Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020)

Explaining confusing scenes in Tale of the Nine Tailed (SPOILER ALERT) and my opinions on the drama

So if you finished watching Tale of the Nine-Tailed, you know that Lee Rang died for Lee Yeon, his older brother, to reincarnate. Lee Yeon died with the real Imoogi host inside him and Terry. He jumped in the Samdocheon River. If you jump in the Samdocheon River, you'll NEVER get reborn nor reincarnated again.

1. Lee Yeon getting reincarnated in an adult body
Based on research, the difference between Reborn/Rebirth and Reincarnate is - Reborn, you'll be born again in a new body whereas, in reincarnate, you'll be born again in another person's body. And Lee Yeon got REINCARNATED, not reborn. Which explains why he saw Nam Ji-ah in his old body. But, why did Yeon remember all the memories from his past life? Some kids say they remember their past lives, which might be the case for Yeon, but still might not explain why he remembers everything.

2. Is Yeon still a fox or a human?
If you watched the press conference, Jo Bo-ah (Nam Ji-ah) gave the advice to do some research before watching the drama to make it more interesting. You can also research AFTER you've watched the drama.
Yeon is STILL a fox. He transformed his red umbrella into a sword, and his eyes changed NOT because he transformed into a fox, but because he was reincarnated AS A FOX. At the end, when Ji-ah found Yeon, Yeon told Ji-ah he's finally a human, which is NOT TRUE. But why did Yeon lie?
Based on research, a fox can be turned into a human IF the fox marries a human and the human doesn't spot them as a fox. If they do, the fox has no chance of becoming human. And Yeon's wish was to become human, which explains why he lied. Also, when they were discussing having a baby, Yeon said something about a daughter. It's because he's still a fox, and foxes can see the future.
In the first episode, the fox sister was also going to get married to a human, and while Yeon was with the fox sister, the fox sister begged Yeon to spare her because she "WANTED TO LIVE AS A HUMAN". It was more of a clue rather than to give confusion to the viewers.

3. Lee Rang being reincarnated as a 10-year-old boy
In the end, after Yeon and Ji-ah were happily married, Yeon saw Rang in a REINCARNATED (not reborn) version in a 10-year-old boy's body. Again, reincarnated is being born again in another person's body. And when Yeon saw Rang, it was 6 years after, according to the viewers. (I don't know how they got the information, but maybe someone in the cast mentioned something). It would've makes sense if Rang was in a 6-year-old boy's body, but it's REINCARNATION and not rebirth which explains why he's in a 10-year-old boy's body.


MY OPINIONS:
There were a lot of confusing scenes even I couldn't explain, for example, Ji-ah's parents going to the island. On my POV, Ji-ah's parents went there for the same reason as to why Ji-ah went there. To know why women are mysteriously disappearing on that island. But it still confuses me.

PLOT
Tbh, the plot was kind of confusing. As I said, there are a lot of confusing things in the drama. The plot is "an urban dark fantasy drama about a gumiho who settles into the city and a producer who is after it." At first, it was really enjoyable not until episode 10. Things became more cheesy and I'd prefer Yeon and Ji-ah stay as friends. (Because not all soulmates are lovers) In the beginning, Yeon's job was to lead the other creatures to the underworld in exchange for A-eum's reincarnation which happened 600 years later. (Taluipa said that a Reincarnation is a random event)
Let me get straight to the point, there are a lot of unsolved mysteries in TOTNT. The reason why Ji-ah's parents went to the island was never explained and I'm still confused until now even after 4 months of watching it. I've rewatched the drama 2 times already and still couldn't understand why Ji-ah's parents went to the island, though I gave my POV. There was a lot of action scenes as well, like for example the scene in the Forest of Agwi (I think that's what it's called but I forgot HAHA) which excited me so much!

CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE ACTORS
Main Pair (Lee Dong-Wook and Jo Bo-ah)- IMO, their chemistry satisfied me haha. There were a lot of unreleased behind-the-scene clips of TOTNT, so I guess we weren't able to see other things that happened on set. (I saw some unreleased clips on Instagram hehe) The chemistry of the main pair was quite great and until now I'm still thinking about it (HAHA) They shared (a lot) of sweet moments (IMO)! Also, LDW loved to tease JBA which was very cute! They also sent food trucks to each other both in January! (JBA sent a food truck to LDW at Jan. 12, 2021 and LDW sent 2 food trucks to JBA at Jan. 10, 2022!) They also BOTH sent food trucks to Kim Beom (LR) to support him for his new drama "Law School" last year, January 7, 2021, as well, and they also sent a food truck to their PD! Their chemistry was also showcased greatly in their interviews! (1st Look, Dazed, tvN interview) IMO, the scenes wouldn't come out great if their chemistry wasn't great. (I mean, In my POV, they're very comfortable with each other)
Second Lead Couple (Hwang Hee and Kim Yong-Ji)- These 2 are also a great pair! The more you see them, the better you'll think they'll look good! These two's chemistry with Soo-oh (Blacky Reincarnate) is also great and shows proper family chemistry! Soo-oh was also very cute haha! They did a reaction video and that's where I saw 2 of the unreleased behind-the-scenes clips! Their chemistry was also great in that video and their reactions were very cute!! (IMO)
Bromance (Lee Dong-Wook and Kim Beom)- The bromance here was very good as well! LDW loves to tease KB (And recently, even gave him a food truck yesterday, January 23! It was very cute, haha, and KB thanked LDW on his Instagram Story, which means these two gumiho brothers are still in touch) I don't have any complaints about this bromance, the bromance was very good ngl and I would love to see a bromance compilation for these two!
Cast Chemistry (Lee Dong-Wook, Jo Bo-ah, Kim Beom, Hwang-Hee, Kim Yong-ji)- The cast chemistry is really good! The cast became close friends and are really comfortable with each other! (My POV & Opinion) If you've seen the behind-the-scenes, their chemistry would have been pretty obvious especially with the main leads! LDW revealed that them three (LDW, JBA, and KB) are mostly together during the set! There are also interviews for the 3 main leads and you'll see their sizzling chemistry! (Press Conference and Interview during the day of the premiere, if you want to watch it you can search it up on YouTube!) KB and KYJ even have an interview of their own!
THESE ARE ALL JUST MY OPINIONS!

CAST
Lee Yeon (Played by Lee Dong-Wook)- LDW matches here pretty well. His acting is also very good. "If LDW wouldn't do it, who else can?" I feel like LDW would be the only actor who would fit this role! He portrayed the role really good which made me enjoy the role! I like how he portrayed the witty and funny side of Yeon, and his action scenes also came out great!
Nam Ji-ah (Played by Jo Bo-ah)- JBA's acting is really good as well. But I feel like she doesn't fit for this role (?) IU would have fitted for this role IMO. But JBA played 4 characters (Nam Ji-ah, A-eum, Imoogi inside Ji-ah, and Imoogi inside A-eum) which impressed me! (My toxic trait is that thinking I could play 4 characters as well lol) She portrayed this character well too!
Lee Rang (Played by Kim Beom)- KB also matches this role! Gumihos are known to be beautiful/handsome so the two gumiho brothers fit pretty well. His acting was also really good and I was really excited for his action scenes with LDW!
Gu Shin-ju (Played by Hwang Hee)- HH's acting impressed me so much. He's considered as a rookie actor even though his acting was really great. He also fits this role tbh. Gu Shin-ju is Lee Yeon's friend (and right-hand man according to himself haha), and he portrayed the role really well.
Ki Yu-ri (Played by Kim Yong-ji)- KYJ is also considered a rookie actor, even though her acting is really great. Ki Yu-ri is a fox who takes from people, and she played the character really well. She fits in the character too! She's also very beautiful!!
Imoogi (Played by Lee Tae Ri)- Despite being the youngest among the adult cast, his acting was still pretty good and he fits in the role. He portrayed Imoogi really well. I'm really impressed by his acting and IMO, he deserves an award!
Kim Soo-oh (Played by Jung Shi-Yool)- First of all, he is VERY cute! Despite being a child, his acting is really good and I think he'll become one of the best actors in the future! Starting acting in a young age can help him learn more lessons for his future actions. He fits the role since Soo-oh LOVES to play with people. He portrayed all the characteristics and the character really well! Someone give this child an award please???? (Or at least a KitKat!!)
There are a lot of characters but It'll take forever if I put them all here, but all the casts' acting was really good! (All these are my opinion)

