THE PROBLEM ISN'T THE DRAMA (..okay, it is a little) BUT MOSTLY THE EXPECTATIONS
A lot of the negative comments about this drama are… understandable, but also somewhat unfair.This is a show you should go into expecting a *fun watch*, with cool fight scenes and solid entertainment value.
You should NOT go in expecting airtight logic, deep social commentary, or layers of philosophical nuance.
There is some substance, such as themes like money=power and good vs evil, but they’re handled in a very black-and-white way. The villains are almost pathologically evil... for the crime of being born rich. There’s very little moral nuance there, and if that’s something you’re looking for, you will likely be disappointed.
It’s also worth noting that this is not a romance-driven drama. A lot of criticism focuses on the “main couple” lacking chemistry, but that feels a bit beside the point. The girlfriend character exists mainly to ground the male lead emotionally, so the story isn’t particularly invested in developing their relationship. That said, I personally DID found them kind of cute together.
The pacing is uneven, for sure. Some sections are slow to the point of losing attention, while others move so quickly they barely have time to land. Some of the fight scenes also drag on longer than necessary, which can start to feel repetitive.
I do wish the show had invested more in character relationships and dynamics. But at the same time, this isn’t really a character-driven story. It’s very much plot happening because plot, rather than characters driving events through complex internal motivations. That said, I really enjoyed the “forced friendship” bonds between the heroes.
Where the drama truly shines is in the acting. Lee Jun Ho is excellent (as usual), as is Kim Hyang Gi, and Lee Chae Min delivers a very convincing evil psychopath. Even if I wish we had been given more insight into why his character is the way he is. We get a little bit, but... yeah. I personally love villains but I prefer them with a convincing backstory.
So, is it worth watching?
Yes. It’s watchable, enjoyable, and entertaining. It’s not a masterpiece (aside from some genuinely impressive CGI), and its unique premise could have been executed better. I think a lot of the negative reviews (while obviously still valid) are due to just... mismatched expectations, possibly due to a somewhat misleading Netflix blurb.
Will you enjoy it?
That really depends on what you’re expecting.
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The Cost of Being Good
I went into Cashero thinking I was signing up for a quirky superhero comedy.The premise alone sounded playful: a man whose superpower scales with how much money he has on hand. It felt like one of those clever, high-concept ideas meant to generate laughs and light action. What I absolutely did not expect was to be emotionally dismantled within the first two episodes. Cashero is not interested in spectacle. It’s interested in cost. And once that clicks, every so-called “heroic moment” stops being thrilling and starts hurting in a very specific, adult way.
At the center of the story is Kang Sang-woong, played by Lee Jun-ho, and this might be one of his most quietly devastating roles. Sang-woong is not ambitious, not grand, not chasing greatness. He’s a regular man who did everything right. He saved diligently. He planned a future with his girlfriend. He wanted a home, stability, a small and decent happiness. Then he inherits a power that doesn’t elevate his life but interrupts it. His strength isn’t infinite, rechargeable, or symbolic. Every time he uses it, real money evaporates. Not metaphorical money. Not “energy.” Actual savings. Numbers you can calculate. A bus full of people costs him tens of millions. Saving the woman he loves drains the entire account he’d been building for years. Watching this happen feels less like witnessing heroism and more like watching someone set fire to their future in real time.
What makes this unbearable in the best way is the inner monologue. Kdramas almost never let us live inside a character’s head this explicitly, and Cashero weaponizes that choice. We hear every hesitation, every rationalization, every ugly, honest thought Sang-woong isn’t proud of. When he thinks, “If I had more money, I’d be a good person,” it lands like a punch to the chest because it’s not noble. It’s true. The drama doesn’t romanticize sacrifice; it itemizes it. Sirens don’t signal excitement. They signal loss. Another withdrawal. Another dream delayed or erased.
The generational aspect only deepens the tragedy. This power isn’t a random blessing. It’s inherited, passed down from grandfather to father to son like a debt that can’t be refused. A late revelation reframes Sang-woong’s father entirely. He wasn’t bad with money. He wasn’t irresponsible. In a letter, he admits that every time he tried to give his family more, the universe demanded more from him in return. That line alone encapsulates the soul of this drama. The better you try to live, the higher the bill becomes. Decency is not rewarded; it’s exploited. The power doesn’t punish greed. It punishes hope.
