Because I’d enjoyed Mystic Pop-up Bar very well, I was immediately intrigued when I saw that Dramaland was bringing us this little mini series. I mean, from the premise alone, this one sounds kinda-sorta similar, right?
The reality is, this one doesn’t quite vibe like Mystic Pop-up Bar, after all. Instead, it feels like a slightly more vengeful cousin – but who ultimately still wants to have a good heart.
Not bad overall, with a few lens adjustments.
The thing that piqued my interest about this little web drama, is that I’d been told it’s a story about bringing healing to others. That immediately sounds potentially poignant and uplifting, and like just the sort of thing that might grab my heart.
To be fair to Show, I just wanted to let you know upfront, that everywhere I’ve looked, I’ve seen nothing but love for this little drama.
It’s just.. I didn’t manage to muster up true love for Show, despite my best efforts. However, given how well-loved Show is, I could well be the lone odd duck in the corner. So.. just because I didn’t love it, doesn’t mean that you won’t?
MC writes:
Another idea for a Dear Fangurl post – would you want to do a list of shows that you love but are often passed over or neglected / underrated?
Cos every year there are so many new shiny shows but there are so many good ones that pass under the radar because of low ratings or are older etc.
This could be a love note or shoutout to them.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Gritty, bloody and full of action like many an OCN drama, yet character-driven and full of heart, like you might expect from jTBC, with a fantasy bent like you might expect of tvN, The Uncanny Counter is the superhero-flavored, heartfelt, X-Men-esque demon-hunting story that I didn’t know I needed in my life.
For the most part, Show does a great job of meshing all these different personality traits into an organic whole – except for a late-stage change in writers, which admittedly causes a bit of a wobble, but which Show does recover well from.
Our cast does an all-around great job of bringing this story to life, while making their characters and their relationships pop, and Show works out to be highly engaging, and sometimes, even rather cracky.
Definitely recommend.
What a surreal year 2020 has turned out to be, amiright?
It’s been the year of surprises and curveballs, and I think it’s safe to say that none of us has been unaffected by the events of 2020.
As a small silver lining, with lockdowns taking place around the world, and Netflix promoting Asian dramas with unflagging enthusiasm, we’ve welcomed many new drama fans into our midst.
And, our dramas have not let us down. I mean, yes, there’ve been duds, but that’s true every year anyway, yes? 😉 I’m just happy that Dramaland has found a way to continue production while ensuring the safety of cast and crew, coz I know I’m not alone when I say that dramas have helped make 2020 better.
Now, let’s take stock of my drama year in 2020, before 2021 comes upon us!
Beez writes:
Dear Kfangurl,
I need help! I know my K-bloom isn’t totally off the rose but I feel as if it’s hanging on by only a couple of wilting petals. I’m not tired of Kdramas but I find I can’t easily decide what to watch these days.
At this stage in the game, where my biases (actors that I watched in ANYthing they starred in next) are getting older so filling less leading roles, I find myself with less that I’m interested in watching unless the synopsis snags me with a unique subject matter or hobby or career/lifestyle that I’m interested in.
So how do you (I’ve noticed you’ve become more selective) choose the shows that are worth your busy time?
For example, I see you reviewed My Unfamiliar Family. I haven’t read your review yet because 1) I never read reviews of shows I have no intention of watching and 2) I never read reviews beforehand of a show I intend to watch.
So looking at the synopsis on AsianWiki for My Unfamiliar Family – sounds like a total snoozefest.
And I learned to never rely on video teasers as they are totally random and can set me up for disappointment when a teaser is hilarious but the show turns out to be a drama and vice versa. So, how do you decide what’s up next to, not necessarily review, but to watch?
THE SHORT VERDICT:
A warm, heartfelt little show, Mystic is sometimes a little (or a lot) sillier than I usually like, but is, on the whole, so sincere and full of heart, that I can’t quibble with it too much.
Hwang Jung Eum is quite wonderful as our protagonist Wol Joo, and importantly, displays zero screechy tendencies in this role.
Choi Won Young and Yook Sung Jae round out the little Mystic team really nicely, and these three make a surprisingly endearing trio, as they strive to help their customers resolve their grudges – for heavenly credit, of course.
The overarching backstory is bittersweet and poignant, and Show does a nice job tying it in with our grudges of the day, with an impressive degree of consistency.
Importantly, Show starts strong and manages to end strong as well, making for a solid and satisfying watch, overall.