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Please join @Cleopatra in discussing this kdrama.
Enjoy the show!
46 Comments On “Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938: Open Thread”
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The thread is open.
Please join @Cleopatra in discussing this kdrama.
Enjoy the show!
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Thanks @pkml3.
Hi in advance @Cleo! I’ll see you later!!
Kalimera @Packmule3 and thank you again from here as well!
Hey @GB Unnie! Glad to see you here!
I managed to watch Episode 1 and it was so so good. It is quick and the comedy is good! I have missed our favorite Gumiho Lee Yeon!
For those you haven’t watched Season 1, you can also watch the Season 2, since you get all the needed information in the first 15 minutes!
I want to watch Episode 2 and I will come back to comment!
P.S. Although I have Prime, it is not open for us… Which I find it a drawback, since Season 1 was on Viki and we were watching it on our membership. O.o
First Impression
I guess this is supposed to be rollicking good fun… stress on ‘rollicking’. I was not too sure on first watch. It was better on second watch ie I finally made sense of some parts that puzzled me, and came to the conclusion that Show probably aimed to be a high-action sort of drama, rather than a character-driven Show. Nevertheless my initial reaction was to find it rather chaotic. There is a plot of sorts and an over-arching story but this somehow come out looking pretty thin in the face of the shenanigans that all and sundry come up with.
MINOR SPOILERS
I only vaguely recalled that Season 1 had us introduced to several mythical/legendary characters over the course of the first 10 or so episodes, plus the big bad ‘Snake’ character that was after Ji Ah. I find that Season 2 has amped up the number of mythical creatures/demons/gods and has introduced them at a frenetic pace in just 2 episodes.
MAJOR SPOILERS
MAJOR SPOILERS
I guess Show wanted to start off with a bang, therefore it starts with a ‘cold open’ after the opening credits, with LY IN 1938, tied up as a sitting duck for Japanese soldiers. It’s only later on that we see the flashback to how we got to the cold open. The cold open format was similar for Episode 2, therefore it was hard to figure out the flow of the show for a while. When I consider if the cold open was necessary, I felt that it might have been fine if only Episode 1 had it.
In any case, what we are getting is the backstory, told by Lee Yeon, presumably in 2023, about stuff that happened in 2020. In this backstory we get all kinds of running about, shooting, fighting (I feel mostly unnecessarily), throwing of weapons/bombs. There was such an extended run and fight sequence between the brothers I eye-rolled and sighed, and another one between LY and Hong Ju in Ep 2. I felt that rather than developing the story or characters, we are just given opportunities for characters to find fault with LY so that more fighting can ensue. The name of the game here in watching this Show is to roll with the action.
I looked for the overall theme and purpose of this Show. Perhaps it wants to introduce/re-introduce many indigenous mythical beings/demons/gods/tales or legends. The ‘story’ consist of a main quest and then to keep the action up we get more ie quest upon quest thrust upon Lee Yeon, and even a quest within a quest. I’m thinking we may at each episode, get a new ‘deity’ that LY will have to deal with or a new ‘powerful thingamajig’ that LY will have to retrieve.
To serve the craziness of the whole, each of the characters has their own motivations that run contrary to what the others want so that they are continually at cross-purposes and loggerheads, seldom collaborating, or doing so but not for long. They make for some funny moments but I’m not sure yet that they will make up for the lack of good character growth by the end of the series. Or to put it more positively, the characters are consistent with how they were in Season 1.
So if I adjust my viewing lens to accept that the future episodes may be more of the same with the few characters (I’m sure it will be 4 of them from the clue in the opening credits) finally coming on board to work together towards one goal, it can be a warm, light-hearted, fun ride with little stress. At least I was lightly entertained?
I’ll watch this as usual until I get annoyed, which I hope will not happen.
Summary of Lee Yeon’s Quests
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
I thought Lee Yeon had returned as a human. He happily married Ji Ah, but I believe his gumiho-ness returned? LOL.
Quest 1
He gets re-commissioned by Taluipa to retrieve the Guardian Stone, stolen by a Masked Villain. The stone keeps the gate of the living and the dead shut, or keeps out the bad, dead guys or something. So without the stone the evil spirits are streaming into the land of the living.
Taluipa gives LY a Tissot watch (PPL, what?) LOL She says “You will eventually go blind and deaf. When that happens, look into this watch. Don’t forget you’re on borrowed time.” He has to return through Taluipa’s Gate of Time cabinet by 5am before the Gate closes. Poor Shin Ju is told to follow him, but gets lost.
Getting the Guardian Stone was not all that hard (after more fighting) especially since it falls into the hands of Lee Rang, LY’s brother, who died in the future to LY’s life. LR does not know this but has a vendetta of old to settle with LY. LY is just happy to see his brother alive again.
But not for long. LR gets stabbed right through with a big sword by the Masked Villain so that brings us to Quest 2, nested in Quest 1.
Quest 2
In order to borrow the longest lived demon, Dong Bang-sak’s life span to give his brother a chance to recover, Lee Yeon has to get Uturi’s sword for Dong Bang-sak. Unfortunately it’s 1938 Lee Yeon who is holding on to the sword, and the latter is a fool. LY has to fight himself and then distract his 1938 self with a picture of Ji Ah in order to swipe the sword.
Dong Bang-sak is not a good guy and LR’s spirit who leaves his body figures out who DBS is and how to defeat him. He possesses the body of a young shaman and persuades LY to trust the shaman to out the evil DBS who’s a Longevity Symbol in the form of a leatherback turtle. A simple childish taunt defeats DBS and I guess LR is saved because we next see him and LY on a train in Ep 2.
Quest 3
This is LY’s own personal quest. He wants to spend the time he has in 1938 with his brother, and then he needs to get back to his own time and to Ji Ah.
