‘Strong Girl Do Bong Soon’ Review: When Every Character Is the Main Character

A drama about super strength that somehow collapsed under the weight of too many plots.

Korean Drama Name: 힘쎈여자 도봉순 (Strong Girl Do Bong Soon)

Where To Watch: Viki, Netflix ← *Click for direct link*

Average Rating: 8.7/10 (Mydramalist)

My Rating: 7.5/10

One Sentence Description: Strong Girl Do Bong Soon promised rom-com charm but delivered filler, chaos, and a villain who escaped more times than logic allowed.

Trailer

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Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

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Simple Description 

The show follows Do Bong Soon, a girl born with supernatural strength who ends up working for the CEO of a gaming company. Between hiding her powers, dealing with her boss, her longtime crush, and a serial kidnapper on the loose, Bong Soon still wants a normal life—whatever “normal” means when you can casually lift buses.

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⚠️Length Note: This post includes a detailed (and long) story breakdown. Want to skip straight to the review? Jump to the Review

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The Review

The Good

An Min Hyeok Set the Standard

I won’t lie, the biggest reason I enjoyed this drama was how completely obsessed Min Hyeok was with Bong Soon. From their very first meeting, his fixation had me hooked. There were moments where I felt myself getting bored or even considering dropping the show, but the second Min Hyeok and Bong Soon shared the screen, I remembered exactly why I was still watching.

I usually gravitate more toward action-heavy storylines, especially police investigations, than romance. But the romance here genuinely delivered. This is one of the very few rom-coms where I can confidently say I actually enjoyed the romantic plot instead of just tolerating it.

Kim Won Hae Steals the Show

Can we talk about Kim Gwang Bok and O Dol Pyu for a second? Absolute comedy gold. Kim Gwang Bok’s hospital scenes were genuinely hilarious most of the time, and adding O Dol Pyu into the mix was such a smart choice. I don’t think there was a single scene where he showed up and I didn’t laugh.

A Cast That Clicked

Did anyone else really like the cast dynamic? Even though I have thoughts about some of the relationships, the cast itself felt warm and genuinely comfortable with each other. Outside of the serial kidnapper’s scenes, most moments felt light and easy to watch.

Despite the dark subplot running alongside it, this drama maintained a surprisingly upbeat tone, and I think a lot of that came from the cast’s chemistry. Their energy carried the lighter moments and made the show feel more comforting than stressful.

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The Bad

An Identity Crisis of a Plot

My biggest issue? What was this drama even about? Every subplot felt irrelevant, leaving the main story impossible to pin down. There was simply too much going on: the kidnapper who was always conveniently one step ahead, the stalker who mattered for five minutes then vanished, the thugs who wouldn’t quit, the leader who just drank water and spit while rambling about embarrassment, the random teens with their forty-year-old “ring leader” (be so for real — who were they trying to fool with that old man as a teen?), and Bong Soon’s mom and her friends. It all felt like filler.

And if everything was filler, then what was the actual plot? Even though I liked Bong Soon and Min Hyeok’s relationship, what was their storyline beyond the cute moments? Especially after the stalker was caught, their arc had no real direction. The drama ended up feeling like a collection of loosely connected lives rather than one cohesive narrative.

Too Dark for the Genre It Claimed to Be

The kidnapping storyline was simply too serious to coexist with a rom-com. Watching Bong Soon and Min Hyeok flirt in one scene, only to immediately cut to Janghyeon brutally beating one of his hostages in the next, created a tonal whiplash that never quite worked.

The thriller elements were intense, disturbing, and emotionally heavy, yet the show never committed to them fully. It felt like the writers weren’t confident they could carry the runtime with romance alone, so they added a half-baked thriller that was far too big for the story they actually wanted to tell. Instead of enhancing the drama, it ended up dragging it down.

A Villain Who Should’ve Been Caught Ten Episodes Ago

Everyone figuring out that Janghyeon was the villain around episode five or six, only for him to not be caught until episode sixteen, was more exhausting than suspenseful.

At a certain point, it became hard to take him seriously. How was he able to gather detailed resumes on people, install hidden cameras everywhere, and listen in on private conversations without anyone noticing? The convenience of it all made him feel less like a calculated villain and more like someone with unrealistic supervillain privileges.