And yet, Sang-woong keeps choosing to act. Not because it’s right in some abstract moral sense, but because walking away would require him to become someone he cannot live with. That’s what makes him a hero. Not the rescues themselves, but the fact that he keeps stepping forward when stepping back would be easier, more logical, and more humane to himself. His heroism is reluctant, finite, and painfully rational, which makes it far more affecting than any cape-and-glory narrative.
A huge emotional anchor in this story is Kim Min-suk, played by Kim Hye-jun, and this was my first time watching her work. I genuinely fell in love with her here. Min-suk could have easily been written as the “worried girlfriend” archetype, but instead she becomes one of the drama’s emotional pillars. She is practical, intelligent, and emotionally generous. As the couple’s literal financial manager, she understands the cost of Sang-woong’s power more clearly than anyone, and yet she never reduces him to a ledger. Watching her grow from supportive girlfriend into wife is quietly heartwarming. She doesn’t just stand beside him; she chooses the life he’s forced into with open eyes. Her love isn’t blind optimism. It’s informed, deliberate commitment, and that makes it feel earned in a way K-drama relationships often struggle to achieve.
The supporting cast adds texture without diluting the core theme, but Cashero never loses sight of what it’s really about: real people, real limits, and sacrifice you can measure. This is a superhero story where the fantasy element only exists to make the reality sharper. When Sang-woong saves people, the triumph is immediately undercut by the aftermath. You don’t cheer. You grieve. And over time, you realize that’s the point. The show wants you to feel uncomfortable about how casually we celebrate self-sacrifice without asking who pays for it.
There is a late-stage narrative choice involving time travel that functions as a deus ex machina, and yes, this is the one place where the drama slightly overreaches. It’s a neat solution, and in another story it might feel cheap. Here, it doesn’t quite dilute the central theme, but you can feel the writer’s hand nudging the scales back toward balance. That said, this is nitpicking more than a true flaw. The emotional groundwork is so strong that the resolution still lands. The story never pretends that heroism becomes free or painless. Even at its most fantastical, the heart of Cashero remains intact.
By the end, what stayed with me wasn’t a single action sequence or dramatic reveal. It was the quiet, devastating idea at the core of the show: he’s out there using his own money to save the world. Not government funding. Not corporate backing. Not divine grace. Just one man, draining his personal future so strangers can keep theirs. That framing turns heroism into something fragile and deeply human, and it lingers long after the credits roll.
On a personal note, this also marked my third Lee Jun-ho drama and my second one back-to-back right after Typhoon Family, and watching him inhabit two deeply human yet fundamentally different characters in such close succession was an absolute treat. Where Typhoon Family asked him to navigate ambition, responsibility, and emotional restraint within a family and corporate framework, Cashero strips him down to something even more vulnerable: a man quietly negotiating with his conscience every time he opens his wallet. There’s no overlap, no comfort zone repetition, just range, control, and an instinctive understanding of ordinary people placed in extraordinary moral pressure. My respect for him as an actor has only deepened, and as of now, his Kdrama satisfaction rate for me remains a clean, undefeated 100%.
Cashero isn’t a power fantasy. It’s a ledger. And Sang-woong is always in the red. Yet somehow, despite everything, he keeps choosing to be good. Not because it’s rewarded, but because it’s who he is. That’s not flashy heroism. That’s the kind that hurts to watch, and the kind that’s hardest to forget.
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Fun to watch!
This was really fun to watch and I enjoyed it because I like superhero series/movies.What made it fun and a little was how each superhero recharge their power and especially Byeon Ho In who had to drink alcohol.
Kang Sang Ung power was to use money and that was stressing me out LOL!!!
The scene where Kang Sang Ung and Kim Min Suk used money to test out his skills in bed was hilarious LOL
Overall I think it was fun and a good watch and like the ending....