LY had consulted the 1938 Taluipa who tells him that there only 1 way to get back to 2020, but as usual there is a condition…
To be continued…
Summary of Lee Yeon’s Quests Continued
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
Quest 4
LY has to get the Legendary Pipe that fell into Japanese hands, for Taluipa first. She tells him: “The Legendary Pipe is on the train that left Busan this morning.” Hence they are on the train, and unknown to them, there are any number of non-humans/demons/deities about too, plus Shin Ju who’s been nabbed to be forced labour, LR’s gang of bandit ‘wolves’ in human form, Japanese soldiers, evil Japanese sympathizer-torturer and an agent with the Pipe. Worst of all or funniest is the presence of Ryu Hong Ju who insists on marrying LY.
Unsurprisingly not only do we get robbery in the dark, and shootouts in the train, but also Hong Ju chasing and fighting LY on top of the moving train. That fight and chase sequence lasted quite a while but there was no shaking off Hong Ju who literally held on to the train and stopped it in its tracks.
In the end LY does get the Pipe, and gives it to Taluipa only to find out that he still has to wait 29 days for the Lunar Eclipse when the Gate of Time would open.
Stuck in 1938 for a month, LY persuades LR to hang out with him, promising him his cellphone at the end of the month. They end up living in the Myoyeongak (hotel-cum-restaurant-cum-entertainment centre?) with none other than Hong Ju.
LY enlists Hong Ju’s help to find out who the masked villain is. This, she agrees to do on condition that he helps to judge a beauty pageant. He’s stunned to see a girl, Eun Ho, who looks just like Yuri (wife of Shin Ju) there as a fellow judge.
The pageant is won by the Busan contestant who turns into a throat-biting Yacha (fierce ghost). It seems The Three Worms which attack the brain and brings on uncontrollable physiological urges has been let loose among women who turn into Yachas.
Quest 5
LY decides to find out how The Three Worms get introduced to the heads of women and enlists LR’s help at the beauty salon to investigate and stop the Yachas from growing in number.
Hong Ju sends her minion out to look for the Masked Villain, saying she has not decided if she will help LY or join the Masked Villain (the preview shows us that she’s awfully pally with the Masked Villain).
LY solves the case of the Worms, which had been introduced into the salon’s shampoo by an ahjumma who worked there. She was once a Kitchen God: Deity of Wooden Stoves who gets burned by mirrors which display her reflection. She was angry that people destroyed everything from the stoves to the furnaces and did not offer her purified water, as in days of old.
LY gives her the bad news that wooden stoves would be out of fashion soon.
LY : “Times have changed and will continue to do so. You must make a choice too. Learn how to live in harmony or just disappear.”
= = =
By the end of Episode 2, I was still wondering if Show had any message to impart. That last sentence of LY’s might have been part of it. I envision that we will keep on getting introductions to more deities and demons, who are navigating the 1938 world. Those who have adapted like Hong Ju (aka mountain god of the West, King of the Wild and The Eagle Owl) seem to thrive.
The deity, Bok Hye Ja, who used to run the Snail’s Bride Restaurant in 2020 is running a clothing boutique in 1938. She’s a good spirit, always on the side of right.
However others like the Masked Villain, whom we find is Mu Young, is out for vengeance against LY, even if it means releasing evil spirits into the world of the living. He’s got himself a Yacha (the Busan beauty) who survived, and plans to turn her into a perfect fierce ghost, presumably to release her upon LY.
As long as we know that we watch this Show for the next load of madcap shenanigans in the name of more quests, vengeance or of forcing LY to marry Hong Ju, it should be almost brainless fun.
Unnie,
Kalimera. I haven’t watched Episode 2 yet. I do hope to watch it tonight.
So, I am not reading your comments… *grins*
Hi @Cleo, I guessed that you’d have to wait to get Episode 2 before you can come back to comment.
I’ll be busy until later tonight, then will check out the other shows that aired on Wednesday. I’ll look out for your comments maybe tomorrow or on the weekend. 🥸 🧐 🤩 😜
Unnie,
Hopefully, I will manage to watch it tonight… O.o
My schedule is full and I prefer to relax when I have one hour to spare.
I am still behind Joseon Attorney and I have missed WDH’s antics!
When I am up to date I will come to comment! Talk to you soon! <3
@Cleo
I fast forwarded Ep 3. The story is coming together a bit more now ie is less piecemeal. Instead of one caper after another, maybe we get a clearer main arc. The original quest to return to 2020 will continue to be in the background.
It was pretty to look at with an intro to two more mythical creatures. I’ll watch Ep 4 tonight. Catch you later! 🙂
Unnie Kalimera!
I managed to watch Episode 2 and hopefully I will watch Episode 13 tonight. I watched “Black Knight” and it was a while that I watched a complete show during the weekend.
I really like that we get to see more mythical species in this one. The dramaverse is expanding.
Talk to you later!
Kalimera Unnie,
I watched Episode 3 last night and I have to say that I am enjoying this.
First we get to see that Hong Joo is not a person you can trust.
She is dubious and do her own bidding according with what suits her right. Yes, she is pretty good in protecting what is hers, but at the same time, she has stalking tendencies towards Lee Yeon and she doesn’t get his “No” over and over again. That is something that makes me dislike her.
On the other hand, we have Moo Young who was punished severely from Taluipa for doing something heinous as a Mountain God. Indeed who is the person who got him out and why in his broken mind wants revenge from Lee Yeon?
Lee Yeon can be many things, but in order to kill someone that means that person did something bad or was a danger towards others.
So far, Hong Joo doesn’t say anything to Lee Yeon and that for me is a minus. In Episode 4 she will realize that Lee Yeon and Moo Young are from the future.
Lee Rang and the Mermaid Mae Hwa pairing is a big Yes Yes from me!
We get to see a change in the past, since the Mermaid girl was dead when we saw Season 1 and Lee Rang didn’t have a love interest with her or anyone else, as we were told.
