Cachero is Netflix’s latest Korean action-comedy that explores the life of an average guy who gains superpowers but chooses not to use them due to the financial cost. Sounds amusing, doesn’t it?
Cachero: Stream or skip?
Opening shot: A sprawling condominium complex in Seoul. Inside, a man admires a model of the place. “This is me when I was happy,” I hear him say. “Back when superpowers weren’t something I had to worry about.”
Key points: Kang Sang-woong, played by Lee Jun-ho, is a civil servant in search of an apartment with his longtime girlfriend Kim Min-sook (Kim Hye-joon). Min-sook is a pragmatic accountant who even proposes the idea of dating in a straightforward manner. She calculates that even if she sells all her possessions and pools her savings, she’ll still be short roughly 30 million won (about $20,000) for the down payment.
During a visit to her parents in the countryside, her father, Kang Dong-gi (Jung Seung-gil), who is usually rather bitter about finances, surprises Sung-woong with an unexpected gift. A handshake between father and son causes the cabin they’re in to tremble.
What Dong-gi passes on to Sang-woong is a unique power he inherited from his biological father. Soon, Sang-woong discovers he has superhuman strength and immortality, but there’s a significant catch: these powers can only be activated if you have cash. Each time Sang-woong uses his abilities, he loses money, reducing his wealth to mere coins.
Though I wasn’t supposed to spill the beans, I end up telling Min-sook. She pragmatically tests how useful these powers can be. They find out it costs at least 10,000 won (around $7) to activate his abilities, and the more money Sang-woong possesses, the stronger the power becomes. Despite the potential for good deeds, Min-sook ultimately deems the ability practically useless since they have an apartment to save for.
Which show do you recall? Cachero is penned by Lee Jae-in and Jung Chan-ho and draws inspiration from the webtoon of the same name. It’s reminiscent of other “reluctant superhero” narratives, but with a fascinating financial twist.
Our view: The core idea of Cachero revolves around Sang-woong’s desire to perform good deeds, hindered by financial limitations. There are moments, like when he helps an elderly woman carry heavy bags up subway stairs, that capture the essence of small acts of kindness. He buys a PS5 from a seller who promptly jumps on some thugs with Sang-woong’s cash. He truly wants to make a difference, but it weighs on him that he might lose his savings in the process.
This premise is intriguing, particularly as Sang-woong is grounded by a very realistic Min-sook. However, things may take a turn when his mother gives him the necessary 30 million won for their apartment down payment. He receives the cash in a paper bag to avoid gift tax, but a significant accident on the bridge he’s crossing forces him to make difficult choices about prioritizing cash or saving lives. His public actions lead him on a more meaningful journey than he initially intended.
Interestingly, he encounters a group of others with unusual powers—some require excessive food consumption to harness their abilities, while others need to drink. They all grapple with whether they should help others or focus on their lives, which shapes their journeys in unexpected ways.
The show has a light-hearted tone that fits the absurdity of Sang-woong’s powers well. But it will be fascinating to see how he navigates helping others, especially when realizing the cost to the comfortable life he and Min-sook had planned.
Featured performance: It’s amusing to watch Lee Jun-ho as Kang Sang-woong, deliberately moving slowly to save a few bucks.
Sex and skin: None.
Parting shot: On the bridge, people witness Sang-woong saving the bus while coins scatter across the road. “Great. No more. Totally no more,” he quips in a voiceover.
Sleeper Star: Kim Hyang-ki, playing Bang Eun-mi, needs to eat to channel her telekinetic powers, while Kim Byung-cheol, as Byung Ho-in, must drink for his powers to work.
The most pilot-like line: Min-sook advises Sang-woong that marrying her could improve their lottery odds for an apartment. How romantic!
Our call: Let’s stream. Cachero offers a fun superhero concept that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet interestingly tackles the complexities of wanting to utilize powers while being aware of the literal costs involved.
