Start-Up is the latest Netflix k-drama to make some huge waves because of the intensely addicting love triangle at its very center. While the series is really about a woman’s quest to start her own million-dollar company, much of the episodes revolve around the budding romance and tension among our three protagonists: computer geek Nam Do-san, future millionaire Seo Dal-mi, and angel investor Ji-pyeong.

Ladies and gentlemen, this love triangle is going to be bloody. It has been a cordial one so far, but as the show progresses, I assure you there will be an extremely disappointed and hateful group of viewers crying over how the romance storyline will turn out.

It’s been a while since I saw my mutuals so intensely divided about a TV show couple which is crazy considering this is just the millionth variant of Cyrano de Bergerac that has hit our screen over the years.

But, even Start-Up was enough to wake me up from a month-long writing hiatus. So you can tell that I am extremely passionate about this topic. To be more specific, I am extremely passionate about spreading the word that Han Ji-pyeong is whom Seo Dal-mi should end up with.

So if you’re a fan of the Nam Do-san, I am already warning you that shots will be fired against him if the title of this article wasn’t a clue already. And if you missed it, read about how your love language reveals whether or not you’re #TeamJipyeong or #TeamDosan!

There are minor spoilers until Episode Ten, so proceed with caution!

1. Ji-pyeong just wants Dal-mi to be happy.

When Seo Dal-mi confronted her sister in the first episode, Ji-pyeong realized that it was the same Seo Dal-mi he exchanged letters with when he was younger. After it hit him, we saw his concern for her as he watched her go crazy at the bus stop and talk with her grandma at the corndog truck.

Since then, he has always looked out for Dal-mi and has influenced a series of events that had her genuine interest at heart… even if she has no idea of his existence. Repeat after me: actions without taking credit are acts of pure love.

He is not Nice Guy-ing his way into her life. Ji-pyeong cares about her happiness first, and her love second. Unlike all the other faux Nice Guys, he does not throw a tantrum in front of Dal-mi because she doesn’t pick him. He is not like Dawson who acts like a spoiled brat when the girl doesn’t pick him.

Instead, he lets Nam Do-san continue their charade because his girl is happy even if it has been killing him.

2. Dal-mi fell in love with the person in the letter.

By no fault of her own, Dal-mi is in a terribly confusing situation. And I’m not going to pretend that I know what she’s going through, but it’s easy to assume that she has her wires all crossed.

How easy is it to separate her feelings between the Do-san from the letters and the real Do-san? I’m guessing not at all. It’s difficult for me to believe the idea that her feelings for the real Do-san have nothing to do with the letters.

Unfortunately, Dal-mi is a grown adult with the emotional experience of an adolescent. For those of us who have gone through first love, we know that it’s pretty easy to be blinded by the idea of romance because it’s fun and new.

You choose to believe all the nice things and turn a blind eye on all the red flags.

Do you remember when Dal-mi just forgave Do-san after she realized that he wasn’t a hotshot CEO? I rest my case.

3. There’s a difference between Ji-pyeong’s lie and Do-san’s lie.

Relationships based on lies will most probably never work out. But this is TV — we’re allowed to suspend our disbelief and bend the rules. That said, wow, doesn’t Do-san jumping on the chance to get together with Dal-mi feel a bit like he’s taking advantage of this opportunity?

There’s a fine line between a white lie and a damaging lie, and Do-san is smacked dab in the middle.

I can already hear you say: “Ji-pyeong also lied to Dal-mi.“

But here’s the thing: their lies are incomparable because of where they come from. First, the original lie of impersonating Do-san in the letters was co-authored by Dal-mi’s grandmother in the wholesome pursuit of friendship.

And he continues to ride on the Lying Train precisely because he doesn’t want Dal-mi to get hurt knowing the truth.

Then there’s Do-san. I’ve entertained the idea that maybe the only reason he agreed to partake in the lie was because he cared about Dal-mi. It’s entirely possible — hell, he even said it himself — but I’m not convinced. And this is where I’ll probably get hurled insults by Camp Team Do-san since this is probably where my bias starts to cloud my judgement.

But I can’t stand by the fact that he continued pretending to be Do-san from the letters just so that he could be with his crush in the early episodes. Do it for Dal-mi’s happiness? Yes. Do it for your own? Hell no!

The fact that he continued to play the role of successful businessman until he realized Dal-mi only likes the “letter version” of him is a manipulative move. To me, deceiving someone who is virtually a stranger just because you like her is extremely problematic.

