Introduction
The WonderFOOLs is what happens when chaos, comedy, and emotional damage all move into the same apartment. Every episode felt like watching a group project where nobody understood the assignment — yet somehow it still worked perfectly. I came for the plot and stayed for the hilarious disasters trying to be functional adults. At the end, they not only become functional, but superheroes!
Regarding my article title, “Need Therapy, Got Superpowers”, both protagonists and antagonists had psychological struggles from past trauma, inferiority, obsessions, etc., but they all have superpowers. I will elaborate more in the character descriptions. Minor spoilers for the characterization!
Drama Info
Drama title: The WONDERfools (Native title: 원더풀스)
Alternative title: Wondeopulseu, The B Team, Deo B Tim
Genres: Action, Comedy, Mystery, Fantasy
Aired: 15 May, 2026
Episodes: 8 | Duration: 1 hr. 10 min.
Director: Yoo In Shik (유인식)
Screenwriter: Heo Da Jung (허다중)
Where to watch: Netflix
OST
There is only one OST with lyrics, the drama ending theme starting from Episode 5, titled “Flip My World.” This song, which contains the narrative of heroes finding their true selves in a flipped world, leaves a strong impression on listeners with GIFT’s unique blend of emotional yet powerful vocals. The YouTube official audio below:
Enhancing this strange yet addictive narrative of The WONDERfools is the musical synergy crafted by director Yoo and music director Kim Tae Seong with Monopole, South Korean top audiovisual music creation group. From children’s choirs to large-scale orchestras, create a contrast that showcases the essence of dark fantasy. Conversely, the characters’ intimate emotional lines are conveyed through delicate performances and touches of acoustic instruments, helping immerse viewers.
Although not original and not Asian, Director Yoo’s choice for the 1990s megahit song “Creep” by Radiohead perfectly matches the main characters and the era (source: Korea JoongAng Daily). He must’ve been a big fan. It starts by using the song in the opening of the drama when the Female Lead, Chae Ni, is peeling onions. Also, at the end of Episode 6, when the Male Leads rescuing her from the operating table. The whole chorus, from Johnny Greenwood’s guitar stab to the end of the song, fits scene by scene.
Trailer
Synopsis
A goofy group of townies stumbles into superpowers and fights rising evil as doomsday panic grows in this wild, turn-of-the-century action comedy. (Source: Netflix)
Characters
Main Characters
Park Eun Bin (박은빈) as Eun Chae Ni
The granddaughter of the famous restaurant owner in Haeseong City. Since childhood, she had lived under the protection of her grandmother, Kim Jeon Bok, due to chronic heart condition.
Miraculously healed and suddenly gained the superpower of teleportation had completely changed her life.
Superpower: teleportation
Condition for activating the superpower: when her heart beats fast.
Cha Eun Woo (차은우) as Lee Un Jeong
A mysterious special-appointed civil servant with many secrets and no social skills.
He’s the only one who understands and can control his superpower. Since he is a “senior” in the superpower, the rest follow him around and call him “Master”.
Superpower: Telekinesis
Side effect: nosebleed
Choi Dae Hoon (최대훈) as Son Gyeong Un
To Haesong City, he’s a malicious complainer and a severe conspiracy theorist.
After gaining superpowers, he gets caught up in the gang’s scheme, and his usual delusions become reality.
Superpower: Uselessly sticky
Condition for activating the superpower: when he tells a lie. He will no longer be stuck if he tells the truth about his lie.
Im Sung Jae (임성재) as Kang Ro Bin
Chae Ni’s childhood friend and part-timer at the Geuson Restaurant. He’s such a huge fool that he spends money on useless things.
Superpower: Superhuman strength.
Condition for activating the superpower: When he feels upset, he can unleash his terrifying strength. His physique is also enhanced, making him resistant to injuries.
