This review may contain spoilers
Rather Unusual, Nasty Business
This is a little gem of a series in the sense that it has a little bit of everything. Love to hate to love, a time skip, an office setting and visual from both leads. In quintessential BL fashion, we have our usual, I have a problem with you but I expect you to have telepathic skills trope and sadly, this lasted 8 years. That's long enough to be born, lose teeth, grow new ones and start school! Like?!?But my take away from the series, is that people with insecurities are truly difficult to love. Living with the stress of having to explain yourself at every turn would be tiring for anyone.
I grew tired just watching Min Joon go inward when confronted with a challenge regarding his feelings; like dude aren't you sick of yourself? This is why the last minute confession didn't reach me. Instead, I was just uber annoyed that he went there, huffed and puffed and blew the airport down. Of course, Jin Hwan doesn't mind the BS because he loves this miserable man. Don't get me wrong, he was just as bad at communicating, he would rather immigrate multiple times than fight through what he truly believes to be wrong.
How does that fare for them in the long run? Anyone's guess.
I do recommend the series, because unlike what we've seen in Korea, this series has legit chemistry and they go to town showing us the depth of their passion for one another. This, of course is a plus and makes up for the frustrations along the way.
A good watch when you are looking for a slow, but sweet and cute love story between two good looking boys :)
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Solid LGBTQ+ story about miscommunication and insecurity
I'm new to writing reviews so I'm going to miss breaking it down with that list of different categories. I noticed that this story has been getting trashed. I recommend giving it a shot if you like a story about two guys trying to connect with human flaws and weaknesses.The only flaw that I found was that to set the backstory they have a scene that has one of the main characters say something that is never explained. It seems to have been put in there in order to create a reason for the misunderstanding and miscommunication. But it's never explained and it's either a mistranslation or the screenwriter needs a slap for a stupidly misleading plot device. In the end though, it doesn't take away from an engaging and kind of deep look at two people trying to connect and I think most people can relate to a lot of the things that the ML's are feeling. That's part of what drew me into the story.
The chemistry between the two ML's is solid. When they kiss, it's mostly low-key but both are completely participating and it's enjoyable to watch. I noticed people commenting on one of the ML's never smiling. Not true. But this character plays someone who is down on himself so he's not always smiling. I thought he played that character really well. Both actors seem genuine and performed very well.
Music, I get sick of these repetitive play one song over and over again in each episode, but I accept the generally the budget doesn't extend to a long playlist. I did like the song.
It's not heavy on sensuality/sexy times, so if that's your thing (and it is something that I generally enjoy) then you might find this a little too cerebral. In the end it's a kind of hopeful look at two people trying to love each other, despite the fear of getting hurt.
Thailand legalizing gay marriage is apparently creating ripples through Asian countries. Previously, I haven't seen Korean series except for the short web series that are coming out in droves: that are actually trying to show gay relationships as existing within society. There's hope for the human race to maybe finally connect with accepting and supporting diversity if the Koreans are starting to do it. Next stop, China. I think that one's going to be a long haul.
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This review may contain spoilers
It was cute, missing a little bit of angst. They clear their missunderstanding too soon, and Min Joon still have grief against Jinhwan. I wished they kissed before they clear their missunderstanding so Min Joon would deal with conflicted feelings. It was short and easy to watch. Not life changing but good to watch.
The end is too abrupt.
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I am very confused by some of the reviewes here and idk maybe one has to be a bit more mature to be able to relate to the characters issues or they were never in this kind of situation...no idea but I thought it is soooo relatable and I think one can learn a lot. But at the same time it's not a heavy watch at all and also the suspense and spice is nice too.
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Not what i was hoping for
I started watching Business as Usual because I saw an edit on TikTok and thought it might be something I’d like. But honestly, it didn’t really pull me in. Even though the last episode isn’t out yet, I already feel like it’s not for me.The whole series is really short—it only has six episodes, and they’re not even that long. Because of that, everything feels super rushed. Things happen so fast that there’s no time to really get to know the characters or feel connected to the story. Right at the beginning, there’s a scene that seems really serious, but then it turns out to be a misunderstanding. That was kind of disappointing. And later on, there’s another moment where the characters misunderstand each other again. It all felt a bit messy and too quick.
