Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Welcome back to *Hallyu Reviews!* We hope you enjoyed Sabrina’s review of **"More Than Friends."** If you missed it, be sure to go back and have a read!

This week, we take a look at “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.”
**SPOILERS AHEAD!!**

Review by: Sabrina

Synopsis

“Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” (“Strong Woman”) is the love story of Do Bong Soon (Park Bo Young), a woman who possesses supernatural strength, and Ahn Min Hyuk (Park Hyung Sik), the man who helps her learn how to control it. Bong Soon considers her inherited strength a burden, and dreams of becoming a game designer. She applies to work at AINSoft in the Planning and Design Department, but is rejected. Min Hyuk, the president of AINSoft, has been receiving threats against his person and his company. One day, he witnesses Bong Soon using her superhuman strength to protect a bus full of kindergarteners and their elderly bus driver from a group of thugs, and he offers her a job as his bodyguard. Bong Soon accepts Min Hyuk’s offer on the condition that, once she captures the person threatening him, she is allowed to work as a full-time employee in the AINSoft Planning and Design Department. From the beginning, the two accept each other for who they are, and as they spend more and more time together, their relationship grows. The loneliness that has plagued Min Hyuk his entire life begins to ebb away, and Bong Soon learns how to gain control over and embrace her strength. Together, they uncover the identity of the person behind the threats against Min Hyuk and AINSoft, and Bong Soon joins the Planning and Design Department. But a new threat arises when Kim Jang Hyun (Jang Mi Kwan), a psychotic serial kidnapper and murderer, begins terrorizing weaker women in Bong Soon’s neighborhood. After Jang Hyun witnesses Bong Soon using her strength to save her best friend and rescue the other kidnapped women, he becomes obsessed with making Bong Soon his new target. He learns that Bong Soon will lose her strength if she ever uses it to harm an innocent person, and sets her up to do just that. Bong Soon’s strength is stripped away and she unexpectedly struggles with the loss of her identity. Min Hyuk stays by her side, however, assuring her that he loves her whether she is unique or not. Jang Hyun then attempts to blow up the AINSoft building with Bong Soon chained up inside. Bong Soon begs Min Hyuk to leave her and save himself, but he refuses. She selflessly begs the heavens to help her save him, and her strength is returned, allowing her to break the chains and throw the explosive device into the air, foiling Jang Hyun’s plans. Together with In Gook Doo (Kim Ji Soo), Bong Soon’s childhood friend who is a police officer, Bong Soon and Min Hyuk are finally able to capture Jang Hyun, and he is given a life sentence for his crimes. The series ends with Bong Soon and Min Hyuk getting married, having twin baby girls who have inherited their mother’s strength, and living happily ever after.

Park-Park Couple

Any reaction to “Strong Woman” must include a discussion of the Park-Park Couple! Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik (not to be confused with Park Min Young and Park Seo Joon, also known as the Park-Park Couple) are seriously one of the cutest couples in K-dramas. They are both so loveable, their 10” height difference is adorable, and their interactions – both on-screen and off – are animated and mesmerizing. The two had so much chemistry while filming “Strong Woman” that dating rumors swirled. And while the two have never dated IRL, it has been postulated by Koreaboo that they both had feelings for one another while filiming. In an interview with the media outlet, Park Bo Young admitted, “I had my eye on Hyung Sik when he was an idol in ZE:A. I know all of the title tracks by heart.” For his part, Park Hyung Sik said in an interview with Koreaboo that “Ahn Min Hyuk fell in love at first sight with Do Bong Soon, so I loved Do Bong Soon completely. Since I was adopting Ahn Min Hyuk’s emotions, our kiss scenes were really natural and nicely shot. I felt she was important and I cared for her. As their love became mutual, Ahn Min Hyuk’s genuine affection for her started showing. Of course, I think it was because Park Bo Young was so lovable.” SWOON! A couple IRL or not, the two are arguably one of the top couples shipped by K-drama fans.

