Not for me

I'll say up front that you should give this show a try yourself and come to your own conclusions.

This was a really hard one for me to rate. My rating is based on the way this drama made me feel. I found myself unable to separate my feelings from the overall intent of the show, thus the low rating. As I feel I have to say so people don't attack me, this is just my personal feeling/opinion. This rating serves the purpose to remind myself what I liked and didn't like about the drama.

Story: Very interesting concept. I thought the way the story was woven together, with people's lives intertwined, was well done. As you go further into the story, we find Yi Jae inhabiting bodies of people that he's encountered before. We also see that his downward spiral was the result of his first encounter with someone's death. This drama embodied the concept of "every action has an equal and opposite reaction". I thought the story became more meaningful when it was personal, concerning his girlfriend and his mother. I just couldn't get past all the evil/darkness/bullying/violence. I probably would have enjoyed it more if time was taken to develop some of the characters more, to see why they became the way they did.

Acting: Can we just talk about the cast? I'll admit, that's what drew me to this drama. Each person was excellent in their own right, but the standouts for me were:
1)Kim Mi Kyung as Yi Jae's mother. I love this actress in everything she is in. Here, she embodied someone carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders after her son's death. Her slightly stooped posture, her slow, mincing gait, and her facial expressions (or lack thereof) showed us that she was walking through the world by herself, after losing the person most important to her. I felt her despair. Watching her face, her flat affect, a lone tear running down her cheek, it seemed that it was all she could do to just keep living.
2)Seo In Guk as Yi Jae. I'll admit that he's one of my favorite actors. Here, he hit all the emotions (even if there were only brief moments of happiness shown in flashbacks). Anger, fear, frustration. Watching him moving from hopeful to hopeless, wow.
3) Kim Ji Hoon as Park Tae Woo. Sociopath? Psychopath? His portrayal of an evil man masked as a successful businessman just gave me all kind of creepy vibes.

This was filmed in a very dark way. I understand that it was part of the whole experience, but some scenes were so dark, that if you watch it in a well-lit room, you won't be able to see what's going on. So, watch it in the dark.

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It's a 30-minute movie on YouTube

I happened upon this gem quite by accident. I almost don't know what to say. Start with the fact that Park Hyung Sik is in it, need I say more? But that's not the point (well, not totally).

This film was quiet, slow and calm. It was beautifully filmed in blues and grays with filtered and hazy camera work. Close up camera work made me feel like I was in the world of the visually impaired. We only got a token look at a couple of the characters because of the time constraints, but this film demonstrated the difference between assisting those with disabilities and pitying them.

I loved seeing all the classmates interact with one another. I appreciated those that are willing, able and have the heart to work with the disabled. Also, the hidden heartbreak - pay special attention to when the middle schooler is taking a picture of his mom - her face just brought me to tears.

I was tempted to rate it a little lower because it WAS so short, but then thought that they probably would have made it too long anyway, with too much filler, and all the magic would be lost.

This is one I will definitely be revisiting.

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I liked it, but...

I don't care for bullying, corruption, violence, and gore. If you like all those things, definitely give this show a watch, because it is extremely well-written. It's fast-paced (a little draggy toward the end), and pretty interesting throughout. There's a lot going on at all times, and I think you'll have a hard time deciding who is worse, humans or demons. This drama really highlighted man's capacity for evil. Personally, I think there was too much evil coming from too many places. It might have been better if there had been one Big Bad, as opposed to multiple bad guys.For the aforementioned reasons, my rating is lower than I'm sure most people think it should be.

However, can we just talk about the cast? I'm a sucker for found family, and this drama really did a good job of demonstrating that. The Counters are people that, in normal circumstances, might never even travel in the same circles, let alone be friends. Once they got together, they truly were a family, bickering and all. The bickering was so great, because that's what real family does, "I can badmouth you because we're related, but no one else better say anything bad about you!" There were numerous emotional scenes that really worked - they made you feel their pain, but they also brought something that made you root for them.

Cho Byeong Kyu as So Moon - he's the newest Counter. He did amazing things with this role. His grief, his anger, his disability, and portraying teenage hormones all worked together to make him so interesting. He's a beautiful crier. Trying to learn his powers, then trying to control them, often skirting around what Counters are allowed to do. I loved his relationship with his grandparents, as well as his school friendships. The transfer of power from them taking care of him, to him watching out for them was really good. Also, I liked that, for the most part, he and Ha Na had a sibling relationship, and the writers didn't try to force a romance.

Yoo Joon Sang as Mo Tak. He's the strongest Counter. His character seemed to be the most fleshed out, since a lot of the show was about corruption, and he had been a cop. The romance aspect was a waste and completely unnecessary. He becomes the father-figure of the group of Counters, and he had some amusing scenes.

