Last updated on at 11:00 am
A Business Proposal is a 2022 K-Drama that finished airing in the first week of April.
I’m sharing my thoughts on it for those who are trying to decide whether it’s worth the 12 hours it takes to watch it.
What’s It About
A Business Proposal juggles the rich man-poor girl, boss-employee, fake identity, and fake dating themes, all wrapped up in a romantic comedy package. It has twelve hour-long episodes.
Summary
It tells the story of Shin Ha Ri and Kang Tae Moo.
Ha-Ri is an ordinary woman in her twenties from a financially struggling family. She’s hardworking and works for a big food corporation. Tae Moo is the CEO of that company. He’s handsome, well-educated, talented, and rich. Each belongs to the opposite end of the social spectrum.
Ha Ri met Tae Moo for the first time during a blind date where she posed as her best friend who was supposed to have been the one to go on that date. She was surprised to find out that it was her boss who she was having a date with.
Madcap ensues as Ha Ri tries very hard, yet unsuccessfully, to extricate herself from the sham situation she found herself in. Things get complicated when Tae Moo falls for her while fake dating each other.
Related Reads:
My Review
Background
Truth be told, I was in a drama slump before I started watching A Business Proposal. Every drama I tried ended up getting dropped or being placed on hold. Then I heard of this drama and after reading the synopsis, I kind of had high hopes that it would be the drama that would put me back on the K-Drama bandwagon.
And did it?
Well, while it did not manage to land a spot in my “favorites” list, it was decent enough to entertain. In short, it was okay; nothing spectacular or memorable, but, I guess, suitable enough to pass the time when you have nothing else to watch.
I think the makers of A Business Proposal wanted to bring back the magic found in the K-Dramas of old (circa 2010), with better cinematography and modern effects, that is.
The cinematography and effects did live up to modern standards, but the magic wasn’t there. The main couple exhibited no connection, no spark, no chemistry. And while the second couple was slightly better in those areas, theirs was not enough to make me invested.
On the brighter side, though, this drama did well in doing away with the frustrating situations that those earlier dramas have, so at least there’s that.
To expound…
Plot
The plot is far from original. It’s a mishmash of several tropes that I’ve seen before. Rich man-poor girl? Tale as old as time. Boss-employee romance? Been done one too many. Fake identity? I’ve seen a good amount. Fake dating? Ditto.
But I was in a tolerant mood to watch these tropes, and while cliché after cliché moved the story along, I plodded on because I was hoping it would lead to something good.
Unfortunately, it did not.
On top of that, the plot took an overdramatic and superfluous turn at the end, making it a tedious watch.
And there were plot points that were introduced in the early part but were never fully explored and given closure, so touching on them in the first place was just a waste of time. Time that could have been better utilized on a more satisfactory ending.
Arc
The story arc was okay in the beginning but got muddled at the end when, again, overly dramatic events were introduced.
Pacing
The pacing was okay. The twelve episodes were all right to tell the story, even if, again, I would have wanted the ending to be more fleshed out and not overly rushed.
Cinematography
The cinematography was your regular modern K-Drama cinematography, nothing extraordinary.
Second Couple
The second couple’s romance was light and fun to watch. They had better chemistry and were more believable than the main couple.
Friendship
The friendships between the characters in this drama are nice. You see their affection and unconditional support for each other.
Side Characters
As always the side characters provided the laughs and they were good at it. They had good dynamics, too.
Acting
Except for the interaction of Ha Ri and Tae Moo as lovers, everyone’s acting was okay.
Special mention to the English-speaking cousin who was so excellent in her acting. She was quick, funny, versatile, and delivered her lines flawlessly–loved her to pieces!
Chemistry
As I’ve said, Ha Ri and Tae Moo didn’t have that “lovers” chemistry. Whatever chemistry they had was that between friends.
Music
The music is nothing memorable. I didn’t even notice them. Were there many? I can’t recall…
I’m big with drama music since I’m always on the lookout for a good one that I can add to my playlist, so saying that I didn’t notice the music in this drama is saying a lot.
Ending
The ending was rushed. There were tragic events introduced that looked to be last-minute attempts to bring more drama and make the story interesting, but really just ended up making it… contrived and desperate instead.
Conclusion
A Business Proposal is trope-y and chock-full of clichés. And while there’s nothing wrong with these when done right, therein lies the problem: they weren’t done right. The drama had potential that wasn’t realized.
The swoon-worthy chemistry between the main couple would have been its saving grace, but that too was nonexistent.
That leaves us with its lighthearted comedic vibe, which I guess is its only remaining appeal. If you can shut your brain off for 12 hours and just mindlessly go for some laughs, then this drama would do just fine.
Related Posts:
- Dali and the Cocky Prince: Best Romantic Comedy of 2021
- The Red Sleeve: The Good, the Bad, and the In-Betweens
Final Thoughts
I hope you find this review helpful. If you do, don’t forget to like, bookmark, or share it with others. Thank you for reading!
Follow me on:
Interesting! I didn’t know K-drama was a thing! Now I need to look it up! Thank you!
Yes, K-Dramas and Asian dramas, in general, are really nice. You’re welcome!
This review was so helpful. I will be watching it on my off day.
Thank you! Glad to know.
Thanks for your review. It’s best to know what you’re getting into- series take a lot of time so I always read reviews before I start.
That’s very true! I do the same.