The Wonderfools

Synopsis

In late 1999, as the impending arrival of the new millennium fuels widespread Y2K panic and apocalyptic doom-mongering, the fictional city of Haeseong becomes the epicenter of an unusual supernatural phenomenon. The city is home to a trio of social outcasts: Eun Chae-ni, a cynical, hot-tempered 27-year-old suffering from a severe congenital heart condition that leaves her facing sudden death; Son Kyung-hoon, a notorious public nuisance who constantly files petty civil complaints at city hall; and Kang Ro-bin, an overly timid man frequently treated as a neighborhood pushover.

Desperate to travel the world before her illness claims her life, Chae-ni concocts a hare-brained scheme to stage her own kidnapping alongside Kyung-hoon and Ro-bin in order to extort ransom money from her wealthy, overprotective grandmother, Kim Jeon-bok. However, the plan goes disastrously wrong when Chae-ni suddenly suffers a fatal heart attack. Panic-stricken, Gyeong-hun and Ro-bin attempt to dispose of her body near a local facility, unaware that illegal, toxic wastewater is leaking from a hidden laboratory. Exposure to the chemical waste unexpectedly resurrects Chae-ni and grants all three misfits erratic, uncontrollable superpowers. Chae-ni acquires the ability to teleport whenever her heart rate spikes; Kyung-hoon is able to stick to surfaces whenever he tells a lie; and Ro-bin is endowed with superhuman strength that is unleashed only when something upsets him.

The entire incident is witnessed by Lee Un-jeong, a socially awkward, rigidly rule-oriented civil servant recently transferred to Haeseong City Hall from Seoul. Known by colleagues as an oddball, Un-jeong secretly possesses powerful telekinetic abilities. Recognizing his prowess, the newly empowered trio dubs him their "master" and pressures him into training them to control their unstable gifts. Un-jeong, who reluctantly complies, harbours his own dark secrets tied to a closed orphanage that once stood on the grounds now occupied by a fanatical doomsday cult, the Church of Eternal Salvation.

The source of the toxic pollutants is eventually traced back to the Wunderkinder Project, a brutal, covert human-experimentation program run by the ruthless scientist Dr. Ha Won-do. Decades prior, Won-do had subjected orphaned children to agonizing biological experiments in a bid to awaken superhuman abilities and discover the secret to eternal life. Having weaponized the surviving test subjects, Won-do returns to Haeseong City to track down a mythical "Child of Eternity" whose unique biology holds the key to a definitive cure for the side effects plaguing the survivors.

Cast and characters

Main

Park Eun-bin as Eun Chae-ni

Kim Si-on as young Chae-ni

A resident who is known as the trainwreck of Haeseong City with a terminal heart condition who attempts to fake her own kidnapping to obtain travel money from her grandmother. After the plan results in her temporary death, she is resurrected and gains the ability to teleport whenever her heart rate spikes, eventually leading her to defend her hometown.

Cha Eun-woo as Lee Un-jeong

Han Ji-an as the young Un-jeong

A reserved and rule-abiding civil servant who secretly possesses telekinetic abilities. While operating alone to find a person from his past and locate his birth mother, his plans are disrupted when he is forced to guide Chae-ni and her friends in mastering their newly acquired powers.

Choi Dae-hoon as Son Gyeong-hun

A chronic complainant at Haeseong City Hall Complaints Center who frequently files grievances regarding toxic runoff from a local dump site. He agrees to assist Chae-ni with her fake kidnapping scheme for a share of the money, but exposure to the chemical waste grants him the ability to stick to surfaces whenever he tells a lie, which only releases once he speaks the truth.

Im Seong-jae as Kang Ro-bin

A timid kitchen employee at Hearty House and Chae-ni's friend who acts as an accomplice in her fake kidnapping scheme. Following the incident, he develops superhuman strength and a degree of invulnerability that is triggered primarily when he feels insulted or hears profanity.

Kim Hae-sook as Kim Jeon-bok

Chae-ni's grandmother and the owner of Hearty House who secretly possesses significant financial influence. She was a former financier of Won-do's covert research laboratory and maintains a watchful eye over the facility's surviving test subjects.

