The WONDERFools is a K-drama set in the final days of 1999, focusing on Eun Chae-ni, the Trainwreck of Haeseong City, and her unusual experiences amidst a world plagued by end-of-the-world fears.
1999 was a curiously anxious year in the collective human experience, truly felt worldwide ahead of the new millennium. Cell phones were still a novelty, JNCO jeans ran rampant, and dial-up internet was broadly less convenient experience than the state of cyberspace today.
To top it all off, pre-Y2K society feared various manifestations of the end of the world. It was a beautiful mess, and in Netlflix's The WONDERFools, set in the final days of 1999, so is its troubled protagonist, Eun Chae-ni, the Trainwreck of Haeseong City.
The WONDERFools is the latest in a particularly unusual K-drama niche, that of superhero parody, in which its characters are nearly always cast in an otherwise-normal society, with oddball powers often far beyond the norm in some capacity. While this particular brand of comedy seems to be picking up more steam lately, with recent dramas like Cashero headlined by Junho, and Strong Girl Nam-soon bringing the world a villainous turn for Byeon Woo-seok , they always seemed to fall short of one 2017 classic.
In the case of WONDERFools, the series may finally live up to Nam-soon's predecessor, Strong Girl Bong-soon. Netflix's New Superhero Parody Nails The Spirit Of A 2017 Classic While it was always a fair assumption that Strong Girl Nam-soon would be a worthy sequel, its plot and overall execution faltered especially near the end.
Bong-soon was a tough act to follow, and instead of trying to overtly recreate this experience, The WONDERFools can easily be perceived as a spiritual successor for nailing similar plot beats. They each feature, at their core, two unconventional superpowered female leads, although The WONDERFools benefits from impressive present-day budgets and some surprisingly breathtaking action by the point of episode #6.
Strong Girl Bong-soon had a tight grasp on its superhero parody identity, while also juggling a career-defining romance between its principal stars, Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-sik, and maintaining strong pacing while delivering an engaging story. Meanwhile, The WONDERFools is superbly paced across eight engaging episodes, upping the ante by having a host of superpowered misfits at its core.
There's even a similarly quirky romantic element at its heart, and while Park Eun-bin's Chae-ni is never seen comically bridal-carrying Cha Eun-woo's telekinetic civil servant, Lee Un-jeong, the energy is similar to the high points of Bong-soon, and the chemistry is surprisingly endearing. Related 7 Years Later, Netflix's Relentless Spy Thriller Is A Near-Perfect Binge Missing 1 Fix One of the finest spy thrillers available to stream simply must come back to Netflix ASAP. Posts By J.R.
Waugh But The WONDERFools frequently feels like its romantic aspects are a much smaller component of its experience. The series introduces its star at her lowest point in life, with a terminal heart condition, dreaming in vain to see a beautiful world she couldn't possibly live long enough to witness firsthand. Her friends, a former high school classmate and a serial complainant, live similarly pitiful lives, with them collectively hatching a false kidnapping scheme to extort money from Chae-ni's grandmother.
But that all goes awry when, amidst their plan falling apart, the group falls into a pool of chemical waste, healing Chae-ni's condition, and granting all of them bizarre powers. The premise is about as silly and Silver Age-esque as it can get for superheroes, and ripe for parody. It completely reverses the drab energy of the first episode, brightening the spirit of the series, while unveiling enticing secrets for those who stick to it especially by the halfway point.
This is all nailed in a short eight episodes, garnering a current 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and sets a strong example for other K-dramas to follow in the present. The WONDERFools Nails Its Pacing, Comedy, And Action In Equal Measure Strong Girl Bong-soon had a tongue-in-cheek approach to the action elements of its run, with much of the fun being in seeing Park Bo-young's tiny frame performing Herculean tasks including stopping a runaway bus in its tracks.
But many of its best experiences came in a well-paced, love-at-first-sight dynamic for Bong-soon's primary love interest, Ahn Min-hyuk, and enough space to address her crush on detective Guk-doo, and take down a terrifying serial kidnapper, all while risking losing her powers if she harms an innocent. This, and some top-notch comedy including feces wine gags and dual scenery-chewing goofball roles by Kim Won-hae, are but a few reasons to rewatch this show.
