The new contract relationship rom-com Business Proposal is off to a hilarious start. Excessively tropey in the best way possible, our new characters are full of charm, laughs, and witty dialogue, and I'm here for every millisecond of it.
EPISODES 1-2
Perhaps it's a bit too soon to declare my undying love for Business Proposal, but if this drama wanted to enter a contract relationship with me just so I'd give it the opportunity to woo its way into my top-five list, I'd invite it upstairs for ramyeon and sign the paperwork without reading the fine print.
That's how much I enjoyed the first two episodes of this webtoon-inspired drama, and trying to condense all my fondness into this — slightly longer than normal — weecap has been downright painful.
Unapologetically tropey and meta, the opening scene sets the tone for the rest of our story as we're introduced to our leading man KANG TAE-MU (Ahn Hyo-seop). He — like many leading men who have come before him — is so damn attractive that he stops women in their tracks. His hair is perfectly styled and so dark it absorbs planets. His legs are long enough to step over skyscrapers. He's fantastical, with a face and body that are too perfect to be real!
Oh wait...
He looks fictional because our first glimpse of Tae-mu is of his webtoon counterpart, as he struts through an airport looking so fine that he gives whiplash to every woman he passes. But like all successful and handsome CEO-types, he's indifferent and conditioned to having people fawn over his appearance and wealth.
While Tae-mu can part seas with his appearance, our leading lady SHIN HARI (Kim Se-jung) can clear a path with her stench. A researcher and member of the food development team at GoFood, she has the occupational misfortune of smelling like her current ingredients. And the odor of her newest mackerel-based recipe has people covering their noses as she and her team members arrive at the inauguration of their new company president. Rumor has it that he's ridiculously handsome, but Hari is doubtful since the new president is the grandson of the company chairman KANG DA-KOO (Lee Deok-hwa).
A hush descends upon the crowd, and long legs stride across the stage. The camera pans up, and... it's CHA SUNG-HOON (Kim Min-kyu), Tae-mu's equally attractive friend and chief secretary. With a blank face, he reads Tae-mu's prepared speech, which begins with a verbal middle finger to his grandfather for arranging a ceremony he didn't want.
Grandpa is none too pleased with Tae-mu's workaholic behavior, and decides it's time to propose a special project for Tae-mu. Eagerly assuming it's an opportunity for more work, Tae-mu leans in close, and Grandpa happily reveals that the project is — wait for it — marriage!
It is this proclamation that sets our plot in motion. Tae-mu does his best to convince Grandpa that he's uninterested, but Grandpa is as feisty as the chaebols in his favorite drama and won't take "no" or "leave me the hell alone" for an answer. Perhaps the only thing that could slow him down is if Tae-mu was in a relationship with Sung-hoon, but Sung-hoon deadpans that, even if he was gay, Tae-mu isn't his "type." Tae-mu pouts over the discovery that his bromance is one-sided. It's not often that Tae-mu is rejected, but when it happens — as we'll see later — it's not something that he easily forgets.
Although Sung-hoon may not harbor a secret crush on Tae-mu, he's still willing to offer up some sagely advice and suggests that Tae-mu lean into his grandfather's matchmaking scheme. Go on the twenty blind dates, and if you find a lady worth marrying, you don't have to waste time on any more. Sung-hoon just hopes that Tae-mu will find a marriageable woman within the first ten dates. Otherwise, they're going to have to do some international traveling.
