Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 (구미호뎐 1938) is a sequel to the much-loved fantasy Kdrama of the same named and is directed by Kang Shin-hyo and Jo Nam-hyung. The Kdrama stars Lee Dong-wook, Kim So-Yeon, Kim Bum, Ryu Kyung-soo, Kim Young-ji, and Hwang Hee alongside other cast members.
The sequel brings the gumiho Lee Yeon away from his happy ending and back to the year 1938 where he once again comes face to face with his brother Lee Rang and Ryu Hong-joo. Now, he has to find a way to return to the present and to his loved one, but this isn’t something that will come to him easily.
The show will have 16 episodes and be broadcasted on tvN’s Saturday-Sunday 9:20 PM KST timeslot previously occupied by Pandora Beneath the Paradise. Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 episode 12 has a run time of 79 minutes.
The synopsis of the show reads:
A K-FANTASY ACTION UNFOLDS AS THE NINE-TAILED FOX (PLAYED BY LEE DONG-WOOK) MAKES A CRASH LANDING IN THE YEAR 1938, AN ERA OF CHAOS, AND HE STRUGGLES TO RETURN TO THE PRESENT.
-Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 Episode 12 Recap Contains Spoilers-
Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 Finale episode begins with the Yeon of 1938 reading a letter sent to him by the Yeon of the future. Telling him of the changes that are to come and a request to take care of Rang, he tells his past self that the one he waits for is waiting for him back home.
This brings a ray of hope to the opium addict Yeon as he makes plans to go back to where he belongs. Elsewhere, the captives Yeo-hee and Jae-yoo await their rescuers while Ryuhei Kato arrives at the boutique. There he meets Yeon who finds out that he is Daitengu, the mountain god in his native land.
Yeon is surprised by his identity, however, he is ready to fight this mountain. Ryuhei Kato stops him because of the wedding he has to attend but offers him an exchange, the treasures for the hostages. Yeon blatantly refuses to do so, but Ryuhei Kato doesn’t find it surprising and instead tells him that there are those who are ready to do this for him.
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Meanwhile, Akira Saito meets Hong-joo and Rang and tells them that only one of the hostages will be saved. The one who will be chosen will depend on who among these two manages to get the treasure from Yeon first. Yeon understands that a game of wit has begun and makes his way to the two.
Yeon brings everyone involved in this case together and begins his plan to save the hostages while fighting against Ryuhei Kato. He divides the people into groups, Rang and Shin-joo are sent to locate the hostages while Eun-ho and the girls from Myeoyeonggak are sent to plant bombs in Bando Hotel.
Hong-joo provides the weapons after which she rushes to Taluipa to get her help in locating the hostages. The race against time thus begins and everyone needs to rush before the lunar eclipse ends because it is also the day Yeon returns back home.
The police sense what is happening and soon send the message across to Ryuhei Kato who puts forth a new plan for the mountain gods. On the other hand, Taluipa has made Ui-ong leave the afterlife immigration office because she has sensed that the original mountain god is going to show up.
She does not go wrong as the man shows up and steals her thousand-mile eyes. Hong-joo arrives soon after for help but is shocked by what has happened to Taluipa. She tells Hong-joo that the original mountain god has returned and Yeon needs to be sent to the future with the guardian stone without further delay.
Hong-joo passes on this message to Yeon and tells him that it will be the end of the world if the original mountain god gets his hands on all four treasures. She then asks him about Moo-young when the others return with news about the hostages.
Hong-joo decides to take part in the rescue mission and rushes with Rang and his subordinate. Yeon is worried that this may be a trap but is unable to stop them. He tells Rang that he is not inferior to anyone but is a stronger gumiho than himself, all he needs to do is believe in himself.
After this, the two go their separate ways and Yeon rushes to the Bando Hotel with Shin-joo. Elsewhere, Oogama and Yuki are given instructions to inject sap of the gwiso tree into the two hostages which will make them lose control and attack anyone in front of them.
Oogama follows his orders but one of the vials breaks because of Jae-yoo. Seeing this, the two are separated and the sap is injected into Jae-yoo while Yuki stays with Yeo-hee and waits for Rang’s arrival. Soon, the trio arrive to save the captives and find Yeo-hee with Yuki first.
Hong-joo quickly intercedes and saves Yeo-hee after which she runs to look for Jae-yoo, unaware that this is a trap set by the demons. She soon finds Jae-yoo, however, the latter begins attacking her and she finds out that he has been injected with the sap of the gwiso tree.
