Summary
- Strong Girl Bong-Soon hits all major K-drama tropes, making it a must-watch for beginners.
- The show includes LGBTQ+ representation with Oh Dol-ppyeo's character breaking stereotypes.
- The lead character, Bong-Soon, undergoes significant character development throughout the series.
Strong Girl Bong-Soon has made quite an impression on fans around the world. There are hundreds upon hundreds of K-dramas to binge-watch on streaming platforms. But when it comes to one K-drama that has everything needed for beginners, the title goes to Strong Girl Bong-Soon or Strong Woman Bong-Soon. It has everything a fan and first-time viewer could want in a K-drama.
Strong Woman Bong-Soon initially aired in 2017 and still holds up as being one of the best. The drama takes up almost every genre from fantasy to romance, thriller, and action. Between the laugh-out-loud comedy, the steamy love triangle, and the lead character's backstory, it's a nearly perfect show from beginning to end. The title character is sweet, but also a force to be reckoned with. The popularity of Strong Woman Bong-Soon has led to the production of the spin-off series Strong Girl Nam-Soon in 2023 as well, proving that the love for the show endures.
Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon is available to stream on Rakuten Viki.
Strong Woman Bong-Soon Hits All Major Tropes
K-Drama Tropes Often Borrow From Soap Operas
A good chunk of K-drams follow a set guideline that makes them so bingeworthy; or simply, K-drama tropes that are often found in various shows. Strong Girl Bong-Soon hits almost all of them in the best way possible. The series highlights so many of the most popular ones that keep fans tuning in to K-dramas on a regular basis all over the world.
One of the major ones that had fans hooked was the love triangle between Bong-soon, her boss, and her former crush. It's also revealed that her boss knew of her years prior when she saved the bus he was riding from crashing. The leads in a K-drama having a previous connection is a twist shows love to employ. Fans also can't forget the disapproving family members that are often present in every K-drama. One brother even conspired against Min-hyuk (Park Hyung-sik) because he wasn't ready to take over his father's company. Strong Girl Bong-Soon uses all of these K-drama tropes to great effect.
LGBTQ+ Representation
Kim Won-hae Plays Oh Dol-ppyeo
K-dramas are not typically known for representing the LGBTQ+ community, especially when it comes to classic shows. Modern K-dramas have been making strides to change that. Though there are some complaints from the audience that Strong Girl Bong-Soon’s LGBTQ+ representation leans into some gay stereotypes in pop culture, the show does take a nice step forward.
Oh Dol-ppyeo is a high-ranking employee in a hugely successful company. He’s not relegated to roles solely involving fashion or being the “gay best friend” with sassy one-liners. Instead, he’s successful and respected in his own right as the Head of Development Planning. While Strong Girl Bong-Soon centers on the title character and doesn’t get to delve into the lives of all of the supporting characters in her story, it does make room for him, which is a step forward for K-dramas like it.
Character Development For The Lead
Park Bo-young Plays Do Bong-soon
A common complaint among some of the more fantasy-oriented K-dramas is that there isn’t a lot of character development for the lead as the story plays out around them, and they react to events without going through significant changes themselves. That’s not the case with Strong Girl Bong-Soon.
The lead character begins the series ashamed of her abilities and trying to hide them from others. By the end, she’s embracing her abilities and her heritage and understanding how much a part of her they are. She’s more confident, using her abilities regularly, and not hiding in a subservient role. Bong-Soon has a true character arc in the series for her, and it makes the series a more memorable watch.
The Comedy
Strong Girl Bong-Soon Is A Comedy With Dramatic Storylines
The K-drama has nuggets of comedic gold that had fans laughing. It's always comical to see people's reactions when they learn that the small and sweet Bong-soon has super strength. Even when she suggests her boss's assistant wear a helmet, he goes flying into a solid wall.
These comedic moments are interweaved throughout the show. Like the big bad development boss whose thugs were beaten up by Bong-soon. In a later episode, he also gets hurt by her and her mother gives him a special liquor. He soon learns it's made from fecal matter. There's also a comical dream scene where Min-hyuk is dressed as a woman and caresses Guk-doo (Ji Soo).
The Easy And Lovable Male Lead
Park Hyung-sik Plays Min-hyuk
Fans of K-drams have seen their fair share of different types of male characters. Especially when it involves a romance. Some K-drama leads are more dateable than others. In this K-drama, Min-hyuk made falling in love easy. He wasn't the aloof and cold CEO who gets his heart melted by Bong-soon.
From the start, he's outgoing, charming, and goofy. It's no surprise Bong-soon fell for him, but he does have his conceived moment like making Bong-soon carry all his shopping. Compared to the other male leads, he ranks as being one sweetest that had fans convinced from the start.
