Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 Episode 7 (2023)

Episode 7 of Tale of the Nine Tailed: 1938 starts with Yeon and Moo-yeong together and realizing they’re on a film set. A set for Jangsan Tiger’s Bride. This appears to be the world he’s created and the details are unbelievably accurate. Yeon is surprised by this, and even more so when Hong-joo shows up for filming.

Hong-joo is not the same one they remember though, given she appears to have lost all her memories. She’s the main lead here, while Yeon and Moo-yeong are supporting stars in the production. And just like that, they’re suddenly thrust into the middle of filming.

Yeon tries to resist but this demon is powerful and clearly full of itself too. In fact, Yeon has to continue repeating lines until he follows the script, and to save himself from being slapped in the face again! This script sees Yeon forced to say that the Jangsan Tiger is amazing, and to listen to retorts about how he’s a complete fake. As they play along, it becomes increasingly clear that this is going to be more difficult than they thought. In fact, neither of them can use their Mountain God powers in this fantasy world.

Realizing the name of the drama, the pair instead decide to switch up their approach and go looking for the Jangsan Tiger. They believe this could well hold the key to escaping. Outside all of this though, Shin-joo feeds back to Taluipa what’s going on and she’s shocked. In fact, this could spell bad news for Yeon given the demon they’re up against can imitate everything from its subjects.

Taluipa deduces that his demon could well try to cross where Yeon left, and given its mimicking abilities, it phones Rang and tells him to put blood on the thread. Unfortunately, this is all it needs to turn the entire string red and that serves as an invitation to the demon. If Rang lets go of the thread completely, then the way back will disappear and the demon will cross over too. Rang can’t let go of it but Taluipa decides not to get involved, instead sending Shin-joo back to check on Rang.

Rang is put through the ringer and struggles to keep hold of the string, especially as letting go could spell disaster and let the demon through properly. Instead, it’s relegated to using every mimicking trick in the book.

Back inside the big vision, Yeon decides to beat the Director of the show, demanding to know who wrote the script. While he tries to find who it is, Moo-yeong figures out that the real demon is the young girl that he and Yeon met when they first arrived. She’s eating the same snacks Hong-joo was when they first arrived so it makes sense that she’s the one.

The demon tricks Moo-yeong, having stolen some of his memories and showing them off on a tv screen. She claims that he’s just like her; a monster. Jangsan also confirms that Hong-joo is going to die by his hands.

However, Yeon sneaks up from behind and stabs him in the back. The thing is, this is all just a ruse, as the demon decides to give them an hour to try and save Hong-joo. Yeon though is still caught up over the fact that his blade, the duduri, fails to work on Jangsan Tiger. Moo-yeong acts shadily and claims that he doesn’t know what’s happening here.

As the scene shifts, we cut into a typical mob drama, complete with a whole bunch of goons that begin attacking Moo-yeong and Yeon. Oh, and it’s complete with a kickass soundtrack to boot too! In fact, it ends with both guys knocked down and beaten. Similarly, Rang is also beaten down but he more than holds his own, keeping hold of the string and refusing to let go, knowing this is the last link he has to Yeon.

When the scene shifts again inside the fantasy world, this time to a quiz show, Moo-yeong is taken aback and shocked when he sees his own brother before him as quizmaster. The questions are all intended to rile them up completely, and Yeon speaks to the camera, telling Jangsan Tiger that this isn’t going to work and they’ll come out of this on top.

With Rang, Yeo-hee shows up with late night snacks for him. He urges her not to come in, but she does just that and immediately uses her siren powers to smash the glass and dispel the demons around him. It works a treat and in fact, the string turns back white again too.

Rang tells her he’s indebted once more but Yeo-hee has just the way he can make it up to her. She stands on tiptoes and tries to kiss him but he turns away. However, that mild disappointment soon disappears when he holds Yeo-hee and kisses her passionately.

Back in the fantasy, the big wedding looks set to go ahead. The Hapgeun Ceremony begins (a cup trading ritual to unify a couple). Should Hong-joo decide to drink this liquid, she’ll be forever stuck in these visions. She rises the cup to her lips, looks set to drink… just as Yeon and Moo-yeong head in, with 14 minutes to spare too.

In the courtyard within the Joseon Period vision again, Moo-yeong and Yeon are despaired to learn that Hong-joo is now the Jangsan Tiger’s bride. She attacks them both, keeping the demon safe. He laughs tauntingly, informing them that the only way through is by defeating Hong-joo.

The trio of Mountain Gods fight but as they clash swords, we’re transported back in time to see these guys together. As a result, Moo-yeong just cannot do the final blow, and he’s stabbed by Hong-joo. Yeon jumps in and pleads with her to stop this. Instead, she chokes them both out and as they look set to fade away, Hong-joo lets him go. In fact, her memories of the comb come back and she returns to her former self.

With Jangsan Tiger screaming for her to kill the Gods, Hong-joo instead throws a sword and plunges it straight through the demon. She’s livid at being played like a puppet and as she jumps in, the three Mountain Gods work together to defeat the Jangsan Tiger. With less then 30 seconds left, the gang manage to escape thanks to Ranfg holding onto the string all this time, and he manages to pull them back whence they came.

However, time runs out and Yeon is stuck inside with Moo-yeong while Hong-joo and Eun-ho manage to get out. Rang is shocked when he finds out and deduces that Moo-yeong did this on purpose.

Yeon returns to the courtyard where he finds Moo-yeong destroying the Tiger and taking the stone from before. Yeon realizes that his old friend was the one who summoned the Demon in the first place. Using the stone, he manages to heal himself from the petrification and reclaims full use of his body. He reveals himself to be the one looking to stop Yeon, going on to taunt his old friend, telling the mountain god there’s no way he’ll be returning home now.

Out of nowhere, Rang shows up with the stray cat and confronts him. As a result, Moo-yeong skips away while Rang takes Yeon and they head back whence they came. Of course, we know this cat has mystical powers so it’s a thankful loophole that they’re exploiting here.

Moo-yeong returns to Hong-joo when all of this is resolved and admits that he wants to revive his dead brother. The only way for this to become a reality though is for him and Yeon to fight to the death. Hong-joo scoffs at this, telling him that he’s not a good villain. She wants to stay by his side but Moo-yeong urges her not to try and dissuade him from his mission.

Meanwhile, Kato begins collecting up demons for his experiments, holding them captive in the basement. As he walks into one of the shadowy rooms, where a suspicious bloodstain happens to be on the bed, he tells his subordinate that they need to summon the Shinigami Mercenaries. They’re the best in the field and Kato is adamant that he can control them.

As the episode closes out, an ominous bit of foreshadowing spreads forth. It turns out Moo-yeong has told Rang the truth about what’s to come regarding his fate in the future, including how he dies after being used his whole life. Rang is not happy, as we leave things on a tantalizing cliffhanger

The Episode Review

Tale of the Nine Tailed returns and we see a resolution to the situation involving the fantasy world, including the imaginative meta world of TV shows within a show. It actually works surprisingly well to keep the fantasy elements intact, while the changed focus this season to lean into the sibling ties that Hong-joo, Rang and Yeon all share is arguably one of the strongest parts of this.

This episode does well to keep things intriguing and the ending seems to hint that we’re about to move into more of a Rang VS Yeon rivalry like we had at the start of the season.

Whether this comes to fruition or not is still to be decided but either way, everything is left on a precarious knife edge.