Superheroes who don’t get the cool costumes, dial-up-era dread, and the first on-screen pairing of two of Korea’s biggest draws: that’s the pitch for The WONDERfools (Korean: 원더풀스, Wonderpuls), a 2026 Netflix Original that landed worldwide on May 15, 2026. It runs eight episodes of roughly an hour each, and you can stream it anywhere Netflix reaches, with subtitles and dubs in several languages.
The names behind the camera explain some of the buzz. Yoo In-sik (유인식), who directed the global breakout Extraordinary Attorney Woo, is back in the chair. The script comes from Heo Da-joong (허다중), with veteran screenwriter Kang Eun-kyung (강은경) as creator, and Nangmancrew, Kakao Entertainment and Fantagio handling production.
The premise (no big spoilers)
The clock reads late 1999, and Y2K dread has settled over the fictional seaside town of Haeseong City (해성시). A handful of ordinary, slightly awkward residents get dosed by toxic waste seeping out of a local dump and wind up with powers they can barely steer. With doomsday paranoia rising, this accidental crew falls into the job of hometown heroes, fumbling their new abilities while a larger conspiracy sharpens into view. The mode is action-comedy with a soft heart rather than grim origin-story brooding, and the appeal sits in the clumsiness, the found-family bickering, and the end-of-the-millennium texture.
The lead cast and characters
Park Eun-bin (박은빈) leads as Eun Chae-ni (은채니), a 27-year-old who cheerfully calls herself the town disaster. A terminal diagnosis for her congenital heart condition flips her life upside down, and she comes to with the power to teleport and a “superheart” that simply won’t quit. It’s a part built to let Park play, coming off Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Castaway Diva.
Across from her, Cha Eun-woo (차은우) is Lee Un-jeong (이운정), a quiet, rule-following civil servant sitting on telekinetic powers and a wound he’d rather not discuss. He’d happily go it alone until Chae-ni pulls him into the group. The rest of the lineup gives the comedy its shape: Choi Dae-hoon (최대훈) as Son Gyeong-hun (손경훈), a chronic griper saddled with a karmic catch — his hands stick to whatever he’s touching the instant he lies; Im Seong-jae (임성재) as Kang Ro-bin (강로빈), a meek kitchen worker handed superhuman strength; Kim Hae-sook (김해숙) as Chae-ni’s grandmother and restaurant owner Kim Jeon-bok (김전복); and Son Hyun-joo (손현주) as the scientist antagonist Ha Won-do (하원도).
Why it matters
Putting Park Eun-bin and Cha Eun-woo on screen together was one of the most anticipated castings of the year, and the early returns backed up the hype. The show posted a high critics’ aggregate score, opened inside Netflix’s Global Top 10 for non-English titles, and broke into Nielsen’s most-watched U.S. streaming originals in its first week. The praise mostly went to the ensemble’s chemistry and the fond, lived-in 1990s nostalgia.
Real Korean filming locations for your travel list
Haeseong City exists only on screen, but the production assembled it from real stretches of the Korean coast, shooting from late 2024 into mid-2025. Reported spots include Sambong Beach (삼봉해수욕장) in Taean, the long arc of Gyeongpo Beach (경포해변) in Gangneung, and Homigot Sunrise Square (호미곶 해맞이광장) in Pohang, where the “Hand of Harmony” sculpture juts up out of the water. The market scenes leaned on Ulleungdo (울릉도) and Pohang (포항). Stitched together, they map a neat east-and-west-coast run for fans who want the same sunrises, weathered harbor towns and wind-scoured beaches the crew chased.
Come for the powers, the Y2K wardrobe, or just the chance to watch Park Eun-bin and Cha Eun-woo share a frame — The WONDERfools is an easy, good-natured binge, and a fair excuse to start plotting a coastal road trip.
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