REVIEW: “Business Proposal” —The K-Drama That Turns One Blind Date Into a Full-On Love Story
Drama: Business Proposal
Native Title: 사내 맞선 (Sanae Matseon)
Director: Park Seon-ho
Screenwriter: Han Sul-hee, Hong Bo-hee
Release: 2022
Episodes: 12
Original Network: SBS
Tags: boss-employee relationship, secondary couple, fake relationship, office romance, contract relationship, fake identity, hidden identity, CEO male lead, rich male lead, sismance, bromance, rich man/poor woman, rich/poor, workplace, friendship, secret relationship, cheerful female lead, adapted from a web novel
Where to watch:
Cast
Main Role
Support Role
INTRODUCTION
Let’s be honest: Business Proposal doesn’t exactly reinvent the rom-com wheel. In fact, it takes every K-drama trope in the book — fake dating, secret identities, chaebol bosses, contract relationships, accidental kisses, overprotective grandfathers, slow-motion glances, shirtless scenes timed to OST peaks — and just goes, “You know what? Let’s use them all.”
And somehow… it works.
Adapted from the web novel The Office Blind Date (사내 맞선) by Hae Hwa, this drama takes rom-com absurdity and cranks it up to eleven. It’s ridiculous. It’s exaggerated. It’s full of comic-book graphics, chaos dates, and female leads who name their boobs. But it’s also so well-paced, so self-aware, and so endearingly funny that you don’t even care that half the plot could’ve been solved with a LinkedIn search.
This is not a drama you watch with a straight face. This is a drama you binge with greasy Korean takeout and a goofy grin plastered across your face, texting your friends:
“OMG I just watched this girl pretend to be her rich bestie and now she’s fake-dating her boss who doesn’t know it’s her and I think I’m in love with everyone.”
So no, the plot isn’t deep. But neither is a bubble bath — and both are great for your soul.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT (NO SPOILERS, PROMISE)
Business Proposal starts with a lie.
Actually, several lies. Wigs, alter egos, made-up careers, fake names — and one very confused CEO with a serious blind date quota to fulfill.
Shin Ha-ri (played by the endlessly expressive Kim Se-jeong) is a regular food researcher who agrees to go on a blind date pretending to be her wealthy best friend. The mission? Scare the guy away by being as chaotic and un-dateable as possible. (Spoiler: she nails it.)
The problem? That guy turns out to be her boss — Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop), the young, hot, emotionally constipated CEO of her company.
The bigger problem? He wants to marry her.
The biggest problem? He doesn’t know who she really is.
Enter fake dating, mistaken identity hijinks, office drama, and a supporting cast that could all star in their own spin-offs. Throw in a bromance, a sismance, some accidental kisses, and possibly the most iconic grandfather in K-drama history — and you’ve got a recipe for pure rom-com chaos.
But beneath the absurdity lies a drama that knows exactly what it is: bold, bright, and not afraid to embrace the cliché and run with it (in high heels, no less).
CHARACTERS & PERFORMANCES
“Visuals? Check. Chemistry? Check. Unnecessary but glorious slow-mo hair flips? Double check.”
Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop)
Cold CEO? Check.
Emotionally unavailable? Check.
Falls for the one girl who doesn’t want to impress him? You bet.
Ahn Hyo-seop plays Kang Tae-moo with the perfect mix of brooding intensity and socially awkward baby duck energy. One minute he’s flexing his power in tailored suits, the next he’s confused why his date is calling her own boobs Rachel and Samantha. And honestly? That’s the duality we love.
He gives off Secretary Kim vibes — side-parted hair, repressed trauma, rain-triggered panic attacks, and enough slow-motion shots to keep your pause button busy. He’s not your typical K-drama jerk CEO, though. He actually grows. And when he smiles? Game over.
Shin Ha-ri / Geum Hee (Kim Se-jeong)
Give this woman an award. Or several. Kim Se-jeong owns this role — jumping from professional researcher to chaotic date disaster with Olympic-level comedic timing.
She’s funny. She’s fierce. She has excellent taste in food and even better fake identities. Her expressions are meme-worthy in every single episode, and the way she leans into the absurdity of the role makes Ha-ri one of the most lovable female leads in recent K-drama history.
Bonus points for standing up to her boss and to men who string her along. We love a woman who doesn’t just cry in the bathroom — she cries, wipes her tears with a chicken drumstick, and keeps going.
Jin Young-seo (Seol In-ah)
Rich girl with a rebellious streak and zero time for bullsh*t. Young-seo is the best friend we all wish we had — loyal, loud, and wildly inappropriate in the best way.
Seol In-ah absolutely shines here. Whether she’s falling in love at first sight in a convenience store, or getting drunk and accidentally traumatizing her new neighbor, she’s hilarious. And let’s be honest: she might’ve stolen half the show.
Cha Sung-hoon (Kim Min-gue)
Secretary. Best friend. Neighbor. Bromance king. Sung-hoon is the stoic, secretly soft second male lead we fall for every time.
His dynamic with Young-seo is full of classic K-drama goodness: the tall guy, the flirty girl, the oops-we’re-in-the-same-apartment-building setup, and yes — the sizzling chemistry. His character doesn’t say much… but when he does, it matters.
Chairman Kang (Lee Deok-hwa)
A.k.a. the matchmaking, K-drama-obsessed grandpa who has zero chill.
He watches soap operas with sheet masks on. He schemes. He meddles. And he delivers some of the show’s funniest moments while low-key watching the same drama he’s in.
ROMANCE & CHEMISTRY
Let’s just say: if chemistry could be bottled, this show would be a top-seller.