THE ENDING
The ending was kind of expected, I expected Lee Yeon would die in order to save Ji-ah because he didn't want history to repeat itself. But Lee Rang dying was quite unexpected in my POV because I thought Ji-ah would die. And also, Rang and Ji-ah both love Yeon so much. But why Lee Rang? The time when Rang had a family and became a better person, that's the time he's going to die? I mean, Rang is on one of Taluipa's WANTED lists, and at that time, Rang was still that evil fox. And plus, Rang is a half-fox. No half-fox could've lived that long.
I could have understood if Rang died earlier when he was still that bad fox, but he died when he became a better person. (It literally made me cry while watching it)
The only complaint I have about the ending is "Why would Rang die at the worst timing?" Plus, I didn't want Ji-ah to die, but why Rang? I don't fully blame Ji-ah on why the Imoogi is inside her, but why would Rang die to save Yeon? Ji-ah was the one that should have died because it was her fault at the start. I would've understood it more if Ji-ah died because it was HER fault. Not Rang's. I really wanted to see Yeon x Rang moments as gumiho brothers..

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LDW and Kim Bum were the perfect casting for Nine Tailed Fox.

I would say LDW as a nine tailed fox was his most charming role till now. Be it his hairstyle or his attitude, everything was top notch and suited the nine tailed fox character but the one guy who stole the show was Kim Bum.

Kim Bum as Rang and his entire story arc from hating his brother's guts and trying to hurt him, all the way to sacrificing himself just so his brother could return. The cold natured fox who hated humans ended up making deep emotional bonds with so many and got himself a new family was so good to see especially with the little boy. Damn I felt way more sad for his death than I felt for LDW's.

I have always been a fan of Cho Bo Ah, from her days of side roles to her playing a psycho teen who is obsessed with her teacher to an army officer. She has nailed all of the roles and did the same here. If there is one actress other than Yoo In na who really suits LDW, it would be her.

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Dramma fantasy con tutti gli ingredienti classici

Per chi ama i fantasy questo dramma sarà sicuramente perfetto.
La storia parla di mondi lontani dove regnavano le volpi a nove code e tanti altri esseri imaginari.Ha tutti gli ingredienti del dramma con tanti cliché come la volpe centenaria che aspetta la sua amata che però è umana e dunque il loro amore è impossibile.C'e l'essere cattivo che minaccia la loro vita perciò sono pronti a morire uno per l'altra e ci sono gli amici parenti etc pronti a fare di tutto per loro.
Attori di grande bravura e protagonisti con una bellissima chimica completano la storia.Un finale bello nonostante non sembrava.

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My Honest Review (it may not be considered spoilers, but just in case)

I just finished watching this and I'm going to give my honest honest review.

While i have to agree with some of the thing other review mentioned, i still enjoyed this show

So this is my thoughts

1. My biggest thing is that, everyone was upset about a particular death of a character, but tbh that chacaters though had great development i understood why they had to die, even though it was a choice, there life got messed up and they became evil, and killed a lot of people, this person is also the one who released that bad guy, for his own reason, he also was living on lives of humans, but his chacaters developed and he started to change. But i guess if you look at it as i guess paying for your sins then you could understand that it was kind of his punishment. I know it sounds harsh, but i understood it that way and also about the choice, he did it for the person he loved the most. But the good thing is, they came back at the end, though not the same, but i find there incarnation life would be better for them, they would'nt have to go through the bad things they did, so gim giving his life really was better for him, cause before he knew he was going to hell.. his destiny changed after that choice.