The reason why Ji-pyeong kept the charade going was because he wanted to see Dal-mi happy. Think about this: he could have revealed his true self and he would’ve gained everything from it. But he chose not to, knowing how much it would crush Dal-mi.

4. Do-san is such a boy.

I was honestly confused when I searched Start-Up after watching the first episode and realized the painfully obvious fact that Seo Dal-mi and Nam Do-san were going to be endgame. The emotional intelligence of both characters are at such a different level that it’s hard to comprehend how they could be a couple in real life.

While Dal-mi is navigating the world in her early twenties, Do-san is stuck in a high school teen drama.

Some may argue that he was immature in the beginning of the show and is starting to grow into a man. Other than developing into a better lover, I personally don’t see anything that would convince me that he has truly grown.

Shattering glass nameplates, crying loudly in front of the doctor’s office, and his affinity for “grand gestures” are so… boy-ish. Yes, he has a heart of gold and a strong sense of empathy, but so do a lot of kindergarteners.

The fact that he would allow his friends to literally cockblock Ji-pyeong in Episode 10 is probably the greatest showcase of his immaturity for me. While Ji-pyeong told Do-san of his intention to pursue Dal-mi right in front of his face, Do-san decided to play dirty.

Contrast that with Dal-mi who has gone through a lot in her life. She does exhibit childlike behavior like her obsession with the Nam Do-san from her childhood, and her constant need to one-up her sister. However, we’re actually seeing her grow out of this as she delves deeper into the start-up world.

Similarly, Ji-pyeong has anger management issues and trouble expressing gratitude towards other people, but you can tell his immature behavior comes from growing up alone. Aside from that, he generally carries himself like someone his age.

Plus, the on-screen chemistry of Dal-mi and Do-san is very much like siblings rather than lovers, but we’re not ready to get bashed for that.

5. Do-san rode Ji-pyeong’s coattails.

This is probably one of the things that bother me most about the Dal-mi and Do-san relationship. Call me a realist but everything just worked out for them like a fairytale. I get that k-dramas aren’t really known for their realistic storylines, but I can’t get behind the fact that Do-san “took the shortcut” to Dal-mi’s heart.

I’m a fan of the trope where the girl doesn’t choose her first love (Ji-pyeong) because in real life, they don’t always work out. For that to work effectively though, we’d have to witness why the “other choice” (Do-san) is the better one.

If Pacey and Joey ended up together by the second season of Dawson’s Creek, people would be angry. It wasn’t until the third season that the show gave us believable scenarios why they would end up together.

And right now, the show is at the proverbial second season. It has not given Ji-pyeong supporters any reason to believe that Do-san is the better choice, other than the fact that he is objectively the nicer person of the two. The fact that Dal-mi fell into Do-san’s lap is still salvageable in my eyes, but writers need to make the latter a bit more likable.

How is Do-san so competitive that he isn’t even the littlest bit grateful of Ji-pyeong’s role in his relationship with Dal-mi? I’m not saying that he should be on his knees worshipping Ji-pyeong, but maybe acknowledging that fact wouldn’t hurt. And can we talk about how arrogant he was in declaring that he doesn’t want Plan B in the final scene of the tenth episode? Maybe you can turn down the vitriol against Ji-pyeong just a little bit.

The show is starting to become like Reply 1994 where it’s become physically painful to watch every episode as the show keeps dragging the love triangle to sadistically make the Second Lead suffer.

And that’s my list of reasons why I’m not ready to jump on the Do-san wagon just yet, but I’m not saying that Ji-pyeong is completely faultless. I would be the first to admit that not telling Dal-mi the truth from the very beginning was stupid in his part.

While we will never know how things would’ve played out had Han Ji-pyeong actually told the truth from the start, we’re stuck in this timeline. Seo Dal-mi will undoubtedly pick Nam Do-san in the end, but maybe if she opened her eyes, she’d see that maybe he’s not the best option for her.

However, there’s still a lot more episodes to go, so we’ll see how it all shakes out.

Are you team Ji-pyeong or team Do-san? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below! For more entertaining commentary on TV shows, click here. Never miss out on anything by following us @ZoomersCornerPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post ‘Start-Up’: Why Han Ji-pyeong is the Better Choice (and Nam Do-San isn’t) appeared first on Zoomers Corner.

Is love in quarantine even real or is everything just a quaranfling? Dating during coronavirus in the Philippines has been one giant obstacle for us singles since we’ve decided to lock ourselves at home.

Even if we wanted to put ourselves out there, it’s become such a challenge to meet new people in these times. And when you do get past the hurdle of having an actual physical date with someone, more challenges you if you want to maintain those relationships.

