“Revenge” is the name of the game in the new Korean drama from MBC TV, Wonderful World, featuring veteran star Kim Nam-joo and K-pop idol and actor Cha Eun-woo, who returns to the network following 2023’s A Good Day To Be a Dog.
Wonderful World is particularly anticipated by fans of Korean television since it marks award-winning actress Kim Nam-joo’s first role in six years, following the acclaim of the 2018 crime drama Misty. Cha Eun-woo’s fanbase from his work as a member of the beloved K-pop band Astro certainly won’t hurt the show’s chances of success, either. The singer is dedicating 2024 to his solo career both as a musician and as an actor, releasing his first album just days before Wonderful World is set to premiere.
When is Wonderful World coming out?
Wonderful World will premiere on Mar. 1, 2024. New episodes are scheduled to drop every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 pm Korean Standard Time, taking over from Knight Flower. The show is set to last 14 episodes.
It’s directed by Lee Seung-young, known for his work in the shows Tracer and Voice, and written by Lie After Lie and Cheongdamdong Scandal‘s Kim Ji-eun. It’s a Samhwa Networks production.
What is Wonderful World about?
Wonderful World is a revenge drama about a mother who seeks to avenge her young son’s death. In the lead, Kim Nam-joo plays Eun Soo-hyun, a renowned psychology professor whose perfect life is shattered by the tragedy of her son’s killing. Blinding by grief, and frustrated with the justice system, she decides to go after the perpetrator herself.
In the process, she crosses paths with other people who have suffered similar pain as they grow together to heal their wounds. One of them is Kwon Sun-yool, played by Cha Eun-woo, a young medical school dropout with a mysterious past. His struggle with illness as a child led him to study medicine to help others, but the unexpected death of his parents in a series of accidents derailed his plans.
Who else stars in Wonderful World?
Joining Kim Nam-joo and Cha Eun-woo in the cast of Wonderful World is The Missing‘s Kim Kang-woo as Soo-hyun’s husband, Kang Soo-ho — once a reporter for a major broadcasting station, he is now an anchorman for a channel no one watches. When the Weather is Fine‘s Im Se-mi plays Han Yoo-ri, a concept store owner who is like a sister to the protagonist.
Other cast members include The Producers‘ Park Hyuk-kwon as Kim Jun, In Her Place‘s Gil Hae-yeon as Jung Myung-hee, and Beautiful‘s Cha Soo-yeon as Yoon Hye-geum. Oh Man-seok, Kang Myung-joo, Jin Geon-woo, Yang Hye-ji, Kim Woo-hyun, Lim Ji-sub, and Lee Jun also feature in minor roles.
Is there a trailer for Wonderful World?
There is no full trailer for Wonderful World yet, but there is a 37-second teaser, revealing the show’s high intensity and deep emotional conflict. “Everything started with that day’s incident,” Kim Nam-joo’s Soo-hyun narrates ominously as a series of shots of a burning house, a surgery room, and someone wiping the floor rapidly flash across the screen.
The teaser also gives a glimpse into Cha Eun-woo’s troubled Sun-yool who seems to star in the show’s most powerful and dramatic scenes, giving him a chance to flex his acting chops.
Will Wonderful World be available outside of South Korea?
Yes. Wonderful World will be available to stream on Disney Plus. It’s unclear whether it will be targeted towards Asian regions only or receive a worldwide release.