Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020)

A good story, but plagued with inconsistencies

I would like to start off by listing all of the positives of this drama, before I delve into the crux of my issue with it.

+ For one, which I don`t see a lot of praise for, is the beautiful OST interwoven throughout this show(especially in the first few episodes-that scene of Ji Ah and Yeon falling with the moon in the background was made 10 times more epic by that soundtrack). It helped keep action scenes intense and sad, heartbreaking ones even more delicate. Truly, a job well done.
+The character of Lee Rang. This character is probably the most consistent one, apart from Yu Ri, in regards to both his motivations, wishes and goals. Kim Beom and Kim Yong Ji have really outdone themselves, acting wise, managing to top even Lee Dong Wook, and it`s a real shame that they weren`t more present throughout the story itself, as I personally connected with them more than with Ji Ah, for example. Lee Rang`s story arc is also the most well thought out one, with only a few writing mishaps here and there(like when he asks Yeon where Ji Ah lives in one of the later episodes, even though, in the very 2nd episode, he was fighting with him in that same location, fully knowing that that was Ji Ah`s home) and considering what errors the writers make later on, they are basically nonexistent.
+Character of Granny, her husband and most of the creatures. Truly, practical makeup on the spirits in The Forest of the Starved is one of the best that I`ve seen in a long time. Not only that, but the characters I mentioned all do a great job of making everything seem believable and are giving their best effort. Even though we are not supposed to side with Granny, especially when she makes the same mistake twice, I`m not ashamed to admit that I was agreeing with her points on more than one occasion. The actress playing her was really convincing, bringing cold, but tragic nuance to her character, and I appreciate that greatly.
+The chemistry between Ji Ah and Yeon. Yes, I can see good chemistry between these actors. Not great, but definitely better than some reviews made it out. And that is more thanks to Lee Dong Wook, definitely. There is a difference between there being no chemistry and deciding to consciously underdevelop your couple. Ji Ah and Yeon suffer from the latter, but the chemistry is present.
+The subplot of trapped islanders, having to resort to cannibalism to stay alive. This story is, without a doubt, the darkest one and made me very uncomfortable, but earned respect from me for its depiction.

Which brings me to my main gripes which make this drama a good story, instead of an epic one:

- How everyone, and I do mean everyone, heavily relies on Yeon to save them, help them or otherwise be there for them, without really giving anything in return. Yes, Yeon is a good character with his inner conflicts and a sad past as well. However, due to fate and destiny, he is condemned to constantly save Ji Ah, to deal with his brother`s mood swings(twice, I`ll get to that), to fight against the Imoogi and create traps for it basically alone, and to suffer without anyone really paying attention to everything he`s done for them. This right here really made me side with Granny in regards to his feelings for Ji Ah.
- Power inconsistencies. This is a minor one, but the writers really want me to believe that Imoogi(who was rejected as a mountain spirit, spent most of his life locked away, while working on his intellect) is on the same level as Yeon when it comes to combat, which just does not make any sense. In tactical and scheming sense, sure, but in actual fighting?Also, and this made me even more frustrated. Even though the story as such was not hard to follow at all(but then again, I`m into anime and mythology overall), it is a fact that Yeon and Imoogi, in particular, were overpowered for the sake of the plot. We were never made aware of the limitations that come with their power, and if it was mentioned, it was done in passing or when the plot called for it.
- And finally, the worst offender on this list, the character of Ji Ah and the writing... as a whole. I know what they were trying to do with Ji Ah most of the time, I do. That doesn`t mean they succeeded though. From episode 6 onwards, her character just downright pissed me off. Not only was she making decisions that made no sense overall(from going out to meet Imoogi when Yeon specifically told her not to, and why, which led to the whole tragedy in the first place) to her being content just watching on the sidelines while Yeon basically fought their battle... alone. If she didn`t know that she was precious to Imoogi and that he couldn`t kill her, I could understand why she would be hesitant. But she KNEW. For a character that prides herself on her knowledge of the paranormal and her intellect, she sure as hell didn`t cooperate in their investigation. She does this for a living, mind you. Not only that, but she blamed Yeon for killing her and not caring about her, when my man literally saved her life twice and she had not seen the rest of the vision play out.The scenes between them being a couple were cute, but lacking and the conflicts were repeated twice. Yes twice, which also makes me believe that this drama, with this script, should`ve been shorter. Maybe around 13 episodes.