Park Bo Young’s character in “Strong Woman,” Bong Soon, has the power of great physical strength. Her power stems from “The Chronicles of Strength” and is passed down matrilineally, through the women in her mother’s family. But despite her great strength, Bong Soon does not feel successful in life. Her mother lacks confidence in her, and unlike her twin brother, Do Bong Gi (An Woo Yeon), Bong Soon is not good at school. When she learns that her childhood crush, Gook Doo, is attracted to “flower-like girls,” she begins to see her physical strength as a weakness and decides to conceal it from everyone but her family and best friend. In so doing, however, she struggles even more, because she fails to realize that it is the qualities which we often despise the most about ourselves that are actually what make us special.

In contrast, Park Hyung Sik’s character, Min Hyuk, is the president of AINSoft, a successful game development company. Despite his success in business, however, Min Hyuk is unsuccessful in his personal life. His mother died when he was a young boy, and he has lived a lonely life. He was bullied by his older half-brothers and left the family home as soon as he reached adulthood. When his father names him as the heir to the family company, his half-brothers stand in opposition, and Min Hyuk begins receiving death threats.

From the first time Min Hyuk encounters Bong Soon, he is mesmerized by her. Unknowingly, the two share a connection from the past (a common K-drama trope), when Bong Soon used her super strength to stop the bus Min Hyuk was riding on from going over the side of a bridge. Although Min Hyuk cannot remember the face of his mysterious heroine, he frequently dreams of that day, searching his brain for clues to her identity. He even paints her faceless portrait on the door to his hidden sanctuary, a reminder that this unknown savior saw value in his lonely life when she saved him.

When they meet again as adults, Min Hyuk is enamored with Bong Soon. He finds her sexy and cute, but also transparent. He appreciates everything about her and readily accepts her power, which allows Bong Soon to be her true self around him. When Min Hyuk confesses his feelings, Bong Soon worries that being by her side is too dangerous for him. She warns him that she is different from other women, but Min Hyuk does not care; he wishes only to have her by his side. It is Min Hyuk’s love that helps Bong Soon fully embrace her strength. When she is tricked into losing her strength, Min Hyuk accepts and loves Bong Soon for who she is – with or without inhuman strength. And it is Bong Soon’s love for Min Hyuk which eventually sees her power restored, as she unselfishly pleads for her strength to be returned so that she can save his life.

Piano Kiss

The evolution in the relationship between Bong Soon and Min Hyuk in “Strong Woman” leads to many swoon-worthy moments, thanks to the amazing chemistry of the Lead Couple. Some of the moments are brief glimpses of their mounting attraction, like when Min Hyuk helps Bong Soon fasten her seatbelt in the car or when Bong Soon is drying Min Hyuk’s hair in the hospital. In both situations, their faces are mere inches apart and the scenes crackle with electricity. Another brief moment occurs when the two are training. Min Hyuk decides to help Bong Soon learn how to control her strength, and in sparring, Bong Soon ends up pinned beneath him. The sexual tension in that moment is palpable.

You can feel the pain and frustration in Min Hyuk when he explains to Bong Soon that Gook Do has feelings for her. He tells her that all it takes for two friends to become lovers is for one to take a single step in the other’s direction. Min Hyuk physically and emotionally takes that step forward in their relationship when he takes Bong Soon to his mother’s memorial site. Later, when he tells her that his heart hurts and that she needs to quickly end her one-sided love with Gook Do, his need for her is apparent as he stares at her intensely. These scenes serve to increase their mounting sexual tension, building to their sweet first kiss on the beach, where they symbolically take a step towards one another physically, as well as emotionally.

