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Strong Girl Nam Soon Finale Review: Lee Yoo Mi, Ong Seung Wu, Byeon Woo Seok starrer has underwhelming climax
Strong Girl Nam Soon starring Lee Yoo Mi, Kim Jung Eun, Byeon Woo Seok dropped the last two episodes of the action rom-com. Here's a recap of Episodes 15 and 16, as we review them further.
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Strong Girl Nam Soon dropped it's final two episodes
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Episodes 15-16 provided an underwhelming conclusion to the promising series
Name: Strong Girl Nam Soon
Premiere Date: October 7, 2023
Cast: Lee Yoo Mi, Kim Jung Eun, Kim Hae Sook, Ong Seong Wu, and Byun Woo Seok
Director: Kim Jeong Sik and Lee Kyung Sik
Writer: Baek Mi Kyung
Genre: Drama, comedy, crime
No. of Episodes: 16 (Airs every Saturday-Sunday)
Where to watch: Netflix, JTBC
Recap of Strong Girl Nam Soon Episode 15
The 15th episode of Strong Girl Nam Soon starts off with commissioner general Lee Jeong Sik attacked by a drugged Ryu Shi O (Byeon Woo Seok). Kang Hee Sik (Ong Seong Woo) and his team arrive at the scene to find members of his security detail dead. Hee Sik concludes that someone killed the members with his bare hands hence concluding it to Ryu Shi O.
Kang Nam Soon (Lee Yoo Mi) and her family hold a funeral for Hwa Ja (Choi Hee Jin). Hwang Geum Joo (Kim Jung Eun) plans revenge against Ryu Shi O. Kang Hee Sik plans to use Pavel to take down Shi O. Nam Soon calls Shi O and challenges him. Ryu Shi O gets threatened by Pavel’s Nozh and is listed as a wanted man in Korea. Dr. Choi, who works for Shi O, gets tracked by both him and the police. 
Ryu Shi O asks for protection from Pavel in exchange for the antidote and Dr. Choi. Nam Soon kidnaps Choi first leading Shi O to realize he has been hacked. Nam soon heads to Dogoo to find the antidote. Ryu Shi O kidnaps Nam Soon's adoptive mother from Mongolia and asks her to come to a location in return for her mother's safety. Ryu Shi O challenges Nam Soon to take the drug and not drink water for an hour or else, the bottle on top of the sensor if picked up will trigger the bomb killing Nam Soon's adoptive mother and the people around her.
Nam Soon takes the drug and suffers from pain physically and so does Geum Joo who is running there to save her. Joong Gan instead after hearing the news about Nam Soon uses her power to the maximum limit and opens up a connection to her. The immense power use wakes up Nam Soon who successfully escapes.
Strong Girl Nam Soon episode 15 review
As the finale inches closer, the stakes are higher than ever. First off, it was amazing to see all three generations coming together to fight evil. Throughout the entire series the three women with power Nam Soon, Geum Joo and Joong Gan had little to no screen time till the very last moment.
Now coming to Nam Soon and Geum Joo, Geum Joo used her powers a lot more than Nam Soon did. Even though Nam Soon is the titular character, her screen time using her powers and actually helping people comes at the very last as compared to her mother who uses it in every other episode. Acting wise all of them did a commendable job especially Lee Yoo Mi and Byeon Woo Seok who took it up a notch during their confrontation scene sending shivers down your spine with how good and powerful those scenes were. Overall episode 15 was a good watch as every character in the storyline was used effectively to push the story towards the grand finale.
Recap of Strong Girl Nam Soon Episode 16
In episode 16, a drugged Ryu Shi O further attacks Nam Soon. They engage in a deadly fight. Kang Hee Sik arrives, giving a window for Ryu Shi O to escape. Kang Hee Sik searches for antidote for Nam Soon which he later finds at Doogo’s warehouse. Nam Soon gets better. Ryu Shi O is visited by Binbin who informs him that he is here to kill him. But instead of Binbin killing Shi O he hands him his gun and leaves.
Police along with Kang Hee Sik, Nam Soon and S.W.A.T team enters the gym and surrounds Shi O. Shi O, knowing there is no way to escape, pulls the trigger to die with dignity. All of Ryu Shi O’s people are caught one by one as Nam Soon and the police team go on an antidote hunt. Geum Joo tries to force the antidote formula out of Dr. Choi and gets it.