2. The acting was pretty good to me, Lee dong wook and kim bum especially did a great job, FL did a great job when she had to shift to the other bad role, the side characters all did a great job as well, it was different seeing the villain, never seen him as a villain but he did a good job to me.

3. I really liked the story, its different from the other gumiho stories, i loved all the different myths and folklore, and the fantasy that it had incorporated, and the action as well, that's what kept me.

4. Tbh i would have to somewhat agree, at first the chemistry of the leads was great, but as you go on i honestly skipped some of there scene, only in one episode though, i guess it may be because of some cliches. I actually enjoyed the action and fantasy more than the romance, but there interactions was good, they had some great moments and mannnnn there first rain kiss scene was epic!!!! lool the leads, they did a great job, but i cannot deny that i felt a lack of chemistry at some point.

5. I also somewhat agree with other reviews regarding the FL, she was soo good at the start and so independent, but then idk what happen, i kinda understand though, cause she went from being in her only human world, to now seeing and being around mythical creatures and so on, she was a mere human, not sure what else she could have done. For that i wish they had wrote something better for her, in those parts. But she did a great job either way.

So, although i I wouldn't rewatch this, there is plenty of shows that i loved and wouldn't rewatch lool. But it does not mean it was bad. I loved all the fantasy stuff and the acting, i loved the story of the brothers, my only issue tbh is the lack of chemistry between the leads, later in the series, but they tried and they had some great moments. I loved the last scene, some people say no, but whether it has a season two or not, the last scene was just really awesome to finish it off. Just know, its a better ending scene than vagabond if you seen it lool

Soo...

If you're going for the romantic, although it wasn't as i expected, it was not bad, so that's going to be your choice, there interactions were really cute though. bromance is good between the brothers, they did a phenomenal job!!!

If you're into fantasies, supernatural and so on, then this is full of that, watch this drama.

I'm a hopeless romantic and i actually skipped some of the romance in one of the later episode, maybe 15 lool. It wasn't because it was bad, it was a few typical scenes. I guess for me, I was enjoying the fantasy, the mystery and suspense so much.

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Average But Is It Good Enough?

The drama is basic to be honest.
It's about the main leads already knowing each other from the past, the male lead already knowing the female lead when she's little, then gets in a romantic relationship with her when she's older. I just find the concept boring. It's some what like Hotel Del Luna with Man Wol knowing Chan Soung when he's older. But like I said, the concept is boring. After Episode 9 I just started skipping episodes.
I'm a big romance freak when it comes to show but this show literally had no connection with the main leads. I mean, sure, if you like them like them! But i barely felt a connection. And this was the first time I barely felt any connection. The way the show revolves around the main leads y'know working together and stuff. The chemistry lacked for me. Although.
Lee Rang and the Second Couple DID IT FOR ME. Loved all of them to the core! I also loved the brothers relationship in the show <3
In conclusion, this show isn't really anything mind blowing BUT it's not THAT bad. I wouldn't recommend but knock yourself out.

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I enjoyed it but there were a few disappointments

I enjoy this kind of story and even the super cheesy romance was pretty cute. There was so many cute moments that I fell in love with their story. I loved Lee Dong Wook a LOT. His characterization and acting was amazing.
The story started off showing how amazing the FL was and honestly that hooked me in along with the cool ML and the different characters around him. And then-
It went a little downhill.
Somehow the FL, very plot conveniently, became a damsel and then a partial villain which came off a little weird (maybe it was just bad acting) Though it was a pretty good plot twist when it all started. The story became even more cheesy to fill up the waiting time and the FL became super dramatic and I could barely see that girl from the first few episodes. But it was still explainable and also kind of sweet, I spent the last two episodes crying and it made every thing before seem like it was worth it.
But then, the ending.
The ending was a mess.
I understood that he was brought back in his previous state- hence the powers- with the lifetime given to him by his brother. And it was pretty sweet.
But the brother sacrificing himself was predicted, but it was very unsatisfactory end.
Personally, I would have rather have the FL die and then have them both reincarnate later at the same time so they could meet again in their next life.