Watching him escape over and over again got repetitive fast. He could’ve left the country and disappeared forever, but instead we had to watch him pull off impossible escapes over and over. By the time he kidnapped Bong Soon’s friend, got shot in the arm, drove off a cliff, and still walked away with a light bandage, I was done. The thriller subplot was too big to be crammed into a rom-com, and it dragged the story down. Honestly, what’s the point of the police in dramas if the villain can just Houdini his way out every time?

The Stalker Plot Was Too Easy to Forget

I didn’t even realise this until I started reading other people’s comments, but I completely forgot about Min Hyeok’s stalker case. That alone says a lot. It was wrapped up so quickly that it barely registered as a real storyline. It’s obvious the stalker existed mainly to force Bong Soon and Min Hyeok together, but that doesn’t mean it had to be swept under the rug the second they started to have feelings for each other. Her entire job as his bodyguard, her reason for living with him, and even their initial proximity all came from that threat. Ending it so early made everything afterward feel oddly disconnected from the original premise.

It was also painfully obvious who the culprit was. Out of his entire family, there’s only one person he trusts — gee, wonder who it could be? I usually enjoy guessing early and waiting to be proven right, but not when the show practically eliminates every other option for you. It wasn’t clever, it was just lazy.

And let’s be honest, for someone hired as a bodyguard, Bong Soon spent most of her time being protected by Min Hyeok instead. Overall, I didn’t hate this subplot, I just wish it hadn’t been over within five episodes of a sixteen-episode drama.

Min Hyeok Wasn’t as Innocent as He Thought

This is a smaller point, but it still bothered me. Min Hyeok already had a massively successful gaming company, yet he still wanted to inherit his father’s business. A business he didn’t even seem interested in from the jump. So when one of his brothers went after him, it’s crazy that he acted shocked and betrayed. It honestly felt hypocritical, and it made his “poor me” moments harder to sympathise with.

So while he didn’t deserve what happened to him, his surprise felt a little naive. You can’t already be wildly successful while actively coveting another empire and then act confused when someone goes after you. It doesn’t make him a villain, but it does make him a bit selfish and oddly unaware of the situation he helped create.

Guk Du Was Just Dense, Not Endearing

I didn’t feel bad for Guk Du for even a second. Bong Soon made it painfully obvious that she liked him, yet his obliviousness crossed the line from “cute and clueless” into straight-up irritating. The show expected us to believe he had feelings for her, but he spent most of the drama treating her like his mom’s friend’s friend’s cousin’s daughter. Distant, uninterested, and emotionally unavailable. Then suddenly, he likes her? Please.

Not only was he dense, but he would’ve been a terrible boyfriend to anyone. He constantly put work above everything else and acted like he was the only police officer in all of Korea. Leaving her stranded at a café for hours should have been the final wake-up call. Min Hyeok sarcastically asking if he was the busiest policeman in the country was painfully accurate.

And honestly, Bong Soon wasn’t much better here. She liked him for years, and the moment he finally reciprocates, she’s over it. I’m sorry, but no. That emotional switch-up was way too abrupt to feel believable.

The Abusive Mom / Poor Dad

I’m glad we can all collectively agree that Bong Soon’s mom was a problem. The show tried to soften it by claiming the dad “fell” and brushing things off as comedy, but no one was buying it. Her behaviour was controlling, aggressive, and uncomfortable to watch. Forcing her daughter toward Min Hyeok purely because he was rich was especially uncomfortable.

The dad, on the other hand, was heartbreaking to watch. He seemed like a genuinely kind man who loved his daughter and his little pecan shop, and watching him exist under an abusive, domineering wife was honestly upsetting. His misery was palpable, and it made every scene with him difficult to enjoy because you just felt bad for him.

The Power Rules Made No Sense

Was anyone else baffled that Bong Soon lost her powers over an accident? Janghyeon conveniently discovers everything about her powers, including how she could lose them, and then she accidentally injures a man while saving her friend. Suddenly, she’s powerless.

If accidents counted, why didn’t she lose her powers earlier? What about when she hospitalised Min Hyeok’s assistant during their one-legged fight? Or when she made that poor guy slap himself unconscious? The rules were lenient then, but the one time she uses her powers for good, it’s too late? The inconsistency made the whole “losing powers” subplot feel cheap.

