The South Korean fantasy series Tale of the Nine Tailed is returning for a second season but this time around, it’s set in an earlier time period.
Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, as it is titled, is coming exclusively on Prime Video globally starting today, May 6.
It brings back beloved characters of the first season that originally ran in 2020: Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook), a gumiho or a nine-tailed fox in Korean mythology and his half-gumiho brother Lee Rang (played by Kim Bum).
In Season 1, Yeon, whose job was to eliminate supernatural beings threatening the human world, has a love-hate sibling relationship with Rang, who initially antagonizes the former due to abandonment issues. How their dynamics during this earlier time period will be different from the modern times in Season 1 is expected to be one of the most-anticipated story arcs in Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938.
Both actors are more than familiar faces to Filipino audiences, having visited the country at least once in the past and starred in K-dramas besides Tale of the Nine Tailed that also fared well in the country.
To recall, Lee’s past works include Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Bad and Crazy, Touch Your Heart, My Girl, while Kim is best-known for Ghost Doctor, Law School and Boys Over Flowers.
During an exclusive virtual interview with The Philippine STAR ahead of the May 6 premiere, Lee and Kim recalled their reactions when they first learned that they were getting another season for their series.
“When I heard that a second season was in the works, as one of the biggest fans of Tale of the Nine Tailed, I was extremely excited,” said Kim.
“And to hear that we were going back in time, I think it excited me even more because if it were set in the modern day I may not be able to come back as my role, so I was very happy to hear that it was a different period.”
More importantly, he wanted to work again with Lee and the production team.
“Most of all, I was very much looking forward to working again with Dong-wook, the writer and director, and the crew and staff from the first season,” he said.
“And I was also very curious and excited that there will be new characters joining. Looking back, I feel like we have created another great show, and it will be just as intriguing if not more so compared to the first season. It’s going to be a lot of fun, there’s a lot for you to look forward to, and all in all I’m very happy with what we’ve created.”
For Lee, he admitted feeling the pressure for Season 2 to exceed the performance of its predecessor. “I admit there was a pressure that we had to make an even better show and be loved even more by the audiences. I also admit that when I first read the script, I thought to myself, ‘Oh man, when are we going to complete shooting all of these scenes?’’ the actor said.
“However, when I was back on set, I was just so excited to reunite with the cast members from Season 1, and all the crew and staff — the same crew we worked with on the first season — so they helped us a lot to bring everything back.
“I was also especially grateful to our new cast, So-yeon and Kyung-soo, they did such an amazing job. So, I would say that the second season is going to be just as — if not even more— entertaining. It’s going to be a great show.”
The stars have some theories as to why the first season became successful overseas.
That the series tapped into South Korean mythology made it attractive to those not aware or are curious about the country’s supernatural creatures and lore.
“I think the biggest strength of Tale of the Nine Tailed was that it’s a story about demons and spirits that are unique to Korea. The characters and stories are based on Korean folktales and myths, and the characters were brought to life in a unique way where they each had individual emotions and backgrounds. It was all very unique to Korea,” said Kim.
Lee, for his part, considered it an honor to be part of a “uniquely Korean story” that somehow connected with the overseas audiences.
“I feel very grateful that such a uniquely Korean story was so well-received and loved by many other cultures. And I hope that it will continue to be the case where Korean culture will be loved and enjoyed by many outside of our country,” Lee said.
Kim was quick to add that it was because of the love and support from the international viewers and fans that the second season was greenlit.
“There’s a lot more to come, and a lot of myths and demons, spirits, and ghouls in Korea, so if the show does well, maybe we might get to see more stories about them as well,” he said.
As per synopsis, in Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, Lee Yeon finds himself unexpectedly transported to 1938, where he encounters old and new friends and foes, including his brother Lee Rang. Lee Yeon searches for a way to return to his loved ones in the present-day, but challenges will set him back as well as forces determined to take away everyone he loves.
The fantasy series by CJ ENM’s production powerhouse Studio Dragon, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 will be available to Prime Video subscribers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Japan and the Philippines weekly, every Saturday and Sunday, starting May 6. The show will launch globally everywhere else later this summer.
Season 2 is introducing new cast members: Kim So-yeon, winner of the 2021 Baeksang Best Actress (The Penthouse: War in Life) as Ryu Hong-ju, who shares a history with Lee Yeon, and Ryu Kyung-soo (Itaewon Class, Lovestruck in the City, and Hellbound) as Cheon Mu-yeong, a long-time friend of Lee Yeon and Ryu Hong-ju. Hwang Hee and Kim Yong-ji from the first season also form part of the cast.