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| 12 Shows Like ‘The WONDERfools’: The Best Korean Dramas Mixing Superpowers, Chaos, Comedy and Weirdly Emotional Friendships. (Credits: Netflix) |
Netflix’s The WONDERfools (2026) has somehow managed to turn superhero chaos into one of the funniest K-drama experiences of the year. Instead of polished heroes flying through the sky looking emotionally unavailable in leather outfits, this series throws viewers into complete disorder. People scream, camera angles attack from nowhere, powers malfunction at the worst possible moment, and somehow it still becomes ridiculously entertaining. The drama feels like somebody mixed retro nostalgia, supernatural nonsense and workplace exhaustion into one giant bowl, then handed it to Park Eun Bin and Cha Eun Woo to sort out.
Set in 1999, The WONDERfools follows the bizarre lives of Eun Chae Ni, Lee Woon Jeong, Song Kyeong Hoon, and Kang Ro Bin, ordinary people who suddenly develop extraordinary abilities while living in the fictional city of Haeseong. Naturally, instead of becoming smooth Marvel-style heroes overnight, they mostly become stressed, confused and accidentally destructive. Which honestly feels more realistic. Korean dramas love making supernatural stories feel painfully relatable, and this series fully commits to that energy.
Viewers especially praised the chemistry between Park Eun Bin, Cha Eun Woo, Choi Dae Hoon, and Im Seong Jae. While Park Eun Bin practically weaponises facial expressions like a comedy genius, Cha Eun Woo’s calm and mysterious performance acts as the perfect balance. His character often looks like the only sane person trapped inside a universe that lost control of itself three episodes ago.
Online reactions to the series have been surprisingly passionate. Some viewers called it “the weirdest K-drama masterpiece in years”, while others admitted they needed two episodes to fully understand the show’s aggressively chaotic humour.
Many netizens also compared the series to older cult-favourite fantasy comedies that initially confused audiences before building loyal fandoms later. One viral comment simply read: “This drama feels like four different genres fighting each other in public.” Somehow, that is also the best review possible.
12 Shows Like The WONDERfools
For viewers now searching for dramas with similar absurd humour, superhero energy, fantasy madness and emotionally chaotic friendships, there are actually plenty of Korean series carrying the same spirit.
Moving (2023)
If The WONDERfools made you realise you enjoy watching ordinary people panic over supernatural abilities, then Moving is the obvious next step. The Disney+ drama takes superhero storytelling and gives it a deeply emotional Korean twist.
Rather than focusing purely on flashy powers, the story explores exhausted parents, traumatised teenagers and government conspiracies hidden beneath everyday life. Much like The WONDERfools, the characters are constantly balancing normal routines with situations becoming increasingly ridiculous.
The humour in Moving is less aggressively absurd, but the emotional chaos feels very familiar. Characters casually discuss school grades before somebody suddenly crashes through a wall.
The contrast works brilliantly. Fans of The WONDERfools will especially enjoy the found-family dynamics and the way powers often become emotional burdens instead of cool party tricks. Also, both dramas understand one important truth: people with powers would still struggle with awkward conversations and terrible timing.
Behind Your Touch (2023)
This drama fully embraces comedy-driven supernatural nonsense in ways that feel spiritually connected to The WONDERfools. Starring Han Ji Min and Lee Min Ki, the series follows a veterinarian who develops psychic abilities after a meteor shower. Unfortunately for everyone involved, her powers activate through physical contact in extremely awkward situations.
Like The WONDERfools, the drama constantly balances absurd comedy with mystery and emotional sincerity. One moment viewers are laughing at completely ridiculous situations, then suddenly the series becomes unexpectedly tense.
The exaggerated reactions, bizarre editing choices and eccentric side characters feel very close to the chaotic energy Netflix’s 2026 superhero drama delivers. Netizens especially praised how unapologetically weird the show became, which is honestly the highest compliment a fantasy comedy can receive.
Strong Girl Bong-soon (2017)
Before K-dramas became obsessed with traumatised anti-heroes and morally complicated billionaires staring into the distance, Strong Girl Bong-soon reminded viewers that superpowers can simply be hilarious. Park Bo Young plays a tiny woman gifted with terrifying super strength, creating endless moments where criminals underestimate her seconds before regretting every life decision they have ever made.
The similarities to The WONDERfools are obvious. Both dramas take ridiculous concepts seriously enough to stay emotionally grounded while still allowing complete comedic chaos. The humour depends heavily on exaggerated expressions, over-the-top reactions and the feeling that no character fully understands what is happening.
Fans who loved Park Eun Bin’s comedic performance will probably appreciate Bong-soon’s chaotic energy too. Also, both dramas share a very Korean approach to superhero storytelling where romance, family problems and workplace stress somehow remain equally important as saving people.
The Uncanny Counter (2020)
If your favourite part of The WONDERfools was watching deeply unqualified people slowly become heroes together, then The Uncanny Counter absolutely deserves a place on your watchlist. The drama follows a group of demon hunters disguised as noodle restaurant employees, which already sounds like somebody created the premise during a sleep-deprived brainstorming session at 3am.
Like Netflix’s latest fantasy comedy, the series mixes action, emotional backstories and found-family relationships beautifully. While The Uncanny Counter is darker overall, it still contains plenty of comedic moments built around personality clashes and chaotic teamwork.
The strongest similarity lies in how both dramas focus on ordinary people suddenly carrying responsibilities far bigger than themselves while still arguing like tired co-workers trapped in group projects.
