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This review may contain spoilers
A Great Premise Lost in a Sea of Filler
I don't think I've ever been this disappointed by a drama that, even 24 hours after finishing it, I still couldn't bring myself to start another one. I really wanted a good rom-com after my last emotionally heavy drama, and Strong Girl Bong Soon seemed like the perfect choice. With its popularity on MDL and all the glowing recommendations, I thought, what could possibly go wrong? This is probably my first time being this disappointed by a rom-com, especially when I've enjoyed some of the silliest ones. I even considered skipping the review altogether, but here I am, trying to get my thoughts out so I can finally move on to another drama.
The premise genuinely had so much potential. A petite girl born with superhuman strength because of her family history, a power she could lose if she misused it, and a self-made CEO who witnesses her strength and hires her as his bodyguard? That sounds like the perfect setup for a fun, quirky rom-com with a unique female lead. Park Bo Young was also wonderfully cast as Bong Soon. She could pull off the cute expressions and mannerisms without making them feel cringeworthy, and her chemistry with Park Hyung Sik was genuinely sweet. The problem was that the drama never made proper use of its own premise.
The romance was cute in theory, and the leads had lovely chemistry, but it eventually became repetitive. There was so much staring, blushing, and Min Hyuk admiring how adorable Bong Soon was that I started feeling as though entire scenes could have been cut without losing anything important. The initial dynamic was charming, but the relationship needed more substance and development to sustain itself across so many episodes. The love triangle also had potential, but it never really went anywhere beyond Min Hyuk's jealousy. Guk Doo's place in Bong Soon's life could have added more emotional complexity, but that aspect was largely brushed aside before being unnecessarily revisited near the finale.
What frustrated me most was how disconnected the different storylines felt. At times, it genuinely seemed as though I was watching three separate dramas stitched together: Bong Soon and Min Hyuk's romance, the kidnapping thriller, and the neighborhood gangsters and redevelopment plot. On top of that, there were the family storylines, school characters, and various side characters whose scenes rarely contributed to the main plot or meaningful character development. I didn't mind the idea of mixing romance, comedy, and crime, but the execution was all over the place. Instead of complementing one another, these storylines kept interrupting each other.
The thriller aspect was particularly disappointing. The kidnapping plot initially created some intrigue, but the mystery quickly lost its appeal, and the villain never felt sufficiently developed. His motivations and backstory were too thin to make him genuinely compelling, and the investigation often felt more frustrating than suspenseful. There were also moments when the characters' decisions and the police's actions made little sense, seemingly just to keep the plot going. Considering Bong Soon's extraordinary strength, I expected the writers to come up with more clever and entertaining ways to use her abilities, both in the crime storyline and in everyday situations. Instead, so much of that potential went unexplored.
The comedy was equally inconsistent for me. Some of the scenes involving the gangsters were genuinely funny, and they were among the few side plots that occasionally kept me entertained. However, much of the other humour felt exaggerated or repetitive, and the gangster storyline itself dragged on far longer than necessary. The various side characters, including the high school students and the secondary romantic pairing, were given time without receiving enough development to make their stories worthwhile. Even Bong Soon's dream of creating a video game, which could have been an interesting part of her character, felt underdeveloped. There were so many ideas here, yet very few received the attention they deserved.
I also wish the drama had explored Bong Soon's powers and their connection to her family history more deeply. The idea that she could lose her strength if she misused it was intriguing, but it rarely felt like a meaningful part of the story. Her personal ambitions and career aspirations were similarly overshadowed by everything else happening around her. I wanted the drama to explore what made Bong Soon unique and allow her to grow into her own identity, rather than relying so heavily on cuteness and romantic admiration.
Despite all of this, I can't say I disliked everything. Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik were genuinely adorable together, and their chemistry was one of the drama's strongest points. There were moments when the show reminded me why so many people love this pairing, and the OST was easily my favourite part of the entire experience. It has some really lovely songs that I can see myself returning to, even if I don't feel the same way about the drama itself.
Ultimately, I think Strong Girl Bong Soon had a fantastic premise and a cast capable of making it work, but the writing tried to do too much without developing enough of anything. The romance became repetitive, the thriller lost its intrigue, and the numerous side plots made the overall story feel unnecessarily stretched. I kept watching because I wanted to see whether everything would eventually come together, and I genuinely wanted to like this drama. Unfortunately, the final result left me more frustrated than entertained.
