The Best Cha Eun-woo Dramas To Binge On While You Wait For The WONDERfools
From True Beauty to Island, the best roles he's played over the years
Korean actor and member of K-pop group ASTRO Cha Eun-woo is serving his mandatory military enlistment right now, but there is no dearth of releases to keep his fans, AROHA, empty-handed till his release in January next year. His road trip comedy, The First Ride, starring Kang Ha-neul hit theatres last October, while the first looks of his upcoming superhero drama The WONDERfools just dropped. Directed by Yoo In-shik of Extraordinary Attorney Woo fame, the show is confirmed to drop on Netflix this year, although the exact release date has not been announced yet.
Now, while you wait for the show (and Eun-woo’s return), why not watch - or rewatch - the best projects he has starred in?
True Beauty
Is it even a Cha Eun-woo recommendation list if it doesn’t feature True Beauty? The super hit drama inspired by the web novel of the same name has the idol-turned-actor essaying the role of the male lead. Eun-woo plays Lee Su-ho, a high school student with a dysfunctional family who saves the female lead (Moon Ga-young as Lim Ju-kyung) during an attempted suicide. Later, when Ju-kyung transfers to his school following her drastic glow up, he uncovers the secret behind her glow-up and helps her come to terms with her looks.
Where to watch: Netflix
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung
Cha Eun-woo plays the exiled prince Dowon, who secretly writes romance novels for women in this historical drama loosely based on the story of the state-complied records of the history of Korea’s Joseon dynasty. The titular role is played by Shin Se-kyung, a free-spirited woman who overcomes all odds to become one of the first palace historians in the country’s history. The unlikely friendship between the two blossoms into romance, of the need to balance one’s individual voice and preserving historical traditions.
Where to watch: Netflix
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A Good Day To Be A Dog
In this fantasy romance drama, a literature teacher Han Hae-na (Park Gyu-Yeoung) is cursed to turn into a dog at night whenever she kisses someone. One night, she drunkenly kisses her coworker, the history teacher Jin Seo-won (Cha Eun-woo). To add to her problems, Cha Eun-woo’s character has a deep-seated fear of dogs which he must overcome, because he is the only one who can break the curse.
Where to watch: Rakuten Viki, YouTube
Island
A fantasy-action drama is the complete opposite of the kind of roles Eun-woo usually does, but that doesn’t stop him from shining in Island. Set in a Jeju Island haunted by demons, a half demon Van (Kim Nam-gil) and Won Mi-ho (Lee Da-hee) team up to prevent the demons from escaping to the rest of the world. Cha Eun-woo plays Johan, a devout Catholic priest tasked with performing exorcisms on the island.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Wonderful World
This revenge thriller revolves around Eun Soo-hyun (Kim Nam-joo), a renowned psychologist and author whose life changes after her son's hit-and-run death goes unpunished. Cha Eun-woo plays Kwon Sun-hyul, a mysterious medical school dropout who is initially her protege conspiring against her, but later teams up with her as they uncover a larger conspiracy involving corruption, uniting over their shared pain.
Where to watch: JioHotstar