Not to mention the confusing way she gets her powers back. Because she’s so desperate to save Min Hyeok, that’s just enough? This “getting her powers back” felt weak and like a desperate attempt for a happy ending. 

The Ending Didn’t Understand Its Own Story

Then came the ending, and honestly, it felt off in almost every way. The entire show built up Bong Soon’s dream of joining the development team, despite her being clearly underqualified. But when she finally gets in, she suddenly acts like she couldn’t care less. After spending the whole drama hiding her powers and wanting a normal life, she just becomes a full-on superhero at the end. Flying, jumping off buildings, saving the day like it’s casual. What happened to the job she desperately wanted?

And then the wedding. Every single character — including the gang members who tricked her and tried to beat her up — shows up like they’ve all been besties for years. What was that about? Let bygones be bygones because it’s the finale? It felt forced and unrealistic. I wouldn’t have been surprised Janghyeon made an appearance and wished her well in his jail uniform.

I also really dislike time-skip endings like this. The engagement, the wedding, then suddenly kids. I much prefer dramas that end at the engagement or wedding because it feels like a clean, satisfying finish. The characters finally get to enjoy their happiness after everything they went through. When shows keep going past that point, it starts to feel like an extra chapter that doesn’t need to exist. It’s like watching a princess ride off into the sunset… and then immediately cutting to her budgeting for castle renovations and baby cribs. It just ruins the closure.

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What I Would Do

Give the Show One Clear Spine

Since the drama essentially didn’t know what it wanted to be about, I’d strip it down and give it one main story: the stalker. In my version, the stalker wouldn’t be a short-lived inconvenience that disappears after a few episodes. He’d terrorise Min Hyeok for most of the show, and once Bong Soon enters Min Hyeok’s life, he’d start targeting her too. The threat would feel real. No harmless metal beads. Actual attempts on Min Hyeok’s life.

All of Min Hyeok’s brothers would be suspicious, even the father. Everyone would know something, everyone would feel off, and the audience would constantly be second-guessing who the real culprit is. Instead of Min Hyeok selfishly wanting his father’s company on top of his already successful business, the stakes would be cleaner: the stalker wants Min Hyeok to give up all his shares. Min Hyeok would explain that while he doesn’t want to run the company outright, he still wants to keep his mother’s shares because they were passed down to him.

The twist? The culprit would still be the brother he trusts most, but the show would actually earn it. He wouldn’t be lurking in the background. He’d be actively helping Min Hyeok. Assisting with traps. Offering solutions. Playing the role of protector. Maybe during one plan, the stalker nearly gets caught and the brother is conveniently “injured” while helping. Or a flash drive with key information mysteriously goes missing after being in his possession. Small moments that only make sense in hindsight.

Bong Soon would slowly grow suspicious. She’d catch the brother doing things that don’t add up and it would create tension between her and Min Hyeok, especially because Min Hyeok trusts him completely. Near the end, Bong Soon would go to confront or apologise to the brother, only to be kidnapped by him. That’s when everything clicks. He wanted her suspicious. He wanted her close. He wanted Min Hyeok isolated.

He’d lock her away somewhere heavily secured, keeping her weak or drugged so she can’t use her strength. Whether Min Hyeok finds her or she escapes using her powers, the climax would finally feel earned.

The point isn’t just making it darker. It’s making it cohesive. One story. One threat. Real stakes.

Cut the Serial Killer Entirely

With the stalker as the main plot, the serial kidnapper would be gone entirely.

That storyline was far too intense and bloated for a rom-com, and it sucked all the oxygen out of the story. Instead of some random villain with endless plot convenience, everything would tie back to the stalker. Bong Soon would bring Guk Du into that investigation, giving him an actual purpose instead of bouncing between unrelated cases.

The show tried to juggle too much and ended up saying nothing. Removing the serial kidnapper tightens the narrative and lets the romance, comedy, and tension actually coexist instead of constantly clashing.

Trim the cast aggressively

This is a big one. Most of the cast needed to go. The thugs, the monk, the teen group, all of it was too much. They weren’t funny, just obnoxious. Bong Soon could beat the thugs up early on, and we’d see them in the hospital occasionally, but that’s it. Same with the teenagers.

