Quick Answer
Yes, if you want feel-good romance. A Business Proposal is a charming, funny rom-com that plays the classic tropes with confidence. Just know it's formulaic and light rather than original or deep.
Quick Verdict
“Fast, funny, and shameless about its tropes — contract dating, secret identity, office romance — this rom-com is predictable comfort food done genuinely well.”
Best for: Readers who want a charming, funny feel-good rom-com built on classic tropes.
Not for: Readers who want originality, real stakes, or a grounded, low-trope romance.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manhwa, 124 chapters, 10 volumes |
| Run | 2018–2022 · completed |
| Community score | AniList 7.9 · MAL 7.9 · MangaUpdates 7.9 |
| Where to read | Tapas — official |
A Business Proposal is a rom-com manhwa that knows exactly what it is and delivers it with a grin. Shin Hari agrees to go on a blind date in place of her wealthy friend, planning to act awful enough to scare the guy off, except the guy turns out to be Kang Tae-moo, the CEO of her own company, who promptly decides she's just the no-nonsense partner he's been looking for and offers her a contract dating arrangement. From there it's a stack of beloved romance tropes, fake dating, secret identity, office romance, a fun second couple, played fast, funny, and charming. It became a hit Netflix drama for good reason.
It's just plain fun. The comic timing is sharp, the chemistry between the leads crackles, and it moves at a brisk, breezy pace that makes it easy to binge a big chunk in one go. When a rom-com is this confident about being a rom-com, it's hard not to get swept along.
It also plays the tropes really well. Contract dating, mistaken identity, the grumpy-CEO-and-bright-everywoman dynamic, these are familiar beats, but the series leans into them with self-awareness and warmth instead of treating them as a checklist. It knows the genre's pleasures and serves them generously.
The cast helps a lot. The leads are likable, and the second couple is a genuine highlight rather than filler, giving the book a second engine of romance and laughs. The clean, bright full-color art suits the light tone perfectly.
The obvious catch is that it's formulaic. This is comfort food, not reinvention, and you'll see most of the beats coming well before they arrive. If predictability bothers you, the familiarity will too.
Some of the tropes also lean contrived, and the story is light on real depth or stakes, so it lives or dies on charm. A few subplots drag, and the contrivances can pile up if you're not in the right mood for exactly this kind of fluff. It's not trying to be more than a feel-good romance, which is great if that's what you want and disappointing if it isn't.
A Business Proposal is a delightful, easy rom-com that absolutely delivers on charm, humor, and chemistry, and it's complete, so you can binge the whole thing. Go in for trope-filled feel-good romance rather than originality or depth, and it's a great time. If you want something fresh, grounded, or high-stakes, look elsewhere, but as comfort-read romance, it's one of the more enjoyable ones, and the Netflix fans came by their love honestly.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Another fun, trope-filled Korean office rom-com.
Another easy, charming romance about a convenient relationship turning real.
Another popular, light Korean romance webtoon.
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tapas | Digital chapters | Free + Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
The drama follows the same story closely with some changes and additions. If you enjoyed the show, the webtoon is the original and an easy, fun read.
Yes, it's complete (108 chapters), so you can read the whole rom-com start to finish.
It's mostly a light, trope-driven rom-com. The appeal is charm, humor, and chemistry rather than depth, so go in for a feel-good time.
