I can see the appeal, but it wasn't for me
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is a classic, but it didn't quite do it for me. I loved the show at first — Park Hyungsik and Park Bo Young have "it," you know? And the dialogue was laugh-out-loud funny! But around the halfway mark, the show started to drag for me... to the point that I was falling asleep in EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. There was just so much fluff and filler! I could've done without the entire gangster, temple, young thug, and neighbourhood ahjumma storylines.Wait a second, that's almost all the show, isn't it? But wait, I disliked the whole serial killer premise too! It was so scary and unnecessarily at odds with the rest of this cheery show. I understood why we had it — without that plotline, we'd just have an entire show of episode 16 (the princess saves Min Min and they live happily ever after). And yes, I fell asleep for part of the fluffy last episode too. The scenes at Ahn Min Hyuk's place were my favourite. I finally got to see the ICONIC giggly bed texting scene in all its glory!
I disliked how Do Bong Soon was largely helpless for a lot of the show, despite her strength. I recognize the police were intentionally painted as incompetent, but CEO Ahn Min Hyuk felt too helpless too. C'mon dude, use your goodies, resources, and tricks! He did (eventually), but for the longest time, I couldn't believe that he wasn't able to catch the villain. Also, what happened to Ahn Min Hyuk's whole family storyline? That felt weirdly open to me, unless I just missed something (not only did I fall asleep in half the episodes, but I also took a looooong break before finally finishing this show today).
Watch this show for the actors. They click, they're fun, and they're charming. Park Bo Young couldn't cry well. But if you can look past that, the characters are absolutely endearing.
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Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover...
Imagine Superman was a tiny woman and cue the hilarity that is Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. Whilst navigating her way in a patriarchal world where appearance is king; what gives her self-assurance & confidence stems from her strength, in not needing a man to physically protect her. Park Bo-young makes for a refreshing FL in not being a conventional weak beauty. We can actually see ourselves in her. I have to admit that this started out with a 10 rating which gradually fell short. At the beginning it is fast-paced and strikes the perfect balance between physical comedy & thriller. The graphics are on-point and the dialogue is snappy. I do get the overall impression that this series was made for a young audience hence the vulgarity in parts. You know her & Park Hyung-sik are made for each other when they start arguing like an old-married couple from the start, they really are one of the cutest couples I've ever seen. However, there is a turning point where the gay gags are just overdone and cease to be funny. Kim Won-hae who was tremendous in the beginning for some reason gets drafted into playing his own doppelganger which does him no favours at all. The Indian guru turning out to be a Korean con man is also a completely futile attempt to inject some juice into the flagging narrative. I am really quite miffed that such an amazing series left me with a bitter aftertaste due to being stretched out to the standard 16 weeks. I hope the KIndustry is learning from Netflix that it's ok to leave it at 12 or less episodes!Was this review helpful to you?
I love how the story is not made to be believable at all. Everything is exaggerated but to the right amount that the show doesn't annoy you.
The romantic story of the lead couple is cute and it's refreshing watching a drama where the male is visibly and obviously in love with the woman.
The cast is impeccable! All of them!
Music is meh, not memorable at all
This is definitely a show you would want to watch again.
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This review may contain spoilers
So I’ve watched this show about like 10 times! There’s some people who say that the story line was messy but I really don’t think so I think everything went together. The mix of the comedy and romance between the president and do bong soon is incredible and just so cute! The comedy is also very funny. The show is 10x more interesting cause of those little moments where do bong soon fights or has those moments that showcases her abilities. Tbh those moments make me swoon and I’m like I WANT TO BE HER! The ending had me crying and I was just like their so cool!!! Was this review helpful to you?
My random ramblings
If you are looking for something mushy but yet keeps you hooked on the seat,Watch this.
It's a thriller with romance. The chemistry between the main leads is just Awesome!
Contains tiny spoilers -
I love this serial. Gosh. My forever favorite
So funny, so romantic so interesting so intriguing
I love how there's romance yet its a thriller.
The hero is so cute and mushy.. His style.. His way of talking, standing, walking behaving.. His expressions.. His eyes.. His laugh.. How he gets flustered even when heroine says something slightly sweet... Gosh
How the mother of the girl is.. She teases her daughter so much..
How the father is such a heartwarming person..
How the heroine Bong Soon is kind hearted..
I love that she has an ambition of making her game.
I like their culture how when the guy drinks in front of father in law he hides with a hand and faces the other side and drinks..
The background music throughout is so touching and perfect
SPOILER -
Gosh that proposal scene..
I want to get proposed under cherry blossom tooooo
Love Min min Bong bong
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Goofy, charming ML the reason I enjoyed this series
I watched Strong Woman Bong-soon in December 2023 after completing Strong Girl Nam-Soon in November 2023. Yes, I was late to the party.What I liked:
1) Ahn Min Hyuk characterisation - I found him goofy & very charming. He had golden retriever persona. I like that he's cool with being labelled gay - seems like he is not homophobic. I also like that he wasn't intimidated by a physically strong woman. Role was played brilliantly by Park Hyung Sik.
