The eighth episode of Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 was one of the better-written episodes that we have come across in a while. It was funny to see the upright and infallible Lee Yeon endorse double standards. The major plots of the story moved forward in a meaningful way, and we were engaged with the characters like we hadn’t been for weeks. Let’s look into the detailed recap of the eighth episode.
Spoilers Alert
How Does Lee Rang Deal With Moo Young’s Words?
Things are comparatively back to normal for the characters of Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 after their ordeal of the past few days. Hong Joo puts them all on kimchi-making duty. Doo Mok and Shin Joo continue to bicker, and Lee Rang has been feeling a little off ever since he came to know that he would lose his life for his brother’s sake. He is annoyed when Lee Yeon is caring towards him and goes to meet Yeo Hee. However, his mind is still occupied with what Moo Young said to him, and that is why he leaves midway through Yeo Hee’s performance. When she asks him what is wrong, Lee Rang spirals into self-pity, recounting how he has always been rejected by those closest to him. We believe that this is the first time in the series that we have witnessed Lee Rang’s abandonment issues come to the surface. They were often a subject of discussion in the prequel, but to avoid the risk of repetition and keep the freshness of the characters intact, that has been avoided here. No wonder Lee Rang was far more devilish in Tale of the Nine Tailed whereas he is a serious person in the 1938 sequel.
As he is trying to break ties with Yeo Hee, she tells him that she loves him and wants him to be brave enough to risk his heart instead of always hiding behind his loneliness. She has a point because it is not as if being alone has spared Rang the pain and disappointment of relationships. Why not take a chance with people, then? Yeo Hee announces that she will marry Rang, and he seems to be on board with that idea. Maybe it was the fact that he was finally in love that made him want to live longer. That is why he agrees to gamble with a goblin to increase his lifespan. Needless to say, Rang loses, and he has less than a day to live. Yeon is furious, but when he angrily confronts Rang about it, he figures that his brother is acting out because he knows his fate.
Yeon steps in to gamble with the goblin, and it doesn’t take long for him to understand that he is cheating. Yeon evens the scales, and they start their game again, but this time, after multiple draws, Yeon wins. That ensures that not only his and Rang’s lifespans are restored, but even the indigenous gods of Joseon are safe now. The next day, Yeon talks to Rang and shows him the video he had left behind right before he sacrificed his life for Yeon. Rang gets a clearer picture of the circumstances now, and he understands that Yeon did not take advantage of him, but it was something Rang had done out of love. Even Yeo Hee comes running towards him, and she is a die-hard romantic, so we need to understand whether that is something Rang is going to learn or whether he will scratch his head with his inexperience. Back in Myoyeongak, Hong Joo unearths a god who pulled Jae Yoo into the toilet. That god is attached to Jae Yoo since he brings flowers for her, so she bargains with Hong Joo to let her stay in exchange for information about a buried treasure.
Did Lee Yeon Help The Indigenous Gods?
The indigenous gods are striking outside Taluipa’s house because they want her to protect them from going extinct. These are the gods of wells, pots, pans, and everything that exists in Joseon. Other than the well-being of things, we suppose their purpose is also to add to the folklore and culture of Joseon. Taluipa refuses to help them, and her husband is forced to take them to Hong Joo and Yeon to resolve their issues. It is a tiresome task for the former mountain gods, but they have to do what they are assigned.
However, that is not the only danger facing the indigenous gods. General Ryuhei has called upon Shinigami demons from Japan to help him harm these gods. He says that he wants them captured, but honestly, he doesn’t mind seeing them taken out. Now, when we heard the word “shinigami,”, we immediately thought of Death Note, which is probably one of the most popular mangas and anime to ever exist. Shinigami is a demon that brings people to their deaths. In the context of this series, shinigami demons are those who are capable of killing humans and gods alike. At the end of Episode 8 Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, these demons go on a killing spree and take the lives of all the indigenous gods that Yeon and Hong Joo had protected. When Yeon sees this, he decides to help counter this new problem in Joseon. Yeon has less than a week left in 1938, but now that he has taken on this mission, it remains to be seen whether he extends his stay or if he deals with it all before leaving.
Final Thoughts
Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 has some issues with how it has structured its weekly episodes. One turns out to be as haphazard as the other is engaging. But we won’t complain since we are addicted enough to continue watching. The coming weeks’ episodes will likely tackle the threat of General Ryuhei. He is not only attacking the Joseon demons, but he is making plans to marry Ginko. She would certainly hate the proposition since she suspects him of killing her sister. Additionally, now that she knows that Shin Joo is a fox, she has asked him whether she can see her sister again. We might catch a glimpse of that reunion next week. Also, Moo Young needs the guardian stone and the golden ruler to resurrect his brother, and both those items are with Yeon. But as we saw in the precap, Yeon wants Moo Young’s help to take down the Japanese demons. They might join hands for mutual benefit, though Moo Young will have plans to betray Yeon. These three friends really need some distance between them, but with half of the series left to go, they might not get that for a while.