However, just like the rest of the world, single people have been making ways to adjust to the pandemic. So how exactly has the dating and hookup game changed after more than 100 days in quarantine?

1. Dating apps are becoming a hot commodity.

Since people have been ordered to stay at home, there has been an incessant use of the three dating app giants: Tinder, Bumble & Grindr. In March, Tinder was the highest-grossing app in the world, while Bumble has been seeing lengthier, higher-quality conversations among its users. As a free gift during quarantine, some of these apps have even offered the feature of talking with people from other countries.

Seriously though, how are you going to meet new people the “old-fashioned” way? I can already imagine us zoomers telling our kids how we met our spouses through Tinder during the whole pandemic. That’s gonna be quite the story, isn’t it?

2. You’re forced to be sure about someone.

Dating during coronavirus means having to only meet someone in person when you really need to. I mean, do you really want to risk getting Ms. Rona from a date with a rando that you’re gonna forget about the next day?

While hookups are a totally different ballgame, a person looking for something serious may only want to meet with you if you’re worth the risk. So take it as a compliment when someone asks you out during this time. There’s a chance they’re doing it because they see potential in you as a serious partner.

Or they’re just lonely and need physical touch. That’s a possiblity, too.

3. Netflix and chill has never been more real.

What would your ideal first date be: a picnic in the park, a fancy restaurant, or a trip to the movies? Too bad, ’cause you’re probably just gonna have yours at each other’s places.

This spells disaster for Filipinos where it’s commonplace to stay under your parents’ roof ’til you’re married. There’s also the tiny problem of not being able to run away when the date is going terribly.

But on the other hand, things can become more intimate when you’re just chilling and enjoying each other’s company. Maybe a Netflix and chill date isn’t as bad as you think it is!

… We’ll let you decide what “Netflix and chill” means.

4. Gift-giving is a must.

So the first date went perfectly, but you don’t want to risk getting the virus again. You’re also tired of saying sweet nothings to each other through text. For the older zoomers, maybe you’ve had virtual sex already.

How else do you express your affection but by sending them care packages through Lalamove? Or surprising someone with a treat from GrabFood?

It’s such a lovely gesture to give gifts in an anxiety-inducing time. No matter what you decide to send over to someone, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it a lot.

On that note, we want to express our utmost support and gratitude to the deliverymen who go out there every day being a messenger of love. Tip them handsomely, kids!

5. There’s more paranoia than ever.

Do you know how sometimes a person you meet through Tinder just seems too good to be true?

Well imagine that feeling on top of the thought that they’re just using you to pass boredom. Doubting someone’s true intentions and honesty is probably a dating trend that will continue during these times.

Always make sure you’re cautious of the people you meet online. They might just like the feeling you give them, but they may not necessarily like you.

6. People have become more clingy.

Who knew online dating could be so high-maintenance?

Don’t be surprised if someone seems overly excited to interact with you. With everyone being apart from their friends and family for so long, dating during coronavirus has become a playground for separation anxiety.

This pandemic has already taken a lot from us, so excuse us if we’re a little pushy and clingy and never want the conversation to end.

7. Ghosting is easier.

If you want to try dating during coronavirus, then you better emotionally prepare yourself. Unfortunately, getting ghosted has become a stronger possibility in these times.

Think about it: it’s easier to leave somebody hanging and ignore them forever when it’s become more difficult to physically meet up with each other. Also, with there being more users on these apps, who’s to say that you’re not just another replaceable number for somebody?

It all ties back to the fact that some people right now just want to flirt and go on virtual dates for fun. Nothing more.

This spells trouble for those who are looking to find real romantic partners. One day, you might be thinking of taking the next step with a person but then, they’ll never ever reply back to you again. Like, ever.

So to all my ghosters reading this, please grow up and face the music. Behind the screen, there’s a real person with real feelings. Everyone is more anxious these days, so you’re actually harming someone’s mental disposition and emotional confidence when you ghost them.

We know we kind of ended the article on a sad note. But if you have the self-esteem for it, we don’t see why you shouldn’t try out dating during coronavirus!

And if you’re one of the lucky birds who has had a successful love story during these times, we want to hear you out in the comments. Same goes for the people who want to share their thoughts or own (failed) experiences!

Dating can be a coping mechanism for Filipinos not only because of the pandemic, but because the government decided some things are more important than coronavirus. Read more now!

Featured Image: cottonbro on Pexels

The post How Coronavirus Has Changed the Way Filipinos Date appeared first on Zoomers Corner.