This review may contain spoilers
Rock Solid Entertaining Series!
Either I have been extremely fortunate, or there is simply a treasure trove of K-dramas that I have had the pleasure of watching that have simply been superb! Series from "Mr. Sunshine," to "Descendants of the Sun" to "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," to "Crash Landing on You," to "Stranger" and on and on. I have been exposed to the very best that Korean television has had to offer, and I'm still leaving out many others.
On the surface, a viewer may look at this as a sort of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" type series where three individuals (which becomes four) run a Noodle restaurant, but on the side, they're catching demons, i.e. evil spirits. These people are called "Counters" as they are imbued with special, superhuman abilities from their "sponsors" or "counterparts" in Yung (a sort of staging area before moving on to "heaven."). To look at this series with those eyes is to short-change it dramatically.
Like nearly all great K-drama series, this series is driven by great, and even deep characterizations with a rich story that actually has something to say; how to deal with bullies, both within the school system as well as within the corporate world; those who would prey upon the weak and helpless.
Someone once said that evil tends to pervade when good people do nothing to stop it. Many consider this to be even worse than becoming "evil."
The story centers around Mun, a young high school boy who's suffered untold and unspeakable horrors by losing his parents in an accident and also the physical disabilities that are the result. And yet, he never hesitates to jump in and protect his friends and those who are "weak." Where most people would hesitate or not act at all, he doesn't even think about it. He simply acts. And while he can be impulsive and wears his emotions on his sleeve, he is essentially fearless when it comes to doing the right thing.
"The Uncanny Counter" is a testament to the ideal belief that even the smallest person can make a difference. Yes, the Counters have special powers, but they are also only four people going up against a system. Much like Superman who always finds himself in over-his-head against Lex Luthor...someone who uses the power of the system against him.
One of the things I love about K-dramas, is that they aren't afraid to allow their characters to demonstrate natural emotions. In this way, we are given deluge of deep, realistic, and relatable characters. We are also usually given something to really think about. In this series, we are presented with the idea that a person doesn't need to have special abilities or super powers in order to do the right thing; that, indeed, one person, no matter how small, can make a difference. It also conveys the truth that no one needs to stand alone. Bullies are cowards. All of them. And they are easily dealt with when people rally together to fight them.
All of the performances in this series are fantastically done. Characters that will make you laugh, sniffle, and evoke raw emotion. I suppose there is a reason why I'm far more into K-dramas right now than American shows, which no longer seem to provide me with stories and characters that speak to me. Instead, we're given a barrage of CGI, wooden characters that have virtually no depth at all.
On the surface, a viewer may look at this as a sort of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" type series where three individuals (which becomes four) run a Noodle restaurant, but on the side, they're catching demons, i.e. evil spirits. These people are called "Counters" as they are imbued with special, superhuman abilities from their "sponsors" or "counterparts" in Yung (a sort of staging area before moving on to "heaven."). To look at this series with those eyes is to short-change it dramatically.
Like nearly all great K-drama series, this series is driven by great, and even deep characterizations with a rich story that actually has something to say; how to deal with bullies, both within the school system as well as within the corporate world; those who would prey upon the weak and helpless.
Someone once said that evil tends to pervade when good people do nothing to stop it. Many consider this to be even worse than becoming "evil."
The story centers around Mun, a young high school boy who's suffered untold and unspeakable horrors by losing his parents in an accident and also the physical disabilities that are the result. And yet, he never hesitates to jump in and protect his friends and those who are "weak." Where most people would hesitate or not act at all, he doesn't even think about it. He simply acts. And while he can be impulsive and wears his emotions on his sleeve, he is essentially fearless when it comes to doing the right thing.
"The Uncanny Counter" is a testament to the ideal belief that even the smallest person can make a difference. Yes, the Counters have special powers, but they are also only four people going up against a system. Much like Superman who always finds himself in over-his-head against Lex Luthor...someone who uses the power of the system against him.
One of the things I love about K-dramas, is that they aren't afraid to allow their characters to demonstrate natural emotions. In this way, we are given deluge of deep, realistic, and relatable characters. We are also usually given something to really think about. In this series, we are presented with the idea that a person doesn't need to have special abilities or super powers in order to do the right thing; that, indeed, one person, no matter how small, can make a difference. It also conveys the truth that no one needs to stand alone. Bullies are cowards. All of them. And they are easily dealt with when people rally together to fight them.
All of the performances in this series are fantastically done. Characters that will make you laugh, sniffle, and evoke raw emotion. I suppose there is a reason why I'm far more into K-dramas right now than American shows, which no longer seem to provide me with stories and characters that speak to me. Instead, we're given a barrage of CGI, wooden characters that have virtually no depth at all.
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