Jae-yoo regains consciousness and understands that he has attacked Hong-joo. Ridden with guilt, he puts a stop to his actions by stabbing himself which brings agony to Hong-joo. Meanwhile, Yuki is still safe after Hong-joo’s attack and is ready to fight the ones left behind. Oogama too joins her and begins his attacks on Rang.
Rang is overthrown by his continuous attacks and is on the verge of giving up when he sees Yuki attacking Yeo-hee. The two then start berating Rang for being a half-breed when he remembers Yeon’s words and finally transforms into a gumiho with his golden eyes scaring the demons. He then finishes off the mercenaries and loses all his energy.
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Right then a wounded Satori shows up and is ready to attack them when the Yeon of this era shows up and saves them. Yeon then makes his way to Hong-joo and gives her the pisali flower which will be able to save Jae-yoo.
At Bando Hotel, the wedding begins and Eun-ho makes her way to Ryuhei Kato. The high Japanese officials give their blessings to the couple while Akira Saito notices a suspicious woman and follows her. The ceremony is about to begin when Eun-ho steps out and stands behind the podium to declare a blood bath after which she shifts into her real form and it is none other than Yeon.
Elsewhere, Akira Saito catches up with the woman and finds out that it is none other than Eun-ho. A battle soon begins inside the hotel and blood flows throughout the place as Yeon fights Ryuhei Kato while Eun-ho fights the soldiers.
Eun-ho successfully kills the higher Japanese officers but lets go of her father who is with them only to be shot by him from the back. Shin-joo arrives right then and saves her while her father is shot by the soldiers who assumed that he killed the officers. Meanwhile, Yeon continues to fight Ryuhei Kato who throws the explosives at Yeon’s feet which were a part of his plan.
As it begins to look like Yeon is being overthrown by Ryuhei Kato, he stands back on his feet and tells the demon of the future which he is soon to miss out on. Yeon then strikes Lighting and takes up his gumiho form and finally finishes Ryuhei Kato once and for all. Akira Saito then arrives with his men and surrounds Yeon but the latter has no time for this and Hong-joo arrives to take care of this group.
Yeon says his farewell to Hong-joo and leaves with Shin-joo. Unfortunately, they are once again blocked by the police when Moo-young arrives at his rescue. A flashback shows the scene of Moo-young’s death when the god of fortune appeared and fulfilled Yeon’s wish of saving Moo-young.
Moo-young begins to take care of this group and Yeon makes his way to Taluipa. On the other hand, Rang rushes to the afterlife immigration office to meet Yeon before he leaves. Yeon and Shin-joo arrive at their destination, unaware that the original mountain god has his eyes on them.
Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 Episode 12 Ending
Yeon barely makes it on time and stands in front of the door while wishing to meet Rang one last time when the latter shows up to say his farewell to his brother. The brothers share a tearful moment and finally say their farewells following which Yeon returns back home.
Back at the Bando Hotel, Moo-young and Hong-joo wonder about their friend who has left and look forward to their own time in this era. Moo-young tells Hong-joo about his wish to become the person she would have wanted him to be and the two share a heartwarming moment.
Later, Hong-joo returns to Myeoyeonggak and wanders around Yeon’s room when she receives the gift left behind for her by Yeon. A daenggi which comes with memories of the past and a farewell that is only for Hong-joo.
Soon, Hong-joo’s days begin with the Yeon of the future but these days are not bland as she funds the independence activists. With new guests at Myeoyeonggak being none other than the opium addict Yeon, Rang and Yeo-hee, she prepares to fight the Japanese each day with her friends alongside her.
On the other hand, Yeon is back in 2023 and finally unites with Ji-ah.
But this is not the end of Yeon’s adventure as he is soon to travel back to the Joseon era.
Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 Episode 12 Review
Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 episode 12 ends the adventures of Yeon in the Japanese Occupation of Korea era and this was one unforgettable journey for us all. This episode brought numerous squeals from me and moments that still leave me excited, however, knowing that this is not the end is what keeps me eager for more.
Episode 12 brought the perfect finale for this season and the beginning of another adventure that needs to happen as soon as possible. This episode was filled with many ups and downs which brought a spotlight on every character, but it is also one that has left us with many questions.
These events of the past are sure to show their effect on the future, so how does the future really change for these characters? With Taluipa losing her thousand-mile eyes, Hong-joo and Moo-young uniting in the past and Rang’s relationships going smoothly, will there be a new future for them all?
These questions can only be answered in the third part of this series and we can say that it is sure to come. The animated clip at the end makes it clear that the new adventure is soon to arrive and this one will take Yeon even further back in the past to the Joseon era. But will he be going there alone or with his friends?
We will find out more about this soon, until then, let us know what you think about this finale in the comments below!
Watch Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 on Prime Video.
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