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Action with smiles and funnies
So I might be biased, bc I am a very big fan of Junho as a Hottest, but Cashero was honestly such a fun and surprisingly emotional ride. Junho stepping into a vigilante-superhero role just works for me — he brings so much sincerity to the character, especially in how the drama shows that being a good person actually costs him everything, literally draining him of money every time he tries to do the right thing. That idea alone makes the whole show feel fresh and meaningful instead of just another action drama where superheroes fight against villainsThe series is packed with high-energy action, but it never forgets to be charming. (slides 50k won extra over lol) There are plenty of moments that make you laugh or smile, so so many that It actually hurt my cheeks after I finished it (I binged it), which gives the story this really nice balance between intensity and warmth. It never feels too heavy, even when things get dark. Last real big fight made me have so many feelings as well.
The villains were another highlight if I had to say so. The way the show kinda builds them up makes you think, maybe they could be good, looks at Jo Anne, only to pull the rug out from under you — that tension kept me hooked I tell you. You’re constantly questioning people’s motives. Or at least I was. LOL
But yes it's definitely worth watching if you're either a Junho fan, a fan of action, a fan of superpowers or just want to watch something else. tI felt like there was a bit for everyones tastes.
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Superhero Ride with Cash Powers
Very good concept ruined by poor execution. It had good actors , nice plot , good visuals but apart from that nothing much to offer. Everything seems scattered all over the place. Pacing is very slow and disjointed script made it look poor. Superhero who requires cash to perform his duties as superhero and others who always rely on something to. This could have been a banger.Villains were not convincing either. Background music is a good thing to mention. Overall I will give it 7.5 .
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I wanted to like this
I haven't read the webtoon this drama is based on so I had no idea what it would be about and was so annoyed when the source of the super powers was explained, of all the stupid super powers this has got to be the worst. In order to access his powers he has to have cash on him that literally disappears as he's using it leaving a few coins behind, when the money burns through he's powerless, What??!!!He's been in a relationship with this woman for 9 years and they barely seem like they're acquaintances, as other super powered humans appear instead of becoming more interesting it just became boring, it couldn't hold my attention, I just kept fidgeting the whole time and by the time the credits rolled on the 3rd episode I had no idea who was who and what had happened, it's just ao boring despite looking so good and having a great cast, as much as I wanted to like this I just don't.
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This review may contain spoilers
Good idea - bad realisation
The good:-I liked the initial idea of this drama - as I think it was all meant like a metaphor for the current state of affairs - in South Korea, but not only, pretty much everywhere around the globe. So with loads of methaphors this drama tries to show in actionpacked pictures and storyline that simply EVERYthing is always about money. And that it seems you only have two choices: either trying to hold up in the rat race and become an ever more selfish, unscrupulous and at times even cruel ahoe to keep up the impossible pace, or cling on to being good and altruistic, but coming with it is a constant lack of money.
I liked this metaphor as it simply describes the dilemma of our current ever more fast-paced times. The whole sci-fi- story here is just wrapped around this message and the ambivalent thought coming with it. That's current affairs and it's a fresh idea.
-acting was partly good (Lee Jun-ho, Lee Chae-min (I didn't like his performance in 'Bon Appetit...', I did like his acting here though), Kim Hye-joon (didn't know her before, liked her acting here), and also bad (Kang Han-na - nope, I know her from other roles where I thought she was rather good, but not this time, everything was over the top and flat for her 'evil' character here, including her bad makeup, hairdo and outfits she couldn't even walk in properly most of the time)
The bad:
- the pacing of the storyline and storytelling was all over the place after episode 2. It was just way too much action, explosions, shootings and no coherrent story to really follow. Also the characters suffered from this, as most of them remained pale and flat, while some had good potential from the first two episodes intro.
-I didn't like the end of this. So at least for me. following the above mentioned metaphor idea, and given that Kang Sang-ung's character even tells the villain, money isn't everything, being special isn't that great, being average (and happy) is - he and his girlfriend simply do get the impossible, unreachable very huge luxurious apartement in the end and give off the message that is so toxic in South Korea and especially Seoul these days - you are only a success and you can only be happy (and only then think about having kids) if you own (as in being able to actually buy) a house or apartment. That's directly contradictory to what he tells the villain before. As the whole show is fantastic anyways I would have prefered an ending with a message matching his own message from before - these two understanding that they have to get out of this crazy hamster wheel and do something completely different - I don't know, move to the countryside and open a bakery? But this way it just feeds the toxic current real narrative - you are nothing without your own house, you are everything with it - and there is nothing in between.