2) The romance - I like how their relationship developed. They were boss-employee first then lovers. The Min Min scenes were excellent. Made me miss moments when I was flirting & giddy with excitement.
3) In Gook Doo - I also like his character and Kim Ji Soo. Serious cop who is oblivious to his best friend's crush on him.
4) Comedy - Comic relief mostly provided by Secretary Goo and the random gangster led by Kim Kwong Bok. I enjoyed those scenes though I found some scenes quite random.
What I disliked:
1) Childlike FL - In general, I don't like cute, childlike female leads especially when they are already past mid-20s. I don't like how Bong Soon was written as she didn't use her strength well as a bodyguard.
2) Too many in one series - This series cover various genres (thriller, fantasy, romance, comedy). While I enjoy romantic thriller, I found the slapstick comedy didn't gel well with the pverall storytelling.
Favourite scene
The Min Min scenes because it made me giddy!
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This is only 1 of 2 Korean dramas I’ve ever rewatched.
This drama was amazing. I absolutely loved everything about it. The chemistry between the leads, storyline, comedy, drama, everything was amazing! This drama made me laugh so much! Definitely in my top 3 recommendations for Korean dramas.The only thing I thought was a little abrupt with this drama was it seemed like after pursuing the female lead for a while, the female lead all of a sudden likes the male lead and stops liking the 2nd male lead even though she’s had a crush on the 2nd male lead for a very long time.
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My new favourite
I didn't think I could like any series more than "What's wrong with Secretary Kim?", but this story has taken its place in my heart. I watched the entire series over 36 or so hours and skipped less than 5 minutes of the story. This story revolves around romance, action, redemption and family and is uplifting and fun. I can't speak for my male counterparts, but as a woman who enjoys superhero stories this was a win win for me.A few things to note:
1. If you dislike fantasy or are looking for realism this is obviously not the story for you. It's based on a woman with supernatural strength so don't expect it to be realistic.
2. You can see from the cover that there will be a love triangle. I despise love triangles, but here it was written in a way that I personally didn't mind. The female lead is sweet and caring and doesn't play with anybody's feelings and I wasn't left broken-hearted with her choice. It is a very satisfying happily ever after.
3. I don't know what the age restriction on this is, but because of the violence/gore I think it's definitely not meant for children.
With above three caveats in mind, get ready for your new favourite series!
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Good story with fleshed out main characters and thoughtful comedy
I have watched this twice. Once by myself and once to show my husband. What I loved about this show: Park Bo-young and Park Hyun Sik's chemistry is stellar!! They light up the screen. Gut-busting comedy without the tired traps of putting down women or talking bad about the disabled or otherwise marginalized. The romance is cute (although it kind of materializes out of thin air). What I liked: Again, I love the chemistry the whole cast carries on. So the romance, including the second male lead romance, is worth it, but it doesn’t seem to have a starting point. I won't say more than that. What I hated: how eerily perfect the depiction of terror, abduction, and sexual abuse was (the actual sexual abuse isn’t shown). It made me uneasy, but it wasn't gratuitous. I could have done without the ashram bit because it felt like filler and took up a good bit of the end half. I would re-watch a 3rd time as well and probably will. It is one of my favorites.Was this review helpful to you?
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Why was this drama my favourite of all time?
Personslly this drama really made me happy ! it seemed strange at first but by the end of episode 1 i was in love.it's been 4 years since this show was released a nd it is still one of the best dramas. all my family enjoyed watching it too.
the cast picked were amazing and all had such great chemistry. the two leads looked amazing together and are, by far, one of the most amazing couples in any drama i have ever watched.
i enjoyed the crime element of this series but with the touch of comedy, it really hit the spot
(THIS IS WHERE SPOLIERS START)
personally the first episode was strange. but as it progressed it got more and more amazing. do bong-soon (park bo-young) is such an icon. like what is she? she strong, she's sassy and she's kind. the men who own the building site can go away, literally and physically (lol).
an min-hyuk (park hyung-sik) was an amazing cast to this show. a young ceo, who is incredibly smart and makes games? yes please.
the overall drama was on point. and was the best drama to have ever been made.
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My Review and Opinion?
Really worth it to rewatch again and again because it's really funny, it's full comedy from first episode until end! The ML suitable together and they are really cute!The plot story is different from other and out from my mind. The producer team dares to present something that is anti-mainstream and that makes the audience want to watch it over and over again even though we already know the contents of the story. Good job for director, producer and of course the actors in this drama.
This story does not disappoint at all. A very good way of solving the story and having a happy ending🥰
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A Perfect Drama
Wow. Just wow. This is a perfect show. You have action, romance, fluffy cuteness, comedy, strong characters, friendship, unrequited love, a serial killer, and gangsters. I had no idea what to expect when I watched this, but I regret not watching it sooner! It was a pure joy to watch 99% of the time. I laughed. I cried. I smiled like a dork. The entire show was just perfect. And I really loved how it really I played Bong Soon’s strength as a person and her warm personality. I would totally want to be friends with her.Was this review helpful to you?