Kim Se Jeong as Ha Na. Angry Counter (that's what I called her). She had a chip on her shoulder a mile wide. She doesn't like to be touched, she doesn't attach to people and she's got that "keep away" vibe going on. First, this role was completely different than her role in Business Proposal (of course!), and if I didn't recognize her voice, I might not have known it was her. This was a character that, if not played well, you would totally hate her. She made it work, and I enjoyed watching her coming to terms with letting others into her life.

Yeom Hye Ram as Mae Ok. I hated her so much in Goblin and loved her so much here. She was the mom of the Counters, looking out for the others. She formed such a strong bond with So Moon, and when she had to heal him of his wounds, that just wrecked me. I loved her character.

There were some beautiful songs in the OST. As for re-watch - no. I'm not even sure I'll watch The Uncanny Counter 2. Just a little too much darkness for me.

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I couldn't get past the student/teacher relationship

This show was totally played for laughs, thankfully, but still... why couldn't they have made her just a few years older than him, but still in school? The low rating by me is pretty much due to this, it was uncomfortable for me to watch. That said, you should try it if...

1) You want somewhat over the top humor.
2) Don't mind overacting (purposeful in this case, I think)
3) Like the "fated to be" trope
4) You are in the mood for something light to watch, without angst
5) You don't like 2FL storyline. There is one, but it is resolved really well
6) You like to watch shows about friendships and the importance of friendships
7)You like some fantasy in your shows. I mean, she thinks she's in love with a manga character!
8) You like a cute ending.

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Rating number is based solely on my lack of enjoyment

Up front I'll say that this show is a slow, slice-of-life comedy/drama. Wonderful cast. I loved the idea that they all grew up together and lived in the same alley. We got to see their day-to-day lives. I LOVED the scene where they kept taking side dishes to the others in the alley and it became a seemingly never-ending travel from house to house with side dishes. They knew each other so well; they didn't knock before entering the houses of others. That's the kind of closeness that's developed over the years, creating comfort for all involved. Every character had their flaws, but they also had redeeming qualities (except perhaps the FL's sister, she just wasn't a nice person). I can totally see why the rating for this is so high, and why people liked it, but I didn't care for it.

I loved the character of Jung Hwan. He was fascinating to watch. Still waters run deep. This character was like watching a cautionary tale of what happens if you play it safe all the time, if fear or insecurity drives you, relationship-wise.

What I didn't care for:
The FL - I felt that she played the character over the top a lot, with a lot of shrieking, screaming, crying. This actress has a very expressive face, but it just felt like too much to me. She liked one person, then another, then another.
The romance storyline. None of it felt natural to me. I wasn't seeing/feeling chemistry. And I definitely didn't agree with who the FL ended up with, that's all I'm going to say.
SO MUCH yelling and hitting between all of the characters. Parents hitting kids, sisters hitting sisters, friends hitting friends. And in the midst of all the hitting was all the yelling.
WHAT was with the goat sounds. That was SO overused!
The "grown" FL and ML. To me, they were too different than the characters we'd been watching.

If you like slice-of-life, give it a try. It might also be enjoyed more if you don't binge watch it, but savor each episode.

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Sweet story

This was a sweet story about two lonely people becoming family to one another. The actors were good, but maybe it was where I was emotionally when I watched it, but the "passivity" (for lack of a better word) kept me from enjoying it more fully. The extremely quiet FL with her hair in her face, head down, shoulders slumped, that bothered me here. That said, once they got to know each other more, both actors were beautiful to watch.

I especially enjoyed the last episode. Their new family, that included blood relations as well as friends that they'd acquired along the way. It was a lovely ending.

This is a good show to watch if you are in the mood for no angst and a slow, easy story progression.

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sweet movie

I had a difficult time not comparing this to Always (the Korean version). The actors/characters in Always are older, so I think I related more to that one because the main characters seemed lonelier, and I appreciated them finding one another more. The thing that really stuck out in this version, when he was trying to convince her to have the surgery, he was talking to her about being able to see her children. When he talked, it was like he was talking about her marrying someone else and having children. In Always, he asked her "what about when WE have babies" - that touched me so much more.

Yokohama Ryusei and Yoshitaka Yuriko both did a good job and were cute together. The actor that played his coach overacted quite a bit and that was bothersome for me.

The bonus for me was the BTS song Your Eyes Tell.

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Kind of cringy at times

I have heard of NCT-Dream and I was looking for something light to watch before continuing on my LONG list of dramas. I didn't hate it, but neither did I like it much. The biggest problem was that the team members didn't have any chemistry with one another. I haven't researched to see how long this group has been together, but there didn't appear to be any bond between then. There was actually one member that I got the impression that the other young men didn't like, and that's hard to watch as well. After watching reality shows with members that have amazing chemistry (I'm not going to name names, but...BTS), this was cringy to me, in that one minute they seemed like they were trying too hard, and the next they just seemed like they felt uncomfortable with one another and would like to be anywhere else but where they were.

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Oh my goodness, just why?!?!

