Apostando Alto (2020)

Potential Coming of Age Drama in the Business World Fell Flat

I just wanted to start out that I watched all the episodes in hopes of some sort of redemption in the plot. Why I still had hopes? I do not know, but I hoped for it to do better than what they gave to us. The reasoning to how I reviewed this is that I saw this drama as a coming-of-age story, but it was not really one, hence the disappointment.

STORY (slight spoilers on general events in plotline)
Can I say that this drama had so much potential to go the distance? We have been seeing a trend lately in the K-drama realm with the coming-of-age theme. This one had such a great premise of the underdogs in life pushing to succeed in today’s society where it seems like you have to have the right connections. I guess they were trying to push it here that the right connections meant that you had to be rich. Also, money was a prevalent theme. Ji Pyeong and his money at the beginning, Dalmi’s father and mother divorcing because of money. Grandma’s money being what gets the family through hardships. Dalmi betting on 10,000 won(?) with In Jae. We see that money does not mean much as we get deeper into the plot. Obviously, the rich stepfather does not treat Dalmi’s mother and sister with respect. Ji Pyeong is rich, but still feels lonely. Sa Ha has a great paying job but dislikes it.

I liked the theme of family and friendship in here though. Probably why I could push myself to finish the series. First, we have our Samsan Tech trio of Nam Do San, Kim Yong San, and Lee Cheol San. They have created Samsan Tech together and as they grew up together, helped each other out the best that they can with their abilities. They make life goals together to make sure that they stick together, and they know each other well. They balance each other out with their strengths and their weaknesses and make a funny trio once they are together.

We have Dalmi’s grandma and dad who fight so hard to keep her happy with what they have. Then Dalmi’s grandma is the sweetest human being who just wants to shower Ji Pyeong our “good boy” with all the love he should have received from a family member.

Then we have Nam Do San’s dad who is kind of toxic and overbearing. He who wants the best for his son and expects his son to be the best. I think this portrays a common Asian parent, at least in my life it rings true. My favorite part of their relationship is when Nam Do San finally confronts his dad and tells them to stop being each other’s pride and joy and instead be father and son in episode 10. I think we as human beings have a hard time fulfilling those huge shoes that people expect us to wear and then run with.

I do want to say that there was not much chemistry between the main lead, female lead, or the second male lead at all. They should have just scraped the triangle love story and just made it an epic story on the cutthroat business industry.

ACTING/CAST/CHARACTERS (some spoilers)
SUZY did a great job acting as the resilient Dal Mi that did not let anything stand in her way. Her character is strong, upfront with what she wants, and does not stand down. Yet, what threw me off was the start of her character when she was all grown up. She worked many part-time jobs and seemed like a pushover. I would have loved to see her character already trying to pursue her entrepreneurship journey like her father. Why did it take the appearance of Won In Jae to make her want to pursue her dreams? Why use the premise of revenge when it was never really revenge in the first place? She just wanted to prove In Jae wrong that she can also do well in life without a rich father. I think her character was one of the main ones that fell kind of flat with character development. As the main focus of the show, I expected more. She had her quick-witted moments, but I did not see any overarching development. She stays pretty stagnant except for the fact that she was able to forgive her mom and sister.

I could bypass anything in their relationship and how they came together and stayed together. However, I did not quite understand her fetish with Nam Do San’s hands… like at all. It was not cute and it was just weird.

NAM JOO HYUK did as well as his character had the capacity to. In fact, I think he did great as the awkward nerdy guy who does not know how to communicate well. His crying was great, and I do not think his acting fell short. Nam Do San though… man how can this guy be the main lead? There was little to no character development with Do San. Yes, he confessed his “sins”, became a little stronger, and less of a pushover. However, his whole backstory and his development just fell short of Kim Yong San.

