.
“Scout” is the operative word here, GB. 🙂 Alex just didn’t scout. He basically uprooted himself and plonked himself down in Sand Box to get Dosan. To me, there was more than “professional” interest going on. 🙂
In real life, I would suspect that there was something more going on than mere hiring somebody for their skills. I wouldn’t waste time hiring somebody who didn’t want to be in the company because he could easily up and transfer jobs when a better offer and team come along.
Kalinixta @GB!
Have a nice day ahead everyone!
I will check with you later…
Thanks for the rewatch everyone!!! I’m game for any SU rewatch, in case we have one again.
I’m off to watch ep15 of uncanny counter. Happy weekend!
Alex was about to go with the twins after DoSan rejected his offers. They approached Alex. But then DoSan came in and proposed that Alex take the whole team.
When Samsan tech won demo day and passed the test Alex laid out for DoSan, i think that was when Alex decided that buying out SamSan tech was worthed to hire DoSan and make sure to bind him for 3 years.
Hi Ladies, enjoyed your comments/views here since I’m watching Start-up again. Thank you for these rewatch threads @pm3 Btw, the nutritional value of a corn dog is approx. 260 calories, >40% fat, protein 12-14%, sodium <30%… Lol
Dosan was unconsciously attracted to Dalmi by the time he finished reading her letters… I think that’s the other reason he went to the networking party.
Dalmi's music box held more than a memory, it's prolly reminded her of her parents' divorce. Not opening the box imo reflected her fear of disappointment or disappointing others. I guess that's y she said to Dosan in the letter 'You're my pretty music box.'
Hi there 2uke.
😂 So the corn dogs were bad for him. Grandma was trying to sabotage his 9% body fat already.
You know I’m not a corn dog fan. I love hot dog in a bun. I load it up: Mayo, mustard, relish, a bit of ketchup.
Or sometimes, I have it with chili and cheese.
But the sweetness of the dough used for corn dogs throws me off. 😂
Hi @2uke that’s insightful what you say:
– Yes, to the attraction (elsewhere there is mention that guys don’t bother for girls who do not attract them 😉 )… and this is on top of his having seen her, and how their eyes had met, as he walked towards her with the baseball. We noted above that there was already attraction in that look. We would expect that from Dal Mi since she’d idealised her letter writer, but the sight of DM had also already been favourable to DS. Her letter sealed the deal.
I like what you say about the music box. She was afraid of being disappointed and so had not opened the music box. She likened him to the music box, which although unopened, she was determined to think held beautiful music. For her sake, he was therefore determined to NOT be a disappointing music box. Not only did he not want to be a closed box that might have potential, he wanted to be the best opened ‘pretty’ music box. Therefore he showed up looking super cool and handsome, to do his best.
@Ella and @pkml3
Yes, it was somewhat excessive what Alex did to get himself some good programmers, not likely in the Real World. He wanted the best and the CODA competition threw up the best among AI Image Recognition software engineers. He was prepared to take on the twins if he couldn’t get Do San. So he seemed to have some engineering positions to fill.
When he couldn’t get DS to come in on his own or only with the engineers, he decided (yes, probably at that test he posed) to pretend to take on the whole company, in order to just get the engineers.
@GB Yes! You’ve explained it better than me 🙂 When their eyes met, there was an undercurrent very subtly impressed on them… <3 And absolutely agree your take on DS wanting to be the best opened music box!
Are we doing Ep 3 this weekend?
I’m off on Friday too so if you want a “Friday movie night special” (Friday night for the viewers in Asia), I’m fine with that, too.
I’ll post some pics of cocktails (and mocktails for those who don’t drink or who are underaged) if we’re watching on a Friday night. 😂
@Janey, since it’s early morning for us, I’ll get pics of mimosa, sweet sunrise and Bellini. 🍸
I can do Friday & Saturday anyone else can choose their preference. I will follow you all 😘
Just saw on twitter a new wave of people watching StartUp and happy to report this time without the hysteria (not to be outdone the fangirl still camped on StartUp mention and proclaiming which team they are lol) and few of them even mentioned that they don’t understand the bad review 🤣
Ah, I haven’t had a salty dog for a long while LoL I shd stock up some gin then for Friday movie night 😀
Heheheh! We’re picking up momentum, are we? I’m OK for Friday 29 Jan and Saturday 30 Jan night this week. 9pm is still OK too.
Wish the emojis would render like they used to on WordPress. I could have posted loads of cocktails, champagne, soju and beer for everyone who drinks liquor and fruit juices for those who don’t, plus snacks and tidbits. *sigh*. We could have had a virtual feast while watching together!
2uke,
I’ve had a few virtual Happy Hours and Christmas parties bec of COVID. 😂
But for this blog, it’s all just pretend. I really don’t want you drinking and driv…err… writing. Writing while drunk can cause accidents.
I’ll take the virtual mimosa on Saturday!!! Hope to see you all next week then. 🥂
@pm3 Lol, of course it’s just make pretense. I was joking too… hmm, haha, my mind somehow linked up the corn dog, hot dog and salty dog earlier 😀
@2uke, @PM3, there’s a scene in The Uncanny Counter ep16 – they were gifted with different types of corn dogs! They looked really good and fancy.
@Janey, I saw those corn dogs in The Uncanny Counter and thought about Start Up LOL. Some were gooey or had cheese that could be pulled long and stretchy. I looked it up out of curiosity, because I haven’t seen corn dogs generally.
https://kirbiecravings.com/korean-hot-dogs/
@GB, I’m curious about them too, it’s not the regular way hotdogs are eaten in the US. So thanks for the link! I would like to taste the one with French fries. Seems like the ultimate fried food fusion.
