It is not often that we get the chance to witness superhero content or speculative stories told from an Asian perspective. However, when such a project does emerge, it frequently presents a unique and entirely different viewpoint from Western media. We saw a prime example of this last year with the Japanese series The Hot Spot, which was a hilarious story about aliens who come to Earth and infiltrate a hotel as employees. Now, there is a new show from South Korea that can be described as a classic hero tale, but with the comedy cranked up a notch. Spanning eight hour-long episodes, The Wonderfools stands out as a thoroughly entertaining project. It is a superhero show dripping with Y2K nostalgia, populated by quirky characters who may be gullible, but remain deeply sincere and very likable.
Of course, a massive part of the show's appeal is that it features the adorable Park Eun-bin, who many viewers will instantly recognise from the fan-favourite Korean drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022). Remarkably, her character in this show is the complete opposite of Attorney Woo. Playing Eun Chae-ni, also known by her fitting nickname "Trainwreck", Eun-bin is incredibly spirited, energetic, and wonderfully animated.
The story is set in 1999, right at the height of the global doomsday panic. Eun Chae-ni, Son Gyeong-hun (Choi Dae-hoon), and Kang Ro-bin (Im Seong-jae) form a trio of local oddballs who unexpectedly gain superpowers after a strange, unexplainable incident. Suddenly gifted with a bizarre array of new abilities -- teleportation, ultra-powerful flypaper tracking and super strength -- the trio is immediately thrown into total chaos.
Their lives shift drastically when they witness Un-jeong (Cha Eun-woo), a rigid City Hall employee, skilfully use his supernatural powers. Amazed, they start following him around everywhere, eagerly calling him "master". As Un-jeong and the clueless trio continue to squabble over their differing philosophies, mysterious villains begin appearing across Haeseong City as the new millennium approaches. Before they know it, this makeshift family finds themselves reluctantly stepping up to fight a rising evil.
The Wonderfools admittedly follows a lot of the stereotypical tropes of the superhero genre. It features the classic mad scientist, super-powered kids and familiar themes revolving around personal trauma and the power of friendship. Because of this, a lot of the narrative elements and story beats feel somewhat formulaic and predictable. But you know what? The formula still works. The series is colourful, loud and incredibly fun, while managing to deliver a few surprisingly emotional moments along the way.
From a visual standpoint, Eun Chae-ni's chaotic teleportation power is very entertaining to watch. But the true standout is one memorable scene in a later episode where Un-jeong fights against a major villain. Both possess Magneto-level telekinetic powers and they end up throwing heavy cars at each other in the middle of the street. That entire sequence was spectacular. In fact, the overall visual effects in this show are nicely done. Sure, it may not boast a massive Hollywood-sized budget, but the creators clearly took their time, effort and resources to make the effects look fairly convincing.
Admittedly, Chae-ni's two bumbling friends, Gyeong-hun and Ro-bin, are strictly there for comic relief. In the first few episodes, they start out looking kind of annoying, however, they eventually grew on me once the underlying context and the genuine motivations behind their deep friendship were gradually revealed.
In today's pop culture landscape, where superhero shows seem to always have to be gritty, cynical, and violent, The Wonderfools feels like a nice change of pace. If you are tired of dark superhero stories like The Boys or Gen V, this series functions as a total breath of fresh air. Furthermore, the production design acts as an absolute love letter to the Y2K -- both in style and fashion. The overall tone is lively, kinetic, frantic and unapologetically comical.
As for the villains, a formidable group called the "Wonder Kinders", they add a surprisingly heavy layer to the plot under the control of a mysterious patriarch named "Father". I find that the thematic depth these antagonists bring to the story is impressive, as their arc functions as a sharp, ironic critique of blind faith, religious manipulation and cult mindsets. This extra layer of social commentary keeps the show grounded, ensuring it never feels like a superficial cartoon.
For me, the absolute highlight of the show is Park Eun-bin, whose performance I find amusing from start to finish. She proves herself to be a comedic force, infusing Chae-ni with a reckless, chaotic "you only live once" energy. What makes her performance work so well is how the show handles the twist reveal about her background; it instantly recontextualises her character, turning what looked like generic slapstick into a deeply human, touching story. This high-energy chaos is balanced perfectly by Eun-woo, who plays the rigid mentor. His stoic, deadpan demeanour colliding with this clueless, bumbling trio creates a fantastic comedic friction.
Ultimately, The Wonderfools is a vibrant, wacky, and fiercely retro ride that manages to deliver a high-octane action-adventure without ever losing its heart.
- The Wonderfools
- Starring Park Eun-bin, Cha Eun-woo, Kim Hae-sook
- Created by Kang Eun-kyung
- Now streaming on Netflix
