Wonderful World

Revenge Begets Revenge

An eye for an eye will make the world blind and turn us into the monsters we are trying to punish.

The writer has a strong concept for a revenge story, focusing on how the pursuit of revenge impacts those around the characters, rather than just the perpetrator and the victims. However, while the ideas are solid, the execution falls short in key areas such as plot development, editing, and direction. The pacing is slow and predictable, with too many unnecessary flashbacks and drawn-out scenes that overemphasize the angst. Important details that should have been revealed later are given away too soon, undermining the mystery of the male lead and making his revenge seem shallow, while excusing the female lead's motives. This reduces the characters to clear-cut villain and hero roles, rather than allowing for more complex, morally ambiguous portrayals. The missed opportunity for deeper layers of complexity and tension could have made the story far more compelling for audiences to dissect. The plot holes are also quite glaring, especially given that the male lead is portrayed as intelligent and manipulative, with ample connections and resources, yet he only pieces together certain facts much later—while the female lead relies on a quick web search and a contact with a reporter to uncover them.

Despite a strong story that suffered from poor execution, the cast delivered stellar performances.

1st Half: Dominated by Kim Nam Joo, whose portrayal of grief is hauntingly painful yet profoundly raw. Special mention goes to Kang Ae Sim, whose powerful depiction of a kind convict with a complex backstory set a crucial dramatic tone for the drama, highlighting how revenge can affect others.

2nd Half: I’m genuinely surprised by how Cha Eun Woo took over the second half of the show. For the first time, I felt like I was seeing his character, not just the actor himself. While he may not have been as strong in earlier roles, I admire his commitment to improvement. He consistently chooses roles that challenge him, rather than just opting for what’s popular among actors his age. His mature performance in this drama truly stole the scene; he portrayed sorrow and pain so physically that you could feel it shaking his whole body. Special mention goes to Won Mi Kyung for being the heart of the drama.

If Kim Nam Joo portrayed her grief with subdued, suppressed raw emotions that eventually burst into flames, Cha Eun Woo depicted his grief with intense, explosive anger and desperation that ultimately fizzled into a sorrowful sense of helplessness and hopelessness. When they are together, they create a compelling dynamic that both balances and challenges each other. Their conflicts and disagreements become a catalyst for their personal growth and mutual inspiration. In this way, the writing seems to get it right.

Highly recommended if you don't mind diving into heavier topics.

Read More

IN SEARCH OF THE WONDERFUL WORLD...

I think the best way to praise this drama is to say that it was a competent and well-built drama. None of the episodes were irrelevant or unimportant; all episodes were complementary to each other. In other words, we had an excellent execution here.

The conclusion was very conclusive and without loopholes. My last doubt was regarding the gate video and what an irony of fate, it was the controversial Soo Ho protecting his wife from the certainty that he had closed the gate. I found this explanation excellent and very consistent.

I will praise Cha EunWoo for accepting to play a character completely outside of his comfort zone and I confess that I saw positive acting points in the last episodes. I hope he continues on this path and challenges himself as an actor.

In a final analysis, the drama taught that the WONDERFUL WORLD is built daily and with small achievements. After all, life is not built only of victories and happiness.

Read More

Great acting

I have just finished this show. Had put it off because the first 4 episodes were just too tragic and I had to take break until it finished broadcasting then I could binge watch. Basically, the good guys could never catch a break right up to the last episode, so its very frustrating to watch and unless you're a sucker for punishment, I don't know who else would watch it (other than to see more of Cha Eun Woo on screen!) Really glad the whole series only comprises 14 episodes.

The story is middling - nothing really mysterious about it other than brooding young males and overwrought mothers. At the end, you don't get the supreme satisfaction associated with great revenge dramas (e.g. the Glory) where the bad guys get their just desserts - and then some. It wasn't too difficult to guess who was at fault although we did want to find out how and why.

However, the acting is top notch. Cha Eun Woo really CAN act! I was pleasantly surprised after a very stiff performance in a Good Day to be a Dog although he was passable in Island. Perhaps he learnt from one of the best in the business - Kim Nam Joo. I feel privileged to watch another stellar performance from her. In fact, I feel that she's done better this time than Misty.

I'm so glad that this show didn't turn out to be another younger man-older woman romance. Thank god there is NO romance and it's all dark and tragic. That really makes all the actors shine.

Final word: DON'T watch it - for the story. DO watch it - for the acting.

Read More

Wonderful World is a wonderful drama

I saw Lie After Lie from the same writer so I was positive that this story would be something to look forward and Kim Ji Eun, with all the director and actors and whole team, did not disappoint.

