The WONDERfools

The most complete genre in K-drama history. No boring episodes. Truly Masterpiece!

Story
The Wonderfools is set in 1999 Haeseong City and follows four outsiders who unexpectedly gain supernatural abilities after an encounter at the town landfill; the series blends comedy, small‑town character drama, and a conspiratorial antagonist tied to human experimentation.

The central plot follows Eun Chae‑ni, a young woman with a congenital heart condition who longs to see the world; after a failed escape attempt and a chaotic night at the landfill, she and two neighbors; Son Kyung‑hoon and Kang Ro‑bin; acquire powers from toxic sludge, while newly transferred city official Lee Un‑jeong (played by Cha Eun‑woo) is revealed to have telekinetic-like control over objects and becomes entwined with them.

As episodes progress the show pivots from origin-story comedy into a thriller: the misfits discover a clandestine organization (a church front) performing experiments and producing “Wonderkinder,” forcing the quartet to confront moral choices about power, agency, and the cost of survival.

The narrative balances episodic small‑town vignettes with a mounting mystery; the landfill origin, the characters’ interlocking emotional wounds, and the antagonist’s experiments culminate in a finale where the misfits unite to stop a large‑scale threat to Haeseong, giving the show a satisfying payoff that ties personal stakes to the broader conspiracy.

Acting and Cast
Lead performances are uniformly strong and well‑cast: Park Eun‑bin’s portrayal of Eun Chae‑ni gives the series emotional center as a reckless, tender protagonist whose near‑death and renewed lease on life feel earned.

Cha Eun‑woo (Lee Un‑jeong) provides restrained charisma and a grounding presence as the outsider bureaucrat with hidden ability; his chemistry with the trio shifts the series from quirky ensemble comedy to heartfelt partnership.

Supporting players; including Im Sung‑jae (Kang Ro‑bin), Choi Dae‑hoon (Son Kyung‑hoon), and veteran character actors such as Kim Hae‑sook; deliver reliable comic timing and pathos, with Kim Hae‑sook’s grandmother role adding community heft and later narrative relevance.

Overall the cast sells the tonal blend required: physical comedy and absurd beats land because the actors commit to sincerity, and dramatic scenes about exploitation and experimentation gain weight because of nuanced, human performances.

Music and Sound
The series uses a soundtrack that leans into late‑90s textures, supporting both comedic set pieces and emotional beats; bright, quirky cues accentuate the ensemble’s clownish moments, while more atmospheric scoring underscores tense revelations about the experiments.

Sound design favors clarity in action sequences and emphasizes the uncanny aspects of powers (e.g., teleportation, sticky‑lies, strength shifts, telekinesis) so powers feel distinct and cinematic without overwhelming quieter scenes.

Music choices also help sell the period setting and contribute to the show’s charm, making the score a quietly effective pillar of the series’ tone.

Rewatch Value
The Wonderfools has good rewatch value: early episodes plant character details, small jokes, and clues about the conspiracy that reward a second viewing, and the cast’s comic rhythms are enjoyable on repeat.

Because the show shifts tone; from character comedy to conspiracy drama; viewers who loved the ensemble interplay will find the first half especially rewatchable, while those drawn to the mystery may prefer revisiting later episodes for foreshadowing and exposition.

Spoilered plot highlights (explicit spoilers)
After the landfill incident, Chae‑ni’s heart condition is miraculously stabilized by the toxic sludge, effectively giving her a second chance at life and motivating her choices thereafter.

Kyung‑hoon’s powers manifest as a physical consequence of his personality (sticky abilities triggered by lies), and Ro‑bin’s latent insecurities transform into super strength tied to anger—each power reflects the character’s interior life.

The antagonistic force is revealed to be a church operating as a front for human experimentation; they are creating children and adults with manufactured powers (the “Wonderkinder”), and their methods are ethically horrific, creating moral urgency for the protagonists.

The climax has the four misfits confronting those experiments and preventing a doomsday‑scale plan that would weaponize altered humans; personal sacrifices and community solidarity are emphasized as the heroes choose to protect Haeseong rather than flee.

The series ends on a hopeful but bittersweet note: the group saves their town and exposes the conspirators, yet the implications of human experimentation and questions about oversight and responsibility remain open, leaving room for future exploration while closing the main arc.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths: inventive tonal blending of comedy and superhero tropes, strong ensemble chemistry, emotionally satisfying character arcs, and a period‑inflected production design that gives the series personality.

