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A review by jessielzimmer
A Business Proposal by NARAK, Haehwa, Guava Farm, Perilla
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Okay, so from what I've been able to research, I've finished the first volume of this. The webtoon doesn't break the series down into books. So, going off of a Goodreads Q&A reply - volume one covers from the prologue through the end of chapter fourteen (though a commenter said another number, so who the hell knows**). And so far ... it's okay. The premise is a funny romantic-comedy type, the lead is enjoyable enough, and the art is very pretty.
I have no real use for the male lead, though he is quite attractive, as many other people have raved about. I much prefer the secretary. I find him much cuter, not to mention a decent guy - unlike his boss.
I like Ha-ri. She's drawn very beautifully both with and without the persona, though I think develing deeper into her backstory would make her storyline stronger. As someone who doesn't think much of herself, and is struggling under both financial debt and familial duty, she has the potential for a really good character arc.
I don't hate the best-friend character, even though she is a terrible person, because she's easily 80% of why this story has any momentum at all. The whole marriage plot, while important, feels like it's frequently secondary to the best-friend pushing things forward.
My biggest issue is the male lead*. He's just on the cusp of being boring. He's a busy business man who almost never misses a chance to tell us how busy he is. Sure, he's very handsome, but beauty and money is all he has going for him. Both Hari and Yeongsuh repeatedly talk about him being emotionless and it shows, even in the art.
I don't know if this is simply a common trope (this is the first manwha/webtoon that I've ever read) but he always - and I do mean always - pushes Ha-ri around. Forcing her into making hasty choices, manipulating her for his own means, and blatantly ignoring her explicit desires. Examples including but not limited to: calling her at fucking ridiculous hours despite her saying not to, starting "skinship" without asking permission, and generally just not giving a fuck about anything she might want.
Besides some very minimal contract discussion, there is no talk about boundaries, dos and don'ts, or what Ha-ri might feel comfortable with. It's all his way or the highway, and she's just a prop for him to move about wherever he desires. He hasn't said a single, genuine kind word to her thus-far and I'm at least in volume two at this point (chapter twenty three).
She gets the ba-thump heart text around him a fair bit because he's attractive, but they have nothing in common. They haven't discussed anything along the lines of likes/dislikes, life goals, dreams, history - and yet his grandfather is supposed to believe that it's love at first sight and they're engaged to be married. He doesn't know where she works, lives, her family, nothing. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Is this what female readers (as they seem to be the majority of the readers) want in a leading man?
I'm trying to power through because a friend recommended it and said it was good, but with so little character development happening, it's turning into quite a slog. While the art is lovely, I'm don't think it's going to be enough to carry me through.
The most disappointing part is, with a bit of restructuring, this first volume could have been so much better. Ha-ri could still be in debt. Taemu could still need a bride (I find him so bland I just forgot his name and almost called him What's His Face). The interoffice romance could still be taboo.
But have Ha-ri actually be on board. Such as, Taemu plucks her out of the company staff [for: insert reason here; he's a Tony Stark type, make her his Pepper Potts or, like the early comics, pull her from the modern day equivalent of the typing pool] and offers to pay off/end the loan if she gets Grandpa off his back for a year. Her Yeongsuh has no idea what's happening, and Taemu/Ha-ri keep it under wraps because "taboo". Only for Yeongsuh to eventually find out, risking the secret. BFF could still have her romance with Adorable Man who I won't name because spoilers. And Adorable Man is put under pressure when Grandpa starts doubting the romance.
While pretending to fake it for Grandpa - and hiding it from everyone else who could blow it (or make Grandpa forbid the office romance, because he doesn't want a workaholic granddaughter-in-law, too) - Taemu and Ha-ri start making a real connection and developing feelings for each other. But both think the other is simply playing along, so they don't say anything for fear of being rejected.
This isn't that complicated. Hallmark does this schtick all the time and, frankly, does it better. It could have been super easy to have Ha-ri be an active character in the story, rather than a passive object being manipulated by others.
Note: I added another half star here, because StoryGraph actually lets me get that precise (thank you!), for Mr. Cha. Because he's a sweetie and he deserves it. I wish this story followed him instead.
* I have the same problem with Riftan in Under the Oak Tree, with the added "bonus" of him frequently raping Maxi under the guise of "not being able to control himself". And she can't stop him because he's easily twice or three times her size.
The two things saving it thus-far are 1) Maxi actually has a character arc to herself (not involving the "romance") and is making slow but evident progress, and 2) much of the artwork is simply stunning. To the point where I'd get framed prints of it if I could, and it blows this art out of the water.
