Izumi Hidaka is 36-years-old and the CEO of start-up game company Pegasus Ink. Four years ago, she developed the game Love My Pegasus, which was targeted towards women and became very popular. Since then, she has been obsessed with the character Kento-sama from Love My Pegasus. One evening, Wataru Igarashi suddenly appears in front of drunken Izumi Hidaka. She is shocked by Wataru Igarashi’s appearance, which is just like her game character Kento-sama. Wataru Igarashi is a 23-years-old man. But, Izumi Hidaka is disappointed with Wataru Igarashi. Except for his physical appearance, Wataru Igarashi is the opposite of her well-mannered, cultured, and vivacious game character Kento-sama.
Both shows have the same feel-good vibe with our main protagonists struggling to follow their dreams but who, little by little, make their way towards their goal. There's also an organic kind of friendship between them, though in FFMW the leads were good friends prior to the start of the drama, whereas with SU they are quickly becoming friends (though there's a bit of lying and pretending involved at the start).
Ki Sun Gyeom is a sprinter on the national team who was forced to quit due to legal issues. Oh Mi Joo writes translated subtitles for movies. She was thrilled to see her name listed among the credits when she first started. Ki Sun Gyeom had just quit sprinting when he encountered Oh Mi Joo, who felt that destiny most certainly brought them together. Seo Dan Ah is the CEO of a sports agency and rightful successor to the Seomyung Group. Despite this, she is held back from advancing in the company due to her gender. She fiercely wishes to reclaim what is rightfully hers and lives her life accordingly. Lee Young Hwa, a university art major who enjoys movies and drawing soon enters her life. Could romance be in the cards for these two couples?
The shows are quite different, but they do touch upon various similar themes:
> The Female Leads are ambitious and persistent. They don't only dream big, but they show they have the skills to ground those dreams and make them a reality. They are also undervalued by others and judged harshly for their backgrounds, but they show they don't care what others think as they walk to the sound of their own drums.
> The Male Leads are shown to be good at what they do, but they lack the tooth to make it big on their own, which is where the FL comes in. They end up trusting and almost following the Female Lead as they go forward.
> They both culminate in becoming partners in their own company.
> The relationship between the leads also begins with a lie. In Hyena, the FL lies to the ML and pretends to be someone she's not. Whereas in Start Up, the ML lies to the FL and pretends to be someone he's not.
> There are more than two strong female leads within the show who are strong, independent and actively involved in the plot.
> The Female Leads are ambitious and persistent. They don't only dream big, but they show they have the skills to ground those dreams and make them a reality. They are also undervalued by others and judged harshly for their backgrounds, but they show they don't care what others think as they walk to the sound of their own drums.
> The Male Leads are shown to be good at what they do, but they lack the tooth to make it big on their own, which is where the FL comes in. They end up trusting and almost following the Female Lead as they go forward.
> They both culminate in becoming partners in their own company.
> The relationship between the leads also begins with a lie. In Hyena, the FL lies to the ML and pretends to be someone she's not. Whereas in Start Up, the ML lies to the FL and pretends to be someone he's not.
> There are more than two strong female leads within the show who are strong, independent and actively involved in the plot.
Kiki Inoue works part-time at a convenience store, spending the better part of her day lazing about or reviewing sweets on her social media account. One day at work, she is introduced to the chain’s CEO, Takumi Asaba, who, as it turns out, is familiar with Inoue’s online reviews. Asaba asks Inoue to develop new desserts to sell chain-wide. As CEO, Asaba is tasked with turning around the chain’s fortunes, as it is now ranked the lowest among its competitors. Close collaboration leads Inoue and Asaba to become sweet on each other.
Kiki Inoue works part-time at a convenience store, spending the better part of her day lazing about or reviewing sweets on her social media account. One day at work, she is introduced to the chain’s CEO, Takumi Asaba, who, as it turns out, is familiar with Inoue’s online reviews. Asaba asks Inoue to develop new desserts to sell chain-wide. As CEO, Asaba is tasked with turning around the chain’s fortunes, as it is now ranked the lowest among its competitors. Close collaboration leads Inoue and Asaba to become sweet on each other.
24-year-old Murakami Maiko is a very sheltered girl who has never had a relationship with a guy. It is decided that she will go for a matchmaking session with someone recommended by her father Genichiro who owns a company. The man Hanasato Harumi is 20 years her senior and also a divorcee. Although Maiko is less than thrilled, she discovers when they meet that he is a charming man with an air of maturity and she instinctively makes a move on him. Harumi had intended to meet Maiko once before he turned her down since she is the daughter of the CEO of an important client. However, she turns out to be more than he had imagined. Maiko confounds him the whole time but he is attracted to her straightforward, pure, and dignified nature. He accepts the completed marriage registration form from her on their third date after she presses him for a kiss. They get married despite their 20-year age gap, and their life as newlyweds begins.