Let us see what is going to happen in the next episodes!
EPISODE 3
Hi @Cleo
I do not remember the Mermaid from Season 1… was she already dead?
I believe Hong Ju can be both a boon and a bane. Yeon won’t give in to her so it’s going to be unpredictable around her. When she’s pleased and reasonable, she can be very helpful. If she fancies herself thwarted or betrayed, she’ll make the other party suffer. I was surprised that despite her setting Yeon up to be ‘killed’, Yeon continued to live in her ‘arts centre’.
I felt that there was a lot of time wasted on the Japanese soldiers’ drinking party with Hong Ju. All it served to show was that Hong Ju can take care of herself and her own people quite ruthlessly. I guess she killed a human here, so later on she gets punished.
I’m beginning to find the theme of the ‘trauma’ of Rang over abandonment issues getting quite old and repetitive. He seems to be spending his adult life just trying to act up because of it. He’s like an immature, petulant child over and over.
The other thing is Yeon’s forever guilt over Rang’s death. That also is repeated rather too many times. It also takes shape as Yeon being like a fussy mother, continually worrying about Rang when he’s not present and trying to feed him when he is.
Mu Yeong is more interesting. He comes up with schemes that should defeat Yeon but somehow these fail. I wonder what ‘animal’ he’s supposed to be. Hong Ju is an Owl and Lee Yeon’s gang are mostly Foxes. The bandit are Wolves. He seems to be a master of fire… causing his opponents to just catch fire.
So this episode we get to meet a new demon, Saetani who takes a person’s sight away. She says the same thing to Yeon that Rang says, Hong Ju says… that Yeon broke his promise. It seems that Yeon has made many promises to characters/demons/deities and has broken them by abandoning his gumiho life for Ji Ah.
(May continue later…) 🙂
Hey Unnie!
Moo Yeong is a Vengali Tiger, the monk said so.
Yes, we get to see what happened with Lee Yeon abandoned his duties because he was mourning for Ji Ah / Ah Areum.
At least, Lee Yeon with all his wisdom can say “I am sorry” and totally mean it. He is not trying to find excuses. He let Lee Rang and Lea to stab him. He doesn’t fight them, because he has regrets…
Maybe his presence in 1938 has to do with it. To make things right to all those he let down one way or another…
As for the mermaid, yes, she is not present in 2020.
@Cleo
What you said about both Mu Yeong and Yeon coming from 2020 struck me. I know that Hong Ju is now trying to figure out why the 2 of them suddenly reappeared in her life, but I never considered that Mu Yeong also came from 2020.
So added mystery, if MY does not come from 1938 but from 2020, how did he manage to time travel. We know that Yeon needed to enter Taluipa’s cabinet. Similarly, if he belongs in 1938, how did he time travel to 2020.
Mysteries Around MY
1)Why did he annihilate life on his own mountain?
2)How did he get out of his punishment and start roaming freely and how come Taluipa does not know?
3)How does MY time travel?
I’m guessing that he stole the guardian stone in order to lure Lee Yeon to follow him into the past. I suppose he wanted Yeon to return to the time when Rang was alive so that he could suffer when MY killed Rang. (Sounds so childish, all these kinds of tit-for-tat revenge).
Similarly he was trying to get Rang and Shin Ju to die before/in front of Lee Yeon’s eyes (except that he was blind at first) so he tied them inside the well, to drown. Fortunately for him Lee Yeon regained his sight, but the rescuing seemed to have been done more by Mermaid Jang Yeo Hee.
= = =
Special Objects
I have not really been keeping track but it seems different demons (Japanese as well as Korean) are after some special objects.
Guardian Stone kept the gates of hell closed?
Uturi’s Sword was the only thing that could kill Dong Bang-Sak.
The Legendary Pipe could blow up a mountain if well played.
Saetani, the child who was starved to death (so horrible) who was used in magic.
The Golden Ruler that when used to measure the dead, resurrects them.
So far they seem pretty random stuff that different people want but whether these are to come together to effect world domination or something, is not clear. It would be nice if Show had a more connected feel to it, besides the overall arc of wanting to get back to 2020.
Episode 4 feels better because there’s less chaos for chaos sake and a cute baby!!! And the Baby is a Special Object too!
@Cleo, thanks for the info on MY being the Bengali Tiger. I probably had it down but forgot.
Show’s Messages
I was thinking that I haven’t really figured out what the main message is for this entire Show, but perhaps it’s:
– The importance of keeping promises and not abandoning one’s responsibilities.
– Family first even if all one can do is take revenge for their death (Mu Yeong) or feed them (Lee Yeon with Rang)
In Episode 2 Lee Yeon tells the deity of Wooden Stoves to move with the times. LY : “Times have changed and will continue to do so. You must make a choice too. Learn how to live in harmony or just disappear.”
In Episode 3 Lee Yeon frees the Saetani, Lea (as in Azaleas). In the process I guess he does manage to keep his oath to her. He gets back his sight and he tells her “Let’s not live as someone’s object.”
So we may be getting more messages with each Episode. 🙂
EPISODE 5
I said in my notes that Ep 4 slowed down its frenetic pace but it looks like that didn’t last for long. I feel there was so much is going on in Ep 5 that it somehow felt hectic. We are getting multiple arcs in one show.
1) Japanese demon Governor-General’s search for gold and the long Fortune God story (more than half the episode)
2) Hong Ju investigates Lee Yeon
3) Independence fighter stuff with Yuri’s lookalike, Eun Ho
4) Mermaid Yeo Hee and Lee Rang
5) I almost forgot about Mu Young and we have an introduction to another mythical character in the Tenth King of Hell.
Then there’s the background overall arc of Taluipa and her regrets over the 3 ‘kids’: Hong Ju, Lee Yeon and Mu Young who’ve turned out with scars, regrets, punishments. This background ‘family’ is the basis upon which all the other sub-plots are played out. If this ‘family’ cannot resolve their issues, the unhappiness will never end.