Weaknesses: the tonal shift can feel uneven for viewers expecting a straight superhero series; some beats play more like broad sitcoms while others demand gravitas; and the pacing occasionally lingers on setup at the expense of accelerating the antagonist’s reveal.

The human‑experimentation reveal can feel darker than the show’s earlier whimsy, which will delight viewers who want stakes but may jar those who prefer lighter fare.

Final verdict (overall)
The Wonderfools is a charming and surprising entry in the superhero‑drama space: it earns emotional investment through character work, uses its 1999 setting and score effectively, and ties an offbeat origin premise to a topical conspiracy that elevates stakes.

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Super hero comedy of the year

Ep 1 took me a while to finish, but I'm glad I picked it back up bc I finished it in one sitting.

The chemistry between the four was so fun to watch. The ride or die friend, the one friend who complains all the time but still shows up when needed, and with a dash of romance is just the way I like it. There were some scenes that got me laughing so hard that I had to pause to get it out of my system.

The storyline isn't anything new. If you've watched one super hero themed show, you've watched them all. But don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this drama and would recommend to people who enjoy watching this genre.

Overall, fun watch but there were some questions that still need to be answered. Maybe in s2?

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The Wonderfools is a fun and surprisingly heartfelt superhero drama that blends nostalgia, comedy, action, and family relationships into an entertaining package.
From the opening episode, the drama immediately captures attention with its cool late 90s atmosphere. They opened it with banger song by Radiohead?!! I was sold.
The homage to Guardians of the Galaxy was a fun surprise. The CGI effects are on par with many Hollywood productions and never feel out of place IMO. It can feel dark at times but it pulls you back to comedy. It's just unserious lol!
The acting chemistry between the cast was great as well, plus Chaeni and her grandma.
Park Eunbin, the master in acting, I don't even need to elaborate. It's no longer surprising. I just watched her in awe. She was so nimble switching from comedy to melo drama and she takes me with her with those emotional change outs. Her body acting was so GREAT as well, her teleporation and the lifeless body acting was so good it was creepy.
Cha Eunwoo played the stoic character well. His acting complimented with the highly energetic trio. Director Yoo Insik is known for bringing out the best of his actors regardless of skill level. And I see it here, CEW went from weak (previous works) to decent acting, although his tone is still kinda of flat. He needs to work on that next.

It's not a perfect drama, it definitely has its flaws but the good stuffs in it outweighed the flaws so I only want to highlight things that I like about it.

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The Most Enjoyable the Drama in the first half of 2026

This drama is fun and unserious. It's a slapstick but will still leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling afterwards.
I have a lot of favorite scenes but I don't wanna give any spoiler here (to anyone who hasn't seen it). The story flow has a bit of slow down, specially the part when they were figuring out how to use their superpowers. There were a lot of lengthy dialogues but once past that you're in for a ride.
The chemistry between the superheroes are undeniably palpable. These are actors handpicked by the director so he knows exactly who will suit each character. Park Eunbin is as always phenomenal. She has great comedic timing and can deliver an emotional acting exceptionally well. Cha Eunwoo, though not on par with Park Eunbin in acting skill, held his own. The other two delivered their characters well too, specially Im Sungjae.
Overall, this drama is fun watch, nothing too profund. Just relax, bring out the snacks, and enjoy the ride from start to finish.

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Not funny - sarcastic and sad

I'm pretty ambivalent about the series, and I don't even know how to rate it? The vast majority rated it 10/10, (mainly because it was entertaining).
So..after I finished watching it, I read most of the comments (and there were a lot), just to see if anyone understood or thought like me? (I didn't find one) ... What message does the plot want to convey? (And I've seen over 700 Korean dramas..there's always a message) (I'm not a conspiracist, I'm unfortunately aware of the reality of our times, it's a drama that's broadcast as a "family" drama "A world of stupid people") But..only if you watch it superficially.
And what's behind it (the "comedy") is the message of.. . We are actually "a world of fools" and there are those who rule us in the shadows under the guise of righteousness
(The "Church of Redemption").
"New World Order" "Consciousness Engineering" "Population Dilution" A message delivered in a sarcastic (genius) and cruel way, I was not amused by the experiments on children in humans or animals (it was cruel) I was not amused by the phrase
"Defective people" - or useless people. Those people who need to be "diluted" from the world's population...? (Reminds me sadly of the period of World War II.) I was not amused by the blind "love" for the "father" who engineered the consciousness of the "children" and thus eliminated their ability to think for themselves.. (which is what is done today by social media), I was not amused by the normalization of pure evil for the sake of greed for money ("Money runs the world"). The author took on the theme of a new world order that cannot be ignored under the guise of comedy, the casting was (how could it not) perfect, the exaggerated acting, the witty monologues (which are supposedly funny) a sarcastic comedy drama. (I'm not exaggerating and say even sad). Which has comic situations in a deliberate and extreme way.

