In the past few months, you might have only seen Cha Eunwoo's name in association with his military conscription or his highly publicized now-settled tax dispute, but that's likely changing soon because the star's long-anticipated Netflix project, The WONDERfools, is arriving at last.
Filmed right before his enlistment, the ASTRO star is leading the cast of a new “turn-of-the-century superpower comedy” K-drama alongside Extraordinary Attorney Woo’s Park Eunbin, which the streamer announced back in 2024.
Over the last few years, Netflix has been expanding its South Korean repertoire with multiple variety shows and K-dramas, and The WONDERfools is the latest in the bunch. From the premise alone, it seems like the show will be somewhat of a first for Cha Eunwoo, who rose to prominence in the K-drama scene with swoon-worthy roles in titles like True Beauty and My ID is Gangnam Beauty. Below, find out everything we know about The WONDERfools before its long-anticipated premiere.
What will The WONDERfools be about?
According to a small synopsis shared by Netflix, The WONDERfools will be a “superpower comedy action adventure” set in 1999—what Netflix calls “the doomsday-fearing year 1999.” The WONDERfools follows “a group of awkward townies who unexpectedly gain superpowers and fight villains threatening the peace of Haeseong city.”
The show will be directed by Yoo Insik, who is also behind Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Dr. Romantic, with a script by Extreme Job’s Huh Dahjoong. The show was created by Kang Eunkyung, who is known for Gyeongseong Creature and Dr. Romantic. As confirmed by Netflix, the series was produced by NANGMANCREW and Kakao Entertainment, and co-produced by Cha Eunwoo and ASTRO’s management company, FANTAGIO.
Who is in the cast of The WONDERfools?
The WONDERfools stars Park Eunbin and Cha Eunwoo. Additional casting includes Gyeongseong Creature’s Kim Haesook, Choi Daehoon, Im Seongjae, and Son Hyunjoo. The best part is that we already know quite a bit about their characters.
Park Eunbin plays Eun Chaeni, who’s described as both “charming and funny” as well as “Haeseong city’s biggest trainwreck.” Chaeni is among those who gain superpowers through a mysterious event.
Cha Eunwoo is Lee Woonjung, who’s described as “a socially awkward civic servant from Seoul,” as well as “a man of principles and a stickler for rules at work” and “mysterious.” We’ve rarely seen Eunwoo in this type of “misfit” role, so anticipation is high. In the show, Woonjung will join Chaeni, trying to find missing people in Haeseong City.
Kim Haesook is Chaeni’s grandmother, Kim Jeonbok, who owns a popular restaurant in the city. The two are all each other have. However, Haesook might not be all that she seems, as Netflix teases she “has a glamorous yet dark past.”
Choi Daehoon plays Son Kyunghoon, Haeseong City Hall’s chief complainer. Im Seongjae is Kang Robin, who’s described as “Haeseong’s biggest pushover.” Much Chaeni, Kyunghoon and Robin also obtain superpowers. The trio, despite not seeing eye to eye, will become Haeseong’s vigilantes together and set out to fight villains—with a little help from Woonjung.
The series’ main antagonist is Ha Wondo, played by Son Hyunjoo, who’s described as “a character with dark desires hidden behind a cold and rational exterior.”
When is The WONDERfools coming out?
The WONDERfools premieres on Netflix on May 15.
Is there a trailer for The WONDERfools? Or photos?
There is indeed. Ahead of its May release, Netflix put out an official teaser trailer for The WONDERfools, giving us a peek at the group of misfits and what superpowers they'll get. You can see the trailer below:
To coincide with the trailer, Netflix also released three photos showing the ensemble in character, which you can see below:
This post will continue to be updated as more news about Netflix’s K-drama The WONDERfools breaks.