Out of curiosity I looked up Korean gods and demons, but other than the established ones (Imugi, Kumiho/gumiho, Nine-tailed fox), the ones in this show are not really in the common myths. I’m not sure if they were partially based on legend or were created for this show.
The remaining mysteries:
The Fortune God through the bodyguard says cryptically to Yeon : “… you will meet someone you’ve been grieving for. But because of your pure nature, you will lose your way.”
The Fortune God imprints the Big Dipper dotted path on Yeon’s forearm to help him find his way. So we’re in for more wandering around by Yeon.
Taluipa finds out that only 2 people have the power to break the curse of Mu Young being turned to stone. One was herself and the other an unnamed ‘he’. Since Taluipa claims that ‘he’ could never do that… I feel that leaves Taluipa herself for eg, perhaps a Taluipa of the future freed Mu Young for a purpose.
What will happen with the golden ruler in Yeon’s possession and how is our time doing without the Guardian Stone to keep out the dead from ‘hell’?
We have the beginnings of a future showdown between the 2 powerful demons… Lee Yeon of Joseon and Kato Ryuhei of Japan. I’ve a feeling that the real reason Lee Yeon has been sent back to 1938 is because of Kato. We’ll see.
Show’s Mythical Beings
A Correction! I take back what I said about the gods/deities/demons not being from Korean myth and folktales. I can find most of them when I search for them, not generally, but specifically. Their nature and personalities may be adapted for this story, but some aspect of their existence can be found in folklore.
The Kitchen God/Stove God, Ineo or Mermaid, Three Worms/Three Corpses but these are more out to just kill and may turn people into malevolent ghosts, the Ten Kings of the Underworld, Dongbang Sak and the Fortune God of course, The Snail Bride, etc.
I found Bulgae/Fire Dogs but these are not the same as our trusty band of bandit wolves. So this bunch of shape-shifted animals may not be from legend, but shape-shifting animals, like the gumiho are.
The one deity whom I cannot find and which becomes conspicuous by her absence is this Show’s version of Taluipa. Her sad tale may be a creation for this Show.
I read in a blog about TOTNT S1 that the reason for Taluipa’s sadness is that her son committed suicide. Killing oneself means he could never be reincarnated. (I learned from ‘Goblin’ that there is specially difficult, long-standing punishment for suicide, unlike for other killings.) It seems that even self-sacrifice for the sake of others also bore this taboo. Perhaps that is also why Yeon is so upset that Rang died for him. He had asked Taluipa in an earlier episode, if there was a way to let Rang be reborn and she had said ‘No’.
EPISODE 12
Gosh, I knew they were going to introduce another demon. But the ending is a surprise.
So much continues to happen in the space of that 1 hour and 12 minutes.
What is interesting is that all the demons/gods may know bits and pieces of folklore and of other gods, but they generally need help from their friends or minions to know more and to figure out what to do. Each god also has different powers so that not any one god can do everything. Even the powerful Taluipa cannot see into every place or force time travel outside of the cabinet’s time.
They are powerful but also limited in power. They need to work with each other to get more done/succeed in their quests.
Kalimera Unnie,
I am up to date as well! I truly believe as well that the real bad guy is Kato and their last battle will be against him.
Kato is taking hostages the Indigenous Gods and he is propably torturing them or he most likely “eats” them and takes their power. The fact we got a commotion out of Taluipa’s office so to speak is not to be missed.
For me whoever orchestrated this in the first place and I mean when they freed Moo Young and how he reacted towards LY are the steps that lead them back to 1938.
The way I interpret it, is a way for Lee Yeon to practice in fighting and do amends with some people from his past.
From the trio of Mountain Gods that we see in 1938, the only one who is truly pure hearted is Lee Yeon and he is the Leader obviously. He doesn’t lie and takes good care of them. He is also the most powerful. Hong Joo has a temper and acts in an impulse most of the times and Moo Young although he has good elements in him, he let the darkness to take over of his soul.
So, IF their final battle is with Kato, then Lee Yeon needs to practice more in order to win. Don’t forget that in 2020 LY was most likely in his last days as a gumiho in order to become human for Ji Ah.
In order the good guys to win, Lee Yeon needs to embrace all of his potential in power, while having allies that can fight along.
His days with Lee Rang most likely have an impact in his little brother. I am glad to see that Rang truly cares for the Mermaid, even though he seems indifferent towards her on the outside.
You are right when you say that Family is important and protecting it is a theme for the show.
We have seen Hong Joo doing it at least thrice for the show. Not only she is protecting her Girls but also Lee Yeon and Moo Young in her own way. BTW, I didn’t like that she fatally stabbed Lee Yeon to see how Moo Young will react.
As for Taluipa, yes her son committed suicide. We saw part of his story in Season 1 and that’s why she is so protective of Lee Yeon in 2020.
For me, there is a reason she went to inform that King of Hell about Moo Young and she did it in order to see if “her children” will stick together.
I am not afraid about Lee Yeon. MiHo, the Goddess of Fortune gave him the Big Dipper in order not to lose his way. So, he will be back from that hellish dimension and he will also return in 2020 and Ji Ah in the end.
I am not that sure, though, that they will wrap the whole thing in 4 episodes, since Season 2 consists of 12 episodes, and we do know that they have filmed Season 3 back to back with Season 2.
I suspect they will leave us with a Cliffhanger… o.O
Hi @Cleo, I’ll reply in several parts or else it will be too long.
Up to EPISODE 12 WITH SPOILERS
I agree with you. Not only does he ingest the life or power of gods, he does it when he goes around killing humans. We saw a quick glimpse of it in that scene where villagers were massacred. That’s why Yeon said that he smelled of blood when Kato passed by.
This sounds quite right too. There must have been a reason to go to 1938. Was it MY who said that this is the time when all the people were still present.