** According to another GR review this volume is chapter 0 - 47. But that seems unlikely as, of this writing, there's only 115 chapters, with 116 dropping in 9 hours. So I'm calling it done at the end of 14. I really wish Tapas and other sites would break these up into seasons or proper books. Even Tolkien knew he'd have to break things into multiple books eventually. Fuck me ...
I have no real use for the male lead, though he is quite attractive, as many other people have raved about. I much prefer the secretary. I find him much cuter, not to mention a decent guy - unlike his boss.
I like Ha-ri. She's drawn very beautifully both with and without the persona, though I think develing deeper into her backstory would make her storyline stronger. As someone who doesn't think much of herself, and is struggling under both financial debt and familial duty, she has the potential for a really good character arc.
I don't hate the best-friend character, even though she is a terrible person, because she's easily 80% of why this story has any momentum at all. The whole marriage plot, while important, feels like it's frequently secondary to the best-friend pushing things forward.
My biggest issue is the male lead*. He's just on the cusp of being boring. He's a busy business man who almost never misses a chance to tell us how busy he is. Sure, he's very handsome, but beauty and money is all he has going for him. Both Hari and Yeongsuh repeatedly talk about him being emotionless and it shows, even in the art.
I don't know if this is simply a common trope (this is the first manwha/webtoon that I've ever read) but he always - and I do mean always - pushes Ha-ri around. Forcing her into making hasty choices, manipulating her for his own means, and blatantly ignoring her explicit desires. Examples including but not limited to: calling her at fucking ridiculous hours despite her saying not to, starting "skinship" without asking permission, and generally just not giving a fuck about anything she might want.
Besides some very minimal contract discussion, there is no talk about boundaries, dos and don'ts, or what Ha-ri might feel comfortable with. It's all his way or the highway, and she's just a prop for him to move about wherever he desires. He hasn't said a single, genuine kind word to her thus-far and I'm at least in volume two at this point (chapter twenty three).
She gets the ba-thump heart text around him a fair bit because he's attractive, but they have nothing in common. They haven't discussed anything along the lines of likes/dislikes, life goals, dreams, history - and yet his grandfather is supposed to believe that it's love at first sight and they're engaged to be married. He doesn't know where she works, lives, her family, nothing. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Is this what female readers (as they seem to be the majority of the readers) want in a leading man?
I'm trying to power through because a friend recommended it and said it was good, but with so little character development happening, it's turning into quite a slog. While the art is lovely, I'm don't think it's going to be enough to carry me through.
The most disappointing part is, with a bit of restructuring, this first volume could have been so much better. Ha-ri could still be in debt. Taemu could still need a bride (I find him so bland I just forgot his name and almost called him What's His Face). The interoffice romance could still be taboo.
But have Ha-ri actually be on board. Such as, Taemu plucks her out of the company staff [for: insert reason here; he's a Tony Stark type, make her his Pepper Potts or, like the early comics, pull her from the modern day equivalent of the typing pool] and offers to pay off/end the loan if she gets Grandpa off his back for a year. Her Yeongsuh has no idea what's happening, and Taemu/Ha-ri keep it under wraps because "taboo". Only for Yeongsuh to eventually find out, risking the secret. BFF could still have her romance with Adorable Man who I won't name because spoilers. And Adorable Man is put under pressure when Grandpa starts doubting the romance.
While pretending to fake it for Grandpa - and hiding it from everyone else who could blow it (or make Grandpa forbid the office romance, because he doesn't want a workaholic granddaughter-in-law, too) - Taemu and Ha-ri start making a real connection and developing feelings for each other. But both think the other is simply playing along, so they don't say anything for fear of being rejected.
This isn't that complicated. Hallmark does this schtick all the time and, frankly, does it better. It could have been super easy to have Ha-ri be an active character in the story, rather than a passive object being manipulated by others.
Note: I added another half star here, because StoryGraph actually lets me get that precise (thank you!), for Mr. Cha. Because he's a sweetie and he deserves it. I wish this story followed him instead.
* I have the same problem with Riftan in Under the Oak Tree, with the added "bonus" of him frequently raping Maxi under the guise of "not being able to control himself". And she can't stop him because he's easily twice or three times her size.
The two things saving it thus-far are 1) Maxi actually has a character arc to herself (not involving the "romance") and is making slow but evident progress, and 2) much of the artwork is simply stunning. To the point where I'd get framed prints of it if I could, and it blows this art out of the water.
** According to another GR review this volume is chapter 0 - 47. But that seems unlikely as, of this writing, there's only 115 chapters, with 116 dropping in 9 hours. So I'm calling it done at the end of 14. I really wish Tapas and other sites would break these up into seasons or proper books. Even Tolkien knew he'd have to break things into multiple books eventually. Fuck me ...