“The Tale of the Nine-Tailed” was simply among the best reveals of 2020 regardless of faltering barely towards the top. All appeared properly as we left the characters on a bittersweet, glad be aware, 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 glad 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 (so far!), and continues Lee Yeon’s (Lee Dong Wook) devotion to his now-wife Nam Ji Ah (Jo Bo Ah). Here’s what we liked concerning the premiere and each cause to start out 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 avoid wasting him, pesters the Underworld’s supervisor, Taluipa (Kim Jung Nan), on the best way to reincarnate him. The first season’s epilogue reveals that this reincarnation works as a result of Yeon finds Rang reincarnated, albeit with no reminiscence of him. However 2020’s Lee Yeon has no clue, and Taluipa isn’t spilling, except Lee Yeon returns to being a gumiho and enforces legislation 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 desires to die on the similar 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 identical 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) dying 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 lifeless 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 battle his means by one of many hells, however he out of the blue finds himself again in 1938!

2. Lee Rang

Yeon’s chase of the thriller masked man with the gem leads him to none aside from Lee Rang, the devious half-gumiho you’ll be able to’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. But he nonetheless tries to kill his brother as a result of it’s Rang we’re speaking about. But 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 dying as an alternative of looking ahead to his brother. But 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 the center by the thriller masked man. Yeon vows revenge however has to remain in 1938 with a view to discover a approach to save him. And the one methodology of doing that’s to belief a mercurial being with the power to elongate lifespans situated in a courtesan home known as Myoyeongak. Trapped between life and dying, Rang’s spirit observe Yeon round – invisible to him – whereas he tries to outwit the being to avoid wasting his brother.

This is a superb idea as a result of it supplies an excellent 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. In addition, having Yeon danger every little thing to avoid wasting Rang’s life on this timeline is the easiest way of incomes 1938 Rang’s belief. And Lee Yeon goes to want 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? Well, he’s in a reasonably embarrassing place bodily and emotionally.

The Lee Yeon of this period is comparatively contemporary off dropping his beloved and drowns his sorrows in drink, opium, and sleep. The means Lee Dong Wook performs two very completely different iterations of the identical character whereas grounding them sufficient to indicate their commonalities is simply unbelievable. In order to avoid wasting Rang, Yeon must steal a legendary weapon generally known as Uturi’s sword. The bother is that he was the sword’s proprietor. Sneak ways don’t work, and Yeon finally ends up combating 1938’s Yeon.

The two are evenly matched. What 1938’s Yeon has in sheer power, 2020’s Yeon can outmatch in road smarts with 82 years extra information. And, hilariously sufficient, it’s an image of Ji Ah that saves the day as 1938’s Yeon instantly stops every little thing to hunt for his Ah Eum. Yeon sends him off on a wild goose chase to Manchuria for her, so it appears to be like like we received’t be seeing double for a bit. It’s such intelligent writing to include 1938’s Yeon into the story! But maybe we may do with having him round as a result of Yeon’s going through enemies from all sides and doesn’t realize 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 reasonably dangerous need 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 may end in her desirous to see 2020 for herself. Hong Joo has all of the allure of Jang Man Wol from “Hotel Del Luna” and is extremely highly effective. Physically, 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. But like Rang, she appears to have seen that there’s one thing completely different about this Yeon. Given her intensive community of informants, she will get to the masked man that Yeon is on the lookout for earlier than him. And to her shock, it’s somebody she is aware of properly.

5. The man behind the masks

Cheon Mu Young (Ryu Kyung Soo) is a person on a mission: to wreck Yeon. The present makes no secret of the truth that 1938’s Yeon wasn’t the best particular person. He was vulnerable to outbursts, simply angered, and totally ruthless in punishment. A little bit of a drama queen at occasions too. It was a time when gods had been revered as an alternative of hunted and a tumultuous historic period the place violence was the secret. But none of that explains the glimpse we get of Mu Young’s reminiscences that present Yeon driving a sword by his older brother’s chest. Clearly, that is Mu Young’s rationale for searching Yeon, however there’s not plenty of element as to why. Judging by Yeon’s garb, it’s clear that he killed Mu Young’s brother at a time when he was nonetheless the god of Mount Baekdu.

We additionally know that Mu Young was presumed lifeless for a while as a result of Hong Joo tearfully embraces him, displaying extra emotion than she ever has in her pursuit of Yeon. Something deep ties these two collectively, and there’s a lot to unpack on simply what it may very well be! But for now, all we all know of Mu Young’s plans are that he intends on taking every little thing from Yeon and appears to have lured him to this time interval for that. But it isn’t clear whether or not he is aware of that a fair higher menace 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-General of Korea. He additionally occurs to be a really highly effective demon. In an excellent 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 individuals 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 Young’s radar.

Given the hardcore staff vibe that the poster for this season provides off, it appears possible that Yeon, Rang, Mu Young, and Hong Joo will staff as much as battle Ryuhei after settling the dangerous blood between them. And what a wonderful time that guarantees to be! But till then, there’s about to be quite a bit of infighting, if subsequent week’s preview is any indication. Yeon muses that having his spouse protected in 2020 signifies that he has nothing to lose on this period and may 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 turn out to be. But if Yeon thinks that he’s with out weak spot, he has all of it improper. His loyal servant and greatest good friend, 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 Sun 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 Sun Woo Eun Ho’s face is similar as that of Shin Ju’s spouse, Ki Yu Ri. So there’s one other potential weak spot there.

Thankfully, Yeon received’t face any penalties by way of 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. However, he solely has 29 days till the Gate of Time opens, permitting him to return again residence. And, with a view to return, he wants to carry onto that gem. If he misses his time, or loses the gem, then there’s no going again residence.

The present pays nice respect to Yeon’s love for Ji Ah and always reveals him serious about her. They’ve even added that point passes in another way in 2020, so a month in 1938 will solely be a number of days there. It’s the extent of care right here that makes the present really feel well-realized. Next week’s preview reveals Hong Joo and Mu Young teaming as much as blind Yeon, kidnap Rang and Shin Ju, and dump plenty of monsters in Yeon’s path for him to battle 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. But “Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938” guarantees to indicate that the journey there may be the most effective half.

Pretty certain that is heaven.

What did you consider the premiere week’s episodes? Let us know 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. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and be at liberty to ask her something!

Currently Watching:  “My Perfect Stranger,” “Tail of the Nine-Tailed 1938,” “Stealer: The Treasure Keeper,” and “Dr. Romantic 3.”
Looking Forward to: “Black Knight,” “Gyeongseong Creature,” “Ask The Stars,” “The Girl Downstairs,” “The Worst Evil,” “Queen of Tears,” “Vigilante,” “Demon,” “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” and Ji Sung’s subsequent drama.