This review may contain spoilers
From Laughter to Chills : Tale of The Nine Tailed 1938 Delivers an Unforgettable Experience
The show captivated viewers from start to finish, delivering thrilling & satisfying experience. It stands out as one of those rare instances where the sequel surpasses the original. Although S1 was enjoyable to me, S2 gained even more popularity & favor among audiences.When the show began, there were uncertainties surrounding the new Female Lead's romantic involvement with Yeon & revival of Rang who was easily most favourite character from S1. However, it gave satisfactory answers to all the curious viewers.
Season 2 transported Main lead Yeon back 82 years to time when South Korea was still under Japanese colonial rule.
The new season introduced plethora of new characters while retaining most of the original cast. Some characters remained unchanged, while one particular actress from S1 took on new & even more challenging role in S2.
Two new leads were introduced as frenemies of Yeon. The first was Hong Joo, the current West Mountain God, an owl & second was Mu Young, the former North Mountain God, Siberian tiger harboring deep resentment towards Yeon. Mu Young sets the stage for Season 2 by time traveling to the year 1938 from year of 2020.
Through time travel, Yeon reunites with his beloved little brother Rang, who is half fox & half human. Although their relationship remains love hate during this era, Yeon gradually wins Rang over.
Additionally new villain emerges in the form of Akira Ryuhei, powerful Japanese ruler & demon.
The show masterfully blended comedy & thriller elements. The comedic moments, primarily delivered by Yeon, Hong Joo, Shinjoo & Rang's loyal bandit boss were exceptional.
The comedy was so well executed that it often left viewers laughing for several minutes after each scene.
In terms of thrills, the show delivered exhilarating elements by incorporating Korean folklore inspired tracks. These tracks were engaging & kept viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the season.
The execution of various fantasy thriller storylines was absolutely fantastic. It exemplified what fantasy show should be in contrast to another fantasy drama that aired on the same channel the previous year, which failed to provide similar level of excitement. Other writers should take notes from the creators of this drama on how to craft a captivating fantasy drama.
Season 2 showcased strong bonds that had endured for centuries such as the brotherly bond between Yeon & Rang as well as Yeon's precious friendships with his past acquaintances. The scenes depicting these bonds were exceptionally well written & portrayed.
Since romance was not the central focus of this season, show was able to give equal attention to all the major characters. It was refreshing to see how Eunho became entangled in the main plot, even though she was not directly connected to the leads in this season.
Complex characters like Hong Joo & Mu Young were explored in great detail, adding depth to the storyline.
The standout character of this season was Ryu Hong Joo who is new female lead of new season. Her strength & portrayal left lasting impact on viewers despite not being involved in any romantic storyline. She was the most powerful mountain god among all the mountain gods & possessed rare combination of strength, badassery & intelligence. Such characters are rarely seen in other shows making her a refreshing addition.
Rang also underwent significant character development in this season. Initially harboring resentment towards his brother, he gradually softened & displayed more affection as the season progressed. His personal romantic storyline further added depth to his character.
Mu Young was a complex character in the second season, starting off as smart villain. However some of his later choices raised questions about his intelligence. It would have been satisfying to see him handle situations more cleverly, as he had great potential. The writers should have provided valid reasons behind his actions which would have greatly enhanced his character development.
In terms of acting, entire cast excelled in this drama, from the Baeksang Awardee Kim So Yeon to the minor Japanese mercenary characters introduced later on.
Kim So Yeon's portrayal of the character Ryu Hong Joo, the West mountain god, was particularly impressive. Her expressions & delivery were always on point.
Lee Dongwook & Kim Beom, as in the previous season, delivered fantastic performances, making Season 2 equally enjoyable. Their bromance was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the season.
The other actors who portrayed characters like Mu Young, Ko Shinjoo, Bandit Boss, Jaeyoo, Akira Ryuhei & Eunhoo also did a fantastic job.
The music in the season was great although personally I found S1's music & OST tracks to be even more memorable.
While Season 2 had some flaws I won't delve into them because the pros easily outweighs the cons.
All in all, this season was a truly enjoyable watch and exceeded my expectations. Now I will patiently wait for Season 3.
Fantasy lovers should definitely not miss this masterpiece.
