A Business Proposal – Full Review
Welcome to A Business Proposal – Full Review. A blind date leads to a contractual dating relationship between a food researcher and her boss. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
A Business Proposal
♥ Aired: Feb 28 – Apr 5, 2022
♥# of Episodes: 12
♥Where to Watch: Netflix
♥Genre: Romantic Comedy
♥Starring: Ahn Hyo Seop and Kim Se Jeong
The Story
When Shin Ha Ri’s rich best friend begs her to go on a blind date in her place, Ha Ri has no idea the date would turn out to be her boss. And her plan to act as irritating as possible only made him seem more interested in her “unique” personality. Their meeting leads to a contractual relationship that is complicated by the fact that he has no idea Ha Ri is one of his employees. At first, Ha Ri only sees him as her prickly boss, but as they spend time together, she realizes there is much more to him than that.
The Leads
Ahn Hyo Seop as Kang Tae Moo
When Kang Tae Moo moves back to Korea to work for the family business, he is ready to put all his effort into work. But his grandfather is more interested in seeing him married off. His first blind date ends up being an imposter who is also his employee. Without knowing her true identity, he talks her into pretending to date him. But by the time he finds out who she really is, their fake relationship has already started to feel real. Now he will have to come clean to his grandfather about his lies if he stands any chance at being able to actually date her seriously.
Kang Tae Moo is confident and arrogant. His biggest weakness is that he blames himself for the death of his parents when he was young. But he has kept that scar a secret, until he finds himself sharing his story with Ha Ri. And with that, he begins the road to finally healing and forgiving himself. I am a big fan of Ahn Hyo Seop and he was perfect in this suave, charming role. I loved his natural romantic chemistry with Kim Se Jeong and his friendship with Kim Min Gue. This cast took a storyline that could have been tired and boring and turned it into a fun and entertaining watch.
Kim Se Jeong as Shin Ha Ri/Shin Geum Hui
As a favor to her best friend, Shin Ha Ri agrees to go on a blind date in her place, with the goal of scaring him away with her outrageous behavior. But when the blind date turns out to be the director of her company, she knows she has to end it tonight. Luckily, the director is new to their office and doesn’t recognize her. By the end of the night, she is sure she will never see him again. Until he calls the next morning and asks her to sign a dating contract with him. Posing as Shin Geum Hui, they begin dating. But when he finds out her true identity and tells her he wants them to start dating for real, she is torn. How can an average girls like her date a future CEO of a big company? And after all the lies they told, how will she ever win his grandfather’s approval?
Shin Ha Ri is bright and hard-working and she has a natural talent as a recipe planner. She has spent the last 7 years with a crush on her close friend, but he has never considered her more than a friend. While other’s are quick to point out her deficiencies, Tae Moo only sees the best in her. First, I have to say that I loved Kim Se Jeong as Shin Geum Hui. Her larger than life actions were funny without getting too irritating. But she also sparkled as the down-to-earth Shin Ha Ri. She is a natural in the rom-com genre and I expect to see a lot more dramas starring her.
Supporting Characters
Kim Min Gue as Cha Sung Hoon
Cha Sung Hoon is Tae Moo’s best friend and personal secretary. The two of them grew up together like brothers. Sung Hoon sees Young Seo in a convenience store and falls in love with her at first sight. But when he finds out she is the one Tae Moo was supposed to go on a blind date with, he worries about starting a relationship with her. When she moves into the apartment next to his, his feelings become impossible to fight.
Seol In Ah as Jin Young Seo
Jin Young Seo is Ha Ri’s best friend. They have known each other since they were kids. Young Seo’s rich father tries to control her life, but Young Seo refuses to let him tell her what to do. When he insists that she begin dating a guy that he picks for her, she moves out to live on her own. When Young Seo sees Sung Hoon for the first time, she is sure she has found her destiny. But he keeps trying to push her away. One night she gets drunk and confesses her feelings and he admits that he likes her too.