Supporting

Bae Na-ra as Kim Pal-ho

Shin Tae-yang as young Pal-ho

A Wunderkinder who works closely with Won-do and has the ability to manipulate gravity.

Jung Yi-seo as Seok Ju-ran

Oh Ji-yul as young Ju-ran

A Wunderkinder who views Won-do as a father figure and has the ability of brainwashing through telepathy.

Choi Yoon-ji as Seok Ho-ran

Choi So-yul as young Ho-ran

A Wunderkinder who has the ability to telepathically induce hallucinations.

Cha Seo-won as Gu Jun-mo

Jang Jae-ha as young Jun-mo

A survivor of the Wunderkinder Project who lives a normal life thanks to Jeon-bok.

Kim Ki-cheon as Go Sang-moo

A former caretaker of kids for Wunderkinder Project.

Kang Ki-doong as Yang Seok-u

A senior civil servant at Haeseong City Hall Complaints Center.

Lee Soo-bin as Kim Na-yeong

a junior civil servant at Haeseong City Hall Complaints Center.

Jung Yeon as Moon Mi-hui

Special appearances

Hur Jung-do as Kwon Jun-bae, a doctor

Byun Woo-min as a loyal subject

Jeong Bo-seok as Nam Sun-gyu

Jung Ji-an as Nurse Eom

Jung Young-joo as Aurora madam

Lee Il-hwa as Un-jeong's mother

Lee Yong-yi as a cursing grandmother

Lee Juck as a radio DJ

Production

Development

In November 2018, the superhero drama series was initially based on Stan Lee's IP work titled The B-Team and is about a fight between B-rated superheroes and a mad scientist who created them. Lee's production company POW! Entertainment participated in the early stages of planning and development for the series, which was then being produced by Studio Invictus and JYP Pictures. Later in 2024, as the full-scale production began, the series would be developed as an original by the production company without the original work. Regarding this, the series' new production company Nangmancrew stated, "This is something that was agreed upon with the original author. The title would also be changed."

In December 2020, SBS held the "2021 SBS Showcase" introducing their drama, entertainment, and educational lineup for 2021 through its official YouTube channel and announced that it would launch the drama The B-Team, which was supposed to air on SBS TV in 2021. PD Yoo In-sik, who directed Giant (2010), Dr. Romantic series (2016–2023), and Vagabond (2019), helmed the megaphone, screenwriter Kang Eun-kyung, who is best known for writing Bread, Love and Dreams (2010), Dr. Romantic series (2016–2023), and Gyeongseong Creature series (2023–2024), participated as the creator, and Heo Da-joong, who is one of the writers of Extreme Job (2019), penned the script. Nangmancrew, Kakao Entertainment, and Fantagio would managed the production.

Casting

Park Eun-bin and Cha Eun-woo were reportedly cast as the lead actors of the series in April and July 2024, respectively. Park and Cha's appearances were confirmed to appear along with Kim Hae-sook, Choi Dae-hoon, Im Seong-jae, and Son Hyun-joo in November 2024. Bae Na-ra joined the cast in June 2025.

Filming

Principal photography began in October 2024 and wrapped up in June 2025.

The series made extensive use of coastal locations across South Korea, particularly for scenes featuring Eun Chae-ni's teleportation ability. Notable filming sites highlighted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries include Sam-bong Beach in Taean (where Chae-ni and Lee Un-jeong teleport together), Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Homi Cape Sunrise Square in Pohang, Geunpo Village in Geoje, as well as seafood markets in Ulleungdo and Pohang's Jukdo Market.

Release

Netflix announced their confirmed 2025 Korean content lineup and The Wonderfools was not included. Netflix later confirmed that the series was scheduled for a second quarter of 2026 release. In February 2026, a premiere date of May 15 was reported by My Daily, but Netflix initially responded that the date was not finalized. By April 2026, Netflix officially confirmed that the series is set to be released on May 15, 2026, and released the official trailer and poster.

