If ‘The WONDERfools’ Has You Hooked, These K-Drama Superhero Comedies Need to Be on Your Watchlist

Netflix has a new obsession, and it goes by the name of ‘The WONDERfools’. Set in 1999, when Y2K fears were at an all-time high, the Korean series follows a motley crew of awkward, ordinary citizens who suddenly gain superpowers, causing chaos as they clumsily accept their new hero roles and attempt to take on the villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City.

The show received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its warm-hearted humanism, late-1990s nostalgia, and the performances of its main and supporting cast, while debuting at number six on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English Shows chart.

The appetite for this kind of chaotic, heart-filled Korean superhero storytelling is clearly enormous, and ‘The WONDERfools’ is far from the only show scratching that itch. Its interlocking plotlines and the characters’ personal growth helped push it into Netflix’s Global Top 10, making it one of the standout K-dramas of the year. If you have already burned through all eight episodes and are craving more, here is your next binge queue sorted.

‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’ and the Blueprint for K-Drama Superhero Comedy

Before there was a trio of bickering misfits fumbling their way through Haeseong, there was one very small woman stopping runaway buses with her bare hands. ‘The WONDERfools’ is the latest entry in a particularly unusual K-drama niche, that of superhero parody, in which characters are nearly always cast in an otherwise normal society with oddball powers often far beyond the norm in some capacity.

‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’ had a tongue-in-cheek approach to its action elements, with much of the fun coming from seeing Park Bo-young’s tiny frame performing Herculean tasks, including stopping a runaway bus in its tracks. The 2017 rom-com set a template that the entire genre has been chasing ever since, blending slapstick power gags with genuine romantic chemistry and a surprisingly tense crime subplot.

The show is a wonderful blend of slapstick comedy, old-fashioned romance, and a refreshing look at gender roles, with a hidden message that loving a strong woman makes you a better man. Park Bo-young’s performance earned the series a devoted global following that persists nearly a decade later.

Netflix’s ‘The WONDERfools’ can easily be perceived as a spiritual successor to ‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’ for nailing similar plot beats, and the newer series currently holds a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. If you somehow missed the original, consider it essential viewing before anything else on this list.

‘Moving’ Proves Korean Superhero Storytelling Can Go Truly Epic

For viewers who love the superhero framework but want something with significantly higher emotional stakes, ‘Moving’ is an absolute must. A South Korean drama about superpowered teens and the superpowered parents trying to protect them, ‘Moving’ became Disney+ and Hulu’s most-watched K-drama of all time, beating out series from the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universes in Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The series is reportedly the most expensive K-drama of all time, with a total budget of over 60 billion Korean won, and over 60 VFX studios across nine countries worked on the 7,000 CGI shots used across its 20 episodes. For context, the Avengers: Endgame team worked with roughly 2,700 VFX shots. The scale is genuinely staggering.

Where ‘The WONDERfools’ leans into comedy and retro nostalgia, ‘Moving’ goes for the gut with multigenerational trauma, sacrifice, and the weight of keeping loved ones safe from a shadowy government operation. The South China Morning Post awarded it a full five stars, calling it a fantastic superhero saga that lifts comic-book pulp to epic and emotional heights, with some of its most moving moments also being its most unexpected.

The two shows complement each other beautifully, sitting on opposite ends of the K-drama superhero tonal spectrum while sharing a deep commitment to character-first storytelling. Anyone who loved the emotional backbone woven through ‘The WONDERfools’ will find ‘Moving’ an extraordinarily rewarding follow-up.

‘Cashero’ Is the Most Recent K-Drama with Superpowers Worth Your Time

For those specifically chasing the absurdist comedy angle that makes ‘The WONDERfools’ so endearing, ‘Cashero’ is the closest contemporary match. Netflix’s ‘Cashero’ stands out as one of the most original Korean dramas of recent years, offering a sharp, ironic take on the superhero genre by blending action, comedy, and social commentary into an addictive binge-watch experience.

Lead by Lee Jun-ho, the series follows the hapless Kang Sang-ung, whose grumpy father foists an unwanted superpower upon him. He has been given superhuman strength, but he can only access it when he has cash on his person, and the more he has, the stronger he gets. Every time powers are used, money disappears, which creates a relentlessly funny and surprisingly sharp commentary on economic anxiety.

Other characters follow the same ironic logic, with one hero able to walk through walls only when drunk, while another gains telekinetic power by consuming more calories. The show fully commits to its ridiculous premise in a way that fans of ‘The WONDERfools’ will immediately recognize and appreciate.

‘Cashero’ is worth watching for the strong performances of the entire cast, particularly Lee Jun-ho and Kang Han-na, as well as its polished visual effects, though its writing and pacing can be uneven at times. Think of it as a slightly rougher but equally inventive companion piece to ‘The WONDERfools’, built for the exact same audience.

The Older Gems You Cannot Miss If K-Dramas with Superpowers Are Your Thing

Beyond the most obvious recommendations, the genre has a rich back catalogue worth digging into. ‘Strong Girl Nam-soon,’ a spin-off set in the same universe as ‘Strong Girl Bong-soon,’ follows another woman gifted with extraordinary strength, combining comedy, family dynamics, action, and crime investigation while showcasing powerful female characters. It stumbles in its final act but delivers consistently entertaining superhero chaos along the way.

‘Memorist’ offers a darker and more intense supernatural storyline, following a detective who can read people’s memories simply through touch and teams up with a brilliant profiler to track down dangerous criminals, delivering shocking twists, suspenseful investigations, and psychological tension. It represents the more serious end of the K-drama powers spectrum.

The Uncanny Counter also draws direct comparisons from fans of ‘The WONDERfools,’ with both dramas featuring the superhero concept alongside comedy, and the two-season run offering plenty of content for anyone who wants to settle into a longer series. The show centers on demon hunters who pose as noodle restaurant employees, bringing a grounded community feel that echoes ‘The WONDERfools’ sense of place.

The K-drama superhero boom is clearly not slowing down anytime soon, and with ‘The WONDERfools’ raising the bar for how warmth, comedy, and genuine heart can coexist in a single show, it is a great time to be a fan of the genre. Which of these shows are you planning to queue up after finishing ‘The WONDERfools,’ and did any of these misfit heroes hit differently than expected?