# Start-Up (2020)

> Young entrepreneurs chasing a virtual dream in Korea's cutthroat high-tech industry find love and rivalry tangled up with their ambitions.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/83281

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 72 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, comedy, romance
- Created by: Park Hye-ryun
- Network: tvN
- Cast: Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho, Kang Han-na, Kim Hae-sook, Kim Do-wan, Kim Won-hae, Song Seon-mi
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12867810/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, charming, sincere, competitive, romantic

## What critics say

Viewers broadly praise Start-Up as a charming, well-acted romantic comedy with an inspiring tech-start-up backdrop, though its business plot is secondary to its romance.

## Synopsis

Start-Up (2020) is a South Korean tvN romantic comedy drama series created by Park Hye-ryun and produced by Studio Dragon. Seo Dal-mi (Suzy) and Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) are young entrepreneurs racing to turn virtual dreams into a commercial product in Korea's cutthroat high-tech industry, while Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho) and Won In-jae (Kang Han-na) add a tangle of romantic and professional stakes. The engine of the story is ambition colliding with affection, as each founder pursues investors, rivals and the people they care about. The series is a single-season run of sixteen episodes with a sharp, lighthearted register that mixes business competition with romance and sibling rivalry. Its tone is breezy and charming, with moments of sincerity about family and unrequited love. Set in contemporary Seoul, the show follows the startup scene with glossy office settings and bright digital ambition. Fans of Silicon Valley, Crash Landing on You and It's Okay to Not Be Okay will find resonance in its blend of workplace competition, romantic longing and warm humor.

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