Every episode was great. All the actors were amazing. I especially love Kim Kangwoo and Cha Eunwoo. I really felt that Suho loves Soohyun but I did doubt a little. The storytelling was so great it made me confused. Eunwoo did a great job portraying Seonyul especially his pain. I just knew he's a great actor. And he's so passionate for doing all those action and motorcycle scenes.

The cinematography, bgm, and soundtrack is amazing!!!

Love love the ending! It was beautiful and healing.

I'm gonna miss this drama. Will surely rewatch this!

Read More

Pure Drama Replacing Logic

“Wonderful World” — superficial emotional manipulation disguised as deep psychological drama.
From the very beginning, the drama claims to explore weighty themes: the loss of a child, the search for justice, guilt, and forgiveness. But instead of unfolding these topics through solid storytelling, it drowns in its own clichés and plot holes.

1. Pseudo-psychological depth.
The series tries to create an illusion of complexity with slow pacing, heavy music, constant tears, and internal monologues. But dig a little deeper, and this whole shell is empty. Character motivations are either too vague or self-contradictory. Their actions often lack logic — except for the logic of “we need drama here.”
2. Characters as drama tools.
None of the key characters go through real development. They don’t grow or transform — they just wander in misery. The husband's betrayal is a cliché, justified by pain that doesn't excuse his actions. The main heroine starts out strong but quickly becomes a puppet of the script, losing her personality and acting randomly. Other characters exist solely to amplify the atmosphere of suffering or to create fake intrigue.
3. Manipulation instead of catharsis.
This isn’t a drama that makes you reflect or truly feel. It’s emotional manipulation that leans on pity, offering nothing new. I wasn’t moved — because I didn’t believe it. I didn’t believe the characters, I didn’t believe the world where logic is missing and the plot exists just to make the viewer suffer alongside the cast.
4. Mystery for the inattentive.
The “mystery” around the murder and who’s whose child is so obvious from the first episodes that its reveal brings not a “wow” but a “finally.” A cheap trick to keep attention that only works if you’re watching with your brain switched off.

“Wonderful World” pretends to be profound but only delivers emotional weight without logic or coherence. It might touch those who watch dramas purely through emotions, who accept pain as a plot in itself. But for viewers who care about structure, character motivation, development, and meaning — this will likely feel more like exhausting disappointment than a meaningful experience.

Read More

Well Written Story

This is the kind of drama that keeps you seated wanting badly for the next episodes to drop. The urge to know the secrets behind the the events that take place and the stories behind the main characters will keep you guessing. I love how every succeeding episode answers questions I have in the previous ones. The story steadily escalates , diving into the mysteries of the characters' lives while the actors play their parts very well. This is worth everyone's time. After all that has happened, the people you choose to surround yourself with will help you realize that it is still a wonderful world.

Read More

Captivating & Heeling

i started watching it because of it was mbc friday & saturday drama not because i’m any of the leads fan or the genre fan (not a biased review). i came to find this drama very healing. it really teaches you how to forgive and move on for better. it has a revenge and revealing truth aspect too but it’s not really like a revenge drama it would be. it focuses more on the process of leads healing, finding peace and living a better life.

this drama is also quite sad so be ready to cry. i cried a lot throughout the acting of everyone is amazing you will be able to feel their emotions.

each of the character learned something and had a good growth.

there is so many little things about this drama i appreciate such as, background music and cinematography.

I liked it a lot definitely worth a watch. i loved the last episode the ending did not disappointed me. last 20 minutes of ep 16 🫶🏻

Read More

How do you make the world wonderful?

At first I picked this up because I wanted a revenge story, one where the bad guys get their just desserts and the good guys win. But here goes "Wonderful World", flipping the script on its head and making it so much more compelling than I first thought. I was watching this series with bated breath, expecting a glorious downfall and for the villain to get their sweet sweet comeuppance.

But this story is much more than revenge. Its main focus is actually healing and love. After so many episodes where we see how this world is ugly and cruel, we also get to see the beauty, the sincerity and the care that other people put in the world. And I think that showcasing these two realities that coexist is very important, since it is quite easy to get swept up into either one of them and forget about the other.

Regarding the acting, I will have to say that I loved Cha Eun Woo in this so much! I think he was really shining in this role, and while I do plan to watch the other dramas with him, I really hope he gets more roles like this. I don't know how he is in romantic comedies, but I really liked this type of role on him and I hope he'll get more like these.

Kim Nam Joo was also amazing, I literally fell in love with her subtle, yet deeply moving acting. When she cried, I cried tenfold, and I really was able to empathize with her character so much.

I hope other people will get to watch this as well!~

Read More