Predictable but entertaining
This was an extremely cliched romcom. Predictable but entertaining and good one time watch.Story: Not much to comment on story , it was full of typical kdrama tropes of which I lost count after a while :) I was more invested in the second lead pair cause of their chemistry and since I had read the webtoon. I was therefore, very disappointed with the way the drama showed their relationship developmen. If like me, you feel robbed of seeing their story, I would suggest you definitely read the webtoon right away.
Acting - It was very average and nothing that that blows your mind or you remember or want to rewatch. The lead actress Kim SeJeong had good comic timing, I loved the second lead pair more than the main leads.. Rest of the cast scenes I skipped a lot.
Overall: Nowhere near my top romcoms list, but if someone likes a light hearted, cliched romcom, this is one time watch worthy.
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Cliché K-drama with good characters
You are not going to miss anything if you don’t watch it, as this is another k-drama about a romance between a rich CEO and a lucky woman. However, if you’re already watching it, it’s quite entertaining. The characters have interesting personalities and the secondary couple is cute.I started watching this drama because it was highly recommended on TikTok, but I from my perspective it's overrated. I think that the fact that the story has 12 episodes only is an indicator of a superfluous plot, where there is nothing to add to an argument without a big obstacle or problem to solve for the main characters.
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Fluffy, funny, and entertaining—but still light on realism and substance.
A Business Proposal is an easy, feel-good watch that delivers laughs, charm, and chemistry—but not much emotional depth. It’s the kind of drama that makes you smile throughout, even when you know most of what’s happening could only exist in K-drama logic.At first, I struggled with how unrealistic the characters’ behavior felt, especially the male leads. They weren’t shallow, but something about their reactions just didn’t feel grounded. They were polished, composed, and successful, but lacked emotional authenticity outside of their “business persona.” The female lead, while likable, got away with a lot that would’ve caused real tension in any believable relationship. Conflicts appeared and disappeared without consequence, and the drama leaned heavily on charm over substance.
That said, there *was* a noticeable shift around episode 9. Once the leads officially got together, their chemistry started to feel more natural. The attraction became believable, and their interactions flowed better—less performance, more comfort. That improvement gave the show a bit more heart and saved it from feeling completely artificial, which is why I ended up rating it a 7.5 instead of a 7.
The comedy lands well, the second couple remains a highlight, and the pacing makes it easy to binge. It’s a well-made drama that does exactly what it promises—it entertains—but it never really tries to dig deeper. All style, all fluff, very little soul.
Pros:
✔ Great comedic timing and fun pacing
✔ Noticeably improved chemistry after episode 9
✔ The second couple feels more grounded and genuine
✔ Bright visuals and bingeable energy
Cons:
✘ Still lacks emotional realism or weight
✘ The male leads’ reactions feel overly polished
✘ The female lead faces no meaningful pushback
✘ Fluffy tone that sacrifices substance
Would I rewatch?
Maybe—for the later episodes and comedy, but not for the story itself.
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Satisfactory!
If you want to watch something light and want to waste time, this is perfect for you! The cast and acting is perfect as well as the ost. Until now, I still love hearing the song. Although, for me, I won't watch it the second time anymore because the story is very easy to remember. I have read the webtoon before this and by the time they announced that it will be adapted into a drama, I wasn't very happy about it. Honestly, they changed some plots that I would've loved to watch in this drama but either way, the actors and actresses still gave Hari and Taemu justice, as well as the second lead couple.Was this review helpful to you?
is it overhyped? yes. is it good? also, yes.
there's a lot of boring parts ngl but still a fun kdrama, especially if you're just getting into it. there's a lot of cliches but it is done RIGHT. workplace romance is a trope i strongly dislike but this one was well-developed and well-done.the characters are AMAZING, and the best part of the show. i wasn't really found of the ML but as the story unfolds, he grew on me. although i have to admit since it's VERY popular, i expected a lot more from this series. like it but nothing more.
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Loved the plot
Things I loved:1 The premise. I had so much fun in the first episodes.
2 The main actress. She's beautiful and charming, perfect for a romantic comedy heroine.
3 The SFL actress. At first I thought I wouldn't like the actress, but she played her role well.
4 The SML character and the actor. I loved the character and I hope to see the actor in other series.
5 The team that worked with the heroine. I loved all of them. They were kind and funny.
Things I liked:
1 The grandfather. He was fun and I like the actor.
2 The parents of the heroine. They were interesting and funny.
Things I disliked:
1 The ending. I didn't care about the separation, it felt forced and the final episode was not romantic enough for me.
2 Lack of chemistry. Maybe I'm wrong, but it felt to me like if the actress played with someone else the whole series would be better.
3 The male lead. I'm not sure if he deserves to be here or to thinks I liked. I put him here because I don't find him attractive and that takes away from my pleasure in watching it. I imagine this series with Ji Chang Wook and feel like it would be the perfect romantic comedy. The actor wasn't funny enough and sometimes too stiff for me. On the other hand he was good enough sometimes so maybe it's not fair that I put him in the things I disliked. But the thing is that he's the sole main actor I didn't look for any other series he was in, so, I'll leave it here for now.
4 The relationship of the male lead and SML. I was expecting more warmth and to be funnier like in other series I've seen. here both were distant and couldn't convey any emotions to me.
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I really liked it overall but the ending felt rushed a bit.