I do not understand a lot of things about his character and I am quite disappointed how the writers decided to just slap and through things together and called it good. For example, him wanting Dal Mi more than his business. This girl was literally introduced to you through a person and some letters. You saw her once and then it was like “she is the one” and “I have to have her forever”. This logic just does not make sense to me. Especially when his character does not care too much for a woman. And there was just not enough push to make me see why Do San feels like his ultimate goal is Dal Mi. Samsan Tech on the other hand was something he and his friends built together. It was something he felt like he had to prove to his father that he had to do and succeed in to remove that barrier of being a failure. Like he had to redeem for his past mistakes because all those other moments were not enough.

I feel like his character could have easily been my favorite out of the show if they wrote him better.

KIM SEON HO was everyone’s favorite “good boy”. His crying is phenomenal, it's top tier tears. I did not care much for him as a second lead and did not have second lead syndrome. However, I liked his backstory the most and his side story with the grandma. I liked how they continued to develop his character until the very end, although I feel like it was kind of awkwardly/suddenly thrown in with Yong San. Like, "we need to give Yong San a backstory. How about we tie it back when the drama is almost over". (Btw, those little clips of the hoodie guy did not give me any suspense as to what could have happened/will happen. Hence, why I feel like it was poorly done.)

KANG HA NA is such a great actress, and I am upset that she did not appear much in the drama, even as a “main role”. I love how her fight was never with Dal Mi, instead, it was with herself. I think that is the most beautiful type of development in a person when you stop fighting with others and fighting your own demons. She realized that early on while Dal Mi was still being immature.

I could go on, but I do not want to drag this, so honorable mentions to KIM HAE SOOK, KIM DO WAN, YOO SOO BIN, and STEPHANIE LEE!

MUSIC
They had a great OST soundtrack and artist line up. Our Gaho, Kim Feel, Ailee, Davichi, Jamie, BOL4, Eunji, Kassy, K.Will, Red Velvet, Oh My Girl, Jung Seung Hwan, CHEEZE, Sandeul, etc.

RE-WATCH VALUE
I probably would never re-watch this at all. It did not have any moments where I feel like would make me have to revisit it.

OVERALL (Spoilers)
I am just sad that there was not enough cutthroat business, real-life situations that were thrown in. I feel like the whole stepfather butting in could be applicable in some situations but not in all cases. The whole Ji Pyeong being a ruthless mentor/judge is very true out there and I appreciate that they brought that up. I guess as an entrepreneurship student, I hoped they could have done better.

Can I just mention that I was upset that Yong San, Cheol San, and Sa Ha did not show up to walk side by side with them in the ending scene?! Like that was such a huge slap in the face to their characters and hard work. They really pushed the show for me and were pivotal to the story. While In Jae and Ji Pyeong were important characters, I thought that the “teamwork” and “underdogs” were going to walk to greatness together.

Leia Mais

Mindblowing

Absolutely love it. If you want to enjoy this drama, don’t read the comments although you probably are since you are reading this (lol). Even though the first few episodes are very misleading when it comes to romance; Second Lead feels like Main Lead and it's also easier to emphasize with the Female Lead and Second Lead more (past connection - hope) than the Female and Male Lead. But this drama show you that you have to move on from your past and live in the present as Female Lead does even as she struggles to face reality (lies) in the beginning. But still, Han Ji Pyung [our SL] was the best character in this show: Caring, Self-Made, and a Realist. This drama was really interesting and it showed an essential part of a “Start-Up” business and character development which I really loved.

Leia Mais

Failed to end the story

In the first few episodes, I was so impressed with the story, cinematography, and acting. But on the last two episodes, I feel bored at all.

The letter which was the start of everything just vanished in the end. I don't really like the attitude of Nam Do San and one of his friend (the vlogger). Tbh, I really wanted to skip all of their scenes because it makes me cringe so hard. But I can't because I am looking forward for the next scenes coming.

The story was a fresh breath of air for a K-Drama fan like me who watched too many genres.

The writer did dirty to Hang Just Pyeong, who beat the main couple and steal the hearts of the viewers. Why did they start from creating a Han Ji Pyeong who always been good to Dal Mi. Unlike Do San, who's a cry baby, Ji Pyeong should be the one that Dal Mi chose.

