Netflix’s new original series ‘Wonderfools’ is facing both high expectations and concerns ahead of its release.
Set for a global release on the 15th, ‘Wonderfools’ was already marked as a highly anticipated project as it marks the reunion of Park Eun-bin and Director Yoo In-sik, the duo who created the ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ syndrome on ENA. With a star-studded lineup including Cha Eun-woo, Son Hyun-joo, Kim Hae-sook, and Bae Nara, its global success seemed likely. However, allegations of tax evasion involving Cha Eun-woo just before the release have introduced an unexpected variable.
Park Eun-bin and Director Yoo In-sik Reunite for Netflix’s Ambitious Project
Set in 1999 at the end of the century, ‘Wonderfools’ is a superpower comic adventure about ordinary people who accidentally gain abilities and fight villains to save the world. The project garnered attention from early production simply because Park Eun-bin and Director Yoo In-sik, who achieved a peak rating of 17.5% with ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’, teamed up again.
Park Eun-bin, in particular, is an actress who has proven her influence not only in Korea but also in the global OTT market. Recognized as an actress who can secure both artistic quality and buzz, she takes a central role in this work. Released stills have teased the world’s atmosphere, showing Kim Jeon-bok (Kim Hae-sook) hugging her granddaughter ‘Eunchaeni’ and the cold aura of Ha Won-do (Son Hyun-joo).
The ‘Wunderkinder’ trio—Seok Ju-ran (Jung Yi-seo), Seok Ho-ran (Choi Yoon-ji), and Kim Pal-ho (Bae Nara)—who gained superpowers through past experiments, have also been revealed. With different abilities such as brainwashing, hallucinations, and gravity control, they are expected to add tension to the plot. The production team highlighted sophisticated directing, unpredictable developments, and a unique combination of characters as the core points of the series.
Hit by Cha Eun-woo’s Tax Evasion Allegations… Atmosphere Shifts Rapidly Before Release
However, the mood surrounding the project shifted abruptly before the release. As allegations of tax evasion by Cha Eun-woo surfaced, the entire drama now carries that risk. The controversy came to light last January. It was belatedly reported that Cha Eun-woo, who is currently serving in the Army military band, was notified by the National Tax Service of a tax collection amounting to 20 billion won.
Cha Eun-woo’s side initially contested the National Tax Service’s decision and requested a pre-tax review, but they moved to resolve the controversy by paying the full amount of tax about three months later. After paying the personal income tax in full, it is known that the actual amount paid was around 13 billion won, as some overlapping amounts from previously paid corporate and value-added taxes were refunded.
The problem is that the public is now much more sensitive to issues regarding celebrities’ taxes, military service, and crimes than in the past. In a highly competitive OTT market, the fact that an actor’s personal image directly affects the consumption of a work is also seen as a burden. In recent years, several projects have experienced reduced marketing, adjusted release dates, and a drop in buzz due to controversies involving lead actors.
“Can He Move Beyond Being a Visual Star?”… The Fates of Cha Eun-woo and Park Eun-bin Diverge
This project is a critical turning point for Cha Eun-woo. While he has consistently held lead roles based on a stable fandom and high buzz, controversies over his acting skills have also persisted. The key will be whether he can demonstrate deeper emotional range and character portrayal in this work, having previously focused on youth romance and fantasy genres.
On the other hand, Park Eun-bin is still regarded as the project’s greatest safety net. Having convincingly portrayed characters across various genres, she is an actress with both a high success rate and strong public trust. Analysis suggests that for ‘Wonderfools’ to survive the controversy, the core will be how much the narrative and quality, centered around Park Eun-bin, can persuade viewers.
Reactions to the released teaser videos and character stills are not bad. Many evaluate the unique worldview combining superpower settings with an end-of-the-century vibe and the strong character compositions as fresh. However, the fact that actor issues are being consumed before the artistic quality of the work is a burden for the production team.
Starting at the finish line with both the expectation of being the next project from the ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ team and the concern of a “13 billion won risk,” attention is focused on whether the work can flip the mood with its own strength. Netflix’s ‘Wonderfools’ will be released simultaneously in 190 countries on the 15th.
