Following the end of 'Goblin' and 'Descendants of the Sun,' if any drama has been as successful as those two, it is JTBC's 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.' As per AGB Nielsen, the drama has scored 8.3 percent ratings nationwide on its fourth episode. Now, the producer of the drama has revealed the reason behind the popularity of the new drama.
"It's a drama that viewers can watch and laugh about in a very relaxed way. It lets viewers vicariously experience something new through the show," producer Song Won-seob said of 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon,' as reported by website Soompi. He further said that the aim of the drama was to create a fun escape, away from the harsh realities of the world.
"We wanted to make a show that people could watch and be entertained by, without thinking about about the problematic world that we live in right now," Won-seob said.
However, the lead character of the show is a woman, whose super-heroic antics become a sort of fantasised metaphor for the many abilities possessed by a woman, which are overlooked by patriarchal society.
"Although the basic backdrop of the show is a romantic comedy, the characters aren't just falling in love and dating since Do Bong Soon is basically Wonder Woman. There are many occasions in our society in which women are overlooked or undervalued, despite their skills and abilities."
"At first, Do Bong Soon's inability to reveal her true strength to the world is an instance of this. Furthermore, there are moments in which women are confronted by dangerous and problematic people whom they do not or feel they cannot fight back against as women; however, viewers are able to live vicariously through Do Bong Soon as she puts these people in their place with her abilities," producer Song Won-seob said.
'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon' thus is helping empower women, even from under the garb of a fantasy drama. "There are many young people out there who have great talents but don't know how or where to use them. Similarly, Do Bong Soon's strength is something she has not found a true purpose for as of yet. As the narrative unfolds, she will realize how she needs to be using her abilities, marking a turning point in the drama," the producer said.
It appears then that this woman-empowerment aspect coupled with a light, escapist fantasy drama element, has helped 'Strong Woman Do Bong-soon' steal the hearts of numerous viewers who are now anxious to see what events unfold next. There has always been a dearth of female superheroes, either in television or cinema, with the few exceptions being Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Though Do Bong-soon isn't a typical superhero, she has tremendous physical strength as is evident from the four episodes that have aired till now.
In the upcoming episode, a love triangle between Ahn Min-hyuk, played by Park Hyung-sik, Bong-soon, played by Park Bo-young and detective Guk-doo, played by Ji Soo will begin. As per Latin Post, Min-hyuk will begin to realise that he is gradually falling in love with Do Bong-soon. We will also see the two men become jealous over Bong-soon.
In the preview for episode 5, we see the two men argue over who gets to drop her off and pick her up. They are even seen threatening each other over her. This is not just mere protective instinct; the two men are obviously falling in love with the strong woman. The drama has been slightly nurturing Min-hyuk's love for Bong-soon. However, as per the indications in the show till now, it seems Bong-soon likes Guk-do a bit more than Min-hyuk.
Episode 5 of 'Strong Woman Do Bong Soon' airs on March 10, on JTBC network.
