Business Proposal: Episodes 1-2 Open Thread
by DaebakGrits
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 WEECAP
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.
Tae-mu grows silent, but his expression indicates that his inner wheels are turning. It’s clear to us that Tae-mu has taken Sung-hoon’s advice slightly different than he intended, and he suspiciously agrees to go on the first date. And who is he scheduled to go on a date with first?
That’s right, it’s JIN YOUNG-SEO (Seol In-ah), Hari’s bestie, who is equally annoyed by her matchmaking daddy’s constant attempts to wed her off. She’s at lunch with Hari when she gets the phone call from her father that he’s arranged — yet another — blind date for her later that night. As luck would have it, though, Hari, who often fills in for Young-seo on her blind dates, is a bit strapped for cash after having the worst birthday ever.
While Tae-mu was busy refusing to comply with Step One of his grandfather’s plan to get some grandbabies, Hari got her hopes up thinking her long-time crush and part-time friend LEE MIN-WOO (Song Won-seok) was about to finally gift her with a train ticket out of the Friendzone and into Girlfriendville. Instead, he gave her a pair of concert tickets to see her favorite band. Not only were the tickets not for her favorite band, but he suggested she take a date — a man, not Young-seo — with her. So much for getting out of the Friendzone. She now has a street named after her there.
After that, her birthday continued to roll downhill. She was understandably in a foul mood when she got home, but she still helped out her family in their chicken restaurant, which led her coming to her family’s defense when they got in an argument with the restaurant owner across the street. During the altercation, Hari accidentally broke the man’s restaurant sign, and now she owes him 800,000 won, which is why Young-seo is able to bribe Hari into being her stand-in for her recently scheduled blind date.
Instead of using their tried and true fake exorcism ploy to scare away Young-seo’s date, Young-seo decides they should go with a “tough girl” image, which is essentially club wear, hair extensions, and heavy makeup. After Hari’s makeover, she shows up at the arranged meeting place, psyched to be the worst possible date ever.
She’s caught by surprise when she first sees Tae-mu’s attractive face, but after swapping business cards with her jaw-droppingly handsome date, she’s even more shocked to discover he’s her company’s new president! Eeep! Panic sets in, but she plows ahead and uses every trick in her arsenal to be as off-putting as possible.
It’s all very how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-minutes, but he’s frustratingly unfazed by her behavior, even when she claims she has breast implants named Rachel and Samantha. If that wasn’t enough to scare him off, surely the unscripted encounter with a random woman who mistook Hari for her husband’s mistress did the trick, right? Wrong.
Hari and Young-seo’s celebratory night out at a noraebang is interrupted by a phone call from Young-seo’s father, who happily reports that Tae-mu wants to marry her. Say what now?
Given how awful she was on the date, Hari assumes Tae-mu must want to marry Young-seo for her family, but the truth is that Tae-mu decided the simplest way to avoid additional blind dates — and interruptions to his schedule — is to get married and be done with it. There’s just one problem with Tae-mu’s plan: the woman he picked doesn’t want to marry him.
Hari meets Tae-mu — for what she hopes is the last time — and cooly tells him that she’s not interested in a man who looks like an archaeopteryx. Tae-mu is properly insulated, but (as I said before) it’s not often he’s rejected — and never so creatively. So, of course, he’s unable to forget the woman who compared him to a prehistoric bird. Nah, he just has trouble recognizing her.
Despite Young-seo’s assertions that Hari won’t encounter her company’s very busy and elusive president while she’s at work, Hari keeps running into him. (It’s like the trope gods have it out for her or something.) Unfortunately, the more Hari tries to avoid him, the more she stands out.
During her first encounter with him at work, she drops her employee ID in her rush to escape, and Tae-mu recognizes her name when he picks it up. She’s an employee whose work he’s been casually keeping an eye on. Luckily, when he looks her up in the employee database, she’s wearing glasses in her photograph and looks totally different from the woman he went on a date with. Ah yes, the ol’ Clark Kent. Works every time.
Her second run-in with the boss is much more eventful — and hilarious. After spotting him across the first-floor lobby, Hari’s panicked attempt at hiding sends her slipper sailing across the room. It smacks Tae-mu right in his face, causing his nose to bleed. Partially afraid that she will be recognized and equally terrified that she will get into trouble for wounding the company president, she runs away. But Tae-mu follows!
Hari fails to outrun the former track-and-field star, and he corners her in an elevator. She nervously tries to hide her face, but when Tae-mu commends her on her previous projects, she lifts her head in pride and rambles on about her love for cooking. It’s downright adorable how her eyes light up when talking about her job, and it’s a work ethic Tae-mu appreciates… even if he otherwise finds her behavior extremely weird.
The stress of avoiding her boss is becoming too much for Hari, so Young-seo agrees to meet with Tae-mu and lie that she hired a stranger to impersonate her.
Things don’t go the way Young-seo expected, though. She accidentally backs into another car in the parking lot, and out steps Sung-hoon, the mystery hunk from the convenience store that she’s been trying to locate. Sadly, their reunion and flirting is interrupted by Tae-mu, and she has to explain that she’s the real Young-seo.
The revelation is too much for Tae-mu, who invades Sung-hoon’s apartment so he can stress cook and clean. But his chosen method of self-therapy doesn’t work, and he’s still fuming when he sits down to eat with Sung-hoon. How dare some random woman insult him and call him an archaeopteryx!
