In recent years, superhero series have invaded platforms and television, but rarely do you come across a project that wants to tackle the genre with an anomalous look. This is precisely what “The WONDERfools” tries to do, a new South Korean production by Netflix that mixes action, comedy, mystery and retro atmospheres in a story where the heroes are far from perfect.
Set at the end of the nineties, in the midst of the paranoia linked to the arrival of the new millennium, the series focuses on characters full of weaknesses, disordered and often incapable of managing their extraordinary abilities.
The WONDERfools: the plot
The story is set in 1999, in a South Korea plagued by fears over the so-called Y2K effect, when many feared that the transition to the new millennium would cause the collapse of technology and modern society. In this climate lives Eun Chae-Ni, an impulsive and energetic girl who lives in the town of Haeseong together with her grandmother Kim Jeon-Bok, owner of a well-known local restaurant. The young woman’s life suddenly changes after a mysterious accident that gives her extraordinary abilities. However, she is not the only one involved: some of her neighbors, Son Kyeong-Hoon and Kang Ro-Bin, also develop supernatural powers, although far from stable or easy to control. None of them have the attitude of a traditional hero, but they are ordinary people, disoriented, often clumsy and unable to fully understand what is happening.
As they try to live with these new abilities, strange disappearances begin to occur in the city. The one who is interested in the case is Lee Woon-Jeong, a municipal employee who arrived from Seoul, a very rigid man and not very inclined towards social relationships. Behind his cold behavior, however, something more complex is hidden and his path will inevitably end up intertwining with that of Chae-Ni. Furthermore, Ha Won-Do enters the scene, an apparently lucid and respectable figure who conceals much darker intentions than one might imagine. Thus, between chases, clashes, absurd situations and often disastrous attempts to use their powers, the group finds itself involved in a battle to defend Haeseong from an increasingly dangerous threat.
The WONDERfools: the cast
In the main cast we find:
Park Eun-Bin (Eun Chae-Ni)
Cha Eun-Woo (Lee Woon-Jeong)
Kim Hae-Sook (Kim Jeon-Bok)
Choi Dae-Hoon (Son Kyeong-Hoon)
Im Sung-Jae (Kang Ro-Bin)
Son Hyun-Joo (Ha Won-Do)
The series is directed by Yoo In-Sik, already highly appreciated for “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”, while the screenplay is written by Kang Eun-Kyung, author of “Gyeongseong Creature”, together with Heo Da-Joong.
The WONDERfools: when it comes out on Netflix
The first season of “The WONDERfools” debuts on Netflix on May 15, 2026. Filming took approximately seven months to complete.
The WONDERfools: the original trailer
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