The sexual tension in the relationship of the Lead Couple culminates in the infamous “piano kiss.” The sexual tension between Bong Soon and Min Hyuk reaches a high on the night they survive the homicidal attempts of a madman. In so doing, they prove their love for one another by selflessly choosing to sacrifice their own lives for each other. As they share a meal together afterwards, Bong Soon coyly asks, “Should I not go home today?” Min Hyuk hilariously chokes on his food in shock and Bong Soon plays innocent. The sexual tension is amplified when their playful banter is interrupted by Bong Soon’s father’s text and subsequent phone call. Later than night, they both struggle to fall asleep, as each recalls the events of the evening. When Bong Soon unexpectedly shows up at Min Hyuk’s house, they stare at one another, frozen in place. Finally, with short breaths, Bong Soon states, “I just…missed you.” After a few moments of intently staring into her eyes, Min Hyuk passionately kisses Bong Soon, backing her into the piano in the entryway. A small gasp escapes Bong Soon’s lips as Min Hyuk effortlessly lifts her onto the piano and stares into her eyes once again, a solitary tear rolling down his cheek. Ever so slowly, he kisses her once more - a kiss filled with both loving gentleness and passionate longing. The piano kiss is shared between a Lead Couple whose storyline evolves with the perfect balance of playfulness and tension, and is executed by two actors who not only play their roles well, but whose natural chemistry magnifies the emotions written on paper. This lands the “piano kiss” of “Strong Woman” squarely on our Top 10 list of K-drama Kisses!

Love Triangle

“Strong Woman” contains a love triangle between Min Hyuk, Bong Soon, and Gook Doo. Gook Doo is a detective who, despite his talent, is known for his hot head. He is assigned to Violent Crimes by his superiors and is one of the investigators of the string of kidnappings in Bong Soon’s neighborhood. Gook Doo has been Bong Soon’s love interest since their school days, but her love has always been unrequited. Despite seeing her as a close friend, Gook Doo does not know the true Bong Soon, nor does he know about her strength. Unlike Min Hyuk, Gook Doo constantly underestimates Bong Soon. He thinks of her as a weak, small, and powerless girl who needs to be protected. When Gook Doo finally realizes he has feelings for Bong Soon, and that he has for a long time, it is too late. For as Bong Soon confides in her best friend, “a one-sided love has an expiration date.”

Gook Doo and Min Hyuk – despite their competition for Bong Soon’s affections – learn to trust others through their relationship with each other. In addition to his sexist underestimation of women and his hotheadedness, Gook Doo often acts alone. When the culprit outsmarts them at the hospital at the beginning of “Strong Woman,” Gook Doo gives solitary chase to the culprit, instead of calling security and asking them to seal off all of the exits. Because of this, he loses the culprit in the crowd when he dons a disguise. Later in the K-drama, when the culprit enters AINSoft, however, Gook Doo does not repeat the same mistake. Instead, Gook Doo immediately calls President Min Hyuk and asks him to order the building shutdown. Though the culprit still manages to elude capture, this shows great development for Gook Doo’s character, as he shows he is now willing to work with others.

Min Hyuk also learns to trust others through his relationship with Gook Doo. Though it is never explained why, Min Hyuk has an animosity towards the police. He does not trust them. When he begins receiving death threats, he decides to handle it himself by hiring Bong Soon as a bodyguard and privately investigating, rather than contacting the police. Throughout “Strong Woman,” Min Hyuk becomes aware that Bong Soon’s crush on Gook Doo is not one-sided. But when Bong Soon’s life is in danger, despite his distrust for the police and the fact that he sees Gook Doo as a rival, Min Hyuk reaches out to Gook Doo, “the only police officer [he] trusts,” for help.

The three make a great team, despite their misgivings, and ultimately end up working together to capture the culprit once and for all. The three main characters learn much from each other, and as a result, all three characters experience satisfying character arcs. Bong Soon learns to appreciate her uniqueness, Min Hyuk learns what it feels like to love and be loved, and Gook Doo learns how to work together as a member of a team. Because of this, the love triangle in “Strong Woman” is arguably one of the best love triangles in a K-drama.