Reception

Viewership

The Wonderfools debuted at number 6 on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English Shows weekly chart. In its first three days (May 15–17, 2026), it recorded 2.7 million views (25.3 million hours viewed) and entered the Top 10 in 25 countries. The series rose to number 2 in its second week with 7.9 million views, reaching the Top 10 in 64 countries. It remained at number 2 in its third week. By its fourth week it had reached a cumulative 16.8 million views (158.6 million hours viewed). In its fifth week (June 8–14, 2026) it placed eighth, bringing the total to 18.1 million views and 170.8 million hours watched globally.

According to Nielsen streaming ratings, the series recorded 339 million minutes viewed in the United States during its first full week of availability (May 18–24, 2026), ranking eighth among the most-watched streaming originals that week and becoming the only non-English-language series in the Top 10.

In Netflix's official What We Watched report for the first half of 2026, The Wonderfools accumulated 188.4 million hours viewed and 20 million views. It ranked 50th globally and 5th among Korean series (by views).

Critical response

The Wonderfools received generally positive reviews from both domestic and international critics upon its release. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10. Reviewers frequently praised the series for its warm-hearted humanism, late-1990s nostalgia, and the strong chemistry of its ensemble cast, though opinions were divided regarding its early pacing and rapid tonal shifts. Writing for Decider, Joel Keller gave the series a "Stream It" recommendation, calling it a fun and funny show about reluctant superheroes despite the slow-burning first episode. But Why Tho? awarded the series an 8.5 out of 10, summarizing it as "so darn delightful" because it never takes itself too seriously. Variety India described it as "immensely watchable" despite a few flaws, highlighting its breezy, action-packed and comedy-filled nature as perfect light-hearted entertainment. Screen Rant awarded the series a 9/10, stating that it "breathes new life into the superhero genre" thanks to its instantly lovable and colorful characters, strong emphasis on personal growth, interconnected storylines, and efficient eight-episode structure.

The series' narrative themes and direction were a primary focus of praise. OSEN highlighted that beneath its superhero premise, the show effectively depicts the growth of its main characters into a family-like team, allowing them to recover their self-esteem after previously being viewed as societal nuisances. Cine21 gave the series 3 out of 4 stars, describing it as "the birth of a K-hero series that can work in the global market", praising its mature industrial execution, the distinctive sense of space set in late-20th-century Korea, the combination of likable clumsy characters, and the effective humor that arises when extraordinary powers collide with everyday reality. TV Daily and the South China Morning Post echoed this sentiment, noting that the show delivers a deep sense of humanism and "fitfully entertaining fluff" by contrasting the bleak, apocalyptic anxieties of the late-20th-century Y2K panic with the pure-hearted solidarity of ordinary citizens fighting to protect their neighborhood. Journalist Kim Ji-hyun of TV Daily particularly praised rookie screenwriter Heo Da-joong, noting her excellent story structure and her ability to write perfectly timed humorous dialogues. Hankook Ilbo described the series as a "Korean version of Guardians of the Galaxy", praising its charm in placing flawed, minor characters — deeply rooted in Korean social realities — inside a popular superhero framework, creating unpredictable developments filled with B-grade humor and warm humanism. iMBC awarded the series 3 out of 4 stars, describing it as a warm story that comfortably embraces human flaws through the solidarity of its quirky characters. Director Yoo In-sik was also lauded for his direction; Ilgan Sports praised his rhythmic action sequences, particularly a long, one-take rescue scene, while IDN Times praised the distinct mise-en-scène, highlighting the fast camera movements, sudden close-ups, and whimsical sound design that enhanced the multi-layered comedic scenes. Digital Mafia Talkies compared the series favorably to Western sci-fi and superhero properties like Stranger Things and The Boys, writing that it avoided the narrative bloat of later seasons of those shows by prioritizing intimate character development over convoluted plotting. They also commended the grounded, impactful weight of the stunt work and superhero action, comparing its execution to early-2000s films like Hancock, Push, Chronicle, and Jumper. Screen Rant praised "The Wunderkinder" as effective and sympathetic antagonists who serve as a dark mirror to the main quartet, with tragic backstories intrinsically linked to Chae-ni and Un-jeong. The review also highlighted the strong visualization of the powers and action sequences, noting that characterization and emotion are never sacrificed for spectacle.