A viral web novel turned TV hit that mastered the art of romantic clichés
In short: When a blind date goes wrong, an employee accidentally finds herself face-to-face with her own CEO. This South Korean romantic comedy, adapted from a viral web novel, leans into classic tropes to create a slapstick, self-aware story that captivated global audiences and topped Netflix charts in 2022.
Business Proposal, or Sa-nae Mat-seon, began as a web novel by HaeHwa, who gained a following for exploring themes of emotional healing and independence. The story follows Shin Ha-ri, who agrees to stand in for her friend on a blind date, only to discover her date is Kang Tae-moo, the CEO of her own company. Tae-moo, pressured by his grandfather to marry, decides to propose to his date immediately to end the matchmaking process. The resulting chaos forces Ha-ri to adopt a fake identity, leading to a series of comedic misunderstandings and a contract-dating arrangement.
The production team, led by director Park Seon-ho, faced the challenge of making the premise feel realistic. To bridge the gap between the webtoon source material and live-action television, they introduced new elements like Cinderella-inspired chase scenes and emphasized Ha-ri’s professional competence. Screenwriter Han Seol-hee prioritized a unique sense of humor over traditional character chemistry, aiming to turn genre clichés into slapstick comedy. This approach was praised by critics for making smart decisions regarding which tropes to subvert and which to embrace.
The series aired on SBS TV from February 28 to April 5, 2022, and found massive success on Netflix, becoming the first Korean series produced by a local company to reach number one on the platform's non-English weekly viewership chart. Its popularity had a significant ripple effect: views for the original web novel increased tenfold, and the webtoon version became the second most popular romantic comic on the Kakao platform. The show’s soundtrack also saw commercial success, with the song Love, Maybe peaking at number four on the Gaon Digital Chart.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Business Proposal
- Also: Wikidata — business proposal · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Business Proposal · CC0
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