After Tae-mu’s five-second betrothal with Young-seo is canceled, Grandpa immediately ramps up the matchmaking and forces Tae-mu to go on ten dates in one day. Tired and grumpy, Tae-mu finds himself feeling a little bit nostalgic for Hari — I mean, Shin Geum-hee, as he now knows her — because at least she had some spunk and flair, unlike his ten boring dates. No, wait — make that eleven dates, Sung-hoon says as he calmly pushes the elevator button to the roof, where they then take a helicopter to Japan.
After returning to Seoul, Tae-mu confronts Grandpa, but Grandpa is adamant that Tae-mu should get married. He has another nine dates lined up for Tae-mu tomorrow, and if none of those pan out, then he will come up with a list of a hundred more. It is during this exchange that Tae-mu has an epiphany and lies to Grandpa that he already has a woman he’d been dating and wants to marry. Grandpa is ecstatic, but now Tae-mu has to convince Hari — I mean, Geum-hee — to pretend to be his girlfriend.
Impressed by her acting and willingness to do outrageous things for money, Tae-mu offers to pay Hari a boatload of cash to be his fake girlfriend. It was a hard offer to resist the first time he presented it to her, so when he shows up at her house unannounced to ask again — after she’s had more time to think about how much she could use the additional income — it’s even more difficult to reject his relationship contract. Hiding her identity as his employee is too stressful, though, so she walks away from the deal.
But Tae-mu is desperate and persistent, and he refuses to leave until she agrees. Mid-argument, Hari notices her brother approaching, and the last thing she wants is him to see her in her “tough girl” hair and makeup. She tries to hide behind Tae-mu, but she accidentally knocks him over. She reaches out to save him, but it’s too late. Gravity already won, and they topple to the ground. They land with Hari on top of him and every part of their bodies touching, including their lips.
And so the trope-filled premiere week of Business Proposal ends with a classic trip-and-fall accidental kiss, and I’m left fanning myself from all my excessive laughter. There were so many moments that had me giggling, clapping, and cheering, but most of my appreciation comes down to the dialogue and friendships.
Hari and Young-seo are such a fun pair of gal-pals who don’t let the disparities in their wealth cause friction in their friendship. In fact, when they aren’t getting absolutely wasted on soju and talking in an incoherent language only they can understand, they’ve managed to cultivate a financially symbiotic relationship when needed. It certainly helps that Young-seo, despite all her wealth, is so stinkin’ likable and down-to-earth. I mean, she nearly stole my heart when she turned the marker scribble on her skirt into a flower. It’s no wonder Sung-hoon stopped and stared.
Likewise, Tae-mu and Sung-hoon have an equally close relationship despite one being the boss of the other. Tae-mu coming over to clean and cook for Sung-hoon was not only relatable — I, too, clean when I’m stressed — but an interesting role reversal that flipped their at-work statuses. I’m in agreement with Grandpa: it’s nice to watch a K-drama without a rich chaebol character getting huffy and slapping someone in the face with kimchi.
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Tags: Ahn Hyo-seop, Business Proposal, first episodes, Kim Min-kyu, Kim Se-jung, Seol In-ah
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1 💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 2, 2022 at 1:36 PM
He really does look like an Archaeopteryx though 😂😂😂😂😂
: https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/28150114/dga-1140282.jpg
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 2, 2022 at 1:37 PM
And her reasons why are spot on 🤭🤭🤭
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OldLawyer
March 2, 2022 at 9:07 PM
I love how she saved his number as "Archaeopteryx"- and whenever he calls her, we see a little Archeopteryx emerging from the phone.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 2, 2022 at 9:10 PM
And the little dinosaur noise track over his scenes and his utter indignation. Yes.
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2 beffels
March 2, 2022 at 1:42 PM
I can’t overstate how much I enjoyed the archaeopteryx jokes 😂😂😂
I’m looking forward to next week!
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 2, 2022 at 2:52 PM
Everything about it is hilarious and kills me, and they to goodness better continue it throughout the entire run.
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3 missvictrix
March 2, 2022 at 1:53 PM
I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!
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mmmmm
March 5, 2022 at 1:36 AM
Me too!
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4 Toodlepip
March 2, 2022 at 1:59 PM
Love, love love this show already! ❤️ It might be a good reason to love a Monday!
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5 tiredys
March 2, 2022 at 2:07 PM
I didn't take to Episode 1 but got caught by the archaeopteryx in Episode 2. If they can get Tae-mu to wear a t-shirt with an archaeopteryx in the future, or better yet a costume, I'll be so happy.
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6 Nal
March 2, 2022 at 2:13 PM
😂😂 I loved those first 2 episodes. I'm definitely hooked
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7 mianmian
March 2, 2022 at 2:45 PM
Our leads are slowly growing on me (sadly AHS’s character is the least interesting to me right now), but I must say I am over the moon for Seol Ah and Min Gyu!!!! The is my favorite role for the both of them!!! I LOVE the second leads characters and legitimately find them both unbelievably attractive and hilarious! I can’t wait for more interactions between all four of them!
And yes, I do not mind these longer weecaps either since I too understand the gushing and the fun. Here’s to more tropes and happy go lucky dramas, because sometimes we just want the light fluff of cotton candy in the midst of hearty (beautiful, but sometimes difficult to swallow) bittersweet dramas.