I still gave it a 7/10, partly because I can appreciate the charm of the main couple and the potential behind the concept, even though the execution didn't work for me. I know this drama is beloved by many, and I can understand why people enjoy Bong Soon and Min Hyuk together. It simply wasn't the rom-com I needed, and after all the anticipation, that disappointment hit harder than I expected. Now I just hope my next drama reminds me why I love watching rom-coms in the first place.
The premise genuinely had so much potential. A petite girl born with superhuman strength because of her family history, a power she could lose if she misused it, and a self-made CEO who witnesses her strength and hires her as his bodyguard? That sounds like the perfect setup for a fun, quirky rom-com with a unique female lead. Park Bo Young was also wonderfully cast as Bong Soon. She could pull off the cute expressions and mannerisms without making them feel cringeworthy, and her chemistry with Park Hyung Sik was genuinely sweet. The problem was that the drama never made proper use of its own premise.
The romance was cute in theory, and the leads had lovely chemistry, but it eventually became repetitive. There was so much staring, blushing, and Min Hyuk admiring how adorable Bong Soon was that I started feeling as though entire scenes could have been cut without losing anything important. The initial dynamic was charming, but the relationship needed more substance and development to sustain itself across so many episodes. The love triangle also had potential, but it never really went anywhere beyond Min Hyuk's jealousy. Guk Doo's place in Bong Soon's life could have added more emotional complexity, but that aspect was largely brushed aside before being unnecessarily revisited near the finale.
What frustrated me most was how disconnected the different storylines felt. At times, it genuinely seemed as though I was watching three separate dramas stitched together: Bong Soon and Min Hyuk's romance, the kidnapping thriller, and the neighborhood gangsters and redevelopment plot. On top of that, there were the family storylines, school characters, and various side characters whose scenes rarely contributed to the main plot or meaningful character development. I didn't mind the idea of mixing romance, comedy, and crime, but the execution was all over the place. Instead of complementing one another, these storylines kept interrupting each other.
The thriller aspect was particularly disappointing. The kidnapping plot initially created some intrigue, but the mystery quickly lost its appeal, and the villain never felt sufficiently developed. His motivations and backstory were too thin to make him genuinely compelling, and the investigation often felt more frustrating than suspenseful. There were also moments when the characters' decisions and the police's actions made little sense, seemingly just to keep the plot going. Considering Bong Soon's extraordinary strength, I expected the writers to come up with more clever and entertaining ways to use her abilities, both in the crime storyline and in everyday situations. Instead, so much of that potential went unexplored.
The comedy was equally inconsistent for me. Some of the scenes involving the gangsters were genuinely funny, and they were among the few side plots that occasionally kept me entertained. However, much of the other humour felt exaggerated or repetitive, and the gangster storyline itself dragged on far longer than necessary. The various side characters, including the high school students and the secondary romantic pairing, were given time without receiving enough development to make their stories worthwhile. Even Bong Soon's dream of creating a video game, which could have been an interesting part of her character, felt underdeveloped. There were so many ideas here, yet very few received the attention they deserved.
I also wish the drama had explored Bong Soon's powers and their connection to her family history more deeply. The idea that she could lose her strength if she misused it was intriguing, but it rarely felt like a meaningful part of the story. Her personal ambitions and career aspirations were similarly overshadowed by everything else happening around her. I wanted the drama to explore what made Bong Soon unique and allow her to grow into her own identity, rather than relying so heavily on cuteness and romantic admiration.
Despite all of this, I can't say I disliked everything. Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik were genuinely adorable together, and their chemistry was one of the drama's strongest points. There were moments when the show reminded me why so many people love this pairing, and the OST was easily my favourite part of the entire experience. It has some really lovely songs that I can see myself returning to, even if I don't feel the same way about the drama itself.
Ultimately, I think Strong Girl Bong Soon had a fantastic premise and a cast capable of making it work, but the writing tried to do too much without developing enough of anything. The romance became repetitive, the thriller lost its intrigue, and the numerous side plots made the overall story feel unnecessarily stretched. I kept watching because I wanted to see whether everything would eventually come together, and I genuinely wanted to like this drama. Unfortunately, the final result left me more frustrated than entertained.
I still gave it a 7/10, partly because I can appreciate the charm of the main couple and the potential behind the concept, even though the execution didn't work for me. I know this drama is beloved by many, and I can understand why people enjoy Bong Soon and Min Hyuk together. It simply wasn't the rom-com I needed, and after all the anticipation, that disappointment hit harder than I expected. Now I just hope my next drama reminds me why I love watching rom-coms in the first place.
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