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Nostalgic and Humorous
I gotta say, the humor is spot-on. It’s a perfect combination of witty remarks, dry humor, and dramatic irony. There’s also a good amount of S1 nostalgia without trying to recreate the original show. Best part of all is the chemistry between the actors that makes these fictional relationships feel so real and unique. I’m also loving the historic setting!On a more controversial note, I’m glad Ji-ah doesn’t make an appearance in this so far, even though all the other main characters have. To me, Ji-ah and Lee Yeon’s relationship felt lacking. Perhaps it was the writing, the direction, or just the lack of chemistry between actors, which is hard to say, since the rest of the actors seem to have such great chemistry maybe it’s the character of Ji-ah that just felt flat…
Anyway, highly recommend!
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There’s really no real need to watch the first series before this one, because it’s kind of a self-contained prequel and the one does not really affect the other. Some of the characters here seem to have the character development and dynamics between each other we had arrived upon after all the events of the first series though.
There is such an inconstant, slightly odd characterization going on sometimes which is is jarring at first, but you quickly learn to ignore it or not think much of it because this series is just made to be fun. It’s for the people who want a light, fun and fluffy drama with Kim Bum and Lee Dong Wook. The story is just made to be very entertaining.
Still, some things in this drama does go against what we’ve learned in the previous series or just ignores it because a lot of the stuff that happened there doesn’t really affect things here all that much, but does explain some things at the same time. It’s wildly inconsistent, Like Lee Rang at the end of this series isn’t really the same character that we meet at the start of the first one. One should not need to use too much brainpower while enjoying this show, because the show is wildly enjoyable.
The story has a strong tendency to go into fan service - just giving the fans what they liked the most in the previous series although does not necessarily serve the story and are serves a bit like a filler for the large cracks in the story itself. But it does also gave us more action, humor and scenes between the brothers that were some of the best parts of the first series. But it does feel a bit like this drama is very style over substance, quantity over quality.
The romance is much more in the background in this series, but I actually enjoyed it a lot more here than in the previous series. Because the characters that the romances are about are just more interesting and they don’t dominate the whole story as much. There is a better buildup to it and it never feels like some overwhelming YA subternatural romance. I found this one more grounded and intense.
And while I could talk about the cast and entertainment value of the shows for a long while, I will always come back to the shows main problem and that is the overall story is pretty weak. It’s not exactly a drama you’re going to watch for the clever, deep or logical writing. You’re just there for the character really. And drama knows and reflects that. It knows it’s audience so well.
The story and the whole atmosphere of the episodes is rather light-hearted. And really, I wish the story had allowed itself a little more depth and darkness within itself. Going a little deeper into all of the characters, reflecting on the past and the present and maybe more contrast between the two, as well as the Japanese occupation within Korean history.
It’s strange to have that as a setting and then try to keep it so light and fun. At times it tries to go a bit deeper, but it still never goes all the way. It just tips the toes in (and one kind of wonders why this period was chosen, because I can’t really see a point to it when it comes to the plot). The only thing that it allowed itself to do more in this historical setting is play around more with the mythology and the lore of the show, which was cool. But I wanted more.
Aside from the romance and the complicated relationship between the brothers and just further character exploration of Lee Rang’s tragic backstory (Kim Bum is the true star of this show and Lee Yeon, the older brothers, takes a bit of a backseat when it comes to story and character development) there isn’t much of an actual story that ties things altogether or let the story end with a particular point or saying too much.
It’s sort of a very slow character-driven story, if you want to look at it that way, with a very loose and meandering plot. It’s almost as if the writers felt like they had already done all the plotting in the previous series so here they just wanted to entertain us with the characters and let the actors do their thing.
Tale of the Nine Tailed was more fun and had more things that I personally liked than the first series. The romance didn’t overpower the whole story and we got more character moments of the people I cared about, there was more myths and lore to everything and the historical period was fun to look at, even if it lacked depth. The main core of the story it wasn’t as solid or well shaped as it could have been. I’m having a bit of a hard time figuring out what Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 is really, truly about. But the entertainment value was there the whole time.
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⚔️ Unbreakable Bonds and Unforgettable Friendships: A 'Fox'-ceptional Sequel
It's rare for a second season to surpass the first, let alone do it in a way that doesn't compromise the canon set up by the original. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 does this exceptionally well. It manages to retain all the elements that made season one great: flawed. complex and intriguing main characters (Lee Yeon and Lee Rang) and their wounded but unbreakable bond, the rich fantasy world-building, and the deeply interwoven native folklores. However, it surpasses the original with improved pacing, a tighter plot, and significantly better villains and backstory.The original's biggest flaw was a weak villain and the vague backstory of FL's parents, which left us with unanswered questions and plot holes. With 1938, the villains are more coherent, although we are still left with some unanswered questions regarding one of them (presumably to be addressed in the third season?). The backstory of the villains is better fleshed out, adding to the compelling threat they pose. Despite being a fantasy where the outcome is fairly assured, the series manages to raise the stakes against our heroes and presents them with a daunting task.
