A Business Proposal Review: A Tropey Treat For Rom-Com Lovers

A Business Proposal is a drama dream come true as it consists of all those tropes that make a hardcore romantic’s heart beat and jump and dance. And it gives you not just one but two love stories that are both heart-meltingly adorable. Highly engaging and addictive, this drama is the best bet for a binge-watch session.

I can gush more about it as it deserves the love. But for now, allow me to explain what’s so special about this Korean drama and why you (yes you who loves rom-coms) must watch it too.

A Business Proposal (2022) (12 Episodes)

Shin Ha Ri (Kim Se Jeong) and Jin Young Seo (Seol In Ah) are childhood besties. Young Seo comes from a wealthy business family while Ha Ri’s family runs a humble chicken restaurant. Young Seo’s father set’s her up on a blind date with the rich businessman, Kang Tae Moo (Ahn Hyo Seop). Young Seo despises the thought of having an arranged marriage so she sends Ha Ri to meet Tae Moo and ruin the marriage prospect.

Kang Tae Moo has no interest in marriage but on his grandfather’s insistence, he agrees to meet Young Seo with the plan that he will marry her to get his grandfather off his back and put an end to his requests to get married.

Ha Ri’s mission is to meet Tae Moo and annoy him so that he drops the idea of marrying her. She does as instructed by Young Seo but her eccentric dressing and behavior that was supposed to put off Tae Moo instead appeals to him, and he decides to marry Young Seo.

Ha Ri then tries to act more cuckoo to make him change his decision but nothing works on Tae Moo as he eventually falls for her and firmly resolves to marry the woman who he just can’t seem to forget.

I enjoyed watching ‘A Business Proposal’ because…

…it’s an adorable romantic comedy that will tickle your heart, hug your heart, and hit you right in the feels. It’s a coincidence that the last drama I saw also had the female lead go on a blind date in place of her rich bestie. 

So, let’s start with our main characters.

Kang Tae Moo is a tsundere boss who has just returned from the States to take the reins of his family business in South Korea. He is extremely particular about his time and does not waste even a second on things that he considers unnecessary.

He is always accompanied by his childhood friend and now secretary, Cha Sung Hoon (Kim Min Gue the cutie from “Because This Is My First Life”).

Kang Tae Moo lost his parents in his childhood and his grandfather fears that Tae Moo might end up living a lonely life after he is gone. So, he badgers him into going on a blind date with a girl of his choosing. To please his grandfather and to put a complete end to this marriage business, Kang Tae Moo agrees to meet Young Seo who is the daughter of a rich businessman.

Young Seo is not interested in arranged marriages so as always she sends her friend Ha Ri to scare Tae Moo and ruin the date. Ha Ri is in need of money so she agrees to meet Tae Moo.

She dresses in the skimpiest outfit possible and wears a colored wig to look untraditional and ultra-modern to Tae Moo. On meeting Tae Moo, she goes on to talk about her surgically enhanced body parts and her penchant for dating multiple men at the same time hoping to put him off the marriage proposal.

Tae Moo, however, is unfazed by her unique personality and is in fact impressed by her outspoken nature. Much to Ha Ri’s dismay, he starts to pursue her seriously and promises to overlook all her past affairs. But eventually he happens to discover the truth about Ha Ri disguising as Young Seo to ruin the marriage proposal.

Hell-bent on having Ha Ri as his partner, Tae Moo then proposes to start a fake relationship with Ha Ri just to appease his grandpa so that he does not pester him to go on anymore blind dates. What Tae Moo doesn’t know is that Ha Ri is actually an employee of his company.

As a fake couple, Ha Ri and Tae Moo go on dates to convince Tae Moo’s grandfather of their love. However, the dates stir Tae Moo’s feelings for real and he ends up falling in love with Ha Ri.

Ha Ri too gradually warms up to Tae Moo but backs out knowing that the affair won’t last considering the difference in their social standing. But Tae Moo is not one to give up easily. He love bombs Ha Ri until she relents and accepts his love.

You see there is nothing novel about the premise. But what makes the show so endearing is its cast and the amazing chemistry they share together.

I liked actor Ahn Hyo Seop as the unapproachable and dreaded boss. Love changes Tae Moo and Hyo Seop did a decent job at conveying the same. However, blame it on the writing or Hyo Seop’s limitation as an actor, there is no scene or moment of his that I found outstanding or even memorable.

