Cashero, Netflix’s new Korean action series, presents a superhero story where every heroic act has a literal price tag. The series follows an ordinary man who inherits extraordinary abilities that drain his bank account with each use, forcing him to balance his moral compass against financial reality.
What Is Cashero About?
Kang Sang-woong (Lee Jun-ho) is a civil servant in Seoul living an ordinary life with his longtime girlfriend Kim Min-sook (Kim Hye-jun). Their primary goal is saving enough money to buy a condo, but they find themselves 30 million won (approximately $20,000) short of their down payment target.
Sang-woong’s life changes dramatically when he visits his parents in the countryside. His father reveals a family secret: he possesses supernatural abilities that he now passes to his son through a handshake. Sang-woong discovers he has super strength and invulnerability, but with a significant catch: these powers only work when he has cash on hand, and each use causes the money to disappear.
“The powers only work if he has cash on him, and if he uses them, the money disappears, leaving some coins behind,” describes the show’s premise.
The series explores Sang-woong’s struggle between using his abilities to help people and preserving his limited finances to achieve his dream of home ownership. This conflict intensifies when he faces moral dilemmas, such as witnessing a man being beaten after selling him a PlayStation or encountering a bus full of people about to plunge off a bridge.
Key Characters and Their Abilities
Kang Sang-woong (Lee Jun-ho): The protagonist whose super strength and invulnerability are directly tied to the amount of cash he carries. The more money he has, the stronger his abilities become. Each use of his power converts his cash into coins that fall to the ground.
Kim Min-sook (Kim Hye-jun): Sang-woong’s pragmatic girlfriend who works as an accountant. She initially views his powers as financially inefficient but becomes his partner in navigating this new reality.
Byeon Ho-in (Kim Byung-chul): A lawyer who leads a secret organization of superhumans. His ability to pass through solid objects activates only when he drinks alcohol.
Bang Eun-mi (Kim Hyang-gi): A young woman with telekinetic powers that are fueled by calories consumed, particularly from her favorite food—bread.
The series introduces additional characters with equally unconventional power sources, including a man who must eat excessively and another who needs to get drunk to access their abilities.
The Central Conflict and Story Development
After reluctantly using his powers to save a bus from falling off a bridge—spending his mother’s entire 30 million won savings in the process—Sang-woong becomes publicly known as a hero. This event draws the attention of both allies and adversaries.
Sang-woong eventually connects with the Society of Korean Superhumans, a group dedicated to protecting people with abilities from a criminal organization called Beominhoe. This shadowy group, run by siblings Jo Anna (Kang Hanna) and Jo Nathan (Lee Chae-min), hunts superhumans to steal their powers and produces drugs that replicate supernatural abilities.
The central conflict escalates as Sang-woong faces waves of villains with virtually unlimited resources while he struggles with his financial limitations. The series builds toward a final confrontation where Sang-woong must reconsider what truly gives him strength.
Unique Production Elements
Director Lee Chang-min employed practical effects to create the distinctive coin imagery associated with Sang-woong’s powers. Instead of relying entirely on digital effects, the production team built a practical device that released coins naturally during filming.
“We built a device that lets coins fall naturally. The actor wore it while performing, combining the realistic texture with the special effects,” Lee Chang-min explained about the coin effect.
The series also developed a specific sound design for the falling coins, refining it over a month of testing different versions to achieve the right auditory signature.
Critical Reception and Viewer Experience
Early responses to the series highlight its unique premise and moral questions. Reviewers note that despite the seemingly humorous concept of a cash-powered superhero, the series maintains a surprisingly serious tone while exploring themes of responsibility, sacrifice, and the true meaning of wealth.
The dynamic between Sang-woong and Min-sook receives particular attention, with Min-sook’s practical, numbers-driven approach providing both conflict and balance to Sang-woong’s more idealistic tendencies.
Lee Jun-ho’s performance as the reluctant hero demonstrates range following his previous roles in Typhoon Family and King the Land, showing his ability to handle both comedic and serious material.
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Series Conclusion and Themes
Without revealing specific plot details, the series concludes with Sang-woong and Min-sook returning to their ordinary lives after facing extraordinary challenges. The ending emphasizes themes of community, sacrifice, and the realization that true strength comes not from money but from protecting what one values most.
“There may be some sacrifices involved, but even so, there are things we must protect. I think that’s the message the series delivers,” said Kim Hye-jun about the show’s conclusion.
The series, which premiered on December 26, 2025, consists of eight episodes and is available globally on Netflix. It’s based on a webcomic of the same name published between 2015 and 2016.
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