MY said to Hong Ju : “I brought Yeon to the past to restore everything to its rightful place. … Both my family and the forest I ruled. I intend to get them all back. And to do so I need him.”
The Indigenous Gods were complaining to Ui Ong about the Japanese outsiders, “They are butchering our forests, and destroying our totem poles! So many gods are lost out there. We don’t know if they’re dead or alive!” So perhaps Yeon’s help was needed to restore the forests for MY as well.
I feel that one of the most important reasons for why they returned to 1938 might also be because Kato was there then. It was the time just before the demons were to be utilized by the Japanese ‘Empire’… so Yeon might have been chosen to stop this from happening. But MY who brought him back to this past may or may not have realised this.
I was never clear about this. Was it the case that he was reaching the end of the 1,000 years or whatever period of being a gumiho? I thought he was supposed to have become human but he still kept his powers and seems as powerful as ever.
Yes, this I expect and want to happen. I know that in the poster picture, the team is made up of MY, HJ, Rang, Shin Ju, Eun Ho and Yeon… but I was thinking it would be nice if the Mermaid could join the team to attack with her amazing high-pitched scream. MY can attack with fire and can heal with his blood. HJ is quick with that super long sword and good in a fight. Yeon has speed, skill and the ability to erase memories. Both Yeon and Rang can shape shift to disguise themselves. So they all have different skills and will work best as a team rather than alone.
@Cleo
Yes, I liked that Rang didn’t just let Mermaid walk home unescorted, but that (like Healer) he watched her return safely from the rooftop.
About that fatal stabbing by Hong Ju… I was not sure if she was testing both MY and Yeon. They were both not supposed to be there with her. It was hard for her to accept that the 3 of them could really be back together again after one had ‘died’ and the other had abandoned his life to opium. Of course in her usual ruthless and impulsive way, she took a gigantic risk that Yeon could be healed. If that other person had really not been MY, Yeon would have died.
I agree that Taluipa is also testing the 3 of them together. Although they seem to get on, we know that MY is lying to Yeon and even to Hong Ju. He’s hiding the red pouch given by the King of Hell. He has not acknowledged to Yeon that he is the Red-White Mask. He lied about how he knew where to find Lee Yeon.
Yes, I also agree that they will probably end Season 2 with a cliffhanger (so annoying). They have started soooo many threads that are not likely to be tied up neatly by Episode 12.
Episode 12 introduces another demon, Jang San Beom the Jang San Tiger who kidnaps people/girls.
We are also told that the stakes or weapons made by MY are made of wood from the Duduri tree, grown on human blood and flesh – weapons effective against old demons like Jang San Beom. That’s scary… they sacrifice people to grow a tree?
So many blood thirsty legends and magical things of power. There’s lots more indigenous folklore to milk for this Tale.
Kalimera Unnie,
Yes, Episode 6 gave us a lot to digest!
Kato is the ultimate villain, although Moo Young has to restore the light in his soul. If Kato was not dealt in 1938, maybe something more sinister would happen in 2020? I do hope the show will explain it to us.
As for Lee Yeon, he wanted to become a human being in order to be with Ji Ah. I read somewhere that a gumiho must keep it a secret from their spouse for specific days in order to actually become human. We were left in that part. We thought that LY came back as human but he actually was a gumiho trying to become a human. O.o
I also agree about the Poster, they are a team and the actual leader is Lee Yeon. So, he will have to utilize his power and use the powers of his team in order to win. That means something though. A team is better than one person aka Kato? He seems to believe, that he is unstoppable!
For anyone interested in video recaps. Dramabeans is offering videos on YouTube.
Ep 1 & 2 recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsfvbtCacR4
Ep 3 & 4 recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i2USm66UHo
EPISODES 11 and 12
All the disparate parts have come together more or less. The only side-story that is quite on its own is Mu Young’s who has gone his own way.
We have 4 more episodes to go in which Yeon has 7 days to save what needs to be saved. And then do we have to wait for Season 3?
Unnie Kalimera!
Yes, I agree with you. At least in Episode 9-10 we will get to see what will happen with Kato. So, they are going to deal with Kato and then Lee Yeon will deal with Moo Young? We shall see!
Also a song I really really like!
Kei – Wind Song
Thanks for the link @Cleo. I was thinking each time that Mermaid sang that I really liked her songs and it was a pity that we never got to hear the whole song.
I’ll listen to the OSTs for Season 2 because of this.
It’s a pity if MY will never reconcile with Yeon. He loses both Yeon and HJ just because of vengeance, and possibly, unjustifiable vengeance at that, since Yeon did it to protect MY.
I was hoping that MY would rally and return to do battle together with his friends against the evil Kato. I just hope that Kato does not make use of MY’s estrangement and powers against Yeon and his team.
Hi @Cleo here are the other 3 songs so far. They are melodic and so pleasant to the ear. Part 2 and 3 also have the old style dance beat that makes me want to get up to move to the rhythm.
@GB and @Cleopatra,
Do you need me to open another thread for you? Just holler.
It’ll be easier to find me in the Dr. Romantic threads.
pm3
@pkml3 Not for TOTNT 1938, but a thread for One Day Off, if you please. Just a single thread for the latter. I read some other people’s comments on it that got me thinking. I wonder if anyone else finds that short 24-28 minute per episode Show intriguing. Each is packed with lots of stuff to think about.
🤔 😶 🫤 🙄 😬 🫠 🤭 🫡
Kalimera @Packmule3!
I do hope you are okay! I think we are good with this one, as @GB Unnie wrote!
Unnie!
KalimeraI really enjoy KiHyun’s Full Moon!
I liked it from the moment I heard it on the Soundtrack!
I will listen to all the others and I will come back!
@Cleo
COMMENTS ON EPISODES 9 AND 10
So it’s an odd mixture of friendship and war between friends as the mountain gods act on their own selfish motives to get the Guardian Stone and the Golden Ruler. Of course when there’s division, there’s weakness and one can’t be surprised at how this section of the story transpires.
