**_A great watch … worth it!_** **WARNING**: Contains information others might consider as a spoiler. **I. Story** _a. Episode stories_: Most of the individual episode storylines were good; I enjoyed about nine out of sixteen. _b. Series story_: The title, "Start-Up" (or "Sandbox"), suggests that the show would primarily focus on starting a business or participating in a sandbox program. However, the overarching narrative is more centered around [1] a love triangle and [2] sibling rivalry. The impression from the series title feels like a minor element. It would have been preferable to prioritize things differently: [1] sibling rivalry; [2] start-up/sandbox/business; and [3] love triangle. Regardless… the way the overarching stories unfolded, along with the selection of each episode's story, helped raise the rating for this series. However, it’s disappointing when important plot points are introduced and then never addressed again. For example, Ji Pyung and the sisters met as children. It also seemed odd that someone could pitch a company while injured—that doesn’t typically happen in reality. **II. Acting** The acting is where I had to give a lower rating. There were too many crying scenes with neutral facial expressions; it was obvious they were just performing rather than genuinely feeling and expressing emotion. I'm a fan of Suzy, but I need to mention this: she should relax more during kissing scenes—let us feel something, and it doesn’t have to be overly dramatic. Romantic kisses can still be effective without excessive lip action. There's room for improvement here; I appreciate her acting and the life she brings to her characters, but those kissing scenes need work. Relax, take your time, don’t make it wild—instead, aim for romance. Imagine he’s your boyfriend or a secret desire. You want to savor the moment and let him sense your feelings. As for Joo Hyuk, he did a great job portraying what seems like an eccentric character, possibly even someone with autism. It's not easy for actors who don't have that experience—particularly when it comes to Asperger’s syndrome. He played a very geeky, logical person focused on facts and oblivious to everything else, especially fashion and social cues. The scenes where Dal Mi was sending signals and Do San missed them all were excellent. They were sometimes frustrating but also relatable. His neutral expression, returning to the topic at hand—it’s definitely a character with Asperger's syndrome. Well done. Han Na did an excellent job maintaining a sense of mystery around her character. It wasn’t easy when In Jae had a change of heart, especially concerning her sister. There were hints and clues, but then things would shift completely in the opposite direction. This is something that happens in real life, so it was good to see it portrayed on screen. **III. Music** This one's tough; I can’t recall any memorable music beyond the theme songs. **IV. Rewatch Value** It’s definitely on my list of series I’ll choose to watch again. **V. Summary** Overall, the production quality, story, and acting were impressive. Including business terminology and explaining it was a very good idea. Explaining the processes, the whys, and the hows—that's a definite plus. It would have been better if they hadn’t relied so much on “young adult” giggles because that rarely happens in real life. They should've also explored the concept of sandbox more, showing what it is and what happens within it, rather than just providing free office space and funding. The "revolutionary" ideas were well thought out, especially the app designed to help people with vision challenges. I hope such an app exists someday—we haven’t achieved that level of AI recognition yet, but it's something to look forward to. The scene selections were great; I wish they had added more, like a team-building session showcasing Korea’s beauty instead of just the same office setting. From a dramatic first episode and humorous episodes afterward, through the development of challenges and setbacks, to the eventual resolution in the later episodes—it was enough to raise the overall rating to 9 out of 10 stars.

Source on TMDB