《경이로운 소문》 / 《The Uncanny Counter》 (2020) Season 1 was a live-action adaptation of the webtoon (“digital Korean manhwa”) entitled 《Kyeongirowoon Somoon》 (2018) by Jang Yi. It stars 《Cho Byeong Kyu》, 《Yoo Joon Sang》, 《Kim Se Jeong》, 《Yeom Hye Ran》, and 《Ahn Suk Hwan》, as the Counters–people who hunts evil spirits.

A story about family, friendships, forgiveness, and second chances.

Synopsis

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 escape from 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 consumes the spirit of the victim. The Counters were once under coma when a partner spirit from Yung, the boundary between the afterlife and the world of the living, possess them and give them perfectly healthy bodies and consciousness along with superhuman strength and supernatural abilities. Three of the Counters—Ga Mo-tak, Do Ha-na, and Choo Mae-ok—pose as workers in Eonni’s Noodles, a noodle restaurant which serves as their hideout.¹

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 in a thrilling journey of battling against bloodthirsty demons, reconnecting to his past, and uncovering the ugly truth behind a major redevelopment project in Jungjin.¹

Story and Performance

The multiple story arcs were well thought out and I was amazed with how these different stories perfectly fit together in the end which brought out the best in the characters and the moral lessons of the series. The casting and acting for the four lead characters were so good it was as the audience witnessed a true story.

Music

The music, overall production, editing, and directing, were all superb. The choreography in the fight scenes were not lacking and were not overdone, simply fitting for four ordinary individuals to do; otherwise it would have been unrealistic.

Verdict

Finally, and it is rare to see this in most Asian dramas, they ended the series properly leaving an option for a sequel or a new season. Stories should not be sealed–leaving no room for the audience to create their own continuation, which in turn also leaves no room for an official sequel. 9.5 out of 10 stars!

Since it was already announced that season 2 was given a green light, it further proved the importance of ending a series with room for the future. Well done. I will be waiting for season 2.

Official trailer

OST