The Smooth Romance
Min-hyuk And Bong-Soon Fall In Love Easily
Some K-dramas give fans whiplash over the stifling romances between characters. Thankfully, this drama made it a smooth watch. There were moments where fans rooted for the second male lead to get the girl. But fans could agree that Bong-soon easily fell out of love with him and naturally fell into the arms of Min-hyuk.
Other K-dramas have the second lead do everything possible to get the female lead interested and wear their hearts on their sleeves. In this case, it was obvious Guk-doo had feelings for Bong-soon all along, but it was too late. He was stricken with "second lead syndrome."
The Amicable Love Triangle
Ji Soo Plays Guk-doo
There have been some riveting love triangles in K-dramas that had fans on the edge of their seats. Strong Woman Bong-soon has a love triangle that ends on a happy note but still has a twinge of sadness. Bong-soon was in love with her longtime friend but comes to learn he has a girlfriend.
As much as she tried, she couldn't stop caring for him until she let go to fall in love with Min-hyuk. When their relationship was already underway, Guk-doo was too late to show his true feelings. As the show went on, Guk-doo and Min-hyuk made an amicable bond for the sake of Bong-soon. Even when they get married, Guk-doo is there to congratulate them. There isn't a toxic element to the Strong Girl Bong-Soon love triangle.
The Murder/Kidnapping Story
There Are Dark Moments In Strong Girl Bong-Soon
Every K-drama needs suspense, thrills, and drama. Beyond the love story, Strong Girl Bong-soon had two underlying thriller subplots. One regards an anonymous person threatening Min-hyuk and his company; the other is a more central story of murder. In Bong-soon's town, women are being kidnapped.
At first, it's a minor threat but it turns ugly when the culprit almost kidnaps Bong-soon's best friend and later succeeds. He even infiltrates the police department and stays one step ahead. He's collecting his seven brides, keeping them prisoner, and learns of Bong-soon's powers. The storyline adds a level of chill needed to counteract the romance and the lighter elements of the plot.
The Twist & Retribution
Strong Girl Bong-Soon Includes A Needed Superhero Twist
The show needed a twist that would change the dynamics near the end. Bong-soon's powers come with a warning. The kidnapper learns her secret and uses it against her and makes her lose her powers. Bong-soon starts to feel helpless and lost without her super-strength.
The kidnapper now has a window to take her down for good. He goes to their company and has Bong-soon strapped to a bomb. She's unable to break free and Min-hyuk is on the other side of the door saying he'll never leave her. Bong-soon cries to her ancestors to get her powers back to save him. And it works. The moment might be something typically found in superhero projects, but it's necessary for Bong-soon to fully embrace her power.
The Fantasy Element
Strong Girl Bong-Soon Paves The Way For More
What had fans hooked from the start was that Bong-soon isn't just a normal girl. There's a backstory to who she is and her family's legacy of strength. Viewers learn that her family comes from a long ancestral line that possesses super strength. The powers are only passed on to the woman in her family.
Over the years, women had to be careful of how they used their strength. If used for their own selfish gain, they would lose them overnight and get a heinous disease. Many used them to fight off enemies or during war. Bong-soon's mother tried to use her powers to become an elite weightlifter, causing her to lose them. Every female before her wrote down her story in books passed down through generations. This backstory adds history and weight to Bong-Soon's eventual desire to become a vigilante, but it also paves the way for more stories in the same world, like Strong Girl Nam-Soon.
Bong-Soon Is A Badass
Strong Girl Bong-Soon's Story Defies The Damsel In Distress Trope
The fun premise of the whole show is that many suspect Bong-soon to be a fragile and sweet young woman. She is for the most part, but beneath her smile is incredible strength. A strength that can literally break mountains. This leads to many underestimating her.
When she sees a school bus driver being beaten by a man, she steps in. The attacker doesn't assume much, but she quickly proves him wrong and ends up sending the whole gang to the hospital. The same when she helps a young student getting bullied and pretends to tie the bullies' shoes to only rip it off entirely. Strong Girl Bong-Soon defies the damsel in distress female image in K-dramas.
The Happily Ever After
Strong-Girl Bong Soon Doesn't Leave An Open Ending
There are some K-dramas that have left fans feeling heartbroken over the unresolved or sad endings. Will their love carry on? What happens now? Strong Girl Bong-soon got high praise for not doing this. It instead got a happily ever after that's rarely seen. The show didn't cut off with Bong-soon and Min-hyuk kissing under cherry blossom trees and leave the viewers speculating.
It went further and showed them getting married, the ceremony, and the comedic guests. It didn't end there. Fans even got to see Bong-soon and Min-hyuk become parents. Not just to one baby, but a set of twin girls. This means double the super strength in the family's future. It even shows Min-hyuk hiring bad guys to babysit but they are no match for the kids. Even Min-hyuk gets a black eye. It all ends with Bong-soon becoming a vigilante and using her powers for good. Strong Girl Do Bong-Soon is the ultimate K-drama with a satisfying conclusion.