Tale of the Nine-Tailed

Fan Park
Nov 26, 2020
5 min read

Title: Tale of the Nine Tailed (English title) / Tale of The Nine-Tailed Fox (literal title)

Hangul: 구미호뎐

Director: Kang Shin-Hyo

Writer: Han Woo-Ri

Network: tvN

Episodes: 16

Release Date: October 7 - December 3, 2020

Runtime: Wed. & Thu. 22:50

Language: Korean

Country: South Korea

Summary :

The story features the mythical nine-tailed fox, or gumiho, Lee Yeon who has just settled in the city. Able to transform into human form, he goes about cleansing human spirits, all the while creating havoc. Enter the talented television producer Nam Ji Ah whose current show features urban myths. With nerves of steel, she will stop at nothing to secure unusual, if not dangerous, subject matter to showcase. She sets her sights on Lee Yeon who appears just too good to be true; irresistibly handsome, intelligent, fit; in fact the ideal guest. But his heartlessness will render doubt in her that he is indeed of this world. Step-brother to Lee Yeon is the captivating Lee Rang, reputed to be the most dangerous of all gumihos living among humans. Despite being half-human himself, he harbors a deep-seated contempt for all people. For sport, he will unleash his seductive prowess upon his human-du-jour, by promising to grant them their wishes, only to trick them into paying a hefty price for their earthly desires.

Casts :

Lee Dong-wook (이동욱) as Lee Yeon

- The titular gumiho (nine-tailed fox) and former mountain spirit and guardian of Baekdudaegan, lover of Ah-eum and half-brother of Lee Rang, who swore to eradicate supernatural beings that harm the mortal world in exchange for Ah-eum's reincarnation. After centuries of searching, he found Ah-eum's reincarnation in the present: Nam Ji-ah. He swore to protect Ji-ah at all costs so she could live longer in this lifetime.

Jo Bo-ah (조보아) as Nam Ji-ah / Ah-eum

- A 30-year old smart and dauntless producer at TVC Station, a broadcasting company, whose current show "Searching for Ghost Stories in the City" features urban myths. She is the reincarnation of Ah-eum who was Lee Yeon's past lover, the exiled princess, and the seventh daughter of the King. She is on the mission to find her parents who disappeared 20 years ago after an accident in Yeou Gogae with the help of Lee Yeon.

Kim Beom (김범) as Lee Rang

- A half-blood gumiho and Lee Yeon's younger half-brother, who seeks revenge on his brother by creating mischief. As a child, he was abandoned by his human mother in the Forest of the Starved. There, he was attacked by an spirit of the villagers who died from starving but was saved by Yeon. He came along with his brother to the mountain to start anew and lived happily. But when Ah-eum died, Yeon left Baekdudaegan and quit being a mountain spirit. Rang was left alone and the mountain unprotected as well. With its guardian gone, humans were able to set fire in the mountains, causing Rang to flee. He exacted revenge on all human beings, even the innocent ones. Years after, he reunited with Yeon as an adult only to find out that his brother will have to punish him by death as ordered by the Afterlife Judges for the crimes he had committed. He survived this punishment with the help of a mysterious man, to whom he's indebted. Since then, he lived by harming human beings and betting on their misfortunes, granting their desires for a hefty price, causing trouble to Yeon in turn.

Kim Yong-Ji (김용지) as Ki Yu-ri

- Lee Rang's loyal accomplice, a young gumiho from Russia. She was saved by Rang from a zoo where she was being maltreated. As her way of payment for saving her life, she eagerly does Rang's orders in causing trouble to his enemies. She assumed the identity of the 24-year old director of Moze Department Store who died while trekking in Nepal.

Hwang Hee (황희) as Goo Shin-joo

- Lee Yeon’s loyal subject and friend, also a gumiho. After having bewitched innocent humans to lose their minds in revenge for his sisters who were killed by human traps, he fleed from the former mountain spirit he served to save his life and ended up at Lee Yeon's forest. He was saved by Lee Yeon, who refused to return him to the mountain spirit and since then decided to dedicate his life for him. In present days, he is a veterinarian who can speak to animals using his magic necklace. He liked Ki Yoo-ri from the first time he met her.

Kim Jung-nan (김정난) as Taluipa

- Sister of King Yeomra (supreme ruler of the underworld), the wife of Hyun Eui-ong, who works at the Afterlife Immigration Office, manages the list of dead souls and gives Lee Yeon his missions. She appears to be cold-hearted but has a strict motherly affection for Yeon. She had a son with her husband named Bok Gil who died but cannot be reborn again because he killed himself.

Ahn Kil-kang (안길강) as Hyun Eui-ong

- The gatekeeper of Samdo River, the husband of Taluipa and father of Bok Gil, who also works at the Afterlife Immigration Office and briefs dead souls before entering the underworld. He appears to be both obedient and scared of his wife.

Lee Tae-ri (이태리) as Imoogi / Lee Ryong / Terry

- A serpent beast in human form, the nemesis of Lee Yeon, who has the power to read others' minds. Centuries ago, he was born in a cave where people are dying of a plague. He took the body of the King, Ah-eum's father, as host. To save her father, Ah-eum allowed the Imoogi to transfer to her body for him to meet Yeon. He was killed by Yeon while inside of Ah-eum. In the present day, he was reborn at Eohwa Island with the help of his mysterious servant and Lee Rang. As a child, the Imoogi sucks the life out of his babysitters as his meal, turning them into mummified corpses, to be fully grown in a short period of time. In adult form, he wants to take the body of Lee Yeon and marry Nam Ji-ah, the reincarnation of Ah-eum. He was originally a dragon that would become the mountain spirit, but was disqualified after a human spotted him in his dragon form. With the help of the CEO at TVC Station, he disguised as Terry, an intern in Ji-ah's team at TVC Station.

Uhm Hyo-sup (엄효섭) as Kwon Hae-ryong

- The president of TVC Station and the Imoogi's servant. He is a human being described as a living corpse since he prolonged his life for many centuries by stealing the life of humans trapped in ground cherries. He served during the reign of Ah-eum's father. He also saved Rang's life after he was supposedly killed by Yeon thereby making Rang indebted to him. He is also the man in a navy blue suit with a criminal branding on his forehead "seogyeong" who caused the car accident of Nam Ji-ah's parents. He sacrificed his wife and children to the Imoogi in exchange for his life.