Super power girl!

Characters:

• Park Bo Young as Do Bong Soon
• Park Hyung Sik as Ahn Hyuk
• Ji Soo as In Gook Du

Details:

• Korean
• 16 episodes
• Original run: February 24 – April 15, 2017

Quick Rundown:

Do Bong Soon comes from a long lineage of women born with superhuman strength and she is no exception. While she dreams of becoming a video game maker and the wife of her childhood friend In Gook Du she gets involved with the CEO of a gaming company, Ahn Min Hyuk, and even becomes his bodyguard! Gook Du and Min Hyuk take instant dislike to one another, but keeps on meeting because of Bong Soon. Soon enough kidnapping cases break out in Bong Soon’s neighborhood and the trio starts to investigate who is behind it all.

Estelle’s Take

I’m the worst. I actually followed this show, but have been slacking off on writing anything until now because I’m a bum. There is really no excuse – I’m lazy, I know 😦 So let us delay no further and get on with the actual review!

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon captured my attention almost immediately because I was still coming off of my obsession with Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo so another female-centered drama where the woman happens to be strong? Sign me up! While the premise of the two dramas are very different, I think Strong Woman comparable is to Weightlifting Fairy in the way that it revolves around Do Bong Soon and not Ahn Min Hyuk. I guess given that her name is in the title it would be incredibly disappointing if the focus was on the dude.

Aside from the female-centered aspect of this drama, I also love how goofy it is though the central plot line revolves around catching a terrible criminal. Don’t get me wrong, there is no shortage of intense moments, but they are integrated into the story line and do not seem abrupt. This is all to say the transitions from scene to scene are done well – it reminds me a bit of Let’s Eat in that it is able to find the perfect balance between mystery and romance without losing either one.

What I could’ve done without though is perhaps the mobster plot line which seems to be written for the sole purpose of getting laughs. This whole tangent feels peripheral, and yet we spend a long time exploring it without it culminating to much after all. If these mobster characters are needed to prove Bong Soon’s strength then fine, but in my opinion there isn’t a real need for them to keep gracing the screen.

Yet still, this is a particularly enjoyable drama because of the amazing chemistry between Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik’s characters. It is so obvious how much Ahn Min Hyuk likes Do Bong Soon every time he opens his mouth or looks at her. I could’ve melted watching them because they are so sweet and adorable! There was no second lead syndrome for me here – move aside Gook Du, Min Hyuk and Bong Soon are just meant to be.

Finally, I just want to make one last comment about how much I love that it is her who saves him over and over. This struck a cord with me as we do not see that played out often. Bong Soon is no damsel in distress and she isn’t afraid to show her strength. And you know what? Min Hyuk doesn’t care – he loves her just the way she is! This, ladies and gentlemen, is true love. Who knows, with Nam Joo Hyuk and Lee Sung Kyung coming clean about their romance, maybe there is hope for this drama’s OTP after all! A girl can dream, right?

This & That:

• Park Bo Young debuted in a 2006 series called Secret Campus alongside Lee Min Ho who was also unknown at the time. She was most recently seen in Oh My Ghostess.
• Park Hyung Sik is a member of boy group ZE:A. His first main role was in Hwarang with Park Seo Joon and Go Ara. He currently studies Business Administration at Digital Seoul Culture Arts University.
• Ji Soo cameo-ed as the handsome co-worker at the place Bok Joo worked in episode 11 of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (yes, he’s the one that made Joon Hyung jealous!). He was also in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.