Sold! Anybody who’s crazy enough to give her boobs names, i.e. “the one on the left is Samantha and the one on the right is Rachel,” is going to be fun watching.
Admittedly, I didn’t fall in love at first sight with this kdrama. The first half was spent setting up the blind date, and Ahn HyoSeop’s performance was lackluster.
I don’t get why the cartoonist (or director?) gave her leading man the annoying mannerism of slicking his hair back. If she intended it to look manly, Ahn HyoSeop didn’t accomplish that. He looked like he had a nervous tic to me.
The plot wasn’t too hard to understand.
Ahn Hyo Seop’s character, Kang TaeMoo, wanted to humor his concerned grandfather, so he agreed to go on a blind date. Meanwhile, the heroine Shin Hari needed money and her bestie was offering her to pay her if she could take her place in a blind date.
— by the way, Shin Hari looks familiar to some of us, the actress played the noona with the formidable kick in “Uncanny Counter.”
Once the hero and heroine met for the blind date, the laugher began.
She reminded me of Kate Hudson’s character in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” except she wanted to lose the guy in a much shorter time frame…like in 10 minutes or less. Unfortunately for her, Plans A, B, C, D, and E failed one after the other because TaeMoo ignored her all attempts to turn him off. At first, he praised her for her honesty. He said he’d rather have an honest person like her than a hypocrite. Soon after, he noticed her nervously jiggling her foot and realized that she’d been putting on an act.
It was funny too when she had to make her quick get-away. She ruined her Cinderella-style escape by almost getting hit by a car.
Their accidental meeting at the elevators was a nice touch since we’re given another link between the two. If they hadn’t met by blind date, they would have eventually encountered each other through work because he was interested in seeking her out about a research she did.
Although I would have preferred that their love connection was based on similar interests, their blind date provided a more entertaining “meet cute” than a regular office meeting. Moreover, the conflict was established once he chose her to be his future bride as she couldn’t possibly reveal her true identity.
When you think about it, this drama doesn’t really need a second male lead (although there is one, Hari’s long-time crush). TaeMoo and Hari are each other’s true opponent. Ever since their “meet cute,” they’ve been engaged in a battle of wits.
To me, the greatest challenge for this drama is how to transform the comedy of errors into a plausible romance when the heroine’s intent on misleading him and the hero’s using her only as a stopgap to his grandfather’s machination. I look forward to the next five weeks to see how their relationship develops.
Overall, the first episode was predictable and lacking in complexity, as expected. But since I’m in the mood for some silly fluff, I didn’t mind it. Definitely, this is more convenient to watch than the 24+ episodes of Chinese dramas with the same theme of office romance.
Thanks @pkml3. I was interested to know how you found it. It was silly, as expected, and mostly forgettable. Show seemed to want us to not forget that this is an adaptation of a manhwa, which took me out of the story. I’d rather be able to consider them more fully realised, weird human beings, than manhwa characters come to life.
I’d like the characters to be more relatable or more engaging and ultimately for the romance to be …. well….romantic. Since it’s a short series and I always give stuff a chance, I’ll hang around to watch. I may end up more invested than expected. 😉
Thanks for sharing your views on episode 1, BOD. I always look forward to reading your thoughts. I personally LOVED episode 1; they caught me hook, line, and sinker. I laughed and smiled the whole way through. I agree that I am looking forward to some depth to the romances. It’s fun and laughs now, but I want to see both romances develop and deepen. I want to see how the ML and Fl overcome their obstacles, and I want to see the SML and SFL form a bond with each other. It isn’t enough to just *poof* fall in love. I trust the director and writer, so I buckling up for the ride!
Ha-ri really did her best to turn Tae Moo off. In fact, I think he was amused by her. I thought that his motivation is to get married quickly because dating takes up too much time. In short, he wants to be efficient in fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes.
I wondered if he might want a wife who can look after herself in every way, including not being dependent upon him for a physical relationship ? Why else would he accept someone who has self-confessed to promiscuity. Also, if he were to end the relationship, he might feel she wouldn’t be without another partner for long as it wouldn’t be based on love but on family arrangements.