Overall, It was a wonderful show, with quite a few amazing characters, but it did the FL wrong. It did the ending wrong.
But god, was it excellent.

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Definitely should have been "A tale of nine-tailed fox brothers."

First of all, the acting was amazing. I especially liked the chesmitry between both MLs and that's honestly what made the series for me. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous, literally it makes the drama because of how beautiful it is. So much so that I cried haha. Also, the thing that made me cry wasn't the Ji Ah's reaction to Lee Yeon's death, but the fact that Rang had to kill his brother made me bawl my eyes so much it was a river of tears oml. And don't even get me started on Rang's death- because there was another river of tears for that. Why'd you have to do my man like that yk? Only reason why this is rated lower than a 10/10 because why did we have to kill him off. He had the most character development and the best back story and what about Soo-Ho and Yuri?! I'm still mad but all in all loved the basis of the story- I think the other thing people were angry about was the fact that Lee Yeon got his powers back at the end, but I think it makes sense since both he and Ji Ah can still see ghosts and all those other supernatural creatures so he needs a way to protect them both. Still haven't recovered, but all in all a good drama. And as Lee Rang said in the finale, it should be called "A tale of nine-tailed fox brothers."

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This drama broke me...

The romance between Lee Yeon and Ji Ah is a big one. These ill-fated lovers shared a forbidden love hundreds of years ago, and it ended in tragedy. They get a do over in modern times, but the same fate threatens them again.
This pair has a fun banter between them in the early stages of the series. Then as they grow closer, the romance picks up. There is a lot that Ji Ah doesn’t know about her past life and their past relationship though. Those secrets create plenty of issues for them.
I really enjoyed seeing how dedicated Lee Yeon was to Ji Ah. He goes through a lot to try and give Ji Ah a happy life, but he sure does face a lot of problems in doing so. Ji Ah also appreciates Lee Yeon and becomes a valuable partner for him as they face their enemies.
We get a little love/hate bromance in Tale of the Nine Tailed too. Lee Yeon and his half-brother Lee Rang have been at odds for hundreds of years. They also had a tragic past that tainted their relationship.
Lee Rang (my favorite) goes full villain and does his best to cause trouble for Lee Yeon, but it is evident that Lee Rang is acting out and still cares for his brother. Lee Yeon faces an uphill battle in trying to get through to him. We get some really great moments between this duo as they face their issues as well as some good character growth from Lee Rang.
This is the kind of show that has tons of wonderful supporting characters. Many of them will win your heart with their stories and current relationships. Others are of the villainous variety that add lots of drama and tension to the show.
Overall, I absolutely loved Tale of the Nine-Tailed. Dramas like this are my bread and butter because of the great mixture of elements involving fantasy, romance, thrills, and mystery. It’s always nice to see shows like this come together so nicely and treat the audience to such a fun story.

More detailed review here: https://bookswithnatasa.home.blog/category/kdramas/

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I got bored half way through and had a hard time finishing the series (but did)

6/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean romantic supernatural drama with 16, 60-75 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

