The Uncanny Counter 경이로운 소문 [S1: 2020-2021] [S2: 2023]

[mademoiselle]

@Tofu You are right, Jeok Bong is annoying. The show keeps making the Counters do comedic stunts but I don't find the humour in them at all.

 

I find episode 5 slowed in pacing and full of loopholes. Twice in a row, the Counters let the bad guys escape. So Mun clearly could stop Gelly and the man on the bike with his power, but he did none of that and decided to "chase" after them instead. Like really? Also, why couldn't Hana sense the akgwi in Ma Joo Seok at the court?

 

Hana and her ex-classmate's scene doesn't interest me although I get the "point" of inclusion. I kinda wish Ahn Hyo Seop was the one who plays her ex-crush since he could play piano too. Haha.

 

Other than that, the most interesting bits are Hwang Pil Gwang's scenes and the ending.

Edited August 14, 2023 by mademoiselle

[mademoiselle]

Episode 6

 

I don't know about you guys but these two episodes are not as interesting. I find it repetitive as well. The situation is dire, but the Counters are having too much spare time instead of training Jeok Bong so he can help them fight (rather than just relying on his nose).

 

I also think the Counters and villains fought too early in the show, so when the story slowed down and So Mun et al. kept losing chase on the akgwi, it becomes boring and draggy. Plus So Mun being the strongest of all can't contain Ma Joo Seok? C'mon. Let's say So Mun didn't want to hurt him with his power, but surely So Mun is skilled enough to "contain" him. 🤨🙄

 

This is what happens when the hero is too strong but the show now wants to convince me he is not. 😥

 

@Tofu Less annoying scenes of Jeok Bong but the issue is, I just don't like his demeaners and the way he talks.

[stroppyse]

@mademoiselle and @Tofu, I find Jeok Bong just annoying, and I'm already really tired of him. The comedy is falling a bit flat, especially because both the comedy and the story seem to be a bit stuck in repeat, and they have to violate their own rules of power and behaviour as @mademoiselle pointed out so well. Rather than the steadily building of tension, it doesn't feel as if there is a lot on the line.

 

As for Ma Joo Seok, I think we get it. Like So Mun, MJS is an exception, except as a conduit for evil rather than a conduit for good. However, the turning of MJS to the dark side is no longer scary or creepy. It's actually also just annoying. 

 

I realize that I'm probably doing too much fast forwarding which doesn't help to become vested in the story, but right now, I'm ff-ing Jeok Bong, the evil chick scenes, and Gollum as well. 

 

I'm not going to drop it as yet since I have a lot of fondness for the team and the world that they've built, but I really wish the story would get better and that JB stops being a total farce.

[mademoiselle]

So... I think I will just skip episode 8 and watch next week's episode. 😅

 

I read the spoilers and decided not to waste a whole hour to be pissed off at the end. I watched the very near end of episode 8 and the preview (with subs).

 

First of all, I can't believe I read that Yung has limitations. It can't reach the height of where Hwang and Ma Joo Seok are located at their penthouse suite. Ahahahahahaha! Just kill me. So that's telling me Counters can't expel any akgwi on the planes or on the top of Taipei 101, Namsan Tower, Empire State Building etc etc? Is this a joke? The power of Counters are from the universe, did I not understand this correctly from S1? So how can the sky be the limit; in this instance, it didn't even reach the sky limit!

 

Secondly, Gelly managed to erase So Mun's memory. In doing so, So Mun's curly hair turned straight and went into a coma. Wigen disappeared too. Errr... I don't know man, is this even logical to anyone? Next preview it showed So Mun's consciousness is stuck in the past when the car accident happened, and Hana will be there to help him (out of it, I guess?). I'm still trying to get my head around how this is even possible. I do think the loophole in Gelly's memory erasing is that Gelly doesn't know the images where she saw little So Mun in hospital bed wasn't because he was comatose, but it was a scene after the car accident. So erasing the time point of So Mun's memories of the Counters don't mean he doesn't have the powers (temporary he doesn't...)

