Tale of the Nine Tailed was a good reminder of why I loved fantasy dramas completely or primarily set in the present day. The mystical elements and effects that leave viewers in awe, coupled with a modern setting that doesn't bore me make it a recipe for success. I've never been a fan of period dramas so having the story unfold in the modern world with some flashbacks to ancient times is as close as I'll get to watching a period drama without boring me to tears. Anyway, this drama was many things, mostly exciting with a dash of humour thrown in but let me tell you, nothing will prepare you for how absolutely devastating some of the events in the last episode will be. Let's dive in.
SERIES RETROSPECT AND REVIEW (SPOILER ALERT)
The foremost thought on viewers' minds when they see this drama will probably be how similar it is to Guardian: The Lonely and Great God. An ancient immortal deity with amazing superpowers has spent centuries alive, waiting for their destined soulmate. After finding their soulmate and entering a relationship, they eventually cross swords with another powerful supernatural being with malicious intent, hellbent on killing our hero. Of course, not everything is the same but the general idea is quite similar. I guess when you get down to the premise of such fantasy romance dramas, there'll always be parallels that can be drawn. I really like these kinds of dramas because there's a lot of freedom with what the mystically-powered characters can do and that is definitely evident with our ageless gumiho lead Lee Yeon, who is truly one of the most badass and powerful K-drama leads ever.
I saw a YouTube comment that accurately describes Lee Dong-wook being the perfect actor for non-human roles because he's just ethereal and I don't disagree because he just perfectly portrays Lee Yeon's timeless style and charisma in every scene. Our hero knows that he has power and looks, oftentimes being so assured in his abilities to the point of cockiness but this confidence isn't unfounded for we see that he's almost always a few steps ahead of the villains. Every time I thought that things were going to go wrong and the enemy had the upper hand, it turns out that Lee Yeon has something up his sleeve, which leaves me in awe and anticipation for what he has planned next. Some people had the gripe that he's a Mary Sue because he has almost no weaknesses but I just felt that the hero needed to be able to match such a powerful archenemy. Even with his insane power, it's nice that Lee Yeon's greatest characteristic isn't about being a gumiho. While he does express the desire to become human, his main motivation throughout the drama goes from waiting for his first love Ah-eum to reincarnate to protecting our female lead Ji-ah. While initially seeing Ji-ah as simply Ah-eum's reincarnation, he eventually falls in love with her for who she is and wants to protect her because of that. It's also super hilarious to see our centuries-old male lead being prone to moments of childishness just like the Goblin from a few years ago, especially around Ji-ah.
Speaking of her, I mentioned in my initial thoughts post that I really liked her resourcefulness and independence, and this hasn't changed. Even if she has to depend on her gumiho boyfriend at some points, she still continuously takes matters into her own hands without overly relying on others. It's very refreshing to see this kind of female lead and Jo Bo-ah, who I can't wax lyrical enough about, portrays that very well. She also does a good job in her dual role as normal Ji-ah and when she's possessed by big bad Imoogi (more on him later). While the switch from the very human Ji-ah into a sinister entity oozing with malice is represented on screen with scales appearing on Ji-ah's face and hands, Jo Bo-ah does an incredible job in selling that change and really makes you believe that there's another being in the driver's seat. Now I've seen other dramas with Jo Bo-ah but this series cements her as one of the best "criers" in the industry. I felt every bit of despair and emotion in her when she cried and it's also a plus that she still looks stunning while doing so, especially when her tears don't fall. You'll know what I mean when you see it.
I really like the chemistry between our two leads and they're definitely one of my favourite K-drama couples. One reason why I like fantasy dramas is that usually one of the leads will be superhuman while the other isn't and that contrast throws an interesting dynamic in their romance. This drama is no different, with Lee Yeon and Ji-ah's little interactions being adorable and you can really feel the romance in the air because their chemistry is popping. That said, I didn't think that their romance was the focus of this drama. Yes the general idea of the drama revolves around our leads' romance just like most other dramas but I find that in truth, this is a story about brotherhood, which is a good time for me to talk about second male lead Lee Rang, who many viewers consider the drama's scene-stealer.
Lee Rang is by no means a good person. Being only half-gumiho, he isn't immortal like his older half-brother Lee Yeon and would've eventually died of old age if he didn't steal the lives of humans trapped in ground cherries. Coupled with having killed many people over the years, he's just digging a deeper hole of sin for himself. However, underneath the villainy and mischief, we see that Lee Rang has never grown up from being that child who was abandoned by everyone he cherished, whether it's his human mother who left him to die at the hands of evil spirits or his brother, who gravely injures him. That resentment and need to feel loved develops into an obsession with his brother and over the centuries, Lee Rang does everything to get in Lee Yeon's way, even going so far as to join hands with Lee Yeon's archenemy the Imoogi. While there's seemingly no love lost between the brothers, we see that deep down they still care for each other, such as with Lee Rang considering Lee Yeon to be what he cherishes most or when Lee Yeon saves Lee Rang from another horde of evil spirits.