The writing itself at points(especially regarding artefacts) was abysmal. From those glasses only showing how someone looked in the exact life we needed to see, without any backstory, to Ji Ah basically watching a movie of herself in that exact time period, because she`s the main character. Also, all of a sudden there is a macguffin that wasn`t even mentioned before conveniently appearing where it should and the other mountain spirit not being able to smell Imoogi just before he steals his object is just hilarious and out of left field completely. I wasn`t as mad about the ending as some people were, but it was interesting to me just how everyone reincarnated, looking exactly the same, when I think it would`ve been more intriguing if they found each other looking completely different and still stayed together.

Like Yeon said in the first episode:"I don`t care about how she looks, sounds nor if she`s a woman."That was just potential wasted. I don't think the problem with this drama lies in the ending, but rather in the fearful execution and leaving everything half-baked.

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Watchable not rewatchable.

Good premise, good story, GOOD ACTORS, not bad acting. But lacks that story telling method. Many unnecessary pauses, dialogues and fight scenes. ML and FL were good at there job, but not best. Supporting characters were better than leads. It seemed like FL was not that good when it comes to emotional scenes. I've seen many k dramas where when an actor/actress is portraying 2 characters in same series, they do a better job compared to this.
But overall I RECOMMEND you watch this series of you love fantasy genre and finished all the best ones and looking for good ones.

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I’m disappointed

This is just my opinion.

I think the storyline and main characters build are very poor. I’m so disappointed. I dislike everything the mains characters do and the decisions they make to keep the storyline going seems so stupid i cant stand it. I feel bad for taking my anger out on the casts when I know its just an acting. I also think that the male lead need to take care of lotta stuff while the female lead have a very little purpose on this drama. However I keep on watching because I want to watch Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bum. I like the supporting cast backstory and characters build much better. They outshined the two main cast as they are more interesting. As for the ending, I’m utterly dissatisfied.

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Needed Better Writing

I think, for the most part, this show was entertaining with a strong cast of capable performers. Unfortunately the writing could have used a more capable storyteller. It was often sloppy with too many loose ends and implausibilities present. I like fantasy romance dramas, but they have to make sense to me---and this one contradicts itself time and again. I dislike stories that tell you one thing and then do the opposite. Without spoiling, if you can get rid of something by killing it, then you would think it would be gone. But things manage to survive without explanation for the sake of conflict and, in order to be somewhat entertained, you have to suspend your common sense. A more talented writer can convince me to do that if they have something worthwhile. If they can't, then it's just sloppy writing. Here, the writer makes up whatever they want without thinking much whether the audience will buy it. This drama was part, ghost, part horror, part fantasy, with some fairy tales thrown in. It was a strange piece of fiction which I couldn't, as much as wanted to, enjoy it.

I loved the performances. Our main leads are both very talented and have an equally talented supporting cast. The romance was on point and there were some very sweet moments between our leads, but, oh, the poor writing is what sinks this drama.

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Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bum shine but the romance falls flat

I enjoyed watching tale of the nine-tailed. but there were parts where it fell flat. I loved the chemistry between the brothers there story developed really well and we got to see them bond throughout the drama. my favorite scene was when they were fighting the ah gwi in the forest, the choreography and the script was so beautiful and emotional. But the love story between Ji ah and Lee Yeon felt disengenuine in some parts, the strong female lead slowly broke and by the end she felt like a weak side character. I thought the scene at the beach was beautiful but the ending was lackluster and almost felt like a side story. I'm currently watching season 2 although a little confused at ep 1 I feel it will strengthen Lee Yeon and Lee Rangs relationship. I think overall this drama was a fun watch and there were times i felt the tension and was at the edge of my seat. I recommend this drama for anyone that enjoys a nice action packed modern fairlytale and Lee Dong Wooks amazing acting.