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Interesting idea that is buried by the deliverance

Honestly I started this drama because it was recomended to me and I didn't expect a lot but still they did the concept so dirty…
Just to begin with my overall rating: easily a better 7,5-8 for me (I still can't really decide) - but it depends on what you are looking for in this show. If you fancy a simple supernatural comedy with a bit of romance, this show will be for you. For the rest who are looking for something more dark and thrilling with sophisticated lore that makes sense, this show will leave you really disappointed in my personal opinion.

SPOILERS!
But first I would lik eto focus on the positive side of this mess. The production is really on point - the drama has nice locations, the characters look interesting and the camera sometimes does really incredible job. Just from the visual perespective - the drama is a really good looking piece. For the story I would say that the core or the idea behind the show is really interesting. We have superheroes fighting against religious x scientist organization, which i think is a really brave premise for a kdrama. I personaly love these kind of “normal citizens against evil companies” plots, so I was really excited as the drama progressed and introduced the layers of this fictional universe. To mention the acting I would highlight the never disappointing Kim Hae Sook, who stood out with her performance and also Choi Dae Hoon who made some scenes really emotionaly impactfull. To addition I would say that some elements in the story were really fun and creative - for example the creative ways of using Dae Hoons superpovers, which seem a bit useless but he really made them work, interesting scenes, for example the scene when the two police officers came to the church facility or when DaeHoon was stuck with the possesed believers in the last episode I think. I really had fun with those little highlights in the story but that is about it for me. And honestly many of the positives go hand in hand with the negatives.

So to start with the elephant in the room: the two protagonists and their romance story. I am SO OVER everybody blindly praising Cha Eunwoo and Pakr Eunbins acting. With Cha Eunwoo I think he played only ONE character his whole career (i haven't seen all of his work but a big part). He only plays the kind of shy guy who underneath the trauma dump is slowly developing romantic feeling towards the female lead- which is usually shown through his faint smile and awkward hugs. He brings almost nothing to this character and I refuse to blame the writers, because this guy has so much traumatic experience and we see nothing reminiscent of sadness on his face in the entire show. Even during his emotional scenes his delivery falls sooo flat it hurts. (I'm sorry I had to let this out after such a long time - had problem with him since Gangnam Beauty)
But I was surprised that he wasn't the character I would find the most problematic. Because there is Park Eunbin. And to be fair I don't “prefer” her as an actress but I liked some of her work so I had hope with this one. But oh my what the hell is this disney adorkable mess doing in a show about ilegal child experiments? I have overall problem with this type of character, because many times it feels sooo forced and stupid in a not funny way. And this was a textbook example!! She basically lives as the comedy punching bag throughout the whole show and as fellow revievers pointed out is unnecessarily stupid. She literally has the telleportation ability and is practicaly immortal, but characters treat it as a by the way ability. Everybody is constantly scared for her life - like what the hell. But that is the less frustrating part. The humor of this show heavily relies on her and her joking personality - which feels so unnatural and forced. And I think this is a actor and writer problem, because I have seen this character work a couple of times - for example Kim Bok Joo, she was soo extra but still felt like a real person who is not menat to be only ridiculed. And that is because during the emotional scenes the characters show emotions - they convince you of the gavity of the situation. You may not agree with my example but I would still say that Chaeni is a badly written and poorly executed character.
And to combine the shitshow - the romantic chemistry is absent in this show. I am so dumbfounded about this even day after i finished this show. The story is basicaly relying on the romance between the two leads even though it tries to hide it. There is nothing else that is steadily progressing as the romance plot in my opinion. Which is understandable, we are wathching a kdrama afterall but due to this fact it sould be an easy job to make it feel real, shouldn't it? Well I guess not, because I feel nothing and I mean NOTHING between these two. And that is also falt on both sides beacuse the very few emotionaly heavy scenes are basicaly what we have seen only a few thousand times - holding hand beside bed, kissing to surprise somebody.