@packmule3, I loved this for the simple reason that it had laugh out loud moments. Apart from what you described, I liked when she met her colleagues to attend the company wide intro to our ML where our FL smelled like fish. It was a way to do a couple of gags (pun intended). I also liked the Pretty Woman moment when her rich friend bought her clothing for the blind date where she looked less than Lady like(sort of exploding the classy narrative). But like you pointed out the blind date breast comment with her shimmy was so much fun. I don’t know our FL althoughnI watched Uncanny Counter where she was so different.
On an entirely different note, Ahn Hyo Seop definitely rocks a suit. He looked fantastic in that double breastfed suit that had lots of buttons giving it a strange military dress air. K Dramas have perfected that male chaebol look.
I wouldn’t mind if it has elements of slapstick or any kind of broad comedy interspersed in it. I could use a good laugh. Anyway, as long as I’m laughing I’m in.
Great post, @pm3!
I’m wondering how they are going to develop the romance as well. Looks like ML is interested in the research and ideas of the FL on the job, so maybe when the best friend clears things up, the couple might bond at work. Guess we will see. Like @OldAmericanLady, I’m here for the laughs. I enjoyed the set up in the first episode. Male Lead was a little bland, but I’m hoping that things will get better next episode.
🙂
Yes, @Old American Lady, that moment when she shimmied to jiggle her girls, Samantha and Rachel, was a hoot. I didn’t immediately catch on to what she was talking about because she didn’t really have big boobs. I bet I could make the teacups vibrate if I jiggled my tatas, lol.
Same here, I didn’t recognize the actress. She LOOKED familiar but I couldn’t place her. And that bugged me enough to google her.
I’m sticking around for her.
Yes, I’m also glad @Table122000, that they have something in common apart from “forced engagement.”
The male lead doesn’t project hauteur and arrogance very well. Since this drama is based on a comicbook, I expect a bit of ridiculous mannerisms and over-the-top facial expressions. I think the lead actress and the second lead actress are doing well with the cringe-y moments. But Ahn Hyo Seop seem uncomfortable hamming it up for the cameras.
The acting reminds me of the Japanese drama that I liked, “Love Lasts Forever.” The actress did well. She’s like the real-life version of the cartoon, complete with the frozen wide-eyed expression and the scared trembling-eyes look.
In this drama, the actress is doing it, too. With her facial micro-expressions, I can imagine how the comicbook artist must have drawn the heroine on paper. So instead of me cringing at the exaggerating acting, I’m praising her for it. It must be hard work to look exactly like a cartoon character.
I was thinking about LLF, as well, @packmule3. To me, Satoh Takeru was more believeable as the tsundere chaebol. Maybe I was simply bewitched, like Sakura. 🤦♀️
The workplace situation reminds me of the Kdrama, ‘My Secret Romance’ where the boss is keen on the girl because of a past incident, but she is determined to ignore him out of embarrassment. She is a nutritionist for his company, so is also in the food industry, and he is allegedly a good cook as well.
Given the script and the Business Proposal manga itself, perhaps Ahn Hyo Seop is doing as he thinks he should? But he needs to bring it to life, not just replicate it.
I really like the Grandfather and Ha-Ri’s mother. They are playing stereotypes, but with a lot of humour and warmth. When Ha-ri and Yeong-seo fought, not Ha-ri but Yeong-seo went to Ha-ri’s mother for protection. Clearly Yeong-seo feels very at home at the Shin family house and she is a favourite. I like the scenes where Ha-ri and Yeong-seo are together. They have the same pace and intensity, so the friendship seems plausible, even the aeygyo.
As to the chef, I had the impression that he might not be interested in dating at all, but I’m probably wrong, because every melo needs at least one love triangle. 😁
I’m a bit worried about the nosebleeds. We’ve had 2 already. In K-drama tropes that can mean leukemia or some such. –Or high blood pressure due to lust. 😉 The name Samantha reminds me of Sex in the City, and Rachel, of Friends.
@packmule3, Speaking of books, were it not for nursing my son, I would have had postage stamps(lol).