Joong Gan and Jun Hee work towards elderly welfare, Guem Joo works legally to bring down everyone connected to Doogo and finally Nam Soon joins the force as special recruit. Ryu Shi O's connection to the stationary shop owner who was storing drugs for him was later revealed . Surprisingly, the shop owner turned out to be Ryu Shi O's biological father.
Guem Joo goes after Pavel’s Nozh who is in Korea. The police team including Nam Soon and Hee Sik try to track down Shi O’s old phone which is used by Binbin. Nozh is later identified as Bread Song. The series ends with Nam Soon catching bad guys. In post credits scenes we are introduced to a new character Jang Chung Dong who is a guy with superpowers due to an anomaly in genes.
Strong Girl Nam Soon episode 16 review
Overall, finale did tie up most of the loose ends but many things felt more rushed. With the ending the series gave us most likely it will continue with a season 3 as Binbin having Shi O’s phone, Nozh being Bread Song and an introduction of a new character Jang Chung Dong definitely hint towards a season 3. The ending switched between the lighthearted comedy and the dark narratives with humor leading the most of it.
The humor in the finale was exceptionally dry, to the extent that it might compel you to skip through it. As the episode progressed, it appeared increasingly forced and nonsensical, losing its comedic appeal. Most of the finale started out strong, lost its charm in the middle and by the end was a mess.It seemed like they were attempting to introduce and conclude multiple storylines simultaneously, resulting in a cluttered and chaotic narrative.
Though at the end, everything did conclude well (despite the open endings and new storylines), many of the characters got their happy endings with most of the villains being caught.
Strong Girl Nam Soon complete show review
The show had a very strong premise with a promising storyline and wonderful characters. The series gained global attention, and rightfully so, for its well-crafted production. However, at some point in the narrative, the writing took a detour, leading to an underwhelming conclusion for what started as a beautiful storyline. The creators of Strong Girl Nam Soon aimed for greatness but, unfortunately, fell short of achieving their intended impact.
Now coming to the good part of the show, the humor balancing of everything, even during the dark moments was what made the show shine. Each character is well written and the actors did an exceptionally good work in portraying them.
Compared to its predecessor which was the first in its field and had a very feel-good vibe to it, Strong Girl Nam Soon had a deeper and darker storyline with many moments that felt empowering as a viewer. Their fight against evil, especially the determination Kim Jung Eun brought to the table as Hwang Guem Joo was brilliant. While Gil Joong Gan (Kim Hae Sook) could have been more actively involved in the fight against the evil narrative, her portrayal as an older individual getting a second chance at life and love is empowering to witness. It is heartwarming to witness the women in the family embarking on their individual journeys, each pursuing their own destinies.
One of the notable disappointments in the show was the handling of Byeon Woo Seok's character, Ryu Shi O. Despite the promise and depth in his background, which built him up as a potentially great antagonist, his character's dying without putting up a fight was remarkably underwhelming. A considerable number of viewers found themselves sympathizing with Shi O's character, and rightly so, as the narrative suggested a potential path to redemption for him.
However, his sudden acceptance of his fate and early demise at the beginning of the episode left many shocked. His hinted romantic plotline with Nam Soon only to be betrayed at the end was tragic to watch as he simply accepts his fate in front of the woman he loves. Nam Soon could have been a little more understanding and atleast could have tried and pushed him in the right direction as she and Hee Sik knew that Shi O was not evil by choice but due to his circumstances.
Binbin’s character coming out at the last minute and that too someone out of the storyline was also not a good decision until and unless they plan to keep him for the third season. The romantic plot line between Nam Soon and Hee Sik, while adorable, was at times perceived as rushed and forced, contributing to a somewhat underwhelming storyline. Allocating a bit more screen time for their relationship could have enhanced the depth and authenticity of their narrative. Overall, the show had its flaws, and towards the end, it became a bit messier. However, it still offered a good, heartwarming and enjoyable one-time watch.
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ALSO READ: Strong Girl Nam Soon Ep 13-14 review: Byeon Woo Seok and Lee Yoo Mi in epic final showdown
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