Supporting Characters
Kim Jeon Bok (Kim Hae Sook) – Chae Ni’s grandma
Ha Un Do (Son Hyun Joo) – mad scientist
Kim Pal Ho (Bae Na Ra) – Wunderkinder #1. Superpower: manipulating gravity
Seok Ju Ran (Jeong E Suh) – Wunderkinder #2. Superpower: brainwashing.
Seok Ho Ran (Choi Yun Ji) – Wunderkinder #3. Superpower: creating illusions.
Why You Should Watch The WONDERfools
Setting: The Y2K “Doomsday”
The 1999 setting isn’t just aesthetic decoration — it helps the comedy, themes, and emotional tone feel more unique and nostalgic. The late 1990s had real Y2K anxiety, where people feared technology collapsing at midnight in 2000. That weird mix of excitement, fear, and uncertainty fits the drama’s chaotic superhero tone perfectly.
The drama taps into retro fashion, flip phones, cassette tapes, old internet culture, and pre-smartphone life to create a fun, comforting atmosphere. Without modern technology, the characters can’t instantly Google answers, track people, or solve problems with smartphones, which makes the misunderstandings and messy adventures feel more natural.
Genres: Mashed Up
The WonderFOOLs mixes several genres and subgenres, which is why the drama feels so chaotic and unique. The genre is a complex combination of period drama, drama, comedy, superhero, fantasy, adventure, and action.
The genre/subgenre mix in the drama works because it never treats its chaos like a mistake — the messiness is actually part of its identity. For examples:
- The superhero and fantasy elements could’ve felt too ridiculous, but the humor makes the absurd powers feel intentionally fun instead of awkward.
- Whether it’s comedy, action, romance, or emotional drama, the old-school Y2K atmosphere makes it all feel part of the same weird universe.
- Underneath the jokes and nonsense, the characters deal with loneliness, insecurity, and fear. That emotional core gives weight to the silliness.
One minute it’s emotional trauma, the next it’s someone screaming and falling through a wall. Oddly enough, that unpredictability becomes entertaining because the show fully commits to it.
A scene at the end of Episode 6, for example, shows the blend of action (fighting scene), comedy (character’s comments), supernatural (use of superpower), scifi (experimental surgery), romance (Un Jeong and Chae Ni’s moment), and historical (“Creep” song in the background).
Comedy: Chaotic
Despite the mashup, comedy is still the most prominent genre in The WonderFOOLs because it’s the main tool the drama uses to make its wild concept emotionally accessible and entertaining. Comedy softens the heavier themes, and keeps the story from becoming too dark or melodramatic.
The comedy in The WonderFOOLs is loud, chaotic, ridiculous, and very self-aware. It doesn’t try to be subtle — it fully embraces “messy disaster squad” energy. Expect: overdramatic reactions, nonstop bickering, awkward superhero moments, terrible decision-making, physical slapstick comedy, random absurd situations, and of course… the retro 1999 humor and nostalgia!
A lot of the humor comes from the cast acting like completely unqualified people suddenly thrown into superhero chaos. The characters panic first, think later, and somehow survive through pure luck and friendship.
The Squad: Flawed Heroes, Flawless Acting
The leading characters are emotionally driven, not logic-driven. Most decisions come from impulse, fear, or loyalty rather than planning. Each character has personal insecurity (loneliness, pressure, identity confusion), but the group slowly becomes their emotional anchor. They don’t feel like a “team” at first; they feel like strangers forced into survival mode, but eventually become family through shared disasters.
The cast works best as a group dynamic rather than isolated performances. Timing in bickering, interruptions, and reactions drives most of the humor. Acting leans heavily into expressive reactions, shouting, and slapstick timing. The humor also relies on body language as much as dialogue — running, falling, freezing, and overreacting are part of the style.
The Villains: Not “evil for evil’s sake”
Some viewers complained that the plot drags in the middle of the drama, and too much attention is given to the antagonists, the Wunderkinder group. However, I think their story is to make the drama more morally gray — instead of simple good vs evil, the drama explores choices, consequences, and how pain can twist people in different directions.