At one time Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook) was a guardian mountain spirit but he fell in love with a human who was killed. In his grief he struck a bargain to live among humans in the city and hunt other supernaturals who broke the rules. In exchange for his service, his love was to be reincarnated although he did not know when or who she may be reincarnated as. In all of his Over 1000 years as a Gumiho, and during his long wait for his love to be reincarnated, Lee Yeon has seen many humans who resembled his lost love but has discovered they only look like her they are not her reincarnation. So when reporter Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah) recognizes Lee Yeon from an encounter as a child, Lee Yeon does not assume there is any special connection. But the two are connected not only through a tragedy in her past that may have taken the lives of her parents but even more so by the fact that Nam Ji-ah is the reincarnation of Ah-eum, the woman Lee yeon was waiting for. As Lee Yeon finds himself attracted to Ji ah he is confused as Ah eum had his fox beecd and her reincarnation should have had the bead as well. But Ji ah does not have the bead although so much about her is like Aheum. Others notice Ji ah’s similarity to Ah eum including Lee Rang (Kim Bum) who was jealous of his brother’s attention and the fact that he gave up his guardian role for love. And others from the past alsotake notice of Ji ah. The two fall in love allover again as Lee Yeon fulfills his current obligation as well as solving the mysterious events of the past.

Review

I waited to watch this because of mixed reviews. Recently there were some really positive reviews so I thought I would give it a try.  I think whether or not someone likes it would be influenced by how much of a purist they are.  If you take “Little Mermaid” as an example. The original story is not very uplifting.  Most renditions of it take some broad artistic license in telling the story and deviate a lot from that original story. With “Tale of the Nine Tailed Fox” they stick close to that lore, particularly at the end of the series.  I am not in love with the actual lore any more than I am a fan of the real “Little Mermaid” story.  I like the concept but don’t want to watch something that follows it as it does not have the best outcomes. The romance is okay. Their chemistry is fine but there wasn’t the slow build up. I would not watch this again and would only recommend it to those that are super fans of any of the main actors or that like stories that stick to a more pure form.  It has some sad moments but I wouldn’t characterize it as overall sad. I think it is very mediocre amd would have stopped watching it if I was not already half way through.

Spoilers

The love story was really 600 years before when he originally fell in love with her. We saw so little of that original story it was hard to buy him waiting 600 years for her.  Because his test was the “fox bead” being present or not it made me curious if all those others that looked like her might have been her reincarnated in earlier times.  It never addressed why those earlier people that looked like her were not her reincarnated when the test he was using was flawed.

 I liked his brother but it made no sense to me that he was doing evil things to his brother just because he felt abandoned by him. If you love someone so much you are hurt by them not paying attention to you why would you do things that could result in their demise.  I was glad he came around and the brothermance was one of the few good qualities of the show.  But I did not enjoy the first part of the show where he was simply being jealous and immature.

 You have this cool nine tailed fox that did some interesting things catching some of the bad supernaturals in the beginning but that was such a small part of the whole series.  Mostly it is him just pining after her.  Long scenes with the romantic music of them just gazing.  I got bored.  My daughter, who I was watching it with, was more bored than I was.  My boredom started after about episode eight and was not alleviated until about ½ way through the last episode. There just wasn’t that much happening. I found the serpent to be a boring super villain. The nine tailed fox wasn’t doing anything cool and it was just them fawning all over each other and stressing about her turning into a serpent.  She could have been reporting on all kinds of cool supernatural stuff and he could have been helping her.  But no.  Just more and more of just them living their life.  It was boring.

 What was up with grandma turning to stone? She turns herself to stone then he sacrifices himself and she just turns back? How? Why didn’t they talk about that more.  I mean I was glad she was back. I liked her even though she could be really cold.  But explain how that happened at least.

 So, in the end we go through several scenes thinking he is now human.  Oh woe is me I have to get a root canal.  Being a human is hard. But, surprise, at the very end we see he is still a fox.  What? How? I thought he died and was reincarnated. And part of all that was he was now human. But I read somewhere that the cast said if you understand the real story of the gumiho you get it. So I read it and apparently one way a fox can become human is to trick their love interest for three years into thinking there are human.  So that is what he was doing.  He was tricking her. But not very well because he slipped up about them having a daughter. But why would she trip on that anyway. He could have just been saying that.  I get they were sticking to the lore and all that but they did not explain that lore to the viewer. So, unless you knew to go read about that, it was just confusing. Why was he faking it?  And that doesn’t even make sense to me anyway. No more than bubbles with the Little Mermaid.  I didn’t like it.  It was silly.

