REVIEW: ‘The WONDERfools’ Is Kind Of Wonderful, Actually

There’s a lot of superhero stuff out there, and the fatigue is real, but not in Netflix’s latest superhero KDrama series, The WONDERfools (Wondeopulseu).  Hitting all cylinders, this series features all manner of eccentric characters to draw attention. With Park Eun-bin‘s endearing, messy protagonist at the center, this eight-episode series wears its silliness on its sleeve and never lets go of that energy, making this an incredibly fun watch.

Set at the cusp of the new millennium, The WONDERfools takes place in Haeseong-si, where doomsday fever has taken hold. At least among some of the populace, the Church of Eternal Salvation’s growing influence promotes talk of the apocalypse. Despite that particular level of weirdness, it’s not as weird as our group of misfits introduced in Episode 1. Leading the band of misfits is Eun Chae-ni (Park Eun-bin), who, at the start of the series, has given up on life. With her heart failing, the writing is on the wall, but she has one last goal before she dies.

An unexpected incident occurs when a plan with fellow misfits Son Gyeong-hun (Choi Dae-hoon) and Kang Ro-bin (Im Sung-jae) goes horribly awry and awakens special abilities in all three. At first, it’s all fun and games, especially once the seasoned telekinetic civil servant, Lee Un-jeong (Cha Eun-woo), starts helping them figure out their powers. But the return of Ha Won-do (Son Hyun-joo), flanked by the remnants of the Wunderkinder Project, spells doom for Haeseong-si, as they aim to bring about the end of days. And, Chae-ni may be the key to making that happen.

The WONDERfools is absolute silliness, led by an all-too-game cast of quirky characters.

Part of the magic of The WONDERfools is its full commitment to its brand of humor. This series, created by Kang Eun-kyung, written by Heo Da-joong, and directed by Yoo In-sik, shows us how far it intends to go with its silliness with its leading band of misfits. Led by Chae-ni, she starts off the series with a rightful chip on her shoulder. She’s sassy, talks back, and, after receiving powers, the freedom given is immense. With this freedom, we see joy return to the character, and by the climax, her decisions come full circle.

Park Eun-bin is dynamic as Chae-ni. She infuses the character with a familiar childish energy, but it’s endearing more than anything else. Choi Dae-hoon has a manic energy that is just right for the chronically complaining, Chicken Little-type Son Gyeong-hun. While his character has a harder time finding room for nuance, which comes out the most when Gyeong-hun’s daughter is concerned, his arc hits home. That of finally being believed and heard. Im Sung-jae’s Kang Ro-bin is a giant crybaby, and when he comes into his own, you can’t help but cheer for him. His innate need to overcome his tears and become the protector he was meant to be shines.

Flanked by Choi Dae-hoon and Im Sung-jae, who match Park Eun-jin’s level in craziness in terms of energy and performance, it’s safe to say that these three are “The Three Stooges” of The WONDERfools. As the straight man type, Cha Eun-woo brings a certain seriousness needed to keep things going completely off-kilter, and sometimes, they do. There are a couple of comedic sequences that go on way too long, but for the bulk of the series, the humor these three deliver knocks it out of the park.

The remnants of the Wunderkinder make for compelling adversaries and sympathetic victims.

The titular Wonderfools provide a stark contrast to the series’ villains, whose energy is more subdued and controlled. The visual language that differentiates the Wunderkinder from our gang of misfits is evident, with their scenes cast in dark shadows and blue tones, in contrast to the heroes’ general brightness and color. The one exception visually is Choi Yoon-ji‘s Seok Ho-ran, whose styling reflects a rejection of her status and an embrace of the normalcy she craves.

What makes the Wunderkinder fascinating villains in The WONDERfools is that while they are understandably sympathetic, they never stray from an evil path. Their tragic backstory, combined with Ha Won-do’s influence in shaping their minds and values from an impressionable age, makes it easy to see why they do what they do. It also shows how difficult it is to break free of cult mentality, even when all signs point to the leader easily disposing of everyone around him once he gets what he wants.

This is what makes Son Hyun-joo’s Ha Won-do terrifying. With minimal dialogue and just a glance, he easily conveys a man of multitudes. His true agenda is never quite known to those around him, yet he can discern who people are through his astute nature and manipulate them as he sees fit. That’s also what makes Seok Ju-ran’s (Jung Yi-seo) relationship with Ha Won-do the most engaging to watch unfold, for in the end, she is most like him and knows how far both are willing to go to see their plan through. 

The action in The WONDERfools is kinetic and all-out ridiculous.

Of course, with such distinctly aligned heroes and villains, the action should be just as memorable. And, for the most part, it is in The WONDERfools. Through a combination of practical effects and CGI, the powers come to life, sometimes in hilarious (and occasionally, distressing) ways depending on the character. Once the story introduces real threats into the mix, the fights escalate in scale, with the fight between Bae Na-ra‘s Kim Pal-ho and Lee Un-jeong among the series’ standouts.

There are, of course, some occasional and expected blunders in the CGI. Most notable are when the series needs to highlight Seok Ho-ran’s hallucinations. When these moments are depicted using CGI animals, they aren’t realistic enough to blur the line between fiction and reality. However, sometimes, as is the case when the Wonderfools start hallucinating giant bugs, the lack of realism helps the humor more than it takes away from it. 

This gang of misfits makes this an easily rewatchable experience.

Something that also takes away the impact is the ending of The WONDERfools. While it’s understandable why the series adjusted its ending to something more uplifting, the emotional impact of the sacrifices made is significantly lessened. There are also questions left unanswered about Lee Un-jeong’s physical condition, something hinted at but never quite resolved. Still, based on the ending scenes, if the series gets approved for a second season, we might get some answers then. 

Even with its tinier missteps, The WONDERfools is so darn delightful. It never takes itself too seriously, even when the plot starts leaning into the apocalyptic chaos that our band of misfits has to go up against. Easily rewatchable, this is the fun kind of superhero watch needed right now.

The WONDERfools is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.