I watched c episode two and just want to temporarily that the S economy female lead and our FL are so funny together. They have a drunk scene with the FL’s mother that had me in stitches. I can’ t say they were Lucy and Ethel(no grape stomping) but their comedy chops, including the difficult and ego busting physical comedy they do is terrific. These two are not afraid of looking disheveled.Maybe we’ll see a spit take. And the grandfather watches K Dramas on TV where there is commentary from him-sort of shows within shows. Of the K Drama comedies I’ve watched this is certainly a departure. I hope it lasts because I had a few belly laughs that were much needed.
@Fern, I thought of Secret Romance too. Also @Fern and @pm3, why did you have to mention another drama I have not seen, LLF(lol). My to see list has now grown longer. You know, that you are just enabling my addiction! I don’t want to go to rehab,no,no, no…
@OAL, although LLF is based on Manga, it is a different kettle of fish. You have to swap over to Japanese culture and mannerisms, but it’s so enjoyable. I’m a Secret Romance fan, it’s on Netflix still. The leads are great to watch.
What is the female equivalent of bromance? Wiki* says womance. I feel that we may have that here in Business Proposal. 😆
@pm3 Yeah, the acting of the Female Lead (and also 2nd FL) is quite comical and manga like. They are both doing good jobs so far from the first 2 episodes I saw. Hopefully AHS will get better as drama progresses. Overall, show has that OTT webtoon based vibe, but I’m here for it.
@Fern I’ve also seen the term sismance to refer to female bromance. For sure we are getting a solid female friendship here so far.
@Fern, Thanks for the Netflix reminder.. I watch Secret Romance a lot. I loved that the FL’s mother had a “notorious” film career that she used in her wedding ceremony and was much married and had a change of life baby, who brought great confusion to the LM(I like Sung Hoon and also enjoy his Home Alone appearances and his interactions with Park Na Rae). I also rewatch the love scene in the car and the initial bus ride that set up the whole drama. Again it is also a food drama so we get another ty o e of salivating.
I have watched some Japanese dramas like the one with Dr. Tendo(also a BOD recommendation) so I thank you for your description.
With all of the riches of Asian content I barely watch Amerucan/European shows. I’ll continue to watch The Crown, Bridgerton, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and will try to fit in The Gilded Age but that’s all assuming I have insomnia. I didn’t watch the Sex In The City reboot because I became tired of the snobby put downs of peoplecwho don’-t live in hot, gentrified, snooty neighborhoods outside of Manhattan or Mahpnhattan. I’ve actually lived in four of the five boroughs of NYC, including one gentrification snooty neighborhood in Brooklyn before it was the sometime home of Hollywood types like Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Krasinsky, Keri Russell,etc. I grew up in Manhattan on the Lower East Side when it was affordable and not glamorous.. At least I didn’t waste my time on that.
Anyway, so far yay for Business Proposal.
Dear @OAL, the Japanese dorama with Dr Tendo is one and the same as LLF (Love Lasts Forever) It had another name in Japanese which I always mess up, so you have seen it already. I have it bookmarked and every now and then I look at an episode.
I feel that there is so much to chose from in the March line-up. It’s good to hear that there are other non-Korean dramas to watch too, as others have suggested. It’s true, I haven’t checked out English-language tv lately either.
I just saw the first episode.
And it’s very good in this kind of comedy. It’s crazy stupid, with a sense of self-derision. Over-the-top, but not in the slapstick sense, in the good way. They also avoided the little untimely sound effects like those in variety shows. I noticed a lot of good details (like an imaginary scene with two characters coming as ghosts). The episode has a very high density. I immediately thought: this deserves to be rewatched. At least to have the time to better deconstruct how the gags and situations are linked. Some of the gags are a bit easy or déjà vu, but that doesn’t take away from the punchiness of the episode. It is fast-paced too. Fast paced silly fluff, with a story everyone can catch easely. I don’t know the rating, but it should be successful?
Yes @WE, it is very successful.
https://www.soompi.com/article/1519741wpp/a-business-proposal-continues-reign-over-monday-tuesday-nights-with-no-1-ratings
The ML and FL are supposed to sing a duet if the ratings keep on above 10% or something like that.
@WEnchanteur, the ratings have been very good. It has even met the top 10 most popular TV shows on Netflix USA for several days.Considering it’s not Squid Game or zombies, that says a lot.