That's it, I was just frustrated in the end and by Nam Do San's character but overall, I enjoy watching this drama.

OST's are sooooooo good!! I love it

Leia Mais

Worth drama to watch with strong second lead syndrome :)

Episode awal bener2 gebrakan baru, tema baru cerita baru, cast2 pilihan terbaik, dan plotnya freshhhh banget asli suka banget sama heroic dad aka ayahnya Dal Mi, good boy Han Ji Pyeong kecil aka Nam Da Reum sama Halmeoni. Itu semua scene2 terbaik menurut aku selama nonton Start Up. Memang setelah di episode pertengahan storyline nya jadi agak ngebosenin, fokusnya ke love triangle nya mereka yang menurutku sedikit over sih, terutama karakter Nam Do San yang kadang keras kepala bikin emosi dan seringnya seakan-akan ngejatuhin Han Ji Pyeong. Tapi aku paham sih, soalnya karakternya dia kan dah digambarin dari awal kalo dia ngga pekaan dan terlalu logis. Penyelamat aku bisa ngelewatin masa2 ngebosenin itu adalah karena Han Ji Pyeong. Yang kaya orang2 reviewer bilang, character development Han Ji Pyeong yang paling dapet dan jelas. Lagi-lagi scene terbaik di pertengahan itu scene Han Ji Pyeong sama Halmeoni, terutama pas dia nangis setelah sadar sifatnya dia yang terlalu kejam sama perintis baru. Dan akhirnya, episode akhir2an Seo Dal Mi juga berkembang, berulang kali memperbarui mimpi karena satu per satu dah tercapai dan pengin bermimpi lebih tinggi lagi. Ditutup happy ending, buat keempat karakter utama, Seo Dal Mi, Nam Do San, Han Ji Pyeong, Seo In Jae, yang akhirnya bisa jalan di jalan yang sama dan bikin mimpi2 mereka jadi kenyataan. Btw aku juga suka karakter Seo In Jae yang tegas, wawasan luas, trus karena dia kakak, dia perhatian sama adiknya tapi dengan cara dia sendiri. Paling suka saat dia balik lagi ke marga Seo dan kumpul bareng keluarganya. OST nya juga mendukung bangett, asliii, suasananya jadi makin hidup dan lagunya bagus2. Pokoknya tetep dukung Start Up, dan second lead syndrome ;D

Leia Mais

My ratings breakdown

I give this drama a 5 rating... to justify, this is my breakdown:
Seo Dal mi - minus 200 pts for choosing Dosan
Nam Do san- minus 300 pts for being a crybaby
Screenwiter- minus 495 pts for being such a cruel bitch!
Han Ji pyeong- 1000 pts
Breakdown: acting- 500 pts + dimples- 500 pts

Total rating- 5 pts
Apparently I need to rant more because my review needs 500 characters. So here it is... JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG...JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG...JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG...JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG...JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG....JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG...JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG...JUSTICE FOR JIPYEONG

Leia Mais

No es lo que esperaba.

Primero, me gustaría mencionar que es importante que aprendamos a separar a los actores de los personajes. Los actores hicieron un excelente trabajo al llevar a la vida a cada uno de los personajes de Start Up, no obstante mi critica es más bien dirigida a la historia y al guion.

Personalmente quise iniciar el drama por mi fanatismo por Nam Joo Hyuk, lo sigo desde hace meses y ya he visto todos sus trabajos y estaba realmente emocionada por este drama. El primer capítulo fue maravilloso, más de lo que hubiera esperado, estuvo lleno de emociones, fue hermoso y significativo y la actuación de Kim Joo-hun fue magistral.