Much of the enjoyment comes from the excellent chemistry between the characters. Beyond the remarkable camaraderie between the Lee brothers, the fellowship among the Mountain god trio is equally engaging. The humour is on point, with comedic situations and witty dialogue. The tone seamlessly shifts between humor and intrigue, poignant and thrilling. No moment is wasted, and even side characters and their stories are well-integrated into the overarching narrative.
I must admit that some of the flaws from the writer are still present in this season, mainly a tendency to leave a trail of apparent plot holes. While it's slightly less overt in season 2, it remains noticeable. In season 1, it mainly revolved around the parents' storyline and the reincarnation concept. In season 2, the lack of clear discussion over Moo Young's brother's atrocities is a glaring plot hole, especially considering the flashback showing him attacking Moo Young himself. It could have been addressed with a scene that demonstrates why Moo Young is confident in his brother's innocence.
The one main flaw of S1 was Lee Yeon and Ji Ah's relationship. It was perhaps a combination of weak writing (it relied too heavily on her past self rather than developing the relationship with the present character) and a lack of chemistry between them. (That being said, I was still able to enjoy their relationship because LDW is just that adorable.) S2 is better precisely because it stays true to S1, our nine-tailed fox loves for life, so his chemistry with Hong Joo make for an uncomplicated, witty and enjoyable friendship. Kim So Yeon steals every scene she's in, exhibiting great chemistry with all her co-stars. The treat was seeing Lee Rang's love story, although his surprise power raises more questions that will hopefully be addressed in Season 3.
As someone who was initially wary of a sequel, I was amazed by the quality of this season and now find myself longing for Season 3.
9.5/10
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100/10
This is an all-around 10/10 for me. Who needs romance dramas when u have a perfectly sassy gumiho??!! Trust me this is INFINITE times better than season 1. Honestly, I wasn't so impressed with season 1; the romance was too dull for me, and the only thing that piqued my interest was Lee Yeon's sexy hair and Kim Bum, who made a stunning comeback after a long time! So at first, I was even wondering why the hell they need a season 2. Hence, I started watching with a slight doubt BUT...... FK romance, romance played only a very small role but the action scenes, and the crazy friend trio was just PERFECT.If u ask me, just watch season 2 instead of watching season 1. From what I see, season 1 doesn't play a major role in season 2, the two seasons tell two different stories. You only need to know 3 thing,
1. Lee Yeon is a Joseon Mountain God who fell in love with a human woman. After she dies, he waited for her to reincarnate which she did in modern times. CUZ Foxes have only ONE mate for LIFE!!!
2. Lee Yeon has a brother called Lee Rang who dies in season 1 trying to save him, so LY feels guilty about it, plus they have a bro complex.
3. Lee Rang has a love-hate relationship with his brother, he thinks he was abandoned by Lee Yeon so he's kinda like a kid who's trying to throw tantrums at Lee Yeon trying to get his attention.
That's all u need to know from season 1 to watch season 2.
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A variety show
I seriously don't get the high ratings for this show. The first 'season' (if you can call it that) was an ok watch. I liked the characters, I sympathesized with the Gumiho, Lee Yeon, and I even liked Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bun. Lee Rang was a bit petulant and annoying but when I started to understand his back story, I was sympathetic. However, it certainly wasn't on the same level as Goblin.I can't say the same about this installment however. The writing was patchy and incoherent. It was like watching Saturday Night Live - Korean. It was a string of disjointed skits and scenes without any real plot, especially in the first few episodes. When I started to get into this 'variety show' (NOT a drama), it was just comfortable watching because of slapstick and light laughs; certainly not full-on har-har comedy.
There seemed to be a distinct LACK of plot. A plot implies a scenario, a mission, character growth, a dramatic challenge, and overcoming that challenge(s). In fact, the only character who seemed to have experienced any character growth was Moo Young - but hello, he's not really the main character!
The only reason I stuck on was because of Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bun. At the end, I was just glad it was all over. And now they want to do a third season set in a different era? So the writers seemed to have stumbled on a winning formula - a time-travelling gumiho who gets into hijinks? Isn't that evidence of a lack of overarching plot direction aka the very definition of variety show skits?