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OldLawyer
March 2, 2022 at 9:26 PM
I really like both of our couples- a lot. And somehow Seol-ah made her "love at first sight" moment actually convincing- but even better was watching Min-gyu starting to fall for her as she draws that flower on her skirt was even better. You can see that he is going down fast. Which is a good thing because Seol-ah's character is so nice that you really don't want her to have to wait very long. I think the web-toon writer-artist did a great job of creating two characters that we can visibly see would be a great couple.
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8 ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min
March 2, 2022 at 2:47 PM
This is everything I needed at the moment. I really, really hope they can keep up the self-awareness and meta aspects because they were just so freaking funny. I almost howled with laughter at the Archaeopteryx part. Sometimes you just need a trope-filled, silly romcom to cheer you up and distract you from the more serious fare of other ongoing dramas. Of the kdrama and the real world type. Maybe mondays aren’t always so bad after all.
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9 miso
March 2, 2022 at 2:54 PM
Like everyone here, I thought Ep. 1 was a bit meh. Also AHS was trying too hard - there was this moment when he needed to show interest in the 'new' project Lee Deok-hwa mentioned and omg the overt ACTING 😅.
But Ep. 2 with all the archaeopteryx jokes was pretty fun. Every time a mini version flew out of the phone I laughed. If I had to choose a trope-fest to watch, this seems right up my alley. The drama-within-a-drama and the inevitable "Shin Geum-hui" car crash should be hilarious.
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10 Miss_elly
March 2, 2022 at 2:54 PM
loved these first episodes. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard at a premiere week. I also loved the very obvious image of the actual web tune at the bus stop, and the silly drama grandpa watches and bout a poor chicken girl and a rich boyfriend haha. I hope the drama keeps this up.
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11 Kafiyah Bello
March 2, 2022 at 3:16 PM
I enjoyed the heck out of this. When he chased after her, I laughed so hard. I am here for a fluffy poor girl chaebol drama. Plus I love dramas within dramas, and the tonkatsu slap, hilarious. Harabuji loving the drama and then saying rich people are nice. So funny.
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CS
March 4, 2022 at 7:28 AM
I came just to mention the pork cutlet slap. I laughed so hard. I don't think a drama inside a drama has been this much fun since the makjang drama inside WWW with its seaweed slap!
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PinkyInToronto
March 4, 2022 at 9:04 AM
Grandpa saying "I bet the crust on that cutlet was really crispy", had me howling! Hahahaha! More!
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Kafiyah Bello
March 4, 2022 at 10:07 AM
YASSSS, I hope Harabuji is a hoot the rest of drama.
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12 tumblesunny
March 2, 2022 at 3:18 PM
I'm so looking forward to this! Sadly, it's not yet available in my country.
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13 Ayan
March 2, 2022 at 3:25 PM
I needed something like this to get through the week, such a fun show!
I loved Hari and young seo's friendship and I can't wait to see what happens when Tae-mu finds out Hari's true identity. I liked that we got to see Tae-mu go on blind dates with the other chaebol heirs. We can see that he does want to feel comfortable with his partner and it's not just to appease his grandfather. One of the things that was mentioned in the webtoon, is how Taemu realises she is a good person willing to help her friend out at the risk of her reputation, her job etc.
I can't wait to see how things will progress between the two of them.
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14 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
March 2, 2022 at 3:57 PM
That broken store sign didn't look like it should have cost as much as they said. I also have doubts about the costs of Veronica and Samantha but the final verdict must await closer inspection :)
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chibi8535
March 2, 2022 at 10:59 PM
10 million a piece she said? Which is around 10k in USD. So 20k a pair... which sounds like she got some high-end sh*t done, but it's still well within reason! :P
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Ally
March 3, 2022 at 7:13 AM
Yep, sounds legit.
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 2:22 PM
Not even 10K- close to 8K each.
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chibi8535
March 3, 2022 at 10:42 PM
Ah, yes... I still follow my internal 'easy conversion' rule in my head while watching Asian dramas: knock off one zero from the end for Yuan, two zeroes from the end for Yen, and knock off three zeroes from the end for Won :P
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15 chiclet
March 2, 2022 at 3:57 PM
Despite being SO tropey it’s hilarious! Esp that drunk scene!
Always thought Kim Se Jeong to be one of the better idol actresses and she’s absolutely hitting this out of the ballpark! I love how her expressions quickly changed throughout the blind dates and you can absolutely see what was going through her mind. You could even see that she was genuinely taken aback and her innocence during that mistress altercation.
Never been impressed by AHS’s acting skills and this one is teetering between pass and fail. But not enough to stop me from looking forward to the next episode haha
And I absolutely love the side characters/actors. Also how they weaved in that tv drama. So funny!
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16 welh
March 2, 2022 at 4:10 PM
The gal-pals and the chairman are the only reasons to watch. The premise is an old tro or. Unless the script goes crazy and weird it will fall flat. The male actors are like mannequins.
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17 Alluvial_Fan
March 2, 2022 at 4:43 PM
Enjoying and giggling along with you all. Loving that we all heard different names for her implants. Swear she called them Stephanie and Rachel! Maybe we were all so gob-smaked at the hilarity of that Mae West line.
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Alluvial_Fan
March 2, 2022 at 5:17 PM
Ahem, ... serious research confirms that the one on the left is Samantha and the one on the right is Rachael.
"Is that a pickle in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" is one of my favorite Mae West lines.
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OldLawyer
March 2, 2022 at 9:17 PM
The writer is borrowing a lot of classic lines. And using them very effectively.
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 7:51 AM
I forgot to mention that the Mae West line is also one of my favorites.