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A nice fantasy drama with a touch of mystery

This drama was an okay watch in my opinion. It was not anything brilliant or showstopping, but it was watchable and even somewhat entertaining.

The characters were good, even though the main villain seriously annoyed the frick out of me lol. The actors did all a very good job, it was a great cast. However, I didn't get a very strong emotional connection for the characters. Sometimes I get very attached to drama characters, so much so that I'll cry when they do. But that didn't happen for me in this drama, for some reason I had a harder time really connecting with the characters.

This drama had its pros and cons. I liked the gumiho and fantasy/folklore theme a lot, and that there were different types of gumihos. I also liked the mystery in this drama, and most of the main characters were nice. There was some great character development for some of the characters as well, which I liked a lot. It was also cool to see both modern Korea and some historical aspects in this. To add, I often love "star crossed/fated lovers" theme in dramas, especially in a fantasy setting like this. I also loved that NELL's Kim Jong Hwan sang one of the OST songs since I love NELL and their music :D

The cons in my opinion would be that the villain was so annoying that I almost got frustrated with the entire drama because of him. To add, most of the fighting scenes were very silly-looking because they kind of fast forwarded them to make it look like the actors were moving really fast, and the characters didn't really make me Feel Things. (Except for Rang and his "found family", they were adorable). The plot was also a liiiiittle bit confusing at times, but that may just be me.

Overall, it's a nice drama, and if you like fantasy and mystery I'd probably recommend it to you. ^^

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Great Concept, But Something's Missing

This drama really caught my interest with its fascinating concept. It's a fantasy show that combines ancient myths about a magical nine-tailed fox with modern life stories. I was excited about the idea of a mythical creature trying to live in the human world and facing various challenges – it seemed unique and promising.

However, as I watched it, I felt like it didn't quite hit the mark. It seemed like something important was missing. Maybe the characters weren't as well-developed as they could have been, or the story didn't come together perfectly. While the show has great visual effects and an interesting fantasy aspect, I found it hard to connect with the characters and what they were feeling. This left me wishing that the show had explored its intriguing ideas more deeply.

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Great Watch

I started to watch this for Lee Dong Wook (LDW) and Kim Bum (KB), after reading couple of reviews...I was NOT disappointed. The main cast and support cast did a brilliant job - special mention LDW & Kim Bum's acting ..the last episode was really an emotional rollercoaster with such a twist at the very last scene - I absolutely loved it ...kudos to the writers & director too.

Grant it the first few episodes were a bit slow, but the story really picks up after that - for some one whose not in to this genre of stories - I really found this drama interesting..so happy we will get a S 2 & S3...I hope LDW-KB continue their lovable characters & continue being brothers in the following seasons. The female lead Jo Bo Ah too did a great job, the chemistry between LDW & her was soft...there were some sweet, soft romantic kisses and fluffy moments between them.

for me there are couple of highlights in the drama series: firstly the phone message from LDW to KB and later from KB to LDW is sure to make you emotional - you totally feel for the brothers... secondly how LDW and his love got united at the end...I am a big supporter for happy endings....

I would recommend this drama.

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That ending was really...

Overall this drama was OKAY. It had great actors and a good story to work with. BUT honestly I think this drama could've been better with a fewer episodes. The start was great, the ending was...ok, but the middle part had a lot of "filler" moments.

For a time, this drama got me hooked but after a few episodes I started wanting to see the end soon.

The biggest thing that bothered me throughout this drama was actually the ending. I mean come on. I so did not get why Lee Yeon needed to lie to Jia re him being reincarnated as a human. Because eventually, Jia WILL find out. Jia will start looking gray and old while Lee Yeon will still look the same.

