Start-Up is a Korean TV series that came to Netflix last year, starring Nam Joo-yuk, Bae Suzy, Kim Seon-ho, and Kang Han Na. It follows the story of young people who want to build start-ups and make the world a better place. For young entrepreneurs and people of any age who want to set up their businesses or start-ups, this series is inspiring and comes with a lot of information about what it means to have your own company.
Of course, just like other great Korean dramas, it isn’t without its backstories and memorable scenes and characters. Not only do you find yourself invested in the life of the heroine, Seo Dal Mi (played by Bae Suzy), you also learn about her dear grandmother, her estranged mother and older sister, and father who left her a legacy in a beautiful and touching way.
One of the highlights of this series is the character of Nam Do San, as portrayed by Nam Joo-hyuk, who does an incredible job in portraying Do San as he transitions from cute, goofy nerd to a highly respected developer.
In contrast to the last character analysis I created of Cha Dae Woong (Lee Seung-gi), the hero from My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, this character analysis of Nam Do San is going to be quite different. Instead of highlighting his journey (as I did with Lee Seung-gi’s character), I will simply be listing the reasons why Nam Do San’s character shines the way it does and why I will forever be #TeamNamDoSan.
Nam Do San is a static round character. In literature (and movies and TV series as well), there are usually two kinds of characters, flat and round. Flat characters are two-dimensional and they don’t change much. Round characters, on the other hand, go through some conflict (whether external or internal), that is resolved at the end of the series.
When it comes to round characters, there are also two kinds: dynamic and static. Dynamic round characters undergo a major change or shift in their worldview or personality or perspective at the end of the story. Cha Dae Woong is an example of a dynamic round character with a lot of growth—he started as a selfish boy and grew into a selfless young man who was willing to do anything to save the girl he loves.
Static round characters, on the other hand, change as well, but they usually have personalities or beliefs that remain unchanged from beginning to end. Nam Do San is a great example of a static round character and I’ll explain more of that later as I list the 6 reasons why I will always and forever be #TeamNamDoSan.
1. Nam Do San helps Dal Mi because he wants to…and not because of any ulterior motives.
When Nam Do San first finds out about the letters and Dal Mi and what Han Ji Pyeong and Halmeoni did, he is confused and unsure what to do. His friends convince him that they have the upper hand because Ji Pyeong needs Nam Do San and so they try to strike a deal. Ji Pyeong first offers them money, but the three refuse and ask for an entrance to Sandbox instead. When Ji Pyeong says he cannot do that because he doesn’t have the power or authority, the deal falls through. The Samsan Tech guys refuse to help Ji Pyeong. Or so we think.
After going through the letters another time, Do San decides to go to the networking party and appear before Dal Mi to help her out with whatever she needs. He doesn’t phone Ji Pyeong to tell him that he’ll take the money instead. He doesn’t look for something to compensate for the hassle. He just goes for no other reason than he wants to help this nameless, faceless girl whom he has never heard of before. He didn’t have to go and he didn’t have a reason to do it without anything in return, but still, he did.
Nam Do san also created NoonGil for Halmeoni, not so that Dal Mi would like him, but because he knew that the technology in their hands was powerful enough to help the lives of other people.
2. Nam Do San is there when it matters the most.
One of my most favourite scenes is when he comes back from the US and helps Dal Mi with the ransomware attack. It’s sort of like a déjà vu because of an experience he had with Chul San where he also stopped a hacker from destroying all the files in the company where Chul San used to work. Just like in that scene where he went to Dal Mi at the networking party, Do San didn’t have to help her out this time.
The last time they had seen each other was three years ago during a messy breakup that never had any proper closure. They hadn’t had any contact for three years and he wasn’t even going to see her anyway, but the moment he heard that Dal Mi needed help, he put aside his hurt to help her out.
3. Nam Do San is cute, goofy, and humble.
Let me guess—you didn’t think knitting was a cool thing until you saw this TV series, right? Kidding aside, Nam Do San has such a pure, sweet heart. It was fun watching him geek out and try to explain in a scientific way why coincidences don’t work or why rainbows won’t grant your wishes.
The best thing about his pure heart, however, is his humility. I can’t count the times he was hurt by people who would put him and his dream down with their words—yes, I get being honest, but the need to be frank does not give you an excuse to talk down at someone—and while he would be miserable and sullen at first, more often than not, he would take a step back and realise areas where he could learn.