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DaebakGrits
March 3, 2022 at 12:11 PM
You're right! Her little hand gesture reminded me of the "Veronica Park" scene from The Secret Life of My Secretary, and I think I just heard what I wanted to hear. Ooops! haha It's been fixed. ;-)
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18 loveblossom🌸
March 2, 2022 at 6:01 PM
This drama is silly, fun, & cute and exactly what I'm in the mood for.
I haven't seen Kim Sejung in anything, but she charmed me! She was so expressive. Both leading ladies were really natural and fun to watch. Seol In Ah is gorgeous and adorable. I don't mind her aegyo, I don't know why. Maybe because her chaebol character isn't mean-spirited or snobby. She's chic, but also chill and down-to-earth marking up her skirt like it was no big deal.
I'm more excited for the second lead romance than the main one though. I do like both pairs of friendships~
Grandpa with his makjang watches were a hoot! The pork cutlet slaps!!! LOLLL I like that there was funny scenes from various characters like the ones with Director Eui Ju and Gye Bin (the gossip guy). I feel like they will become a couple or something after all his teasing about her singleness.
Tbh, I didn't know what an archaeopteryx looked like so it was super funny when its image was revealed. XD
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Alluvial_Fan
March 2, 2022 at 6:29 PM
Pork cutlet slaps followed by drumstick slaps. Laughed 'till I cried. But my biggest hoots were for the mock exorcism. That was drama gold :)!
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loveblossom🌸
March 2, 2022 at 7:17 PM
Haha omg yes. Shin Ha Ri looked soooooo possessed! I thought her part was plenty convincing, but they had to go extra with ghastly Young Seo in the background. XD
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happiness
March 2, 2022 at 6:56 PM
I love how every time Kang Taemu calls Hari we see a little pop up of the archaeopteryx on her phone! I'm seriously loving the use of effects in this show
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loveblossom🌸
March 2, 2022 at 7:20 PM
Yes! I'm liking the little effects and also the webtoon elements. Makes things not plain. ^^
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19 Sana
March 2, 2022 at 6:25 PM
That scene where he asks her to be his fake girlfriend and it cuts to her walking away and him being persistent... Literally easy the EXACT same scene on episode 2/3 of My Girl. I got such My Girl vibes from this show and that was my favourite drama!
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merry
March 3, 2022 at 1:03 AM
I get 1% of something vibes and imagine PHJ as ML. First time i've seen the leads in anything, or maybe not for the ML (Is he on My Father is Strange?). This fluff is a pleasant surprise, the drama i did not know i needed. Hilarity! The grandfather! Love the FL's outfit on the first date. Now, if they could come up with the dialog to remember on confession and other intimate interactions, I'll be one happy camper.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 3, 2022 at 2:19 PM
(He is in My Father is Strane, yes lol)
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Kafiyah Bello
March 3, 2022 at 4:24 AM
Ooooh yess, My Girl, and the when he chased her, it was from My Girl too. My Girl was the first truly hilarious kdrama I watched. I knew it reminded me of something.
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Kurama
March 3, 2022 at 4:41 AM
Lee Da Hae was great in this role. She had a great comedy timing.
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Kafiyah Bello
March 3, 2022 at 7:24 AM
she really was, whatever happened to her? I've heard she is on variety shows, but come with the comedy girl.
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 7:52 AM
Well she is obviously back now.
parkchuna ❤️🍉
March 3, 2022 at 7:57 AM
Honestly ep 1 brought me back to early 2000s! I wasn’t quite sold esp on AHS (like everyone else here it seems!) but the rest of the drama got better & funnier in ep 2 so i’m a happy watcher. Hopefully AHS n Sejong manage to muster some chemistry btw them soon.
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20 happiness
March 2, 2022 at 6:52 PM
I love the Grandpa the best in this drama but every character in this drama is so fun to watch! The best part is we don't have annoying second leads, Seol Inah and Kim Minkyu are the type of second leads we need more in kdramas! Their friendship with the leads is so nice to watch
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 7:54 AM
Isn't it nice when we get second leads we can absolutely root for?
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21 FlourPower
March 2, 2022 at 7:07 PM
In the last scene, when talking to Tae-mu outside her family's restaurant, is it not her little brother Ha-min who comes walking towards them, not Min-woo? (It's the same actor that played the bodyguard in King's Affection, with a very recognizable face.)
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loveblossom🌸
March 2, 2022 at 7:25 PM
Yup, it was her brother. I don't know how she made that mistake thinking it was Min Woo.
Or she didn't want to get teased by her bro because she was wearing different makeup and meeting a guy in front of their restaurant late at night.
Btw, how does Tae Mu even know her home address? (Well, he got the restaurant info, but he didn't know she lived above it....)
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Marciaann
March 2, 2022 at 7:36 PM
The scene was so quick that I can understand the mistake. I had to rewind it after the first take because I was momentarily confused about why Minwoo might be visiting late. The second time I realized I was sooooooo focused on our double trope- fall, catch, accidental kiss that my brain short circuited.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 2, 2022 at 9:16 PM
I don't think she did think it was Min Woo? I thought she knew and saw it was her brother and wanted to avoid him, because any contact with her family will automatically give up the game that she's Ha Ri, not Geum Hui, lol. As soon as her bro sees her he's definitely going to be call her name.
Regarding the address, I think it's merely assumed by the show that the family restaurant is the family home as well. Now that you point it out, I'm not sure why. I don't think they clarified it? But then there are a few other just "accept it" moments like that in the show lmao.
