Cultural Post #1 Vivian Shon

[Vivian Shon]

I decided to watch the Korean drama “Uncanny Counter” on my own time to write for this week’s cultural post. My mother actually recommended me this show and she wanted me to watch it because it was quite different from previous k-dramas she saw in the sense that it was very fictional and CGI-heavy. In the past, Korea’s cinematic capabilities were not as advanced as now, so they did not try to attempt dramas that were heavy with CGI and FX. On the other hand, with the advancement of their digital technologies, they have taken on a challenge to film this show and I absolutely enjoyed the entire plot and its execution. “Uncanny Counter” is essentially a group of people called “Counters” that hunt down evil spirits. Each one of the counters has its own special abilities such as the ability to heal, hear someone’s thoughts, and have strength 3x stronger than an average person. A humorous aspect of the show was that all of these Counters disguised themselves as the owner of a traditional noodle shop and acted like normal people going on with their everyday lives. The first thing that I noticed with this drama is its similarity with “Squid Game” in the sense that all the counters also wore a tracksuit (not green but red). Tracksuits are an infamous symbol in Korea that really sets an individual apart from the mass. It usually means you have no job and are of lower status. On the other hand, it was interesting to see superhuman individuals wear these tracksuits to fight off evil spirits which also made the story a lot more humorous, relatable, and down to earth. In addition to the plot, it was refreshing to see another singer take on a difficult acting role. Kim Se Jeong came out as Do Ha Na who can sense evil spirits from miles away and who also has the ability to read memories. Kim Se Jeong making an entrance in this drama showed a cultural shift and acceptance for singers to make their debut as actors. In the past, the Korean public did not like it when singers or celebrities with other occupations from joining the acting field. The reason is that many did not have good acting skills and people felt that singers did not deserve to be in this cinematic spotlight.  However, with the introduction of Se Jeong, a highly popular girl group member, this K-drama goes on to further show that Korea is advancing towards a more diverse set of actors. I was also pleasantly surprised at how competent of an actress Se Jeong was and almost forgot that acting was not her first job. This made me want to see even more idols and Korean singers try out for acting gigs like “Uncanny Counter.”