Anyone meant to be an extra or borderline extra should have stayed that way. Instead, they were shoved into the spotlight with jokes that weren’t even funny. I mean… poop wine? What are we, six?

Fix the mom

The mom needed the biggest character overhaul. She was so toxic and abusive that it was hard to watch. In my version, she could still be tough and independent, just not at the expense of her family. She’d genuinely care about them and wouldn’t treat her husband like the marriage was a burden.

If she was harsh toward her husband, not abusive-level harsh, she’d eventually realise she’d become someone her family didn’t enjoy being around. Maybe her own mother was strict and cold, and she accidentally turned into the same kind of parent she once resented. That realisation would push her to grow into someone warmer, more supportive, and genuinely better. She could still be fiery, but in a way that uplifts her family instead of tearing them down.

Let Guk Du move on

Guk Du wouldn’t like Bong Soon romantically. Plain and simple. His aloofness wouldn’t be some weird reverse psychology, it would be because he genuinely only saw her as a friend. His growth would come from realizing he loves his job more than he wants a girlfriend.

He’d try to fight for his previous relationship, but eventually he’d see it failing because of him. His inability to prioritise anything over work would be his reality check. In the end, he’d move to Gangnam to start fresh, choosing his career and independence over forcing a romance that never fit.

This way, everyone would get some form of happy ending and actual character development. Bong Soon and Min Hyeok would have their romance, Guk Du would find clarity in his career, and even the mom would evolve into someone worth rooting for.

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Final Thoughts

To wrap this review up, I’d just like to say that I was kind of disappointed. This had such high reviews and was always recommended, so I’m a little upset that it didn’t live up to the hype. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Min Hyeok’s obsession and Kim Won Hae’s characters, but that about wraps up my only real likes. In fact, the only reason I rated it a 7.5/10 was purely because those two aspects stood out so strongly. I liked the actors too, but these three things just weren’t enough to save it from its lack of organisation and a clear plot. With just about every character treated like a main character and 90% of the runtime filled with fluff and filler, it all hit with a thud.

I mean, how would I even describe this drama? “It’s about a girl with super strength who works for a CEO being stalked — except that wraps up pretty fast, so it’s not really the main plot. It’s also about a serial kidnapper who beats and tries to marry his victims. And a group of thugs who spend 90% of the show in the hospital vowing revenge while their leader talks about being embarrassed, becomes a monk, and gets scammed by a monk. And a teen gang led by a 40-year-old man who couldn’t pass for a teenager in a blackout. And the mom and her friends. And the sad, abused dad. And Guk Du the dense…” It would literally never end.

When a story fails to have a clear plot, everything else, no matter how good the core idea is, collapses into chaos. With so much happening at once, the drama ultimately leaves the audience feeling nothing but frustration and disappointment.

Next time, go back to the drawing board and figure out how to make one simple plot, then add supporting characters who actually exist to serve that story. Because when you can’t get the basics right, you don’t get “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon”. You get “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Her Cute-Obsessive Boss, Her Dense Friend, Useless Police, A Serial Kidnapper, A Group of Always-Injured Thugs, An Unfunny Thug Leader, An Abusive Mom, An Abused Dad, A Back-Stabbing Brother, A Teen-ish Gang, A Gay Guy and an Assistant, A Monk, A Grandma, A Kidnapped Friend, A Different Brother, An Ex-Girlfriend, An Underdeveloped App, and One Big Mess of a Drama.” 

But hey, if chaos was the goal, congratulations — the plot did more heavy lifting than Bong Soon ever needed to.

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And that’s a wrap! It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted a review, the last few weeks have been pretty crazy. With Christmas, New Years and all the festivities with that have kept me busy.

Unfortunately, I don’t know if I’ll be able to consistently post every Friday as I’ll be starting a new job soon and it’ll be keeping me busy. Just wanted to give you a heads up so you don’t think you’ve been abandoned.

I’ll definitely continue posting reviews so please keep reading and enjoying!!

Next week we will be focusing on a more popular Netflix Drama on school violence. I think I’ve already given too much away but regardless, look forward to that!

I’ll see you next week! 💕

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