This is all to say, The WONDERFools embodies much of this spirit, oddly nailing its pacing despite half the runtime, while not pushing into more serious action-fantasy territory like with The Uncanny Counter. Each of the characters after the incident get unique powers: Chae-ni can teleport, while her old high-school friend Kang Ro-bin gets superhuman strength, and Son Gyeung-hun is able to stick to surfaces, and keep objects stuck to his body, akin to Spider-Man.
Instead of rushing into a training montage, much of the show features them stumbling into these powers to great comedic effect, with greater understanding of what allows them to control these powers only after time, trial, and plenty of comedic error. ScreenRant.com | NFX Streaming Vault Interactive Quiz ScreenRant/ TV/ Netflix Originals/ Trivia Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals?
“Red light, green light. ” 🌀Stranger ThingsThe Upside Down 🎭Squid GamePlayer 456 👑The CrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → QUESTION 1 / 8SQUID GAME 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number?
A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok is 067, Cho Sang-woo is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries.
NEXT → QUESTION 2 / 8WEDNESDAY 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own.
Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield , and Maya Hawke plays Robin.
Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → QUESTION 3 / 8DAY ONE 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it?
AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards . Orange Is the New Black launched five months later , Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.
NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8THE CROWN 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct!
Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman.
Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons . Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win.
NEXT → QUESTION 5 / 8STRANGER THINGS 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings.
The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana.
Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder.
NEXT → QUESTION 6 / 8BRIDGERTON 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal.
Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes .
Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal.
NEXT → QUESTION 7 / 8MONEY HEIST 07 La Casa de Papel became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct!
The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated!
The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits.
NEXT → QUESTION 8 / 8THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress.
The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy.
Florence Pugh , Saoirse Ronan , and Daisy Edgar-Jones are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial?
⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE By episodes #5 and #6, its primary characters become downright heroic, while being wildly silly, the triggers for their powers often being absurd and recontextualizing past scenes. The plot turns from a botched ransom scheme to stopping a dangerous cult from bringing disaster to Haeseong City, with Chae-ni's love interest, Un-jeong, having some secrets of his own while boasting incredible telekinetic powers, alongside some dangerous superpowered adversaries.
This is all captured in eight glorious episodes that are careful never to take themselves too seriously, while still featuring some key melodrama, especially as Chae-ni's grandmother has some secrets of her own. Subscribe to the newsletter for K-drama superhero picks Get deeper context, cast chemistry breakdowns, and curated K-drama superhero recommendations by subscribing to the newsletter—perfect for readers who want analysis, episode highlights, and picks that expand on this show's playful parody spirit.
Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. There are aspects that The WONDERFools could never hope to replicate from Strong Girl Bong-soon. Chae-ni starts out about as prickly as it gets, taking and annihilating a child's Jaws Bar just to give him a taste of her misery.
But as Chae-ni falls in with her found family, and finds her second wind and incredible abilities that allow her to see the sights she dreamed of, creating a delightful, hilarious, and thrilling superhero parody perfect for Bong-soon fans and, really, any K-drama fans in general.
Well before even its final episode, Chae-ni and her social reject friends become a truly inseparable and wholesome gang worthy of the show's moniker, The WONDERFools. 10/10 The WONDERfools 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed 15 Comedy Drama Sci-Fi Fantasy Superhero Action Adventure Release Date May 15, 2026 Network Netflix Directors Yoo In-sik Writers Huh Dah-joong 3 Images Close Cast Creator Kang Eun-kyung, Yoo In-sik, Huh Dah-joong Powered by Expand Collapse
K-Drama Superhero Parody 1999 End Of The World Fears Cell Phones JNCO Jeans Dial-Up Internet Y2K Chae-Ni Eun Chae-Ni The Wonderfools Strong Girl Bong-Soon Superhero Parody Comedy Plot Beats Present-Day Budgets Breathtaking Action Romantic Elements Pacing K-Dramas Relentless Spy Thriller
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