So Imagine my disappointment when it came to the story. At this point I was really looking past the characters and more focused on the actual evil plans that were slowly executed. But to my surprise the writers treated the plot of this story as something that is kind of weird and wrong but not thaaat bad. Like really the story is about sicientists who probably abducted many children just to do many let's say unethical experiments on them. And in addition are hiding behing a huge cultish religion, who si providing money to their experiment through fooling a big portion of the city. But these main leads approach it as if basicaly nothing much was happening. At the begining it was very exciting with the unknown substance, alegedly weird animal, paranoid resident, etc. But that gets thrown out of the window as soon as the trio gains those “quirky superpowers”. NONE of them seems to grasp the weight of the situation. Like this is Save me level of despicable but no one is properly doing anything (aside from grandma sometimes). Meanwhile they are trying to get better with their new skillset, which is sometimes funny sometimes really not.
As for the villains they also just don't feel really dangerous and well written to me, like almost everything in this show. As I watched I understood that the evil main scientis is someone who I should really want to kill with my bare hands. But I didn't feel that, he was just kind of there and then died. He just had no character - we don't see him that much to develop a proper hatred for him I think. Also the role of the evil is split between the Wunderkinder (of course it is in german), which made the situation worse. Like there are too many characters for a 8 episode show. Noobody gets enough screentime to develope and for us to care about them. But about that later. I would just like to add to this segment that I see many references in this show - like many. You know the evil corporation which experiments on children and which later proceeds to contaminate the whole city …exactly something out of Resident evil, then the scene with the chainsaw … oddly similiar to The Shining, the bulllet sceene … which is kind of like something that happened in Matrix maybe. And I believe you could find more. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it is wrong to reference or use concepts that have been used before. The problem is that all these things that I listed are kind of serious and treat the plot as something important - which this show refuses to do. I am mostly angry if I compare it to Resident Evil - if you know a little about it you know how “deeply unsettling” the universe is. And for show about a similiar thing refusing to at least do something with it does a bit offend me.

Of course there are many inconsistencies, but just to name a few - the show doesn't explain how the main trio acquired their powers, Juri is going back and forth with believing the Father for no exact reason (obviously he doesnt care about them), Eunwoo's character blows up the whole facility to save his friend but proceeds to provide his new friend for the same torture, etc.

I strongly believe that this show would benefit if it had been longer. Just how were they expecting to introduce the whole concept of the show with all of its exposition and then conclude the plan of the evil side in 8 EPISODES. This is a minimum 12 episodes kind of plot in my humble opinion. To be a devils advocate for a minute - I was really hoping to see more dissterss for the main protagonists, more action form the granny team, like they don't even fully explain why was the grandmother involved.

So to conclude my silent outcry, I don't know if i really want to recomennd this show. It is a really fun watch and you probably won't get bored throughout it but it could be so much more. Because the moment you start thinking about the character's choices the story starts to erode.

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A technical spectacle hampered by a constricting plot.

The Wonderfools is, at its core, engaging and fun to watch—if you’re willing to turn your brain off. On a technical level, it is a feast. The cinematography is genuinely impressive, particularly the single-shot fight scenes featuring Chae Ni on the stretcher and the fluid, slow-motion sequences—the tear-drop shot remains a standout highlight. Considering the eight-episode length, the CGI is remarkably polished, and the sound design and musical score carry significant weight, providing a high-production feel that keeps the show watchable even when the narrative falters.

However, the climax leaves much to be desired. The stakes never feel high enough, and the final showdown lacks the intensity required to conclude the series effectively. Like many other superpower shows, it lacks a sense of real peril. While the ahjussi side characters are the only ones shown suffering the physical side effects of these powers, they are ultimately wasted; they never receive the screen time necessary for character building, making it impossible to form a real emotional connection to their plight.