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 8:00 AM
Once again, Her Highness has nailed it: Yes, she did what she did because, of course, her brother would have called out her real name (and have wanted to meet the guy as well- further driving home the point about who she actually is).
As far as why using the address of the restaurant as the 'home address'- I simply assumed that his plan was to make enquiry there as to the actual address. Once he explains that he plans to marry their daughter he would certainly obtain it.
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ceci
March 4, 2022 at 11:05 AM
I think Ha-Ri's brother will call her noona and it will not come out at this point that she is not Geum-Hui, I think she just wants to avoid her brother and Tae-Mu meeting - understandably, considering their complicated non-relationship.
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annerl
March 5, 2022 at 2:00 AM
After Tae Mu and Young Seo had the conversation, he wanted Young Seo to bring out the 'actress' which he guessed wasn't exactly an actress but actually known to Young Seo (the Chanel/YSL bag difference lol). After having the makeover Ha Ri wanted to skedaddle out of the meeting but her Goobne chicken coupons fell out of her bag (she wanted to give those out to her co-workers for the missed birthday dinner). Tae Mu caught one of those coupons, and she explained during their conversation that her family runs a chicken shop. That's how he got the address.
It's also the same conversation where he asks why the Archaeopteryx comment, and she's like of all things he's pissed off about it's that? And that's also where she gave him 'her real name' Geum Hee.
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DaebakGrits
March 3, 2022 at 12:44 PM
@flourpower Thank you for catching my mistake! I wrote a lot of this weecap from memory, and for some reason my mind created an alternate ending. I must have blurred the end of episode 1 with her end-of-episode-2 phone call with Min-woo, and in my eagerness to submit this post I didn't thoroughly fact-check myself. 🤦 I'll do better next time! ;-)
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FlourPower
March 7, 2022 at 7:15 PM
I thought the same on first viewing. And thanks for the delightful weecap!
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22 Erica
March 2, 2022 at 8:35 PM
“What kind of rich folks would meet their in-laws over a pork cutlet?”. (you know, the absurdity of Kdrama to insert ads by featuring the restaurant no matter how inappropriate like Jisung who kept going to TGIF Friday’s in Secret Love).
Funny Lee Deok Hwa. I could watch him watching a drama (a drama within a drama) and making snide remarks.
I was so ready to drop this at episode 1 due to total lack of substance, then figured out it was making a parody of itself and subsequently charmed by it on episode 2 :-)
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23 Anon D
March 2, 2022 at 8:42 PM
A light hearted watch that is sorely needed right now!
After kimchi and seaweed slaps, we now have tonkatsu and chicken slaps - - crispy and ouch!
First time watching AHS,
KSJ is rocking this role and am always looking forward to more Seol Inah and Kim Min Kyu!
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24 OldLawyer
March 2, 2022 at 9:12 PM
We loved the first two episodes- and laughed a lot. This show uses a lot of standard tropes but often in a more humorous and non-standard way- which adds to the comedy. This even extends to the casting- how often have we seen Lee Deok-wha cast in this kind of role? Except this time, he is a comic character, and you can tell that he is loving it and having a blast.
This is a rom-com that is written as an actual laugh out loud comedy. My wife and I are both looking forward to the next episodes.
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25 Kurama
March 2, 2022 at 9:22 PM
It's a typical rom-com and it's super fun. I hope they will keep the Archaeopteryx joke until the end. I love when it appears from the phone.
I like the friendship between the girls. The second couple will look great. The grandpa is cute.
My only issue is Ahn Hyo-Seop, I had the feeling to see ad hear Haram in a modern area (and he can see, but sometimes Haram didn't look blind). He lacks chemistry with Kim Se-Jung but Kim Min-Kyu too.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 2, 2022 at 9:56 PM
He speaks very like he did in Red Sky lol. I don't know why. Trying to go for the uptight chaebol speak maybe and landing on poor Sageuk Middle Korean haha.
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Kurama
March 2, 2022 at 11:24 PM
I don't know why
Because he's limited actor? He's possessed by Haram?
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 3, 2022 at 12:32 AM
I mean... 😂😂😂... yes to both of those.
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26 currypuff
March 2, 2022 at 9:51 PM
Ah, this is just the tropey manhwa fluff I was hoping it would be! I love both the leads (anyone else getting Secretary Kim vibes off Ahn Hyo Seop's eccentric chaebol with a heart or is it just me?!) and second leads, and Lee Deok Hwa as cardigan-wearing k-drama addict harabeoji is the icing on the cake.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
March 2, 2022 at 9:54 PM
Actually, rather than WWWSK, I get a lot of Secret Lyfe of My Secretary Vibes instead. It has the same brand of ridiculous and self awareness as the latter.
Also just trade the Fish Cult for the Archaeopteryx jokes and voila~ hahaha
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CS
March 4, 2022 at 7:53 AM
Exactly! I kept thinking of this drama over and over as I watched. The comments and community on DB for SLOMS was super fun, so I'm hoping the will be another fun to comment on show.
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27 Marmar78
March 2, 2022 at 10:19 PM
I seriously enjoyed everything about the show .im just waiting fir next monday giggling and crazily in love.
