Business Proposal (2022)

cliche mushy story with no plot

cold ceo? check
fluffy fl? check
ml with traumatic childhood? check
ml chases fl? check
parent objection on marriage? check


started off decent with the concept but became "that" contract relationship story in no time. the leads were cute and had chemistry, thats the only reason it was bearable. ngl i skipped a couple episodes of the second half cuz it was becoming way too cringe but i would be lying if i say i didnt have fun watching the other parts.
ig its nice to mindlessly watch something to just chill. MINDLESSLY.
even tho there was that spark, i wish the context was more passionate for romantic moments, somehow they just didnt hit the right spot. definitely overrated.
this review is all over the place so just watch it if u got nothing else to do, you'll have a couple laughs and aww's

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The classic Romcom cliché, AKA our guilty pleasure!

I was not planning on writing a review but looking at all the hate against the cast and show, it feels like a necessity on my part.
A business proposal is a typical romcom with so many clichés. But what’s the problem with clichés? We all love some sweet romance and some REALLY good laugh! I wouldn’t call this drama a breath of fresh air but instead a feeling that takes us back to home. Watching this reminds me of kdramas from 2016-2018! It’s lighthearted, not so complicated, not dragged and well written at a perfect pace.
The plot is again, cliché but well written. 12 episodes are absolutely perfect for such a plot as it is not dragged at all and keeps us entertained throughout! The writer has tried to mislead us by putting in the typical romcom clichés and misunderstandings to only end them with a good laugh for the viewers. It’s not complicated and takes us on a trip filled with laughter and romance! The bromance, sismance, and romance are all a *chef’s kiss*! Both the parings are so perfect.
Now let’s start with our leads, Kang Tae Moo and Shin Ha Ri!
KTM has all the possible CEO qualities! Handsome, sexy, rich, appears to be cold but is not and of course, our beloved narcissist! His presence in the entire show is what makes it fun for us to watch.
As for SHR, she’s honestly one of the most loveable characters I’ve come across! Effortlessly funny, BEAUTIFUL, kind, caring and a great friend. Watching her is one of the best parts of the show! Kim Se Jeong has done a great job portraying SHR’s character!
Now for the leads chemistry, it’s spot on! Their personalities mesh so well. One of the admirable things about them is how they don’t become cringe with their over sweetness when they’re dating. They keep it real so it’s not a pain to watch 2 adults in love! So there are a few awkward scenes between them which is why I’ve voted the cast as a 9.5 instead of 10 but that’s mostly the camera angles! So it’s not really the actor and actresses fault.
Now as for the second couple,
SIA has done such a marvellous job in pulling off Jin Young Seo’s character! She, like her best friend, is effortlessly funny, a hot chaebol, sassy, smart and kind. The sismance between her and SHR is one of the best things about this drama!
As for Kim Min Gyu, he’s been pulling off all his recent characters with literal perfection. He’s so hot, mysterious, caring and once again, SO HOT. His affection and respect for KTM is so adorable. He may appear to be rude but he’s just being straightforward lol
Now for JYS and CSH’s chemistry- I think “sizzling” is the only way to describe it. Both their personalities collide only to form a bold power couple! I must say, their story will NOT disappoint you! And watching them drunk is literally the best!

The music is honestly so refreshing and pleasant! Love it!

As for rewatching, I’ll definitely be rewatching it soon! After watching those dark and thriller dramas and the bittersweet endings, this is something I need!

Overall, I highly recommend it to everyone! Do give it a go, you might end up loving it.

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Perfect Drama to relieve your stress and lift your spirits

Completed - 4/5/2022 - 8.75

I am liking the current K-drama trends of having only 12 episodes instead of the long-drawn out, draggy 16-episode drama format. This is especially true for comedies and romantic comedies. This drama is perfect if you want something light and funny, and a palate cleanser after watching something serious/tragic.