Aside from a major oversight in the fifth episode, this is the best-written kdrama I've watched so far. As in, things make sense, characters don't do stupid, out of character things, and there aren't really annoying tropes overstaying their welcome.I have to commend this show for relentlessly going for so many "hiding in plain sight" scenes, even when they're not done all that well (look, not just about anyone can do it like Tsui Hark). But I love them so much, any excuse to include them is a good excuse in my book.
Mostly because of this, the first couple of episodes are seriously laugh-out-loud hilarious.
I really liked it overall but the ending felt rushed a bit.
The Netflix subs were wonderful, far better than what I am used to with Korean/Chinese content (Credits to a certain Su-In Choi apparently). It's not easy to contextualize humor in different languages and I was so glad to "get" some jokes that I definitely wouldn't have gotten with lesser quality subtitles (so, around 95% of the subs I get).
And finally, lead actress Kim Se-jeong's performance was easily the highlight of this show. From her mastery of subtle facial cues to inflated emotional deliveries, she was outstanding.
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Bright, Breezy, and Delightful
A Business Proposal is the quintessential 2022 K-rom-com: adapted from the webtoon (The Office Blind Date), briskly paced, packed with gags, and powered by a lead couple that grabs you from their disastrous blind date (which is great for the story). It’s a series that knows exactly what it wants to be: sparkling entertainment, without pretending to be dramatically profound beyond its scope.- Plot in two lines (no spoilers):
Shin Ha-ri agrees to stand in for her friend on a blind date with the goal of getting rejected; opposite her sits Kang Tae-mu, a young CEO determined to marry quickly and get it over with. Thanks to that initial mix-up, a fake relationship kicks off—soon colliding with the workplace and with real feelings creeping in beneath the facade.
- What works (objectively):
1. Chemistry & comic timing: Kim Sejeong’s timing is spot-on; Ahn Hyo-seop plays the “aloof/rigid” contrast that gradually melts in a natural way. The secondary couple (Seol In-ah & Kim Min-kyu) isn’t mere garnish: they inject energy and often steal the scene.
2. Direction & pace: tight episodes, lively editing, zero dead weight. Many rom-coms drag; here the short run (12 eps) keeps it snappy.
3. Physical comedy & visual gags: the show uses facial expressions, micro-reactions, and controlled slapstick well, without tipping into full cartoon.
4. Trope management: fake dating, contracts, hidden identities, “grumpy x sunshine”—they’re clichés, yes, but the script orchestrates them with craft and polishes them just enough to feel fresh.
- Where it wobbles (without sinking the ship)
1. Workplace-romance ethics: there’s a hierarchy (CEO/employee). The show treats it in a romantic, glossy key without really problematizing it; if you want a serious take on power and boundaries, this isn’t the one.
2. “Light” conflicts: obstacles and misunderstandings resolve quickly and painlessly; the emotional stakes remain medium-low by design.
3. Product placement: visible and frequent (part of the commercial package); if it bothers you, it’ll pop out of the frame now and then.
Themes (without pushing beyond the genre):
The series brushes against family expectations and class/image (family name, “useful” marriage), but doesn’t truly open those files: it uses them as framing to legitimize romantic choices. Consistent with the goal: comfort rom-com rather than social critique.
Performances:
1. Kim Sejeong (Ha-ri): natural charisma, musical comedy sense (eyes/voice/timing), and a non-syrupy warmth in serious beats.
2. Ahn Hyo-seop (Tae-mu): starts rigid, gradually finds tender shades without losing the “CEO” imprint.
3. Seol In-ah & Kim Min-kyu: the secondary couple delivers an excellent comedic-romantic counterpoint; many memorable moments come from them.
OST & Look:
Catchy OSTs—no instant classics, but they do the job for a bright tone. Polished styling, luminous palette, cinematography that “dusts” every setting: the aesthetics are clean and consistent with the promise of lightness.
Personal impression:
I had fun—not because it reinvents the genre, but because it keeps its promise: lively, well-acted, with chemistry that holds even when the script chooses the easy road. If you’re looking for moral complexity or grounded realism, this isn’t it; if you want a well-packaged romance, it hits the mark.
Conclusion:
A Business Proposal is an efficient, sparkling rom-com: it lines up the tropes, polishes them, snaps them together with pace, and serves them with leads in great form. It isn’t deep, but it doesn’t pretend to be—and in its lane, it plays like a frontrunner.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great start, disappointing end.
Title explains it. First 5-ish episodes were great. I was feeling the chemistry between both the main couple and side, but then the secret got out. That's pretty much where it started falling, and quickly. The chemistry flat out disappeared. I had to skip through the last few episodes because nothing happened and every interaction between the main 2 became unbearable to watch. Which sucks, because I was absolutely loving it to start.I do think it's worth the watch, but if you get to the point where you're bored, just stop or skip through it. You're not missing anything.
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cliche yet great
i read this on tapas and seriously, i prayed that the series will give justice to the webtoon and uh, well, it's great. I laughed real hard that i have to stop myself from bursting it out cause i know my parents will knock on my door! HAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA this story is so refreshing and cliche. it's cute and pleasing in the eyes. the male lead is my new crush! i just felt bad for the best friend hehe. he lost his chance haha. and also, public view is really important in life eh? and why does this need 500 characters huhuWas this review helpful to you?
