Uncanny Counter 2: Counter Punch (2023)

October 1, 2023

Our Take: This sophomore season fails to capture the vibrancy and freshness that captivated us in the first place.

Season 2 of Uncanny Counter follows our beloved team of demon hunters known as the Counters, who continue to fight against evil spirits after ending on a high note in the prior season. If you haven't watched season 1 yet, the Counters are ordinary people who previously had life-threatening accidents that put them into a coma. While comatose, spirits known as the Yung gave them a choice to either stay on Earth to fight against demons using supernatural powers or enter the afterlife. 

South Korea's Counters include So Mun (Cho Byeong Kyu), Ga Mo Tak (Yoo Joon Sang), Do Ha Na (Kim Se Jeong), Chu Mae Ok (Yeom Hye Ran), and Choi Jang Mool (Ahn Suk Hwan). During the day, they work together at Eonni's Noodles, a neighborhood restaurant in Jungjin. Whenever they sense an evil spirit, they don red tracksuits to chase after them and send them back to the afterlife.

The team's youngest member, So Mun, is a teenager with a strong sense of justice. He is connected to Wi Gen (Moon Sook), a powerful Yung being who allows him to possess super speed, psychokinesis, and the ability to manipulate Yung's "territory." The territory gives the Counters an extra boost of power and allows them to track the evil spirits more easily. Do Ha Na is linked to Woo Sik (Eun Ye Jun) and can locate demons and manipulate people's memories. She is reserved and feisty but has a big heart. Chu Mae Ok (Yeom Hye Ran) acts as the mother figure of the group and is also a healer. She is connected to her deceased son, Kwon Su Ho (Lee Chan Hyung). Ga Mo Tak (Yoo Jun Sang) is extremely strong and moonlighting as a police detective. He is connected to Kim Gi Ran (Kim So Ra). Choi Jang Mul (Ahn Suk Hwan) is a retired Counter who funds the team with money from his conglomerate and acts as their logistic lead.

With their resources stretched, they recruit a new member — rancher Na Jeok Bong (Yoo In Soo) — who is tied to Jong Guk (Choi Kwang Je). Initially, Jeok Bong has trouble fitting in with the Counters, but he proves to be a valuable member after discovering his ability to smell demons from far away.

At the same time, major trouble is brewing ahead. When the Chinese Counters infiltrate a mansion in rural China, they are quickly overwhelmed by a trio of powerful spirits, Hwang Pil Gwang (Kang Ki Young), Gelli Berherd (Kim Hi Eo Ra), and Wong Yeok (Kim Hyun Wook). After these demons consume the Counters' souls, they discover they've inherited their powers, making them incredibly strong. When they return to South Korea to retrieve their funds, they get entangled with Ma Ju Seok (Jin Seon Kyu), a kind-hearted firefighter close to So Mun and the other Counters. 

When Uncanny Counter first hit the screens in 2020, the series was engaging and well-written, balancing themes of action, friendship, supernatural, and crime. The new season tries to recreate this balance, but its tone varies significantly, frequently switching from heartwarming scenes to brutally violent ones.  

Throughout the series, the Counters don identical red tracksuits, feed people noodle soup, congratulate each other on their improved fighting skills, and even volunteer at a local community center for seniors. There are plenty of fight sequences as well. But the emotional delivery and comedic relief didn't mesh well with the show's more depraved side. 

Mr. Hwang, Gelli, and Wong are experienced and power-hungry killers with no qualms about murdering people in cold blood. Their presence marks a drastic shift in the Counters, reflected in their new uniforms and the show's darker direction. Yet, despite the higher stakes, their dynamics felt circular and repetitive as the Counters and villains faced off throughout the show.

The character writing also felt underdeveloped. In season one, So Mun underwent significant growth and development, transforming from an angsty teenager to a powerful Counter who can protect his friends and family. Despite his transformation, he remained true to himself. 

This season, So Mun is no longer the same bullied teen as before. He's grown out of his shell and feels more comfortable around the other Counters and Wi Gen. However, the writers lean too much into his role as a savior, dampening his character growth and making him feel more flat. Because he's at the peak of his powers, So Mun becomes a reliable ally for the other Counters but has no room to grow. 

Similarly, the personal narratives of the other Counters also take a backseat. Moonlighting as a police detective while working as a Counter gave Mo Tak the potential to play a greater role. But he's relegated to being the jester of the team. Do Ha Na and Chu Mae Ok's fighting abilities are noticeably weakened compared to the first season. While Ha Na has a touching reunion with her first love and Mae Ok spends time with her son, they feel more like supporting characters instead of being part of the main cast. Choi Jang Mul is also mostly there for comedic relief.

The addition of Na Jeok Bong was another major letdown. He starts as a damsel in distress and remains one until the end. Jeok Bong is naive, quirky, and terrible at fighting, often becoming a liability to the other Counters during crucial moments. It's unclear what the writers' intent was with his character, but he never escapes from So Mun's shadow, and his powers are rendered useless half the time.

The trio of villains also felt like a mixed bag. In the first season, the villains were pure evil, driven by their desire to bring destruction and bloodshed. This time around, we don't fully understand the villains' end goals and motives. As the leader, Hwang Pil Gwang could have been an intriguing character, but he seems to want power simply to have it. Gelli also has her moments, but like with Wong, her character was heavily underutilized.

Ma Ju Seok is another divisive character. On paper, he's a kind-hearted and genuine man who gets pushed to the edge after his wife and child get killed. His plight for revenge is heartbreaking and understandable, but the Counters' affinity for him felt forced. Aside from Ju Seok taking care of So Mun's grandmother and volunteering with them at the senior center, we don't see many scenes of him in action that validate the message of him being an upstanding person. Given that Mun takes a long time to develop intimate relationships with others, his strong bond with Ma Ju Seok felt off. On his quest for vengeance, Ju Seok had many opportunities to suppress the evil spirit that took advantage of his vulnerability. Yet, time and time again, the Counters' sympathy for him prevents them from saving people from Ju Seok's rage. In the end, Ju Seok finds some semblance of resolution, but it is rushed compared to the long buildup.

Our Verdict

In terms of the writing, character development, and execution, Uncanny Counter Season 2 fails to recapture the magic of the first season. Despite this season being shorter, the storyline felt rushed and convoluted, ultimately leading to an underwhelming and forgettable finale.