Setting/Plot - Personally, I am a big fan of the contract marriages and enemies-to-lovers tropes. The setting of this drama is right up my alley. Moreover, I also purchased dumplings from Bibigo and many other packaged Korean foods from my local K-mart. So, seeing FL being a food researcher and have that as the backdrop is interesting to me. There are many common rom-com tropes and cliches in this drama. But for the most part, the drama surprises us with not going along with the usual directions of these tropes. The drama also makes fun of these tropes/cliches by using the TV show within the the drama. It's so refreshing to see.

Likable characters - We have four very likable leads. You find them funny and sweet, and you root for their career and relationship success. ML might first appear as the classic narcissistic CEO. There are many comparisons of him to the ML in "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim". I actually like Kang Tae Moo here a lot more. His narcissism didn't really last long and he turns sweet quite soon in the series. The ML in WWWSK actually is a lot more annoying. Our two female leads have a great sismance, and are so supportive of each other. They are both independent and funny, and did not bow down to road blocks and challenges in life. Last but not the least, who doesn't like the dimples of our sweet 2ML and his kind character.

Romance - Our main leads have great chemistry, especially before they are officially an item. Once they are together, the sizzling chemistry changes to something sweeter. It's hard to find a rom-com where the secondary romance is just as interesting and fun as the main romance. There's just enough screen time for our 2ML/2FL to develop their romance, not overshadowing the main romance, and yet not so insignificant that we wish they don't exist. The two romance storylines co-exist really well in this drama and I am invested in both of them. In a way, they contrast each other pretty well: love at first sight vs slowly developed romance, theme park dates vs hiking dates, rich ML vs rich 2Fl, sweet romance vs hot/steamy romance. Additionally, we got amazing kisses in this drama with both couples. No fish kisses and the ladies also initiate kisses.

Tragic Past done well - It's not hard to guess that ML's tragic past will be part of the plot. I was initially concerned that this subplot will dampen the mood of this super funny drama. I immediately thought of how the ML's tragic/family story in "Her Private Life" is the weakest part of that otherwise amazing sweet rom-com. Fortunately, it didn't happen here. It was not dealt in a melodramatic way, but in a sweet way demonstrating how FL supports ML. The drama didn't drag this for several episodes. Instead, just several sweet scenes with flower shopping, lovely dinners and umbrellas, and a few heart-to-heart sweet conversations.

OST - lovely songs especially from MeloMance. The drama also incorporates some comedy-like noises during funny scenes.

Supporting Cast - Usually I would be annoyed with someone like 2FL's cousin. She is loud and overdramatic but for this drama, I found her hilarious. I love her craziness and her use of English in between her Korean words. Maybe I am in such a good mood enjoying this drama that she becomes tolerable and funny to me. However, others may be annoyed. Same goes to FL's mother and FL's male co-worker. They are both really loud and can be either funny or annoying.

Ending - I think the last episode is somewhat predictable. In a way, I am a tiny bit disappointed as it falls into the classic rom-com tropes. I don't want to give out spoilers, so let's just say the last episode is average compared to other episodes.

Overall, I haven't had so much fun watching a romantic comedy in a long time. I rarely give out a 9.0 to rom-coms, but I am feeling good and also in the right mood, especially while I am also watching "The Longest Day in Chang'An".

Other Observations:
1. Ahn Hyo Seop has really big hands. But why are they ALWAYS so red???
2. Hairstyle changes when you are not a narcissistic CEO anymore. AHS looks so much better when his bangs are down and not in hair gel.
3. Kim Se Jeong has such a BEAUTIFUL voice!
4. Here's a duet with Kim Se Jeong and Ahn Hyo Seop singing "Love, Maybe". So good! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FemG1XPyvNI
5. I have those Bibigo dumplings in my freezer right now! Shown on TV in the last episode. LOL

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should you really watch this?

this show is insanely overrated. the actors and acting overall is good, but it’s your generic rom-com filled with cliches from every kdrama. imo, this is just a walmart ver. of WWWSK.

this kdrama is wholesome and filled with cute moments, but everything was predictable. the characters lack depth, with one-dimensional personalities that fail to develop meaningfully throughout the series. the narrative, rather than offering unique twists, relies heavily on tired tropes, making it a dull experience for viewers like me who watch rom-com. overall, this kdrama struggles to stand out in any way, which is why my rating is so poor. i don’t recommend watching unless you like this type of kdrama.

