Television series
Start-Up
South Korea's startup scene gets the romance treatment in this 2020 drama about dreamers, hustlers, and the messy collision between ambition and the heart. It's a candy-coloured fairy tale that takes itself seriously, full of banter, montages of people coding at 3am, and the kind of meet-cute that spawns a thousand rewatches. For anyone who loves underdogs, tech optimism, and the fantasy that love and a good idea can change everything.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like romance wrapped around the messy, hopeful business of building something from nothing, with a heroine whose ambition is louder than her bank balance.
Skip it if you want a lean business thriller, because the company plot shares screen time with a romance that leans sweet, sentimental and occasionally goofy.
What it asks of you: Sixteen episodes of patient, cheerful commitment, with the tone drifting from scrappy comedy toward heavier emotional stretches as the story progresses.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Crash Landing on You2019
Similar warmth and chemistry between leads, with the same director's gift for balancing comedy and genuine emotion. A North Korean soldier and a South Korean heiress find each other against impossible odds—swoon-worthy without being saccharine.
But The premise is heightened to fairy-tale levels, and if you want grounded realism over romantic fantasy, you'll find it exhausting.
My Roommate Is a Gumiho2021
The same buoyant energy and chemistry, with a similar blend of comedy, warmth, and the fantasy that the right person can fix almost anything. Jang Ki-yong and Lee Dam have instant, effortless rapport.
But The fantasy elements are much bigger (a nine-tailed fox), so if you preferred Start-Up's grounded setting, this will feel silly.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay2020
A darker, more sophisticated take on love and ambition. Same network, same era, but it goes deeper into trauma and mental health. Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye-ji are extraordinary together.
But Much heavier tone—there's real darkness here, and it's not the uplifting escapism Start-Up offers.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Start-Up
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Shoplifters2018
Both ask: what is family, what is worth building, and at what cost? Start-Up says 'love and ambition can save you'; Shoplifters whispers that love is often all we have, and sometimes it's not enough.
A Japanese film about a family held together by theft and love, finding purpose in chaos. Luminous cinematography and genuine warmth in a story about people with nothing building something from scraps.
But Slow, observational, and deeply sad beneath the surface. It refuses the cathartic ending Start-Up promises—there's no victory lap here.
More like this (5)
Romance Is a Bonus Book2019
About rebuilding after failure and second chances at love. Lee Na-ri and Lee Jong-suk have lovely chemistry, and the publishing world gets the same passion Start-Up gives startups.
But The leads are older and the emotional register is more melancholy. Less fizz, more acceptance.
Because This Is My First Life2017
A smart, funny romance about two pragmatists who make a fake marriage deal. It's genuinely clever writing and the lead pair's banter rivals Start-Up's best moments.
But Very low-key production values and a slower burn. If you're watching for spectacle, you'll be disappointed.
Itaewon Class2020
Park Seo-joon as a man rebuilding after prison, starting a restaurant in Itaewon. The same era as Start-Up but rawer—ambition as revenge. Gorgeously shot and morally complicated.
But Darker and more violent than Start-Up. No romantic fantasy here, just survival and vengeance.
The Uncanny Counter2020
A genre shift: supernatural thriller instead of romance, but the ensemble chemistry and found-family warmth echo Start-Up's best moments. Stylish, fun, and genuinely inventive.
But Requires you to care about action and horror elements. If you're purely here for romance, this trades it for spectacle.
Halt and Catch Fire2014
Both follow idealistic founders building the future, but Halt and Catch Fire refuses Start-Up's reassurance. It asks whether ambition saves you or destroys you—and refuses to choose.
An American series about the birth of personal computing in the 1980s. Gorgeous, restless characters chasing something bigger than themselves through code and hardware. Deep, complex, and gorgeously written.
But Ten times more serious in tone. No rosy montages or romantic payoffs—these people sacrifice everything and the story doesn't pretend that's noble.
People
Cast
Production
- Hwang Ki YongProducer
Recommended by
Silicon Valley, Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, Memories of the Alhambra, One Spring Night, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, When the Weather Is Fine, Our Times, Between Steps, Run On, Record of Youth, Gogh, The Starry Night