It’s not easy admitting that you can’t be CEO of your own company—your life, sweat, blood, tears—but he realised it and got Dal Mi on board to help him out with the business side of their start-up. He was humble enough to go to Alex and ask him to keep NoonGil (or at least not get rid of the app until some people can take charge of it).
Even when he came back to Korea, his experience at 2STO didn’t make him arrogant. Aside from looking better dressed, the last scenes show pretty much the same Do San that you see in the opening scenes. That’s because he is, as I mentioned earlier, a static round character. His beliefs don’t change, his worldview remains the same. His perspective on life and what he and the others had to go through may have changed a bit (he realised that he was meant to go and work at 2STO instead of fighting to keep his company alive), but they don’t change the very core of who he is.
4. At some point, Nam Do San decides he’s done telling lies.
This isn’t a comparison-and-contrast post between the two gentlemen in question, but it’s worth realising that Episode 9 distinguishes the difference between them. In this episode, Nam Do san starts telling his parents about how he cheated and accidentally became a math whiz. It’s also in this episode that he resolves to tell Dal Mi the truth about the letters. In the same episode, however, we see Han Ji Pyeong telling Halmeoni that he’ll retrieve Dal Mi’s last letter from the mailbox where they used to leave letters to each other and give it to Do San. Another lie on top of all the lies that already exist.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a guy who might not be so well-off, who might not be popular or even smart, but who will tell me the truth, even if it is hard.
Nam Do San’s decision to tell the truth even if it means that others might see him differently is a scary but courageous choice. How many people are willing to admit their mistakes even if it might mean the people you love turning away from you? Here he is, thrust into a situation he didn’t choose, but the choice to tell the truth about the whole matter comes from him first.
5. Nam Do San is loyal.
At the start of the Hackathon in Sandbox, when both Dal Mi and Injae approached Do San and asked him to become their developer, Do San chose Dal Mi. Of course, the wiser and more practical choice would have been Injae, given her expertise. If he was after success, he would have chosen Injae’s team. But he didn’t. He chose Dal Mi even if she knew she might not be that experienced.
Perhaps it’s because of gratitude that she didn’t kick him out when finding out that he wasn’t the successful businessman he pretended to be. Perhaps it’s because he remembered the things Injae had said to Dal Mi at the networking party and wanted to help her and protect her. Whatever his reasons may have been, he was loyal just the same. He was also loyal to Samsan Tech and the members of Samsan Tech when they were offered that outrageous proposal by Morning Group. He could have taken it in exchange for the publicity they desperately needed, but he chose instead to protect his team.
6. Nam Do San is the type to journey with his friends.
Despite his shortcomings and failure to realise things until you have to spell it out to him, Do San is such an amazing friend. He’s the kind you’d want to have by your side, the person who’s got your back, through the ups and downs of life. He journeys with all the Samsan Tech people and helps them out when he can, despite the various disagreements they might have. You can clearly see the love he has for his friends, especially Yong San and Chul San, with the shares-and-milk incident.
At the end of the series, I realised that Nam Do San may not be the typical male lead that dramas often have. He’s not super-rich with flashy cars and a bespoke suit. He takes the bus, wears sweaters, knits during his downtime, and can’t pick up a hint when a girl is interested in him. Nevertheless, this adorably awkward character gets first place in the hearts of many viewers simply because he is a true, loyal, and caring friend who is there when it matters the most. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what you want to have.
I am Team Nam Do San exactly for these reasons: his childhood wasn’t easy, he grew up under pressure and with impostor syndrome, yet he shows vulnerability, authenticity and the courage to keep growing. He is weird, lacks social abilities, but is resilient and deeply empathic. What makes him truly special is his loyalty to his friends, to Dal Mi and to Halmoni. He always thinks about others, forgives easily, and doesn’t hold resentment, not even toward Ji Pyeong, who is often hard on him (like when at Do San’s house he asked his mom to prepare Ji Pyeong’s favorite food). He protects Dal Mi, but never in a paternalistic way, instead, he trusts her judgment and lets her grow. Do San allows mistakes, emotions and real growth. That honesty and resilience make him the one I empathize with the most.
Exactly! One of the best things about Do San is watching his character grow in Start Up. From awkward, bumbling, sometimes immature boy to a grown-up man, ready to acknowledge his mistakes and learn from them.