Strong Girl Nam-soon w4 #2
Last week, Grandma casually made ready for a date-r*pe and I was wondering if they would really just brush that off, or if they would make something of it? Well … I’d say both/and. Because that old gent is still together with her, but also, he is increasingly horrified at some of the things she does and says, like after heroically delivering criminals to the police station, she does this:
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And I’d like you to notice his reaction. But later, this happens. And okay … maybe he’ll be allowed to just sleep it out in a comfortable place, but in most situations, I would consider it a duty to take care of that drunk person, away from scary granny.
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Scary granny to me is a serious issue – maybe masterly depicted, with the kind of himpathy that this kind of behavior is often met with. Maybe it is just chaotic writing.

Those are adorable, Cecilie. I can easily admit it, but this is actually a show I’ve truly dropped. Not even tempted to FF. I find myself thinking “How dare they inject such sweetness into such toxicity!!” I can see how other folks see it in reverse, but last week really made me upset…

I am very, very glad you’re still enjoying it and are able to pull out salient, useful themes that engage you! I don’t think my reaction is the only or right one—it has far more to do with me personally than anything abstractly right or wrong about this drama!

Strong Girl Nam-soon w4 #3
I was hoping very much for an adapted Grease version of Good Girl meets Bad Boy, and you could think that is what is happening here, when Ryooh asks to be Nam-soon’s friend.
Look at that sweet smile!
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And Ryooh doing the wrist grab doesn’t mean much … Hee-sik does it too, and the great thing is how easily Nam-soon handles it. I love this.
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Apropos wrist grab ad taking on the authority to “guide” a girl like that, Hwa-ja never got round to stabbing Nam-soon. She’s in the hospital now, and Hee-sik said for Nam-soon to not care for her at all. I hope Nam-soon follows her own instincts and returns to Hwa-ja. Cautiously, but stubbornly. Treat her well! She is your sister … in some sense of the word, at least.
(The next gifs will be nicer).
(I have a theory about Hwa-ja and Ryooh actually being siblings, and some distant cousins to Nam-sin and Nam-soon. It would explain Hwaja’s strength and Ryooh’s longing for strength, and also make a great foundation for discussing what our upbringing does to us).
Treat her well, she is your sister!

Strong Girl Nam-soon w4 #4
So, nicer gifs
There’s a long look of acknowledging some feelings (of friendship?) between our FL and ML:

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Also: Daddy knows that Nam-soon can do incredible things – but also that she can actually get hurt doing them. Somehow, when he says it, it doesn’t seem so much patronizing as just loving.
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The woman of the family, when they’re together, are used to aiming or the stars. And the moon.
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So weird to see the thug side of granny alternatingly with this kind of adorable family miracle. That could be a special point, too, very realistically. Still, this drama has me on my toes, for sure.

Strong Girl Nam-soon w4 #5
If I’ve said I’d like to see Ryooh smile more, I didn’t quite mean like this:

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And certainly not like this:
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Am I the only beanie slightly freaked out to be simultaneously watching Lee Seung-joon in this show and now Castaway Diva, portraying so dramatically different characters? 😯 #NoThatsNotHisEvilTwin

“horrible or subtly smart” — yes, exactly! I’m fully prepared for “horrible” to be the answer, but would love to be surprised if “subtly smart” is the verdict for even one or two of the issues it raises.

Strong Girl Nam-soon w4 #6
We agree she hasn’t been enough with Ryooh yet, right? Well, it gets better in the 8th episode. And Ryooh, who totally has some hidden agenda (more of that) and is trying to charm her … he is also pretty charmed himself, if you ask me.
Lucky Byeon Woo-Seok, who is playing someone who is playing a role. He can be on the brink of breaking character, but luckily it just seems right for Ryooh to smile as broad as an involuntary chuckle over this surprising girl.
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But Ryooh is afraid of his driver. Look how uncomfortably they see each other in the rear-view mirror here. I think the driver is from Moscow, some sinister Russian dude, placed here to keep an eye on the … Young Agent, or something.
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I think Ryooh is not alone, but the Young Hope of some fantasy mafia/communist/organisation, and that the driver is supposed to keep him from getting involved with feelings, other than to control them. Singing Korean Folk Songs goes against their brainwash and worries the driver no end. Ryooh might already have his own agenda, or he will surely get it.
“Cuz the power/ she’s supplying …It’s electrifying!” 😉
But right now, while Ryooh is melting, his enchanted smiles are kept under nervous surveillance not only by his driver, but also by The Chosen Consummator, who is not pleased.
Anyway: Look how many are keeping an eye on him and on each other. There’s that rewar-view mirror, there’s Hee-sik (getting pretty riled up over those sweet smiles), and then there’s Hee-sik’s colleague, sitting next to him, smiling knowingly at his … zealous surveillance and responsible protection enthusiasm.
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Strong Girl Nam-soon w4 #7
I know!
That bit of car drive has been in two gifs already. But it’s the best part! Because, apart from showing how everybody are surveying each other, it also has Si-oh slowly melting, kneaded by Nam-soon’s unashamedly happy approach.
We have established he is scared of the driver, yes? They are somehow in it together, but also not together. And it is clear to see that Korean Folk Songs are a forbidden drug for these … whatever they are.
But Si-oh is having a Danny Zuko moment of trying to be cool and hiding his sweet feelings, and then, just for a moment, being his real self. It’s like a Freudian Slip of happiness.
Here is the moment it is named after:

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And here is Si-oh, letting go of his cool and … see how his face changes … for a moment being himself, to the displeasure of that sinister driver. It’s the moment he starts singing it goes “wrong”.
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So, Si-oh is in some sinister Russian mafia organization who needs a lot of power, but also, he thinks God is with him. So … are they Catholic Mafia Communists ? Is Nam-soon really sent to him by Money-Marx in the sky?
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And if yes, this is Godly Mafia Communists, then maybe he should team up with the Police Communists? Find strength in numbers!
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Strong Girl Nam-soon w4 #8
SO these last two are just to land softly with two smiles, … Si-oh after Nam-soon just left the office, …

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and Si-oh guiding Nam-soon in that fancy club:
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And here are my tags, because these were the last gifs for now!
@sp2022 @seeker (Cera) @GhostofTim