The Uncanny Counter: Season One
January 31, 2021 1:43 PM - Season 1 (Full Season) - Subscribe
Noodle shop employees by day and demon hunters by night, the Counters use special abilities to chase down malevolent spirits that prey on humans. Circumstances bring So Mun, a high school student, into their circle.
On the face of it this looks like a cheesy soap and the promotional materials can lend themselves to that perception, but not only is the production of good quality, but the acting and writing are too. It has been very popular in South Korea, and is highly rated elsewhere.
It's a fantasy detective story, but also a story about political corruption, friendship, bullying, family, trauma, and recovery.
Season 1 is on Netflix, which has already ordered Season 2.
On the face of it this looks like a cheesy soap and the promotional materials can lend themselves to that perception, but not only is the production of good quality, but the acting and writing are too. It has been very popular in South Korea, and is highly rated elsewhere.
It's a fantasy detective story, but also a story about political corruption, friendship, bullying, family, trauma, and recovery.
Season 1 is on Netflix, which has already ordered Season 2.
Ahhhh, you've just reminded me that I stopped watching this during the little hiatus over the holidays and then never picked it up back up again. I loved what I had seen thus far (this kind of sci-fi/fantasy can be so hit-and-miss in k-dramas, but this was definitely a "hit" for me!) and am curious to find out how the last few episodes fared with the screenwriter being replaced at the last minute apparently due to some disagreements with the production team about adapting from the webtoon.
Love the cast though, and am surprised that I've managed to not see any of the dramas Jo Byung-gyu has been in, because he is a delight and undoubtedly the hot new talent in dramaland.
posted by paisley sheep at 11:00 PM on February 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
Love the cast though, and am surprised that I've managed to not see any of the dramas Jo Byung-gyu has been in, because he is a delight and undoubtedly the hot new talent in dramaland.
posted by paisley sheep at 11:00 PM on February 10, 2021 [1 favorite]
I really don't know the first thing about k-dramas, but enjoyed this. I thought Kim Se-jeong did a great job as Ha-na, but really so many of the cast impressed.
posted by idb at 3:37 PM on February 11, 2021
posted by idb at 3:37 PM on February 11, 2021
We just finished this recently and really liked it. As idb said, one of the highlights was that there were some great depictions of friendship both among the Counters and the school kids (who wouldn't want childhood friends like that?).
Minor nit that they repeated scenes more than I would like (I guess its a sort of "previously" but instead of putting it in a recap segment they just... show the scenes again partway through the next episode?).
The core concept reminded me a lot of Persona 5 (small group of people who experienced their own injustices and have special abilities fighting corruption and evil in a way the police/society can't or won't).
posted by thefoxgod at 11:49 AM on February 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
Minor nit that they repeated scenes more than I would like (I guess its a sort of "previously" but instead of putting it in a recap segment they just... show the scenes again partway through the next episode?).
The core concept reminded me a lot of Persona 5 (small group of people who experienced their own injustices and have special abilities fighting corruption and evil in a way the police/society can't or won't).
posted by thefoxgod at 11:49 AM on February 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
Uncanny Counter show page at MyDramalist
The Review Geek Season 1 Review: "The situation off-screen with Uncanny Counter is almost as dramatic as what’s shown each week. With confirmation of an early second season renewal, screenwriter Yeo Ji-Na allegedly wasn’t happy with the direction of the show and quickly left, leaving the production team scrambling for a replacement. This does result in a slight tonal shift late on but to be honest it’s hardly noticeable. Overall though, The Uncanny Counter is a highly enjoyable action-packed Korean drama with some memorable characters and tight-knit writing. With a second season already greenlit and lots of positives to take from this one, Uncanny Counter is easily one of the best Korean dramas of 2021 so far and well worth a watch."
HELLOKPOP Review: "The Uncanny Counter" Sketches A Narrative Filled With Magical Realism While Keeping Its Webtoon Vibe
posted by oh yeah! at 8:09 PM on February 28, 2021
The Review Geek Season 1 Review: "The situation off-screen with Uncanny Counter is almost as dramatic as what’s shown each week. With confirmation of an early second season renewal, screenwriter Yeo Ji-Na allegedly wasn’t happy with the direction of the show and quickly left, leaving the production team scrambling for a replacement. This does result in a slight tonal shift late on but to be honest it’s hardly noticeable. Overall though, The Uncanny Counter is a highly enjoyable action-packed Korean drama with some memorable characters and tight-knit writing. With a second season already greenlit and lots of positives to take from this one, Uncanny Counter is easily one of the best Korean dramas of 2021 so far and well worth a watch."
HELLOKPOP Review: "The Uncanny Counter" Sketches A Narrative Filled With Magical Realism While Keeping Its Webtoon Vibe
posted by oh yeah! at 8:09 PM on February 28, 2021
I was watching this show as it was dropping weekly on Netflix up until my unplanned hiatus from all my regular tv viewing in the beginning of January, but I finally got back to it and finished it off last night. I enjoyed this more at the start, but I can't tell if I liked it less from whatever production issues they had from the screenwriter switch or just from the interruption. I still liked it overall, but I'm surprised it got such terrific ratings on Korean broadcast tv, and I'm not sure what the point of a second season will be. As much as I liked the characters and love seeing Yeom Hye Ran in anything since first watching her in "When the Camellia Blooms", it seems like everyone's arcs are pretty well resolved.
(idb - can you add the kdrama tag to the post? I added the kdrama_club tag already, but I can't add any others, only the OP can I think.)
posted by oh yeah! at 3:36 AM on March 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
(idb - can you add the kdrama tag to the post? I added the kdrama_club tag already, but I can't add any others, only the OP can I think.)
posted by oh yeah! at 3:36 AM on March 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
The evil spirits are almost not the point of this series, as it's as much about evils of political corruption and the protagonists using their powers to address that even though it's against the rules. With that said, the actors playing the humans who are possessed do a fantastic job portraying someone who has been possessed but also someone who was open to that possession.
posted by idb at 1:51 PM on January 31, 2021