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28 dramalover4ever
March 2, 2022 at 10:28 PM
This is so much fun. As well as the references already mentioned, the Parasite box- making reference too. I love the Arcchaeopteryx and especially Sung-hoon's "uncanny" and the swooping sounds. LOL too "the bloody head of Hannam dong" and Ha-ri's father's "dagger to the heart". Best 👌
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29 ssandulak
March 3, 2022 at 12:59 AM
I came for Kim Se Jeong, and I’ll tolerate Ahn Hyo-Seop. He did alright in Dr. Romantic season 2, but I’ve generally felt he was a little wooden. The show has started off pretty well though. Trope ridden, yes, but I can live with that if it’s done well. And that seems to be the case so far.
I dig the overlays and stylistic approach to some of the elements. It definitely adds a bit of fun to the proceedings. Our FL and her BFF are great together, and I love their dynamic. Definitely my favourite part so far.
I was surprised at the approach to try and turn off the ML though. Naming her breasts would probably work in most cases, but the rest seemed like it would have the opposite effect. She’s showing *gasp* more shoulder?! The scandal! Or a beautiful woman inviting you to get a hotel room? Made me chuckle when he noticed the nervousness with which she did it and then pressed on to tease her.
The little dinosaur squawk and graphic when he calls made me happy as well.
Having tempered my expectations, I’m finding this one a fun watch. Looking forward to next week.
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Pogo
March 4, 2022 at 8:51 PM
The naming her (supposed) implants, showing more skin, showing up dressed and heavily made up like she's on her way to the club/a dominatrix appointment, suggesting they get a room on the first date and then saying she likes to date multiple men at once...... of course it's not to make her "unattractive" per se, more like.....make supposed Jin Young-seo unattractive as a marriage prospect. Especially to the kind of guy who goes on blind dates set up by his family and probably wants an "appropriate" wife, which Ha-ri's version of Young-seo is obviously NOT. lol.
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30 spazmo
March 3, 2022 at 12:59 AM
these first 2 eps were so funny, just the right "medicine" i needed after this past week of terrible global news... just needed the little boost!
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31 Cindy Mahri
March 3, 2022 at 2:14 AM
This is such a fun weecap. Thanks, @daebakgrits! It reminded me of early days recaps which I've really missed.
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DaebakGrits
March 3, 2022 at 12:13 PM
@cindymahri77 Aww! Thank you! That's like the ultimate compliment! But I think some credit needs to go to the drama, too. It has a 2010-ear vibe to it that makes it soooo easy to be sassy and fun. <3
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32 Cindy Mahri
March 3, 2022 at 2:22 AM
I'm just loving the hilarious chaotic energy this show is giving me - very much needed to balance the real-world chaos nowadays. And even though I can't wait for the next episodes, I'm happy to be live-watching this 'coz if I wait until it's completed, for sure I'll be bingeing it in one sitting. And what will happen to my real-life job then? Lol
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TeaTimeandCrime
March 3, 2022 at 2:48 AM
Omg I feel that so much lol.
I'm self-employed and let me tell ya: when you're in control of your own work hours and you know there's some good kdrama watching to be had? The struggle is reeaaaaal
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33 Cindy Mahri
March 3, 2022 at 2:23 AM
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34 TeaTimeandCrime
March 3, 2022 at 2:44 AM
I had an absolute blast watching these first two episodes, was practically in stitches the whole time!
There were so many aspects that I loved but what brought me the most joy was Hari and Young-seo's friendship - I very rarely see part of my life reflected in kdrama but the moment these girl's just started making random noises at each other I was like that's me!!! That's me and my bestfriend!!! The thing we do that embarrasses our other friend's when we're out in public!!!! XD XD XD
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35 blessingwind
March 3, 2022 at 4:11 AM
This drama made me laugh so much.
The funniest scenes:
1. Samantha and Rachel part
2. Yeong Seo and Ha Ri's being completely wasted being drunk and Ha Ri saying Yeong Seo's mouth getting ripped.
3. Ha Ri saying to Tae Moo that he looks like an archaeopteryx. Every moment that thing and the bg music whenever he calls her phone had me cracking up
4. Grandpa wearing cardigan and watching a makjang drama
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36 Lixie
March 3, 2022 at 6:46 AM
Business Proposal - Ep 1 - I like the marriage contract trope, I know it's silly but if done right it can also be amusing. This first ep though, it's souless, generic, formulaic, just because the trope is old doesn't mean everything else also has to be. The ML is bland but of course he is a geeenius, considered to be handsome and is rude to almost everyone for no reason. The FL is hard working, clumsy, pretty, but everyone acts as if she isn't, has a debt and her parents are rude and self-involved, but drama pretends this is funny. She has a one side crush on a idiot and he has no interest in women. Sure. Lovely cliches. Her act on the date was too embarrassing to be funny and the idea he would believe that or still want to marry her was absurd. Why not make him hate the grandfather? Then it would at least be a plausible reason.
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beffels
March 3, 2022 at 10:19 AM
I think the point is that he doesn’t hate the grandfather? So rather than fight with him, he’ll just go and get married so he doesn’t have to waste his time - very practical solution 😅
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 2:05 PM
I think their relationship is similar to that which we see in ONE PERCENT OF ANYTHING/ONE PERCENT OF SOMETHING: They do in fact care a great deal about each other BUT they are also both too much alike and butt heads as a result. In this comedy though the ML is a little less confrontational about it- which is why he is much more likely to come up with not a dating relationship but rather an actual 'contract marriage'- and we will see what terms he and she can come to in their agreement. And then, of course, it is a given that they will fall in love with each other and, after a few more twist and turns their marriage becomes a real one. The fun, of course, is in how they travel the road to get to that point.