 Why did the brother die?  I was just liking him. And what cold people.  So sad when Lee died but then the brother dies, they shed just a very few tears and then are like Lee is back. No big deal brother was sacrificed.  They made a big deal about him having a family but he didn’t.  They didn’t seem to care beyond just those few moments.  Life went on perfectly without him.  In fact it smoothed over all their newlywed troubles.  The little boy didn’t even seem to care his surrogate dad/brother was gone.  But don’t worry he is reincarnated as about a six or seven year old child.  Okay he looks like him but I thought you were convinced that all those other people that looked like main girl were not her.  So how do you know that little boy is him?  It was just stupid.  And how do they explain some are reincarnated as a newborn but some seem to appear at various ages.  Too weird.  Not buying it.  Not even in a mythological sense.

 I guess I am of the unpopular opinion that this just wasn’t very good.  Lots of potential with such cool characters (foxes and other immortals) but they just told a very boring love story.  I never like love stories where they get together too soon and that is what this felt like.  Okay. They are together. Let’s go home.  Oh she is going to turn into the serpent?  I don’t care.  You had your love story.  And the side love stories? Also pretty uninspired.

#TaleoftheNineTailed. #LeeDongWook #JoBoAh. #KimBum

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IN LOVE WITH THIS SERIES!

This couple is out of this world, the chemistry is unreal. The acting is exquisite. Highly recommend to every fantasy lover, this is IT! The story line is super interesting and unique, it was the first time I was exposed to the myth of the fox. I find the graphics ON POINT! The love between the two and the actions between the relationship of the brothers and those around them is raw and real. I watched the whole series in one day, and I payed attention the entire time. LOL.


Seriously watch!! I have few 10/10s and this one makes my fantasy self so happy. It isn't extreme, fake looking like some historical dramas which literally make me LOL with how obviously fake it looks, but is way more modern in the way they went about it. I WILL SAY ONE THING, the tower drop scene is constantly on my mind. thats all. I really hope you just give it a try. You will fall in love with the couple at the end, because the ending is not a dead one. I hope for another season.

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A good joy ride into the Gumiho’s past!

Spoiler alert!
We happen to value things which we either don’t have or used to have. The former is out of control for most of us and most of us are mere mortals who can’t do much but regret the latter for not having cherished it enough when we had it. But our ML being a Gumiho (and not a mere mortal) in a fantasy world gets the opportunity to build some more memories with his brother lee rang who is dead in lee yeon’s time.

Things I appreciated:
It showcases good face-offs between lee yeon and some powerful villains as well as friends (you will know what I mean). At times I was afraid that our ML might get beaten or severely injured (even though we know he was meant to bounce back). The most appealing and attractive aspect of this season was the battle with the perfect impersonator jang san-beom. It’s a pretty unique and fascinating idea to witness. The path of the damned gives the kind of mysterious and horrifying twist to the plot I love.
The use of pure Japanese throughout many scenes in the show was also likened by me. I watch Chinese and Japanese dramas as well, so being subject to two languages at once was something that felt really amazing.
This season presents humour with pretty good timing and broadens our knowledge of lee yeon’s friends and acquaintances. This one doesn’t have any romantic elements to it like the first season. Overall I appreciate the showrunners displaying different themes in the two seasons. I would like it if season 3 goes back to the romance between Lee-yeon and Ji-ah.
Lastly, we all know - “She is there”

Things I couldn’t:
Old-fashion rice cooker deity!? Toilet deity!!? Seriously? This made me disappointed for something with the standard of “tale of the nine-tailed”.

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You’ll love it and hate it. But it’s worth the watch.