The character writing is further frustrated by the show's reliance on tired tropes. The subplot involving abused children is a crutch used in countless dramas, yet it fails to be utilized in any meaningful way beyond the most obvious exposition. This is most evident in the dynamic between the villainous doctor and his "Wunderkinder." While the actor brings charisma and presence to the role, the doctor loses his aura as the series progresses. The reveal that he lacked actual control over his minions par one—and that his "father figure" status was merely told through exposition rather than shown—robs the character of his menace. His death feels unsatisfying, and the tease of a potential resurrection feels like an unearned, clichéd setup for a second season that the show hasn't earned.

The romantic arc was unnecessary. The pairing of Eun Chae Ni and Lee Un Jeong feels forced, with Chae Ni falling into the cliché of the "dumb, wholesome good-two-shoes." In contrast, Lee Un Jeong feels like a grounded, real person with actual dilemmas, especially in the first half of the series. The potential chemistry between him and Seok Ho Ran is far more palpable; Ho Ran feels like a fully realized character, and her long-held feelings for the lead feel infinitely more deserving than the chemistry-less romance that actually unfolds.

Ultimately, the show suffers from inconsistent power scaling and a lack of dark humor. With such unsavory concepts at play, the series feels neutered by its PG-friendly approach, failing to capture the visceral, gory reality of a superpowered conflict. This premise would have been far more effective as a tighter, darker feature film. As it stands, The Wonderfools is a well-shot, well-acted technical showcase that collapses under the weight of its own plot holes and underdeveloped emotional stakes.

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Fritto misto narrativo, il grande CAOS, talento senza ricetta!

Ambientata in una Corea del Sud sul finire degli anni Novanta, The WONDERfools segue un gruppo improbabile di persone comuni che, dopo un misterioso incidente legato a una sostanza sconosciuta, sviluppano poteri fuori dall'ordinario. Tra esperimenti segreti, sette religiose, bambini scomparsi, traumi del passato, criminali dai poteri sovrumani e una città minacciata da eventi sempre più inspiegabili, i protagonisti cercano di diventare eroi senza avere né le capacità né l'equilibrio necessari per esserlo. Quello che nasce come un racconto supereroistico si trasforma rapidamente in un miscuglio di commedia grottesca, mistero, melodramma, fantasy e thriller, nel tentativo di costruire un universo tanto eccentrico quanto divisivo.

COSA NE PENSO: Ci sono serie mediocri che costano poco e non hanno grandi ambizioni. Poi ci sono serie che dispongono di mezzi enormi, cast prestigiosi, campagne promozionali internazionali e una cura produttiva impressionante, ma finiscono comunque per non funzionare. Per me The WONDERfools appartiene decisamente alla seconda categoria. La sensazione dominante che ho provato per tutta la visione è stata PREVALENTEMENTE DI confusione.
Non una confusione narrativa dovuta a misteri volutamente irrisolti o a una trama complessa. Una confusione più profonda, che riguarda l'identità stessa della serie. Per lunghi tratti ho avuto l'impressione che non sapesse cosa volesse essere. Vuole essere una storia di supereroi. Vuole essere una commedia grottesca con tono farsesco. Vuole essere un thriller legato a esperimenti segreti. Vuole essere un racconto di formazione. Vuole essere una storia romantica. Vuole essere una satira sociale alla Solondz. Vuole essere un dramma familiare.

Alla fine prova a essere tutto contemporaneamente e finisce per indebolire ogni singolo elemento poichè gli elementi narrativi di genere non sono armonizzati.

Negli ultimi anni il cinema e la televisione coreana hanno mostrato una crescente tendenza a scopiazzare l' Occidente. Non parlo delle produzioni mainstream più classiche, ma di quelle che cercano deliberatamente un'impronta autoriale eccentrica, irriverente e fuori dagli schemi. A volte mi sembra di vedere il desiderio di imitare autori come Yorgos Lanthimos, Wes Anderson, Todd Solondz, Jean-Pierre Jeunet o Spike Jonze: registi capaci di mescolare assurdo, simbolismo, ironia e tragedia all'interno dello stesso racconto.

Il problema è che quel tipo di cinema richiede un equilibrio delicatissimo. L'assurdo deve avere una logica interna. Il grottesco deve dialogare con il dramma. L'umorismo deve amplificare il disagio invece di sabotarlo.

In The WONDERfools, invece, spesso questi registri si scontrano frontalmente. Una scena cerca di commuoverti con il trauma di bambini sottoposti a sperimentazioni. Quella successiva ti chiede di ridere per una gag slapstick. Pochi minuti dopo arriva una situazione romantica. Poi una rivelazione pseudo-crime. Poi una scena quasi da cartone animato. Non percepisco una fusione tra i generi. Percepisco un accumulo!!!

