K-drama Review: Business Proposal

A quirky, light-hearted romance that didn't make a great first impression only because I watched it so soon after Crash Landing on You - but my opinion improved dramatically with a re-watch.

English Title: Business Proposal (2022)

Writers: Han Seol-hee & Hong Bo-hee

Director: Park Seon-ho

Length: 12 Episodes

Tropes: Bait & Switch, Fake Relationship, Office/Workplace Romance

My Score: My original score was 3/5 but on a re-watch I upped it to 4/5

Description: Pretending to be her best friend, Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong) shows up to a blind date to scare away the potential suitor - and instead discovers he's her new CEO, Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop). Tae-moo is being pressured to marry by his grandfather, so when he uncovers her deception he makes a very different kind of proposal: to hire Ha-ri as his fake fiancee.

If you enjoyed this show, then watch: King the Land, Destined With You, She Was Pretty, Her Private Life

This was the second K-drama I watched, and I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have if I'd watched it later in my K-drama journey. I have no idea why I chose this to follow Crash Landing on You, except perhaps that Netflix proposed it - which was a tad unfair to Business Proposal, because how could a light-hearted, at times silly, even occasionally cringey, Rom-Com compare after the emotional depth and mind-blowingness of CLOY? Still, something had to follow CLOY, right? And, no matter what show it was, it would have suffered by comparison.

More recently, I rewatched Business Proposal and I'm glad I did. Now that I have a whole lot more K-drama Rom-Com experience under my belt, I was able to see it more clearly and realise it's a fun watch (and not nearly as silly as I first thought.)

It's a quirky, light-hearted romance, with all the feel-good elements one expects, a good pace, likeable, quirky characters who are mostly believable (assuming that chaebols really are just ordinary people) and at only twelve episodes it doesn't overstay its welcome. Yes, the cringey bits are still there (interesting, most of the cringey scenes centre around toilets!) but it's funny, charming, and I highly recommend it to Rom-Com fans.

Both times around, I adored the secondary couple, perhaps even more than I did the main couple. While the main couple have grown on me more with a second viewing, the secondary male lead (Kim Min-kyu as Secretary Cha, the CEO's assistant and best friend) is still yummier and more appealing to me than the male lead. Maybe it's the cute glasses? I also liked the actor who played the chef the female lead had a crush on for the past seven years (actor Song Won-seok) - he has the same gorgeous, smile-crinkled eyes as one of my favourite actors, Teo Yoo.

My favourite thing about Business Proposal isn't the romance - it's the way these two couples become fast friends and the bromance between the two male leads. (Give me a good bromance any day!) The scene where all four cook/serve chicken together in Shin Ha-ri's parents' fried chicken shop is perhaps my favourite of the series. 

I'd forgotten the interesting power dynamic between the two male leads. Despite their differences (Kang Tae-moo is a rich CEO & heir, Secretary Cha is a poor, family-less orphan who works as Tae-moo's assistant) the power inequality is balanced out by the way they support each other, treat one another as equals, their long history together, the fact that they were both orphaned young, and (most importantly) through Tae-moo's habit of stress-cleaning his friend's apartment! The CEO quite literally serves his assistant to balance out their power.

Another thing I love in these shows is when there are strong, supportive female friendships, and Business Proposal delivers this too. There is not only a very tight friendship between the two female leads, but generally there are good, healthy "girls supporting girls" vibes throughout the story, including among Shin Ha-ri's colleagues.

After watching so many other K-dramas, I've begun to realise that orphaned lead characters are a common trope in these shows, and visits to orphanages are almost as common. This seemed fresh and original when I first watched Business Proposal, but how many have I seen since then? (Romance is a Bonus Book, Her Private Life - even the psychological thriller When The Phone Rings has its visit-to-the-orphanage scenes!)

A final note for my fellow romance writers who might be interested in watching this K-drama: Note how Kang Tae-moo's emotional wound (losing his parents at a young age) is developed through the story, and how it gives him a hang-up/flaw in the form of a fear of rain, and especially of driving in the rain. This hang-up is used as a plot device to create conflict but also to bring the two love interests closer together, when Shin Ha-ri recognises his fear and supports him through it. These subtle moments help to show what makes these two people so good together - she is the one person able to help him overcome his fear - and she's also the only one for whom he is willing to take the risk that enables him to overcome his fear.

If you've watched Business Proposal, what were your thoughts? What did you like/not like about it? If you haven't yet watched it, check out the trailer below to see if it's something you might want to give a try.