Business Proposal, the best kdrama around?

On February 28, 2022, Business Proposal premiered on Netflix and almost immediately spread like wildfire all across the globe. The show stole the hearts of fans, who were quickly spellbound by the outstanding cast. 

If you adore a kdrama that doesn’t leave you with ktrauma, Business Proposal is definitely the right pick

Whether you consider yourself an experienced kdrama veteran, or a mere rookie, this is definitely a drama you shouldn’t disregard. The storyline is built around Shin Ha-ri who at the start of the series agrees to go on a blind date to replace her friend Jin Young-Seo. The girls plan for Shin Ha-Ri to act recklessly on the date, so that she can scare her date away. Unfortunately for Shin Ha-Ri, her blind date is revealed to be Kang Tae-Moo, the director of the company, that she works for. Despite her best efforts, Kang Tae-Moo doesn’t seem to be too bothered with her unusual actions. Instead of scaring him away with her barbaric, materialistic and overly seductive behaviour, it seems to make him rather more interested in her. 

After that the lies start piling up one after another. Shin Ha-Ri is having problems living a double-life. One as his employee, and the other as his date. How does everything change, when her previously mentioned friend Jin Young-Seo bumps into a man at the grocery store, and later in the series, that man is revealed to be Kang Tae-Moo’s secretary? What happens when Shin Ha-Ri’s colleagues start to have their suspicions about her weird and sheepish behavior every time Kang Tae-Moo is around? Will Kang Tae-Moo find out Shin Ha-Ri’s secret, and what happens if he does? 

Doesn’t this sound exhilarating? Well, if so, I suggest you open your laptop and start watching the drama RIGHT NOW. At least I would, because Shin Ha-Ri undeniably is in desperate need of some emotional support. 

Can anyone beat Shin Ha-Ri’s and Kang Tae-Moo’s on screen chemistry?

Well, this is kind of a spoiler, but it’s a kdrama so what do you expect? After many romantic and simply amusing coincidences, the two start to develop feelings for each other. Shin Ha-Ri is trying her best to get out of the situation, but whatever she does, it only seems to make her position worse. After Kang Tae-Moo finds out Shin Ha-Ri isn’t really Jin Young-Seo, and that the girls know each other, Shin Ha-Ri keeps lying to him and tells him her name is Shin Geum-Hui. Kang Tae-Moo still senses something suspicious going on, and is making his best efforts to find out Shin Ha-Ri’s true identity. 

Literally every interaction between them will have the viewer kicking their feet and blushing uncontrollably. At least the romantics will get me, because this series is overflowing with cute and innocent little (and not so little) gestures that the two have fallen for eachother. Their chemistry had me internationally screaming and twisting my hair. It’s that kind of dynamic that keeps you pressing the “Next episode” button in the middle of the night, even though you have to be up really early the next morning.

Shin Ha-Ri, definitely my favourite

Her character is easily one of the most interesting female leads I’ve ever seen on a drama. I have binge watched over eight dramas in the last year, and I can confidently say that Shin Ha-Ri is, and will remain as my favourite character for a long time. She is sometimes a bit clumsy and most of the time gets herself in really laughable situations, but at the same time she’s also really quick witted, smart and good at coming up with stuff. (You will understand once you’ve watched the drama. She’s literally a mastermind). On top of that she has this confident and alluring aura, and is a really relatable character in many ways. So instead of being a personality-missing boring character, Shin Ha-Ri is very outstanding and has verve in all that she does. And yes, on top of that, she’s absolutely mesmerising. 

Was the second lead couple almost more interesting?

If we watched the same show, I could almost promise that you too were waiting for Cha Sung-Hoon and Jin Young-Seo to appear on the screen every second the series was running. Their dynamic at the start had me cackling on the floor and laughing out loud way too many times. I state that even though I’m satisfied with the amount of their on-screen time, if they had their own drama I would watch it in a heartbeat. Their romance towards the end is flaming hot and if you asked me my favourite couple on the show, I would say Kang Tae-Moo and Shin Ha-Ri, but Cha Sung-Hoon and Jin Young-Seo definitely don’t fall short. 

Cha Sung-Hoon’s and Jin Young-Seo’s personalities sometimes seem to be polar opposites from each other, but maybe that’s exactly what makes them so addictive to watch. Sometimes Cha Sung-Hoon is a little too honest and stubborn for Jin Young-Seo, and it creates some rough patches in their relationship. But despite it all, don’t they say that opposites attract? (Wink!)

Don’t we all love a drama with a happy ending? at least I do

If you have ever watched a drama named Mr.Plankton, you know what it’s like when a kdrama leaves you with KTRAUMA and you cry your eyes out for a good two hours after finishing the show. Well, I did that. After that I realized that I personally am more of a fan of a happy ending. In the category of happy endings, Business Proposal delivers flawlessly. I was smiling from ear to ear at the end, and after finishing the show I thought I will never find a drama better than this. (Turns out I was wrong, but that’s a completely different story). I won’t spoil the ending, but what I will say, is that it is undeniably a happy one and it’ll leave you feeling elated. If this kdrama ever is removed from Netflix, I will be caught buying this as a CD, just to make sure I always have this masterpiece at an arm’s length.

Words: Minea Mahlamäki