This review may contain spoilers
"How dare you bring seafood into our lineage?!" I'm dead!!! LMAO
I really LOVED and enjoyed this season!! i can't get enough of Lee Yeon and his dry humor. He's so silly but when he gets mad, he really shows how amazingly powerful he really is. The scene with past Lee Yeon thinking he's looking at his reflection in a mirror instead of future Yeon was priceless. And he reunites with Ji-ah in the last episode!! That was such a sweet moment and I couldn't help but smile at them and their sweet love. The story was fun and interesting and kept me glued to my seat the whole time. The funny moments are REALLY FUNNY!! But the sad ones were so sad, I cried a lot. I love that Rang found his love and Yeon was so sweet to gift him the rings and he was always patient and reassuring to Rang. I was so happy when he was able to fully embrace his power. And the shenanigans with Hongjoo trying to marry him and every time he brought his knowledge from the future into that era were hilarious. I could gladly go on and on, but I don't want to make this review longer than it already is. Lee Yeon's noises and faces in the background and every time he says "heh" are priceless. He is seriously the funniest. I just love Lee Dong-wook's acting range and his ability to go from one extreme to the other in 2 seconds. This man is not just a handsome face and hot body, he truly is TALENTED!!Was this review helpful to you?
Time travel, mythical madness, and Lee Dong-wook roasting himself—what a damn good sequel !
"Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 : 8/10 – The Sequel That Outshined the Original in Every Damn Way"🔥 WHY IT’S BETTER THAN IT HAS ANY RIGHT TO BE:
Lee Dong-wook unleashed – Gone is the brooding gumiho, enter the chaotic, petty, meme-worthy disaster fox we deserved.
The bromance of the century – Lee Dong-wook + Kim Bum = toxic yesteryear duo we can’t quit. Their chemistry eclipses the OG’s romance.
Action scenes that actually slap – No more PS2 CGI! Just raw, historical-fantasy fight choreography.
💥 THE "THIS IS HOW YOU DO A SEQUEL" MOMENTS:
The time-travel chaos – 1930s Korea meets mythical mayhem? Yes.
Kim Bum’s villain-to-reluctant-hero arc – More layers than an onion (and just as tear-inducing).
The dark humor – Lee Dong-wook roasting his past self? Chef’s kiss.
😤 THE "OKAY, FINE" FLAWS:
Still light on romance – But at this point, who cares? The bromance is the romance.
Some rushed lore dumps – "Here’s 500 years of backstory in 2 minutes!"
That one CGI tiger… Why.
🎯 VERDICT:
"Like the OG Tale went back in time, did steroids, and came back infinitely cooler." Watch if: You want mythology + madcap energy + Lee Dong-wook’s glorious smirk. Skip if: You need heavy romance (but seriously, why would you?).
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This review may contain spoilers
Pretty, punchy, and strangely hollow.
Coming off the emotional gravity of the original Tale of the Nine-Tailed, this one felt like a reunion that looked right on paper but didn’t quite land in the heart. I went in with soft expectations — just a hope, really, that the bond between Yeon and Rang might be explored again with that same raw, aching tenderness. But this wasn’t that kind of show. This was louder, faster, glossier — a polished spectacle trying to recreate magic by turning up the volume.And sure, it was fun in moments. Time travel, new characters, chaotic brawls in vintage suits — there’s no denying 1938 was swinging big. Lee Dong-wook still wore Yeon like a well-cut coat: smooth, stoic, and self-aware. He knows this role, and he knows how to give it enough gravity that it doesn’t float off into camp, even when the plot veers close. But even he couldn’t summon the emotional resonance of the original season — because the writing didn’t go looking for it.
The Yeon-Rang dynamic, which in the first season was this thread of complicated brotherhood you felt even in the silences, here felt like a nod to a past connection more than something actively unfolding. Kim Bum showed up with the same sharp charisma, but without that soul-deep grief driving his actions, Rang became more of a sidekick than a wound. That emotional rawness was missing — replaced with quips and fight choreography.
And look, I get it — prequels are tricky. You’re working backward from resolution, trying to carve tension out of a story where you already know the ending. But the emotional stakes in 1938 felt… manufactured. Almost like the show knew it needed something to fill the space left by the original’s quiet devastation, and it filled it with noise. Stylish, well-produced noise, but noise all the same.
The humor was hit-or-miss. Sometimes it landed with a wink. Other times, it barged into scenes that could’ve had weight and deflated them before they had a chance to breathe. It often felt like the show didn’t trust its own audience to sit in a feeling for more than ten seconds.
What hurts most is that there was potential. The time period offered a new lens, the cast had solid chemistry, and the cinematography — clean, rich, confident — did the heavy lifting when the script sagged. But without the emotional ache, without the stillness and sincerity that made the first season so unexpectedly moving, this installment felt more like a fanservice loop than a continuation of something meaningful.
I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t carry it with me either. It showed up dressed to impress, full of tricks and flourishes — but it never really said anything new. And for a story built around ancient spirits and timeless bonds, that silence said more than it meant to.
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This review may contain spoilers
Nine Tails returned with a Bang.....
I think as everyone knows, this show did surpass its prequel both in terms of action and story. The characters introduced and their relationship development was damn good. The show was captivating and engaging right from the first episode and didn't feel as if it was dragged unnecessarily.By the end of S1 I hoped that Rang's character deserved a happy ending too and BOOM when the announced the sequel I was so happy. Rang getting his one love and going all fiesty foxy to protect her was so good to watch. LY as the big bro getting to meet his little bro again, from fighting against one another to side by side with him was cherry on top. Honestly I felt Yeon chemistry with the FL here way more than the one in S1 but dude is a one woman man and won't look at anyone else other than his own lady.