 

Anyway, Hwang was furious. Gelly revealed Hwang's intentions of having So Mun's powers, and it seems like Ma Joo Seok was a bit shocked by it. Hopefully that helps him get himself together (a little)...

 

The villains were good, but the plot this time is kinda 💩

 

Maybe I should just go back to my happy drama – Hidden Love.

[stroppyse]

On 8/20/2023 at 11:01 PM, mademoiselle said:

Maybe I should just go back to my happy drama – Hidden Love.

 

Yes, if you haven't finished Hidden Love yet, you totally should! I liked HL so much that I even watched When I Fly Towards You because it was by the same writer, after a little encouragement from @Tofu.

 

As for this drama, I agree with your disbelief. This season seems so much more disjointed than the first season in terms of the plot. It feels as if they weren't expecting to do a season 2, but then was faced with having to do it, but couldn't get the same writers, so brought in new writers who didn't bother to watch season 1?

 

I'm not familiar with the webcomic, so not sure if the source material for season 2 was also so confusing.

 

I think I'll pick it back up after a few more episodes have passed. I still like these characters enough that I want to see what happens to them, but kind of impatient with the inconsistencies to watch it in real time.

[mademoiselle]

@stroppyse I have finished Hidden Love, and it has become a bit of a crack drama at the moment. I'd often go back & rewatch random episodes or scenes. It's a happy drama for me, loved the couple and obviously wish there is a Duan Jia Xu that looks like Chen Zhe Yuan in real life. 😆

 

I would still keep myself updated with Counter, but I'm not sure I want to pay full attention to each and every episode. I think I shouldn't because I'd get angry with the plot development. Sigh. I'm at awe how the PD or producers don't question the illogical bits of S2, or this is actually true based on the webtoon...?

[stroppyse]

18 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I have finished Hidden Love, and it has become a bit of a crack drama at the moment. I'd often go back & rewatch random episodes or scenes. It's a happy drama for me, loved the couple and obviously wish there is a Duan Jia Xu that looks like Chen Zhe Yuan in real life. 😆

 

I totally know what you mean! I may have gone back and watched a few bits as well.

 

18 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I'm at awe how the PD or producers don't question the illogical bits of S2, or this is actually true based on the webtoon...?

 

I feel you. I'm so sad that I'm not as engaged in this season as I was in Season 1, since I've rewatched Season 1 a few times now, and now the whole series have fallen off the crack list.

[mademoiselle]

12 hours ago, stroppyse said:

I totally know what you mean! I may have gone back and watched a few bits as well.

I watched random reels and cuts so much so that all my SNS recommendations are Hidden Love , but I'm not complaining.

 

12 hours ago, stroppyse said:

I feel you. I'm so sad that I'm not as engaged in this season as I was in Season 1, since I've rewatched Season 1 a few times now, and now the whole series have fallen off the crack list.

I appreciate that So Mun has his own issues to deal with, confronted by Ma Joo Seok's incident and his own parents' accident, as well as the whole point of being a Counter, but I don't appreciate it being done at the expense of logic.

 

I'll report back tomorrow on episode 9. Fingers crossed...

[stroppyse]

9 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I'll report back tomorrow on episode 9. Fingers crossed...

 

Please do so! Based on what you report, I'll either catch up or continue to give it a rest until it's close to ending before I pick it up again.

[mademoiselle]

Episode 9

 

So Mun's two best friends were brought over because Haraboji told CEO they were the reason So Mun woke up from the car accident. I cried immediately when Ju Yeon turned around and ordered everyone what to do/prepare to keep So Mun's body in his best condition. Her past experience of taking of So Mun and actions now touched me greatly. She tells CEO talking or singing to him won't be enough, there are a lot of other things they have to do. Whilst she wipes So Mun down, that's when she tears up and tells him to quickly wake up. Gosh. I'm a sucker for their friendship. I know the focus is on the Counters, but these two are So Mun's original/first friends and family.

 

So Mun isn't in a coma. The two important moments of him restarting again was erased. He is stuck in his own mind, more accurately his heart (마음). How do you translate 마음 to English, @stroppyse? He is temporarily disconnected from Yung/Wigen. Wigen is also stuck in a space somewhere. Because everyone relies on him, he has fear and pressure that he couldn't protect everyone and just before he fell into the "coma", he left everyone there so subsconsciously he thinks they all died. Hana goes into his consciousness and helps him out.