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sebenernya premis a business proposal ini klise banget. udah ada puluhan drama yang mengusung ide cerita macam ini; penyamaran dalam kencan buta, berakhir dengan pacaran sama sajangnim. kayak semua-muanya udah bisa ditebak banget deh.

nilai plus untuk drama ini adalah visual efeknya! gila sih kalo ngebayangin seberapa lama proses post-production mereka. episode awal sampai pertengahan rame banget, ngga ganggu sama sekali justru malah bikin ngikik. salfok juga sama bunga sakura yg berguguran di episode terakhir, itu juga kayaknya editan ya? wkwkwkwk.

terus juga sebenernya ngga jarang acting main couple di sini tuh awkward gitu. tapi untungnya awkward mereka itu ngga setengah-setengah, jadi keliatannya kayak yang sengaja gitu, bikin tetep enak ditonton karna jatohnya kocak wkwkwk. karakter harabeoji sama kawan-kawan satu timnya shin hari juga seru-seru pol!

overall gue suka; tipikal drama yang ngasih sensasi cringe geli geli menghibur gitu.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama "The Business Proposal" has definitely an old Korean drama feel to it. The romance is light and fluffy, there are enough funny moments between the couple, there is no love triangle, rather, a cute second couple, and there are plenty of trops that were enjoyable to watch.

The leading actress, in addition, does a great job with her character and she is another reason to watch this drama for her delightful performance. The rest of the cast gives nice performances as well, but not as energetic as hers. The colors and the whole atmosphere of the drama are bright and light as well.

Unfortunately, the series goes downhill towards the ending. The trops feel more and more stale and the story gets boring, to the point when the second couple was probably the only reason to keep watching.

So, overall, 5 out of 10, as the first half was fun, but the second part not so much.

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Boring!!!!

Okay, I watched this because of the funny clips I saw. But, it stopped being funny after episode 5. I blazed through the rest just to get through it. I can't believe how overhyped this is. I'm sorry, I would've never considered it bad if that nonsense in the last episode hadn't happened. It was actually somewhat watchable even until ep11, despite me fast forwarding it just to feel something. I could've given it a solid seven if that whole "going away and coming back" nonsensical thing didn't happen. I just can't believe the rate at which people talk about this when the only thing it has going for it is the looks of the people involved and funny one liners from someone they didn't even bother to give an ending to?

Seriously, let's raise our standards from this boring, overdone crap.

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Tropes and Secretaries

This is my very first review!
I am an avid and seasoned watcher, and I am quite strict with myself, If I don't like it I drop it after 5 minutes...
I was inbetween drama, was looking for something easy and fluffy to binge, had this saved in my list so... I gave it a go.

I have my special preferences, and if a drama mixes together a few cinnamon rolls, contratctual/fake marriage, office romance, she is short/he is tall, he is a newbie to loving/she's got the experience: then I'm in!
So I watched with great expectations, which were not deluded until episode...8, I believe? After that, the drama took a totally different direction, which was on the verge of cringeworthy and that almost ruined my good impression of it.

It had nothing to do with the many many tropes (oh yes, many reviews prior to mine deal with this matter) that stuff this drama to its full. If you like them, you'll have them all, shoelaces, rain, umbrellas, piggyback.... undsoweiter undsoweiter undsoweiter, all the usual suspects!
I actually LOVE tropes, I actually expect them, it a sort of ritual, a drama is not a drama withouth tropes!
It's that from episode 9, things got on a different rail and the fluffy lost to the anxiety /cringe, too much roverling inside, to many talks so little true action (of any kind, if you know what I mean).
What saved it for me, is that at some point I started to think about this drama as an exercise of style, an enciclopedia of quotes from and references to A-List k-drama of the past years, so many there were at every instance. In this perspective, it becomes a game and it is quite fun to look out for the which (which drama is quoted at this moment?), the who (which character?), the how (how well is the quote / innuendo made?)...

