The reasons “Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938” is more interesting than Season 1 even without Lee Dong Wook’s romance
“Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938” successfully captivated viewers despite not having loveline and romantic scenes.
Season 2 of tvN’s series “Tale of the Nine Tailed” is drawing keen attention with more interesting developments compared to Season 1. With 12 episodes, “Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938”, which aired the first episode on May 6th, is K-fantasy action drama about a gumiho trying to return to the modern time after getting summoned to the past. Unlike Season 1, which was set in modern times, the second season centers around the main character Lee Yeon (Lee Dong Wook), landing back in time to 1938, the Japanese colonial era.
In Season 1, gumiho Lee Yeon waited for the reincarnation of his first love Ah Eum (Jo Bo Ah), and reunited with her as PD Nam Ji Ah after 600 years. The drama ended with a happy ending of Lee Yeon achieving his desperate love after overcoming various hardships and desire to become a human. However, the main story of Season 2 is about Lee Yeon returning to Gyeongseong in the year of 1938 and regaining the guardian stone. Since Nam Ji Ah has been set as Lee Yeon’s fateful love, viewers already predicted that Lee Yeon would not have any loveline in Season 2. Presenting the reunion of Lee Yeon and younger brother Lee Rang (Kim Bum), the friendship of mountain gods Lee Yeon, Ryu Hong Joo (Kim So Yeon) and Cheon Moo Young (Ryu Kyung Soo) as well as the tragedy of the times, the story of Season 2 without the loveline is unexpectedly more interesting than Season 1.
What stands out along with the actors’ excellent acting performances is the drama’s fantasy world. Despite not having romantic scenes to excite viewers, the explosive chemistry of all the characters related to Lee Yeon was enough to captivate the audience. From Lee Yeon’s concern for his brother, Lee Rang, who worries about being left behind, to the one-sided love of Ryu Hong Joo and the complex friendship between Lee Yeon and Cheon Mu Young, Lee Dong Wook’s flawless acting fills the drama with his unrivaled presence.
Another reason why “Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938” was more appealing to drama fans is that it heralds a confrontation with Japanese evil spirits. The year 1938 marks a period when Lee Yeon was addicted to opium after losing Ah Eum. As he faces the relationship and historical tragedy that he overlooked due to his love at that time, his direct confrontation with the Japanese devils is inevitable.
“Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938” is a well-made K-fantasy action drama that boasts an oustanding synergy in directing, script, and acting performances. As such, it achieved remarkable recognition by entering Top 10 of the Amazon Prime Video TV Shows category (including both English and non-English content) in 19 countries.
In South Korea, the drama achieved its highest viewer rating of 7.1% in episode 2, and the most recent broadcast also reached 6.9%. The shift from airing on Thursday and Friday to Saturday and Sunday also played a significant role in boosting the ratings. However, instead of its rating results, “Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938” is mostly praised for having a higher level of completeness compared to the previous season. The drama will end after airing the last episode on June 11th.
Source: Naver