The story is about a guy who runs into his ex-boyfriend at work after ten years. That idea could’ve been interesting, but for me, it just didn’t hit. I’m still watching it just because I’ve already started, but I’m not really enjoying it. It’s not the worst thing ever, but definitely not something I’d watch again.
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This review may contain spoilers
A more dramatic companion piece to "A Dating Sim"
In some ways, a companion piece to “My Dating Sim”, “Business As Usual” is a more angst-filled version, and it takes off where “My Dating Sim”, in a sense, ended.It includes two fellow office workers, highly credentialled, one a designer, the other an editor, working on a joint project referred to as a Dating Manual. Min Jun and Jin Hwan had had a passionate but brief fling when at university together, and now, eight years later, they reunite at their workplace and try to put back together the broken pieces of their previous relationship.
The title, “Business as usual”, is double entendre, meaning the pair of former lovers behave towards each other on a business level, and on another level, it means the outcome of their relationship now will be the same as before. Some considerable time and effort is devoted to the two leads working out what went wrong eight years ago and trying to see if a second attempt at a relationship will be better than the first.
All those well-meaning posters on social media who “wish the characters would just talk honestly with each other” are met here with the reality of sometimes that just isn’t enough. Even when Min Jun realises the mistake he made and breaks down with the sadness of what his misunderstanding cost him, his residual fear of further heartache dominates his actions. Played with well-judged restraint by debutant actor Chae Jong Hyeok, Min Jun is the inner voice inside of all of us that says, “But wait, what if I’m wrong…”.
Director Min Chae Yeon, in her second BL series, judges the mood nicely throughout, such that the various loose ends in the supporting characters and story lines do not feel as if they in any way spoil the happy ending.
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A worth watching drama.
An amazing drama !I really liked the drama, I didn't get bored at all . I was curious to know what's gonna happen next and it kept me going .And the story didn't disappoint me at all.
This drama showed the reality of some relationships quite well. It truly showed us how a small misunderstanding can destroy something beautiful. And how the role of communication is important in such situations.
Overall The Drama was amazing. I would 💯 recommend it.It is worth watching !
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Comfrontational flawed leads daring to love again — the misunderstanding trope strikes once more
Business as Usual (adapted from Moscareto’s web novel of the same name, also known as Eul’s Love) tells the story of Kim Min Jun (Chae Jong Hyeok) and Chae Jin Hwan (Seong Seung Ha), first lovers who fall apart, only to meet again eight years later at the same publishing company.Back then, Min Jun’s insecurities and a spiral of jealous misinterpretations turned their romance toxic. Now older but not necessarily wiser, he faces the man who broke his heart or maybe the man he never stopped loving. Jin Hwan, meanwhile, is determined to prove their story isn’t over.
Director Min Chae Yeon (Happy Merry Ending) and writer Kang Rim cleverly weave past and present, showing how time changes people and how it doesn’t. The series doesn’t glamorize love, it digs into self-doubt, miscommunication, and fear of abandonment. But it also offers second chances and the possibility of healing.
On the surface, Jin Hwan seems overconfident, even manic in the way he hides his bitterness and sadness. Min Jun, quiet and withdrawn, appears to be the more vulnerable one. Yet, like in the original novel, the series flips this expectation.
Behind the façade, Jin Hwan is the sensitive one, deeply in love but trapped in a constant fear of rejection. Min Jun, meanwhile, is consumed by paranoia, convinced that someone as “pathetic and unlikeable” as himself could never truly be wanted by someone as magnetic as Jin Hwan.
This dynamic pushes Jin Hwan into the role of the submissive, always clinging, always chasing, doing whatever he can to preserve even the faintest hope of being “more than friends.” It’s this love reversal that forms the emotional core of their story.
Carried by the chemistry of its leads, Business as Usual embraces the “misunderstanding trope” once again, but with enough raw honesty and emotional weight to make it feel fresh. At heart, it’s about two flawed people daring to confront the past and maybe, just maybe, love again.
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Misunderstandings
This drama was good, but a little bit boring. I ca't really pinpoint what was boring, but i had a hard time keeping my interest in it. I liked the epilogues at the end of each episode.The visuals were great and the music was good.