Conversation With Mu Yeong
Yeon locates MY to declare war since MY will not back down from his position of vengeance.
MY wants to know what he had been to Yeon.
Yeon surprises MY by admitting : “As you know, I was a perverse kid. So self-centred too. You taught me how to fight to protect someone. I wanted to become a mountain god like you.” (So Yeon was humble enough to realise he needed to learn something from his junior.)
MY does not know whether to believe him or not : “How funny. You always seemed to shine back then. You were fearless and always made your own decisions. You … were my dream.”
Yeon : “I guess that’s why we were friends.”
Hmmm it sounds like MY had put Yeon on a pedestal and fan-boy-ed him. It’s hard to be friends with one’s idol. So the fall of Yeon from being the one he looked up to, was that much more impactful and painful for MY. His anger is not only because Yeon killed his brother (to protect MY, let it be clear) but because Yeon killed the cherished image of himself as the dream of MY by falling off the pedestal, for his love, Ji Ah.
Another Powerful Object/Weapon
From Kaito and his henchman, Akira, we learn about a gwiso tree (a haunted whistling tree) who’s whistling makes those who hear it go mad. Even the demons Kaito experimented with died with burst eardrums. Injecting them with the sap of the tree messed up their heads. I believe we’ll hear or see more of the power of the gwiso tree in future episodes.
The Conversations with Taluipa
Taluipa eats naengmyeon with Yeon who tells her that he will fight the Japanese demons since she cannot do anything. He is just a traveler passing through the past and can do things that those in the actual time are not allowed to do.
Yeon : “It is something only I can do. And something I should have done before. I have a debt to settle in this era, halmeom.” (I wonder what debt he refers to… would it be the one where he had let down MY and Lee Rang by abandoning the mountain?)
After Yeon leaves, Taluipa speaks to herself : “Is this it? The reason my future self sent Yeon to this era?” I’m guessing the answer is ‘Yes’.
Yeon aims to kill the 4-5 Japanese demons and probably Kaito before he leaves. He has less than a week, in fact only 3 days! (And we have 2 more episodes. Are we going to end up with a cliff-hanger before Season 3?)
Taluipa tells her husband that she’s more like a powerless warden and the powerful keeper of the Streams of the Dead. She neither allowed to interfere in the human world, nor completely neglect it, and she cannot fight nor protect anyone. I guess her problem also is that she’s such a stickler for the rules.
Husband points out that she had raised the 3 mountain gods instead. Although they had turned out divisive and MY had become twisted, still husband trusts that her upbringing/teaching would work and that they would make the right choice in the end. Well, we’ll see if Yeon, MY and HJ might choose to be less self-centred.
Taluipa decides to go to the theatre the next day to find out from the King of Five Paths, what’s unfolding around the stone and the ruler.
What always strikes me about the gods and demons is that they only have limited power and knowledge. Ultimately they need each other, but they refuse to work together consistently. It’s frustrating that so much time is wasted on other things when if the good guys would just band together earlier, they might have defeated Kaito and all the evil he’d set loose.
The Fiasco of Bando Hotel
I felt in the end there had been no reason to pack up and go to Bando Hotel since everyone from Myoyeongak went there too. I thought they wanted to preserve and protect Myoyeongak’s people, but in the end they took the fight to loads of innocent people in the hotel. It was a big mistake.
Japanese demons enter hotel room 404 (LOL great joke – 404 is computer code for File not found). True enough when Yeon enters 404, he cannot find the demons until he tries the illusionary world of the painting.
Rang’s Only Date with Mermaid
Rang has definitively decided that he loves Yeo Hee. He’s prepared to give up the bandit life, get a job and marry her, to be her family. As always when we get love and roses just before a fight, we know it augers ill for the prematurely happy couple.
MY’s Conversation with his Dead Brother
MY asked his so called ‘dead brother’ in the mirror, why he had tried to kill him. (I feel that he’s actually speaking to himself and trying to justify what he’s doing but he projects his own arguments onto his dead brother.)
MY’s brother, Cheon Ho Yeong : “I told you, I wasn’t in my right mind. It was all Taluipa’s doing. To prevent our tiger clan from gaining power. To annihilate us…”
MY : “No, I don’t understand. Taluipa dearly cared for me.”
Ho Yeong : “Then, would she have turned you into stone to rot? She needed a hostage from the start. That’s why she raised you to be a god.”
MY : “Okay. I’ll retrieve all that we’ve lost.” He intends to get the guardian stone and golden ruler.
In a later part of the episode, HJ reminds MY that sacrificing the innocent will get him into big trouble with Taluipa. I’d have felt more pathos for MY if he had not chosen repeatedly to let innocent people die.
The Hypnotist’s Assistant
The Hypnotist’s Assistant (HA) is all over the place. I noted that he spoke to or had contact with just about every person who’d be involved in the debacle that night. The only one he didn’t actually see was Yeo Hee. He looks mild and helpless but also sharp. The camera lingers on him long enough that we know he’s an important side character. Of course he had to turn out to be the Boss of the Mercenaries, and a blood-thirsty one at that. I note that his 4 henchmen were generally afraid to disobey him.
The Obok Boutique and the Snail Bride
I’ve come to the conclusion that poor Bok Hye Ja’s only role is to be the conduit for messages. Thanks to her Mermaid has a job and finds out that Rang would be in danger at Bando Hotel. Thanks to her also, Eun Ho finds out that Kaito is a demon. Eun Ho hatches her own scheme and will help Snail Bride possibly explode some dynamite?
