Based on a webtoon of the same title, Business Proposal is the latest Korean rom-com about a CEO Kang Tae-mu and a cash-strapped employee Shin Ha-ri.
In order to stop his grandfather from setting up more blind dates for him and disturbing his work, Tae-mu goes on a blind date with the intention of marrying the first woman he meets.
Meanwhile, Ha-ri’s friend Jin Young-seo asks her to attend a blind date in her place and to give an impression so bad that the date will reject her.
However, little does Ha-ri know that she will be meeting Tae-mu, who is the CEO of the company where she works. Tae-mu, who is clueless that Ha-ri is his employee, strikes a marriage deal with her.
With the first two of 12 episodes now available for streaming on Netflix, here are four reasons why Business Proposal is a good way to de-stress after a long day.
1. Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong form an entertaining pair.
Ahn Hyo-seop plays the stoic Tae-mu, who holds high standards at the workplace and couldn’t care less about his love life. Kim Se-jeong plays the hardworking and spirited Ha-ri who cannot seem to escape a life of debts.
As the CEO of a major company, Tae-mu only knows Ha-ri by name as the researcher who came up with a great business idea. He appreciates her working style and the quality of her work. Since Ha-ri does not want to expose her identity for fear of being fired, she assumes another name Shin Geum-hui after Tae-mu finds out she impersonated Young-seo.
Despite how complex this sounds, the premise makes the interactions between the two characters even more amusing and enjoyable. Tae-mu’s hilarious reactions to the little quirks of Ha-ri sit in stark contrast to his cool and indifferent appearance.
2. How the relationship between Kim Min-kyu’s and Seol In-ah’s characters will develop is exciting.
Apart from Tae-mu and Ha-ri, another couple that is equally eye-catching is Tae-mu’s friend and secretary Cha Sung-hun (Kim Min-kyu) and Ha-ri’s friend Jin Young-seo (Seol In-ah).
Young-seo, who believes in fate and dislikes arranged meetings, bumps into Sung-hun one day and falls in love at first sight. On the other hand, Sung-hun sees Young-seo’s interaction with a kid and seems to have taken an interest in her as well.
Although their meetings have been brief so far, it is only a matter of time before the spotlight shifts over to this cute couple. I look forward to seeing how they will establish and deepen their relationship, and how it will affect the relationship between Tae-mu and Ha-ri.
3. Lee Min-woo (Song Won-seok) will complicate things for Shin Ha-ri.
Song Won-seok plays Ha-ri’s other love interest and friend Lee Min-woo. As she is holding double identities, Ha-ri tries to avoid Min-woo when she is in disguise as Geum-hui, in case he blows her cover.
Although Ha-ri thinks that Min-woo is not interested in her, her gossipy colleagues seem to think otherwise. If this turns out to be true, Min-woo will not only be a threat who might expose her true identity to Tae-mu, but he will also become the love rival of Tae-mu, aka the most pivotal character in a romance drama love triangle.
4. The scenes are predictable and cliched but they work.
The first two episodes of Business Proposal have been peppered with iconic and, some might say, cringey meet-cute scenes: from bumping into one another, to preventing a dramatic fall down the stairs, to an accidental kiss — you name it, they have it.
But these are the typical scenes that have been tried and proven to work in romance dramas, made better with the attractive cast, their chemistry and the light-heartedness of the story.
As cliched as the scenes may be, you will still end up rooting for the couples, even the low-key BL pairing between Tae-mu and Sung-hun, who, in the words of Tae-mu’s grandfather, are “joined at the hip, using work as an excuse” for their suspiciously close relationship.
New episodes of Business Proposal will be available on Netflix every Monday and Tuesday.
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