Overall the show was a bang and ended quite wholesomely.
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A Must Watch!(And I don't say that often)
Best drama I've seen in a ages! The Bromance was lit, the romance was fleshed out perfectly & was the sweetest mix of dramatic and beautiful, it made me want a boyfriend. 🥰The storyline was truly award winning! 👏 Every moment was pure joy, not a second wasted. They built relationships you root for and a plot that keeps you on your toes one story at a time. It was one major story threaded inside multiple well crafted small stories. All 4 villains kept you from getting bored or from one of them lacking, because there was a new threat every time you turned around. It was intense, heartwarming and had just enough humor to keep it from being too heavy. The beautiful 9 tailed Brothers are addictive, I could watch them for 10 seasons. Can't wait for season 3. The ending didn't even leave me devastated like I thought it would. It was exceptional, immaculate, a masterpiece!! It's gonna be real hard to top.Was this review helpful to you?
Superior sequel, filled with humour and more bromance
Tail of the Nine Tailed became one of 2020’s biggest K-dramas thanks to its engaging blend of fantasy, action, romance, comedy and horror.Fast forward to 2023 and Tale of the Nine Tailed is back. The second season unfolds with Lee Yeon and his returning assistant, Shin-joo, thrust back into the thick of drama, jumping back to 1938 and becoming embroiled in the politics and fantasy of the era. The episodic storytelling follows the same sort of format as season 1, with a variety of different spirits and demons springing forth to test their power against Yeon and his group. There’s an almost anime-like feel to some of these confrontations, especially late on when a group called the Shinigami Mercenaries enter the fold.
With no focus on the romance between Ji-ah and Yeon this time, Tale of the Nine Tailed feels far stronger and streamlined, instead turning its attention on the brotherly love between Rang and Yeon, with Hong-joo and how she slots into all of this another stand out element too. The show does a great job with its character development overall though, with the added additions of characters.
The blend of fantasy, drama, horror and comedy is much better balanced this time around, with some legitimately creative and well-written segments that stand out across the 12 episodes. This is arguably one of the best K-dramas of the year and bettering the prequel, that’s quite an achievement.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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I loved it
It was unique and better than expected . I love everything about it. The drama and the stories of lee Yeon and his heroic personality and the story of rang too. I liked to see jiah at the end it gave me gosebumps of first tale of the nine tailed. I loved the music and the intros and the lee yeon x Lee yeon was my favourite. Its my favourite. The drama is cool and the boss battle was epic . I also loved the story of Korean and joseon period. The battle for independence was touching.so far I liked it and wish for more.Was this review helpful to you?
No decepciona el zorro de nueve colas
Ambientada en la época de la Colonia japonesa, este drama te mantendrá en constante tensión e incertidumbre. Me gusta la historia y suspenso.El elenco es maravilloso. Amé volver a verlos en pantalla juntos, sobre todo a los hermanos zorro.
La nueva faceta de Rang, me encantó. Sana heridas del pasado y se convierte en el caballero que todas quisiéramos tener al lado. Se hizo justicia por Rang un personaje entrañable que merecía vivir una vida sin rencores y con el amor de su vida a su lado.
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Rich in Myth, But Overwhelming
When I first started watching Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938, I was really into it. It felt different from the first season, which was a good thing. The show went deeper into fairy tales and mythology, which was interesting and added a lot of cool details. It was nice to see the stories and characters from these old tales come to life in a new way.However, as the show went on, I felt like there was too much happening in just 12 episodes. It was a bit overwhelming and hard to keep track of everything. By the end of the season, there were still a lot of unanswered questions, and some parts of the story didn't make sense to me. It felt like they tried to do too much in a short amount of time, and this made the ending a bit confusing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Worth the Watch: Left so much to miss
I loved this season 10 times better than the first so if you liked season 1 you should watch this one. I also never fully finished the first season so even if you didn't watch season 1 you'll be fine. It will feel like you missed reading the prequel but beyond that, this season stands on its own.I have been enjoying the less than 16-episode format, but I wish for more after the whole issue was resolved. I got so attached to our characters so whenever they were peacefully sitting by in the yard that was my favorite moment.
The season is so well-directed, edited, and written. The story wasn't bad. I am not sure if it was great. The whole plot beyond the three mountain gods wasn't to my taste even the backstory and betrayal was a little undeveloped. I know that they did it to not stretch out the events and some people will enjoy that the drama is shorter than usual. But this one is different it's not your usual drama where leads go stupid on episode 14 I think they could have played off 4 more episodes as splendidly as they did for the entire 12.
TLDR; go watch. great show. I hope in season 3 or a future cut I can see Hongju happy with someone besides Yeon (I am shipping her with the Jindu but fine with the other one). Foxes should be the only ones in the show who can't have but one love, the others should find a happy ending, please.
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rollicking bromance is violent & creepy but still engaging
intense, interesting & much more fun than I anticipated. Mostly a rollicking bromance with alot of friends fighting friends without the intent to kill. I gave it a lower rating because there was alot violence and scary/creepy evil. I was glad to see alot more of Rang & for him to have a romance WITH a happy ending. Female mountain god was a bit brainlessly fixated and shallow, but then again pretty much every woman in this was just a pawn, scenery or both. this is all about the guys having fun
tussling each other & kicking bad guy butts. main characters all end up alive . Very strong Korean ethnocentricity theme, which given the era it's set in & thier history with Japan-totally appropriate & warranted fitting the story. Very engaging, well acted drama-just too violent & creepy at times for me to make it something I'd put on my shelf to rewatch. Kudos, by the way for making it only 12 episodes. 16 would have been draggy .
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"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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