The Dog (Jae Yu), Wolf (Mi Yeon) and Fox (Shin Ju)
I had wanted these sidekicks to play a more active role in helping Yeon but they are always sidelined to end up with their own quests, and basically to provide some comic relief. This time they have to help Rang save the Mermaid. I found the whole process of getting past the Yachas rather tedious. The only good thing to come out of it was the confirmation that The Hypnotist’s Assistant (HA) was the evil Mercenary Boss.
The Hare and the Hounds
I’ve heard this phrase without ever going into what it means. If I’m not mistaken, a person who plays the Hare and Hounds, may change sides at any time in order to win or to avoid conflict. Hong Ju was one to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. She worked both sides of the fence telling both Kaito and MY that she’d help them retrieve the treasures. HJ however planned to keep everything for herself.
Switcheroo
With hypnosis, the easily suggestible girls and guys are made to become the opposite of whom they are. The Myoyeongak girls become thugs, and the guys (dog (Jae Yu), wolf (Mi Yeon) and fox (Shin Ju)) become dolled up ladies. Also the mild Hypnotist Assistant is actually the Big Bad Boss.
Might this be a precursor or foreshadowing? We find that the sweet Myoyeongak girls are more self-centred and willing to kill if Mermaid becomes a Yacha, while the guys were all for saving the living. Eun Ho changes her mind and tactics. HJ and MY change sides more than once, and the biggest switch happens when Yeon gets body-switched with the demon Onyudo.
And that’s where we end for another week!
Kalimera Unnie!
I was waiting for your comments.
Basically they have issues to solve not only between each other, but mostly in themselves.
The one who clearly knows enough about himself is Lee Yeon. MY and HJ have an agenda and they are not playing by the rules.
I think that HJ being in that game for so long, should be tired. I mean you are trying to trick your friends to beat each other in order to steal a treasure.
The problem for me is that MY doesn’t want to believe that his older brother turned out to be bad. There could be a possesion or not. The fact that Lee Yeon tried to protect him and MY fails to understand that, means something for me.
He also had in pedestral his brother and Lee Yeon lost that battle to the brother.
I am also disappointed that Taluipa didn’t give any information to Lee Yeon about the Japan Demons and let him go unprepared. I mean if he knew about the body swap demon (a bit like AoS dark magic) he wouldn’t have been a victim.
As we have said before, it will end in a cliffhanger and the words say that Lee yeon will go even further back in time… (Joseon time period)
Unnie,
This week Season 2 will be concluded. So, this Sunday we will know what will happen. o.O
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
Hi @Cleo, I’ve watched Ep 11 and 12.
I’m glad to say that Show decided to complete the arc properly instead of leaving it open-ended. We have resolution for Season 2 while having stashed away another quest to retrieve the far-seeing eye and another villain for Season 3.
It was stressful watching all the fighting and rescue going on, but the production managed to pull the diverse scenes together quite nicely.
Some possible questionable things and loose ends:
-Why didn’t Yuki make use of her freezing power at the end? I guess show couldn’t find a way to resuscitate the victims, so Show made her use only brute force on them, so that they could survive?
– I would have liked to have heard the Mermaid’s voice to know that she could sing again.
– Mu Yeong committed too many crimes against the code of the mountain god and in killing humans. He should have received more punishment first before going on to a changed lifestyle.
– I wish the 1938 version of Yeon had more to do. It would have been interesting if he could have used his powers even with all that opium in him. I thought he rushed back to Korea because his letter had mentioned ‘she’ was there. But he didn’t seem to be upset to not find Ah Reum.
-The original mountain god is a bit confusing. He was supposed to have been a separate entity who was taken down, divided into 4, and was represented by the 4 treasures which are to be kept separate. He was replaced by only the 3 mountain gods? There should have been 4 mountain gods for North, South, East and West. With the golden ruler gone, there are no longer 4 parts to the original god, so he should not be able to regain full power?
Was there another person who really was MY’s brother? So did the original mountain god get rid of the brother and impersonate him? Now he remains looking like MY’s brother. He is able to hide because Taluipa cannot see him without that special eye?
I noted:
– a fuller display of the powers of a gumiho. I thought he wasted too much time in ‘normal’ sword-fighting when time was short. He should have just called down lightning earlier or slashed Kaito with his flaming sword earlier. He could even have used the power to hypnotise people into following his orders and reduced the killing and mayhem.
What I find a bit questionable is that even in the world of illusion, Yeon was able to call down lighting from an illusionary sky LOL.
– Yeon’s letters and farewell gifts were sweet. His words and Hong Ju’s words of affirmation were very important in getting those with chips on their shoulders like Rang and MY to reach their fuller and better potential. I was getting tired of Rang being so stuck in his abandonment issues and lack of confidence. Glad show did something about that.
– The theme of the legends being forgotten is intentionally brought up with a meta reference to how they only turn up in dramas. We know that this Show of many seasons is to bring to modern-day attention, the forgotten legends and mythical creatures/gods of Korea. We get to even hear about Japanese mythical creatures and legends.
– The other theme is that teamwork will win the day. Knowing that, the bad guys always try to divide and conquer. Being loyal to the good side and a member of the pack in the face of this is crucial.
– It’s cute that Show was really made to be a fairy-tale where all the good guys survived and all the bad guys perished. It’s supposed to give us that childlike satisfaction with still the warning the evil exists.
Kalimera Unnie!
I have finished the show as well and I am happy they wrapped it they way they did.
Regarding your questions:
– I think that Yuki was badly injured from the fall and she couldn’t use her freezing powers at will.
– The Mermaid agashi was the turning point that changed Rang-ah’s life for ever.
Her voice is okay, I guess…
– Taluipa only punishes the ones who are working for her. In 1938 only Hong Joo was working with her and was punished in the beginning. Moon Young couldn’t be punished by the Taluipa 1938, only from the present Taluipa, since he came together with Lee Yeon.
I think though that his character was redeemed because he finally realized that he had his family with him all along and he shouldn’t mourn for something that was absent for so long. Was he wrong? Yes, he was. If they show had two more episodes it would be resolved better but they chose this 12 episodes format.