What ALSO saved it for me, and again I am not alone in this, is the 2ML&2FL love story, which was actually one of the best I have ever seen.
And the 2ML.
THE SECRETARY.
There have been many dramas where the secretary is a revelation, starting with Kill me, Heal Me and Choi Won Young, in this case the secretary is so totally worth it and let's just say that starting tomorrow I 'm getting myself a gym subscription.


As for the ratings:
Story: I gave 6.5 because of all the premises which are my favourties, but the development is not the one I was looking for.
Acting/Cast: I gave 7.5 because they are all cute ( especially the secretary. But I already said it, eh eh eh).
Music: I gave 7, it is overall ok
Rewatch: i gave 5 as I will not rewatch it (or possibly maybe once, only beacuse of the secretary?)
Overall, I believe 7 is a good note, even if it could have been a 9.

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Romcom of the year!

I was sad when this drama kept getting pushed back on its premiere and now I am sad that it's over. While airing, this drama has managed to put a smile on my face every week. This is a perfect combination of comedy, romance and old -school kdrama tropes. It was fun to remember the elements that me love kdramas and to have them replayed on a more lowkey level for me a more 'aware' audience (e.g. now I hate plots where the heroine is shamed for her poor status or that of evil Mother-in-laws - which this drama parodies on so many levels).

PLOT:
It's a typical CEO falls for poor girl plot only that no one is sitting around crying about their problems. Kang Tae Moo and Shin Ha Ri were very refreshing together and the process of them falling for each other was a lot of fun as well. I like that there are no major conflicts in the plot and for the most part everything was set up and wrapped up neatly. However the secret scene stealers here are the secondary couple. I loved their chemistry and how they fell for each other in the most cringey way only to confess to each other almost at the same time. I swear they could have had their own drama and I would have still watched it.

CHARACTERS:
The characters in this drama are delightful for most part. I think I enjoyed everyone's role except Min Woo and the chaebol girl who spoke English all the time (never seen a more pointless character before). The relationships between Tae Moo and his grandfather and Ha Ri and her family were precious. They always argue but I could see everyone being genuinely concerned for each other. I also loved the friendship between Ha Ri and her best friend and Tae Moo and his secretary/cousin(?). It was super wholesome and loved the parallels between the main characters! For most part there were not many annoying people in this drama.

ACTING:
I've been a fan of Ahn Hyo Seob and while he isn't the best actor, I think he did fine here and did make me laugh a lot. His acting was eerily reminiscent of Park Seo Joon's from Secretary Kim. I'll admit I thoroughly disliked Sejung as an actress in her past drama but she was more than tolerable here. In fact she matched her character and was pretty cute overall. I liked most of the cast and didn't have any issues with the mediocre acting because I watched this to have a good time and not to critique them.

OST:
I cannot recall more than 1-2 tracks from the OST but they were more than fine. This was not the drama's strongest department.

OVERALL:
This a light, fluffy romcom that did a lot of things right by keeping it a short and enjoyable ride. The laughs were plenty and this drama was a fun escape from reality while it aired. I think the ending was still a bit weak but it was much better than loads of nonsense endings I've seen in kdramas in the past. I highly recommend this drama.

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Sweet, funny beginning for 2022

Business Proposal shines brighter when taken as what it is: a light, funny, heart-warming romcom, not meant to be realistic or too over-the-top. It has just the right amount of silliness mixed with heartfelt characters and stories like ones you've probably heard in countless other kdramas - yet, it is the comfortable acting and ambience in each episode that makes you want to watch more. Last two episodes were a bit of a mess though, I have to admit.

Sejeong was definitely the highlight, her way of acting makes you want to pay attention solely to her; there's an earnest, beautiful energy whenever she's on the screen. Inah didn't fall short in her performance, I especially loved the more serious moments. Personally, I think the cast was very well picked. I had my doubts regarding Hyoseop but, surprisingly, his slightly awkward yet determined charm did a number on me. It's a great deal, because now I look forward to all of their individual future projects ^-^

It had some funny CGI here and there, the soundtrack in my opinion could've had more variety (but since SBS gave us a Sejeong OST, I won't be too angry). If you want something funny to watch, or just to have a really good time, go ahead! You surely won't be too disappointed

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