The WONDERfools Review: Netflix’s much-anticipated series The WONDERfools is a quirky and confusing superhero mystery series whose quirky premise is one of the most unusual experiences of the year yet. The retro comedy is set during the Y2K panic of 1999, whose exaggerated humour holds a heartfelt story about loneliness, fear and morality.
The extraordinary circumstances of the series are made better thanks to the fantastic Park Eun-bin, who singlehandedly holds the fort down, along with Cha Eun-woo, Choi Dae-hoon and Im Seong-jae. Although the series occasionally goes off track, it’s ridiculous enough to be enjoyed regardless.
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The WONDERfools Netflix Cast
Park Eun-bin, Cha Eun-woo, Choi Dae-hoon, Im Seong-jae, Kim Hae-sook, Son Hyun-joo
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The WONDERfools Series Director
Yoo In-shik
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Original Title
원더풀스
The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of 60+ minutes.
The WONDERfools Review
A Thrilling and Insane Plot
The story follows a group of misfits who suddenly inherit supernatural powers that they have no idea how to control. With a parallel story surrounding an old illegal lab running in the background, is there something taking place in Haeseong City?
The moment the Netflix K-drama starts, it becomes clear that this isn’t going to be a straightforward show. Unlike traditional superhero shows, this rarely ever feels glamorous, and it’s this unique relatability that makes this such a worthwhile adventure. Characters are constantly all over the place and have no idea what they want to do, but there’s a charm in the chaos that will make you chuckle.
The storyline is quite straightforward as well, although there are occasional slumps that seem to drag on forever. The sheer length of each episode and the uneven pacing hurt the storytelling a lot as the episodes juggle side plots that no one asked for. However, the emotional momentum is mostly maintained thanks to the characters’ chemistry and the chaotic superpowers.
Park Eun-bin Carries the Series
The fantastic performances are what keep this series held together. Park Eun-bin, as Chae-in, brings an equal measure of chaos and vulnerability to the storyline. She is loud, impulsive, and constantly making bad decisions, but underneath it all, there’s a young girl who is scared and has big dreams. Park captures that vulnerability and holds it in front of us, turning her into a charming character instead of an exhausting one. The actress has a commendable ability to balance slapstick comedy with surprisingly vulnerable moments, and it makes the series all the more enjoyable.
The other three actors are equally fantastic. Choi Dae-hoon and Im Seong-jae are hilarious, and the confused chaos that they bring to the table will make viewers laugh throughout. Cha Eun-woo plays a more serious character, and his restrained performance brings out the depth of Un-jeong’s issues. Un-jeong has more control over his powers, and the secret behind it is extremely engaging and interesting.
Overall, the characters and their vulnerabilities keep the core of the show intact, making this something more than just a silly comedy.
The 1999 Setting Gives the Drama a Unique Identity
The nostalgia of watching the craziness of the Y2K paranoia is something that will make viewers chuckle in 2026, but it brings back memories from 1999 when the world was losing its collective mind about the new decade! The WONDERfools cleverly use this paranoia to reflect the anxiety and uncertainty of people in Haeseong City, giving way for things to happen the way they do. It’s also interesting to watch how some people use this confusing and fearful state to take advantage of the less fortunate, as the events shape character decisions at every turn.
The setting gives further character to the series and gives it a grittier feel, separate from the swanky and modern superhero films we are used to seeing today. Together with the incompetent and bumbling superheroes, it makes for a realistic situation where any sane person will be confused about what to do. The series sometimes exaggerates the production design, but it feels at home because of how out there the entire story is in general.
A Tale of Messy Superpowers
The superpowers are the coolest and most insane thing about the series, as the characters constantly lose control of their abilities or, worse still, do something terrible with their newfound abilities. Accidentally creating disasters along the way and making things worse, the three bumbling friends are a delight to watch, so much so that you wonder whether these are adults sometimes! The incompetence, however, feels rather amusing rather than frustrating, and the show embraces these imperfections, showcasing them as normal for people who don’t know any better.