I have realized that his older brother was manipulated by someone else in that trickster episode and they revealed to us, that it was the One Mountain God who possessed him and tried to kill MY. Lee Yeon killed the possessed older brother of MY.
-Regarding Lee Yeon 1938, he realized that in the future his beloved was reincarnated. She was there for Lee Yeon 2023 and he had to become clean in order to move on and find her again.
– The one mountain god was annihilated by the King of Dead and from that time and on, four others took his place. The First Mountain God’s powers were split in four. In Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020) we saw the Bear. He was the Governor in that Joseon tourist attraction place. He was played by Lee Kyu-Hyung.
In Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, we saw the remaining two, the owl Hong Joo and the tiger Moon Young. That’s why when all of them were fighting together were unstoppable, because their union in power makes them like the one mountain god.
– I think they wanted Lee Yeon’s pure and full Gumiho form finally revealed as the last weapon, like Rang’s real form did. I was so happy that I have heard “Blue Moon” playing as the OST when he hit Kato with all this might!
Since this season was dedicated to Lee Yeon and Lee Rang’s brother issues and the friendship he had with Hong Joo and Moo Young, I am glad we saw that Lee Rang found peace in the end.
For me everything we watched in Season 2 is an alternative universe where all these people were changed by the incidents that happened and how well he Lee Yeon from the future spent that time with them. Only in this hypothesis everything makes sense, if we take into consideration what Taluipa 1938 said to Lee Yeon 2023 back in the beginning, about his actions cannot change the future.
Yes, people forgets the past and all the myths and the mythical beasts that were once there. In a way only in fairytales or dramas we can meet them again and remember them. So, the usage of them in ToTNT1938 was successful.
I was happy that Good bit Evil. We need to see stories like this, in order to have Hope.
Hi @Cleo, thanks for replying to me.
– Well it was fortunate that Yuki did not freeze the Mermaid. It would have been most upsetting!
– Oh yes, I forgot that MY was also from the future. Taluipa 1938 can’t touch him.
– What is confusing is that the Original Mountain god was supposed to be dead and gone but can still possess people and still influence others like MY.
– So the next Season will have the Original Mountain god trying to assemble the rest of the missing special objects to regain his strength. I presume the Golden Ruler is gone since it was used to resurrect him. Even without anything he’s already so powerful that he can just come and take Taluipa’s eye.
– Thanks for reminding me about the Bear mountain god. I think he was the one who had some magic mirror? I recall Yeon fighting with him for it.
– “I think they wanted Lee Yeon’s pure and full Gumiho form finally revealed as the last weapon”
Listing what gumihos can do which I never really noticed before… did you?
1) move all over the place in a contained area in a flash. But they do not seem to travel over distance that way. Still needed the car!
2) cause objects to fly through the air
3) use charm spell to make even their enemies their minions, at least temporarily. (I felt it was careless of the good guys to not check if the mercenaries who were under the charm really died or not.)
4) get shot and cut but recover quickly. Even Shin Ju could get shot many times and it was like being hit by tennis balls or something small and not too hard.
5) can shape-shift
6) Yeon can call down lightning
– Yes I really was contented with the resolution between brothers and friends. I recall how annoying HJ was, chasing Yeon all over the place. Rang kept trying to kill him and MY to entice him into a trap or something.
I believe MY was supposed to use both the Guardian Stone and the Golden Ruler to bring the ‘brother’ back to life, but in the end he managed with just the Golden Ruler.
– Yes I agree that the actions of Yeon who was so good at thinking of solutions and for caring for everyone really made an impact in the past that would change something of the future.
– Yup, we need more stories where good triumphs.
– Taluipa asked the God of Five Paths why MY chose to come to 1938. Did we get to hear the answer? 🤔
Unnie,
I wanted to smack those mercenaries so badly! They killed so many innocent gods and spirits just for fun!
I think that part needs to be explain further in Season 3.
That one mountain god somehow got partly out and managed to influence Moon Young in that way. Yes the golden ruler was the artifact that resurrected him and he also took Taluipa’s eyes. It remains to be seen if her eyes are taken from modern Taluipa as well.
I am curious how they will connect Season 2 and 3 and how many of our cast will return to it!
The thing is WHY the King of Dead or any of the other Kings, didn’t notice that mountain god was spreading havoc.
OR
Did Taluipa find out in 2023, that’s why she sent back Lee Yeon?
No, we didn’t hear the answer from the Good of Five Paths at all.
As for the Gumiho’s powers, you right about them. I would like to pinpoint something though, only Lee Yeon can spell charm the others and use the lightning for his benefit.
Lee Rang can also shape shift. He is powerful as well, but we really don’t know his full powers as yet. Lastly, Gu Shin Joo can also talk to animals, but he had a stone that helped him doing it? *me thinks*
Yes, they all matured in that month, didn’t they? I am glad that we could see them being a family of shorts in the end. They were staying all together doing what they did best. Fighting for Joseon and protecting one another!
Here is a compilation Ella did for Lee Rang and Yeo Hee. I loved it! Enjoy!
@Cleo, I felt that the King of the Dead or King of Five Paths has a lot to answer for if he knew what MY would be able to do but still struck a deal with him to give him what he needed to resurrect a long dead person. It’s so annoying that these gods have so much power but so little sense of responsibility. He goes to watch movies instead of keeping to his post.
@Unnie,
The King of Dead aka the KING OF THE UNDERWORLD or Hades is Taluipa’s brother.
The King of Five Path is another King of the Underworld. And If I remember correctly there are 10 lessers gods like that.
I agree with you though. That God helped MY when he had realized that something was wrong with the child and someone was manipulating him and instead of trying to warn the higher ups he didn’t. He chose to bet with him and in the long run bringing back to life the One Mountain God who is pure evil…
Here’s the DB recap of the final episodes. 🙂