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This review may contain spoilers
It was okay but just couldn't carry on
I waited to binge watch this because I am a huge LDW fan. That being said, I didn't really enjoy the first season as much as I thought I would. This season has the same issues. I loved the cast, I liked Hong Joo way more than I liked the first season's Ji-A. Ji-A's character was one of the main reasons I didn't enjoy the first season. I actually rooted for Hong Joo and Yeon to be an item, because I liked her character more. I loved all the supporting characters in this season especially the little girl, Jook Hyang. I just thought she was so cute and did a great job, even when she asked Rang if he had any smokes. I hollered.I think it was really funny but it wasn't really fun. I loved most of the dialogue but I wasn't intrigued by the overall story. It was boring. The constant back stabbing by the two against Lee Yeon just to stand by him every time was aggravating and monotonous. I didn't understand the need for Yeon to be their for all that time just to have to keep fighting and saving his friends over and over. He was fighting the Japanese Govt general who was a creep when he should have just went against him from the moment he knew who he was.
I liked all the gods but their powers seems so small and underwhelming that I couldn't understand how Yeon and Rang had to fight hard against them. They were trivial at best. I think that is where the story lost me. I just didn't understand the power struggle that was constantly going on.
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WHAT A SHOW, LOVED IT! I REALLY RECOMEND YOU TO WATCH.
I loved Kim Bum so much he is amazing here, even though Lee Dong Wook plays a great double role,still Kim Bum really outdoes himself.
And Kim So Yoon's acting, in one word WOW!!
OMG, This drama surpassed the first season, which is quite rare that a second season becomes more beautiful and more interesting than the first season.
A great performance by the whole cast, I loved every moment, and I enjoyed the whole season very much. We went from laughing to crying, from fear to calm, from love to hate, friendships and enemies, and brotherly love above all.
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Entertaining and fun...but don't expect anything deep
Tale of the nine tailed is about the adventures of the nine tailed fox lee yeon and his half brother lee rang.AND...that's it. So if you like the characters and then you would like the drama. if you don't then you won't. simple.
There is no overarching storyline or plot. Their relationship is what makes this drama special. Lee rangs relationship development with his brother and close to father AND mother figure, lee yeon who loves and cares for his brother with exasperated fondness gives this drama life.
The writers banked on developing that relationship in season 2, cut off on the annoying romance angle for lee yeon, added some new chars, upped the intensity and horror and that's season 2 in a nutshell. There are some glaring inconsistencies and plot holes thats hard to ignore thanks to the rushed execution.
What I loved:
- THE BROTHERS RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
- THE HUMOR
- THE PRODUCTION VALUE
- MORE FOCUS ON DEMONS, FOLK GODS AND THE LORE
What I didn't like:
- the char sunwoo eunoh was badly written and badly acted.
- hyping satori up only for him to be KO'ed after 5 mins.
- Lee rangs insta romance w the mermaid
- VERY rushed execution
- Lee rangs sudden power up which was...convenient but not logical.
It's a great drama for entertainment value and I love watching lee dong wook being sexy and charismatic and the humor moments are pure gold. Plus Kim bum's lee rang is one of the best chars I've seen.
There would likely not be a s3 but I hope there is.
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An interesting and spectacular drama
Do you know what is special about this drama? A character named Hong Joo. if she wasn't in it, I wouldn't have watched it. That's all I wanted to say about this drama. happy watching :)P.S. And in order to watch this season, you don't need to have seen the first season, I watched it without watching the first season and I had no problems at all, so you don't need to bother yourself and you can skip it.
Oh by the way, this is a fan drama, please don't take it too hard and go with the flow and that's it, thank you for reading. God bless you.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Half-breed HAS THE POWER!
This was a really well done sequel to the 1st season. It was a wild ride the entire time. Everyone acted so well and am sooo glad that Rang was able to reach deep inside and reach his full potential of his nine-tiled fox side. His older brother, Lee Yeon, helped him with that by showing how much he truly cared and believed in him. I knew the trio couldn’t stay enemies, it’s not destiny for them. & they brought back that ultra sexy OST from the 1st season by the group ‘Nell’ ooh how I love that song and when eh went full nine tailed fox beast mode, that was waaay too awesome! Loved every detail and he defeated the Japanese mountain God with classis and finesse. But the original Joseon mountain God is still on the loose, so there has to be a S3. & I am so looking forward to that. Great season 2!Was this review helpful to you?