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Lixie
March 3, 2022 at 2:47 PM
Yes, I wasn't talking about the marriage itself. I meant it was absurd to choose that woman. The woman she pretended to be, and drama told us he believed her. She was loud, rude, vulgar. It's ridiculous that he would ignore all of that and call it honesty. And it she wasn't even honest by his standards because he seemed to believe she wasn't sincere about the room offer and later that she did cheat with that woman's husband, so where is the honesty? And that is the person his grandfather would like him to marry? If he hated him would be the only explanation.
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beffels
March 3, 2022 at 8:01 PM
Ah I see what you mean! Yeah honesty doesn’t seem like the best word, but she was definitely different to other women he went on blind dates with so may have seemed honest? Tbh I didn’t think about it too much and just assumed he went with the first one so he wouldn’t have to waste any time meeting other people 😅
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Jingbee
March 3, 2022 at 11:39 PM
This was how I took it too. It seemed like he was determined before meeting any woman to just marry the 1st one. So that first meeting, no matter what HaRi did, he had already decided. He just did not expect he would be rejected. Then as to the rest of the dates, he however had already a basis for comparison as everybody else were saying the same simpering sugary things. He at least assumed she was being true to herself (as the loud, vulgar character that she was projecting).
37 debbie
March 3, 2022 at 7:09 AM
I enjoyed every bit of this drama. Finally, my Mondays and Tuesdays are going to be filled with laughter.
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38 Ally
March 3, 2022 at 7:17 AM
Dang, third time is the charm, as I’ve started this post 3x now! I do love everything about this. I’m hoping the AHS is purposely being stiff and overacting in this. I’m just waiting for him to break the fourth wall and wink at us. 😜 And any show that can incorporate dinosaurs into the plot should always be watched! Looking forward to the rest. It’s a keeper for me.
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 8:19 AM
I think that AHS is purposefully acting stiff because that is what his character is supposed to be at this time in the drama.
A romcom has to be able to show why this pairing is so right: Why her and not those twenty very suitable candidates that his grandfather lined up for him? Because he needs a woman who can break him out of his emotional shell- a lady who makes him feel things instead of just calculating them. This is the significance of the scene where he literally chases after her upon being hit by her flying shoe: That is an unusual and emotional response that has not been his normal behavior before. It is a foreshadowing of what is to come.
Yet to come will be her answer to the question Why him? We will look forward to that.
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39 parkchuna ❤️🍉
March 3, 2022 at 7:36 AM
This recap is as delightful as the truckload of funny rained upon us by the drama, great job @daebakgrits! I really enjoyed the chemistry btw Sejong & In ah here and i can’t wait to see more of their hijinks with each guys.
On the drama-in-drama, i think it might rival What’s Wrong With My Mother In Law. There may have been no kimchi slap, but there were two, crispy, tonkatsu & fried chicken slap 😂 It’s nice to see a scheming funny grandpa instead of the usual evil & boring one.
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OldLawyer
March 3, 2022 at 8:05 AM
I love Tonkatsu and hate seeing it wasted like that- but it was funny.
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parkchuna ❤️🍉
March 3, 2022 at 11:34 PM
It’s fried chicken for me! Yeah i’m not a fan of wasting food either. All those coffee shop scenes with undrunk (is that a word??) drinks always bug me 😅
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mmmmm
March 5, 2022 at 2:01 AM
Tbh, after watching these two eps, I made a plan to go eat a tonkatsu at a tonkatsu place I love.
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DaebakGrits
March 3, 2022 at 12:27 PM
Thank you! It was a fun weecap to write! I hope the drama continues to deliver this same energy from start to finish, because I'm definitely in love with it so far.
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40 Stella
March 3, 2022 at 2:33 PM
Omg I *died* when they met at the kids cafe. Literally was howling. But the first blind date scene where she suggests getting a room was pure gold.
AHS isn’t the greatest actor but IRL he also seems stiff, reserved, somewhat cold and distant so this role is actually perfect for him. I’m curious to see how the chemistry between the leads grows as he gets more comfortable in the role.
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41 Lonestar Girl
March 3, 2022 at 3:39 PM
I’m loving it so far!!! And remember the question, “The drama trope that happened to you?” I happened to be eating the Honey Twists while watching this at the same time the grandpa was eating them too and watching the drama!!! I laughed so hard I almost spit out my Twists!!! 🤣🤣🤣
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loveblossom🌸
March 4, 2022 at 9:06 PM
OMG, what an awesome moment!!!! ^^
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42 Jingbee
March 4, 2022 at 12:50 AM
Like most beanies said, this is so tropey and yet somehow compelling to watch. One thing that this rom-com achieved (that no other rom-com (even non kdrama) did before) is that this made my hubby sit with me all through-out the 2 episodes and he was laughing louder than I did!. So hurrah for our first-ever rom-com drama watch.
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43 PinkyInToronto
March 4, 2022 at 9:16 AM
My prediction is that Tae-mu will eventually recognize Ha-ri by her running style, lmao! I love it when a person knows when to leg it!
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loveblossom🌸
March 4, 2022 at 9:04 PM
Hahaha, I noticed her run too! It's eye-catching? And certainly frantic. He sure has seen her run a lot. XD
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PinkyInToronto
March 12, 2022 at 11:05 PM
... and you'd think he'd be impressed by the amount of time it takes to catch up with her - him being a former collegiate athlete - and her, well, in socks!
