Netflix's Newest Release Is 2024's Most Deranged Sci-Fi Show Yet

Summary

• A new South Korean sci-fi comedy has been released on Netflix.
• The series has been wowing users of the service with its incredibly weird yet entertaining concept.
• Reviews so far have been slightly less than enthusiastic, but the show has brought back memories of the sweet insanity of South Korean television in the 00s.

Over the past few months, Netflix has wowed audiences around the world with compelling, high-octane releases, stealing attention from other streaming services and traditional broadcasters. Some of these shows have received rave reviews, while others have failed to live up to expectations, but they all have one thing in common — they take up almost all of the media space. And while such hype around potential hits and even new flagships definitely works in Netflix's favor, the streaming service isn't forgetting about other shows.

These (many of which are foreign projects) are sadly underpromoted, but incredibly entertaining thanks to their unconventional attempts to gain ratings and audiences. And so, while the media and social networks have been abuzz with discussions about such high-profile Netflix releases as the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, Guy Ritchie 's The Gentlemen, or 3 Body Problem by the creators of Game of Thrones, the service's library has been quietly updated with a new Korean original series.

It is a story about the importance of family... or the importance of chicken nuggets... Well, both, in fact. It is the zaniest and certainly most ridiculous K-drama in years, and that is what makes it unique and worth watching. So, without further ado, let's take a look at this new show.

What Is This Wild Sci-Fi Comedy About?

Some of you may have heard of this series by now — after all, its absurd premise certainly hasn't gone unnoticed by South Korean TV fans and eagle-eyed Netflix subscribers.

We're talking about the sci-fi comedy mystery series Chicken Nugget, based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Park Ji-dok. It was directed and written by filmmaker Lee Byeong-heon, whose 2019 Extreme Job became the most commercially successful Korean film of all time, grossing an impressive $120 million at the box office.

As a rule, it's not uncommon for Koreans to come up with some bizarre narratives, but in this case, it appears that all the comments about the new show being 'zanny' aren't even hyperbolic. After all, it accurately describes all the insanity that goes on throughout the story.

The plot follows a scientist (Ryu Seung-ryong) and his assistant (Ahn Jae-hong) as they try their best to restore the scientist's daughter (Kim Yoo-jung) to her human form. Why, you may ask? Well, you see, she has accidentally morphed into... yes, a chicken nugget.

What Do Critics and Viewers Say about This K-Drama?

Considering the show's recent release and the fact that it hasn't had as extensive a marketing campaign as the high-profile Netflix projects mentioned above, Chicken Nugget unfortunately can't boast high ratings or high scores on review aggregators. It has a 5.0/10 rating on IMDb and a 75% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics, on the other hand, have been much less active.

And yet, the reviews seem somewhat understated, because despite the whole idea, the series is very serious about its non-seriousness, while providing excellent dynamics and character development. Many have even compared it to the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, where all the surreal absurdity was more of an allusion to the difficulties of maintaining family relationships.

At the same time, some have noted that the new series is reminiscent of the old-school South Korean television of the '00s, with its equally wacky romances and variety shows.

All 10 episodes of Chicken Nuggets are currently available on Netflix.