Bad costuming, bad hair, and some bad acting. It was an old show and didn’t age well. I realize that production values have improved over the years, but this felt like watching a bad home movie. I'll be the first to admit that I don't care for people that are liars or con-men, so this one was problematic for me. Their separation throughout the show made no sense at all. They had no respect for one another and no chemistry. I had some second male lead syndrome though. It's also one of those shows that I watched again because I hadn't reviewed it and hoped it was better than I remember, but unfortunately, it wasn't.

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Loved the friendships, the rest? Not so much...

I love a good school drama. This, however, wasn't one. There didn't seem to be a terribly cohesive storyline. I did enjoy the friendships and how they supported each other. So, other than the so-so storyline, I also had problems with some of the acting.

Park Ji Hoon as Gong Jo Young - he's as cute as the day is long. There were numerous scenes where his makeup was so obvious it was distracting. I guess his acting was okay, but his character was like a hyperactive puppy. Bouncing around, talking to inanimate objects, panting after Wang Ja Rim. He was exceedingly immature, and I found his behavior very irritating. Opposites attract, but there is no way a mature person like Ja Rim could like him.

Lee Ruby as Wang Ja Rim. She is stunning to look at. I found her acting wooden and the fact that I watched 30 episodes and her expression changed exactly one time left me extremely underwhelmed. When an actor has to play a character that has hidden depths, they need to be able to convey that through their actions or the expressions, even if just using their eyes. This did not happen here. Even at the end of the drama, I still didn't believe that Ja Rim liked Jo Young,

Kim Young Hoon as Lee Kyung Woo - he is an example of being able to use his eyes to express what he is feeling. The final scene in the drama, with him talking, leads me to believe that there will be another season. Why?

If you want to watch for the friendships, that's great, but personally I didn't find anything else noteworthy about it.

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Must pay attention!

I must admit that I struggled with this movie, if only for the fact that I usually do other things while watching movies. You CANNOT do that with this movie. The storyline changes on a dime! This movie is like the best sleight of hand - you are looking at one thing, and while you are, they do a bait and switch on you. I never knew what was going to happen from one moment to the next.

Excellent cast. I've seen everyone in other works, and enjoyed them each time, but You Ji Tae as Park Hee Soo, was outstanding, playing a different character than I've come to expect from him. Charismatic and yet cold, I never knew what his character was up to. The entire cast had good chemistry with one another, different Swindlers forced to work together. Hyun Bin, I'll be honest, he could probably stand in an empty room and read the phone book out loud, and I'd be in. He was good in this, I kept going back and forth as to whether I liked his character or not.

Low on the re-watch value for me, only because once you know what's going on, you wouldn't be surprised by anything. My only complaint was, and this is just my prude-like personal opinion, but I wish they wouldn't translate the curse words. I don't like to hear them, but if they are in another language, I can pretend they aren't cursing. Seeing them in writing was very jarring. Again, just my personal opinion.

If you've got the time to pay attention, give this movie a watch. You won't be sorry you did.

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Not a fan

I'll admit to having watched the Korean version, and the Chinese version before this one. I pretty much liked the Korean version, the Chinese less so. Unfortunately, this one came in third for me.

I found this one too slapstick, I didn't care for the acting at all, and the clothing wasn't very good either. The ML basically lived in a brown suit, which he also wore to his wedding. The FL clothes were okay, but everyone else seemed like caricatures of real people, both in the way they acted and the way they dressed. This is the first version that I didn't get SLS. Don't get me wrong, he was sweet, nice and took care of her and everyone else, but he just looked sleazy with his little moustache and goatee. I also thought she was inordinately attached to him - especially when she was going to let him kiss her when he left,

I thought the ML's behavior and attitude were better in this version, he was more likeable. I didn't find him terribly attractive, though. The FL was dowdy at the beginning, but in no way ugly. She was beautiful throughout.

My biggest problem with all the versions is the fact that the FL best friend does what no best friend should ever do, and basically the FL keeps apologizing for it, when she was the one that was wronged.

I thought the main couple was very sweet in this version.

I've watched a couple of other T dramas, and I find their acting to be over-exaggerated, which bothers me, but that's just a personal opinion.

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Nothing new here

**If you tend to always adore Chinese dramas, especially those about kids in school, pass by this review. Upon looking back at my other reviews, apparently, I don't care much for Chinese high school dramas. None of them has been a stand-out for me. I don't think I'm terribly picky, but they've all seemed pretty immature to me, and I didn't feel that this one was any different. I tend to really like the friendships that develop, but the romance never works for me.

This show had a somewhat good premise with the idea of the "brains vs. brawn", but I didn't really feel that the way that they portrayed either group was very realistic. The cast was very large and quite a few people weren't used to their full potential. There were MANY places that the acting it was so bad it was cringe-worthy, and don't get me started on the voices that they use to dub the dialogue. I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads, and the development of their relationship didn't capture my interest. There was quite a bit that I fast forwarded through, because I just wanted to finish it.

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