The actors all did a good job.
There was good chemistry between the leads and the kisses were very good.
It is worth the watch, but it isn't a very exiting drama.
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Frustrating Watch
It can be intresting to show a story about how bad communication can affect relationships. Yet, this is not that. The "conflict" was talked about in the beginning, yet they still managed to drag it throughout the whole series. Then, the nonsensical full 180° where the guy goes from adamantly rejecting to literally chasing. Regardless, at the end of the day, it is supposed to be a romance show. However, you don't find yourself rooting for the couple. How can you when they are miserable with each other for 90% of the show.Was this review helpful to you?
Business as Usual — Sometimes Love Doesn't End... It Simply Waits
One thing Korean BL has become exceptionally good at is telling stories that feel like they could happen to anyone. Business as Usual isn't built around dramatic plot twists, impossible coincidences, or larger-than-life characters. It's about two ordinary people meeting again after a painful breakup, carrying years of unresolved feelings neither of them ever truly left behind. That simplicity is exactly what makes the drama so effective.The story immediately felt believable because it refuses to create artificial villains. Nobody is evil. Nobody is trying to destroy the relationship. Instead, the conflict comes from something much more frustrating: poor communication. Kim Min Jun's decision to leave without giving his boyfriend any explanation made me incredibly angry. I honestly found it cowardly. If you truly love someone, disappearing without a word feels like one of the cruelest things you can do.
And yet...
The more I watched, the more I found myself remembering my own past.
More than twenty years ago, I did something very similar. Looking back today, I realize how immature it was, but youth often makes us believe running away is easier than facing difficult conversations. The difference is that, in my case, we weren't deeply in love. These two clearly were. That's what made Min Jun's decision even harder for me to accept. When you genuinely love someone, you don't simply disappear. You argue. You cry. You say things you'll regret. But you fight because losing the person hurts too much to walk away without trying.
Ironically, that frustration made the story even more realistic.
Life isn't filled with perfect decisions.
Sometimes the people we love make the choices that hurt us the most, not because they love us less, but because they're too afraid to deal with their own emotions. Business as Usual understands that better than many romantic dramas do.
The acting deserves far more recognition than it has received. Both leads deliver remarkably natural performances, avoiding the exaggerated expressions that occasionally appear in Korean BL. Every reunion, every awkward silence, every lingering look feels genuine because neither actor tries to overplay the emotion. Instead, they trust the audience to understand what isn't being said. I genuinely believe both deserve much more attention within the industry because this is exactly the kind of understated acting that often goes unnoticed despite being incredibly difficult to pull off.
Their chemistry is another pleasant surprise. It isn't based on endless physical affection or dramatic declarations of love. Instead, it's built on familiarity. You immediately believe these two people shared years of history together. Even when they're arguing or avoiding each other, there's still an intimacy between them that never completely disappeared. That's something you can't fake with good looks alone.
The office setting also helps the story feel more mature. Rather than returning to yet another university campus, the series explores how adulthood changes relationships. Careers, responsibilities, regrets, and emotional baggage all become part of the romance. It's refreshing to watch characters who aren't simply discovering first love but trying to understand whether a second chance is truly possible.
Visually, the drama remains understated throughout. The direction avoids flashy techniques and instead focuses on quiet conversations, realistic environments, and subtle performances. Even the soundtrack stays in the background, allowing silence to carry many of the most emotional scenes. It perfectly suits the tone of the series, even if I probably won't remember the music long after finishing it.
Final Thought
Business as Usual isn't a drama about falling in love. It's about confronting the consequences of walking away from someone you never stopped loving. The mature writing, believable performances, and emotionally honest storytelling make it one of the strongest Korean BLs of the year. More than anything, I hope the two lead actors receive the recognition they deserve, because they prove that powerful romance doesn't require grand gestures—sometimes all it takes is two people quietly realizing they still belong in each other's lives.
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Mid as usual
This was cute in moments, but annoying at the same time with the decisions the characters were making. There was a lot of miscommunication and back and forth. And I mean A LOT! Miscommunication is their middle name it's so bad. When they were together though they were cute...we just didn't see it enough of it.Was this review helpful to you?