Ha-ri and Tae-moo have the kind of dynamic that makes you giggle like a teenager and whisper “oh no” every time they lock eyes. The tension is playful, the banter is ridiculous, and the kisses? Actually believable. (Yes, I said it. This is not your usual freeze-frame, eyes-wide-open K-drama kiss.)
What makes it even better is how early the romantic connection kicks in. There’s no will-they-won’t-they for 12 episodes straight. They dive headfirst into chaotic feelings and it’s delightful.
And let’s not forget the second couple — Young-seo and Sung-hoon. These two are basically a rom-com within a rom-com. They’re sweet, steamy, and hilariously petty (in the best way). Some say they outshined the main couple — and honestly? I don’t disagree.
TROPES & HUMOR
This drama is a walking, talking, perfectly coiffed K-drama trope parade — and that’s exactly why it’s amazing.
- Fake dating? ✔️
- Rich guy / poor girl? ✔️
- Rain + trauma? ✔️
- Wrist grabs? ✔️
- Elevator scene? ✔️
- Accidental fall + kiss? You bet your kimchi. ✔️
- Amnesia (ok not really, but wouldn’t be surprised)?
And yet, it all feels intentional. The writers knew exactly what they were doing — leaning into the clichés, then flipping them on their heads just enough to make you laugh out loud and go, “Okay, I didn’t see that coming.”
Even the editing joins in on the fun. Comic book sound effects? Random zoom-ins? Cartoon overlays? It’s ridiculous. It’s hilarious. It’s Business Proposal.
VISUALS, EDITING & SOUNDTRACK
Visually, this drama is a treat. The color palette is bright, playful, and ultra-saturated, reflecting the zany energy of the plot. Every frame looks like it could be a webtoon panel (because, well, it was).
The editing team deserves a raise. The slapstick humor is elevated by comic-style cuts, speed ramps, freeze frames, and exaggerated reactions. It’s not just funny — it’s stylistically bold.
And the soundtrack? Sugar-sweet and catchy to the point of obsession. If you’re not humming “Love, Maybe” after the first episode, are you even watching Business Proposal?
Honorable mentions:
- “You Are Mine” by VICTON (pure serotonin)
- “Spring Breeze” by New (The Boyz)
- Any scene with dramatic slow-mo + string instrumentals = instant classic
THEMES & EMPOWERMENT
One of the most pleasant surprises? The strong female characters.
Ha-ri and Young-seo are not damsels waiting to be rescued. They’re career-driven, self-aware, and not afraid to walk away from people (and fathers) who don’t respect them. They hold their own in a sea of chaos, proving that strength and silliness can coexist beautifully.
The show also touches (lightly) on class differences, gender roles in the workplace, and the pressure of marriage — all through the lens of comedy. It doesn’t preach. It sparkles.
SWOT ANALYSIS: BECAUSE THIS IS A “BUSINESS” PROPOSAL
Yes, we’re doing this. It’s in the title. Let’s analyze this rom-com like the CEO Tae-moo would want us to:
🟢 Strengths
- Casting perfection: every actor fits like a glove (or a designer suit)
- Iconic chemistry between both couples
- Perfect pacing thanks to the 12-episode format
- Ha-ri’s comedic timing and facial expressions = gold
- Visual style, comic-like transitions, and meme potential off the charts
- Secondary couple might be the best secondary couple in K-drama history
🔴 Weaknesses
- Final episode is a sprint with a time-skip taped on
- Tae-moo’s inability to recognize Ha-ri = logic error 404
- Serious moments (like Young-seo’s stalker) resolved too lightly
- Could’ve leaned less on tropes near the end
🟡 Opportunities
- Spin-off for Young-seo and Sung-hoon
- Grandpa Kang’s own web drama (“Be Strong, Chairman!”)
- Kim Se-jeong in more lead rom-com roles, stat!
- Goobne Chicken x Business Proposal collab: I’d buy that sauce.
⚠️ Threats
- Risk of being dismissed as “just another fluffy rom-com”
- Unfair comparisons to Secretary Kim and Crash Landing on You
- Over-reliance on visual gimmicks could date it quickly
- Might leave rom-com haters immune to its charms (but honestly? Their loss.)
Still, these are speed bumps, not roadblocks. Most flaws are forgivable in the name of fun.
FINAL VERDICT
Business Proposal is the kind of K-drama that doesn’t ask you to think — it just asks you to feel. And boy, do you feel everything. The joy. The butterflies. The full-body cringe from secondhand embarrassment. The kind of laugh that turns into a wheeze. And maybe — just maybe — a little hope that one blind date could accidentally change everything.
Yes, it’s full of clichés. Yes, it plays it safe. And yes, the ending could’ve used five more minutes (and one less time skip). But what it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in execution — and in charm so concentrated, it could be bottled and sold as “Eau de K-Rom-Com.”
Business Proposal is a fizzy cocktail of chaos, clichés, and charm. It’s not deep, it’s not flawless, and it won’t change your life. But it might just rescue your Friday night — and your mood.
If you’re craving something breezy, funny, and full of sparkling chemistry (plus an addictive OST and some serious second couple magic) — this is your K-drama comfort food. Watch it with snacks. You’ll thank me later.
For the chaotic dates, the perfect kisses, the webtoon-level editing, the power of female friendships — and of course, for Rachel and Samantha, who carried the emotional weight of episode one on their own.
Trailer
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Disclaimer: All images are owned by their respective creators. Used here under fair use for review purposes. Credits to SBS and associated promotional partners.