Moreover, the powers serve as an extension for the characters’ emotional turmoils and flaws. Each power reveals something about the characters that viewers might not understand at first glance. It turns this superhero show from being action-based to character-driven, and adds a human touch to the ordeal.
Ha Won-do Makes For a Fascinating Villain
A superhero is as good as the nemesis that they face off against, and The WONDERfools makes that abundantly clear. Antagonist Ha Won-do is perfectly detestible, and his undercurrent of villainy makes such a big impact. He’s not loud or obnoxious, but the terrible crimes that he commits get under your skin. Another interesting aspect is how well he controls the narrative and people using manipulative tactics and religion. He is the ultimate definition of control disguised as rationality. That’s what makes him so uniquely terrifying.
Son Hyun-joo does a great job with the character and makes him the calm in the chaos. He uses the fear of ordinary people to his advantage, making him a relatable yet terrifying villain. The series uses him as a commentary on public panic and social control, where anyone with a calm mind and manipulative tendencies can push unwitting people around for their benefit. It’s a very interesting watch that the series masks under the humour, but one that ultimately stands out regardless.
An Imperfect Show That is Endlessly Entertaining
As mentioned previously, the series can feel burdensome thanks to how long it is. As a result, it sometimes fails to maintain narrative consistency. Sometimes the show’s subplots don’t make sense or are left half-baked and overstay their welcome, dragging the runtime with it. Personally, most of these issues could’ve been handled with a shorter runtime, but alas, that’s not what we get there.
Final Verdict
In the end, The WONDERfools is a fun watch. Despite the mammoth runtime, it does a good job of presenting a heartfelt, messy and warm story about fear during unpredictable times. Although its pacing falters quite a bit, its ability to embrace its flaws will get under your skin. With excellent performances, this one clearly makes the effort to be different with its fun blend of comedy and supernatural chaos.
What are your thoughts on The WONDERfools on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
Also Read:
- The WONDERfools Ending Explained: Does Chae-ni Stop Won-do? What Happens to Haeseong?
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i dont understand u rate when the show itself is entertaning throught the episodes.the movie was supposed to be horrific and comedic and it captured it really nicely they didnt overdue it with forced comedy but also tried to make a superhero show look like a superhero show not just full comedic. i think u rated them so low when the show looks so entertaining throught the show. if it were boring i would have agreed but it wasnt. i think 4.5/5 minimum would have been a good rating for this sho,but u rated so low this is a superhero movie not a drama
Well the first episode WAS kinda boring and one of them used the power only one time,
The rest was a mess. And was the dirtiest way EVER getting super powers I ever seen,
Poison puddle of Mudd, you can nearly skip the 1 one except the end,
I had prefer a secret lab with people getting experimented on, maybe like secret organization and stuff,
Instead of hunting them down they can get a secret base/lab and work as superheroes. Unless it will be like that later I’m not happy,
It’s a 2.5 from my part for a very SLOW START…
If someone should die here it should had been that OLD HAG OF A GRANDMA to be a Karen even as old…f…k that….
Okies episode 4 it’s starting to get good. Episode 3 ending could been better, like an actual good happy ending without seeing the evil guys at the end…. that’s Netflix for you NO HAPPINESS….
That guy making a mess every morning with his pyshco power,
Solution: just just buy some boxes with locks, hit some metal nails into the drawer, same with chair/lamp/knifes or just use some glue or strong tapes, good effects but do it every episode makes it old…
Outside i have nothing, just dont keep putting that sign up every time this happening stupids people…the lamps just change bulbs…
This show could need at least 12 episodes, it’s too short, and going to fast, episode 4 their powers are still useless, they just getting dumber by the minute, fighting each other’s alot in eps 5… They need to grow a bit, right now they are like twelve years kids with powers….
THE LAB PEOPLE NEEDS TO DIE IN AN EXPLOSION,
EPISODE 6 only kiddnaping and torture,
That old guy cutting the girl, that was the line,
Avoid or your blood will boil, mine is overloaded in my brain…
I want the show longer do that all those lab people goes down like one by one and not just over so soon
Netflix sucks at superheroes movie/shows
And that girl is like 10 years old.