Superheroes aren’t always people in capes saving the world. In K-dramas, they can be teenagers hiding extraordinary abilities, a family struggling with powers that are slowly disappearing, demon hunters working out of a noodle shop, or even an ordinary man whose strength depends on the cash in his wallet.
From action-packed supernatural thrillers to quirky comedies and heartfelt romances, these dramas put their own spin on the superhero genre. If you enjoy stories about ordinary people with extraordinary abilities, here are seven K-dramas to add to your watchlist.
“Moving”
Have superhero films often made you wonder whether superpowers do exist in the real world, or if they’re just a fiction of someone’s super imaginative mind? “Moving” takes place in the real world following three high school students who appear to be ordinary teenagers but are secretly hiding extraordinary abilities. Kim Bong Seok (Lee Jung Ha) can fly and Jang Hee Soo (Go Youn Jung) possesses incredible physical strength and has the ability to recover quickly from injuries, while Lee Gang Hoon (Kim Do Hoon) has superhuman strength and speed. As they struggle to keep their abilities hidden, they discover that their parents, played by Han Hyo Joo, Zo In Sung, and Ryu Seung Ryong, have been concealing extraordinary secrets of their own.
What begins as a coming-of-age story soon turns into a much bigger battle involving people with supernatural abilities and those determined to hunt them down. This is one of those shows which keeps you riveted and invested in its plot from beginning to end.
“The Atypical Family”
What happens when a family with supernatural abilities begins losing their powers? “The Atypical Family” follows the Bok family, whose members have inherited unusual abilities. Bok Gwi Ju (Jang Ki Yong) can travel back to happy moments from his past while his sister Bok Dong Hee (Claudia Kim) can fly and their mother Bok Man Heum (Go Doo Shim) can see the future through her dreams. But their powers begin to disappear as the family struggles with very modern problems, which include alcoholism and excess weight as well as the stress to fit in. Everything changes when Do Da Hae (Chun Woo Hee) enters their lives and becomes unexpectedly intertwined with the family.
Rather than focusing on saving the world, the drama uses its supernatural premise to explore loneliness, family, love, and the unexpected ways people can become each other’s salvation.
“The Uncanny Counter”
Meet the supernatural demon hunters known as Counters. They work at a humble noodle restaurant serving piping hot bowls of comforting broth, but their real job is to track down evil spirits that have come to Earth in search of eternal life. So Mun (Cho Byeong Gyu), the youngest member of the team, possesses extraordinary strength and becomes an important part of the Counters after discovering his abilities. Do Ha Na (Kim Se Jeong) can sense evil spirits and read memories through touch while Ga Mo Tak (Yoo Jong Sang) has incredible physical strength and Chu Mae Ok (Yeom Hye Ran) possesses healing abilities.
If you like your superheroes with plenty of action, humor, friendship, and found-family feels, “The Uncanny Counter“ delivers all of that while giving the superhero team a refreshingly unconventional home base: a noodle restaurant.
“Cashero”
What if your superpower depended on how much money you had in your wallet? Kang Sang Ung (Lee Junho), an ordinary civil servant, suddenly discovers that he becomes stronger the more cash he has. There is, however, one major catch: every time he uses his superhuman strength, he loses that money. As Sang Ung tries to balance his ordinary life, his relationship with Min Suk (Kim Hye Jun), and his newfound responsibility to protect people, he discovers that being a superhero can be an expensive business.
The clever premise gives “Cashero” plenty of comedic potential while also turning something as mundane as money into the hero’s greatest power and biggest weakness.
“The WONDERfools”
Set in 1999, when apocalyptic beliefs were regular fare with the world at the cusp of the millennium, Eun Chae Ni (Park Eun Bin) is an unpredictable young woman living in Haeseong City. When she unexpectedly gains a supernatural ability after a strange incident, her neighbors also develop unusual powers. There’s also Lee Un Jeong (Cha Eun Woo), a principled but socially awkward civil servant from Seoul, who arrives in the city and begins investigating a series of mysterious disappearances. As the unlikely group gets drawn into the case, they must learn to control their powers and come together to fight a villain threatening Haeseong City.
Forget polished superheroes in perfect costumes, “The WONDERfools” is at its most entertaining when its eccentric, imperfect characters fumble their way into becoming heroes, with the quirky comedy and Park Eun Bin and Cha Eun Woo’s pairing adding to its appeal.
“He Is Psychometric”
Lee Ahn (Park Jinyoung) can read the memories and feelings of people or objects through physical contact. His psychometric powers are far from perfect, and he often struggles to control them. He meets Yoon Jae In (Shin Ye Eun), a young woman determined to hide a painful secret from her past. As the two become involved in an investigation connected to a tragic incident, Lee Ahn begins using his unusual ability to uncover clues and search for the truth.
Blending supernatural powers with romance, mystery, and crime, “He Is Psychometric” is an engaging choice for viewers who enjoy stories where an unusual ability becomes both a gift and a burden, while the central romance gives the mystery an emotional dimension.
Start watching “He Is Psychometric”:
Watch Now
“The Game: Towards Zero”
Kim Tae Pyung (Taecyeon) is a mysterious sort who has the capacity to predict a person’s death simply by looking into their eyes. But this disturbing ability has left him emotionally isolated, as he is forced to see how everyone around him will die. But everything changes when he meets detective Seo Joon Young (Lee Yeon Hee), whose death he cannot see. When the two become involved in a case connected to the infamous “Midnight Killer,” Tae Pyung’s unusual ability becomes crucial to uncovering the truth.
This drama is a compelling choice if you enjoy supernatural abilities mixed with crime, mystery, romance, and psychological suspense, especially as Tae Pyung begins to question whether seeing the future means he can actually change it.
Start watching “The Game: Towards Zero”:
Watch Now
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.