Overall Rating: A+ (BLESS THIS SHOW)
Subtitles: I watched on Netflix, the subtitles overall were good but they did the Western order for Korean names in the subs every time which really got on my nerves a bit (like the characters are using the correct family name first order because that is their name, why are the subs reversing it? Do they think we cannot hear the sounds that are coming out of the character’s mouths in a different order????)
Brief Synopsis: All the girls in Bong Soon’s family are born with super strength, but if they use it for selfish or evil means they lose their strength and receive a punishment. As a result they tend to hide their power and try to avoid using it, but Bong Soon is discovered by the CEO of a gaming company during an unusual incident and becomes his body guard, drawing her into the plot surrounding the threats he is receiving. Meanwhile in her neighborhood there is a criminal who is kidnapping women, and it won’t be long before Bong Soon decides she cannot sit back and stay out of it any longer. Watch on Viki here or on Netflix here.
**Full show spoilers below the image. If you do not wish to be spoiled, do not proceed**
Ending Type: The. Freaking. Best. So hilarious, so cute, so satisfying, so above and beyond what I could even have asked for. Like seriously the moment the gangsters were hired to nanny their twin baby girls I about lost it. Bless everything about this show just… bless.
Characters: Oh gosh this is going to be hard because they were literally all amazing?
OK I am going to do groups of characters instead of individuals because otherwise I will be writing this post for literal days and no one will be interested in reading my 5,000 word essay on all 20 something characters that grace the screen in this delightful masterpiece.
So our main trio were the titular strong woman Do Bong Soon (Park Bo Young), the cheeky CEO of Ainsoft Ah Min Hyuk (Park Hyung Sik), and the determined detective Kook Do0 (Ji Soo). I loved all three of them, honestly? Kook Doo I think was the least interesting of the three as a generally serious but gifted detective with good instincts. We did not get a lot of emotional content from him, so of the three he was by far the most 2D but was still lovable and a joy to have around, especially as a foil to Min Hyuk. Min Hyuk was probably my favorite male love interest in a K Drama to date? He was so different from what I am used to because he was silly and sweet and genuine and over-the-top with his cheekiness in just the best way. He was an absolute delight on the screen all the time and delivered the more intense and emotional moments perfectly as well. Bong Soon was literal perfection as a female lead. Tiny, spunky, and sassy, she had a fantastic “take no prisoners” attitude, was unwilling to put up with anyone’s crap ever, but was also super sweet and loving and loyal. Park Bo Young’s acting is always superub but she really brought it to this role, hitting the cute and sweet moments, the sassy moments, the comic-book-esque action moments, and the dramatic emotional moments all incredibly well. (I am not the biggest fan of her hysterical crying but it certainly was appropriate in the scenes where it appeared so I can’t like… really complain about it).
Bong Soon’s family was great, with her aloof and seflish mom, her sweet and caring dad, and her doctor brother who was basically around to mimic the audience’s reactions to everything that was going on. I liked that we got a bit of an arc with her parents and that her mom gained depth throughout the show, especially since we learn that the power can come back if you really want it for the right reasons and it becomes clear that her mom probably knew this and didn’t want it back.
There were tons of side characters in this, from the detectives who worked with Kook Doo to Min Hyuk’s family to the literal gang that Bong Soon beats the crap out of to the kid gang who worship her all the way to the villain himself, who I am not going to bother giving his own blurb (guy wants power over women, kidnaps and brutalizes them, needs very much to die, the end).
I will take a moment to appreciate three in particular who brought me unspeakable joy. First, Secretary Kong (Jun Suk Ho), Min Hyuk’s faithful and ridiculous and not overly bright assistant. Every time he was on screen there was a good chance I’d be weeping I laughed so hard. There was also Baek Tak (Lee Won Hee), an ineffectual gang leader who was obsessed with finding a way to hire Bong Soon. Lee Won Hee truly knows how to bring the comedy to a character. I loved him in You’re All Surrounded and Romantic Dr. Kim and he was just as awesome in this, stealing the scene every time he was on screen. The real hero of the story was Kim Won Hae as both the useless gang member constantly incapacitated by Bong Soon and the fabulously gay member of Min Hyuk’s team who is obsessed with Min Hyuk and hates Bong Soon.
Honestly the comedic cast in this show was just absolutely top notch and I had to avoid watching this show at work because I spent so much time in hysterical laughter.
Relationships: Bong Soon and Min Hyuk have hands down the cutest romance story I have ever seen in a K Drama. It does not bring the feels the way some of the relationships in more serious shows might (though there are some really touching moments and plenty of drama/danger storylines), but it sure did bring the joy. They are just? so? freaking? adorable? at all times? Because Bong Soon has super strength a lot of the classic “man strong arms woman into accepting his love” tropes were thrown out the door and replaced by caring and flirtatious warm and fuzzy moments and it is just. The best.
Shoutout also to Min Hyuk and Kook Doo’s bromance. The hilarity that existed between these two as they tried to be jealous adversaries and failed spectacularly was just…. top notch. I loved everything about this. Just. Everything.
High Points: Gosh, the whole show??????????????? Not over how a show that is about violent crimes against women was literally the cutest and funniest and most heartwarming thing my soul has ever had the pleasure of enjoying?????
Low Points: I guess if I had to choose something it would be the brother/ Kook Doo’s ex-girlfriend’s love sub plot because I was not invested in it and also it was like the only sub plot that did not tie well into the overarching story so. Eh. But I didn’t hate it either.
Final comments: Gosh just watch this show if you haven’t. It’s the bomb (not to make light of the actual bomb scene that was peak suspense and feels).
K Drama Kween 