I’ve watched hundreds of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Thai dramas but I’ve never seen one with such diverse reviews. One reviewer tears it apart while another raves about how great it is. So I didn’t really know what to expect when I watched it. But I can honestly say I understand both the love and hate for this drama. You really get pulled in both directions. I’ll try to explain my thoughts on why I think this happened. There’s slight spoilers but no names are given and most situations are alluded to so that you kind of know where it’s going but not who, how , or when. So it doesn’t really spoil too much.

Why some hated it:
Throughout the drama it’s repeated numerous times that one of the main leads will sacrifice themselves to save the other one. So everyone expected an ending like Goblin, Gu Family Book, or A Korean Odyssey. And let’s be honest, this type of drama usually ends with an open or sad ending. So when the drama took an unexpected turn and let the main leads have their happy ending but killed someone else off (that was quite popular), a lot of people were understandably upset. And I honestly felt their pain. Not only was a popular character killed off but the ending for the main leads seemed too good to be true for a lot of those drama lovers that like sad (or open) but realistic endings. That paired along with some inconsistencies in the plot was upsetting for many viewers.

Why Some Loved it:
There is a sacrifice but it’s not who you would expect it to be. But I have to say, having a villainous type of character have a change of heart to the point of sacrificing themselves for someone else shows tremendous character growth and it really touched my heart. I was sad, then happy, then angry, then very touched all in the span of a few minutes. This unexpected twist along with a happy ending for the main leads sent us all on a very emotional journey. Some loved it, some hated it, and some were just very touched and enjoyed the ride (like me). Even though there were some unexplained situations with the plot leaving some confused, the character growth in this drama along with some great acting saved this drama and made it worth watching in my opinion.

Story:
He’s a nine tailed fox and powerful mountain god that has become quite jaded with the world. His first love was a human that sacrificed herself to save him. Since foxes mate for life he’s tormented by her death and pays a high price to have her reincarnated. After 600 years she is reincarnated but does not remember him. Instead, she is obsessed with finding out what happened to her parents on the night they disappeared. But this isn’t just about their love story. It’s much more than that. This is about the battle between evil and good. It’s about how much we are willing to sacrifice to protect innocent people from an evil threat. It’s about breaking the rules to do the right thing. And it’s about how family has each other’s backs. I like that this drama had a little bit of everything. There was horror, comedy, romance, fantasy, mystery, and suspense.

Cinematography:
The fight scenes were well executed. And when the male lead leaps off of a rooftop to save the female lead, it was well done and very realistic. They put a lot into the production of this drama and it shows. From the costumes, to the scenery, to the action scenes, it was all top notch.

Acting:
This is one of those rare dramas where I don’t have a complaint about one of the actors. Usually someone is a little wooden and stiff or someone is a little over the top and over does it, but not this drama. Everyone did a great job, especially the main characters. Lee Dong Wook somehow pulled off being powerful and godlike one moment then a sweet ice cream loving puppy the next moment so well. I loved the complexity of his character. Jo Bo Ah had me rooting for her sassy, courageous, and super clever character too.

Overall thoughts:
The acting is great, the romance is decent, there’s lots of character growth with some really great side characters and it was really touching. But my main complaint is that while it starts out with some really riveting episodes in the beginning, it soon starts to falter. By episode four I found myself getting irritated at being repeatedly teased with snippets of the past but not being given enough information to know what’s going on. Several episodes seemed to consist mostly of hints at hidden identities and past secrets with lots of mysterious new characters being introduced. It got repetitive and confusing. Fortunately, by episode 8 everything comes together and the action picks up considerably. Also, in two different scenes where the female lead is standing in pouring rain, her hair stays perfectly dry. I was disappointed at their lack of attention to detail in some scenes like this. And there were some minor inconsistencies with the plot. But if you can get through those few episodes and you’re okay with the unexpected happily ever after fairytale ending, then you’ll like it. It’s not the best drama I’ve ever seen but it’s not a bad one either. But it touched me and I’m glad I watched it.

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