More Level 3 Spirits To Fight
The Uncanny Counter is a cleverly written, action packed Korean drama straight from the cinematic network OCN. With lots of fighting, demon hunting and strong characters, this one is a tough act to follow. Well, we’re certainly up to the task. We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle of having to try and find something similar with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing. To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have. Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with. So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming The Uncanny Counter.
Mystic Pop-Up Bar
Similarities – Noodles & Characters
With an original story and some great chemistry from its cast, this latest K-Drama hits all the right notes when it comes to humour, tension and world building. It tackles a lot of important themes about life and death too, along with the consequences of our actions, which serves up a nice layer of depth to this series. The drama excels with its world building, showing us how people are judged after they pass away and what happens afterwards. There is a strong sense of karma running throughout, with emphasis on how our past actions will reflect our next life – or even our future. You can read our thoughts on Mystic Pop-Up Bar in our full season review here!
Lawless Lawyer
Similarities – Action
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for writing off Lawless Lawyer as another Korean law drama. However, under the hood this action-driven romp features a fair amount of action and some decent mixed martial arts too. At its core, the show revolves around a gangster lawyer called Bong Sang-Pil. He doesn’t trust the law and takes matters into his own hands, using his fists and feet to do the talking. Unlike other K-dramas of its kind, Lawless Lawyer doesn’t get bogged down in big romances and contrived love triangles and instead, focuses much more on its action and drama, to the credit of this series.
Angel
Similarities – Battling Forces Of Hell & Dysfunctional Team
Whereas Buffy The Vampire Slayer gains the plaudits for its smart writing, trail-blazing female characters and some excellent storytelling, Buffy’s spin-off Angel is arguably every bit as endearing. In fact, at times Angel dives a lot deeper and darker into its mythology and ideas than Buffy, fronting David Boreanaz as the tortured vampire with a soul. Setting up residence in LA, Angel is joined by an eclectic group of characters including Cordelia who makes the jump from Buffy across to this series. While many will lament the open, frustrating cliffhanger during the final episode, Angel is easily one of the better shows from the 90’s and a real gem well worth watching. You can read our thoughts on Angel in our full season reviews here!
Penny Dreadful
Similarities – Unconventional Team-Up
Set in Victoria London, Penny Dreadful combines blood-soaked horror and mystery beautifully into one atmospheric series. The story essentially sees explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, scientist Victor Frankenstein and medium Vanessa Ives uniting to combat supernatural threats together. It’s a simple enough premise but where this show excels is in its storytelling and acting. Everything about Penny Dreadful oozes charisma and despite a slightly slow start during season 1, it quickly grows into a real powerhouse on the horror circuit. It’s beautifully produced too, with some lavishly dressed sets and some well-rounded characters. This one is well worth checking out.
Bring It On, Ghost
Similarities – Hunting Supernatural Forces
Bring It On, Ghost is an intriguing Korean drama, one that channels those ghost-hunting vibes with an unconventional team and some lovely drama along the way. The main character here is Park Bong Pal who happens to be a college student with the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Intent on making a bit of extra money, he hires himself out as an exorcist to help people vanquish ghosts that are haunting them. Along the way though he meets Kim Hyun Ji, the ghost of a 19-year old student who’s unable to move on from this plane of existence. With both of them inexplicably linked, a professor at Bong Pal’s university called Hye Sung could hold the clues to what’s going on. Nicely written, romantic and full of some spooky interactions, Bring It On, Ghost channels those unconventional team-up vibes to make for a really enjoyable Korean drama.
Claymore
Similarities – Hunting Supernatural Forces
While not as popular as Demon Slayer, Claymore is another anime that depicts a world full of demons. This time though, they’re referred to as “youma” as we follow a young, silver-eyed woman known as Clare. She works on behalf of an organization that trains up female halfbreeds into warriors to go after these demons and kill them. At the center of this though is Clare and the anime follows her as she’s whisked away on numerous different missions across the series. This one is much more geared toward characterization though and partly the reason it works as well as it does is thanks to the writing for its cast, which constantly impresses across the run-time.
The Guest
Similarities – Characters & Battling Supernatural Forces
Well written and spooky, The Guest is a possession-based horror that once again shows off an unconventional team-up, this time between three different characters. Hwa Pyung is a young psychic born into a shaman family who learns about a powerful demon known as “son” (guest). This demon has the power to control other demons and also possess weak-minded people. With this demon on the loose, Hwa-Pyung teams up with Choi Yoon, a young boy born into a Catholic family, and Kil Yeong, the daughter of a detective, after their families are killed by a demon. After forging a friendship, we cut forward 20 years to find “Son” back on the hunt again, forcing this unlikely trio to team up and try and stop him before it’s too late. The show is well written, with a lot of memorable moments and some pretty intense sections too.
Grimm
Similarities – Fantasy, Horror & Characters
Grimm fairy tales have always been rife for intriguing and spooky adaptations. This NBC produced series plays out as a blend of supernaturally charged segments paying homage to the Brother’s Grimm and a more straight forward investigative drama. At the heart of this is homicide investigator Nick Burkhardt, who learns he is descended from a line of guardians known as Grimms. He’s given the task of keeping balance between humanity and the Wesen (mythological creatures) Along the way, Nick finds himself battling it out against a range of different, dangerous creatures while teaming up with his Wesen friend Monroe and his partner Detective Hank Griffin. If you’re looking for another spooky team-up, this one’s definitely worth checking out.
Ash Vs Evil Dead
Similarities – Action
Set 30 years after the first three Evil Dead films, Ash VS Evil Dead works as a sequel to that trilogy but you don’t have to have watched those films to grasp what’s going on here. The story revolves around Ash Williams who works as a stock boy. Also working at that very same shop happens to be his friend Pablo and love interest, Kelly. Since returning from 1300AD at the end of Army of Darkness (the third film), Ash is called upon once more to battle the Evil Dead. Along the way, Pablo and Kelly decide to join him and set out to save humanity. Blending comedy and fantasy to good effect, Ash VS Evil Dead is an intriguing entry in the Western TV market and with 3 seasons to get through, this one should keep you busy for a while.
Demon Slayer
Similarities – Action, Revenge Plotline & Characters
Incredibly popular over in Japan, Demon Slayer is an action-packed, revenge-styled anime split across 26 episodes. At the heart of all this lies Tanjiro who narrowly survives his family being brutally murdered at the hands of demons. Thankfully his sister Nezuko survives the attack but time is running out. She’s slowly turning into a demon and it’s up to Tanjiro to set out and try and find a cure for her. Action-packed, gorgeously animated and with lots of story to get through, Demon Slayer features some excellent fights that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. While it won’t be for everyone, there’s no denying its popularity is partly thanks to its animation and storytelling. So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished with The Uncanny Counter on Netflix. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!