“The Story of the 9-Tailed” was simply top-of-the-line reveals of 2020 regardless of faltering barely towards the tip. All appeared effectively as we left the characters on a bittersweet, completely happy word, so it got here as a shock when it was introduced that the present was renewed not for one however two seasons. Anticipation and curiosity arose with the primary stills and present being set in 1938, and I’m completely happy to announce that season 2 is off to an unbelievable begin.
There’s a lot to like concerning the action-adventure mysterical caper that season 2 guarantees to be. It’s chockful of references to season 1, hasn’t retconned something (to this point!), and continues Lee Yeon’s (Lee Dong Wook) devotion to his now-wife Nam Ji Ah (Jo Bo Ah). Right here’s what we beloved concerning the premiere and each cause to begin watching!
1. Blast to the previous
The present picks up proper on the finish of the drama however earlier than the epilogue. Yeon, nonetheless devastated by his half-brother Lee Rang’s (Kim Bum) sacrifice to save lots of him, pesters the Underworld’s supervisor, Taluipa (Kim Jung Nan), on how you can reincarnate him. The primary season’s epilogue reveals that this reincarnation works as a result of Yeon finds Rang reincarnated, albeit with no reminiscence of him. Nevertheless 2020’s Lee Yeon has no clue, and Taluipa isn’t spilling, until Lee Yeon returns to being a gumiho and enforces regulation and order amongst non-human beings interfering in issues between the non secular and human realms. Yeon agrees on the situation that he doesn’t get the immortality portion of being a gumiho. He needs to die on the identical time Ji Ah does. He throws it out so casually too. And if that isn’t probably the most insanely romantic factor, I don’t know what’s.
And similar to that, our gumiho is again in enterprise. And simply in time too as a result of a brand new enemy has appeared, whose roots are buried within the murky years Yeon spent between Ah Eum’s (Jo Bo Ah) loss of life and her reincarnation as Nam Ji Ah. The thriller masked man steals the gem that wards the boundary between life and the Samdo River that carries the useless and jumps right into a portal. Yeon follows with Taluipa’s warning that he’ll be caught if he doesn’t get again with the gem inside 16 hours of entry. Yeon expects to struggle his manner by way of one of many hells, however he all of a sudden finds himself again in 1938!
2. Lee Rang
Yeon’s chase of the thriller masked man with the gem leads him to none apart from Lee Rang, the devious half-gumiho you possibly can’t assist however love. Naturally, this previous iteration of Rang holds all of the resentment that the primary season’s Rang held after which some. 2020’s Rang had a lengthy time for that resentment to fester, however 1938’s Rang hasn’t had even 50 years but. However he nonetheless tries to kill his brother as a result of it’s Rang we’re speaking about. However Yeon will get visibly emotional at having his brother again and fortunately takes all of it, apologizing for drowning his personal sorrows within the wake of Ah Eum’s loss of life as a substitute of anticipating his brother. However he additionally is aware of that he can’t keep on this timeline when it’s crucial that the gem be returned to 2020.
He makes his farewells and apologies and is about to go away when Rang is stabbed by way of the center by the thriller masked man. Yeon vows revenge however has to remain in 1938 with the intention to discover a solution to save him. And the one technique of doing that’s to belief a mercurial being with the flexibility to elongate lifespans situated in a courtesan home known as Myoyeongak. Trapped between life and loss of life, Rang’s spirit comply with Yeon round – invisible to him – whereas he tries to outwit the being to save lots of his brother.
This can be a nice idea as a result of it gives a fantastic cause for why Lee Yeon could be caught in 1938 as a result of he loves his brother as a lot as he loves Ji Ah. As well as, having Yeon danger every thing to save lots of Rang’s life on this timeline is one of the simplest ways of incomes 1938 Rang’s belief. And Lee Yeon goes to wish all of the allies he can get right here, seeing as he’s each out of time and operating out of time.
3. Lee Yeon meets Lee Yeon
As for the place 1938’s Lee Yeon is? Properly, he’s in a slightly embarrassing place bodily and emotionally.
The Lee Yeon of this period is comparatively recent off shedding his beloved and drowns his sorrows in drink, opium, and sleep. The best way Lee Dong Wook performs two very totally different iterations of the identical character whereas grounding them sufficient to point out their commonalities is simply unbelievable. In an effort to save Rang, Yeon must steal a legendary weapon often known as Uturi’s sword. The difficulty is that he was the sword’s proprietor. Sneak ways don’t work, and Yeon finally ends up combating 1938’s Yeon.
The 2 are evenly matched. What 1938’s Yeon has in sheer power, 2020’s Yeon can outmatch in avenue smarts with 82 years extra data. And, hilariously sufficient, it’s an image of Ji Ah that saves the day as 1938’s Yeon instantly stops every thing to hunt for his Ah Eum. Yeon sends him off on a wild goose chase to Manchuria for her, so it seems like we gained’t be seeing double for a bit. It’s such intelligent writing to include 1938’s Yeon into the story! However maybe we might do with having him round as a result of Yeon’s dealing with enemies from all sides and doesn’t comprehend it.
4. Ryu Hong Joo
Unbeknownst to Yeon, Ryu Hong Joo (Kim So Yeon) is the proprietor of Myoyeongak. She’s a businesswoman with a deep community all through Japanese-occupied Joseon… and has a slightly unhealthy want to own Yeon. He’s cautious upon discovering her, decided to elude her grasp, and he is aware of how harmful it’s to clarify that he’s from the previous. Yeon has by no means been one to belief simply, and he is aware of that telling Hong Joo the reality might end in her desirous to see 2020 for herself. Hong Joo has all of the allure of Jang Man Wol from “Lodge Del Luna” and is extremely highly effective. Bodily, she’s the strongest of the 4 mountain gods. And seeing as Yeon is on her turf, that might make for a troubling sport.