Instead of pure “evil for evil’s sake,” the show frames antagonists as people shaped by fear, pain, ambition, or insecurity. Many villains have similar emotional wounds to the heroes. The difference is how they respond: protagonists lean into friendship and group dynamics, while antagonists lean into control, obsession, or isolation. The fights between our squad and the Wunderkinder group feel more meaningful when we understand both sides have history, trauma, or broken ideals behind them.
CGI: Part of the Charm
The CGI in The WonderFOOLs is honestly part of the charm. It’s a mix of surprisingly cool action effects and intentionally cheesy superhero chaos that fits the retro 1999 vibe perfectly.
Some scenes — especially the powers, explosions, and action sequences — look pretty solid and fun to watch. But there are also moments where the flying or floating effects look a little goofy in a “this is so unserious” kind of way. It’s both good and bad at the same time: believable during action scenes, but occasionally cheesy during exaggerated superpower moments.
The drama doesn’t really aim for ultra-polished Marvel-level realism anyway. It leans into the absurdity and over-the-top humor, so the CGI ends up feeling more endearing than distracting. If anything, the slightly chaotic effects make the comedy even funnier.
Supplementary Reason: Cha Eun Woo
This part specifically addresses Cha Eun Woo’s acting, as some criticism I read is that his emotional range feels stiff in high-intensity scenes. In a show that relies heavily on exaggerated comedy and expressive reactions, his more reserved style can feel slightly disconnected.
However, Lee Un Jeong’s character growth leans toward slowly opening up and becoming more involved with the group’s found-family dynamic. He serves as a grounding presence in a team full of impulsive personalities. The contrast between his composure and everyone else’s insanity is part of the humor. Despite Cha Eun Woo’s facecard, his character doesn’t try to dominate the others and his acting is a controlled and understated style.
Besides, Lee Un Jeong, as the “senior” in the squad in terms of superpower, has the coolest ability and action scenes as he has had it for a while and knows how to control it. Shown below is The Matrix moment, when Lee Un Jeong stops the bullets flying towards him!
>> SPOILER WARNING FOR THE LAST REASON <<
Ending: Unusual
The ending, when nobody remembered the chaos and how the squad saved them, serves both as a plot device and a thematic message.
The memory loss symbolizes how ordinary heroes are often forgotten, even after sacrificing everything for others. The protagonists save the town, but they don’t get the grand recognition that typical superhero stories usually give. Instead, the drama emphasizes friendship over fame, personal growth over public praise, and emotional bonds over celebrity heroism.
It also fits the drama’s bittersweet tone beneath all the comedy. The villains wanted control and worship, the protagonists wanted connection and meaning more than recognition. Even if the town forgets them, they still remember each other and the journey they shared.
My Rating
I used my rating system with additional scores of:
+0.5 for the story (mashup genres/subgenres work well)
+1.0 for characterization and acting.
+1.0 for the visualization (CGI and Y2K setting)
+0.5 for the OST and background music (including “Creep”, one of my favorite songs!)
+0.5 for the easily rewatch value.
Total rating 9.5/10.
Conclusion
In the end, The WonderFOOLs proves that even a bunch of chaotic fools with retro 1999 energy can steal your heart while making your stomach hurt from laughing too hard. It’s the kind of comedy-filled disaster squad that ruins your sleep schedule (if you binge it in one go), and somehow becomes your emotional support.
Ending Spoiler
What is the ending? [short answer]
Happy ending… with a twist towards Season 2?
How does the drama end? [long answer]
The WONDERfools squad saved the city, but the town folks didn’t remember the chaos because Seok Ju Ran brainwashed them. They just celebrated the turn of the century. Only Son Gyeong Un’s daughter saw and remembered, because she was hiding in the bookstore and had headphones on during the brainwashing. The little girl’s praise that he is a great dad is enough for Son Gyeong Un.
Everyone safe and sound, the squad went back working for the city of Haeseong.
After the credit scene showed the mad scientist was revived, he’s not dead and ready for Season 2. Who knows?
