Sana

Sometimes you just need a simple, cliché romance that gives you exactly what you signed up for, and Business Marriage was pretty much that for me. It's an easy, lighthearted watch that works perfectly when you need something to fill the gap between dramas. No unnecessary dragging or complicated plot twists, just a straightforward romance.

The story follows Miyabi, who has just been dumped by her long-time boyfriend, and Tsukasa, who is under pressure from his parents to get married. Their paths cross again when Miyabi needs a boyfriend to qualify for an apartment offered through her real estate job, while Tsukasa needs a fiancée to satisfy his family. So, they decide to enter a contract relationship, complete with marriage and divorce agreements and one important rule: neither of them is allowed to fall in love. Well, we all know how that usually goes!

As they spend more time together, they slowly start bringing out different sides of each other. Miyabi is the first to realize that her feelings are becoming genuine, while Tsukasa seems completely clueless about his own. Honestly, I found him a little frustrating at times. Miyabi was clearly falling for him, but he gave very little indication of what he was feeling. When she finally admitted her feelings and asked for a divorce because she could no longer follow the rules of their contract, I was genuinely wondering if Tsukasa would ever figure himself out.

And then, in true last-minute romance fashion, he finally does! The last ten minutes gave us the payoff I had been waiting for, and the final moments were so sweet. I loved those last thirty seconds so much that I actually wished the drama had given us more of that version of Tsukasa and Miyabi throughout the show. I wanted to see them being affectionate and enjoying their relationship instead of getting just a tiny glimpse of it at the very end.

Now, let's talk about Shion.

I honestly have mixed feelings about him. I initially enjoyed his interactions with Miyabi, and there were moments when I found myself shipping them. He was someone she could talk to whenever Tsukasa left her confused or upset, and he was always there to comfort her. His line, "If you were with me, I wouldn't let you cry at all, and you can love me," definitely made me pause.

But then there's the fact that he's supposed to be Tsukasa's best friend. Miyabi was introduced to him as Tsukasa's fiancée, yet he seemed quite ready to pursue her after barely getting to know her. I understand that feelings aren't always something you can control, but I expected a little more consideration for a friendship that supposedly meant so much to him. His feelings weren't the problem for me; it was how quickly he seemed willing to act on them.

I can also see why some viewers might defend him. Shion wasn't secretly plotting behind Tsukasa's back. He was quite open about his feelings, and in a way, his presence pushed Tsukasa to confront emotions he had been avoiding. So, I wouldn't call him an entirely terrible friend, but I still found some of his choices questionable

Ushio was another character I really liked.

I was expecting her to be the typical childhood sweetheart who eventually becomes a source of romantic tension, but she turned out to be such a lovely and supportive friend. I especially liked that her relationship with Tsukasa didn't have to turn romantic. It was refreshing to see a female character simply being a good friend to the male lead without the usual childhood-love storyline. Men and women can just be friends, and honestly, I wish more dramas would give their male leads supportive female friends like Ushio.

My only real complaint is that I wanted more time with Tsukasa and Miyabi after they finally got together. Their relationship had so much potential, and those final moments made me wish we could have seen more of their happy, settled life together. Some emotional developments could also have used a little more room to breathe.

Overall, Business Marriage was a fun little watch, and I don't regret picking it up. It's nothing groundbreaking, but if you're in the mood for a predictable contract-marriage romance with a happy ending and don't want to commit to something too heavy, I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.