Molti spettatori hanno definito la serie "folle" o "caotica" come se fosse automaticamente un pregio. Per me il caos funziona solo quando è governato da una visione precisa. Qui spesso sembra semplicemente mancanza di controllo.La componente comica è probabilmente l'aspetto che mi ha convinto meno anche se due risate me le sono fatte perché i coreani sanno essere comici come pochi.

Ho avuto l'impressione che la serie si fidasse troppo della stravaganza delle situazioni e troppo poco della scrittura. Molte battute sembrano gridare: "Guarda quanto siamo eccentrici!"
Peccato che l'eccentricità, da sola, non genera comicità. La comicità nasce dal tempo, dal ritmo, dalla costruzione. Qui invece ho percepito spesso uno sforzo evidente, quasi forzato, per risultare bizzarri.

Anche la componente thriller e investigativa mi è sembrata sorprendentemente fragile, con le motivazioni di alcuni personaggi sono poco convincenti.

Diversi snodi narrativi si reggono su coincidenze o comportamenti poco plausibili. Le rivelazioni dovrebbero aumentare la tensione ma spesso finiscono per sembrare scorciatoie narrative. Non ho mai avuto la sensazione di trovarmi davanti a una storia credibile, non nel senso di realistica, poiché una serie può parlare di teletrasporti, mutazioni e superpoteri ed essere comunque credibile, vedi Moving, di cui questa sembra la versione "temu" per citare un utente che l'ha così definita, e sono d'accordo.

Sul piano tecnico, invece, gli investimenti si vedono tutti. La sigla è splendida, molto AI, ma è come vedere un Magritte, un Dalì, un De chirico, un Andy Warhol tutti mixati.

La fotografia è curata e il color grading ha un senso mirato e plausibile, con un'identità visiva fortissima.

Perfino la distribuzione internazionale dimostra un investimento enorme: doppiaggi in una quantità impressionante di lingue e una promozione globale che raramente si vede per una serie televisiva coreana. Il problema è che una confezione elegante non può sostituire una scrittura solida.

E arriviamo alle interpretazioni: Park Eun-bin è senza dubbio la forza trainante della serie, ha un'energia fuori dal comune, cambia postura, espressioni, voce e linguaggio corporeo con una facilità impressionante. È una performer straordinaria. Eppure, per la prima volta da molto tempo, mi sono trovata a desiderare che si trattenesse un po'. Era molto, era troppo. Il personaggio è costruito sopra le righe e lei decide di spingere ulteriormente l'acceleratore. Il risultato, almeno per me, è che in diversi momenti smette di sembrare una persona e diventa una caricatura: smorfie continue, espressioni esasperate,movimenti eccessivamente enfatizzati. Capisco la scelta, l'intenzione ma è risultata innaturale.

Se devo riconoscere un merito enorme a The WONDERfools, questo va senza dubbio ai due comprimari principali, Im Seong-jae e Choi Dae-hoon. La serie li presenta come spalle comiche, ma finiscono per diventare il vero motore comico dell'intera storia.
Im Seong-jae, in particolare, mi ha impressionata moltissimo. Chi conosce la sua filmografia sa che proviene soprattutto da thriller, melodrammi e produzioni più drammatiche. Qui invece costruisce un personaggio completamente diverso, e il risultato è sorprendente. Non ho mai avuto l'impressione di vedere un attore che interpreta un "ingenuo"; ho visto una persona reale.

La sua mimica facciale, i tempi comici, il linguaggio corporeo, perfino il modo in cui reagisce alle situazioni più assurde risultano spontanei e credibili. Non cerca mai la battuta. Non forza mai la comicità. È divertente proprio perché sembra non rendersi conto di esserlo.
Anche Choi Dae-hoon lavora in sottrazione. Il suo personaggio potrebbe facilmente trasformarsi in una caricatura ambulante, e invece riesce a mantenere una sorprendente umanità. Le sue scene familiari sono spesso più coinvolgenti delle sottotrame principali, e il feeling che sviluppa con Im Seong-jae crea alcuni dei momenti migliori della serie. Insieme formano un duo comico perfetto. Uno è impulsivo, emotivo, istintivo.
L'altro è ossessivo, nervoso, ansioso, oppositivo, continuamente in lotta col mondo e con se stesso.
La loro dinamica non sembra mai scritta a tavolino per strappare una risata. Funziona perché entrambi credono profondamente nei rispettivi personaggi.