At current, it isn’t clear whether or not Hong Joo is an ally or an enemy. She’s blatant about wanting to own Yeon, with none regard for his emotions within the matter. However like Rang, she appears to have observed that there’s one thing totally different about this Yeon. Given her in depth community of informants, she will get to the masked man that Yeon is searching for earlier than him. And to her shock, it’s somebody she is aware of effectively.
5. The person behind the masks
Cheon Mu Younger (Ryu Kyung Soo) is a person on a mission: to break Yeon. The present makes no secret of the truth that 1938’s Yeon wasn’t the best particular person. He was liable to outbursts, simply angered, and completely ruthless in punishment. A little bit of a drama queen at instances too. It was a time when gods had been revered as a substitute of hunted and a tumultuous historic period the place violence was the secret. However none of that explains the glimpse we get of Mu Younger’s reminiscences that present Yeon driving a sword by way of his older brother’s chest. Clearly, that is Mu Younger’s rationale for looking Yeon, however there’s not a variety of element as to why. Judging by Yeon’s garb, it’s clear that he killed Mu Younger’s brother at a time when he was nonetheless the god of Mount Baekdu.
We additionally know that Mu Younger was presumed useless for a while as a result of Hong Joo tearfully embraces him, exhibiting extra emotion than she ever has in her pursuit of Yeon. One thing deep ties these two collectively, and there’s a lot to unpack on simply what it might be! However for now, all we all know of Mu Younger’s plans are that he intends on taking every thing from Yeon and appears to have lured him to this time interval for that. But it surely isn’t clear whether or not he is aware of that a fair higher risk lies in wait as a result of there’s a villain extra highly effective than both of them, and he hasn’t even gotten began but.
6. The actual villain
Ryuhei Kato (Ha Do Kwon) is the Japanese Governor-Basic of Korea. He additionally occurs to be a really highly effective demon. In a fantastic addition to its mythology, the present demonstrates that gods and demons took half within the political turmoil of the period, each aggravating it and serving to defend the folks of Joseon from occupation. Ryuhei is certainly the previous. He intends of accumulating as many highly effective artifacts from Joseon’s gods and demons as he can and utilizing them to make himself extra highly effective. And the worst half is that he isn’t on Yeon or Mu Younger’s radar.
Given the hardcore group vibe that the poster for this season offers off, it appears possible that Yeon, Rang, Mu Younger, and Hong Joo will group as much as struggle Ryuhei after settling the unhealthy blood between them. And what a wonderful time that guarantees to be! However till then, there’s about to be lots of infighting, if subsequent week’s preview is any indication. Yeon muses that having his spouse secure in 2020 signifies that he has nothing to lose on this period and might go all out. We see glimpses of his former ruthlessness in him, at the same time as he tempers it due to the person he’s develop into. But when Yeon thinks that he’s with out weak spot, he has all of it improper. His loyal servant and greatest pal, Gu Shin Ju (Hwang Hee), has accompanied him to this period and located him after a lot effort. He and Rang stay Yeon’s Achilles heel. Plus a younger reporter by the title of Solar Woo Eun Ho (Kim Yong Ji) is a secret freedom fighter on this period regardless of her father being closely concerned within the Japanese occupation. And Solar Woo Eun Ho’s face is identical as that of Shin Ju’s spouse, Ki Yu Ri. So there’s one other potential weak spot there.
Fortunately, Yeon gained’t face any penalties through the butterfly impact. He seeks assist from 1938’s Taluipa and is informed that he’s only a passing traveller on this period and what he does right here won’t change the longer term. Nevertheless, he solely has 29 days till the Gate of Time opens, permitting him to return again dwelling. And, with the intention to return, he wants to carry onto that gem. If he misses his time, or loses the gem, then there’s no going again dwelling.
The present pays nice respect to Yeon’s love for Ji Ah and always reveals him fascinated about her. They’ve even added that point passes in a different way in 2020, so a month in 1938 will solely be a couple of days there. It’s the extent of care right here that makes the present really feel well-realized. Subsequent week’s preview reveals Hong Joo and Mu Younger teaming as much as blind Yeon, kidnap Rang and Shin Ju, and dump a variety of monsters in Yeon’s path for him to struggle them off within the hopes of rescuing these he loves. Yeon has his work lower out for him! It’s good that we all know how this all ends. However “Story of the 9-Tailed 1938” guarantees to point out that the journey there may be the most effective half.
Fairly certain that is heaven.
What did you consider the premiere week’s episodes? Tell us your ideas within the feedback under!
Shalini_A is a very long time Asian-drama addict. When not watching dramas, she works as a lawyer, fangirls over Ji Sung, and makes an attempt to write the best fantasy romance of all time. Observe her on Twitter and Instagram, and be at liberty to ask her something!
At present Watching: “My Excellent Stranger,” “Tail of the 9-Tailed 1938,” “Stealer: The Treasure Keeper,” and “Dr. Romantic 3.”
Trying Ahead to: “Black Knight,” “Gyeongseong Creature,” “Ask The Stars,” “The Lady Downstairs,” “The Worst Evil,” “Queen of Tears,” “Vigilante,” “Demon,” “Day by day Dose of Sunshine,” and Ji Sung’s subsequent drama.