Hablemos de los protagonistas, al principio Dal Mi me pareció un personaje fascinante. una mujer valiente, trabajadora, persistente y con ganas de salir adelante y Do San un hombre dulce, inocente, tierno con un buen corazón, tenía muchas expectativas del potencial que pudieran alcanzar estos personajes pero desafortunadamente no fue así. Dal Mi de ser una mujer independiente y luchadora se convirtió en un personaje estancado y desgraciadamente no volvimos a ver a la Dal Mi que presentaron en los primeros capítulos, fue poco consistente y muy impredecible. Do San de ser un chico dulce y tierno pasó a ser un personaje inmaduro, impulsivo y en unas ocasiones hasta molesto. No me gustó que se les viera un ''desarrollo'' a sus personajes hasta el último capítulo de una manera muy apresurada cuando pudieron ir construyendo su crecimiento desde el principio.

No me molesta la pareja principal, siento que desde el principio fue evidente con quien se quedaría Dal Mi, pero eso no quita el hecho que el triangulo amoroso fue innecesariamente largo y pudo ser terminado fácilmente desde el capitulo 9 o 10. La única justificación a que lo alargaran tanto, fue el hacer sufrir al personaje de Han Ji Pyung y darle esperanza a sus fans para que continuaran con el drama. La escenas de Han Ji Pyung y Halmeoni fueron las mejores, son las que más disfrute y las más significativas.
El personaje de In Jae que se suponía que era un personaje protagónico pasó a ser un personaje recurrente del cual no se vio mucho y dejaron de lado por darle importancia a otros aspectos que no eran necesarios en la historia.

En conclusión:
Si estas buscando un drama de negocios, con buena historia, buen desarrollo de personajes, realista y con un final diferente, este drama NO es para ti.
Si buscas un drama de romance, con buen elenco y excelentes actuaciones quizá te guste.

Yo no lo volvería a ver y no lo recomendaría.

Leia Mais

SO BORING. Bummed because I was really looking forward to this...

I'm sorry, this drama is so boring. I'm so disappointed because I was really looking forward to it because I love Kim Seon Ho and his deadpan humor and I really like Nam Joo Hyuk as well. I think a big chunk of the problem is because of Suzy. I'm sorry, but they need to stop giving her lead roles. I think she is so pretty and I was a fan of her during her Miss A days, but as an actress, she never makes me feel anything. She's got blank eyes. And because she doesn't emote any feelings, I can't connect or root for her character so I just wind up not caring. She also doesn't generate any chemistry with her co-stars with the exception of Dream High. If there's no chemi, then it gets boring which results with me dropping the drama. I keep hoping she'll improve, but keep getting disappointed. I don't know if this drama could have been saved with a better actress, but I feel like it would have been a lot better if there was chemistry.

I know other people feel differently, but this is just my opinion.

Leia Mais

MY FAVOURITE-EST SHOWS OF ALL TIMES

This is hands down my favourite kdramas of all time. I became a Kdrama addict because of this series. I keep coming back to this kdrama over and over again, because I am absolutely, completely in love with the characters and their stories and their transformative journeys over the years. "Who is Dal mi going to be with finally" was the question that legit plagued me till the 13th episode. And I love it that even after becoming big, Nam Do san was still the dorky introvert that he was depicted to be in the first episode. I agree that Han Ji Pyeong's reasoning behind not pursuing Dal mi was a little weak, but its okay... It felt as if Han Ji Pyeong realised it himself that he doesn't stand a chance next to Nam Do San. But all the flaws aside, CAN WE TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE NAM JOO HYUK IN THIS DRAMA? THE BEST DORK EVER. He was so cute and dorky and introverted, I truly did not understand how it was not apparent to every viewer right from episode one that he's The One. And I loved it that the writers moved away from the childhood lovers cliche to bring in a stranger into the mix, and make him the love interest of the lady, because THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. The chances of childhood crushes coming to life is close to nil, and it doesn't make sense to keep egging it on. The most beautiful thing about this drama was Ji Pyeong's relationship with Dal-mi's Halmeoni. I vouched for their relationship way more than any love interest shown in the series, tbh. Also the OST is so lovely, I've been listening to it on repeat. Overall, I love this drama, and this is perhaps the only kdrama that I've rewatched, and also the only drama that receives a 10 on 10 for me. Of course, there are flaws to this drama, but given the pivotal role this kdrama has played in my life (I spent the next 6 months of my life just binge-watching kdramas EVERY DAY nonstop), I think it deserves a 10 just for introducing me to the world of kdramas.