Anche il modo in cui la serie attribuisce i poteri ai personaggi è interessante.

Ro-bin sviluppa una forza fisica enorme, un elemento che ricorre spesso nella narrativa coreana e non solo. Non è la prima volta che vedo associare la forza sovrumana a personaggi descritti come semplici, ingenui o poco brillanti dal punto di vista cognitivo. È successo anche in Moving, dove il personaggio più forte veniva spesso considerato dagli altri "idiota" (cit.).

Non so se si tratti di una scelta simbolica consapevole o di una convenzione narrativa ormai consolidata, ma è curioso che la forza venga frequentemente attribuita a chi agisce più d'istinto che di ragionamento. Forse perché la forza rappresenta un potere immediato, fisico, incontrollato, e quindi si presta meglio a personaggi che non filtrano continuamente le proprie emozioni attraverso la razionalità.

Nel caso di Ro-bin, però, ciò che colpisce non è il superpotere. È la sua bontà, è un personaggio tenero, generoso, incapace di cattiveria; Im Seong-jae riesce a trasmettere questa dolcezza senza cadere nel pietismo o nel ludibrio. Per questo, alla fine, credo che siano loro i veri MVP della serie!

Cha Eun-woo porta fascino, presenza scenica e carisma. Park Eun-bin porta energia e una dedizione assoluta al personaggio. Ma senza Im Seong-jae e Choi Dae-hoon, The WONDERfools sarebbe stata molto più faticosa da seguire. Anzi, probabilmente sarebbe crollata sotto il peso delle sue stesse ambizioni. Sono loro che le impediscono di diventare una lunga, costosa e confusa esercitazione di stile.
Cha Eun-woo, fa esattamente ciò che fa sempre, è bello da guardare, è professionale, è corretto ma resta confinato in una comfort zone interpretativa che ormai conosco a memoria. Non commette errori, non sorprende mai. E per un personaggio che avrebbe dovuto rappresentare uno dei pilastri emotivi della storia, questo finisce per pesare perchè non dà una impronta personale alla serie.

Alla fine The WONDERfools mi è sembrata una serie ambiziosissima che continua a sabotare se stessa. Ogni volta che trova una direzione interessante, la abbandona per inseguirne un'altra, ogni volta che costruisce una tensione emotiva, la interrompe con una gag, ogni volta che costruisce una gag efficace, la soffoca con un dramma. Ogni elemento indebolisce l'altro. Mannaggia miseria!

I generi non collaborano, si ostacolano, uno sottrae forza all'altro, uno svuota l'altro di significato.

- La guarderei di nuovo?

- No!

- La consiglierei?

- Sì, ma con aspettative molto precise.

Guardatela come guardereste una curiosità televisiva costosa, visivamente accattivante e incredibilmente strana. Qualche risata probabilmente ve la farete. Qualche scena riuscirà persino a emozionarvi, forse, è soggettivo ma non aspettatevi una narrazione compatta o una grande armonia tra le sue componenti.

E se siete particolarmente sensibili ad alcune tematiche legate ai bambini e agli esperimenti umani, vi consiglio anche di saltare determinate sequenze.

Perché The WONDERfools non è un disastro ma è uno di quei casi in cui il talento, il budget e le buone intenzioni non riescono a trasformarsi in un'opera davvero riuscita.

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Melhor de super-herói de 2026!

já estava esperando esse desde a época que foi anunciado e a ansiedade valeu apena! não tava dando nada nesse (literalmente) e quando assisti me encantei! cada ep eu me cagava de rir e de chocar! ele é uma ótima comédia, drama, super-herói e plots! recomendo ele dmssss, n esperava q ia ter um romance mas quando eu descobri eu amei dms! Eunbin e Nunu entregaram muita química! e o Nunu exalou dmsssss (e o homi tá gato viu?) amei a doidinha do centro, mamãe dmssss! e o quarteto apocalíptico? foi tudooo!! n tenho palavras para descrever o quanto esse vale apena, só o final q deixou a desejar (essa Netinha n para de colocar finais q aparentam ter S2) dito isso 8.5!

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