Psychokinesis (2018)
Not technically a drama but absolutely worth mentioning, Psychokinesis delivers the same “what if superpowers existed but everything remained painfully messy?” atmosphere.
Directed by Yeon Sang Ho, the film follows an average middle-aged father who develops telekinetic powers after drinking contaminated spring water. Instead of becoming a polished superhero, he mostly becomes confused and overwhelmed.
The humour feels very similar to The WONDERfools, especially in how casually absurd situations unfold. Characters react to impossible events with the exact emotional energy of people dealing with public transport delays.
The film also shares the same social commentary hidden underneath all the comedy, proving Korean fantasy stories often work best when they remain grounded in ordinary frustrations.
Fiery Priest (2019)
No actual superpowers exist here, but spiritually this drama absolutely belongs in the same conversation. Fiery Priest follows an aggressive Catholic priest investigating corruption while screaming at criminals with enough intensity to qualify as a supernatural ability.
Fans of The WONDERfools will immediately recognise the chaotic pacing, exaggerated humour and strangely lovable group dynamics. The editing style, comedic timing and over-the-top reactions often feel like controlled madness.
Much like Netflix’s 2026 series, the drama constantly shifts between ridiculous comedy and surprisingly emotional storytelling without warning viewers first. One minute somebody is falling over dramatically, the next minute the plot becomes deeply serious. Korean television somehow keeps making this formula work.
Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)
Fantasy, comedy and emotional healing collide beautifully in Mystic Pop-Up Bar. The drama centres on a mysterious bar owner solving people’s emotional problems through supernatural dream interventions. The setup sounds calm on paper, but the execution becomes delightfully strange very quickly.
What makes this drama feel similar to The WONDERfools is its balance between absurd humour and genuine emotional warmth.
Characters constantly find themselves trapped in bizarre supernatural situations while still worrying about normal human problems. The colourful visual style, quirky side characters and emotional sincerity beneath all the chaos create the same comforting weirdness fans loved in the Netflix series.
From Now On, Showtime! (2022)
This fantasy rom-com starring Park Hae Jin and Jin Ki Joo follows a magician who secretly works with ghosts to solve crimes. Which already sounds like a sentence written after somebody accidentally combined three completely unrelated drama pitches together.
The drama shares a similar tone with The WONDERfools because it refuses to take its supernatural elements too seriously. Instead, the story focuses heavily on character chemistry, comedic misunderstandings and emotionally chaotic teamwork.
Like Cha Eun Woo’s mysterious character in Netflix’s superhero comedy, Park Hae Jin’s lead often acts cool and composed while everything around him collapses into complete disorder.
School Nurse Files (2020)
Netflix’s School Nurse Files remains one of the strangest Korean dramas ever released, which honestly makes it perfect viewing after The WONDERfools. The series follows a school nurse who can see supernatural jelly-like creatures invisible to everyone else. Yes, the sentence sounds ridiculous. The drama somehow becomes even weirder visually.
Fans divided sharply when it first premiered. Some viewers called it genius, others looked emotionally exhausted after finishing it. Which is basically the exact reaction cycle currently happening with The WONDERfools.
Both series embrace surrealism, awkward humour and emotional unpredictability while refusing to explain everything neatly. If you enjoy fantasy stories that feel slightly unhinged but oddly meaningful, this drama absolutely deserves attention.
Chief Detective 1958 (2024)
Although it lacks literal superheroes, Chief Detective 1958 carries the same retro-teamwork charm that makes The WONDERfools so addictive. Set in the past, the drama follows eccentric detectives solving crimes through unconventional methods while constantly clashing with each other.
The nostalgic setting, comedic pacing and lovable dysfunctional teamwork feel surprisingly similar. Viewers who enjoyed the 1999 atmosphere in The WONDERfools will probably appreciate how this drama recreates its era without becoming overly serious. The characters behave like exhausted people trying their best while society around them becomes increasingly ridiculous.
Vincenzo (2021)
At first glance, Vincenzo seems far darker than The WONDERfools, but both dramas secretly thrive on controlled absurdity. The series follows an Italian mafia lawyer returning to Korea and becoming involved with deeply chaotic tenants who collectively share one brain cell during emergencies.
The exaggerated humour, dramatic camera work and bizarre ensemble cast create surprisingly similar energy. Like Netflix’s superhero comedy, Vincenzo constantly turns serious situations into comedic disasters before suddenly becoming emotional again. Fans online often described both dramas as “stressful but addictive”, which feels accurate.
Chicken Nugget (2024)
If you truly enjoyed the weirdest aspects of The WONDERfools, then Chicken Nugget might become your next obsession. The premise alone sounds fake: a woman accidentally transforms into a chicken nugget after entering a mysterious machine.
Somehow, the drama turns this completely absurd concept into a surprisingly heartfelt and funny story. Much like The WONDERfools, the series fully commits to its nonsense without apologising for it.
The humour is chaotic, the emotional beats arrive unexpectedly, and viewers constantly alternate between laughing and questioning reality itself. Which honestly feels like modern Korean fantasy storytelling at its peak.
The biggest reason audiences are connecting with The WONDERfools is not actually the superpowers. It is the fact these characters still feel painfully human while everything around them becomes increasingly ridiculous.
They argue, panic, misunderstand each other and accidentally create disasters before trying to save the day anyway. That balance between fantasy chaos and ordinary life has become one of Korean drama’s strongest storytelling weapons.
And judging by online reactions, viewers are clearly not ready to leave that energy behind anytime soon. So which drama gave you the same chaotic feeling as The WONDERfools? Or are viewers already demanding The WONDERfools Season 2 before the superhero group even figures out how to function properly first?