I think a sad ending - wherein Lee Yeon dies then Lee Rang will sacrifice himself to make sure Lee Yeon gets reincarnated. Then when Jia dies, she and Lee Yeon will reunite in their next life - is a better ending than the one they gave. Because in the ending that they made, yes it was a happy ending BUT was it really realistic? so what will happen when Jia dies? Lee Yeon will wait and search for her again? So it's the same cycle?

Anyhow, overall it was okay. I did LOVE seeing the casts. They had a good chemistry together.

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Started watching for LDW and KR and fell in more love with both of them!

I have not watched any drama related to this kind of folklore so it was interesting story for me but felt like lot of things were happening and a little bit disconnected..
Plague in the show with all people dying reminded me of COVID 19 hahah also the negative character is not intimidating at all and I never felt like he is THE IMUGI where people should fear or whatever..
This show also made me think about risk-benefit and cost effectiveness of real life situations and have internal debate related to real life like one person decides one person is important and everyone else gets sacrificed so how is that fair? But also who am I to decide if the sacrifice was okay or not if as a adult they are okay with sacrifice but also what about all the people who did not have the choice?

I have always liked LDW and KR and their acting made me fall in love with them more.
As I like both of the actors and also never watching nine-tail fox folklore made me stick to this drama till the end!

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It's okay. Could be so much better!

It's an enjoyable ride but by the end of it has very low chances of becoming an all time favorite. it lacks something.
Started off great. I wished it had more urban legend stories, because as soon as imoogi was active again the story stopped having that element. idk... the last two eps felt both rushed and, in a lot of parts, absurd.

The bad guy was never scary and we always knew he would never win... and that's a problem.
The ending was not that great. The whole last episode didn't make any sense. Definitely there's no way you can get reincarnated that fast into an adult, also the brother getting reincarnated so fast as well. idk... didn't make sense to me.
It's true that it was the kind of the final the audience wanted but... meh.

Someone had a great explanation for the last scene and i will add smt else later:

«There are several ways in which gumihos can become human. The one concerning the ending of Tale of the Nine Tailed is this one: Over a period of 100 days (the period varies according to legends), the gumiho cannot be detected as a gumiho by their significant other. In the case of Yeon, it is Ji-ah. If we assume that for 100 days, Ji-ah did not discover Yeon’s truth, it would be easy for him to transform into a human.
Infact, Yeon was on the verge of giving away his real identity as a gumiho when he let out that Ji-ah and he is going to have daughter. Remember the introduction in episode 1? It was mentioned that gumihos has the “ability to see miles ahead”. Yeon definitely had the powers!
Cut to Yeon’s face-off with the Spirit of Misfortune. Yeon took advantage of his magical powers to defeat The Spirit of Misfortune, thereby eliminating any chance of Ji-ah ever finding out his truth. I think that proved to be a boon and he was able to completely transform into a human.» @ cinedope.com

This would explain a lot. Would explain how he managed to comeback looking exactly the same, and with his memories intact. You are not suppose to have memories from previous lives, so the fact that he has it still, means he is still the same Yeon. Would make sense that he has a sort of 100 days to run low until he actually becomes human. The fact that the new "baby" Rang doesn't remember Yeon means he is in a new life, but Yeon is on his old one still. He also went to see Grandma without any of them opening the gates for him, they were surprised to see him, so he was still able to enter that space without anyone opening the door. Wished the writers would've focus more in explaining these little details, because most people will not understand these nuances and just assume it's a typical nonsense kdrama ending to make everyone happy.

Another take would be: they want a chance to make a season 2, and we are all thinking too much.

Either way, as a whole the story felt all over the place.
As usual i liked the brothers story way more than the romance one, but that's my personal preference.
It was okay. I don't regret watching it and i don't think it was a bad kdrama... just all over the place.

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