Result:
-watchable once, nice initial idea, but the writers and director didn't follow through with it and lost pace, focus and message
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not just another superhero on tv
I like how cliche everything was but at the same time, the scenes were surprisingly unpredictable. You know how things go with the good vs the bad, but each episode offers more twists and turns. It’s not just your regular superhero story since it presented how super powers can be a pain in the ass very early, that’s why it will keep you guessing deeper conflicts despite a slow and boring start. The cast was amazing as well, took me a long time to choose who’s hotter between Chae Min & Jun Ho 😍well, of course, it’s always Jun Ho!Was this review helpful to you?
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An amazing plot and cast however completely rushed
it had potential however the rushed storyline completely destroyed it for me... The main lead obviously has amazing power once activated through money but the lawyer and bunmi really had no character development nor good build up.....it felt as if the only good superpower was of sang-ung. I DEFINITELY WANTED MORE OF SANG-UNG AND MIN SUK.....the drama needed to be at least 12 episodes....to show more affection b/w the main leads. The climax threw me off like when sang-ung sacrificed himself it felt as if the writer suddenly remembered oh! I have the going back in time superpower aswell..Was this review helpful to you?
Cool fresh idea with decent cast and somehow they still f*ck it up
✨ THE GOOD (IT STARTED STRONG, I SWEAR):The concept isn’t bad at all , matter fact it's kinda new at the begining , superhero vibes with a local twist? I was in.
Cast is solid, production tries, and the opening episodes actually give you hope.
For a second, it feels like it might cook.
🙄 THE “THIS IS FALLING APART” PACKAGE:
Then the clumsiness kicks in as a son of a b*tch.
The story feels incomplete, like half the script went missing midshooting.
Rules aren’t clear, stakes wobble, and scenes don’t connect the way they f*cking should!
🤦 THE “WHO IS THIS FOR?” ENERGY:
As an otaku and comic nerd with assisting and production experience for you to not threw it at my face , this one hurts.
It borrows superhero aesthetics without understanding why they work ,
and what really f*cking bothers me is they had actualy a descent idea to start with.
Feels less like a love letter to the genre and more like cosplay with a budget.
💔 THE “WASTED POTENTIAL” DEPARTMENT:
Good staff. Good cast. Decent idea and even a lovely VFX.
But the execution? Sloppy, rushed, and weirdly hollow.
Even when it reminds me of the early comic days and howclassic but it's not even that , still f*ck no!
🎯 FINAL VERDICT:
A superhero show that looks the part but doesn’t respect the genre enough to earn it.
✔ Watch if: You’re curious and very damn forgiving.
❌ Skip if: You love comics, manga, or superhero storytelling done with any damn care.
🦸 Best paired with: Frustration, comic-book standards, and the urge to say “they didn’t do get sh*t of it.”
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Please Junho be in a show with a better script
First of all, I watched this for Junho and only Junho. I don't really care for superhero type stories to begin, so I wouldn't have watched it or finished it if it weren't for him.Positives!
-I liked how short it was. It didn't try to drag the story out at all which was nice.
-Great cast! Obviously, I love Junho, but I also loved seeing Lee Chae Min and Shin Su Hyun too.
-The action scenes and effects were pretty cool.
-We got to see Junho shirtless and who doesn't love that
-Sang Ung & Min Suk's relationship was pretty cute most of them time.
-I liked Cho Nathan as a villain!
-LOVED Se Eun as a villain!
Negatives
-The point of Jeong Ja's character was almost pointless. I know it wasn't, but the character seemed like such an afterthought. She was barely in it.
-Cho Anna was just not an intimidating villain at all.
-Ho In annoyed me the entire show
-The concept was okay. Personally, I found it kind of lame that all their powers had such dumb limits. It made it a little annoying more than anything.
-The storyline with cops was always kind of stupid and useless, like most cop plotlines in these shows to be honest.
-Sang Ung's dad
Sang Ung's dad is the real villain of the show. What kind of dad passes down sh*tty powers and explains absolutely nothing about it?! And gives him the number to Jeong Ja in case he needs help, but she's literally a LOAN SHARK who he owes BILLIONS to?! TF?!?!
Overall, this show was pretty mid. Not bad but not good.
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