Leia Mais

Good to watch

Good to watch
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Leia Mais

Se perdeu no processo

O primeiro ep é simplesmente fantástico e me fez ficar bastante animado, apenas para me decepcionar em poucos eps depois, Ji-pyeong e o pai da Dal-mi foram os melhores personagens da obra pra mim, a vovo seria perfeita se a obra não ignorasse o fato de simplesmente ela ser a responsável por tudo, e mesmo assim nunca acontecer nada narrativamente(sobre as cartas) com ela.

Outro ponto que não curti foi que o Ji-pyeong ajudou os outros MCs em tudo, mas ele nunca levava credito enquanto os outros sim, se não fosse por ele a Dal-mi teria encontrado um Do-san totalmente fracassado, que não iria pra festa pois não leu as cartas, e assim a Dal-mi não teria a ideia de abrir uma start-up e o Do-san tbm nao iria pra Sandbox, enquanto o Ji-pyeong fazia tudo os outros personagens( como a propia vovo) estavam deboa sem nenhuma consequência...

A personagem da Dal-mi que começa como uma mulher forte, determinada e independente se torna uma protagonista comum atrás do MC.

O personagem do Do-san que é simplesmente um red flag, ele tem tudo, 2 amigos fieis, familia, apoio, investimento por anos(mesmo sem retorno) e mesmo assim reclamava da vida "injusta" e que ele nao tem "nada"(o que mais voce quer krlh?), enquanto o propio Ji-pyeong saiu do limbo e se tornou rico sozinho basicamente, o personagem do Do-san é uma mentira, a relação dele com a Dal-mi começa como uma mentira, e ele continua alimentando isso adicionando mais mentiras e manipulando a relação deles, ele tira vantagem da situação e da bondade do Ji-pyeong que simplesmente salvou eles em diversas situações, até mesmo bateu nele(seu mentor) por um comentário profissional sobre a Dalmi, nem a Olimpiada que ele ganhou foi de verdade, ele é um egocêntrico narcisista, a base dele é ser o "protetor" da Dal-mi e é algo bem ridiculo como a obra pos e desenvolve isso.

A Dal-mi perdeu o pai, tem uma vó com problemas de visao e um parte da familia como "inimiga".
O Ji-pyeong é orfão, teve que aprender tudo sozinho e se virou do zero se tornando rico sozinho.
O amigo do Do-san perdeu um irmao que se suicidou.
Mas o grande Do-san que teve TUDO tem uma vida "difícil" e sofrida sim kkkk, e pra piorar ele se torna o mais bem sucedido kkk

A obra tem um bom inicio narrativo para o mundo dos "negocios" e start up, mas é tudo algo MUITO superficial, o núcleo principal tem basicamente 0 experiência , esperamos um desenvolvimento deles aprendendo a lidar/gerenciar uma "start up" lentamente e enfrentando problemas e dificuldades, mas sem planejamento e apenas "sorte" tudo da certo e depois eles vendem a empresa em 1 funcking dia.

Os personagens principais(tirando o Ji-pyeong) são imaturos e inconsistentes(isso sendo adultos de 24+ anos), tomam decisões de negócios baseada puramente em sentimentos como inveja e a euforia do momento, isso é algo muito incoerente, bater no seu >mentor< por dar uma opinião PROFISSIONAL e não acontecer nada... Mas magicamente tudo da certo pra eles pois bem, eles apostaram alto.

Por ultimo: Time skip sem sentido, os personagens congelaram no tempo? Não mudaram nada, simplesmente aparecem todos bem sucedidos...

Nota final: 5/10
Primeiro ep: 9.5/10

Leia Mais