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Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 korean drama review
Completed
Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938
0 people found this review helpful
by Tate Arson
Jul 19, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

"이 땅의 주인은 니들이 아니야!"

There is a lot more this prequel season could have told, but it certainly doesn't lack the style, passion, and its firecracker personality. I guess we don't have to argue that Kim Beom's undercut, inspired by Peaky Blinders, stole the show. I totally approve of it, I myself have been wearing such for years.

🔸A wild mix of fantasy, horror, action, noir, comedy, and period drama, a sneak into the culture, history facts, indigenous Korean spirits, zombies, martial arts, and time-traveling, - you can't pull that off flawlessly, but you can make it a passion project with fire in each and every actor's eyes, sparkling a fire in mine as well. How do actions in the past affect the future? How did Ki Yuri end up as a wild gumiho in Siberia if she was a Korean independence movement activist blowing up Japanese officers with regular non-magical TNT? Who the hell is the first mountain god? Even though we didn't get to learn any of that, it doesn't diminish the joy of watching the two reunited brothers trying to beat each other's arse, fooling around, fighting, learning to show their appreciation for each other, bonding, and parting to different centuries to never ever meet again.

🔸The magnificent instrumental scores of the composer Hong Dae Seong already deserved an Oscar in the first season. They are breathtaking masterpieces no less significant that those in Park Chan Wook's movies. You won't find such tremendous works in other K-dramas. I haven't heard anything like them. The Youth of the Mountain Gods, Parting at the River of Three Crossings, Sad Fate, The Brothers - these instrumentals won't leave my "On Repeat" Spotify playlist soon. Or ever.

Tale of the Nine Tailed is that type of drama that depends heavily on the actors charisma and unique production style. With a few writing improvements I will be happy to see the next season. I have a special thanks for making 1938 a separate show, now it won't get erased from Letterboxd.
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