 

While he refuses to wake up, the Counters decided to stop relying on So Mun and went to capture Lee Jung Jae and Gelly. Good news is Gelly has been exorcised by Hana! Good. Another villain down. On the way, escorted by police, Hwang killed Gelly. Also Ma Joo Seok and Hwang go their separate ways after learning Hwang just wanted to the Counters' powers.

 

Next preview and pre-release showed Ma Joo Seok becomes stronger with the power of Yung. ARGHHHH. Also it seems Hwang and Ma Joo Seok will face off one another too.

[stroppyse]

48 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

He is stuck in his own mind, more accurately his heart (마음). How do you translate 마음 to English, @stroppyse?

 

마음 is frequently translated as heart, but it really means the inner self. That's why depending on the context, it is frequently used as part of a translation about knowing your heart or making up your mind, even though there are other words which mean heart and mind.

 

51 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

Good news is Gelly has been exorcised by Hana!

 

Oh good. I think of Gelly as being more annoying than frightening or entertaining anyway. Funny that it's Hwang who kills her. If Hwang kills her, though, does Hana come along immediately after in order to exorcise her?

 

53 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

Next preview and pre-release showed Ma Joo Seok becomes stronger with the power of Yung. ARGHHHH. Also it seems Hwang and Ma Joo Seok will face off one another too.

 

So, is Ma Joo Seok becoming a force for good instead of the evil demon who possessed him? I guess there are only 12 episodes, so perhaps they are entering the end game next episode.

 

Maybe I'll binge the back episodes tomorrow and try to catch up for the final episodes next week.

 

 

[mademoiselle]

@stroppyse In this context, it should be inner self.

 

Gelly was exorcised first before being killed. She could have died earlier on but the Counters protected her because they didn't want Hwang had any chance to take her power.

 

Ma Joo Seok is still out for revenge and still bad, but he's on his own. His conscious hasn't fully merged with the demon so he hesitated whenever he has a chance to kill So Mun. Hwang, I think, realise Ma Joo Seok is powerful so he is seen to challenge Ma Joo Seok to come for him in the next episode.

[mademoiselle]

Woah ok so Hwang is dead and it is So Mun vs Ma Joo Seok in the end... ?

[Tofu]

So far the second season has just been ok. The evil characters are definitely interesting, but the counters are lacking the spirit I loved from season one. 

[mademoiselle]

I'm wondering if the demon in Ma Joo Seok was a former Counter...? Else how would one explain why he was able to utilise Yung power? Though I guess everything has its Ying and Yang. Anyway, Yung makes him not only stronger but give him the will to control Ma Joo Seok. The demon nearly killed Joo Seok's mum.

 

So Mun was totally powerless against the demon for the Nth time. Getting tired seeing him like this to be honest. Hwang Pil Gwang willingly died in the hands of Ma Joo Seok only to take over the demon internally. Not even sure if that's supposedly possible, but let's roll with it since we only have 2 more episodes left.

[stroppyse]

On 8/29/2023 at 2:02 AM, mademoiselle said:

So Mun was totally powerless against the demon for the Nth time. Getting tired seeing him like this to be honest.

 

I've been taking it that SM keeps restraining himself against Ma Joo Seok because of his affection for MJS and his belief that MJS is fighting the demon inside him. Thus, the other Counters accusing SM of deliberately letting MJS go rather than taking care of him when he had the chance. However, this plot line, if true, feels weird to me since SM understands that he's letting a demon go to do damage on other people regardless of whether he's in conflict with MJS' inner self.

 

And, yes, I'm also tired of SM either not being as powerful as the drama had built him up to be, or deciding that personal affection outweighs other people's lives.

 

On 8/29/2023 at 2:02 AM, mademoiselle said:

Hwang Pil Gwang willingly died in the hands of Ma Joo Seok only to take over the demon internally. Not even sure if that's supposedly possible, but let's roll with it since we only have 2 more episodes left.

