The Uncanny Counter


The Uncanny Counter is a 2020 South [Korean television series] starring Jo Byeong-kyu, Yoo Jun-sang, Kim Se-jeong, Yeom Hye-ran, Ahn Suk-hwan, and Yoo In-soo. Based on the Kakao Webtoon webtoon Amazing Rumor by Jang Yi, it centers on the titular character So Mun, a high school student with a disability who is enlisted to be part of the Counters, a group of paranormal hunters who search for and fight against evil spirits that escape from the afterlife to prey on humans. The first season aired from November 28, 2020, to January 24, 2021, on OCN's Saturdays and Sundays at 22:30 for 16 episodes. The second season aired from July 29 to September 3, 2023, on tvN's Saturdays and Sundays at 21:20 timeslot for 12 episodes. It is also available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.
The series became the highest-rated OCN series so far.

Series overview

Synopsis

Season 1

In the fictional city of Jungjin, a group of four demon-hunters called the Counters bear the arduous task of searching for and banishing evil spirits that escaped the afterlife to gain immortality. These evil spirits possess local human hosts who have committed murder or have a strong desire to murder, encourage their host's desire to kill, and consume the spirit of the victim. The Counters were once in comas when a partner spirit from Yung, the boundary between the afterlife and the world of the living, possesses them and gives them perfectly healthy bodies and consciousness along with superhuman strength and supernatural abilities. Three of the Counters — Ga Mo-tak, Do Ha-na, and Chu Mae-ok — pose as workers in Eonni's Noodles, a noodle restaurant which serves as their hideout.
One day, the fourth Counter Jang Cheol-joong is killed in a battle against a strong "Level 3" evil spirit. As his spirit gets consumed by his killer, his Yung partner Wi-gen struggles to find a new comatose human to possess. Uncannily, she is quickly drawn towards high school boy So Mun who, despite being disabled, is nevertheless perfectly healthy and alive. As soon as Wi-gen possessed him, the unknowing Mun starts noticing bizarre changes to his body and starts seeing Wi-gen in his dreams. Soon, Mun finds the answers in Eonni's Noodles, and as he becomes the replacement to the late Cheol-joong, he finds himself on a thrilling journey of battling against bloodthirsty demons, reconnecting to his past, and uncovering the ugly truth behind a major redevelopment project in Jungjin.

Season 2

Three years after the events of Season 1, the Counters are actively catching evil spirits that still linger around Jungjin. Mo-tak has returned to the police force, thereby requiring the recruitment of another Counter since he found it difficult to balance between two places. At the same time, in China, three humans possessed by evil spirits — Hwang Pil-kwang, Gelli Choi and Wong Li Qiang — were hunted by the Chinese Counters but instead managed to kill them all, taking their souls and Counters' abilities. Meanwhile, a firefighter Ma Joo-seok and his wife Min-ji were one of the many families affected by the scam of Baekdu Construction, and Joo-seok seeks revenge on the ones responsible for Min-ji's death.

Cast

Main

Counters

Yung

Season 1
  • Yoon Joo-sang as Ha Seok-gu
  • Lee Joo-sil as Jang Chun-ok
  • Choi Yoon-young as Kim Jeong-yeong
  • Lee Kyung-min as Kang Han-wool
  • Son Kang-gook as Choi Soo-ryong
  • Choi Kwang-il as Shin Myung-hwi
  • Jeon Jin-oh as Noh Chang-kyu
  • Kim Seung-hoon as Noh Hang-kyu
  • Lee Do-yeop as Cho Tae-shin
  • Kim Jung-jin as Jang Hye-kyung
  • Kim Yi-kyung as Kim Yeong-nim
    Season 2
  • Hong Ji-hee as Lee Min-ji
  • Seong Byeong-suk as Shin Jung-ae
  • Seo Byeok-joon as Park Do-hwi
  • Park Jung-bok as Park Sung-wook
  • Jeong Taek-hyeon as Lim Jae-youl
  • Kim Hyun-joon as Lee Choong-jae

    Special appearances

Season 1

Production

Development

Scriptwriter Yeo Ji-na left the series after 12 episodes due to "different opinions on the series' final storyline;" the 13th episode was written by director Yoo Seon-dong and the final three episodes of the season were written by Kim Sae-bom. On January 25, 2021, the series was officially renewed for a second season.
Through OCN and tvN, a special broadcast titled The Uncanny Return aired on February 7, 2021, at 22:40. The special broadcast stars Jo Byeong-kyu, Yoo Jun-sang, Kim Se-jeong, Yeom Hye-ran, Ahn Suk-hwan, Choi Kwang-il, Ok Ja-yeon, Lee Hong-nae and Jung Won-chang.

Casting

In July 2020, Jo Byeong-kyu, Yoo Jun-sang, Kim Se-jeong and Yeom Hye-ran were confirmed to star in the series. The first script reading took place in October 2020.

Soundtrack

The following are the official track lists of The Uncanny Counter: Original Soundtrack and The Uncanny Counter 2: Original Soundtrack albums, which were released on January 24, 2021, and September 3, 2023, respectively, by labels Genie Music and Stone Music Entertainment. The tracks with no indicated lyricists and composers are the drama's musical score; the artists indicated for these tracks are the tracks' composers themselves.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 1
Part 2
'''Part 3'''

Release

The first teaser was released on October 19, 2020, giving sneak peeks of the characters.

Viewership

The first episode of the series logged an average viewership ratings of 2.7% nationwide and 3.2% in metropolitan area, peaking at a high of 4.1%. The second episode logged a ratings of 4.35%, witnessing an unusual increase in average nationwide viewership compared to the ratings of the first episode. The audience rating for the third episode was 5.2% nationwide. It rose 0.8% from the ratings of the last two episodes. The 16th episode recorded a rating of 11% for nationwide audience, which was the highest for the series.

Season 1

Season 2

Awards and nominations