It's then unfortunate that even after Lee Rang changes sides and works with Lee Yeon to stop Imoogi, he has no choice but to kill his own older brother in order to stop the villain for good and save the world. After so long they've finally rekindled their brotherhood only to lose everything and Lee Rang blames himself for it. The guilt-wracked Lee Rang holes himself up in his room and drinks his sorrows away but is snapped out of his stupor with a prerecorded video message from Lee Yeon. Even though he's still deeply saddened by his brother's death, he continues to live his life by paying Lee Yeon's good deeds forward, caring for his newfound family. With all the bad things he's done in life, he's finally doing some good to make up for it and everything seems to be going well until we reach one of the most depressing final episodes I've ever come across. In a bid to allow Lee Yeon to reincarnate, Lee Rang gives up the rest of his life and vanishes to the Underworld, not even able to say goodbye to his loved ones. At the end of the day, Lee Rang was never really a true villain, he was just a kid who was led astray by feelings of abandonment and betrayal, and who wanted to feel loved.
I would consider the gumiho brothers' relationship to be very much like Thor and Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This comparison occurred to me many times throughout the drama and I think it's the most apt description of their brotherhood. While not exactly the same, both brothers have multiple falling outs over the years but eventually end up reconciling their differences and working hand-in-hand. In a bid to save their older brother, the younger brother would lose his life, which absolutely destroys the former. The chemistry between Lee Yeon and Lee Rang is truly brilliant and I was so happy to see them get back together, which is why the latter's death really messed with me more than any other death in a K-drama. While I think that the drama could've kept him alive all the way to the end, I guess his death was a necessary stepping stone for his complete character arc. After Lee Yeon reincarnates, the gumiho is seen relaxing in a park when a young boy falls off his bike right in front of him. Lo and behold, we see that boy to be the spitting image of young Lee Rang and Lee Yeon shares a moment with his reincarnated brother, before seeing him run off to his mother. In the end, Lee Rang found his happiness. Not only did he save what he cherished most and found a family that cared for him, he reincarnated into a family that loves him as well (as seen with his new caring mother). It's a very heartwarming wrap-up on Lee Rang's entire journey.
Like I mentioned earlier, the drama was about brotherhood and how these two gumiho brothers found their way back to each other after centuries of turmoil and conflict. Even though the pair acted like they were distant and teased each other, it was all a front for how deep their brotherly love was, to the point where they would die for each other. I'm not ashamed to say that the last episode broke me because I broke down during the two video message scenes, the first being Lee Yeon's recording before the final battle with Imoogi and the second being Lee Rang's recording just before his death. These are the only two scenes that still make me just as emotional even after I've finished the drama. Just thinking about it makes my eyes water, ugh. I must be getting soft.
Before I get to the drama's ending, I just want to give special mention to Lee Tae-ri for his portrayal of the drama's main villain Imoogi, a malicious serpent deity. Lee Tae-ri naturally has very alien-like visuals if you get what I mean. He's handsome sure but there's just something unique about his face for lack of a better word so he portrays Imoogi very well. His blank expression somehow fits the supernatural feel of the character and just has this menacing vibe about it. Just pull up any picture of Lee Tae-ri and you'll know what I mean.
Now, what can I say about the ending? I knew Lee Yeon was going to come back, of course he was, a good number of dramas don't take risks by killing off their leads nowadays. There's nothing wrong with that though because we finally get to see the culmination of the centuries-spanning love story of Lee Yeon and Ah-eum (and by extension Ji-ah). When our hero returns to the living realm, he's presumably become human, no longer having any of his gumiho abilities, free to live the rest of his mortal life with the love of his life by his side. We get a lot of cute scenes as he adjusts to being mortal, including getting scammed by Ji-ah into going for a root canal treatment, which he clearly feels the aftereffects of. He even worries about whether his future child will be embarrassed by his lack of education and it's quite hilarious. It's a nice wrap up to this drama because our leads have finally found their happiness.
However, the most amazing thing happens right at the end when Lee Yeon goes out in search for a spirit of misfortune, his trademark red umbrella on hand. When he finds the spirit, that same devilish smile crosses his face and our hero magically transforms his umbrella into the sword, revealing his amber vulpine eyes. I'm astounded by this turn of events and now I don't know what this open ending means. Is Lee Yeon still a gumiho and was just pretending to be human? Is he a human with the powers of a gumiho? Did I really watch 37 dramas in one year? I don't know the answer to the first two questions but the third answer is a resounding yes. But I digress. While I believe that Lee Yeon is still a gumiho just pretending to be mortal, I saw another theory online that states that his powers are activated by the full moon, which just so happens to be in the sky when he finds the spirit. It's an interesting theory but we'll never know. I just think he's still a gumiho.
This drama had everything, a compelling story, great chemistry between the leads, amazing acting, wonderful OSTs (I recommend checking out Blue Moon, Moonchild Ballad and Parting at the River of Three Crossings) and most importantly, the capability to make us feel something for these characters. The drama could've easily been a normal fantasy romance focusing on a love story but we didn't just get that here. We got the emotional tale of two brothers finding their way back together and sacrificing everything for each other. Rather than the romantic love between a couple, the drama shined a spotlight on brotherly love and I really appreciate that, even if it ended in tragedy and tears. I don't think I've ever come across a drama that portrays siblings as perfectly as this one and this is why Tale of the Nine Tailed has firmly planted itself in my top 3 K-dramas. What a way to round off my 2020 drama spree. Thanks for reading.
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