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44 sumi
March 4, 2022 at 9:40 AM
I am loving this show so far. The real surprise for me was Kim Se-jeong - I have only seen her once before this, in The Uncanny Counter, and I could not believe it was the same person! Her acting in Uncanny made me think she is a serious/action type actor. I cannot believe how she is completely opposite of that in this show! What an amazing range. Same for Seol In-ah - such a far cry from her character in Mr. Queen! I do think the friendship between these two leading ladies will be wonderful to watch in the series.
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45 ceci
March 4, 2022 at 10:04 AM
This show is my catnip, can't wait for the new episodes. I was laughing out loud while different characters were watching the drama and commenting on it from their point of view. Grandpa is hilarious.
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46 ceci
March 4, 2022 at 11:35 AM
I came to like Tae-Mu's character in that date scene as he is quite tolerant and open minded and is not at all phased by Ha-Ri's shenanigans. He seems to see through her act (in addition to not caring that much). However I have my doubts about him deciding to marry a person who obviously does not want to marry him. Just move to the next candidate on your grandpa's list, dude! I like how he cleans and cooks for his friend, totally not a snobby chaebol.
I also love Jin Young-Seo as best friend and not snobby chaebol. It's refreshing to have a story about likeable characters without obvious bad guys so far.
Kim Se-Jeong is cute as a button. She is so funny, born for comedy.
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OldLawyer
March 4, 2022 at 5:47 PM
I like that we have two non-snobby Chaebols- one a dedicated businessman who works harder than anyone else in his company- and the other a female friend who is determined to find a true love- and not live by her family's dictates. A lesser writer would simply put these two together- as their families intended- but instead we have something that makes more sense.
Jin Young-seo has a wise heart- and so she has fallen for Tae-mu's friend and executive secretary- a very high-quality professional who is also an outstanding young man. In fact, he has exactly those personal qualities that Young-seo needs in a life partner- and which she absolutely was never going to find in some arrogant spoiled Chaebol heir. It doesn't hurt that he is also really handsome.
In a way Tae-mu's subconscious- and his pride- explain why he is not taking no for an answer. Please remember what he said about his 11 blind dates- all of the women said the same correct things. First- there is no challenge here, and he lives to overcome challenges Second, he sees through them also- they are just doing what they are told. In contrast, our FL puts on an act in an attempt to make him give up- so his pride is engaged in the sense of "how dare you say no to me"- it is the only way in which he is arrogant. But of course he is seeing through all of this too- and it also is a challenge and that excites him. But he also finds himself responding to her in an uncharacteristically emotional fashion - and his subconscious has locked onto the fact that this is exactly the kind of woman that he needs- one that won't bore him to tears but quite the opposite. Of course, it seems like it would be common sense to move on to the next candidate, but in fact it would be disastrous in the long run because what he really needs is not one of the superficially suitable candidates but someone who will actually add a new element to his life and expand it beyond its present cramped confines.
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47 ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min
March 4, 2022 at 6:11 PM
I can’t believe out of all the great ongoing dramas at the moment, this is the one I’ve already rewatched. Yes, it’s only the premiere episodes, but it was so dang funny I couldn’t help it. It’s been a while since I’ve had a purely tropey romcom without some heavy storylines or deep angst involved, and my brain very clearly appreciates it. There’s honestly nothing I can seriously point to that I didn’t like. Heck, even Ahn Hyo-seop’s stiffness didn’t bother me. Maybe it’s because of nostalgia for older 2000s/early 2010s romcoms where the acting was questionable, or maybe I’m just overlooking flaws in a show I already love, but it’s not a problem for me. Nothing is. Except maybe the fall-and-accidental-“kiss” thing, but that’s barely a complaint (I laughed during the scene so do I even dislike it??). I desperately hope I can keep saying this until the end. I rather feel like the grandpa watching his beloved makjangs.
Counting down the days until monday/tuesday. Now that’s an unusual thing to say for me. Please don’t let me down, Business Proposal! I want you to be my contract girlfriend-turned-real lover and how sad would it be if our love cannot be.
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48 bong-soo
March 5, 2022 at 8:11 AM
I watched the first two episodes of BUSINESS PROPOSAL last night and I can’t remember laughing so much. So this is what a rom-com is supposed to look like.
When Tae-mu was over at Sung-hoon’s place doing the cooking (in dress shirt and tie) it reminded me of DALI’s Moo-hak (Kim Min-jae) cooking for Dali (in dress shirt and tie also iirc).
I know it probably can’t happen but I would love a crossover cameo by KMJ. The have worked together. Remember, DR. ROMANTIC 2.
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49 Blue.moon123456
March 6, 2022 at 3:23 AM
@ DaebakGrits, I haven’t finished reading the whole weecap yet, but I’m laughing so hard at the way you describe everyone😂 please do more recaps with your awesome wittiness
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50 Blue.moon123456
March 6, 2022 at 3:49 AM
Am i the only one who liked AHS acting lol i liked most of his past roles (dr.romantic 2, red sky and now BP) granted there’s this trend where ppl fancy actors who look good. But i did like AHSs and the whole casts acting in red sky, its just the story became mediocre towards the end.
Its kind of sad but i have been seeing many comments on the actors skills with just couple of episodes in the drama (example; kang daniel in rookie cop, or jisoo in snowdrop) am i the only one who thought all of these actors did well. Especially AHS, if he wasn't as good as people say, he wouldnt be getting roles this often. I wish people gave actors more credit. I mean for someone like me who has been watching kdrama for 10+ years, actors do a much better job portraying their characters now. And thats it, thanks for coming to my tedtalk lol
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