Weakness

Tyranny of the strong over the weak is a recurring theme throughout “Strong Woman.” Bong Soon feels the worst people in the world are those who beat up people who are weaker. An example of this is when a murder of a young woman uncovers a string of kidnappings in Bong Soon’s quiet neighborhood. The culprit, Kim Jang Hyun, is obsessed with bullying the weak. He is misogynistic and feels powerful when he bullies weaker women. Though Bong Soon has physical strength, she feels helpless when she learns about the murder and kidnappings. Bong Soon has always lived hiding her strength, but now she wants to use her strength to capture the man terrorizing the women of her neighborhood. When her best friend, Na Kyung Sim (Park Bo Mi), is attacked by Jang Hyun, Bong Soon appears and stops him, unintentionally revealing her strength. This puts her on Jang Hyun’s radar, as he becomes obsessed with her supernatural strength.

But it is not just women who are terrorized in “Strong Woman” for being weaker. Min Hyuk was terrorized by his older half-brothers when he was young for being weak, and later receives death threats as an adult because he is thought to be too weak to assume the role as head of the family company. In addition, subordinates are also abused by their superiors in the workplace at both AINSoft and at the police station. Subordinates are hazed, demeaned, and physically assaulted. But one of the most satisfying moments of the K-drama occurs when Bong Soon refuses to tolerate the bullying actions of her superior, Gristle (Kim Won Hae). Gristle is single-handedly one of the most annoying characters I have ever seen in a K-drama, and he undoubtedly gets what he deserves when he decides to bully the wrong subordinate!

Fate

The idea of fate is another Korean trope that appears in “Strong Woman.” Despite living a lonely life up until then, Min Hyuk tells Bong Soon that he was happy to wait for her because they were fated to be together. This idea of eventually meeting the one that you are fated to be with is also touched on with Bong Soon’s twin and his relationship.

The idea of fate is also addressed in terms of one’s role in life. By the end of “Strong Woman,” Bong Soon has done well at AINSoft – the job she has always wanted – and has successfully presented her game idea (based on her life) to the Planning and Development Team. But while the game has been accepted and Bong Soon has finally joined their ranks as a full-time employee (her ultimate dream), she has come to realize that it is her fate to use her strength to help others. Throughout the events of the K-drama – and because of her relationship with Min Hyuk – Bong Soon has finally come to embrace her power. Because of this, her dreams change. Fired from her full-time position, Bong Soon happily resumes her role as intern under Min Hyun, a role which allows her to fulfill her fate by providing her with the freedom she needs to help others. A fate, coincidentally, she likely would not have been able to fulfill without the love and support of Min Hyuk.

Final verdict: MUST WATCH

“Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” contains one of my favorite couples in a K-drama, so if for no other reason than that, it lands on our MUST WATCH list. The chemistry between the leads is stellar, and their storyline – which includes both lead characters’ personal journeys, their romance, the love triangle with Gook Doo, and the suspense-laden story of the kidnapping and murdering Jang Kyun – is well-balanced and moves along at the perfect pace. The comedy of the K-drama - which centers heavily around poop and violence - is not to my personal taste, but the violence is meant to be juxtaposed with Bong Soon’s gentle nature despite her great strength. This is particularly true when it comes to bullying or hazing one’s subordinates, as in the case of the human relations -nightmare, Gristle. In addition, there is an entire side story about a mob boss, Baek Tak (Lim Won Hee)’s, journey from mob boss to monk and back again, which is subpar and detracts heavily from the main storyline of “Strong Woman.” But despite these shortcomings, the chemistry of the Park-Park Couple (or Bong-Bong/Min-Min couple), makes “Strong Woman” a MUST WATCH.

So there it is, our review of “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.” What did you think?! Thank you for joining us on this journey.

Have a favorite K-drama you think we should review, comment down below!! We look forward to seeing you back again soon!

Up next, “Cheese in the Trap”

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