Korea’s counters are So Mun (Jo Byeong-gyu), Ga Mo-tak (Yu Jun-sang), Do Ha-na (Kim Se-jeong) and Chu Mae-ok (Yum Hye-ran), the curly-haired workers of neighbourhood eatery Eonni’s Noodles who don red tracksuits whenever they tackle demons that enter their territory.

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After defeating an especially fierce demon at the end of season one, things are more or less back to normal as this year’s episodes kick off, but not for long.

The season begins with a reminder of what made us fall in love with the show in the first place, as the counters take on a demon who possesses the driver of a yellow school bus.

Played by Heo Dong-won with a manic glint in his eye, the demon careens through the street of Jungjin, the show’s fictional setting, with screaming kindergarteners in tow.

One by one, the counters appear and take him on, reminding us of their special powers and their lively camaraderie.

Though they succeed in quickly dispatching this malevolent spirit, their lives are about to get a lot more difficult.

The counters are all paired with spirits at the Spirits Immigration Office, and since a new spirit has joined this office, they have been on the lookout for a new counter on Earth. Given the imminent arrival of Pil-kwang’s vicious crew, that search accelerates.

With its huge cast and what appears to be a larger budget, this new season strives to be bigger than its predecessor but it’s also quite a bit broader. The comedy leans into silliness and toilet humour, while the drama aims for loftier emotional highs.

What is largely lacking is the charm that seduced us the first time around. Some of it remains, mainly thanks to the chemistry between the main cast members, but it feels forced this time around.

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The Uncanny Counter burst onto the scene in late 2020 and captivated audiences with its colourful world and extremely attractive characters. Part of its success was down to its tight and energetic scripting.

However, after a much publicised creative rift, original writer Yeo Ji-na stepped off the project and the first season’s latter episodes were poorly received by viewers.

Yeo hasn’t returned and Kim Sae-bom, the Bad and Crazy writer who stepped in to pen the first season’s final three episodes, has stepped up to be this season’s main writer.

Beyond the new villains, the show cycles through a series of K-drama clichés at a furious clip, with real estate scams, organ dealers and more all superficially touched upon in the early episodes.

By ticking as many boxes as they do, the show’s writers must feel they are ensuring it has something for everyone, but with so little cohesion between its moving parts the story suffers as a result.

During Jeok-bong’s counter training, Mun exclaims “this is making me nostalgic”, reminding us of his great training sequences with Ha-na.

The Uncanny Counter 2 gives us the same feeling, but what we really want to experience is the same high, rather than an echo of what excited us when the counters first burst onto the scene.

Hopefully the coming weeks will see things turn around.

The Uncanny Counter season 2 is streaming on Netflix.