@Janey, you’re welcome. Yes, the ultimate fried food fusion and so darn unhealthy LOL. Fried and double friend carbohydrates are carcinogenic, I believe. Eaten sometimes in moderation, might be OK, but be careful of the effects of continuously consuming it for the long term.
Are we doing Ep 3 on Friday and Ep 4 on Saturday or we want pick one? I’m up for anything.
Corn dog is unhealthy but I love it, the first thing I look for in carnival and Disney, but the rare ocassion make it better, when it’s readily available it’s lost its rare treat charm 😆
@Ella, I’m thinking that if we’re aiming to cover more of the series, then it’ll be Ep 3 on Friday and Ep 4 on Sat. I don’t know if I can keep up with that momentum after this week, but we’ll see.
Over here we have the Chinese New Year break coming up in February. Because we cannot go and visit, we actually have more time at home and for fun stuff like Watch Parties. (ᗒᗊᗕ)
So we can arrange our watch schedule according to the majority’s availability.
I’m fine with both days, too.
Have you tried Deep-fried Twinkies? How about Deep-fried Snickers? Or Deep-fried Oreos? I don’t know if they’re carcinogenic but I call them the trifecta of Deep-fried Diabetes.
What’s up with this newfound popularity of corn dogs in kdramas? It was also featured in “Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol.”
Okay then let’s do Ep3 on Friday and Ep4 on Saturday same time? 9pm singapore?
@packmule3
I’ve tried deep-fried snickers and deep-fried mars bars, it’s too overindulgent for me, something that meant for tester or eat together in a group lol..
@GB
yup it’s the first chinese new year without the round and round of visiting relatives this year
@pkml3
Eewww the deep fried diabetes. Multiple stuff that can lead to ill health alone, now altogether in one package!!!
I believe the overboard incidence of corn dogs could be subliminal advertising. I was trying to see the logo on the yellow boxes in which The Uncanny Counter corn dogs came in, but the camera did not linger on them. However by watching our various protagonists enjoying corn dogs repeatedly, our appetites are being whetted for corn dogs, so that when the overt PPL does pop up, we’ll be all for the stuff and maybe even relieved to finally know the brand name supplying corn dogs!!
@Ella
Okie dokie, let me limber myself up (and obtain supplies) for 2 straight evenings of Watch Partying.
Yes, 9pm Singapore Time (or SGT) will be fine for me. I hope everyone who wants to join us will be available then too.
Kalimera everyone,
I couldn’t reply earlier!
Friday is not working for me, since I will be out at TO and I might can watch the convo but not the episode!
It’s okay thought, if you want to do it 🙂
I will watch Episode 4 with you!
Depending on the workload for week and how much will roll over to Friday, will see if I can join. Saturday is 100% sure.
See yah!!!
P.S.
I would like to add, that on Saturday I am okay too, in case it was not clear.
P.S.2 I just read your comments and it were up to the point. I won’t comment anything else since the memento is over now! 🙂
Correction: memento = momentum*
OK @Cleopatra, however the reverse is true also, ie, if you read our points and find that you want to add / amend something, maybe you can jump in and comment!! Of course if you’re sneaking a peak during work, then don’t get caught!!!
Shoutout to @Cleopatra!!! It’s in Episode 3 that when asked if they liked Dal Mi, JP says ‘No’ and DS says ‘Yes’. So clear who the girl will and should choose. ～̎̎٩(⌒͡∀⌒͡⌯̊)̥̊◦
My lovely @GB!
Yeah!!! to Episode 3 and the question that foreshadowed who Dal-Mi would and should choose! *happy dance*
P.S. It’s been a hectic day! Hopefully, I will write something later on!
Whenever you’re able @Cleopatra! Make sure you have your meal, rest and relax first. (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*
We Asians are very concerned that you have your meals … it’s a form of greeting for some of us ie “Have you eaten?” When you can have your meals, (and be grateful for them), then pretty much everything else will somehow fall in place.
My beautiful @GB,
Thank you for your concern! There are times when I am pretty stressed at TO, that I couldn’t eat properly. Since I realized it though, I am trying to overcome it and to calm down, because it was not good for me.
So, I have told myself no matter how hectic a day might be / much pressure that is applied on my shoulders, I will eat and enjoy what I am eating.
For that reason, I have started listening to my favorite music and so far it has worked for me! Music is like oxygen to me. I was singing, then I took a big hiatus, and now I am singing again.
I am grateful for a lot of things in my life. Being on B.O.D and having met you is one of them! <3
Aw shucks my dear @Cleopatra, I’m flattered. Thanks for your kind words. I’m very happy to have met you too!
Music to de-stress is a very good idea, especially if you can sing out loud and the lyrics match your thoughts. I can’t imagine what the folks in your office would think if you did that during work hours.
My colleagues at one time did that. They’d play the music on their laptops for those around to hear and they’d sing along. It was good that their voices were OK too. LOL. We were OK with that, but it did affect my concentration at times. 😉
@GB,
You are welcome, but I spoke the /(my) truth! *blushes*
I mostly sing when I am alone. If someone else is here, I won’t sing.
One time though, that my Supervisor was here, I was asked why I haven’t been to a talent show… 😀
@Cleopatra, well that’s a testament to how well you sing. You might one day do a flash mob thing with a couple of colleagues and see who else starts singing with you. You may be surprised! (☆^ー^☆)
@GB,
So far only one of them has sung with me.
Still, it is a nice thing to do! I have it in my mind!
@Cleopatra
Sharing an update on GongYoo for you
https://youtu.be/_FEywDazZD8
Oh @Ella,
Thank you! You just made my morning! *sighs*
I enjoyed the BTS mostly, because I heard that cadence of his voice…
how to get my cbd tested