Yu Sang-won the producer of the original version of Start-Up is pleasantly surprised at how well the Philippine version of Start-Up was produced. He said that it was impressive how GMA Entertainment Group put in efforts to satisfy both the original fans and the local audience.
The South Korean producer also commended the K-drama vibe of Start-Up PH through its creative shots and iconic scenes, “The overall look, feel, and the cinematography of the local version were similar to that of the original version so that the Filipino fans will feel familiar.”
Moreover, he recognized the exceptional portrayals of Alden Richards as Tristan and Bea Alonzo as Dani.
“The local production team creatively devised/adapted the story to meet the expectations of the local audience. This goes the same with the cast. Alden Richards and Bea Alonzo added their own charm to the characters,” Yu Sang-won added.
Alden, in turn, expressed his gratitude to the Start-Up producer for appreciating the local remake, “Our sincerest gratitude to Mr. Yu Sang-won for the nice feedback for our show. It was really an honor for us to do the Filipino adaptation, Start-Up PH. We hope that we can also inspire a lot of local audiences here in the Philippines as much as the Korean version did all over the world.”
Meanwhile, Bea is happy because all their hard work has paid off, “This is kind of somehow a little validation, parang pat on the back for us na kahit paano they liked our project. We worked hard for this. And masaya rin ako hindi lang sa reaction nila, but also sa reaksyon ng mga tao sa social media, especially the fans of Start-Up Korea kasi napapanood nila ‘yung Philippine adaptation.”
Positive feedback from the viewers and netizens also keeps pouring in for the remake, especially now that things are getting better and sweeter between Dani and her fake pen pal, Dave (Jeric Gonzales).
As proof that the “Dreamers” are hooked to the inspiring story of Start-Up PH, the series reaches 100 million views and counting on TikTok.
Aside from this, Lola Joy (Gina Alajar) is a crowd favorite because she can always pull off iconic episodes from the original version and make them even more touching.
Start-Up PH airs weeknights at 8:50 p.m. on GMA and at 11:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and at 11:00 p.m. every Friday on GTV.