 

Yeah, about that. The only thing I can say is that it's not the first time this season when the plot line didn't make any sense whatsoever. I realize that this is a fantasy drama so that they can do whatever they want, but a little internal consistency in the world they created and/or better explanations of why all the exceptions would go a long way to making

this a more enjoyable watch.

 

[mademoiselle]

11 hours ago, stroppyse said:

I've been taking it that SM keeps restraining himself against Ma Joo Seok because of his affection for MJS and his belief that MJS is fighting the demon inside him. Thus, the other Counters accusing SM of deliberately letting MJS go rather than taking care of him when he had the chance. However, this plot line, if true, feels weird to me since SM understands that he's letting a demon go to do damage on other people regardless of whether he's in conflict with MJS' inner self.

 

And, yes, I'm also tired of SM either not being as powerful as the drama had built him up to be, or deciding that personal affection outweighs other people's lives.

I'm not sure if you are up-to-date. It is true that So Mun is restraining himself against Ma Joo Seok but a lot of the times, he could at least be able to subdue him and he was made to look like he couldn't because he seems weaker than Joo Seok. There was a scene where he did deliberately let him go, which upsetted Mo Tak and the conflict between them deepen.

 

I'm also not supportive of risking many lives to save one (although in this context, they are also saving the souls being eaten).

 

Now he looks even weaker because Ma Joo Seok has become the complete demon.

11 hours ago, stroppyse said:

Yeah, about that. The only thing I can say is that it's not the first time this season when the plot line didn't make any sense whatsoever. I realize that this is a fantasy drama so that they can do whatever they want, but a little internal consistency in the world they created and/or better explanations of why all the exceptions would go a long way to making

this a more enjoyable watch.

As predicted, Ma Joo Seok is the key to bringing Hwang Pil Gwang down. And it'll be done internally. It'll be confirmed tonight, but looks like So Mun will go into Ma Joo Seok's body and fight Hwang Pil Gwang internally with Ma Joo Seok. Whereas externally, Hwang Pil Gwang will fight the other Counters. I don't know how all of a sudden So Mun becomes so weak against a complete demon. There's this part of me actually waiting to see So Mun somehow becoming stronger. It just seems logical it should happen again to beat Hwang Pil Gwang when he's pushed to the corner again like S1.

[mademoiselle]

I'm glad this is over. Sometimes it is best to leave the drama much to be desired as is than having multiple sequels. The Uncanny Counter is one of them. It didn't feel like S2 carried the essence or dynamics that S1 had. That said, I shed some tears for Ma Joo Seok. Mainly I feel opposite of what So Mun is advising Ma Joo Seok, as in to stay alive and felt sad for him. Other than his Omma, I don't know what can motivate Ma Joo Seok to be happy again because Min Ji and the lost of their baby were everything to him. It was just so sad imagining him staying alive without them and having to wait till his time is over before they could meet again in Yung or afterlife. In his instances, I thought it might have been better he die and reunite with Min Ji rather than staying alive. Plus I feel conflicted that he has to pay for the murders he only half committed and against his will.

 

Adding Jeok Bong was a mistake IMO. I really didn't enjoy him being part of the team. Mo Tak was annoying too. I'm not sure if the viewers actually understood how Hwang Pil Gwang was defeated at all. He was overpowering both So Mun internally and the Counters externally. So Mun's tear fell onto the ground water and "miracle" happened—bright lights all around which somehow paralysed Hwang Pil Gwang (and that's supposed to be Ma Joo Seok's doing...?). On the outside, Ma Joo Seok took control of his own body and stabbed himself. So Mun managed to exorcise Hwang Pil Gwang inside Ma Joo Seok. Voila. Done. No explanation on how/why/what.

 

Wi Gen sent So Mun overseas to help other Counters to become stronger. I almost thought tvN was trying to drop Jo Byung Kyu (as So Mun) but he came back at the end in suit and new hairdo. Phew! It didn't seem like they hinted an S3 so I hope they just let it be.

 

 

[Mizv]

Watched 15 min of season 2 ep 1.  Then quit.   I’m not feeling it.