If you read the comments here, you’ll find a controversy about drunk sex scenes. It’s a good dIscussion.
I like the drama a lot. It’s funny, with good actors, the fun of hearing Ahn Hyo Seop speak good English(without a Canadian accent) and the joy of finding a new actress, Kim Sejeong, to enjoy. She has great comic timing and is unafraid yo be humiliated. I hope you enjoy this show.
@AOL, yeah, I enjoy a lot. On the way to watch the whole with some time. I worry I’ll put on-hold (or drop) my current Makjang “Fates & Furry”. It’s nice but the pace is a bit too slow. It’s so much easy to watch this kind of rom-com. I feel like any people in the drama will do stupid things and no one takes a rationnal decision. So it should be very fun when they create many problems for themselves or others. Of course the two girls are a mess. The male lead looks like the perfect guy, super smart, doing everything perfect. But probably he will mess a lot too. Just on this episode, he do small silly things, or just… I feel he’s stupid too. 🙂
@WEnchanteur, Keep in mind that this comes from a webtoon-then enjoy the ride.You don’t have to watch it in one fell swoop.Enjoy your makjang too.
I got to watching K Dramas when my husband was having radiation therapy. They helped me help him get through it successfully. They are great stress relief e r. I get laughs and ugly crie s out of them. They bring a lot of catharsis. I love this blog, a,though I have put my foot in my mouth several times. I enjoy the c discussion, the safe place, the international participants and getting to learn so many things that in my everyday ,ife, I might not have known.
Please enjoy and keep on commenting. You, our fearless leader @packmule3 ND the regulars are full of wonderful insights and the newbies bring a lot to the table.
As for makjangs, I’m actually warxchubg Love, ft, Marriage and Divorce. It is over the top and completely escapist. I also watched Sky Castle. Oooh..
Just also need to say I’m retired and old- with the pandemic, my vIewership keeps me socially distant. This way I can indulge in lots of content and hours that full time work, motherhood, family,never permitted me to do.
@AOL, Sorry to answer so late. The fact is that you are covering so many topics… not even related to the drama. I don’t know what to say, because it would take me a long time, and I certainly couldn’t do it on a public forum. I can only tell you that your words resonate deeply with me.
As far as Carthasis is concerned… Everything that has been taken away from physical violence in Korean movies has been transferred to psychological violence in dramas, and it’s why I prefer them. That’s why they are so intense.
Since I write screenplay, I do it in a different way than Western writers do, and more in the Korean style. I posted on western screenwriting forums about this, and I was downvoted massively, nobody understood my approach… Live each aspect of the scene at a deep (emotional) level first and translate that later.
Definitely, western writers are unable to carry the real emotion, the carthasis. When I write, I focus on the maximum emotion, which means I feel it, without caring about societals convention. And that’s fabulous, even if that emotion is hurtful and requires me to feel it as deeply as the characters feel it. So, when the scene is written right, I should just cry when it’s a sad scene. Only then, you know that moment could reach the audience in a deep way.
But this is the source, the words do not matter, everything starts from the sincerity of the author. To feel, and then… to be able to translate this feeling into words, and finally… the audience is able to feel this. The true emotion, without dissimulation. It’s like getting naked, and no one wants to do that because shameful modesty reflexes kick in. Which you have to get rid of, if you really want to express the emotional truth. I’ve practiced different arts in my life, but writing, if you do it deep enough, is by far the hardest, for the preservation of your psychological self I mean. At both, it is the best therapy.
Hi @WEnchanyeur, No need for apologies or even replies if you don’t want to. I@m always happy to read your posts. Now I know that you have an insider’s perspective and also have knowledge from a technical perspective. It adds a lot to this already wonderful blog.
I agree with you about American content. I can’t say that about other western content. The Scandinavians, the British, the French do pretty well with deep emotions. With streaming, we get to see how good international content is. Now that I’ve watched a lot of Zsian and Western content, I like So. Korean content best. They do noise so well and for me, a .over of rom coms, they are now the best. I also think that filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino just imitate so much Asian content.
I hope you enjoy the fun of Business Proposal. The comedy is great. The little bits of animation are fun. And so far I’ve seen the best use of cockaroaches ever.;)