Lee Deok Hwa as Kang Da Goo
Kang Da Goo is Kang Tae Moo’s grandfather. He is also the one who raised him after his parent’s death. He is stubborn but well-meaning. And his greatest wish is to see Tae Moo in a happy marriage, with children for him to spoil.
Things I Liked
♥ Second Lead Couple
A drama where the second lead couple is as popular as the lead couple is always a good thing. In this case, the cute chemistry between Sung Hoon and Young Seo is amazing. They made such a great couple, and they navigated the bumps in their relationship with clear communication and respect. I really appreciated that about them. I also loved that they were both “orphans” in a way, who were taken in by their best friends’ families. They both understood what a blessing family can be.
♥ Animations
I enjoyed the little touches of animation that were added through out this drama. It was a nice way to pay homage to the original source, which was a webtoon. This kind of silly, comic style picture can be irritating if overused, but I felt like this series kept it to a minimum, so I never got tired of it. A few squiggly lines over a certain scene can add a fun, unique touch and I thought it was well done here.
♥ Grandfather
Not only did I love Lee Deok Hwa in this role, but I also loved his character. At first glance, he seemed gruff and demanding, but Tae Moo always understood that if he felt strongly about something, he could make his grandfather give in, because he really loved him. It was also fun to see him accept “Geum Hui”, even though she was obviously not what he expected. He was more interested in Tae Moo’s happiness than her credentials, and that is rare in the land of chaebols in kdrama.
Things I Didn’t Like
Is That a Disguise?
I really could never accept the fact that Tae Moo could see Ha Ri multiple times and never once recognize her. She didn’t look that different! For a smart and observant guy, he was pretty clueless in this case. If she had at least worn a wig or glasses, I might have been able to buy it, but a little makeup and some curls don’t change her appearance that much.
Young Seo’s Father
It would have been nice to see Young Seo’s father have a change of heart. But from all appearances, he was still out of the picture a year later. In stark contrast to Tae Moo’s grandfather, Young Seo’s father only used his money and power to treat his daughter like just another asset to be traded. She deserved better, and so did Sung Hoon, but I’m glad they didn’t let his greed come between them, even for a moment.
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Office Couple
I know they were supposed to add comic relief, which is never my favorite, but I just couldn’t get into Ms. Yeo and Mr. Gye as a couple. Their interactions were irritating and I just didn’t care about them enough as characters to care if they dated or not. With such strong lead couples, it’s almost unfair to expect a secondary couple to compare romantically.
The Ending
“A Business Proposal” does tie up any loose ends but the ending was a bit abrupt and anti-climatic. The lackluster proposal at the end was missing any big wow factor. First, Min Woo finally dumps his horrible girlfriend and decides to tour Europe on his own. He and Ha Ri agree that maybe they will be ready to be friends again once he comes back. Tae Moo’s grandfather suffers a medical set-back that requires he and Tae Moo to spend some time in the states. Tae Moo and Ha Ri agree not to break up, even though they will have to be apart for while. Young Seo hands in her resignation to her father and Sung Hoon agrees to invest in her new business idea. Of course, there is a time jump, and it’s one year this time. We see Young Seo hard at work, building her business and Sung Hoon is actively supporting her since he didn’t go to the US with Tae Moo. Tae Moo comes back with a ring, to propose to Ha Ri, with his grandfather’s approval. She pretends not to say yes right away, but no is fooled by her act. And that is where we leave off. At least we can be sure they got their happy ever after!
Should I Watch
“A Business Proposal” is a light, easy to watch rom-com. There is nothing deep or complicated, and nothing particularly new plot-wise. In fact, it’s more like a greatest hits of kdrama cliches. So, if you are looking for a story that feels fresh and unpredictable, this is probably not it. But the cast and chemistry are fabulous and the story is fast-paced and fun. If you like rom-coms, this one should definitely not be missed. The journey is pleasant from start to finish. I give “A Business Proposal” an 9 out of 10 ramen.
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