Hyo Seop is cute in scenes where he looks flustered and even envious. And of course, the dreamy look that he’d have when he’d look at Ha Ri would cause butterflies in my belly to go berserk. So, he makes a good fit for such roles. He just needs to work on emoting a little more convincingly.

I felt it was actress Kim Se Jeong who stole the show with her exuberant personality and cheerful countenance.

In the show, Ha Ri is a happy-go-lucky girl whose life is not lacking in drama. Her animated acting and antics made me laugh. It didn’t even look OTT as her lively personality in real life seamlessly translated onto the screen. I loved her in every single scene, especially in the ones where she is either running from someone or hiding her face to avoid being recognized. Hilarious!!

 

…I simply adored the second couple too. Ha Ri’s friend Young Seo falls for Tae Moo’s secretary Sung Hoon. Young Seo and Sung Hoon both fall for each other at first sight. But since Young Seo had cheated Tae Moo by sending Ha Ri in her place for the blind date, Tae Moo is not on good terms with her. Hence, Sung Hoo finds it best to keep his distance from Young Seo.

Young Seo however, is head over heels in love with the handsome young secretary. Even when they coincidentally happen to live as neighbors, she tries her best to become friends with him but the boy is a tough nut to crack.

But when two people really like each other, what can keep them away for long? Young Seo and Sung Hoon keep bumping into each other at the gym, in the building lobby, and even at the local bar. One night, in a drunken stupor, they end up sleeping together. There onwards their love angle gets a little steamy and a lot more exciting.

Young Seo is chirpy and straightforward while Sung Hoon is shy and reticent. The love journey of these two polar opposite personalities is awfully cute and romantic. I found their chemistry far more electric than the lead couple’s. I liked them so much that I often watch their BTS and interview videos on YT. They both look so good together.  

   

I did NOT LIKE ‘A Business Proposal’ because…

…I found Kang Tae Moo’s character intolerable sometimes. I understand this is a tropey drama and the guy has got to be overly romantic and loving to justify all the tropes. But Tae Moo is unbearably, punishingly, and torturously unrealistic. It’s like a glass full of milk chocolate + two cups of sugar + some marshmallows + ice cream. Eewwkkss…. too much sweetness, right? I felt the same for Tae Moo who started off as the hot and mysterious boss but ended up becoming a regular drama lover boy. 

I’ll tell you how.

1. Tae Moo always calls her Ha Ri first. I understand that he is the one who is interested in Ha Ri so of course, he will call her first. But always? Won’t a guy like Tae Moo (who claims to be good at “everything”) wait to see if the girl is interested in him too? Won’t he wait for her to make the first contact? Are guys really okay calling first all the time?

2. When Ha Ri asks him to go on dates and meet other women Tae Moo puts his foot down and refuses to back off from pursuing her. He vehemently declares that he will keep coming after her until she relents and falls for him too. Huh? This guy is supposed to be a workaholic who hates wasting even a minute of his precious time. But he has no problem chasing after a woman who turned him down multiple times. Oh, drama lead why do you do this?

3. Tae Moo books an entire theatre hall so he can watch a movie with his lady love. Had Tae Moo been a famous celebrity I would have understood the reason behind this. But Tae Moo is not a famous personality so what is the need to book an entire movie hall?

4. He identifies Ha Ri’s bitchy friends and protects her in front of them by showing off his wealth and undying love for her. Again, Tae Moo does not like wasting time but he feels showing off to Ha Ri’s friends is important so he cancels his meeting only to show them how lucky Ha Ri is to be with him. Why my dear lead? Why? 

Simply put, Tae Moo is your typical drama hero who does everything you want him to do i.e. adore his girl like she is a goddess. I do not appreciate such unrealistic behavior from a drama lead. It’s okay to some extent but I think they overdid it this time. However, Tae Moo is still better than the omnipresent drama lead from another show so I don’t think I should complain too much. 

A Business Proposal has the perfect cast and whimsical characters that will make you laugh. It goes overboard with the male lead love bombing his lady which can get on your nerves sometimes but just go with the flow. Watch it for fun and nothing else.   

I give ‘A Business Proposal‘ 4 out of 5 rating. This show is crazy funny and entertaining. The two main couples on the show will keep you involved with their heart-warming storylines so sit back and enjoy every moment of this show.  

 

Image Courtesy: Kross Pictures, SBS, Netflix

 

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